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September 08, 2006
Bosnia: Former Muslim President Was Paid By Al Qaeda
When Alija Izetbegovic (pictured) died and was buried on the 22nd October 2003, only hours beforethe funeral the United Nations war crimes tribunal in the Hague had confirmed that he had been under investigation.
Izetbegovic had governed Bosnia-Hercegovina as President from 1990 onwards, and had seen the start of the civil war begin under his rule in 1992. He signed the Clinton-brokered Dayton Agreement in 1995 which effectively ended the conflict. He continued as vice president until 2000. Though he had a knack of persuading Western leaders that he was a benign character, the reality seems far removed from the image of a benevolent Muslim "grandfather".
Today, AKIreports that a Sarajevo-based weekly newspaper, Slobodna Bosna(Free Bosnia) has stated that Izetbegovic received money from the Saudi businessman Yassin al-Khadi (Yassin al Qadi). On October 12, 2001, Yassin al-Kadi was listed by the US government as a specially designated global terrorist for his support of al-Qaeda.
Al-Kadi's assets in Bosnia-Hercegovina were frozen in October 2001, at the request of the nation's Banking Agency. He had shares in the Vakufska Bank but these too were frozen, on the advice of the US.
In 1996, the report from Slobodna Bosnaalleges, Izetbegovic received $195,000. The information on this transaction came from a British bank while al-Kadi's charity Mufavak was being investigated. In 2002 this charity was banned, but began operating again in Bosnia under the name "Blessed Relief". Mufavak had gathered $15 to 20 million from various sources, and at least $3 million had gone to Al Qaeda.
But the claims of Al Qaeda and Islamist involvement on the part of Izetbegovic go much deeper. In 1992, he invited in the Mujahideen from Saudi Arabia, who went on a spree of murder and decapitation. The government is now trying to revoke the citizenships of 1,500 of these, as was reported by AKI this week.
In 1970, Izetbegovic wrote "The Islamic Declaration: A Program for the Islamization of Muslims and the Muslim Peoples", which was disseminated clandestinely amongst Muslims, but was not officially published until 1990 when the communist system which had been led by Tito collapsed.
This document has been used by his opponents to validate their claims that he was at heart an Islamist. The invitation of the Mujahideen (shown below, marching through Zenica) to add jihadism to the volatile ethnic situation escalated the strong feelings in the region. According to Pogledi: "The mujahedin were "incorporated and subordinated" within the structure of the 7th Muslim Brigade when it was formed on November 19, 1992 . On August 13, 1993, the mujahedeen were organized in the "El Mujahed" unit. The Bosnian Muslim military command put this unit in the 3rd Corps area of operations and subordinated it to the command of that Corps."
But the claims of Al Qaeda involvement go directly to Izetbegovic's door. Terrorism expert Evan Kohlmann wrote a book, Al Qaeda in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network, in which he details the involvement of Saudi Mujahideen in Bosnia and the rise of Al Qaeda.
Robert Spencer in JihadWatchquotes from this book:
Using the Bosnian war as their cover, Afghan-trained Islamic militants loyal to Osama bin Laden convened in the Balkans in 1992 to establish a European domestic terrorist infrastructure in order to plot their violent strikes against the United States. As the West and the United Nations looked on with disapproval, the fanatic foreign 'mujahideen', or holy warriors, wreaked havoc across southern Europe, taking particular aim at UN peacekeepers and even openly fighting with Bosnian Muslims at times. Middle Eastern religious and charitable organizations, largely based in and funded from the Arabian Gulf, were responsible for bankrolling this effort, and providing travel documentation for would-be mujahideen recruits.... many of the cell members - responsible for some of the most notorious terrorist attacks of the past decade - spent their formative years waging jihad in the unlikely Muslim land of Bosnia."Slobodan Milosevic is widely regarded as a Serbian monster, but while he was on trial in the Hague, a British journalist Eve-Ann Prentice was giving evidence. She told the court in February that she had been scheduled to meet Alija Izetbegovic in November 1994. She said that while she and a journalist from Der Spiegel waited in a foyer for their interviews with the Bosnian leader, they saw Osama bin Laden being escorted into Izetbegovic's office. Judge Robinson cut short her testimony and declared it "irrelevant".A damning critique of Izetbegovic and his Al Qaeda connections, written from a Serbian perspective, can be found in Serbianna, and more can be found in an articlefrom the Toronto-based Centre for Peace in the Balkans. A highly critical biography of Izetbegovic, by Vojin Joksimovich, can be found HERE.
September 09, 2006
Bosnia: Former Muslim President Was Paid By Al Qaeda
September 08, 2006
Washington Waking Up to Dangers of Kosovo Independence
Washington, September 8, 2006
Washington Waking Up to Dangers of Kosovo Independence: U.S. Congressmen Join a Growing Chorus of Experts Warning Against Kosovo Independence; Serbian President Boris Tadic Conveys Kosovo Independence Dangers to U.S. Leaders; Christian Serbs in Kosovo Denounce Muslim Albanian Violence Against Non-Albanians; Kosovo-based Wahhabism in FYROM
Editorial comment from the American Council for Kosovo: This week saw further indications that official Washington is becoming increasingly aware of the disastrous consequences a forcible and illegal detachment of Kosovo from democratic Serbia would have on the Balkan region. Worthy of note:
1. In the September 3, 2006 edition of The Washington Times, House International Relations Committee members Representatives Dan Burton (R-IN) and Joe Wilson (R-SC) wrote “If the U.N. Security Council decides in favor of Kosovo's independence, it will have a far-reaching negative effect throughout the region. It will also affect the dialogue between Kurds, Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq and may strengthen the hand of separatist movements around the world. Such a decision has serious global security concerns, and the United States should carefully consider how a U.N. decision in favor of Kosovar independence will affect countries like Russia, India and Indonesia, all struggling with minority ethnic populations that use terrorism to weaken democratically elected governments. The U.N. must not force a decision on Serbia that is unacceptable to its people and democratically elected representatives. A final decision must be a workable compromise and mutually acceptable to Serbia, ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and the minority Serbian population. If this is not the case, the status quo will continue, or worse, the region will regress to the ethnic cleansing of Serbian Christians in Kosovo.â€
2. During his September 7, 2006 speech at the Heritage Foundation, Serbian President Boris Tadic echoed the Congressmen’s concerns and likened the claim that Serbia has lost its right to Kosovo on account of Slobodan Milosevic to a suggestion that Iraq no longer has a right to its territorial integrity because of Saddam Hussein. "Future status of Kosovo is very important for the stability of Kosovo. But, at the some time, that can be a precedent, if Kosovo is going to become an independent country, a precedent very dangerous, not only for the Balkans, but for other regions in the world," President Tadic said.
