Se the original URL for many interesting hyperlinks:
http://antiwar.com/malic/?articleid=8842
Balkan Express
April 12, 2006
The Unbearable Smugness of Being
by Nebojsa Malic
Balkans "Endgame" on Schedule – or Is it?
For a region with more history than it can handle, the Balkans is
wrought with anniversaries and commemorations no matter the season.
The end of March brought the seventh anniversary of NATO's attack that
ended in the occupation of Kosovo (March 24, 1999); it was followed by
the anniversary of the 1941 coup that overthrew the Yugoslav Regency
over signing a pact with Hitler (March 27), and the Nazi invasion that
followed (April 6); that was also the date of Bosnia-Herzegovina's
recognition by the EU and Washington in 1992, which plunged the former
Yugoslav republic into civil war. April 10 marked 65 years since the
establishment of the "Independent State of Croatia," a creation of
Hitler and Mussolini that engaged in ruthless extermination of Serbs
and Jews within its boundaries.
One month ago, Slobodan Milosevic passed away in The Hague. Unable to
convict him alive – as evidence of his presumed guilt has been just
about nonexistent – the Inquisition did its best to convict him in
death, in the court of Imperial public opinion. The media painted
Milosevic as the arch-villain of the Balkans, and incessant political
propaganda promised the people of Serbia they would be free and
prosperous once he was out of power; then after he'd been arrested and
delivered to the Inquisition; then after they "faced his legacy"…. In
the end, Milosevic's passing from power and life made not an ounce of
difference in Empire's behavior toward his country. He's gone, but
things remain the same.
No Resting in Peace
Even though Serbian laws entitled him to a state burial, Milosevic did
not receive one. No representative of the Serbian state attended the
funeral, which took place on March 18 in Milosevic's hometown of
Pozarevac. Tens of thousands flocked to the event, which in many
respects resembled a political rally – not so much in support of
Milosevic as against the current government, and most of all against
the rabid pro-Imperialist, globalist movement loudly abusing the
Serbian political scene.
That was enough for the supporters of that movement, such as ICG's
James Lyon, to rail against "rising nationalism" in Serbia. Accusing
Prime Minister Kostunica of "providing [Milosevic] with a state
funeral in all but name," Lyon bemoans the absence of "pro-Western
democratic forces" from the government. Though he specifically
mentions President Tadic's Democratic Party, the movement that most
vocally declares itself as pro-Western and "democratic" is that of
militant Ceda Jovanovic, a darling of the Imperial media who thinks a
lot like the ICG.
In Lyon's "analysis," very much in sync with the current Imperial
policy in the Balkans, Kostunica's wicked ways will open the road to
the Radical Party to seize power. But no fear – that will enable
Washington and Brussels with an excuse to detach Kosovo and back the
secession of Montenegro, as well as increase funding to "civil
society" in Serbia. Both goals are on ICG's agenda, and the increase
in funding would surely not hurt the Brussels-based organization that
promotes Imperial intervention everywhere. And everything can, once
again, be conveniently blamed on the Serbs.
Unwarranted
Indeed, the ICG has a lot to be smug about. Its former board member,
Martti Ahtisaari, is conducting "talks" in Vienna aimed at forcing
Belgrade to accept the secession of Kosovo under the guise of a
negotiated agreement. A month ago, Washington and Brussels forced the
resignation of the Albanian "prime minister" and the appointment of
Agim Ceku, former leader of the terrorist KLA, to replace him.
There was an outstanding warrant for Ceku's arrest in Serbia, on
numerous charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, stemming
from his activities as a Croatian officer (1991-95) and as leader of
the KLA. Interpol, however, claims never to have processed it, and
announced it had no intention of doing so now that Ceku was a head of
government. There's only one problem – at one time, there was an
outstanding warrant for Ceku, as demonstrated by his arrest in
Slovenia in 2003. Back then, Imperial viceroy Harri Holkeri bailed him
out and claimed Serbian warrants were no longer valid for "citizens of
Kosovo" (sic!). But why would Slovenian police execute a Serbian
warrant? Interpol's facetious announcement attempts to cover up the
fact that in today's world, political decisions trump international
law. As if that hasn't been obvious for a while…
Viceroy vs. Reality
However, even as Ceku was out of the woods and the Vienna "talks"
started putting new pressure on Belgrade, with Ahtisaari's deputy
Albert Rohan rejecting Serb proposals for autonomy within the
Albanian-dominated province, a report in the British Sunday Times
claimed widespread crime and corruption at the highest levels in
Kosovo, and accused viceroy Jessen-Petersen of deliberately ignoring
it. Allegations were first made by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight.
