The civil war which has simmered in Yugoslavia all summer is coming to a climax. It is the finale of the lans by Serbian presiden lobodan Milosevicto create a 'Greater Serbia' by suby force. As we s devastating military onslaught by the federal army against Croatia will occur.
Yugoslavia has been in a spiral of crisis for the past three years. The leadership of Serbia, the largest republic, has under Milosevic tried to maintain its New Socialist Outlook prize draw power by playing the Serbian nationalist card.
The Albanian people in the Serbian province encies yo have been mercilessly repressed. Since the middle of the summer Milosevic, and the Serbian generals who command the federal army, have used the Croatian and Slovenian declarations of independence to launch their murderous war of repression.
The governments of Croatia and Slovenia are anti-communist reactionaries. But the peoples of these republics have responded to repression with the demand of independence. Independence is their right. No
Serbian tanks:
military devastation is just round the corner for Croatia. socialist can support the maintenance of a united Yugoslavia by massacre The outcome of the conflict is hardly in doubt. The Yugoslav army is overwhelmingly more powerful than the lightlyarmed Croatian militia; and the army and the Serb nationalist 'chetniks' have shown themselves prepared to use the most ruthless methods, bombarding Croat towns and villages, and driving out their populations.
It is hardly surprising, given their desperate situation, that Croatian leaders have called for armed intervention by the European Community. But the EC is concerned about stability - especially a stable framework for restoring capitalism - and not the rights of peoples. Imperialist troops in Yúgoslavia are no solution. What the Croats desperately need is the arms to defend themselves; the EC, despite its crocodile tears, will do nothing to ! provide this kind of material aid.
Milosevic and his ex-communist government are concerned with keeping and extending their power. Doubtless some Yugosiav generals are genuinely committed to a united Yugoslavia. But the massacre under way shows what happens when the Stalinists and ex-Stalinists resort to force to maintain their power - and what would have happened in the Soviet Union if he coup leaders had kept their nerve.
Socialists abhor reactionary nationalism. But in Croatia a : whole people are under attack reactionary forces. Despite the right wing character of the Croatian government, socialists must stand with the Croats and their right of self-determination.