3. Meanwhile – the violence of Muslim Albanians against Christian Serbs continues. In a recent meeting of the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija, under the spiritual guidance of Bishop Artemije of Rashka and Prizren, delegates warned: "These attacks are more and more frequent and are becoming more specific as regards the way in which they are carried out, since in committing them, children and young people are taken advantage of and abused, which, regarding the way of organization and operation, reminds of the attacks Muslim terrorists are making around the world. Any [solution to the Kosovo issue] that envisages any division of modification of borders, which would violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Serbia and be in contradiction with the international law, as well as any other imposed solution, will be unacceptable for and decisively rejected by the Serb nation and the [Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija].
Besides the destabilizing precedent Kosovo independence would present, the American Council for Kosovo repeatedly has warned that an independent Kosovo would further the agenda of radical Islamic forces who would use it as a base of operations in neighboring areas. The following, an excerpt from a Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis (Sept. 7, 2006), illustrates how Kosovo-based Albanian Wahhabist activists already are increasing their influence in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), with aim of creating "a religiously 'clean' Muslim base to which they can convert to Wahhabism and, eventually, jihad against Israeli, US and other Western interests."
Kosovo-based Albanian Wahhabists Step Up Activities in Macedonia:
Reliable local sources in the Albanian community have reported a very recent ramp-up in activity from well known Wahhabi leaders from Ferizaj and Gnjilane in Kosovo, and Lipkovo and Cair in FYROM, in the area of the mosque. These leaders have taken over an apartment on a street opposite it, and also near the DUI local headquarters, where they “disappear†for several hours each day inside with their students and plot the next stages in their plan for “capturing†this strategic neighborhood. According to the local sources, they drive cars with Kosovo license plates. The Wahhabi leaders are creating a bookstore in the area of the mosque where they will present fundamentalist literature and CDs, and provide “spiritual guidance†for young Muslims. In fact, a major tactic of these leaders is to preach inside the private homes of Muslims and try to convert them to the Wahhabi faith.
The strategic nature of the Taftalidze neighborhood is, first of all, because it is so far largely non-Albanian, and it represents a missing link between Albanian-inhabited areas to the south and southwest, and to the north of the Vardar. The primary goal of the radicals is to create a religiously “clean†Muslim base to which they can convert to Wahhabism and, eventually, jihad against Israeli, US and other Western interests. While the group is currently decentralized and trying to remain out of the spotlight, internal tensions in the FYROM Islamic community ensure that violent incidents will continue and the influence of the extremists will continue to grow.
1. Stability for the Balkans
By Representatives Dan Burton and Joe Wilson
The Washington Times– September 3, 2006
http://www.washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060902-101856-7764r.htm
As the United Nations tackles crises around the world from North Korea to the Middle East, it cannot ignore the Balkan region -- specifically the challenges facing Serbia. Seven years have passed since the U.N. took control of the Serbian province of Kosovo, and it will soon be time to make a permanent decision concerning its indeterminate status.
If the U.N. Security Council decides in favor of Kosovo's independence, it will have a far-reaching negative effect throughout the region. It will also affect the dialogue between Kurds, Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq and may strengthen the hand of separatist movements around the world. Such a decision has serious global security concerns, and the United States should carefully consider how a U.N. decision in favor of Kosovar independence will affect countries like Russia, India and Indonesia, all struggling with minority ethnic populations that use terrorism to weaken democratically elected governments.
Serbian President Boris Tadic is pro-Western and wants to formally integrate Serbia into NATO and the European Union. He is willing to meet stringent legal, economic and political requirements to become a permanent member. However, the Kosovo issue makes it difficult for him to continue down a solid, reformist path. Mr. Tadic wants to move Serbia away from its past global isolation to international cooperation. Serbia is committed to working with the Hague Tribunal and seeks to open its growing economy to foreign investment.
The U.N. must not force a decision on Serbia that is unacceptable to its people and democratically elected representatives. A final decision must be a workable compromise and mutually acceptable to Serbia, ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and the minority Serbian population. If this is not the case, the status quo will continue, or worse, the region will regress to the ethnic cleansing of Serbian Christians in Kosovo. We may also see the rise of Serbian nationalists, whose only platform will be to use Kosovo as a rallying cry at the ballot box.
When Mr. Tadic next visits the U.S., he should be welcomed as a friend by President Bush and congressional leaders, and Serbia should be treated as an ally that needs Western support during a difficult transition. Serbia is trying to turn Slobodan Milosevic and the wars he caused into a distant memory by moving forward and embracing democratic reforms, a commitment to human rights, and economic reforms to help its people reach their full potential.
We must respect Serbia's territorial integrity as well as the cultural and historical links Kosovo has with Serbia. More importantly, we must recognize the ramifications of Kosovar independence. Anywhere in the world an ethnic or religious majority is turned into a minority, they can face violence and intimidation by a new majority seeking independence. By forcing Serbia to accept Kosovar independence, the U.N. may establish a precedent that can endanger important allies around the world. Radical independence movements that exploit religious minorities and employ terrorism to achieve political goals will be emboldened. These anti-Democratic, fundamentalist religious forces must be curtailed, not rewarded.
As President Tadic noted in a July 19 speech to the North Atlantic Council, "I am here to ask you to work with me and my country to be able to look ahead with certainty to a future in which your security and ours become synonymous. I believe we need each other and I believe that Serbia has a major contribution to make to this end."
The United Nations can bring the affected parties together to construct a mutually acceptable agreement or force a decision upon Serbia that will not only affect that nation, but Serbia's integration into Europe, the Balkans, and our allies around the world. It is a process the U.S. will be watching.
Dan Burton of Indiana and Joe Wilson of South Carolina are Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives' International Relations Committee.
2. Serbian leader warns against Kosovo independence
By David Gollust
Voice of America– September 7, 2006
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KHII-6TF8AH?OpenDocument
Serbian President warned Thursday in Washington that independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo would create a dangerous precedent for the Balkans and elsewhere. The Belgrade official is holding talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other senior U.S. officials focusing on the issue of Kosovo's future status.
Although U.S.-Serbian relations have been strained by that country's failure to apprehend Balkans war crimes figures, Mr. Tadic is getting top-level access on his Washington visit, including meetings with Secretary Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney.
The visit comes as U.N.-mediated talks in Vienna on the final status of Kosovo are entering a critical phase. The Serbian president is stressing his opposition to independence for the majority ethnic-Albanian province of Serbia, which has been under U.N. administration since 1999.
