A Signature for Posterity
by Gilles d'Aymery
July 31, 2000
Note from the Editor: The Republicans are having their quadrennial party, made of red, white and blue ballons inflated with optimism, compassionate conservatism, smirking tirades about values and morals; Dubya is being coronated in the midst of an adoring crowd and everybody else is asleep. The news is babbling with pundits' comments. It's summer, after all.
Business continues as usual. We keep bombing Iraq; we keep tearing up Serbia limb by limb; we are gently starting another war in Columbia. The news reporters are mute and blind. It's summer, after all.
Meantime, with the help of some creative journalism in the form of a sad political parody, we are asking two simple questions that have yet to be asked or answered in the main media. Yes, it is summer, a good time for thinking, after all.
AMIDST TENSIONS, WILL THE U.S. SIGN THE INTERIM AGREEMENT?
Calgary, Canada - February 23, 2039 - from our foreign correspondent
Following a week of intense negotiations between the representatives of the World Almighty Treaty Organization (WATO) and the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice and US Defense Secretary Rick Lazio, the US government, under pressure from the WATO authorities, is expected to give its final response in regard to the Interim Agreement for Peace on Self-Government in Texas. Will the United States of America sign the document and avoid the humanitarian military intervention that is right now about to be launched by the most powerful alliance the world has ever known? WATO, following the demise of the old NATO in 2029 is comprised of the European Union, the Russian Federation, China, India and myriad small countries that formed the Alliance -- in all 150 nations -- to stop American business, cultural and military expansionism in its tracks.
Background briefing
For the past decade, the citizens of Mexican background that comprise close to 80 per cent of the Texas population have petitioned the state and the federal government to be granted greater autonomy within the Union. In addition, under the leadership of the Texas Liberation Army (TLA), the Mexican majority wants a referendum that will decide whether Texas becomes independent.
Between February 2038 and February 2039, before WATO governments decided upon potential military action, over 2000 people were killed as a result of the US government's policies in Texas (source: WATO Web site).
During the summer of 2038, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimated that the campaign of ethnic cleansing had resulted in a quarter of a million Texas Mexicans being forced from their homes as their ranches, towns and cattle were destroyed (source: WATO Web site).
In January 2039, a United Nations humanitarian team discovered evidence of the massacre of over 40 people in the town of Falfurrias, 38 miles south of Kingsville (source: WATO Web site).
The WATO governments have given the USA until midnight today to sign the Interim Agreement or face the consequences which are by now abundantly clear in view of the thousands of planes assembled in Mexico and in the Gulf of Mexico, ready to launch a massive air attack at a moment's notice.
Let it be noted that the US government has staunchly denied these charges alleging that it was an entire machination perpetrated by WATO main media, the manipulation of a PR firm, the complicity of the drug-financed TLA and the interests of powerful business and military alliances.
The issues: What's at stake?
The crisis bears remarkable similarities with what happened forty years ago in an obscure province of southern Europe, Kosovo, which is now back in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a member of WATO. At stake are the remaining oil deposits in Texas, the age-old tensions rising from the ashes of multi-ethnicity, the failure of the US federal government to adequately address the grievances of the Mexican majority in Texas, the ineluctable advance of the WATO powers into the western hemisphere and the concept of sovereignty. "These issues are deeply rooted in the concept of humanitarianism," said a WATO official.
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THE U.S. REFUSES TO SIGN THE AGREEMENT: WAR IS LOOMING
Calgary, Canada - February 24, 2039 - from our foreign correspondent
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has refused to sign the Interim Agreement for Peace on Self-Government in Texas.
The problem
It would appear that yesterday the US government was ready to sign the Interim Agreement when, in the middle of the night, an appendix was surreptitiously added to the document. This appendix, the US delegation argued, would by all means have resulted in the abdication of US sovereignty on all 50 states of the Union, not just Texas. Here is the full content of the appendix as distributed by the WATO authorities:
Status of Multi-National Military Implementation Force
Calgary, Canada
February 23, 2039
1. For the purposes of this Appendix, the following expressions shall have the meanings hereunder assigned to them:
a. "WATO" means the World Almighty Treaty Organization (WATO), its subsidiary bodies, its military Headquarters, the WATO-led Texas Force (TFOR), and any elements/units forming any part of TFOR or supporting TFOR, whether or not they are from a WATO member country and whether or not they are under WATO or national command and control, when acting in furtherance of this Agreement.
b. "Authorities in the USA" means appropriate authorities, whether Federal, State, Texas or other.
c. "WATO personnel" means the military, civilian, and contractor personnel assigned or attached to or employed by WATO, including the military, civilian, and contractor personnel from non-WATO states participating in the Operation, with the exception of personnel locally hired.
d. "The Operation" means the support, implementation, preparation, and participation by WATO and WATO personnel in furtherance of this Chapter.
e. "Military Headquarters" means any entity, whatever its denomination, consisting of or constituted in part by WATO military personnel established in order to fulfill the Operation.
f. "Authorities" means the appropriate responsible individual, agency, or organization of the Parties.
g. "Contractor personnel" means the technical experts or functional specialists whose services are required by WATO and who are in the territory of the USA exclusively to serve WATO either in an advisory capacity in technical matters, or for the setting up, operation, or maintenance of equipment, unless they are:
(1) nationals of the USA; or
(2) persons ordinarily resident in the USA.
h. "Official use" means any use of goods purchased, or of the services received and intended for the performance of any function as required by the operation of the Headquarters.
i. "Facilities" means all buildings, structures, premises, and land required for conducting the operational, training, and administrative activities by WATO for the Operation as well as for accommodation of WATO personnel.
2. Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities under this Appendix, all WATO personnel shall respect the laws applicable in the USA, whether Federal, State, Texas, or other, insofar as compliance with those laws is compatible with the entrusted tasks/mandate and shall refrain from activities not compatible with the nature of the Operation.
3. The Parties recognize the need for expeditious departure and entry procedures for WATO personnel. Such personnel shall be exempt from passport and visa regulations and the registration requirements applicable to aliens. At all entry and exit points to/from the USA, WATO personnel shall be permitted to enter/exit the USA on production of a national identification (ID) card. WATO personnel shall carry identification which they may be requested to produce for the authorities in the USA, but operations, training, and movement shall not be allowed to be impeded or delayed by such requests.
4. WATO military personnel shall normally wear uniforms, and WATO personnel may possess and carry arms if authorized to do so by their orders. The Parties shall accept as valid, without tax or fee, drivers, licenses and permits issued to WATO personnel by their respective national authorities.
5. WATO shall be permitted to display the WATO flag and/or national flags of its constituent national elements/units on any WATO uniform, means of transport, or facility.
6. a. WATO shall be immune from all legal process, whether civil, administrative, or criminal.
b. WATO personnel, under all circumstances and at all times, shall be immune from the Parties, jurisdiction in respect of any civil, administrative, criminal, or disciplinary offenses which may be committed by them in the USA. The Parties shall assist States participating in the operation in the exercise of their jurisdiction over their own nationals.
c. Notwithstanding the above, and with the WATO Commander's express agreement in each case, the authorities in the USA may exceptionally exercise jurisdiction in such matters, but only in respect of Contractor personnel who are not subject to the jurisdiction of their nation of citizenship.
7. WATO personnel shall be immune from any form of arrest, investigation, or detention by the authorities in the USA. WATO personnel erroneously arrested or detained shall immediately be turned over to NATO authorities.
8. WATO personnel shall enjoy, together with their vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and equipment, free and unrestricted passage and unimpeded access throughout the USA including associated airspace and territorial waters. This shall include, but not be limited to, the right of bivouac, maneuver, billet, and utilization of any areas or facilities as required for support, training, and operations.
9. WATO shall be exempt from duties, taxes, and other charges and inspections and custom regulations including providing inventories or other routine customs documentation, for personnel, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, supplies, and provisions entering, exiting, or transiting the territory of the USA in support of the Operation.
10. The authorities in the USA shall facilitate, on a priority basis and with all appropriate means, all movement of personnel, vehicles, vessels, aircraft, equipment, or supplies, through or in the airspace, ports, airports, or roads used. No charges may be assessed against WATO for air navigation, landing, or takeoff of aircraft, whether government-owned or chartered. Similarly, no duties, dues, tolls or charges may be assessed against WATO ships, whether government-owned or chartered, for the mere entry and exit of ports. Vehicles, vessels, and aircraft used in support of the operation shall not be subject to licensing or registration requirements, nor commercial insurance.
11. WATO is granted the use of airports, roads, rails, and ports without payment of fees, duties, dues, tolls, or charges occasioned by mere use. WATO shall not, however, claim exemption from reasonable charges for specific services requested and received, but operations/movement and access shall not be allowed to be impeded pending payment for such services.
12. WATO personnel shall be exempt from taxation by the Parties on the salaries and emoluments received from WATO and on any income received from outside the USA.
13. WATO personnel and their tangible moveable property imported into, acquired in, or exported from the USA shall be exempt from all duties, taxes, and other charges and inspections and custom regulations.
14. WATO shall be allowed to import and to export, free of duty, taxes and other charges, such equipment, provisions, and supplies as WATO shall require for the operation, provided such goods are for the official use of WATO or for sale to WATO personnel. Goods sold shall be solely for the use of WATO personnel and not transferable to unauthorized persons.
15. The Parties recognize that the use of communications channels is necessary for the Operation. WATO shall be allowed to operate its own internal mail services. The Parties shall, upon simple request, grant all telecommunications services, including broadcast services, needed for the Operation, as determined by WATO. This shall include the right to utilize such means and services as required to assure full ability to communicate, and the right to use all of the electromagnetic spectrum for this purpose, free of cost. In implementing this right, WATO shall make every reasonable effort to coordinate with and take into account the needs and requirements of appropriate authorities in the USA.
