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JEWISH COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS JOINS COALITION PARTNERS IN LETTER TO CONGRESS CALLING FOR EXPANSION OF NATO'S MISSION

May 19, 1999 -- New York -- The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) along with several of its coalition partners, including the National Albanian American Council, the National Federation of Croatian Americans and the Assembly of Turkish American Associations, have written a letter to members of Congress reaffirming their strong support of the U.S. and NATO military operation in Kosovo and Serbia. The letter stated the following:

"We call on Congress to request that NATO take all necessary steps to end Serbia's campaign of ethnic cleansing, force the withdrawal of all Serb forces, create a secure environment for the return of the Albanians to their homes, and allow them to govern themselves and rebuild Kosova."

JCPA Chair Steven Schwarz said today: "Our community has learned from its own history. We pledge to speak out against genocide wherever and whenever it occurs, and hope that this letter resonates with members of Congress. We have been horrified by the atrocities -- including mass murder, systematic rape and widespread expulsions -- committed by Serb forces against the civilian population of Kosovo." The JCPA, he continued, supports "the use by the U.S. and NATO coalition of all means deemed necessary" to achieve the goals of the operation. Schwarz also expressed support of the activities of the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague as well as the humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Kosovar refugees.

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The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is the public affairs arm of the organized Jewish community and serves as the national coordinating and advisory body for the 13 national and 122 local agencies comprising the field of Jewish community relations.