In a talk with reporters after meeting Secretary Rice, Mr. Tadic said his government, which has advocated autonomy, but not independence for Kosovo, has no intention of running the political life of the Kosovo Albanian community.
But he said Serbia wants to uphold the rights of the Kosovo's Serb minority and defend Serbian national interests. And he said making the province independent would have negative implications for the region and beyond.
"Future status of Kosovo is very important for the stability of Kosovo. But, at the some time, that can be a precedent, if Kosovo is going to become an independent country, a precedent very dangerous, not only for the Balkans, but for other regions in the world," he said.
Mr. Tadic, a pro-Western Serbian politician elected in 2004, said the issue of indicted Balkans war crimes suspects still at large is not related to Kosovo.
The fact that former Bosnian-Serb president Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, Ratko Mladic, have not been apprehended has strained Serbia's relations with the United States and the European Union, and led the U.S. Congress to cut aid to Belgrade.
Mr. Tadic and Secretary Rice did sign a status-of-forces agreement defining the legal status of any U.S. military personnel, who may operate on Serbian soil.
The United States has similar accords with more than 100 other countries. The Serbian president said he hoped the agreement would be a springboard to more military cooperation, and open the way to private U.S. investment in his country.
3. Demand presented for fighting Albanian terrorism in Kosovo
Press Department of the Diocese of Ras-Prizren – September 5, 2006
http://www.eparhija-prizren.com/vest_eng.php?id=96
STRPCE, Sept 4 (Tanjug) - The Kosovo-Metohija Serb National Council (SNV) concluded at a session held in Brezovica on Sunday 'that the security situation in the province is extremely difficult, that (ethnic) Albanian fundamentalists continue to commit murders and terrorist attacks against Serbs, Serb property and Serb sacred objects across the province."
"These attacks are more and more frequent and are becoming more specific as regards the way in which they are carried out, since in committing them, children and young people are taken advantage of and abused, which, regarding the way of organization and operation, reminds of the attacks Muslim terrorists are making around the world," said the conclusions of the meeting.
The recent bomb attack (carried out by a sixteen-year old ethnic Albanian) on a catering establishment in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, when a number of Serbs were hurt, is only one of the 170 attacks over the past six months.
"Because of such a situation in the province, the Council demands from representatives of the international community, particularly of the United States as the most important leader in the fight against terrorism, to become aware of the reality in the province and decisively oppose to the terrorist operations in Kosovo-Metohija, just like they do every where else in the world where terrorism presents itself."
In the conclusions that were adopted at the meeting, which was attended by a great number of delegates from across the province, it was pointed out that SNV "closely follows the Vienna negotiations and backs all the activities of the Serbian negotiating team, which are realized in keeping with the Plan for the resolution of the future status of Kosovo-Metohija."
"Any other solution that envisages any division of modification of borders, which would violate the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Serbia and be in contradiction with the international law, as well as any other imposed solution, will be unacceptable for and decisively rejected by the Serb nation and the SNV of Kosovo-Metohija," the delegates underscored.
The American Council for Kosovo is an activity of Venable LLP and Global Strategic Communications Group, which are registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act as agents for the Serbian National Council of Kosovo and Metohija. Additional information with respect to this matter is on file with the Foreign Agents Registration Unit of the Department of Justice in Washington DC.
September 07, 2006
Keep Kosovo in Serbia - Ltr by Michael Pravica
The Washington Times
Letters
7 September 2006
Keep Kosovo in Serbia
Thank you for publishing "Stability for the Balkans" by Reps. Dan Burton and Joe Wilson (Commentary, Sunday). I sincerely appreciated the congressmen's well-reasoned arguments opposing the illegal granting of independence to Kosovo against the wishes of the Serbian government.
In considering Kosovo, let's bear in mind that the Serbs and Albanians have coexisted in the Serbian province for more than 1,300 years. Former Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito's denial of the right of return of 200,000 Serbians who were cleansed by Albanian fascists during World War II, his encouragement of illegal migration into the province after the war and the granting of local autonomy to the province in 1974 were all in the interest of weakening and reducing Serbia.
These actions fomented an Albanian drive to ethnically "purify" Kosovo of Serbs and their 1,300-year-old cultural presence in the Serbian province for the past 60 years. Granting independence to Kosovo would be an acquiescence to the principle that terrorists can successfully alter the borders of sovereign nations and that national borders mean nothing -- a dangerous precedent for our own nation, which also is battling illegal immigration.
Today's Kosovo is a terrorist haven and black hole of Europe where thriving sex-slave and drug-running trades give plenty of financial support to terrorist training camps for Osama bin Laden's followers within the province. We even have lost our own soldiers in Kosovo because of these fanatics, but our mainstream media has yet to report this.
Our nation's struggle against this sort of barbaric Islamofascist terrorism is completely in contrast to some of our politicians' misguided support for Kosovo's independence. It is high time for President Bush to write a new page in Balkan history by recognizing that Serbia is one of the few truly democratic nations in the Balkans and that it is trying to put the past behind it as it looks toward a more Western-leaning future.
Serbs make up one of the largest ethnic groups in the Balkans, and thus Serbia would be an anchor of stability amidst a Pandora's box of ethnic rivalries there. Serbia also was one of America's staunchest allies in World War I and World War II. Let's stop making Serbia former President Bill Clinton's personal punching bag and endeavor to rewrite the tremendous wrongs that were done in the Balkans. For the sake of global stability and respect for national sovereignty and respect for international laws, Kosovo must stay within Serbia.
MICHAEL PRAVICA
Henderson, Nev.
September 06, 2006
Stability for the Balkans
Stability for the Balkans
By Dan Burton/ Joe Wilson
September 3, 2006As the United Nations tackles crises around the world from North Korea to the Middle East, it cannot ignore the Balkan region -- specifically the challenges facing Serbia. Seven years have passed since the U.N. took control of the Serbian province of Kosovo, and it will soon be time to make a permanent decision concerning its indeterminate status.
If the U.N. Security Council decides in favor of Kosovo's independence, it will have a far-reaching negative effect throughout the region. It will also affect the dialogue between Kurds, Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq and may strengthen the hand of separatist movements around the world. Such a decision has serious global security concerns, and the United States should carefully consider how a U.N. decision in favor of Kosovar independence will affect countries like Russia, India and Indonesia, all struggling with minority ethnic populations that use terrorism to weaken democratically elected governments.
