Washington cuts off aid to Serbia (the blackmail continues)

BBC ^ | Wednesday, 31 March, 2004, 18:27 GMT 19:27 UK

[konijn]

Washington cuts off aid to Serbia

The US wants Ratko Mladic handed to The Hague The US has suspended its aid to Serbia, saying Belgrade is not fully co-operating with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The decision means Washington will not disburse the last $25m of a $100m assistance package set up three years ago to help Serbia reform its economy.

The package was tied to Belgrade's relations with the Hague tribunal.

The US has expressed concern at the new Serbian government's reluctance to hand over people accused of war crimes.

A State Department spokesman on Wednesday urged Serbia to extradite a number of suspects - particularly former Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic, who is believed to be hiding in Serbia.

If such action was taken, Adam Ereli said, Secretary of State Colin Powell was prepared to review the decision.

The BBC's Nick Hawton in Belgrade says that although the suspension of US aid will have no immediate impact on the Serbian economy, the decision could have longer-term consequences.

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and private investors may be discouraged from extending any more loans, our correspondent adds.

In December Serbia elected a new parliament with nationalist sympathies.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica has said extraditing war crimes suspects to The Hague is not one of his government's priorities.

[konijn]

Shame on you USA!!

[konijn]

Exempt from the aid cutoff are humanitarian assistance, funds to promote democracy in municipalities and for Kosovo. Ereli said about $25 million is affected by the cutoff.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/w-eur/2004/mar/31/033104893.html

[Iron Matron]

The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and private investors may be discouraged from extending any more loans, our correspondent adds.

Cry me a river.

[konijn]

bad balkans bump

[DTA]

>>>>>>The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and private investors may be discouraged from extending any more loans, our correspondent adds.<<<<<

The mew loans were used to service old ones. It is creditors' problem now.

[konijn]

Completely in line with the warmongers new dictates to Serbia. Little has changes in US policy

Fri Mar 26 13:36:35 2004
213.224.83.78

The International Crisis Group:

Serbia's U-Turn


Europe Report N°154
26 March 2004
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In politics and policies, Serbia increasingly resembles the Milosevic-era without Milosevic. Its reaction to the catastrophic mid-March 2004 near collapse of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), the strong showing by ultra-nationalists in the 28 December 2003 parliamentary elections and the subsequent two-months of squabbling before democratic parties could form a minority government that depends for survival on the support of Milosevic's old party all are signs that more trouble lies ahead. In 2004 Serbia can anticipate continued political instability, increasingly strained relations with the West and further economic decline. The spasm of ethnic cleansing of Serbs by Albanians in Kosovo has raised the prospect of Kosovo partition, strengthened the nationalist right wing and increased anti-Western sentiment. Instability and economic weakness could hasten moves by Montenegro towards independence, while Kosovo tensions could spill over into the Presevo valley, Sandzak and even Vojvodina.

These prospects should prompt the international community to re-evaluate its policies towards Serbia. The results should include: no longer assuming that Serbia is a factor of regional stability; relying less on the "carrot" of European integration and insisting less on the Serbia-Montenegro union; and making more use of a stricter aid conditionality. If there is a bright side, it is that the ongoing -- and likely to worsen -- economic slide gives the international community greater leverage over the Serbian government if it is prepared to use it.

Serbia's new government could prove short-lived. It has serious internal differences, and its minority status reduces the chances that it can take the tough decisions necessary to turn the economy around, especially if it does not get major outside help. Nonetheless, its initial actions (and those of the parliament) hint that it could prove more stable and last longer than anyone expects. The Kosovo unrest has been a unifying factor, however temporary. But such stability as there may be will come through lowest common denominator politics, which in Belgrade today is anti-Western populism. Although Prime Minister Kostunica has stated that Serbia has no alternative to Europe, it does not appear that he considers cooperation with The Hague Tribunal a priority.

In spite of the government's pronouncements, Serbia's path towards a wider European future may be rocky. Events in Kosovo have reduced the appeal of European institutions to the country and damaged UN, EU, U.S. and NATO credibility. Parties that are either opposed to or ambivalent about European integration control 71 per cent of the parliament. The ultra-nationalist SRS has one third of the seats in every committee. Anti-reform forces within the "democratic" bloc appear intent on forestalling or rolling back many key Djindjic-era measures, while the SRS is pushing for a return to the past. The economy and Kosovo place tremendous pressure on the government, and the SRS is most likely to benefit in the upcoming presidential and municipal elections from any dissatisfaction.

To become a stable state, Serbia must undergo two transitions. The first is from the Milosevic-era criminalised state to a more normal society. The second is the classic Eastern European transition from a socialist command economy to a democratic market economy. Until there is significant progress in the first transition, the second will not happen. It is this failure to cleanse Serbia of the Milosevic legacy -- particularly in the security services -- that has led to the resurgence of the extreme right and cessation of reforms. International assistance should be redirected to target the first transition. Unfortunately, the new government has indicated that it is more interested in removing traces of Djindjic than Milosevic.

It is increasingly apparent that 5 October 2000, the day on which Milosevic stepped down, was less revolutionary than it seemed at the time. Many of Serbia's democrats accepted the Milosevic-era myth that all the country's problems were caused by a decade of wars and international sanctions and the NATO bombing campaign of 1999. With these "causes" removed, many democrats showed little enthusiasm for reforms and, in many instances, actively blocked them. As a result Serbia failed to make a clean break with the Milosevic heritage. With the December 2003 elections, the past has partially returned to endanger the scant progress made to date, both domestically and in Serbia's relations with its neighbours.

