Misreporting Kosovo

How the mainstream press has missed the single most important angle to what’s happening in Kosovo.

On back-to-back days in December 1991, the New York Times published two separate articles highlighting Germany’s alarming and audacious decision to recognize and legitimize the efforts of Slovenia and Croatia to break away from Yugoslavia. Both articles (you can read them here and here) are refreshingly honest and hold little back in their analysis of Germany’s seminal role in the violent fragmentation of Yugoslavia.

In this article, Paul Lewis cites European diplomats who warned that Germany’s decision to support Croatia and Slovenia, despite opposition from virtually the rest of the world, “underscored Germany’s growing political power in the 12-nation European Community.” Germany’s incursion into the Balkans, wrote Lewis, “has worried many in Europe who see it as an attempt to re-exert traditional Germanic influences over this area of the Balkans” (emphasis mine throughout).

Lewis exhibited little reticence in exposing the German undercurrent gushing beneath what was unfolding in Yugoslavia, even when it meant connecting Germany’s decision to recognize Croatia and Slovenia in 1991, to its sordid history with these entities during World War ii.

Moreover, in its unusual assertiveness in moving ahead with a plan to extend diplomatic recognition to the breakaway Yugoslav republics of Croatia and Slovenia, Germany has stirred troubling historical associations …. Nazi Germany dominated the two Yugoslav regions during World War ii, absorbing Slovenia into the Third Reich and creating a puppet regime in Croatia.

Then there’s this piece from the Times a month later: “Germany’s decision to press for quick recognition of the two republics, disregarding appeals from the United States and the United Nations, marked a new assertiveness that some Europeans find disconcerting” (Jan. 16, 1992).

In 1991-92, a mainstream news organ like the New York Times was not afraid to confront the reality that Germany was manipulating the Balkans in an effort to “re-exert traditional Germanic influences” over the region. A willingness to analyze the Balkans through the German prism was plainly evident.

On Monday, the deadline for a mutual solution to the Kosovo dilemma expired, and Kosovar Albanians, led by former terrorist leader Hashim Thaci, said they would immediately start finalizing their declaration of independence from Serbia, which they will likely announce within the first two months of 2008.

The subject of Kosovo’s independence does not lack coverage. What it lacks is the kind of fresh, up-front, in-depth reporting practiced by the likes of the New York Times when it covered Yugoslavia’s dissolution in 1991-92. When Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia broke away from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the Times didn’t hesitate to declare Germany’s pivotal and alarming role in the crises (though later, when the U.S. and British governments switched sides, so too did the Times).

Now Kosovo is about to erupt, and few people, certainly not the mainstream press, are talking about Germany’s fundamental role in this crisis!

What’s happening in Kosovo is covered with German fingerprints. It was Germany (and the Vatican) that first legitimized the dissolution of the state formerly called Yugoslavia. The day Bonn threw its weight behind Croatia’s and Slovenia’s decision to break away in 1991, every republic in Yugoslavia that was thinking about breaking away, including Kosovo, learned that it could do so and have the support of Germany and the Vatican.

But Germany’s intimate relationship with Kosovo runs deeper than mere ideological support. The involvement in the province by Germany, one of Kosovo’s most important and long-standing supporters, has manifested itself in very practical—and dangerous—ways. The German government has been closely linked to the Kosovo Liberation Army (kla), a terrorist organization that during the early to mid-1990s was linked to the mafia in Kosovo and other Islamic terrorists in the region.

In 1996, the German foreign intelligence service (bnd), established a major outpost in the Albanian city of Tirana, where kla terrorists were trained to fight against Serbian authorities. According to Le Monde Diplomatique, “special forces in Berlin provided the operational training and supplied arms and transmission equipment from ex-East German Stasi stocks as well as black uniforms” (May 1999).