Serbian President Boris Tadic is pro-Western and wants to formally integrate Serbia into NATO and the European Union. He is willing to meet stringent legal, economic and political requirements to become a permanent member. However, the Kosovo issue makes it difficult for him to continue down a solid, reformist path. Mr. Tadic wants to move Serbia away from its past global isolation to international cooperation. Serbia is committed to working with the Hague Tribunal and seeks to open its growing economy to foreign investment.
The U.N. must not force a decision on Serbia that is unacceptable to its people and democratically elected representatives. A final decision must be a workable compromise and mutually acceptable to Serbia, ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and the minority Serbian population. If this is not the case, the status quo will continue, or worse, the region will regress to the ethnic cleansing of Serbian Christians in Kosovo. We may also see the rise of Serbian nationalists, whose only platform will be to use Kosovo as a rallying cry at the ballot box.
When Mr. Tadic next visits the U.S., he should be welcomed as a friend by President Bush and congressional leaders, and Serbia should be treated as an ally that needs Western support during a difficult transition. Serbia is trying to turn Slobodan Milosevic and the wars he caused into a distant memory by moving forward and embracing democratic reforms, a commitment to human rights, and economic reforms to help its people reach their full potential.
We must respect Serbia's territorial integrity as well as the cultural and historical links Kosovo has with Serbia. More importantly, we must recognize the ramifications of Kosovar independence. Anywhere in the world an ethnic or religious majority is turned into a minority, they can face violence and intimidation by a new majority seeking independence. By forcing Serbia to accept Kosovar independence, the U.N. may establish a precedent that can endanger important allies around the world. Radical independence movements that exploit religious minorities and employ terrorism to achieve political goals will be emboldened. These anti-Democratic, fundamentalist religious forces must be curtailed, not rewarded.
As President Tadic noted in a July 19 speech to the North Atlantic Council, "I am here to ask you to work with me and my country to be able to look ahead with certainty to a future in which your security and ours become synonymous. I believe we need each other and I believe that Serbia has a major contribution to make to this end."
The United Nations can bring the affected parties together to construct a mutually acceptable agreement or force a decision upon Serbia that will not only affect that nation, but Serbia's integration into Europe, the Balkans, and our allies around the world. It is a process the U.S. will be watching.
Dan Burton of Indiana and Joe Wilson of South Carolina are Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives' International Relations Committee.Stability for the Balkans
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20060902-101856-7764r.htm
De-militarize to stabilize
De-militarize to stabilize
6 September 2006
William Montgomery
One of my State Department colleagues was fond of saying that “you are where you sit.” What he meant by that is that regardless of one’s professionalism, the political environment in which you find yourself has a major impact on your attitudes. An American diplomat sitting in Tel Aviv, for example, probably has a far different approach towards the recent fighting in Lebanon than his/her counterpart in Beirut.
KLA was transformed into the Kosovo Protection Corps in 1999 with the help of NATO. General Wesley Clark, Agim Ceku and Hasim Thaci (photo BBC)
This is not simply “localitis,” where one comes to have sympathy with the people with whom you are living and working. It also reflects working with different constituencies. Both of the diplomats in this Middle East example are trying their best to move their particular host countries ahead democratically and in closer sync to the United States. Both also see the counter-productive actions of the “other side” as making it harder for moderates in their host countries to gain voter support.
This same effect was very much present during my four years as Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro. The approach of virtually every American diplomat in Belgrade was radically different than our counterparts at the U.S. Mission in Pristina. We actually “saw” a far different, far bleaker Kosovo than they did. They were anxious to show that UNMIK was succeeding in its tasks and that the region was making significant progress, at least in part because that was exactly what the Administration wanted to hear.
At the same time, the experiences of the war and relations with Serbia during the Milosević regime continued to color the view of the Kosovo Albanians and the International Community in Priština long after the October 2000 upheaval in Serbia. As a result, at least from our perspective, persecution of minorities was understated, improvements in the security situation overstated, and the Serbs in Kosovo and Serbia proper were given the lion’s share of blame for the deadlocks which were occurring.
There seemed to be little real concern for the tens of thousands of Kosovo Serb refugees, the return of their property, or the re-establishment of their jobs. In Bosnia, the protection of minorities and the establishment of freedom of movement and the right of return was perhaps the biggest priority. In contrast, it seemed from our perspective in Belgrade that it had no priority whatsoever in Kosovo. Any evidence of “concern” seemed to be all words and little, if any, action.
The classic example of this clash of approaches was with regard to the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). We in Embassy Belgrade consistently advocated its abolition and were fiercely (and successfully) opposed by the Mission in Priština and the key figures in the Administration.
We are now approaching the time when the decision on the future status of Kosovo will be announced. There is no question but that it will be a form of conditional independence. What everybody needs to watch carefully, however, is how two other issues are resolved, because they may well be the deciding factors in whether the Serbs of Kosovo follow in the footsteps of the Sarajevo Serbs in 1996 and abandon their homes in the face of upcoming transfer of authority in their areas to the Federation.
The first is the well-discussed question of de-centralization. If the International Community truly wants to prevent de-stabilizing Serbia and to prevent the exodus of Kosovo Serbs, it will insist on a large scale decentralization based on logical municipal and village lines of demarcation and just as importantly, the transfer of significant authority to local government. As I have long said, all they need are the same powers of any U.S. village or city.
The second key decision, however, is that the KPC should be totally disbanded and not transformed into any other unit whatsoever. The current Prime Minister of Kosovo and former Commander of the KLA, has publicly stated time and again his intention to turn the KPC into a regular army.
In fact, with its command structure, uniforms, and basic intent, it already is a military unit. It is composed almost entirely of former members of the KLA. It is absolutely impossible to imagine that the unit will somehow become benign and truly multi-ethnic, no matter how many token Serbs are bribed to join. It will be a destabilizing factor in Kosovo and definitely not a stabilizing one. It’s very existence will be a major impetus for Serbs to leave.
What possible military purpose could it serve in Kosovo that a strong and effective police force could not handle? It is not, by the way, simply a potential threat to the minorities of Kosovo. It is just a big a threat to several of the Kosovo Albanian political parties.
Ironically, whenever I argued this case over the years, I was always told privately the same real reason why it was allowed to exist was that the International Community was from the immediate end of the fighting in 1999 tremendously concerned over the potential for additional violence from the KLA and wanted to have a place to put them where they could be watched and perhaps rendered “civilized.”
Whenever I would point out the specific instances of KPC members being implicated in continued acts of violence, I was told that the bad apples were being weeded out. While I accept that there may be idealists out there who somehow think the KPC can suddenly become multi-ethnic in spirit and practice, the reality is that ethnic divisions remain extremely strong in Kosovo and everybody on the ground knows that is the case.
