US shuts down Yugoslav Internet

Dear sirs,

We have reliable information that the US Government ordered Loral Orion company to shut down its satellite feeds for Internet customers in Yugoslavia.

This action might be taken as soon as later tonight or tomorrow (May 12 or 13, 1999).

This is a flagrant violation of commercial contracts with Yugoslav ISPs, as well as an attack on freedom of the Internet.

A Web site in protest of these actions should be up shortly. We will supply you with the URL. In the meantime, please be so kind to inform as many people as possible about this tragic event for the Internet community in Yugoslavia and Europe.

Kind regards,
BeoNET
Belgrade, Yugoslavia

http://www.beonet.yu

Jeffrey St. Clair is editor of CounterPunch. His new book is The Big Heat: Earth on the Brink co-written with Joshua Frank. He can be reached at: sitka@comcast.net. Alexander Cockburn’s Guillotined! and A Colossal Wreck are available from CounterPunch.