Ramsey Clark, Co-Chairman of the International Committee “Slobodan Milošević” passed away last night in New York at 93.
Ramsey was one of the most brilliant and honest Americans of our time, a man who was saving the face and the soul of America by defending the victims of American aggressions around the world.
He has dedicated last five decades of his life to such noble struggle. We, the Serbs, had an honor to feel this to the fullest extent, and we will forever remember him as one of our greatest friends.
During the aggression on our country, Ramsey Clark organized a people’s tribunal that has condemned NATO’s crimes and demanded the abolitionof NATO. Ramsey met Slobodan Milošević while Milošević was the President in 1999, and later, in 2001, while he was a prisoner at The Hague. Ramsey came to Belgrade on June 28, 2001, at our request, in an effort to stop the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic. Unfortunately, he was late for a few hours, due to the refusal of the Serbian (and a pro-USA) Ambassador to Washington Milan St. Protić to issue him a visa. Ramsey spoke on June 29 at a large rally in Belgrade in front of the Parliament building, organized by the Socialist Party of Serbia. He also came to Belgrade on a sad occasion in 2006, to speak at the funeral of Slobodan Milošević. He came to Belgrade for the last time in 2009, at our invitation, to speak at the people’s rally on the Republic’s Square on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the NATO aggression. It was a cold evening on March 24, 2009 in Belgrade, and Ramsey, 82 at the time, didn’t bring a coat on his trip. He climbed on the stage, putting on two jackets.
Beautiful human modesty, simplicity and warmth, enormous erudite as a lawyer, and a talented speaker, along with a charming Texan accent – that was Ramsey – from the times while a young official in Kennedy and Johnson administrations, and in 1967-69 as an Attorney General, and later, as he was fighting against all American wars, from Vietnam till today, including the last three decades as the founder of the International Action Center, as well as two decades as Co-Chairman of the International Committee “Slobodan Milosevic.”
Ramsey Clark was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Belgrade University and has been awarded the highest Serbian medal, “Sretenski orden.”
It was a great pleasure and honor to be friends and to collaborate with such unforgettable, dedicated and great man.
Belgrade, April 10, 2021
Vladimir Kršljanin
Secretary, International Committee “Slobodan Milošević”
(Translated from Serbian by Milos Raickovich)