Kosovo’s “internationally unrecognized government-in-exile” had a prime minister who was based in Germany and operated freely with the blessing (perhaps even the direction) of the German government! So Germany recognized Kosovo’s government-in-exile when nobody else did. But the international community submissively followed Germany’s lead. The kla guerrillas didn’t just happen. They were essentially raised up and directly supported by Germany—the powerhouse of Europe.

How many analysts, when they consider Kosovo’s independence today, are factoring in Germany’s central role in the growth and expansion of the kla? How many wonder why Germany would be so interested in, and go to such great lengths to secure, Kosovo’s independence from Serbia? What’s in it for Germany?

These questions lie at the heart of analysis on Kosovo—but few are asking them!

The Trumpet has explained how, under the umbrella of the United States and nato, Germany and Europe have, since 1991, dramatically increased their influence in the Balkans. By employing a subtle diplomatic divide-and-conquer policy, Germany has precipitated the systematic and violent fracturing of Yugoslavia. It was Germany, through cunning use of exaggerated and inaccurate claims and emotive language, that in 1999 stirred nato, predominantly comprised of U.S. troops, to bomb Serbia.

In March 1999, German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping said in a television interview on zdf that “genocide is starting” in Serbia. His alarmist vocabulary turned the collective Western mindset against Serbia. The Australian reported on April 1, 1999, “With thousands of refugees continuing to stream out of the war-torn province, German Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping claimed in Bonn last night that evidence had emerged of concentration camps being set up by Serb forces.”

“People watched television and saw the streams of Albanian refugees,” wrote Gerald Flurry at the time. “Then they totally blamed the Serbs. Most knew very little about Kosovo, yet spoke of ‘genocide’—the deliberate and systematic destruction of a race. Then came talk about ‘concentration camps.’ Genocide and concentration camps—words introduced by the German defense minister” (The Rising Beast).

Are Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic’s supposed atrocities against Albanians the real reason America and nato bombed Belgrade into submission? During the 1990s, actual genocides were occurring in Rwanda and Sierra Leone—not to mention the slaughter of Serbs by Croatians and the Kosovo Albanians themselves—and the Clinton government did little to intervene. Why was America prepared to bomb Serbia into submission, but not the evil forces killing hundreds of thousands of innocent victims in Rwanda or Sierra Leone? Because America was pressured into bombing Serbia! Germany and Europe convinced all of nato to fight for their Balkan cause!

From the very beginning, Germany and Europe have been determined to conquer the Balkans, be it by force or in a web of diplomatic maneuvers.

In 2003, EU Commission President Romano Prodi promised that all Balkan countries—if they danced to the EU’s tune of course—could “become members of the EU one day.” While they might not necessarily become members on the same day, and each would have to follow its own course, he said, nonetheless, “in the long run, [the] Balkans belong strictly to the EU” (EUobserver, Jan. 10, 2003).

This is why Germany wanted Serbia, its historical enemy and counterweight in the region, destroyed by nato. Germany and Europe believe the Balkans belong “strictly to the EU.” Without the pesky Slobodan Milosevic around to interrupt their plans, Germany and Europe could more easily conquer the Balkans!

Any in-depth analysis of the events unfolding in Kosovo must account for this history.

The International Herald Tribune reported yesterday on a plan concocted by Slovenia (which will likely be holding the EU presidency when Kosovo declares its independence) by which the European Union will embrace Kosovo when it declares statehood. Europe is prepping itself for action in Kosovo.

The Tribune quoted one diplomat who said that if violence breaks out in Kosovo, Europe’s response must be “fast and decisive because the EU is showing it’s boss in its own courtyard. We want to show we don’t need Washington or Moscow to tell us what to do.”

Considering the history we just covered, against whom do you think Germany and Europe will take action?

On Monday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported that Wolfgang Ischinger, the German diplomat representing the EU in the group of three international mediators (Russia, the United States and the EU) at the talks that were held between Serbia and Kosovar Albanians, told Radio Berlin Brandenburg that the EU would soon be in agreement on the Kosovo issue.