It therefore should seem obvious that a military formed from the ranks of the KLA is a major destabilizing force. Moreover, Kosovo is an economic basket case that needs all the funding and resources it can get simply to survive. Every euro spent on the KPC is a euro which could be used elsewhere.
A similar situation is taking place in Bosnia. One of the lost opportunities of the Dayton Agreement was that it did not totally de-militarize Bosnia. Instead, it tried to limit the armies of the entities and the weapons they held. The United States even was the primary sponsor of a “Train and Equip” Program designed to bring the forces of the Federation up to the standards and equipment of the Republika Srpska.
Far better to have required all sides to totally disarm. Just imagine that NATO forces have been on the ground for almost eleven years in Bosnia, guaranteeing the peace. There was no chance with them present of any side undertaking any military action. Yet billions of dollars was spent on military forces that could have been used for social and educational purposes. What a waste of resources.
Both Bosnia and Kosovo are works very much in progress. Bosnia needs international assistance and a will of its own to change the Constitution and other mechanisms provided at Dayton which simply are unworkable. Kosovo presents the International Community with the dilemma that there is absolutely no good solution for it. The time for that passed ten years ago, at least.
A major EU/US/NATO effort to bring about real de-militarization in both these places would be a significant positive step forward to regional stabilization, more effective use of resources, and a sign that the International Community is determined to resolve the question of stability (or lack thereof) in the Balkans.
NATO may have to provide some form of security guarantees to seal the deal, but that is exactly the sort of role that the new NATO should be playing. Both Kosovo and Bosnia, not to mention the region as a whole, will be better off with strong, effective police forces and no military whatsoever
http://www.b92.net/eng/insight/opinions.php?nav_id=36543
De-militarize to stabilize
De-militarize to stabilize
6 September 2006
William Montgomery
One of my State Department colleagues was fond of saying that “you are where you sit.” What he meant by that is that regardless of one’s professionalism, the political environment in which you find yourself has a major impact on your attitudes. An American diplomat sitting in Tel Aviv, for example, probably has a far different approach towards the recent fighting in Lebanon than his/her counterpart in Beirut.
KLA was transformed into the Kosovo Protection Corps in 1999 with the help of NATO. General Wesley Clark, Agim Ceku and Hasim Thaci (photo BBC)
This is not simply “localitis,” where one comes to have sympathy with the people with whom you are living and working. It also reflects working with different constituencies. Both of the diplomats in this Middle East example are trying their best to move their particular host countries ahead democratically and in closer sync to the United States. Both also see the counter-productive actions of the “other side” as making it harder for moderates in their host countries to gain voter support.
This same effect was very much present during my four years as Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro. The approach of virtually every American diplomat in Belgrade was radically different than our counterparts at the U.S. Mission in Pristina. We actually “saw” a far different, far bleaker Kosovo than they did. They were anxious to show that UNMIK was succeeding in its tasks and that the region was making significant progress, at least in part because that was exactly what the Administration wanted to hear.
At the same time, the experiences of the war and relations with Serbia during the Milosević regime continued to color the view of the Kosovo Albanians and the International Community in Priština long after the October 2000 upheaval in Serbia. As a result, at least from our perspective, persecution of minorities was understated, improvements in the security situation overstated, and the Serbs in Kosovo and Serbia proper were given the lion’s share of blame for the deadlocks which were occurring.
There seemed to be little real concern for the tens of thousands of Kosovo Serb refugees, the return of their property, or the re-establishment of their jobs. In Bosnia, the protection of minorities and the establishment of freedom of movement and the right of return was perhaps the biggest priority. In contrast, it seemed from our perspective in Belgrade that it had no priority whatsoever in Kosovo. Any evidence of “concern” seemed to be all words and little, if any, action.
The classic example of this clash of approaches was with regard to the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). We in Embassy Belgrade consistently advocated its abolition and were fiercely (and successfully) opposed by the Mission in Priština and the key figures in the Administration.
We are now approaching the time when the decision on the future status of Kosovo will be announced. There is no question but that it will be a form of conditional independence. What everybody needs to watch carefully, however, is how two other issues are resolved, because they may well be the deciding factors in whether the Serbs of Kosovo follow in the footsteps of the Sarajevo Serbs in 1996 and abandon their homes in the face of upcoming transfer of authority in their areas to the Federation.
The first is the well-discussed question of de-centralization. If the International Community truly wants to prevent de-stabilizing Serbia and to prevent the exodus of Kosovo Serbs, it will insist on a large scale decentralization based on logical municipal and village lines of demarcation and just as importantly, the transfer of significant authority to local government. As I have long said, all they need are the same powers of any U.S. village or city.
The second key decision, however, is that the KPC should be totally disbanded and not transformed into any other unit whatsoever. The current Prime Minister of Kosovo and former Commander of the KLA, has publicly stated time and again his intention to turn the KPC into a regular army.
In fact, with its command structure, uniforms, and basic intent, it already is a military unit. It is composed almost entirely of former members of the KLA. It is absolutely impossible to imagine that the unit will somehow become benign and truly multi-ethnic, no matter how many token Serbs are bribed to join. It will be a destabilizing factor in Kosovo and definitely not a stabilizing one. It’s very existence will be a major impetus for Serbs to leave.
What possible military purpose could it serve in Kosovo that a strong and effective police force could not handle? It is not, by the way, simply a potential threat to the minorities of Kosovo. It is just a big a threat to several of the Kosovo Albanian political parties.
Ironically, whenever I argued this case over the years, I was always told privately the same real reason why it was allowed to exist was that the International Community was from the immediate end of the fighting in 1999 tremendously concerned over the potential for additional violence from the KLA and wanted to have a place to put them where they could be watched and perhaps rendered “civilized.”
Whenever I would point out the specific instances of KPC members being implicated in continued acts of violence, I was told that the bad apples were being weeded out. While I accept that there may be idealists out there who somehow think the KPC can suddenly become multi-ethnic in spirit and practice, the reality is that ethnic divisions remain extremely strong in Kosovo and everybody on the ground knows that is the case.
It therefore should seem obvious that a military formed from the ranks of the KLA is a major destabilizing force. Moreover, Kosovo is an economic basket case that needs all the funding and resources it can get simply to survive. Every euro spent on the KPC is a euro which could be used elsewhere.
A similar situation is taking place in Bosnia. One of the lost opportunities of the Dayton Agreement was that it did not totally de-militarize Bosnia. Instead, it tried to limit the armies of the entities and the weapons they held. The United States even was the primary sponsor of a “Train and Equip” Program designed to bring the forces of the Federation up to the standards and equipment of the Republika Srpska.
