Western policy in Kosovo attacked

guardian.co.uk ^ | Friday April 23, 2004 | Ian Traynor

[Destro]

Western policy in Kosovo attacked

Ian Traynor in Zagreb

Friday April 23, 2004

The Guardian

Kosovo is in danger of becoming Europe's West Bank, a destabilising source of unrest in the Balkans, because of five years of flawed and failed western policy-making and peacekeeping, the International Crisis Group thinktank said yesterday.

It called for an overhaul of western policy in response to last month's ethnic riots which killed 19 and injured 900.

Its 50-page study of the sudden Albanian offensive against the dwindling Serbian minority strongly criticised the Kosovo Albanian leadership and the Serbian government in Belgrade. But it said the UN administration should be scrapped and re-formed with a new mandate and mission.

In three days of rioting more than 50,000 Albanians drove 4,500 Serbs from their homes. The report said the Nato-led peacekeeping force, Kfor, responded badly.

Italian troops garrisoned next to a Serbian enclave stood by; the reaction of French troops responsible for another enclave, Mitrovica, where the violence erupted, was even worse.

At one point the French commander ordered the UN civilian administrators and police units out of their offices in the town, saying: "Leave the building. Burn it down. Destroy the computers."

The report said: "Kfor stood revealed as a paper tiger, and will have difficulty redressing its credibility deficit. [It] did a creditable humanitarian job, but a terrible military one."

It was "defeated" in all but one of the 33 riot locations, the report said.

The UN mission, led by the former Finnish prime minister Harri Holkeri, was no longer an efficient or a stabilising factor, it added.

· US and Nato officials called yesterday for the prosecution of those responsible for the riots, after meeting officials in Belgrade and the Kosovan capital, Pristina.

Vuk Draskovic, the foreign minister of Serbia-Montenegro, told them he hoped they would help the beleaguered Serbs, just as they had helped the Kosovo Albanians in 1999.

[Destro]

KFOR is a subcommand of NATO not the UN.

NATO troops out, Serb troops in, Christians protected.

[Destro]

bump

[thoughtomator]

Serb troops in makes a war certain. The Muslims will not hold back as long as they have means and targets.

[Destro]

War? Albanians terrorists would be wiped out in ten days like they were the last time before NATO came to the rescue of their favorite al-Qaeda terrorist cell, the KLA.

[DTA]

>>>>>It was "defeated" in all but one of the 33 riot locations, the report said. <<<<<

That one was Ceglavica where American KFOR saved more than 1000 Serbs from lynching

[MadelineZapeezda]

bttt

[Dragonfly]

Belgrade says UN withholding report on Kosovo drownings | 19:06 | B92

BELGRADE/PRISTINA -- Saturday – Belgrade’s Kosovo envoy has accused United Nations officials in Kosovo of withholding publication of a report clearing Serbs of responsibility for the deaths of three Albanian children on the eve of last month’s wave of violence in the province.

“The report has been prepared, concealed from the public and had an embargo placed on it,” Nebojsa Covic told B92. “That report contains exactly what happened and clearly states that it had nothing to do with Serbs and that police or soldiers, not Serbs, were in contact with the children,” said the head of the Coordination Centre for Kosovo.

Violent clashes broke out in the north Kosovo town of Mitrovica on March 17 after Albanian-language media reports claimed the boys had drowned in the nearby Ibar river after being chased by Serb youths. The OSCE has since accused Kosovo media of whipping up ethnic tensions in the province during the attacks on Serbs and their property.

A UN police spokesman dismissed Covic’s remarks. “The report into the drowning of the children is ongoing, and at this moment we cannot make statements on it. When it’s completed we’ll release the results,” said Neeraj Singh.

[FormerLib]

NATO troops out, Serb troops in, Christians protected.

It is the only way that peace can prevail.