Ischinger’s interpretation of what Kosovo’s independence will look like was intriguing. “It will be a state entity,” he said, “which will continue to be under broad international observation. The nato troops will continue to be deployed there. A further international presence of the UN and, consequently, of EU, will be ensured.”

Germany and Europe are making plans to cement their control of Kosovo via the UN and nato!

In 1991, both Germany and Europe as a whole were significantly weaker, less unified and less defined than they are today. Germany was a newly united, largely inward-focused state in the early stages of resurrecting itself as the leader of Europe and on the global scene. Europe was even more amorphous than it appears today.

But this seemingly innocuous appearance didn’t stop a major newspaper from ringing alarm bells when Germany boldly announced it would support Croatia and Slovenia in their quest for independence, a decision that many knew would set a dangerous precedent and likely cause Yugoslavia’s dissolution. At that time, even a mainstream news source analyzed the breakdown of Yugoslavia in the context of German ambition in the Balkans!

Today, we don’t see any such analysis in the news media. Germany and the EU are widely embraced as legitimate and influential global powers with a formidable economic, military and geopolitical imprint. Europe, with Germany at its vanguard, has become a respected and increasingly powerful geopolitical force motivated by lofty ambitions of becoming a united superpower.

Still, the mainstream media today refuse to analyze the Balkans in the context of what’s happening in Germany and Europe, and of Germany’s history with the region. This is the most dangerous and ominous angle of the story, and the most underreported one!

This may get real ugly real fast. If Russia backs down, they’ll look weak. If Serbia attacks Kosovo, will the Russians send in aid and army units to back them up? Will the EU or NATO have enough nerve to stand up against them? Will the Muslim world start funneling “freedom fighters” into Kosovo by the plane loads? Will the US sit idly by and twiddle their thumbs because an election year is happening? Many questions and few answers. Maybe Hillary or Obama has a “plan”..............

Finally someone who knows his history and tells it like it is even though most people don’t want to hear it. They need to.

It doesn’t matter what the Germans do to the long hated Serbs. Germany will be filled with Turks and the old Reich-stag will be converted into a Mosque. Then, Germans will no longer be leaders of anything.

Just wait until they take Turkey into the EU. You will not recognize Germany or France.

The Europeans think that erasing boarders will be the way to peace. They think that the nation state is an obsolete concept.

However, their brains have been so secularized that they failed to take into account that other kinds of people will not play by their rules because their religions forbids them to do so.

Germany will again set the world up for another major war because they need power and control yet again.
Germany should have been made into dust and dissolved as a nation just as they did to the Serbs for far less.

Serbia didn’t invade anyone nor did they murder MILLIONS like Germany has on two occasions in the last 100 years.

Actually it is Germany and France that decided to help destroy Yugoslavia. Both nations dominated the EU and planned to keep it that way. Sooner or later the former Soveiet bloc will enter the EU. Yugoslavia will be no different, except she is a maverick nation that will not let the French or Germany dominate her in the EU. Yugoslavia is large enough, has the population and resources to rival France and Germany. Taking advantage of the political/ethnic discord after Tito’s death and the Serbian brutal tacktics that were PR diseasters, the EU encouraged the fragmentation of Yugoslavia. When the war got alittle bit too much for weak NATO they pressured the US to provide the heavy lifting. Clinton resisted by in the end the MSM (encouraged and fed with video from her ultra liberal pro EU media cousins) provided enough pressure and Clinton relented.

Nonsense, Germany was first to act in the dissolution of Yugoslavia not France.

“Serbian brutal tactics” What brutal tactics? What war isn’t brutal? Where the Nazis less brutal when they ground the Serbs, Jews and Roma in Jasenovac? Also, the number have been so exagerated that it’s a joke these days. It when from 200 thousand to 2,000 accouring to AP. That’s all sides.