Far better to have required all sides to totally disarm. Just imagine that NATO forces have been on the ground for almost eleven years in Bosnia, guaranteeing the peace. There was no chance with them present of any side undertaking any military action. Yet billions of dollars was spent on military forces that could have been used for social and educational purposes. What a waste of resources.
Both Bosnia and Kosovo are works very much in progress. Bosnia needs international assistance and a will of its own to change the Constitution and other mechanisms provided at Dayton which simply are unworkable. Kosovo presents the International Community with the dilemma that there is absolutely no good solution for it. The time for that passed ten years ago, at least.
A major EU/US/NATO effort to bring about real de-militarization in both these places would be a significant positive step forward to regional stabilization, more effective use of resources, and a sign that the International Community is determined to resolve the question of stability (or lack thereof) in the Balkans.
NATO may have to provide some form of security guarantees to seal the deal, but that is exactly the sort of role that the new NATO should be playing. Both Kosovo and Bosnia, not to mention the region as a whole, will be better off with strong, effective police forces and no military whatsoever
http://www.b92.net/eng/insight/opinions.php?nav_id=36543
September 03, 2006
Stability for the Balkans - The Washington Times
Stability for the Balkans
By Dan Burton/ Joe Wilson
September 3, 2006
As the United Nations tackles crises around the world from North Korea to the Middle East, it cannot ignore the Balkan region -- specifically the challenges facing Serbia. Seven years have passed since the U.N. took control of the Serbian province of Kosovo, and it will soon be time to make a permanent decision concerning its indeterminate status.
If the U.N. Security Council decides in favor of Kosovo's independence, it will have a far-reaching negative effect throughout the region. It will also affect the dialogue between Kurds, Sunnis and Shi'ites in Iraq and may strengthen the hand of separatist movements around the world. Such a decision has serious global security concerns, and the United States should carefully consider how a U.N. decision in favor of Kosovar independence will affect countries like Russia, India and Indonesia, all struggling with minority ethnic populations that use terrorism to weaken democratically elected governments.
Serbian President Boris Tadic is pro-Western and wants to formally integrate Serbia into NATO and the European Union. He is willing to meet stringent legal, economic and political requirements to become a permanent member. However, the Kosovo issue makes it difficult for him to continue down a solid, reformist path. Mr. Tadic wants to move Serbia away from its past global isolation to international cooperation. Serbia is committed to working with the Hague Tribunal and seeks to open its growing economy to foreign investment.
The U.N. must not force a decision on Serbia that is unacceptable to its people and democratically elected representatives. A final decision must be a workable compromise and mutually acceptable to Serbia, ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and the minority Serbian population. If this is not the case, the status quo will continue, or worse, the region will regress to the ethnic cleansing of Serbian Christians in Kosovo. We may also see the rise of Serbian nationalists, whose only platform will be to use Kosovo as a rallying cry at the ballot box.
When Mr. Tadic next visits the U.S., he should be welcomed as a friend by President Bush and congressional leaders, and Serbia should be treated as an ally that needs Western support during a difficult transition. Serbia is trying to turn Slobodan Milosevic and the wars he caused into a distant memory by moving forward and embracing democratic reforms, a commitment to human rights, and economic reforms to help its people reach their full potential.
We must respect Serbia's territorial integrity as well as the cultural and historical links Kosovo has with Serbia. More importantly, we must recognize the ramifications of Kosovar independence. Anywhere in the world an ethnic or religious majority is turned into a minority, they can face violence and intimidation by a new majority seeking independence. By forcing Serbia to accept Kosovar independence, the U.N. may establish a precedent that can endanger important allies around the world. Radical independence movements that exploit religious minorities and employ terrorism to achieve political goals will be emboldened. These anti-Democratic, fundamentalist religious forces must be curtailed, not rewarded.
As President Tadic noted in a July 19 speech to the North Atlantic Council, "I am here to ask you to work with me and my country to be able to look ahead with certainty to a future in which your security and ours become synonymous. I believe we need each other and I believe that Serbia has a major contribution to make to this end."
The United Nations can bring the affected parties together to construct a mutually acceptable agreement or force a decision upon Serbia that will not only affect that nation, but Serbia's integration into Europe, the Balkans, and our allies around the world. It is a process the U.S. will be watching.
Dan Burton of Indiana and Joe Wilson of South Carolina are Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives' International Relations Committee.
August 30, 2006
"A Must See Video."
The Balkan Mirror
top dog in the fight. ...
WASHINGTON TIMES (USA)
OPINION
The Balkan Mirror
By Michael Djordjevich
Published August 15, 2006
Part one in a three-part series.
Together with the Middle East, the border lands of southeast Europe
known as the Balkans have been a region of the world where seminal events
and trends in human history have taken place. It has been called many names,
including "the powder keg of Europe" or "the graveyard of empires." The
conflicts in the region have also been a mirror of history.
Long before Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations," in the period
between the 14th and 19th centuries, the incessant ebb and flow in the
conflict between Islam and the West took place in the Balkans. Early in the
20th century, Serbian gun shots in Sarajevo ushered in World War I,
Communism and Nazism. At the end of the century, Bosnian Muslim
fundamentalists fired gun shots in Sarajevo, killing several Christian Serbs
at a wedding party and began a bloody war in Bosnia among Christian Serbs
and Croats and Muslims. This war may have well reflected in earnest the
renewed clash of civilizations.
The Berlin Wall fell at the end of 1989. The Soviet Union imploded and
the end of Communism as a global force followed. Balkan countries joined the
trend. However, the pivotal and largest state, Yugoslavia, rapidly descended
into a bloody civil-religious war and dissolution. This decade-long war at
the end of 20th century mirrored a number of important political, legal,
religious and geopolitical precedents for the post-Communist world. Of
particular significance are those involving America, the European Union and
the United Nations.
At first, the United States favored the preservation of Yugoslavia, or
at least its peaceful and orderly dissolution. Changing this position
abruptly, America did not oppose Germany's drive for the dismemberment of
Yugoslavia and then sided with Islamists in Bosnia. Secretary of State James
Baker said "we have no dog in this fight" -- but in the end America was the
top dog in the fight.
The international community's engagement in the Balkans have so far been
a textbook illustration of the dangers of contradictory policies, chronic
indecisions, confusion and ignorance about historical forces in play, double
standards and flawed precedents. America was not prepared for the peace and
the role of the only superpower in the world. Our leadership has failed in
this task so far.
