Informazione
I. Comment by Jared Israel
II. Transcript of Ibrahim Rugova's News Conference in Albania after Meeting with Italian Leaders and Pope (BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 15, 1993)
III. News Service Report: Rugova Discusses Kosovo Issues with Italian Leaders and Pope (BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 15, 1993)
IV. Phony Kosovo 'Independence' (by Jared Israel - Feb. 29, 2008)
In 1993, the Pope Openly Embraced Kosovo Secession
I. Comment by Jared Israel
II. Transcript of Ibrahim Rugova's News Conference in Albania after Meeting with Italian Leaders and Pope
III. News Service Report: Rugova Discusses Kosovo Issues with Italian Leaders and Pope
[Feb. 26, 2008]
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I. Comment by Jared Israel
The two media reports below refer to Ibrahim Rugova as "President of the Republic of Kosovo," when in fact: a) no such republic existed; b) Kosovo was a province of the Republic of Serbia and c) Rugova was not any kind of government official, let alone a president. Rather, he was the leader of a faction, supported and sponsored by outside powers, which faction had already played a key role in launching the attack on Yugoslavia, and which was now boycotting all official Kosovo institutions as part of a strategy of creating a crisis to justify outside intervention against the Republic of Serbia.
For the pope to give this man a medal and what is described below as an "official" reception, as if Rugova were a head of state, supports my charge that the vatican was one of the 'outside powers' promoting the destruction of Yugoslavia. In promoting Rugova, the vatican compounded the felony of its previous open leadership of and public support for the Croatian secessionists. This was nation wrecking on a grand scale, in grand violation of the Helsinki Final Act.
In a parallel development, even as the pope was awarding Rugova a medal for his contribution to the ongoing destruction of Yugoslavia, the vatican was applying maximum pressure on Israel to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization as a 'peace partner.' And a year after the pope embraced Mr. Rugova, the PLO was invited to open a special office in the vatican. So much for the vatican's much vaunted disinterest in earthly affairs.
(Regarding vatican manipulation of the Arab-Israel dispute, see "How the Vatican Legitimized the PLO and Coerced Israel to Recognize it," The Emperor's New Clothes, July 17, 2006, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/vatican/pressure.htm )
- Jared Israel
Emperor's Clothes
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II. Transcript of Ibrahim Rugova's News Conference in Albania after Meeting with Italian Leaders and the Pope
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 15, 1993, Monday, Part 2 Eastern Europe; C.1 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT; OTHER REPORTS ON FEDERAL AFFAIRS; EE/1637/C1; , 1532 words, (c) Albanian Radio, Tirana 1830 gmt 12 Mar 93
Text of recording of news conference by Rugova in Tirana on 12th March
[Announcer] President of the Republic of Kosovo Dr Ibrahim Rugova ended his visit in Italy. On his way back to Pristina, he made a short stopover in Tirana. On this occasion, Dr Rugova held a news conference at Rinas Airport with reporters of radio television, ATA and other press organisations, which you will hear now:
[Reporter] Mr President, will you give us a short summary of your recent activity concerning the main problems occurring in Kosovo?
[Rugova] We all know that the situation in Kosovo is very difficult, serious and dangerous. I recently paid a visit to Italy. It was a very successful visit. These are the first contacts at the highest level established between Kosovo and Italy. What was most important during my whole visit was the meeting with the Holy Father Pope John Paul II. The environment was official and special. Of course, I held other meetings with Italian Prime Minister Amato, Foreign Minister Emilio Colombo and the chairman of the foreign policy commission of the Italian Parliament Antonio Carrillo. In all the talks with the Italian officials, we discussed the question of establishing co-operation between Kosovo and Italy. We presented our demands that UN troops be stationed in Kosovo and investigate the possibility of establishing a protectorate over Kosovo. Another topic was the question of humanitarian aid at these moments. It is important that humanitarian aid enter Kosovo legally, because so far nothing is allowed to enter Kosovo legally. I can say that the Italian side supports Kosovo on many topics. It is particularly interested in preventing a conflict in Kosovo and will do its utmost to see that the Kosovo question is presented at an international level, that is, in the European and international institutions. I can say that Italy is among the first EC countries that has given an opportunity to Kosovo and to me to meet the prime minister of an EC country, Mr Amato. I am saying once again and I want to particularly stress the reception provided to me by the Holy Father. We talked about many topics involving Kosovo and the Albanian question. He showed understanding about the Kosovo issue and the Albanian question. We also talked about the visit that the Holy Father will soon make to Albania. Many Kosovars and Kosovo representatives will participate in this. Thank you.
[Reporter] Mr President, we are talking about your visit and the talks you held with the Holy Father. As we have been informed, the Holy Father is particularly interested in the harmony among religions in Albania. Especially in this situation of the democratic processes, is the motto of the Renaissance leaders that the religion of an Albanian is Albanian nationalism still necessary, and is it guidance for the Albanians?
[Rugova] Of course, this is true. We talked about the religious question of Albanians. It is clear that the Albanians have religious tendencies and have a great harmony and tolerance that is historically inherited. We should further cultivate this at these moments when religion is again free in Albania after a very long time. In Kosovo, this is being developed in a more gradual way. On this occasion, the contribution by the justice and peace French association of Catholics called (?Friday) that visited Kosovo some time ago should also be stressed. They assessed the relations between two Albanian religions, the Muslims and the Catholics, as being at the highest level, stressing, as you mentioned our Renaissance leaders, that we are brothers of the same flesh and blood and should allow a great tolerance and not induce tensions that have never separated but only united the Albanians.
[Reporter] Excuse me, as we are speaking about your talks with the Pope, can you tell us what was the Pope's message concerning the question of the Kosovo people and the Albanians living in their ethnic territories in former Yugoslavia, and especially on the conflict that is possible to spread there?