[captain albala]

I don't think it would be good if NATO pulls out completely. We need NATO in Kosovo no matter what anybody says. It is true, however, that American KFOR did the best job, but it's the effect of soldier professionalism. Damn, we have european armies where marches are being canceled if it's raining! So, what we realy need is NATO controlled return of serbian troops in serbian ghettos, to be more precise in areas populated by serbs prior june 1999, in full accord with UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Albanians must not be rewarded for their ethnic cleansing. Today they burned down church of St. Catherine in Central Kosovo! So, after serbian troops return in serbian enclaves, serbian refugees should come back. NATO and KFOR and UN should restrain albanians from attacking serbian police and refugees. They know how and they could do it if they only want. That should be the basis for further negotiatiations between albanian comunity and Belgrade.
US would act in accord with UN SC res. , albanians would be punished by the mere fact that serbian refugees are coming back to their homes, and NATO presence, led by US, would be desperately needed in future, so both albanians and serbs would feel secure for their lives and property. So peaceful talks could follow up.

Critics welcome! :-)

p.s. Doesn't this "drowning report" story sound like UN report that somehow got "lost" on Markale (I think 1st Markale) bomb explosion, when serbs were held responsible?
Also, it was never proven serbs were responsible for Vasa Miskin street bomb massacre, not 2nd markale. I was standing in the place where granade hit the Vasa Miskin street. It looks very suspicious. High buildings on both sides and narrow street between buildings. How come granade didn't hit the wall of the building? Strange things happen, people! But the most absurd in "kids drowning story" is that "serbs chased albanian kids". Like serbs are free to move out from their ghettos to take a walk, or go to jogging , my God! :-)))

[FormerLib]

Actually, having NATO & Russian troops on the group as the Serb army reoccupies their province would go a long way towards dispelling the misinformation that was spread by the Clinton/Halfbright gang.

But eventually, NATO will be gone and the Serbs will defend Kosovo.

[ma bell]

I was at the place in Tuzla where the most precise in all of history, the mortar was dropped inside the market... impossible!

[captain albala]

just to correct your lapsus calami, it wasn't tuzla, it was sarajevo market incident (twice :-) and it was , at least, very, very suspicious. I remember BSA general Gvero offering to stand still on the place where serbian granade fell, so secure was he that it wasn't possible it was serbian granade. Israeli news papers said that it was very much like "Hisballah" work. static explosive device, placed about o.8 meters from the ground. that's why most of the victims were wounded below their stomach, and roofs of market tables stood still after... few details :-)

[ma bell]

There was another incidence up in Tuzla later in the war that garnered international attention, is what I am referring to.

[captain albala]

Could you just tell me a year of Tuzla granade incident?

[Nennsy]

Can you believe what this guy said? I had to introduce you to this.

Interview with Adem Demaçi (Politika)
British Minister for Europe Dennis MacShane has visited Pristina and official Belgrade, following which he requested Rugova to apologize to the Serb people for the events of 17 March. Do you think Rugova will do so?

“The people lost trust not only in Rugova, but also in all political representatives who are only marionettes in the hands of the West. But, such an event in Kosovo could not surprise either the Albanian people or me. Anyways, Rugova does things the way West tells him to do, and this had been demonstrated in his conducting of Kosovo and Metohija over the past three years.”

What of the return of 250,000 Serbs displaced since June 1999?

“Who told you that there had been so many Serbs in Kosovo? According to the census of 1991, and which is official data, there were 194,000 Serbs here. The return will be only possible, I repeat, once independence is proclaimed. The Albanian people will view everything else as once again an occupation by Serbia.”

Does the return of people to their homes mean occupation?!

“That is how the Albanian people see that. They are even convinced that this would be a reoccupation of the Serbian system and the return of the Milosevic regime.”

The international community is increasingly more taking the stand that the decentralization issue should be launched.

“That is out of the question. First independence, and only then the issue you mention. Haven’t we already given too much to the people who live in Serb enclaves. They have become so arrogant and strong that they even embarked upon a blockade of roads… I will say once again – first an independent Kosovo, and only then the possible stories on that topic. Can Serbia waste any more time at all, waste money on those Serb regions to whom Albanians gave all the rights.”

How do you see UNSCR 1244, which the Albanians, obviously, violate?