Apparently, not much has been learned from this experience. We could
replace the location, inserting Iraq instead of the Balkans, and the
aforementioned assessment would be similar today.
The Balkan mirror also shows the impotence and irrelevance of the United
Nations. Any country and any people would be foolhardy to place their
destiny in the hands of this inept institution. With America's complicity,
the United Nations did nothing when its embargo on arms shipments was
violated by Iran sending planeloads of arms to Bosnian Muslims.
Subsequently, when veteran jihadists came to the country to fight Serbs, the
West was also supportive.
The Serbian province of Kosovo has been ethnically cleansed from Serbs,
Roma and other non-Albanians while 150 churches and many medieval
monasteries have been destroyed during 10 years of U.N. governance.
The mirror showed the duplicitous methods by which world media
influenced world opinion. With few exceptions, it has abused its power and
professional responsibility, failing to heed Ed Murrow's admonition to
examine all sides of a story and aim to elucidate, not advocate. It did the
latter and in general continues to advocate an Islamic agenda in Bosnia and
Kosovo.
The Balkan realities also show a great adaptability of Islamists to
present a worldly, democratic face. Readily accepted by the West, Bosnian
leader and fundamentalist Islamist Alija Izetbegovic was tolerated and
praised as a democrat. Nevertheless, in his book "The Islamic Declaration"
Izetbegovic asserted absolute validity of dominance of Islam: "There can be
neither peace nor coexistence between Islamic religion and non-Islamic
social and political institutions," he wrote. Later in the war, Mr.
Izetbegovic was influenced and financially and militarily supported by
fundamentalist Islamists (including Osama bin Laden). Similarly, some Kosovo
leaders, previously called terrorists and thugs by U.S. special envoy Robert
Gelbard, are now afforded respect in the United Nations and elsewhere.
The ugliest and most dangerous reflection in the mirror is that of
double-standards. As we are facing challenges and dangers of radical Islam
and terrorism worldwide, let's not dismiss the Balkan experience. Our
policies must contain moral dimensions. International agreements, legal
precedents and evenhanded treatment of warring people were not followed in
the Yugoslav tragedy. If we are to get out of the Middle East quagmire we
must change these policies. Failing to realize that by endeavoring to
resolve complex problems by double standards, we more often than not double
them in the end.
In addition, the Balkan Mirror has provided important and troubling
reflections upon Islam and the new world (dis)order.
Michael Djordjevich, an American of Serbian origin, founded and was the
first president of the Serbian Unity Congress.
letters@washingtontimes.com
Israel/Hezbollah vs. Kosovo War
Israel/Hezbollah vs. Kosovo War Part I
July 25th, 2006
Those of us intimately familiar with the 78-day 1999 Clinton/Blair war against Serbia recognize many similarities with the ongoing Hezbollah/Israel air war. For those of us who have experienced bombings as innocent civilians in our childhood, even if bombings date back to the WWII, the TV pictures of civilian sufferings on both sides are causing an outrage and a profound disappointment that such civilian sufferings are tolerated by the international community in the 21st century. Here are some notable comparisons between the Israel/Hezbollah and the Kosovo air wars.
Hezbolllah vs. KLA
Both Hezbollah and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are terrorist organizations. President Clinton’s special envoy to the Balkans, Robert Gelbard, said: “The UCK (KLA) is without any question a terrorist group.” Hezbollah is a first tier world terrorist organization with Al Qaeda being only the second tier. Iran created Hezbollah in1982. Iran and Syria have enormous influence as they provide hundreds of millions of dollars in military and economic aid but Hezbollah is nobody’s puppet as President Bush and Israel have claimed. Despite its terrorist tactics Hezbollah has successfully recast itself as a legitimate political party. Its candidates advocate civic duty and responsible governance. Hezbollah enjoys support from 40% Lebanese Shiite population. It also has various supporters in Lebanese diaspora mainly in the South and North America. The KLA, a paramilitary wing of the Albanian mafia on the other hand, was supported by the government of Albania, Albanian narco-mafia, Albanian diaspora; Radical Islam such as Al Qaeda, government of Iran, various Saudi and other Wahhabi organizations, Organization of Islamic Conference as well as the U.S, British and German intelligence agencies.
Jupiter vs. Oxes
The U.S. not only doesn’t want to negotiate with Hezbollah but it does not want to negotiate directly with the legitimate governments of Iran and Syria despite the fact that Iran is probably the only party that can influence Hezbollah to terminate hostilities. The U.S. can influence Israel to stop slaughter of innocent civilians in Shiite neighborhoods instead of a tokenistic response thus far allowing Israel to “finish the job.” Thus far the legitimate and sovereign Lebanese government has received only lip service and an offer of humanitarian aid.
In contrast the U.S. and Germany exploited almost 100-year Serb-Albanian conflict to wrest the Serbian province of Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia (15% of the Serbian territory) for their own purposes to strengthen their position in the Balkans. In order to accomplish this objective the Western alliance sided with the KLA insurrection from Albania into Kosovo and Metohija. From terrorists the KLA were instantly converted into partners and freedom fighters. Albanian terrorism, which as a matter of fact dates back to 1912 when Kosovo was liberated from the Ottoman Empire, was not a crime. When the insurrection was repelled primarily by the Serbian police forces the U.S.-led NATO, that defeated the Soviet Union without firing a shot, launched the 78-day air war of infamy against Serbia.
Nebojsa Malic, A tale of Jupiters and Cattle, ably quoted ancient Latin proverb created by Terence, a playwright of the Roman Republic: Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi. What is permitted to Jupiter, isn’t permitted to oxes. Jupiter is the Roman king of gods, the supreme god, and patron of the Roman state, identified with the Greek god Zeus. This ancient Roman rule is fully applicable for the 20th century as well as in the 21st century: Americans are Jupiter, Israel is Jupiter-light while Serbia and Lebanon are in the ox category.
Casus Belli
As in 1982, the Hezbollah/Israel war started with a minor incident. In 1982 it was a Palestinian assassination of an Israeli diplomat in London. On July 12, 2006, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah sent his fighters on a cross-border raid into Israel, where they killed eight soldiers and captured two as hostages. In recent years, Nasrallah has mounted several similar raids into Israel. Tough-minded prime ministers of Israel, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon, did not respond with an air war against Lebanon.
In contrast with Israel using a pinprick for casus belli there is an example of India. On July 11, Mumbai train bombings terrorist attack killed 207 Indians and wounded more than 800. The suspect is Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic militant group based in Pakistan. India did not retaliate by bombing Islamabad or Karachi but concentrated on the police work that led to arrest of three men ten days later. They have also arrested the organizer and the kingpin of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Indian-controlled portion of the contested Kasmir province.