[Rugova] The Holy Father himself is interested in preventing something bad from happening in Kosovo. His message was that the question of Kosovo and other Albanian territories will be supported. Of course, the Holy Father has a great deal of knowledge about Albanians.
[Reporter] What is your opinion about the new initiative by Mitterrand?
[Rugova] It seems that it is a question that all efforts should be made to achieve something, perhaps through talks or something else. The last diplomatic talks that are being held will perhaps give hope to this. [Reporter] Do you have any hope? [Rugova] All means should be attempted for a solution.
[Reporter] Your visit to Italy immediately followed your meetings in France and the United States. In the United States you revealed for the first time a 10-point plan for a perfect solution to the Kosovo question. Do you think that this official tour of yours as head of state has given new dimensions to the question of Kosovo at an international level?
[Rugova] Of course, the question of Kosovo has been raised to a higher level, and with this visit and other contacts I hope that many of our demands will be examined and specific steps will be taken in Kosovo.
[Reporter] You participated in the conference held at the Carter Centre in Atlanta, Georgia. Was the Kosovo issue treated as a national question or as a human rights issue?
[Rugova] Considering the many crises in the world today, [words indistinct] of the crisis were discussed in Atlanta, including here in Kosovo and Macedonia. In a special session, the Kosovo question was examined as a national, official and human rights question, all of these together. It is important that this question was discussed at the level of the Carter Centre, which is among the most internationally well-known institutions of this kind.
[Reporter] Can you tell us what the present stance of Italy on Kosovo is after the talks you held with Italian Prime Minister Amato?
[Rugova] If you want me to say it concisely, it is positive. It is true that in Italy we had some contacts at other levels. Of course, the further integration of Albania into the international scene and the good relations that have been established between Albania and Italy have helped create a better understanding for the question of Kosovo.
[Reporter] I have another question. Will the Arbereshi [Albanians living in Calabria, Italy] element living there, making up a relative majority of the people, help the question of Kosovo to be well and fairly understood by the Italian political circles themselves?
[Rugova] This element can help even more. The Arbereshi people have contributed for many years, since 1981, on the question of Kosovo through their channels, people and rallies. Kosovo and Albania should better consider this aspect, to organise the Arbereshi people and further involve the well-known Arbereshi people who are living in Rome and elsewhere in Italy.
[Reporter] Did you talk in Italy about the problem of the deployment of UN and NATO peace-keeping forces in Kosovo to prevent the conflict, and what is the Italian position on this?
[Rugova] We talked about this question, and I hope that it will soon be examined.
[Reporter] How do you consider the pledge of the Albanian diplomacy on this?
[Rugova] Fortunately, I have repeated this several times, and I am saying it again now that the Albanian diplomacy is the new Albanian diplomacy that is closely involved in this. Of course, it is studying all opportunities it has at its disposal on the Kosovo question even through its own representatives. They are giving us Kosovars chances to have contacts in the world. It is important that among the first to be involved, Albania, as a state, has the right to establish and present this question as it is at the highest levels of the European institutions. We are never satisfied or rather self-satisfied with what we are doing. We will do more [words indistinct].
[Reporter] At the moment you came here, a part of the Albanian opposition represented in the parliament requested by a motion that the government present its resignation. How do you assess this?
[Rugova] Honestly, I think that we should give a government created some time ago a chance to function. So far it has proved itself as a government that has made good steps. The assessments by the competent international institutions are positive. If we want to become accustomed to a non-realistic life, with many parties and parliament, the people may ask the government to resign, but this should be done with strong reason. It is necessary that a pure opposition should understand the important moments for the nation and state at a certain time. That is why I appeal that every opposition should operate through reasonable arguments. Of course, at these important moments we often talk without arguments on the national question and other issues, but we should always work specifically, as the national question is very specific, and in certain situations we should maintain reasonable attitudes, that is, reasonable solutions.
(C) 1993 BBC * Posted for Fair Use Only
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III. Rugova Discusses Kosovo Issues With Italian Leaders And Pope
BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, March 15, 1993, Monday, Part 2 Eastern Europe; C.1 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT; OTHER REPORTS ON FEDERAL AFFAIRS; EE/1637/C1; , 282 words, (a) Albanian Telegraph Agency in English 0923 gmt 13 Mar 93
Text of report datelined Tirana, 13th March
President [sic! - should be: racist, secessionist leader - J.I.] Rugova met with Pope John Paul II, who concerned himself in [sic] Kosovo and the Albanians. His Holiness also spoke of his coming visit to Albania. He gave Dr Rugova a medal, whereas the latter presented His Holiness with a memorial on the Albanian question.
After the meeting, Dr Rugova stated that Pope John Paul II was well informed of the situation in Kosovo and the Albanian question.
In the context of his visit to Italy, Mr Rugova met in Rome with the Premier of Italy Amato. In their cordial conversation they expressed understanding on Kosovo's question and devoted special attention to preventing the conflict extend to Kosovo [sic! should be ‘expanding in Kosovo’ – J.I.]. Dr Rugova demanded from the Italian Premier the international community's intervention and Italy's support to install peace-keeping forces in Kosovo as the first step to stabilise the situation and begin solving the question of Kosovo. Dr Rugova pointed to the grave social problems in Kosovo and demanded humanitarian aid from the Italian Government. Premier Amato said that his government will make greater efforts to internationalise Kosovo's question and send humanitarian aid to Kosovo.
In the Italian Parliament, President Rugova met with Antonio Carrillo, chairman of the Italian Parliament's foreign policy commission. In this meeting they discussed the situation in the Balkan region and the situation in Kosovo due to the Serbia's policy of aggression. Dr Rugova presented his 10-point peaceful plan for solving the question of Kosovo and demanded understanding and aid from the Italian Parliament. Mr Carrillo expressed readiness to better engage in solving the problem of Kosovo.