"You have a criminal state in real power — it needs underground
illegal structures to supply it with everything to survive," the
Sunday Times quoted Marek Antoni Nowicki, former ombudsman in Kosovo.
Jessen-Petersen issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. One must
wonder, however, how bad things in Kosovo must truly be if even the
Imperial press saw it fit to report them – and moreover, how much
longer can Jessen-Petersen stay in the job with this cloud over his
head. With his openly pro-Albanian behavior, the viceroy has long been
a most undiplomatic envoy of his Imperial masters; perhaps he has
become sufficiently embarrassing to warrant removal.
Whither Montenegro?
Separation of Montenegro from Serbia has also been a goal promoted by
the ICG. For the past nine years, ever since the former Milosevic
supporter Milo Djukanovic reinvented himself as a "democrat" – with
the help of copious amounts of cash from U.S. taxpayers – a campaign
has been underway to separate Montenegro from a union with Serbia. Not
only has the regime in Podgorica been determined to sever political
and economic ties with Belgrade, it has tried to invent a separate
national identity for some 470,000 inhabitants of the rocky republic
who once considered themselves ethnic Serbs.
Djukanovic and his separatists have been threatening a referendum on
independence for years, but always backed down, aware that they simply
did not have enough votes. They have finally decided to call a vote
for May 21, and even accepted EU's condition that 55 percent of voters
would have to approve secession, even though nothing has substantially
changed from before.
On March 24, Djukanovic's pro-union opponents produced a secretly
filmed video of separatist activists offering to buy votes. The
separatists have dismissed the video as staged, and accused their
opponents of malicious propaganda. On the other hand, what else would
explain their sudden confidence in winning the independence vote?
Empire-funded IWPR (in its latest Balkans iteration, BIRN) offers a
possible clue: Albanians and Muslims, who have thrown their support
behind the separatists. KLA ideologue Adem Demaci, recently
interviewed by a Podgorica daily, supported secession and even said he
could see an independent Montenegro in union with Kosovo some day.
The extent to which the Montenegrin separatists are trying to poison
the well with Serbia became apparent during the Eurosong selection
contest in March. Exactly as they did last year, Montenegrin TV judges
gave no votes to Serb performers, favoring instead a pro-separatist
boy band. The live concert-hall audience rioted. Serbian television
refused to endorse the result, which though technically valid was
absolutely against the spirit of the competition. "It is better not to
have a common representative at all than to accept, for the second
time, the manipulations, pressure, blackmailing, and tribal voting,"
said RTS director Aleksandar Tijanic.
One thing is certain. As May 21 approaches, there will be more
tensions, provocations, and hatred, as the separatists will pull out
all the stops to win, and the unionists will try to stop them.
Misguided Confidence
It may seem that events in the Balkans are following Empire's plan for
a victorious "endgame" to crown its interventionist efforts.
Milosevic, convicted by propaganda, is safely dead and unable to
defend himself. Rabid Empire supporters are promoting chaos in Serbian
politics. Preparations for the separation of Montenegro and Kosovo are
proceeding well, it appears. But they should not be so confident.
The thing about the Balkans is that it is always full of surprises.
Anyone who has sought to bend the world to their will, and had the
peculiar misfortune to step into the Balkans, quickly found that out –
always to their great detriment.
http://antiwar.com/malic/?articleid=8842
Balkan Express
April 12, 2006
The Unbearable Smugness of Being
by Nebojsa Malic
Balkans "Endgame" on Schedule – or Is it?
For a region with more history than it can handle, the Balkans is
wrought with anniversaries and commemorations no matter the season.
The end of March brought the seventh anniversary of NATO's attack that
ended in the occupation of Kosovo (March 24, 1999); it was followed by
the anniversary of the 1941 coup that overthrew the Yugoslav Regency
over signing a pact with Hitler (March 27), and the Nazi invasion that
followed (April 6); that was also the date of Bosnia-Herzegovina's
recognition by the EU and Washington in 1992, which plunged the former
Yugoslav republic into civil war. April 10 marked 65 years since the
establishment of the "Independent State of Croatia," a creation of
Hitler and Mussolini that engaged in ruthless extermination of Serbs
and Jews within its boundaries.
