| IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community ACTION ALERT UPDATE - FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA 9 April 1999 CPJ seeks clarification regarding NATO's position on targeting Serbian media SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York **Updates previous IFEX alert of 9 April 1999** (CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a CPJ letter to NATO Secretary General Javier Solana seeking clarification regarding NATO's position on targeting Serbian media: April 9, 1999 Javier Solana Secretary General NATO Brussels, Belgium VIA FACSIMILE April 9, 1999 Dear Secretary General Solana: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non partisan, non governmental organization dedicated to the defense of press freedom worldwide, is seeking clarification regarding NATO's position on targeting Serbian television and radio. At the NATO briefing yesterday afternoon, British Air Commodore David Wilby described Serbian radio and television as an instrument of propaganda and a "legitimate target." Later you noted that only television transmitters connected with military installations would be targeted. We urge you to clarify NATO's policy regarding the targeting of Serbian television and radio. We specifically request that you make public how NATO would distinguish between "journalists," whom Gen. Jean-Pierre Kelche asserted would not be targeted, and "propagandists," who now apparently have been threatened with air strikes. Finally, we are concerned that a military strike against Serbian television and radio installations could jeopardize the safety of western journalists working in Yugoslavia, who could face reprisals. The strikes could also impede their ability of western journalists to transmit their reports to the rest of the world. Thank you for your consideration. We await your response. Sincerely, Ann K. Cooper Executive Director RECOMMENDED ACTION: Similar appeals can be sent to: Javier Solana Secretary General NATO Brussels, Belgium Please copy appeals to the source if possible. For further information, contact Chrystyna Lapychak at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004 x 101, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail: europe@cpj.org, Internet: http://www.cpj.org/. The information contained in this action alert update is the sole responsibility of CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit CPJ. _________________________________________________________________ DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE 489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879 alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/ _____________________________________________ |