(C) 1993 BBC * Posted for Fair Use Only
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IV.
Phony Kosovo 'Independence'
by Jared Israel
(A shorter version of this article was posted on Feb. 26, 2008 on Arutz Sheva)
[Feb. 29, 2008]
[Note: For mailing purposes we have not used diacritics (accents) for Serbian and Albanian names. For a list of affected words, with explanations, see footnote [12]. This article is posted with diacritics at http://tenc.net/phony.htm ]
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We are inundated with misinformation about Kosovo 'independence.' Case in point: "Kosovo Declares its Independence from Serbia," in the February 18th New York Times. [1] It should have a warning label: 'This article is harmful to the truth.'
The Times says Kosovo Albanians had "a long and bloody struggle for national self-determination," suggesting a people distinct from Albanians in Albania, acting independently. But the Times also describes Kosovo Albanians celebrating by waving not 'Kosovar,' but U.S. and Albanian flags:
"The distinctive two-headed eagle of the red and black Albanian flag, reviled by Serbs, was everywhere Sunday, held by revelers, draped on horses, flapping out of car windows and hanging outside homes and storefronts across the territory."
-- See footnote [1]
This supports the charge that 'independence' is part of a U.S. (and German and Vatican) strategy of absorbing Serbia's province of Kosovo into a Greater Albania that previously existed only under WWII Axis patronage. [2]
The Times says the Kosovo declaration of so-called independence is a response to a history of abuse of Kosovo Albanians, for example suppression of the Albanian language, by the Serbs. According to the Times:
"In the 1980s, Mr. Milosevic used Serbs' enormous sense of grievance that their ancestral heartland was now dominated by Muslim Albanians to come to power in Serbia."
-- See footnote [1]
So, according to the Times, Serbs were stirred by nationalism compounded by religious jealousy.
This is wrong on two counts. First, Kosovo's constitutional status was changed in 1989 as part of an effort to curb long-ignored anti-Serb violence and fascist-led political separatism, not cultural autonomy. There was no repression of the Albanian language. [3]
Second, regarding Islam, I have posted thirteen articles on Kosovo that the New York Times published between 1981 and 1987, describing problems leading up to the 1989 constitutional change. [4]
Searching these articles one finds no mention of Serbs being upset because their "ancestral heartland was now dominated by Muslim Albanians." Indeed, one can find no mention at all of the words 'Muslim' or 'Islam.' [5] But one does find the relevant use of words such as 'rape' five times; 'murder' thrice; 'vandalize' once; 'mutilate' once, 'kill' twice; 'attack' on people or property five times; 'knifed' once; 'burn' twice; 'damage' five times; 'poison' twice; "splashed gasoline in the face" once; and 'harass' once, concerning Serbs who "have been harassed by Albanians and have packed up and left the region." In every case the Times was reporting terror by secessionist-organized Albanians against Serbs.
'Drive' appears three times, concerning not cars but Serbian fears that Albanian fascists were trying to drive them out of Kosovo. Now what could have made the Serbs think that?
The ugly term "ethnically clean" first appears in a 1982 New York Times article describing not some Serbian repression of Albanians, but the Albanian secessionist program of eliminating Serbs from Kosovo in order:
"to establish what they call an ethnically clean Albanian republic and then the merger with Albania to form a greater Albania." [6]
In modifying Kosovo autonomy in 1989, the Republic of Serbia was not repressing Islam; it was belatedly resisting a) racist violence against Serbs and b) an attempt to destroy Yugoslavia.
As for the secessionist apparatus, if, since the 1980s, it has been indoctrinating Albanians in hatred of Christianity and inciting violence on that basis, why has it left Catholic churches alone while destroying scores of Serbian Orthodox churches? Why has it never harassed Catholics as Catholics, while attacking anti-racist Albanians, whether Muslim, Catholic or atheist, just as it attacks Serbs?
[Excerpt from interview with Agim K. starts here]
[Note from Jared Israel: 'UCK' stands for Ushtria Clirimtare e Kosoves. In English: Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA - J.I.]
"The threats started again in July, I think. First only by telephone; later they began to come to our house, at night - four or five people usually, sometimes more, in UCK uniforms. They had guns, knives. First they wanted me to work for them; I am an engineer and they needed qualified people. They wanted me to make diversions on power stations and phone lines. I refused. Then they started to break in our house several times a week, to beat us up: me, my father. My mother and younger sisters had to watch them do it, at gun point. We had no more sleep at night. This was a thousand times worse than anything Serbs did, or didn't do, or could have done: our own people were torturing us because we wouldn't be cut-throats."
-- Agim K., an Albanian whose family fled Kosovo after refusing to assist in anti-Serb violence. [7]
[Excerpt from interview with Agim K. ends here]
If Kosovo is a battleground of Christianity vs. Islam, why in 1993 did Pope John Paul II - was he a Muslim? - give Kosovo Albanian secessionist leader Ibrahim Rugova an audience and a medal? [8] The pope's message was clear: the Vatican backed secession. This had a big effect on Catholic Europe, just like the pope's endorsement of Yasser Arafat. (The PLO got its own office in the Vatican in 1994!) [9] But it also politically strengthened the secessionists among Albanians, since everyone knows the pope spells power.
A related myth, generally pushed in the Western media, although not in this particular Times article, is that, motivated by mythical anti-Muslim hate, Serbs drove Albanians from Kosovo in 1999, thus provoking NATO bombing.
But a) Albanian flight began a week after the onset of NATO bombing, so how could it have caused it? And b) Albanian flight was staged by the NATO-controlled Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to mislead Western audiences; staged, as we shall see, through calculated terror. The Yugoslav army tried to organize Albanians to stay in Kosovo and fight the KLA, but the KLA strategy of terror prevailed, and so the pro-NATO media was able to broadcast TV images, falsely presented as Albanians fleeing Serbian violence.