16. The Parties shall provide, free of cost, such public facilities as WATO shall require to prepare for and execute the Operation. The Parties shall assist WATO in obtaining, at the lowest rate, the necessary utilities, such as electricity, water, gas and other resources, as WATO shall require for the Operation.
17. WATO and WATO personnel shall be immune from claims of any sort which arise out of activities in pursuance of the operation; however, WATO will entertain claims on an ex gratia basis.
18. WATO shall be allowed to contract directly for the acquisition of goods, services, and construction from any source within and outside the USA. Such contracts, goods, services, and construction shall not be subject to the payment of duties, taxes, or other charges. WATO may also carry out construction works with their own personnel.
19. Commercial undertakings operating in the USA only in the service of WATO shall be exempt from local laws and regulations with respect to the terms and conditions of their employment and licensing and registration of employees, businesses, and corporations.
20. WATO may hire local personnel who on an individual basis shall remain subject to local laws and regulations with the exception of labor/employment laws. However, local personnel hired by WATO shall:
a. be immune from legal process in respect of words spoken or written and all acts performed by them in their official capacity;
b. be immune from national services and/or national military service obligations;
c. be subject only to employment terms and conditions established by WATO; and
d. be exempt from taxation on the salaries and emoluments paid to them by WATO.
21. In carrying out its authorities under this Chapter, WATO is authorized to detain individuals and, as quickly as possible, turn them over to appropriate officials.
22. WATO may, in the conduct of the Operation, have need to make improvements or modifications to certain infrastructure in the USA, such as roads, bridges, tunnels, buildings, and utility systems. Any such improvements or modifications of a non-temporary nature shall become part of and in the same ownership as that infrastructure. Temporary improvements or modifications may be removed at the discretion of the WATO Commander, and the infrastructure returned to as near its original condition as possible, fair wear and tear excepted.
23. Failing any prior settlement, disputes with the regard to the interpretation or application of this Appendix shall be settled between WATO and the appropriate authorities in the USA.
24. Supplementary arrangements with any of the Parties may be concluded to facilitate any details connected with the Operation.
25. The provisions of this Appendix shall remain in force until completion of the Operation or as the Parties and WATO otherwise agree.
According to officials, the Secretary of State conferred with the US president by phone. We hear that, her back against the wall, fully aware that she could not politically survive signing an Interim Agreement that would include such an appendix, President Chelsea Clinton, in a last ditch effort, called the General Secretary of the United Nations. The president then called various advisers and secretaries of her Republicrat cabinet. "I cannot accept such an ultimatum and the appendix is not acceptable," said President Chelsea Clinton.
"The Rubicon has been crossed," said WATO Secretary General. "The USA will have to bear full responsibility for the consequences," he added.
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WATO FORCES LAUNCH AIR ATTACK ON THE USA
Monterey, Mexico - March 25, 2039 - from our foreign correspondent
"Yesterday evening around 8 pm, Operation Allied Force -- subtitled Just Cause -- began," said the WATO Secretary General. The Secretary General continued:
"Let me reiterate we are determined to continue until we have achieved our objectives: to halt the violence and to stop further humanitarian catastrophe.
"Let me emphasise once again that we have no quarrel with the American people.
"Our actions are directed against the repressive policies of the U.S. government, which is refusing to respect our 21st century civilized norms of behaviour in this western hemisphere.
"The responsibility for the current crisis rests with President Chelsea Clinton.
"It is up to her to comply with the demands of the international community.
"I strongly urge her to do so."
Speculation
Officials, on condition that they remain anonymous, provided the content of the conversation the president had with the UN General Secretary last month.
Upon explaining with utmost clarity that behind the legalese, the meaning of this appendix was a literal abrogation of the US sovereignty, a fact that no elected official in his or her sane mind, could ever accept, President Chelsea Clinton asked the UN General Secretary to intervene with the WATO authorities so that the appendix would be removed and the US could sign the agreement.
The General Secretary, an affable man elected by the WATO governments to do their bidding, simply said: "Dear President Clinton, you find me puzzled. I would never have thought that you would object to this appendix. It has been so carefully crafted. After all, it is the exact reproduction of the appendix your father, the late President Clinton, had had concocted by his faithful secretary of state, Madeleine Albright 40 years ago, just before he launched the NATO armada against one of the oldest ally our democracies had ever known..."
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QUESTIONS
In the light of this appendix, would YOU have signed the Interim Agreement?
If not, what does it tell YOU about the entire process surrounding the war we (NATO) launched against Serbia in 1999?
Do you want to know more? Read the entire text of the Interim Agreement for Peace on Self-government in Kosovo as proposed in Rambouillet, France, on February 23, 1999, or the actual infamous Appendix B
Resources on the War in Yugoslavia and its Aftermath
Articles Published on Swans Regarding the War in Yugoslavia and its Aftermath
Published July 31, 2000
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