“Both UNSCR 1244 and the Constitutional Framework are only a “dead word on paper.” It turned out anyway, as in Rambouillet, that foreigners are “maneuvering” with UNSCR 1244,” Kosovo analyst Adem Demaçi told Politika.

[Nennsy]

Can you believe what this guy said? I had to introduce you to this.

Interview with Adem Demaçi (Politika)
British Minister for Europe Dennis MacShane has visited Pristina and official Belgrade, following which he requested Rugova to apologize to the Serb people for the events of 17 March. Do you think Rugova will do so?

“The people lost trust not only in Rugova, but also in all political representatives who are only marionettes in the hands of the West. But, such an event in Kosovo could not surprise either the Albanian people or me. Anyways, Rugova does things the way West tells him to do, and this had been demonstrated in his conducting of Kosovo and Metohija over the past three years.”

What of the return of 250,000 Serbs displaced since June 1999?

“Who told you that there had been so many Serbs in Kosovo? According to the census of 1991, and which is official data, there were 194,000 Serbs here. The return will be only possible, I repeat, once independence is proclaimed. The Albanian people will view everything else as once again an occupation by Serbia.”

Does the return of people to their homes mean occupation?!

“That is how the Albanian people see that. They are even convinced that this would be a reoccupation of the Serbian system and the return of the Milosevic regime.”

The international community is increasingly more taking the stand that the decentralization issue should be launched.

“That is out of the question. First independence, and only then the issue you mention. Haven’t we already given too much to the people who live in Serb enclaves. They have become so arrogant and strong that they even embarked upon a blockade of roads… I will say once again – first an independent Kosovo, and only then the possible stories on that topic. Can Serbia waste any more time at all, waste money on those Serb regions to whom Albanians gave all the rights.”

How do you see UNSCR 1244, which the Albanians, obviously, violate?

“Both UNSCR 1244 and the Constitutional Framework are only a “dead word on paper.” It turned out anyway, as in Rambouillet, that foreigners are “maneuvering” with UNSCR 1244,” Kosovo analyst Adem Demaçi told Politika.

[FormerLib]

Can I believe it? Well, I certainly believe he said it...but we all know that this cannot stand.

How many Serb refugees/survivors of the ethnic cleansing that swept the Krajina had taken up residence in Kosovo? How many Kosovo Serbs had been driven from their homes by the ongoing terrorist activities of the KLA, dating back into the early eighties? I doubt he's even considering them.

But I bet he'll count every 2 illegal Albanian immigrants as 3 valid citizens for his "census."

Peace will only come with the return of the Serb army. The threats of violence from the KLA should be given all the respect that our Marines are currently giving to the terrorists and thugs of Fallujah.

[Nennsy]

This is what they talk about every single day. Even if I live in Kosovo, I stil get shocked when I hear that returning to your house is an occupation??!!! How sick is that?

[captain albala]

This is why Serbs were having hard times make peace with Albanians. It was never about what is realy going on, it was always what Albanians thought it was going on. So, no matter you have your albanian university, academy of science, higher living standard then in your own country, freedom of speech, freedom to ellect, and be ellected, no matter anything, if Albanian PERCEPTION is different, you're opressing them. Look at this scumbag saying...

Q:Does the return of people to their homes mean occupation?!

A.D: “That is how the Albanian people see that. They are even convinced that this would be a reoccupation of the Serbian system and the return of the Milosevic regime.”
----
Q:The international community is increasingly more taking the stand that the decentralization issue should be launched.

A.D: “That is out of the question. First independence, and only then the issue you mention. Haven’t we already given too much to the people who live in Serb enclaves..."

And when it was about Kosovo becoming republic and all that, they were screaming like mad Milosevic is opressing them. So, Milosevic didn't give them republic of their own, which made him opressor, but now Albanians say Serbs already have "too much" in their enclaves! What is it? They (what left from them) don't even have freedom of movement!

What we need is fulfilment of UN SC 1244 res. and stronger NATO presence, but also the hague indictments against Cheku, Haradinai, Tachi, and I even see Naim Behljulji there, famous serb heads holder.

[gershwin]

unbearable