In 1999 and 2000 my website interviewed Cedomir Prlincevic, president of the Jewish community and chief archivist in Pristina, capital of Kosovo province.
In the first interview, [10] Mr. Prlincevic described how, after the victory of NATO's 1999 bombing war against Yugoslavia, the KLA marched into Kosovo alongside KFOR. (KFOR stands for 'Kosovo Force,' NATO's name for its troops in Kosovo.)
KFOR watched and refused to intervene as the KLA attacked Yugoslav loyalists (Serb, Albanian, Roma, Jewish and Slavic Muslim) in Pristina. Mr. Prlincevic described how terrorists invaded the section of Pristina where he lived, killing some people and driving 30,000 from their homes, including Albanians loyal to Yugoslavia. Here is an excerpt:
[Excerpt from first Prlincevic interview starts here]
Jared Israel: Did you try to go to KFOR?
Cedomir Prlincevic: KFOR was in my house when they came there.
Israel: What?
Prlincevic: When the Albanians started to destroy apartments, someone called KFOR and a KFOR officer came inside the house; he was there with his squad. There was a whole bunch [of terrorists - J.I.] going up and down the stairs, a 24 hours pressure of people going up and down the stairs, banging, entering, demolishing. They break down the door and pour in tear gas in some places; and they were robbing -
Israel: Excuse me?
Prlincevic: Robbing, robbing.
Israel: Now, you said the KFOR men were there? Did they actually witness it?
Prlincevic: Yes.
Israel: What did they say?
Prlincevic: They didn't react at all. They didn't protect anybody.
Israel: For God's sake, what did they say?
Prlincevic: They said it is for the civil authorities to regulate the problem. They were only concerned with killings.
Israel: Who were the civil authorities?
Prlincevic: They were not formed yet. There were none.
Israel: How did you know whether you were going to get murdered when someone banged down the door? I guess after you were murdered, you would know?
Prlincevic: Yes. They were just there to draw up documents if you were murdered.
-- See footnote [10]
[Excerpt from first Prlincevic interview ends here]
Obviously, the KLA was a NATO proxy force whose job was to do the dirty work, following which Western officials could lament the understandable excesses of Albanian 'revenge.'
In the second interview, [11] Mr. Prlincevic explained that before NATO bombed Serbia in 1999, it reorganized the KLA - one of whose top leaders, Hashim Thaci, now heads the so-called 'Kosovo government' - under NATO command.
I asked Mr. Prlincevic whether ethnic Albanians in Pristina, an intellectual center, were pro-KLA when NATO bombed.
Here is his reply, shortened:
[Excerpt from second Prlincevic interview starts here]
Cedomir Prlincevic: Not at first, but later even in Pristina the Albanians were sucked into the secessionist camp. This could happen because of certain cultural traits, deeply rooted in their history. An example: my Albanian neighbor was a professor, very much integrated into Yugoslav life. Without warning he packed up and started to leave Kosovo. I said, "Why are you leaving, neighbor?" He said, "I have to." I said, "Why? We're safe here. Nobody's bothering you." And he said, "I was ordered to leave."
Jared Israel: Who ordered him to leave?
Prlincevic: The leader of his clan. [Note: Earlier in the interview, Mr. Prlincevic explained that Kosovo Albanian culture has clans with powerful leaders.]
Israel: Why?
Prlincevic: To prove obedience to the KLA. This was the KLA's national plan. All loyal Albanians were to leave during the bombing and go to Albania or Macedonia to show the world how terrible the Serbs were; this exodus was staged; it was a performance, Hollywood in Kosovo. What is Hollywood without actors? A large number of Albanians had to perform, had to actually leave Kosovo. This was not so different from what they had been doing for ten years, you see, pretending they had been locked out of the schools when actually it was an organized boycott, and so on.
Moreover, once they were in the refugee camps, the Albanians would be under the direct leadership of the KLA, which could intensively indoctrinate them.
Israel: But why would his clan leader agree to this crazy plan?
Prlincevic: You think it was crazy? This gets us to the heart of the matter. Between the attacks from the KLA on Albanians who cooperated with the Yugoslav government and the continuous bombing by NATO, especially of Albanians who disobeyed the KLA, the KLA had gotten their message across to the clan leaders. So now the clan leaders ordered their people to pack up and leave.
Israel: During the bombing, NATO said the Albanians were fleeing atrocities. Western opponents of NATO said they were fleeing the bombing. But you're saying we were wrong.
Prlincevic: The bombing isn't a sufficient explanation. If they were just fleeing bombs, why did they have to go to Albania and Macedonia? Why not inner Serbia?
But the bombing did play an important role. The KLA served as [plane] spotters; they could direct NATO [bombing raid] attacks against hostile Albanians [that is, who were resisting the KLA orders to leave or who were going to inner Serbia or returning home - JI] and this confirmed for the clan leaders that the KLA had serious power. It was psychological warfare, intended to reinforce the psychological crisis among Albanians, a crisis rooted in fear.
The KLA and NATO were telling Albanians: NATO supports the KLA. After NATO takes over, the KLA will be in charge and if you don't leave now you will be in big trouble later. There will be no safe refuge.
That's what I meant when I said you need to know something about Albanian culture in order to understand why Albanians left. You have to know about blood feud. One book has a great hold over Albanians. It's called the Canon of Leke Dukagjinii. It's a 15th-century text. It goes into great detail on how to carry out blood feuds, when and whom it is proper to kill. Rules and regulations.
This is an intensely tradition-oriented culture. Blood feud is a constant threat for Albanians. Thousands in Albania and Kosovo cannot leave their houses because they are being hunted. It is for this reason that Kosovo Albanian
houses are often built surrounded by high walls and with gun slits instead of windows.