While Israel has used pinpricks to initiate wars, President Clinton used fabricated, staged massacres as casus belli both to bomb the Bosnian Serb positions in 1995 and all-out bombings of the Serbian infrastructure and civilians in 1999. Staged massacres and then blaming the Serbs for them were a pattern of Bosnian Muslim war strategy. Combined with highly cooperative partisan media, these staged massacres served as pretense to bomb the Bosnian Serb positions. Similarly in Kosovo, the KLA staged the Racak massacre, which was aided and abetted by the American man on the ground as the chief of OSCE observers, ambassador Walker. The Racak massacre was litigated during the trial of Slobodan Milosevic at the ICTY. Milosevic was obviously successful in his defense as illustrated with the fact that the British judge dropped the Racak massacre from the indictment of Milosevic’s successor, Milan Milutinovic, former deputy prime minister, two former army chiefs of staff and two generals. The six accused represent almost all of Serbia’s political and military top leadership in 1999. The judge stated that it “would be too difficult to prove exactly where the responsibility lies
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Israel/Hezbollah vs. Kosovo War Part II
July 26th, 2006
Right of Self-Defense
President Bush has daily stated that Israel has the right to defend itself. The UN charter recognizes that right but does it include launching an air war on civilians and the infrastructure? Did the same right apply to Serbia fighting the KLA terrorists on its own territory rather than the territory of a neighboring state?
On February 28, 1998 in response to killings of four Serbian policemen in the Drenica region of Kosovo the Serbian special police units launched a crackdown on the KLA terrorists. The action was directed at Adem Jashari whose clan constituted the core of the KLA organization. The Serbian forces killed Jashari and destroyed the KLA power base but also killed more than 50 Albanians including women and children. Almost instantaneously the U.S. threatened military intervention even without the UN Security Council approval. Secretary Albright said, “We know what we need to know to believe we are seeing ethnic cleansing all over again.” The Contact Group, representatives of the U.S, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Russia, announced measures aimed at applying punitive sanctions on Serbia and called for removal of Serbian forces from its own province. What would have happened if the Serbian air force by any chance bombed the KLA bases in Albania (Tropoja, Bajram Curi, Kruma, Peskopeja, Drac, Elbasan) or even pulverized Tirana, the Albanian capital? A textbook example of Jupiter vs. Oxes.
Disregard for Human Life
The terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, KLA and others have obviously no respect for innocent human life and that is why they are characterized as terrorists. However, both Israel and the U.S.- led NATO have also exhibited a disregard for innocent human life and civilian infrastructure despite intensive PR campaigns to prove to the contrary and using the collateral damage terminology, the term I resent from the bottom of my heart. In the military lingo these are called strategic bombing campaigns aimed to flatten key economic resources and are usually designed to bend the targeted government to the will of the attacker or turn the populace against the government. The U.S. is one of the chief proponents launching campaigns in Vietnam, Iraq and Serbia. The U.S.-led NATO air campaign had an objective not only to punish Milosevic but also to teach Serbian people a lesson. Likewise Israel is teaching Lebanese people a lesson.
Use of U.S.-designed precision-guided bombs plus selection of strictly military targets should have avoided human tragedies like the one in Tyre where 72 victims of airstrikes were buried in a mass grave so that hospital can hold other bodies. One woman lost 24 members of her family. Israel bombed the Lebanese northern city of Tripoli, which has no conceivable relationship to Hezbollah. General Clark, supreme allied commander, bombed the Novi Sad bridges in Northern Serbia hundreds of km from Kosovo. He would have bombed the Belgrade bridges as well had it not been for the French president Chirac who saved them. The Chinese Embassy in Belgrade was even bombed. Similarly Israel bombed the UN border post killing four monitors. The UN Secretary General plus foreign ministers from China, Japan, South Korea and the 10 nation ASEAN bloc claimed that the attack was deliberate.
The effect of Israel strategic bombing campaign is likely to be much the same as General Wesley Clark’s in Serbia where the Serbian forces in Kosovo were not defeated and that in the Islamic world the growing numbers of civilian casualties are likely to turn Arabs and others against the Jewish state and its key ally, the U.S. and still not fatally wound Hezbollah. Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, said that Israel’s furious response was recruiting millions of new enemies. Similarly, the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has recruited millions of other enemies.
For most policymakers and people, moralization stops once they make up their mind as to who initiated the fight so that regard for human life during the fight is a nonissue. This is why the NATO governments and the media were so adamant in convincing the world of Serb atrocities so that once the fighting starts all moralization is out of the window because the belief as to who is guilty has already been settled.
Exodus of Civilians
The UN has estimated that 600,000 Lebanese civilians were uprooted in the first 12 days of Israeli aggression. They have been fleeing from Israeli bombs and responding to Israeli leaflets dropped by aircraft urging them to flee from Southern Lebanon.
The ICTY prosecutors claim that Serbian forces expelled some 800,000 Kosovo Albanians who fled into Macedonia and Albania. In his defense Milosevic claimed that the bulk of them fled from NATO bombs and in response to leaflets dropped by NATO urging them to flee. Local radio stations, including Radio Tirana, joined in. The exodus of civilians in Lebanon provides yet another piece of evidence that the Serbian forces in Kosovo couldn’t have had a monopoly on deportations as the ICTY indictment claims. Perhaps the judge will determine the blame allocation for the exodus!
Personal Criminal Responsibility
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour stated in Geneva that both sides could bear “personal criminal responsibility” for their assaults. “Indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians. Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged military significance, but resulting invariably in the killing of innocent civilians, is unjustifiable.” While serving as the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Ms. Arbour did not condemn both sides when NATO indiscriminately shelled the Serbia cities, including capital Belgrade, and killing civilians in houses, apartments, fleeing refugees, in hospitals, the Belgrade TV studio, on a pedestrian bridge, on a bus, in a car on unpaved mountain road, in a prison, etc. Furthermore, she did not condemn NATO bombing causing ecocide with long-term detrimental health effects to the population as a result of daily attacks on chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical plants, plastic factories, refineries, fuel storage tanks, the electric power grid, etc. Ms. Arbour had the power to indict NATO generals, like General Clark, but had no clear conscience to do so. Ms. Arbour was a servant to the Jupiter then. Under the orders from Jupiter she issued an arrest warrant for the first head of state even while the war was still in progress. For her obedience and outstanding services to the Jupiter she was first appointed to the Canadian Supreme Court and then to the present position of the UN Human Rights Commissioner.
http://serbianna.com/blogs/joksimovich/