You forget that many Serbs are still alive who have witnessed the Nazi Croatian and Muslim atrocities that have been committed against them and nobody took that into account when the same Nazi alliances where made 60 years later. I’d like to see Germany go to Israel as peace keeper.

Nazi Pavelic along with many Nazis enjoyed their freedom in Argentina until Croatia was Nazi enough again during the war against the Serbs to welcome them back to Croatia and start naming streets after them. Please.

Ethnic cleansing was actually used by the Albanians against the minority Serbs in Kosovo and it was the unknown governor Milosevic that stopped it. His tough no nonsense style made him the leader of Yugoslavia. Unfortunately his method of dealing with the Bosnians was not acceptable to the world media and he got demonized for it. No much reporting was done on Croatian massacres of Bosnians, the the ethnic fighting/atrocities committed by all sides. The tough tactics may give the Serbs gains on the ground, but it cost them world PR because the Germans and French were willing to use it against Serbia during the Kosovo timeframe and ultimately pressured the US into the war. Please do not confuse the atrocities during the Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian fighting with the Kosovar exagerations. Personally I think NATO should be a defensive alliance and not one that interfers itself in tragic civil wars of other nations. Now look at what came out of the Kosovo war - accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy which up to today cannot be explained to China which worsen relations, and pissing off Russia. During the Cold War, great effort was made to split the Chinese form the Soviet Union, and yet in one Balkan War, the US manage to re unite Russia with Communist China.

“Ethnic cleansing was actually used by the Albanians against the minority Serbs in Kosovo and it was the unknown governor Milosevic that stopped it.” Let’s face it, this was about the big powers imposing their will on the balkans. It was also used by the Croatians with the help of NATO for the Serbs in Krajina, but nothing was reported because Croatia was an old German friend and Germany planned this for a very long time.

“Unfortunately his method of dealing with the Bosnians was not acceptable to the world media and he got demonized for it.” BS, he was guilty before the war ever started they just needed a scapegoat.

“Ethnic fighting/atrocities committed by all sides”. Exactly, ALL sides, Including NATO.

“The tough tactics may give the Serbs gains on the ground, but it cost them world PR because the Germans and French were willing to use it against Serbia during the Kosovo timeframe and ultimately pressured the US into the war.” You are way off. the US was already in the war during Oluja. They bombed Serb communications. Also, tough tactics is a bunch of BS. What are you supposed to do in war? Make things fair so your enemy can have an even starting point? You know nothing about war. Do you think Lincoln was restraining the Union Army to be fair to the Confederate Army? By the way, with Lincoln sending thousands of young men to their death do you think Lincoln was a killer for fighting to save the union?

“Please do not confuse the atrocities during the Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian fighting with the Kosovar exagerations.” I didn’t.

“Personally I think NATO should be a defensive alliance” Well, guess what? It’s not.

“Now look at what came out of the Kosovo war - accidental bombing of the Chinese embassy which up to today cannot be explained to China which worsen relations”, Ah ha.....

“During the Cold War, great effort was made to split the Chinese form the Soviet Union, and yet in one Balkan War, the US manage to re unite Russia with Communist China.” That I agree with.

During Lincoln’s time, the tactics used were accepted by every major power in the world. Fast foward into the 21st Century, Lincoln’s tactics would have brought world condemnation. That is a fact in the 21st Century. The only way Serbia can oversome that is be a large world power where everyone cannot coerce her into stopping. Unfortunately Serbia is a small country and ignoring world opinion ultimately created the PR pressure for the US to enter the war and defeat Serbia.

It was the Germans who persuaded the Russians to stab their Serb "brothers" in the back.

Schröder on Kosovo: "The Goal Was Exclusively Humanitarian" - "It was to the great credit of the German foreign ministry that it finally persuaded a hesitant Russia that it was in its own interest to withdraw its support for Belgrade."

Now Schroeder works for the Russian government's nationalized natural gas monopoly. Anybody who thinks the Russians will stick up for Serbia is a fool.

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