By methodically killing those who refused to support them, the KLA was striking a deep fear among Albanians: the refusal of one clan member to obey could lead to revenge against his entire clan. And now the KLA had NATO bombers to enforce blood feud.
-- See footnote [11]
[Excerpt from second Prlincevic interview ends here]
My conclusion? The first target of Western-fostered Kosovo "independence" has been Albanians independent of racism.
-- Jared Israel
Editor, Emperor's Clothes
Footnotes
[1] "Kosovo Declares Its Independence From Serbia,"
by Dan Bilefsky, Warren Hoge, C. J. Chivers and Nicholas Kulish, The New York Times, February 18, 2008
[2] See, "The roots of Kosovo fascism," by George Thompson, The Emperor's New Clothes, February 19, 2000, at http://tenc.net/articles/thompson/rootsof.htm
[3] Regarding the change in Kosovo's constitutional status in 1989, see "The Other Side of the Story,"
by Dusan Vilic and Bosko Todorovic, The Emperor's New Clothes, February 16, 2002, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/book/other.htm#3 and http://emperors-clothes.com/book/other.htm#11
[4] See "Thirteen NY Times Articles on Kosovo, from 1981 to 1987," The Emperor's New Clothes, February 26, 2008, at http://emperors-clothes.com/a/13.htm
[5] As I stated, if one does a word search on the page where the New York Times articles are posted
http://emperors-clothes.com/a/13.htm
one will not find the words 'Muslim' or 'Islam.' The word 'Moslem' (spelled with an 'o' rather than a 'u') does appear once, but that is regarding a Muslim clan which was entrusted with protecting the Serbian Orthodox Patriarchate of Pec. See "Sacred Serbian Site Damaged By Blaze," by Marvine Howe, The New York Times, April 21, 1981, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/a/13.htm#2
If the Times has discovered that its reporting from 1981 to 1987 on Kosovo was wrong, let it say so and say why. By failing to refute its earlier reporting - indeed, by failing even to mention that at the time it attributed Kosovo's problems to systematic anti-Serb violence - the Times lends credibility to my charge that the 'Serbian religious jealousy' explanation was invented to provide a plausible reason for Serbs to have supposedly abused Albanians.
[6] See "Exodus of Serbians Stirs Province in Yugoslavia," by Marvine Howe, The New York Times, July 12, 1982, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/a/13.htm#7
The phrase "ethnically clean" appears in the article at
http://emperors-clothes.com/a/13.htm#clean
[7] "An Albanian Tragedy: A stranger in Belgrade. Interview with Agim K."
Interviewed by Tanya Djurovic, The Emperor's New Clothes, March 6, 2000, at
http://www.tenc.net/interviews/albanian.htm
[8] See "In 1993, the Pope Openly Embraced Kosovo Secession ," The Emperor's New Clothes, February 26, 2008, at http://emperors-clothes.com/medal.htm
[9] See "How the Vatican Legitimized the PLO and Coerced Israel to Recognize it," The Emperor's New Clothes, July 17, 2006, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/vatican/pressure.htm#VII
[10] "Driven from Kosovo!" Interview with Cedomir Prlincevic, Chief Archivist and leader of the Jewish Community in Pristina, capital of Kosovo province (Serbia).
Interviewed by Jared Israel and Nancy Gust, The Emperor's New Clothes, September 9, 1999, at
http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/prlincevic.htm
[11] "Why Albanians Fled Kosovo During the 1999 NATO Bombing - Interview with Cedomir Prlincevic," interviewed by Jared Israel, The Emperor's New Clothes, December 3, 2000, at http://emperors-clothes.com/interviews/keys.htm
[12] Serbo-Croatian and Albanian have diacritics (accent marks), which are not present in English, and which some email services cannot decipher.
In emailing this article we have therefore decided to remove all diacritics. The affected words are listed below, with explanations. (The present article is posted with diacritics at http://tenc.net/phony.htm )
- 'Cedomir' has a caron (an inverted circumflex accent mark, i.e., a wedge) on 'C'
- 'Clirimtare' has a cedilla (a hook sign) under 'C'
- 'Kosoves' is written with a diaeresis (a pair of dots) on 'e'
- 'Leke' has a diaeresis on the second 'e'
- 'Pec' has an acute accent on 'c'
- 'Pristina' has a caron on 's'
- 'Prlincevic' is written with a caron on the first 'c' and an acute accent on the second 'c'
- 'Thaci,' and 'UCK' have a cedilla under 'c'
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Further Reading
A partial collection of Emperor's Clothes articles on Kosovo is posted at http://emperors-clothes.com/yugo.htm
* * *
Please send this link to a friend. You may post any TENC article on the internet as long as you credit TENC and the author(s).
http://emperors-clothes.com/phony.htm
Washington gets a new colony in the Balkans
By Sara Flounders - Feb 21, 2008
http://www.workers.org/2008/world/kosovo_0228/
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/5923)
http://www.workers.org/2008/world/serbia_0306/ dal titolo “Washington gets a new colony in the Balkans”
Viene decisa da esplosivi movimenti di massa che creano sconvolgimenti dal basso in risposta a intollerabili condizioni e ad eventi che suscitano sdegno.
Il 24 febbraio, centinaia di persone si sono radunate davanti alla Casa Bianca per manifestare la loro opposizione all’ultima aggressione degli USA contro la Serbia. La manifestazione era stata organizzata da STOP alla Coalizione (STOP, Stop Terrorizing Orthodox Peoples, acronimo per Stop a Terrorizzare i Popoli Ortodossi). Importanti manifestazioni di protesta si sono tenute a Ginevra e a Zurigo, in Svizzera; a Vienna, Austria; ad Atene, Grecia; a Vicenza, Italia; a Montreal e a Toronto; a Cleveland e a Chicago. Altre dimostrazioni avverranno questa settimana, come la importantissima manifestazione del 2 marzo, dalle ore 2 alle ore 4 del pomeriggio, davanti alle Nazioni Unite.
