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Yugoslavia to Remember NATO Bombing on March 24
The Yugoslav government declared March 24 a "National Remembrance Day" to mourn the more than 2,500 victims of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, according to Tanjug news agency.
Tanjug, Yugoslavia's state news agency, said the idea was proposed Thursday by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica in a letter addressed to Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic.
Yugoslav people should not forget what happened to them, said Kostunica. According to the president, the anniversary is aimed at preserving the truth.
On March 24, 1999, NATO launched a 78-day bombing campaign against Yugoslavia. NATO mobilized 1,100 military airplanes and dropped 25,000 tons of bombs during the devastating air war.
The air war directly led to the deaths of more than 2,500 people and injured more than ten thousand, the Yugoslav government estimated.
The air strike also created a bleak employment situation and caused massive economic losses by smashing major industrial facilities in Yugoslavia.
About 500,000 people lost their jobs after the war, and total economic losses of the country were estimated at US$30 billion.
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