Friday, April 23rd, 1999

    This letter has been written to friends and family abroad, day after strike which destroyed Serbian TV building. It represents eye-witness point of view.

It's Tomahawk! Duck down!

    Popular nickname for Serbian TV is "TV Bastille" as it is referred to in a text. It was heard first in March 1991, during big clash of opposition supporters with Milosevic's police. Because Serbian TV (RTS) represents symbol of Milosevic's power, term "TV Bastille" is still used by people who oppose Milosevic's rule.

    Last night was very, very spooky. Every night we listen to bombardier and fighter planes flying very low, we hear endless explosions, our windows shake so hard we fear they might break. Our ceiling is full of cracks, more than once we almost ended up under the table as Tomahawk missiles flew over our rooftop. Worst part is waiting. Just a few seconds, but they last a lifetime. Few seconds when we wait to hear if target is near. Or, if they are going to miss target and hit our house instead.

    Last night we were trying to watch a TV movie, nervously glancing at the time: "Will they hit something so we can try to sleep?" Sounds crazy, but that's the way we've been living for past 30 days. There are two ways - you can plug your ears and tell yourself: "I don't care, I'll hear what happened in the morning, if there's going to be next morning at all". Other option is to sit up all night and wait to find out if you're next "collateral damage" or not.

    Few minutes past 2 AM, we heard Tomahawk missile diving. There were about 15 missiles flying above our house since the war started, but they always went on, hitting remote locations in Belgrade (nearest target was 1km away from our house). That sound is like demonic hissing from Doom or Quake, it's moving slower than airplane, so you have a time to see your life passing before your eyes a few times before you hear missile distancing. Last night, (TV Bastille is 50m away from our house) we had time to cover our ears, duck down and pray that window glass won't cut us up when it blows up. Instead of usual "shhhhhhh" sound, first we heard missile going up (it goes up before it hits the target so it can strike it with 90 degrees angle), and then loud "whoooshhh" sound when it started to descent. We knew it was Bastille, even before the explosion. When it came, our windows shook, we felt the tremor, but we were still there. We were scared to Hell and back, because we expected more strikes (there were always at least two strikes). We were ecstatic when it never came. Tremor and explosion were weaker then those when Rakovica, Batajnica and Usce (2km-15km away) were hit. Creepy part were airplanes and AAA artillery rocking the place few minutes after the strike. "They're back for more", we thought. That shook us just as well as missile that hit Bastille.

    When the party was over, I rushed over to Bastille. I thought I was going to witness horror scene since I couldn't see across the street because of smoke. But, when I arrived to the place where Abardareva street begins (Bastille is at Abardareva 1) I wasn't able to see a thing but broken windows on surrounding residential buildings. What shocked me was number of ambulance cars. I couldn't believe those bastards have actually left people inside the building! Also, I couldn't believe other bastards have launched missiles at place full of people! There was also large number of tow-trucks driving away with car-wrecks. I begun to realize that if parking lot was full of cars, Bastille must have been full of people. Meanwhile, ambulance vehicles had formed convoys going in two directions - towards and from ER. I couldn't see fire, but I decided to go back home because of clouds of smoke that made me cough. I went around the block, in Takovska street (where other Bastille's buildings are located) to check if something can be seen from that spot. Broken windows again and a thick cloud of smoke, but Bastille building in Takovska had electric power. On my way home I saw an elderly man showing piece of missile that he found in the street - it looked like fuel tank. I kept hearing ambulance cars howling behind my back. One thought kept haunting me - every time something was struck downtown Belgrade, there were always two ambulance cars tops. Now, I counted at least 30. And more were coming.

    Soon after I arrived home, Studio B broadcasted special edition of the news with live coverage of strike. It was a real shock. I was there, it's 50 meters from my house, but I was prepared for nothing like that. Half of the building has been turned into pile of rubble. Roof looked like a giant canvas covering rubble. I don't know what was used to tear down the building, because other half had electricity and even people could have been seen looking through the windows. Destroyed part of the building was the one where tech stuff was located, so they got, not producers, editors etc. But even if they were, did they deserve to die? One of prominent reporters is rumored to be Milosevic's mistress. If she deserved to die, who's next?