Il 21 febbraio, una enorme ed infiammata dimostrazione, con una partecipazione stimata dal mezzo milione a ben oltre un milione di persone, a Belgrado, capitale della Serbia, ha cambiato i termini del dibattito sul Kosovo.
A seguito di questa colossale manifestazione in opposizione al furto da parte di Washington della provincia Serba del Kosovo, migliaia di persone hanno assediato l’Ambasciata USA di Belgrado e l’hanno incendiata. Sono state attaccate anche le Ambasciate di Gran Bretagna, Germania, Croazia, Belgio e Turchia. Sono state prese come bersaglio da giovani infuriati concessionarie e punti vendita Occidentali, 10 McDonalds, negozi della Nike, e sportelli bancari. Sono avvenuti scontri nella notte con le forze di polizia antisommossa.
In migliaia hanno manifestato contro i posti di confine fra la Serbia e il Kosovo. Due postazioni doganali sono state distrutte, una incendiata, l’altra fatta saltare in aria. Tutte queste azioni hanno mandato un inequivocabile messaggio, che la decisione USA di insediare direttamente una colonia in Kosovo riconoscendone l “indipendenza” sarebbe stata sfidata da un movimento esplosivo che sarebbe andato ben oltre la sola dichiarazione di opposizione ufficiale da parte del governo Serbo.
Naturalmente, è il pericolo di un nuovo terremoto Balcanico che il potere delle grandi imprese USA temono. È evidente con certezza che il governo USA, ancora una volta, ha sottovalutato l’opposizione alla sua politica criminale. Washington aveva considerato che la sua decisione da tanto tempo annunciata di riconoscere un nuovo mini-stato nei Balcani non avrebbe ricevuto contrasti. L’“indipendenza” era da considerarsi un fatto compiuto. Anche se per un certo periodo di tempo il Kosovo non poteva ricevere l’approvazione ufficiale da parte delle Nazioni Unite, comunque si era ritenuto che l’immediato riconoscimento da parte degli USA e dell’Unione Europea, accompagnato da finanziamenti e dalla continua presenza di forze internazionali, avrebbe schiacciato l’opposizione dei Serbi.
Gli USA sono così abituati ad avere un atteggiamento arrogante e a violare gli accordi internazionali, perfino le clausole dettate da loro stessi a Washington relative all’espansione della NATO, ai confini e alla sovranità nazionale, da rimanere sconvolti di trovarsi di fronte ad una seria opposizione.
Sicuramente, molti uomini politici in Serbia, smaniosi di un ingresso della Serbia nell’Unione Europea, erano disposti a manifestare non più che una simbolica opposizione! Ma la risposta densa di collera dell’intera popolazione Serba ha veramente buttato all’aria le fondamenta di quest’ultimo tentativo imperialista di impadronirsi di territori.
Attualmente, il personale dell’Unione Europea e le altre forze si stanno ritirando dalle zone settentrionali del Kosovo, attorno alla città di Mitrovica, che è stata divisa in due aree, una occupata prevalentemente dall’etnia Serba, l’altra dall’etnia Albanese. Comunque, in Kosovo vivono altri raggruppamenti nazionali. Storicamente, tutti sono stati oppressi, di recente dagli imperialisti dell’Europa Occidentale e degli USA, in precedenza da imperi feudali.
Sul ponte di Mitrovica che scavalca il fiume Ibar, per tutta la settimana, tra il Servizio di Polizia del Kosovo (KPS), una forza multi-etnica, e la polizia delle Nazioni Unite si è venuta a creare una situazione di stallo. La polizia KPS si era rifiutata di entrare al servizio di un nuovo Kosovo, dichiarato stato. Moltissimi mezzi che trasportavano manifestanti si sono diretti al confine della Provincia per partecipare a dimostrazioni contro la separazione del Kosovo. Nel frattempo le forze USA/NATO, cioè la KFOR, si sono mosse per sbarrare il confine con veicoli corazzati e carri armati per arrestare l’affluenza di potenziali contestatori.
Una volta ancora, in Europa, la sfida al peso schiacciante dell’imperialismo arretrato USA, le cui minacce e pressioni hanno disfatto tanti stati socialisti, compresa la Jugoslavia, è venuta dal movimento di massa dei Serbi.
Il 24 febbraio, si sono tenute manifestazioni di solidarietà in tutta Europa, in Canada e negli Stati Uniti, che sono continuate per tutta la settimana.
Per molti, è la situazione veramente ipocrita in cui si trovano gli USA che li ha messi in stato di allarme, dato che sono spinti da motivazioni ben più rovinose che desiderare di garantire l’indipendenza del Kosovo. Dopo tutto, gli Stati Uniti hanno rifiutato di concedere l’indipendenza a Porto Rico, malgrado 100 anni e più di tentativi, ed ora sono stati i primi a riconoscere l’indipendenza del Kosovo dalla Serbia, nello stesso giorno in cui è avvenuta la dichiarazione unilaterale.
Russia e Cina hanno espresso gravi preoccupazioni che questo pericoloso precedente apra la strada nel mondo ad ulteriori spaccature di stati nazione, fatti bersaglio dall’intervento imperialista.
La dichiarazione unilaterale è stata una diretta violazione della Carta delle Nazioni Unite, del diritto internazionale ed anche dei termini della Risoluzione 1244 del Consiglio di Sicurezza dell’ONU, disegnata dagli Stati Uniti dopo i 78 giorni di bombardamenti sulla Serbia nel 1999.
Si sono opposte al riconoscimento la Serbia, Russia, Cina, Spagna, Grecia, Venezuela, Bolivia,
Portogallo, Slovacchia, Malta, Bulgaria, Romania, Cipro, Sri Lanka e Armenia. Inoltre, tante altre nazioni non hanno ancora preso la decisione, anche se sottoposte ad un’intensa pressione da parte Statunitense.