Milosevic-era structures and personnel are still relatively intact in the judiciary, police, army and other key institutions. Serbia's media and judiciary are less independent today than two years ago. The myriad intelligence services still appear out of control and engage primarily in spying on domestic political opponents. It is nearly as difficult to do business in Serbia in 2004 as it was under Milosevic, a fact confirmed by the scant foreign investment. The only institutions that appear to function with any efficiency are the army and the National Bank. In the meantime, the lack of a final status resolution for Kosovo will continue to overshadow domestic politics and warp normal political dialogue.

ICG will shortly publish a separate report on the March 2004 events in Kosovo and their implications for the future of Kosovo and international policies in the wider region.

RECOMMENDATIONS

To the European Union:

1. Make economic aid, both from the EU and from its member states, subject to a formal annual review of Serbian government achievement of specific benchmarks, including cooperation with The Hague Tribunal (ICTY).

2. Appoint a senior diplomatic Special Representative in Belgrade to be a first point of contact and contribute to coordination of a common voice within the Western diplomatic and international donor communities.

To the United States:

3. Continue and strengthen aid conditionality, including the requirement that Serbian government cooperate with the ICTY;

To NATO:

4. Adhere to the policy of not admitting Serbia and Montenegro to Partnership for Peace until it drops its lawsuit against NATO and cooperates fully with the ICTY.

To the Donor Community:

5. Extend conditionality to include IMF, World Bank and EBRD assistance.

6. Demand greater accountability from the Serbian government on capital investment projects.

7. Insist upon greater cooperation by Serbia with international community structures in Kosovo and impose greater accountability for its actions in supporting parallel structures in Kosovo.

To the Serbian Government:

8. Give higher priority to economic reform.

9. Cooperate with the ICTY, including by arresting and transferring to The Hague all indictees on its territory.

10. Reform the judiciary and media to make them functional and independent.

11. Restrain nationalist passions, including by urging the media to avoid inflammatory rhetoric.

12. Provide increased security for Serbia's human rights activists and for national minorities in Vojvodina, Sandzak and Kosovo.

13. Prevent radical right-wing forces from attempting ethnic cleansing in southern Serbia, Sandzak or Vojvodina.

Belgrade/Brussels, 26 March 2004

http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=2552

[onedoug]

Serbia should tell us they'll hand over Mladic once we've handed over Clinton.

[Hoplite]

Poor little Serbia - when forced to choose between protecting war criminals or fulfilling the obligations it incurred to try to get back into the world's good graces, it simply reacted as any oppressed nation would.

But that's the world's fault, not Serbia's, right Konjin? What with their being eternal victims and all they have proven incapable of acting out of rational self interest, and expecting any government in Belgrade to act differently is merely a reflection of our prejudices and biases against Belgrade, as they just can't help it, can they?

Shame on us indeed, Konjin. Victims deserve entitlements from deep pockets, regardless of their actions.

[Honorary Serb]

INCREASE aid to REBUILD Serbia! ABOLISH the kangaroo "court" in the Hague, and CUT OFF all aid to the Neanderthal KLA savages now running Kosovo!!!!

Someone in our government (perhaps a leftover clintonite or two?) is angry that Serb patriots won the last election, not NWO-oriented quislings. That explains this action, which because of the recent happenings in Kosovo, is criminal indeed!!!!

[MarMema]

Go Serbia. Good way to tell the west to take a hike.
Hopefully you can get them out of your lives for good someday and have your country back. Such integrity is rarely seen today.

[MarMema]

That explains this action, which because of the recent happenings in Kosovo, is criminal indeed!!!!

It's like we are still supporting the former KLA.

[WhiteGuy]

A good first step.

Cut off all foreign welfare, for good!

[A. Pole]

The US wants Ratko Mladic handed to The Hague The US has suspended its aid to Serbia, saying Belgrade is not fully co-operating with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Serbia does not help in destruction of Kosovo churches.

[konijn]

The Serbs as a people have always been on the right side in history; they can take this US hyprocrisy with pride! Your side, whatever it may be, has to resort to blackmail, extortion and filthy propaganda to reach its pittyfull aims.

[RussianConservative]

Same US that is so against own citizens standing trial? Haha, as usual being hypocritical...just like Farse on Terror.

[RussianConservative]

All except one key difference...West not going to buy out Putin.

[RussianConservative]

Yes and West so harsh on Croatian, Bosnian and Albanian war criminal...why all three now embargoed for not sending their's....what??? They are not embargoed?

[RussianConservative]

Or some one who want to show that Farse on Terror not against Islam so sacrifice some Orthodox here and there to make points.

[Seselj]

Oh wow, $100 million over 3 years. Big whoop. Do you know what $33 million a year means to a country, even one as small as Serbia? Absolutely nothing. That's like 33 cents to you.

[Hoplite]

The Serbs as a people have always been on the right side in history

Well of course they have, Konjin. Unlike the rest of the nations or nationalities in the world, the Serbs as a group have never made any mistakes or have had amongst them those who have committed any crimes in their name.

My side is America, Konjin. I think we know which one yours is.