    So far, roof still couldn't be moved, and we don't know how many people are trapped inside. It is confirmed that 25 people are dead (so far). Number of people that were in the building varies from 50 to 200 - depends on the source. Although we don't know exact numbers, it's quite enough to see rubble _literaly_ covered with blood. Firemen were trying to pull out a man who was dangling head down. His legs were pierced by iron from the ceiling construction. We saw a decapitated body. Few meters away, face of a young man with his eyes closed who is also hanging head down. His scull is broken and pieces of his brain can be seen. Later on, we heard from paramedics that they had to perform leg amputation right there, but that man died anyway from internal injuries.

    With all information we have, we can come to only one conclusion - it was first-degree murder. We have reliable information from several sources of Bastille employees:

    1) TV Bastille is currently being broadcasted from a so-called "war studio". It is located somewhere much more safe than it was building in Abardareva street. It could have been done much sooner. Like, when it was announced for the first time that TV Bastille was "legitimate target". Or when it was confirmed, again and again. Employees of Bastille insisted that TV should be moved at safer location, but they received orders to remain in Abardareva street. When they ironically asked Mr. Milanovic, chief executive of Serbian TV, why he doesn't stay with them, to "shield" TV building with them, they received simple reply: "Fuck you" as he was leaving.

    2) Until two days ago, employees of Bastille were allowed to leave for the shelter during air raid. Two days ago, the order came which said that whoever leaves his/her working place, even during air raid, will face martial court. Order was issued by Milorad Komrakov, editor of information department (department that gave Serbian TV nickname "TV Bastille"). He appeared on the site five minutes after the strike, wearing fancy leather jacket. People who were rescued from the building and those who managed to escape physically attacked him. It was a real lynch. Unfortunately, police managed to rescue Komrakov - only his fancy leather jacket was torn.

    I may be too angry at the moment, but those are the real actions that can bring someone to martial court (add a touch of Spanish Inquisition on top). Milosevic is sacrificing other people's lives _on purpose_ so he can claim afterwards that innocent civilians were killed in Belgrade. Those innocent civilians are forced _by him_ to be a human shield, they are hostages that are blackmailed and threatened by martial court into death, while those who force innocents to die are safe in their own private shelters. Well, if that isn't a war crime, I don't know what is. There's not much that can be done against the strikes - lunatics that decide about that are far, far away. But, our own lunatics can do something to prevent at least some of the victims. There is already enough civilians getting killed as "collateral damage", but Milosevic is trying to raise the score. That's why my humble opinion is that each and everyone of those who are deliberately sending people into death deserve at least one Tomahawk missile themselves. Via rectum.

    Since this is two-way street, this way of handling evident hostage situation is just as crazy as Milosevic's actions are, which makes those who ordered last night's strike equal lunatics with him. If there is a plane full of hostages, what is the right way to deal with situation? To try an action which would prevent terrorists from hurting the hostages? No sir, the right way is to blow up a whole plane, killing all the people inside. And, don't forget to call it a "humanitarian action".

    Every person in Serbia that is against Milosevic share the same wet dream since 1991: TV Bastille in flames. But - like this? Executing in cold blood people that were forced by threat of martial court to stay in the building? Anyway, TV Bastille is broadcasting again. Milosevic has got what he wanted - ultimate proof that civilians have been killed in Belgrade. Everyone, even those who dreamed for nine long years about Bastille in flames, are horrified by murder of people in Bastille building. So, what has been achieved? A big pile of rubble covered with blood which looks groovy on CNN's prime time?

    Well, I have to go. Today, we'll try to get more information from environment experts concerning pollution of water and air. It looks like there's huge amount of cancerous substances in the air as a result of destruction of chemical plants in Pancevo and Baric (suburbs of Belgrade). There's been huge spill of chlorine in the river Sava (we drink that water). So, it's going to be a miracle if we don't die from some exotic form of cancer in following years. Most endangered are places Ovca and Padinska Skela. Let me remind you that near Padinska Skela is located Belgrade's major food supplier with it's animal farms (i.e.. eggs, meat, milk). So far, most dangerous part of chemical plant in Baric is still there, but strikes on the plant are reported by residents of Baric almost every night. Eventually, it will be destroyed.

    Tonight we expect a huge fireworks for 50 year anniversary of NATO (if weather allows it). Tomorrow it will be our one month anniversary since we've all been turned into "collateral damage".

Cancer Woman