Il Presidente Hugo Chávez ha affermato che il Venezuela si propone di coagulare altri paesi nella condanna della dichiarazione. “Questa non può essere accettata. Costituisce un pericoloso precedente per il mondo intero”.
Anche la Bolivia si è rifiutata di riconoscere l’indipendenza del Kosovo. Il Presidente Evo Morales ha paragonato i separatisti Kosovari ai dirigenti delle quattro Province Boliviane orientali ricche di materie prime, che ricevono l’appoggio incoraggiante degli USA nell’esigere una più larga autonomia, in un tentativo di rottura e per arrestare riforme di progresso emanate dal governo federale.
Il 22 febbraio, l’ambasciatore Russo presso la NATO Dmitry Rogozin ha dichiarato alla rete televisiva Vesti-24 che la separazione del Kosovo dalla Serbia era il risultato di un “tentativo imperialista Americano di divide et impera.” Rogozin lanciava un avvertimento di cattivo augurio, che difficilmente poteva essere ignorato. Egli affermava che l’esercito Russo poteva venire coinvolto, se tutti i paesi Europei riconoscevano l’indipendenza del Kosovo all’interno di un accordo ONU. Se succedesse questo, la Russia “ne deriverà il presupposto che per essere rispettati bisogna fare uso brutale della forza militare”.
Il 24 febbraio, il Ministro degli Esteri Russo Sergei Lavrov si trovava a Belgrado con l’attuale Primo Ministro Dmitri Medvedev, che è diventato il successore del Presidente Vladimir Putin, per rendere chiara la posizione della Russia.
Medvedev dichiarava che, “è inaccettabile che, per la prima volta nella storia del dopo-guerra, un paese membro delle Nazioni Unite sia stato diviso in violazione di tutti i principi da osservare per risolvere i conflitti territoriali. Noi continuiamo a considerare la Serbia come uno stato unitario con la sua giurisdizione estesa sull’intero territorio, ancora integro come in precedenza, e terremo ferma questa posizione di principio anche per il futuro. Risulta assolutamente evidente che la situazione di crisi che si è ingenerata ricade sulla responsabilità di coloro che hanno preso la decisione illegittima, e che avrà sfortunatamente per lungo tempo conseguenze per la pace sul continente Europeo.”
Medvedev firmava un accordo per la costruzione di un tratto del gasdotto “Corrente del Sud” attraverso la Serbia. Il gasdotto trasporterà il gas Russo attraverso i Balcani al Mar Mediterraneo. Inoltre si è consolidato un accordo commerciale tra la compagnia statale Serba per il petrolio, la NIS, e OAO Gazprom, il gigante Russo per l’energia.
Se questo non viene di continuo chiarito e ripetuto, molti attivisti politici, che difendono il principio di auto-determinazione per le nazioni oppresse, possono ingenuamente appoggiare l’“indipendenza” del Kosovo.
Il piano secondo cui il Kosovo è divenuto “indipendente” insedia una struttura coloniale vecchio-stile nella sua forma più cruda. In effetti, il Kosovo verrà gestito da un Alto Rappresentante e da istituzioni amministrative imposti dagli USA, dall’Unione Europea e dalla NATO, l’alleanza militare sotto Comando statunitense.
Gli amministratori imperialisti avranno il diretto controllo su ciascun aspetto della politica interna ed estera. Eserciteranno il controllo sui dipartimenti delle Dogane, delle Imposte, del Tesoro e del Sistema Bancario; controlleranno la politica estera, la sicurezza, la polizia, il sistema giudiziario, i tribunali e le prigioni. Questi funzionari imposti dall’Occidente in Kosovo potranno revocare ogni provvedimento, annullare le leggi e rimuovere qualsiasi persona dal suo incarico.
Diversi possibili progetti stanno alla radice di quest’ultima flagrante violazione del diritto internazionale da parte degli USA. L’aver separato il Kosovo dalla Serbia induce a successive scomposizioni dell’intera regione Balcanica. Questa è stata la politica degli USA nei riguardi dei Balcani, dell’Europa dell’Est e delle ex Repubbliche Sovietiche, dal momento del collasso dell’Unione Sovietica, nel 1991. I mini-stati deboli, divisi, in preda a forti contrasti potranno opporsi con maggiore difficoltà al dominio delle imprese e del mercato Statunitensi.
Quindi, il riconoscimento del Kosovo divide e logora relazioni nell’Unione Europea; certamente Washington non fa nulla per placare il dissenso seminato fra le forze che al contempo sono alleati, ma anche concorrenti imperialiste. Gli USA sono riusciti a spaccare l’Europa su questa “indipendenza”, visto che un terzo dei suoi 27 membri sono contro questo proclama.
L’aver imposto un governo in Kosovo, dove gli USA hanno la piena autorità di scrivere le leggi e gli accordi, rafforza la continuità della presa di potere da parte del Pentagono attraverso la nuova e formidabile base militare presente in Kosovo, Camp Bondsteel.
Una nuova ed immensa base militare Statunitense, Camp Bondsteel, costruita dalla Halliburton, costituisce il punto di ancoraggio del pentagono nella regione. Situata nelle vicinanze del confine con la Macedonia, occupa più di 1.000 acri di terreno, (un acro equivale a 4.047 m2), e comprende più di 300 edifici. La base schiaccia il piccolo Kosovo, una provincia più piccola dello stato del Connecticut.
L’insediamento è stato scelto per le sue potenzialità di espansione. Esistono proposte che la base potrebbe sostituire la base dell’Air Force USA ad Aviano, in Italia.
