The Globe and Mail: Keep an eye on that "damned silly thing" in Kosovo

The Globe and Mail: Keep an eye on that "damned silly thing" in Kosovo

 

THE GLOBE AND MAIL 
31 oct. 2006

 KEEP AN EYE ON THAT ‘DAMNED SILLY THING’ IN KOSOVO

 

 Serbian voters have approved a new constitution that, among other things, reaffirms sovereignty over Kosovo which, since the bombing of Serbia in 1999, has been administrated by the United Nations with the help of NATO troops. The weekend referendum result will further complicate efforts of Western policy- makers to grant independence to Kosovo since, to do so without Serbia’s consent, would violate the U N Charter on territorial integrity and inviolability of borders. Nevertheless, there have been indications that the UN special envoy, Marrti Ahtisaari, will soon recommend that Kosovo be separated from Serbia and become an independent country.

 

This would be a mistake.

 

For the past seven years Kosovo has become one of the most dangerous places on Earth. It is the center of heroin, weapons and human trafficking into Western Europe. Murder and abduction of non –Albanians are a daily occurrence. Civil society is non-existent and living standards are equivalent to those of Haiti. There is evidence that Islamic extremists with Al Qaeda connections are a growing presence. In short, Kosovo has all the characteristics of a failed state. 

 

 Under the watchful eyes of the UN and NATO, more than 200,000 Serbs, Jews, Romans and other non-Albanians have been expelled from Kosovo. Those who remain are in constant danger. And some of those encouraged by the UN to return have been murdered The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Agim Ceku, a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, has been accused of war crimes by the Serbs. He is the man who led Croatian forces in 1993 that over ran Serbian villages protected by Canadian peacekeepers. When his fighters were driven out, the Canadians found all of the civilians and animals in the villages had been slaughtered.

 

 One of the crimes committed by the Albanian majority in Kosovo has been the razing of over 150 Christian churches and monasteries. Many of these churches dated back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Their destruction has been a deliberate effort to remove all semblance of Christian heritage in Kosovo. Shamefully, there has been no international outrage, no serious attempt to apprehend the perpetrators and no expression of alarm or protest on the part of Christian churches in the West.

 

 The U N resolution that ended the bombing campaign against Serbia guaranteed that Kosovo would have a functioning civil society, democratic institutions, security for all citizens and respect for the rule of law. It called for the disarming of the Kosovo Liberation Army and other armed groups. It provided for the return to Kosovo of limited numbers of Serbian security forces to guard the Christian Holy places. And it reasserted Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo.

 Sadly, it seems the UN and NATO had no intention of honouring these commitments. These are hard facts and they stand as a testimony of failure. The performance of these two international institutions has been marked by duplicity, double standards and cowardice.

 

Independence for Kosovo would establish a dangerous precedent. President Vladimir Putin of Russia has already warned that a decision to grant Kosovo independence could be applicable to post-soviet territory .He has particular interest in regions of the former Soviet Union that have aspirations for independence. The most volatile ones are the Georgian provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia; these two regions broke away from Georgia in 1992 and want independent status. Recognition of Kosovo independence would give them their precedent. And could result in bloodshed with serious implications for world security.

 

Bismarck, once said that the Balkans were not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier. Yet, he also predicted that, if there were to be another war in Europe, it would be because of some “damned silly thing” in the Balkans. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914, sparking off the First World War, proved him right.

 

 Ominously, there is again a strong possibility that another “damned silly thing” is taking place in the Balkans: the seeming determination of Western policy makers to grant the Serbian province of Kosovo its independence. In foreign policy, as in other human endeavours, you can’t get good results if you do dumb things.

                    
James Bissett (former Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia)

 

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Interview with Jim Jatras: In search for Kosovo solution

Interview with Jim Jatras: In search for Kosovo solution

 

November 1st, 2006

Boba Borojevic interview with Jim Jatras

 IN SEARCH FOR KOSOVO SOLUTION

Message by Bishop Artemije to democratic world:

Do not “tolerate violations of religious freedoms and the extermination of Christianity” in Kosovo by Albanians.

Do not consider “the creation of an independent Kosovo managed by criminals and jihad supporters.”

Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren has appealed to the Canadian authorities to use their influence with UN members and NATO to secure ''a re-examination of the wrong policy of the international community in connection with the recognition of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija.'' ''I wonder how it is possible that the international community and the democratic world tolerate violations of religious freedoms and the extermination of Christianity, while they are considering the creating of an independent Kosovo managed by criminals and jihad supporters,'' Bishop Artemije told a press conference held at the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. During his visit to Ottawa on October 26, His Grace bishop Artemije met with the Parliamentary Secretary of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Peter Van Loan. H.E. James Bissett former Canadian Ambassador to and Jim Jatras, director of the American Council for Kosovo accompanied the Bishop. In the effort to gather as much support for his mission in keeping Kosovo as an integral part of Bishop Artemije and Jim Jatras had similar high-level talks in Washington and Moscow in September and October this year.

 What is the significance of these visits?

Each of the countries you have mentioned is very important to the effort we have been mounting on behalf of the Serbian community in Kosovo, under the spiritual guidance of Bishop Artemije. The American government (my government) is largely the source of the problem. It appears that the Russian government is largely the solution to the problem, and we think that Canadian government can be a very useful catalyst in opening the eyes of the international community to the seriousness of the error, which some people would like to commit in Kosovo. The Canadian government has a very high international reputation regarding the rule of law and observance of international standards. It was with that appeal we came to the Parliament to enlist the support of the Canadian public and government in voicing their opinion against the illegal and unjustified detachment of Kosovo from .

 As a Director of the American Council for Kosovo, adviser to Bishop Artemije and the Serbs from Kosovo, what is your strategy in fighting against enormous pressure by many foreign factors that insist on granting independence to Albanian Muslims in Kosovo?

Essentially, through several ways: One is to broaden the circle of public opinion here in the to focus the concerns of politically and socially active sectors on Kosovo.  This means we are reaching out to groups that are concerned about a number of issues like human rights, religious freedom, global terrorism, and so forth, and directing their attention toward Kosovo, because until now most of these interests are not focused on Kosovo.  Instead, Kosovo is being dealt with by a small group of bureaucrats who made up their minds a long time ago as to what the solution for Kosovo ought to be – independence -- and are still perusing that option. We are trying to make as hard for them as possible. At the same time, the second element -- and that was the reason for our trip to Moscow -- was to remind people there of the extent to which those favoring the illegal detachment of Kosovo from also tend to be the most anti-Russia elements of our government. If is in a position to stand up on strong, legal authority and say, “No, we will not permit the illegal detachment of Kosovo from ,” that places the agenda of these Washington bureaucrats in a very difficult position, because they have no other way to get to their goal without a new Security Council resolution.  Of course the third important element is that Serbian government has been very strong in saying they will not agree to the detachment, and I think that the overwhelming approval of those who voted on verifying the Serbian Constitution reinforced that very strongly.

You have just mentioned your and Bishop Artemije’s visit to Moscow. How much can you count on Moscow support and how serious is Moscow?

There has been an increased assertiveness from that is very different from the kind of policy we saw during the Yeltsin era and even in the early years of the Putin presidency, where we had the color revolutions and NATO expansion and, essentially, just over and over again diktat from Washington, which the Russians were, forced to accommodate. I do not think they feel like being so accommodating any more. ’s cooperation is very much needed for more important areas of American diplomacy having to do with , and so forth. The idea that we can just simply dictate to and they’ll agree to something that is against their interests -- I think that this is something they are tired of over there. They are not going to allow themselves to be pushed around on this one. Now it is less the question of whether Moscow is going to stand up in support of , as much as their being prepared to stand up in defense of their own interests.

We have heard on CNN two days ago, David Gergen—editor-at-large for US News and World Report repeating what Clinton and others have said before, that in order to build new bridges of trust so that Muslim lands do not remain a breeding ground for new waves of terrorists, we should point out to these Muslims how much America has sacrificed to protect Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo. Will this kind of appeasement of Muslims by the West work?

