http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=914223
Kosovo's declaration spells Balkan trouble
Posted By scott taylor
Posted -43 sec ago
Last weekend the streets of Kosovo were flooded with citizens celebrating a
unilateral declaration of independence by ethnic Albanian Prime Minister
Hashim Thaci.
This much-anticipated announcement formally severed all official ties
between the disputed province and the rest of Serbia, thereby creating
Europe's newest state.
The United States was the first to recognize Kosovo's independence, with
George Bush sending his congratulations to Thaci from a stop in Tanzania.
The United Kingdom, Germany and France were quick to follow suit, and with
these big powers on board, the Albanian Kosovars popped the champagne corks
and throughout the capital city of Pristina throngs of people waved a sea of
red and black flags in celebration.
For people only paying casual attention to this long-simmering Balkan hot
spot, Thaci's declaration of independence may indeed be viewed as a joyous
occasion.
In fact, most Canadians may be forgiven if they thought this whole matter
was resolved back in the summer of 1999.
After a 78-day bombing campaign, NATO had negotiated a ceasefire agreement
with the Serbian government. Under the terms of UN Resolution 1244, Serbian
security forces would withdraw from Kosovo, and under NATO military
supervision, the 800,000 Albanian Kosovar refugees who had fled the fighting
would be repatriated.
The Albanian guerrillas - known as the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - were
to be disarmed and demobilized by NATO troops, who would also ensure the
safety of Kosovo's 200,000 ethnic Serb civilians.
Resolution 1244 made it very clear that under the UN Charter, Kosovo would
remain the sovereign territory of Serbia.
Over the past nine years, NATO has failed to uphold its part of the bargain.
The KLA was never disarmed; they were simply formalized into the Kosovo
Protection Corps. Serb civilians suffered widespread violent reprisals from
Albanian extremists resulting in a mass exodus with fewer than 40,000 ethnic
Serbs still residing in protected enclaves. There was also no progress made
towards a negotiated settlement of Kosovo's status between Belgrade and
Pristina authorities.
With Serbia unwilling to relinquish the sovereignty of this province - the
religious heartland of the Serbian people - there was no legal way to push
independence through the UN Security Council. That impasse is what led to
last Sunday's unilateral declaration, and the deep divide within the
international community over this clear violation of the rule of law and the
UN Charter.
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The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department understands that any rapid
recognition of a disputed province's declaration of independence from
another country could create a dangerous precedent, which might come back to
haunt us.
So while Canada looks at what diplomatic options are available, let's review
some of the background.
Up until 1998, the U.S. State Department regarded the KLA as a terrorist
organization. The KLA's assassinations and bomb attacks against government
officials led to a heavy-handed Serbian military crackdown.
At this point the Americans changed horses and decried the Serb reprisals
rather than the terror provocations of the KLA. Under U.S. pressure an
ultimatum was issued by NATO to Serbia in February 1999, and the KLA was
suddenly legitimized as freedom fighters.
By March 24 of that year, when the deadline expired without Serbia's
compliance, NATO began bombing Kosovo and Serbia.
Within days a trickle of refugees became a flood as some 800,000 Albanians
fled the renewed fighting and the NATO bombing.
Once this whole incident had ballooned into a humanitarian crisis of epic
proportion, NATO used the suffering of the Albanians to further justify
their intervention.
Putting recent history aside, the fact remains that Kosovo is simply not
viable as an independent country. It is a landlocked, mountainous province,
not quite twice the size of Prince Edward Island, with a population of two
million.
The unemployment rate stands at 50 per cent; for those working the average
annual income ranges around $2,400 CDN a year. Prostitution and illegal
drugs form the major pillar of Kosovo's economy, with the other main
infusion coming from the annual foreign donations of approximately $600
million.
The red and black flag they wave is the Albanian flag, not Kosovar. And as a
result of the ongoing violent attacks against non-Albanians in the province,
this is now one of the most ethnically-cleansed territories in all of
Europe.
Prime Minister Thaci is a former ruthless KLA warlord who called himself
"Snake" and the commander of the Kosovo Protection Corps is Agim Ceku, who
made a notorious name for himself as a war criminal in Croatia.
Given the rotten foundation upon which Kosovo intends to build its own
independent state, I think Canada would be well advised to uphold the UN
Charter in this instance, and to respect the rule of international law.
Scott Taylor reported from inside Serbia and Kosovo during the 1999 bombing
campaign and has made more than 20 subsequent visits to the region.