Nella base possono essere accasermati in modo confortevole migliaia di soldati delle truppe USA/NATO. La base può dare facilmente alloggio a 7.000 militari dell’esercito USA, insieme a migliaia di contractors, mercenari privati. Il personale militare USA esce da Bondsteel in elicottero o in grossi convogli dotati di armi pesanti.
Il campo è situato nei pressi di oleodotti e corridoi di energia di capitale importanza, attualmente in costruzione, come l’oleodotto Trans-Balcanico finanziato dagli Stati Uniti e quello che è noto come Corridoio di Energia 8.
Gli Stati Uniti avevano cominciato a pianificare la costruzione di Camp Bondsteel molto prima dei loro bombardamenti sulla Jugoslavia nel 1999, come riferisce il Col. Robert L. McClure in un documento su “Engineer”, il Bollettino Professionale per i reparti del Genio dell’Esercito. Un altro documento, “U.S. Army Engineers in the Balkans 1995–2000 – Le Unità del Genio dell’Esercito USA nei Balcani, 1995-2000 ,” è disponibile on-line, e contiene foto e descrizioni dei progetti per la base. (web.mst.edu)
Presso Camp Bondsteel si trova l’ospedale più all’avanguardia in Europa, ci sono teatri, ristoranti, un impianto per la depurazione dell’acqua, lavanderie e negozi per fare acquisti, e sono possibili collegamenti via satellite ed antenne per le comunicazioni, e ...minacciosi elicotteri d’assalto.
La gente che vive nelle zone circostanti il campo soffre di una disoccupazione all’80%. La Halliburton, consociata alla Kellogg Brown and Root, paga ai lavoratori Kosovari, quando li assume, un misero salario da 1 dollaro ($1) fino a 3 dollari ($3) all’ora. Più del 25% della popolazione Albanese del Kosovo è stata costretta ad emigrare all’estero in modo da mandare a casa delle rimesse alle loro famiglie.
Sotto l’occupazione degli Stati Uniti, più di 250.000 Serbi, Rom, Turchi, Gorani e altre popolazioni di questa ricca Provincia multi-etnica sono stati costretti ad andarsene dal Kosovo, e a questi è stato negato il ritorno.
Le grandi imprese Statunitensi sono ben informate sulla ricchezza di risorse del Kosovo. Vi sono miniere ancora ampiamente da sfruttare di piombo, zinco, cadmio, lignite, oro ed argento a Stari Trg, per non parlare di circa 17 miliardi di tonnellate di riserve di carbone. L’unico complesso minerario di proprietà statale di Trepca è stato descritto dal New York Times dell’8 luglio 1998 come “il pezzo di terra nei Balcani più autenticamente prezioso”. Il complesso comprende depositi, impianti per fonderie, impianti di raffinazione, aree per il trattamento dei metalli, linee ferroviarie e scali merci, centrali elettriche. Prima dei bombardamenti della NATO/USA del 1999, seguiti dall’occupazione del Kosovo, era in modo incontestabile la più produttiva fonte di ricchezza nell’Europa dell’Est, non ancora nelle mani dei capitalisti USA o Europei. E attualmente, costoro si stanno battendo per vedere chi di loro riuscirà a sfruttare queste ricchezze.
Dal momento che le forze della NATO hanno occupato il Kosovo, quasi tutto il complesso minerario e i centri di raffinazione sono stati chiusi. Tutto questo sta inutilizzato, mentre le maestranze di tante nazionalità che vi hanno operato sono state disperse.
Ora, le grandi imprese Occidentali hanno scoperto il Kosovo come una ancora più grande fonte di ricchezza e sono bramose di ottenere un incontrastato dominio sulla Provincia.
Infatti, il 10 gennaio 2008, la agenzia di notizie Reuters riportava che la compagnia Svizzera Manas Petroleum Corp. aveva annunciato che la Gustavson Associates LLC's Resource Evaluation aveva identificato estesi giacimenti di petrolio e riserve di gas naturale in Albania, nelle vicinanze del Kosovo. Le stime assegnate si aggirano intorno ai 2.987 miliardi di barili di petrolio e ai 3.014 bilioni di piedi cubici di gas naturale (un piede cubico corrisponde a 28,318 m3).
Chiaramente, le corporations USA sentono che devono giocarsi una bella scommessa nella regione, e quindi, dietro alle quinte, hanno messo in piedi operazioni commerciali segrete e hanno assicurato alla Germania, Francia e Gran Bretagna di ottenere il loro consenso su tutti questi affari.
Ma questo è proprio il tempo giusto per ricordare quanto maturo per la raccolta era stato visto l’Iraq dall’Halliburton e dalla Exxon nel 2003. Sembrava facile ricevere la condiscendenza di tanti paesi, anche se Washington non poteva dirsi sicura dell’approvazione del Consiglio di Sicurezza dell’ONU, malgrado le sue menzogne rivolte a quell’Assemblea.
Gli Stati Uniti sono forse il primo impero a sottovalutare la potenza di un movimento di massa che si eccita a rovesciare i suoi piani. L’arroganza imperialista e la menzogna possono portare a giudizi severamente sbagliati.
I popoli in lotta per la pienezza dei diritti e per la sovranità nazionale considerano di grande importanza dimostrare solidarietà e difendere la resistenza eroica che il popolo Serbo ha evidenziato nella settimana scorsa. Queste lotte potranno aprire un giorno nuovo di resistenza al dominio che le grandi imprese degli Stati Uniti vogliono imporre all’Europa dell’Est e ai Balcani.
Sara Flounders si trovava in Jugoslavia nel 1999 durante i bombardamenti USA/NATO per testimoniare sugli attacchi devastanti contro le popolazioni civili. La Flounders è co-autrice ed editrice di "NATO in the Balkans" e "Hidden Agenda: U.S./NATO Takeover of Yugoslavia – Un programma segreto: la presa di possesso della Jugoslavia da parte di USA/NATO" disponibili a Leftbooks.com.
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