There is no doubt that that kind of thought among many people in Washington is a large part what is wrong with the American policy on Kosovo. The 9/11 Commission, for example, made exactly the same recommendation in its report: that we (the ) need to convey our good will towards the Islamic world through that kind of example. The only trouble with that idea is that it shows a complete and total incomprehension of the Islamic mind on the part of people who say these kinds of things. Looking at any jihad site on Internet will show you that they do not see any good will at all on the basis of this kind of intervention on behalf of Muslims in Kosovo and . On the contrary, they see and Kosovo as just examples of victimization of Muslims by non-Muslims, and it doesn’t matter by whom -- by Americans, by Israelis, by Russians, by Serbs, by Indians. That is all what they see from their point of view. The idea that is going to buy any good will in the Islamic world by that kind of action is absurd. They just do not understand what they are talking about.   

Kosovo is part of and will remain so. This is what we have heard from Bishop Artemije and you during your visit to Ottawa. How could we in and elsewhere help?

One very important thing – and this is something that was clear during our visit to Ottawa – is to keep in mind that Bishop Artemije is the shepherd of a flock that will be eradicated if Kosovo becomes an independent state. Bishop Artemije speaks out with an overwhelming moral voice in support for his Christian Serbian community in Kosovo, for the Christian presence in Kosovo against jihad terrorism and organized crime in Kosovo. Everyone who hears this program in or elsewhere can do two things. First, they should contact their elected representatives and tell them it would be wrong for their government (if they are listening in , the Canadian government, -- in the the American government) to support this illegal detachment of Kosovo from , which would result in a major gain for terrorism and organized crime.  Second, the other very important thing is to do anything and everything that can be done to support Bishop Artemije. Please visit our site www.savekosovo.org . In light of the delay in the decision on imposing a “final status” -- which we now see -- there is an element of growing panic on the Albanian side that things are slipping away from them. We need to build on that momentum. Contact your government, say NO to Kosovo independence -- and support Bishop Artemije.

Boba Borojevic

 

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Kosovo sours relations between Montenegro and Serbia

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Kosovo sours relations between Montenegro and Serbia

Kosovo sours relations between Montenegro and Serbia

November 07, 2006 9:30 AM

PODGORICA, Montenegro-Montenegro's government leader on Tuesday rejected Serbia's criticism about his recent meeting with the separatist leader of Kosovo, the breakaway province whose future status is being discussed in U.N.-mediated talks.

Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic said he saw no problem in meeting last week with Agim Ceku, the ethnic Albanian leader of Kosovo, which has been an international protectorate since the 1998-99 war there between Serb troops and the separatist rebels.

"I absolutely reject any objections from Serbia concerning Ceku's visit ... we did not discuss Kosovo's future status," said Djukanovic, following accusations by Serbian officials that receiving Ceku was a "stab in the back" to Serbia's efforts to prevent Kosovo's secession.

Serbia's leadership has said that accepting Ceku as a visiting statesman meant Montenegro's readiness to recognize Kosovo as a state.

Talks over Kosovo's future are under way under the auspices of the U.N., Western powers and Russia. The province has been run by the U.N. and NATO since 1999 when the alliance's bombing forced Serbs to halt their crackdown on the separatists and pull out.

The crackdown was led by former Serb leader, Slobodan Milosevic, who was toppled in 2000 by pro-democracy politicians. The new leadership contends that, despite Milosevic's devastating brutality in Kosovo, Serbs cannot give up completely on the southern province, considered Serbia's historic heartland.

"It's an inertia of old, failed policies," Djukanovic said about the comments from Belgrade. "Whatever Kosovo becomes in the future, it borders Montenegro" and needs good relations with neighbors.

Montenegro itself declared independence from Serbia earlier this year. Belgrade did not contest that move because Montenegro was a partner republic from the old Yugoslav federation, but insists that Kosovo is not entitled to same.

Ceku declared after his Friday meeting with Djukanovic that Kosovo would follow in Montenegro's steps.

Djukanovic himself is expected to step down as Montenegro's prime minister on Wednesday.

His Democratic Party of Socialists triumphed in recent elections, but Djukanovic, for years the most powerful figure in Montenegro, said he would not seek a third term and has hand-picked a trusted aide, Justice Minister Zeljko Sturanovic, as his successor.

 

http://www.serbianna.com/news/2006/02734.shtml

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