Kosovo's declaration spells Balkan trouble
Posted By scott taylor
Posted -43 sec ago
Last weekend the streets of Kosovo were flooded with citizens celebrating a
unilateral declaration of independence by ethnic Albanian Prime Minister
Hashim Thaci.
This much-anticipated announcement formally severed all official ties
between the disputed province and the rest of Serbia, thereby creating
Europe's newest state.
The United States was the first to recognize Kosovo's independence, with
George Bush sending his congratulations to Thaci from a stop in Tanzania.
The United Kingdom, Germany and France were quick to follow suit, and with
these big powers on board, the Albanian Kosovars popped the champagne corks
and throughout the capital city of Pristina throngs of people waved a sea of
red and black flags in celebration.
For people only paying casual attention to this long-simmering Balkan hot
spot, Thaci's declaration of independence may indeed be viewed as a joyous
occasion.
In fact, most Canadians may be forgiven if they thought this whole matter
was resolved back in the summer of 1999.
After a 78-day bombing campaign, NATO had negotiated a ceasefire agreement
with the Serbian government. Under the terms of UN Resolution 1244, Serbian
security forces would withdraw from Kosovo, and under NATO military
supervision, the 800,000 Albanian Kosovar refugees who had fled the fighting
would be repatriated.
The Albanian guerrillas - known as the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - were
to be disarmed and demobilized by NATO troops, who would also ensure the
safety of Kosovo's 200,000 ethnic Serb civilians.
Resolution 1244 made it very clear that under the UN Charter, Kosovo would
remain the sovereign territory of Serbia.
Over the past nine years, NATO has failed to uphold its part of the bargain.
The KLA was never disarmed; they were simply formalized into the Kosovo
Protection Corps. Serb civilians suffered widespread violent reprisals from
Albanian extremists resulting in a mass exodus with fewer than 40,000 ethnic
Serbs still residing in protected enclaves. There was also no progress made
towards a negotiated settlement of Kosovo's status between Belgrade and
Pristina authorities.
With Serbia unwilling to relinquish the sovereignty of this province - the
religious heartland of the Serbian people - there was no legal way to push
independence through the UN Security Council. That impasse is what led to
last Sunday's unilateral declaration, and the deep divide within the
international community over this clear violation of the rule of law and the
UN Charter.
Advertisement
The Canadian Foreign Affairs Department understands that any rapid
recognition of a disputed province's declaration of independence from
another country could create a dangerous precedent, which might come back to
haunt us.
So while Canada looks at what diplomatic options are available, let's review
some of the background.
Up until 1998, the U.S. State Department regarded the KLA as a terrorist
organization. The KLA's assassinations and bomb attacks against government
officials led to a heavy-handed Serbian military crackdown.
At this point the Americans changed horses and decried the Serb reprisals
rather than the terror provocations of the KLA. Under U.S. pressure an
ultimatum was issued by NATO to Serbia in February 1999, and the KLA was
suddenly legitimized as freedom fighters.
By March 24 of that year, when the deadline expired without Serbia's
compliance, NATO began bombing Kosovo and Serbia.
Within days a trickle of refugees became a flood as some 800,000 Albanians
fled the renewed fighting and the NATO bombing.
Once this whole incident had ballooned into a humanitarian crisis of epic
proportion, NATO used the suffering of the Albanians to further justify
their intervention.
Putting recent history aside, the fact remains that Kosovo is simply not
viable as an independent country. It is a landlocked, mountainous province,
not quite twice the size of Prince Edward Island, with a population of two
million.
The unemployment rate stands at 50 per cent; for those working the average
annual income ranges around $2,400 CDN a year. Prostitution and illegal
drugs form the major pillar of Kosovo's economy, with the other main
infusion coming from the annual foreign donations of approximately $600
million.
The red and black flag they wave is the Albanian flag, not Kosovar. And as a
result of the ongoing violent attacks against non-Albanians in the province,
this is now one of the most ethnically-cleansed territories in all of
Europe.
Prime Minister Thaci is a former ruthless KLA warlord who called himself
"Snake" and the commander of the Kosovo Protection Corps is Agim Ceku, who
made a notorious name for himself as a war criminal in Croatia.
Given the rotten foundation upon which Kosovo intends to build its own
independent state, I think Canada would be well advised to uphold the UN
Charter in this instance, and to respect the rule of international law.
Scott Taylor reported from inside Serbia and Kosovo during the 1999 bombing
campaign and has made more than 20 subsequent visits to the region.
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