Clip of then-Sen. Biden bragging about how he proposed 78-day NATO air bombardment of Belgrade goes viral in China
By jdheyes // 2022-03-27
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One of the biggest problems with the American system of government that is not a problem with the system itself but wasn't foreseen by our founders – and they didn't miss much – is the fact that over the course of our nation's history, elected leaders evolved into political creatures who don't think beyond the next few months or, more often, the next 10 minutes. Everything is "in the moment." Everything is the "narrative of the day." It's all about the here and now. Such shortsightedness has turned U.S. political leaders into some of the most hypocritical on the planet, and Democrats, especially, have taken hypocrisy to an art form. That includes Joe Biden, our current president. As he and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders complain about Russian forces turning Ukrainian cities into rubble and killing civilians, a video clip of Biden, then a U.S. senator from Delaware, bragging in the mid-1990s that he was responsible for proposing a NATO air campaign against Belgrade, Yugoslavia, that lasted 78 days and led to the deaths of civilians as well as the destruction of that city's infrastructure. State media in Russia noted in a report this week that featured the footage: "The head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, reposted the footage on his social media account, reminding the current U.S. President of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia that is estimated to have killed about 2,500 people, including 89 children." Russian officials, meanwhile, utilized the clip to rail at Biden's rank hypocrisy after he labeled his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a "war criminal" and a "thug" for invading Ukraine and targeting civilian centers. In addition, the clip is being widely distributed on Chinese social media. Here it is: "Mr. Foreign Policy Expert" claiming credit during a Senate hearing for proposing the bombing campaign. "I suggested the bombing of Belgrade. I suggested that American pilots go there and destroy all bridges on the Drina," Biden said at the time. The 78-day airstrikes campaign lasted from March 24-June 10, 1999. In addition, the NATO campaign continued through Serbia's Easter, which is called Pacha, the holiest day of the Orthodox Christian year. It's also noteworthy to remind readers that this campaign took place during President Bill Clinton's presidency, as his impeachment was proceeding apace. "I was suggesting very specific action," Biden added while appearing to praise his own "muscular" response proposals which guided NATO's war against the Serbs. Another event that occurred during this bombing campaign that has never been publicly explained was the bombing of China's embassy in Belgrade in May of that year. The attack killed and injured several Chinese citizens and journalists. “[W]e will never forget who had bombed our embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We need no lecture on justice from the abuser of international law," China noted in a message to the European Union, the U.S. and NATO. "As a Cold War remnant and the world's largest military alliance, NATO continues to expand its geographical scope and range of operations. What kind of role has it played in world peace and stability? NATO needs to have good reflection," the Chinese mission to the EU added. The National Interest summarized the bombing of the Chinese embassy: "Despite the seemingly extensive target vetting, on May 7 the Chinese embassy in Belgrade was struck by five Joint Directed Attack Munition satellite-guided bombs, delivered by U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers. Three Chinese journalists – Shao Yunhuan of Xinhua, and Xu Xinghu and his wife Zhu Ying of the Guangming Daily – were killed in the attack. Twenty other Chinese nationals were injured, five seriously." Biden, like most other Democrats, takes hypocrisy to new levels nearly on a daily basis. Sources include: SputnikNews.com ZeroHedge.com NationalInterest.org
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