One month ago, Slobodan Milosevic passed away in The Hague. Unable to
convict him alive – as evidence of his presumed guilt has been just
about nonexistent – the Inquisition did its best to convict him in
death, in the court of Imperial public opinion. The media painted
Milosevic as the arch-villain of the Balkans, and incessant political
propaganda promised the people of Serbia they would be free and
prosperous once he was out of power; then after he'd been arrested and
delivered to the Inquisition; then after they "faced his legacy"…. In
the end, Milosevic's passing from power and life made not an ounce of
difference in Empire's behavior toward his country. He's gone, but
things remain the same.
No Resting in Peace
Even though Serbian laws entitled him to a state burial, Milosevic did
not receive one. No representative of the Serbian state attended the
funeral, which took place on March 18 in Milosevic's hometown of
Pozarevac. Tens of thousands flocked to the event, which in many
respects resembled a political rally – not so much in support of
Milosevic as against the current government, and most of all against
the rabid pro-Imperialist, globalist movement loudly abusing the
Serbian political scene.
That was enough for the supporters of that movement, such as ICG's
James Lyon, to rail against "rising nationalism" in Serbia. Accusing
Prime Minister Kostunica of "providing [Milosevic] with a state
funeral in all but name," Lyon bemoans the absence of "pro-Western
democratic forces" from the government. Though he specifically
mentions President Tadic's Democratic Party, the movement that most
vocally declares itself as pro-Western and "democratic" is that of
militant Ceda Jovanovic, a darling of the Imperial media who thinks a
lot like the ICG.
In Lyon's "analysis," very much in sync with the current Imperial
policy in the Balkans, Kostunica's wicked ways will open the road to
the Radical Party to seize power. But no fear – that will enable
Washington and Brussels with an excuse to detach Kosovo and back the
secession of Montenegro, as well as increase funding to "civil
society" in Serbia. Both goals are on ICG's agenda, and the increase
in funding would surely not hurt the Brussels-based organization that
promotes Imperial intervention everywhere. And everything can, once
again, be conveniently blamed on the Serbs.
Unwarranted
Indeed, the ICG has a lot to be smug about. Its former board member,
Martti Ahtisaari, is conducting "talks" in Vienna aimed at forcing
Belgrade to accept the secession of Kosovo under the guise of a
negotiated agreement. A month ago, Washington and Brussels forced the
resignation of the Albanian "prime minister" and the appointment of
Agim Ceku, former leader of the terrorist KLA, to replace him.
There was an outstanding warrant for Ceku's arrest in Serbia, on
numerous charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, stemming
from his activities as a Croatian officer (1991-95) and as leader of
the KLA. Interpol, however, claims never to have processed it, and
announced it had no intention of doing so now that Ceku was a head of
government. There's only one problem – at one time, there was an
outstanding warrant for Ceku, as demonstrated by his arrest in
Slovenia in 2003. Back then, Imperial viceroy Harri Holkeri bailed him
out and claimed Serbian warrants were no longer valid for "citizens of
Kosovo" (sic!). But why would Slovenian police execute a Serbian
warrant? Interpol's facetious announcement attempts to cover up the
fact that in today's world, political decisions trump international
law. As if that hasn't been obvious for a while…
Viceroy vs. Reality
However, even as Ceku was out of the woods and the Vienna "talks"
started putting new pressure on Belgrade, with Ahtisaari's deputy
Albert Rohan rejecting Serb proposals for autonomy within the
Albanian-dominated province, a report in the British Sunday Times
claimed widespread crime and corruption at the highest levels in
Kosovo, and accused viceroy Jessen-Petersen of deliberately ignoring
it. Allegations were first made by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight.
"You have a criminal state in real power — it needs underground
illegal structures to supply it with everything to survive," the
Sunday Times quoted Marek Antoni Nowicki, former ombudsman in Kosovo.
Jessen-Petersen issued a statement denying any wrongdoing. One must
wonder, however, how bad things in Kosovo must truly be if even the
Imperial press saw it fit to report them – and moreover, how much
longer can Jessen-Petersen stay in the job with this cloud over his
head. With his openly pro-Albanian behavior, the viceroy has long been
a most undiplomatic envoy of his Imperial masters; perhaps he has
become sufficiently embarrassing to warrant removal.
Whither Montenegro?
Separation of Montenegro from Serbia has also been a goal promoted by
the ICG. For the past nine years, ever since the former Milosevic
supporter Milo Djukanovic reinvented himself as a "democrat" – with
the help of copious amounts of cash from U.S. taxpayers – a campaign
has been underway to separate Montenegro from a union with Serbia. Not
only has the regime in Podgorica been determined to sever political
and economic ties with Belgrade, it has tried to invent a separate
national identity for some 470,000 inhabitants of the rocky republic
who once considered themselves ethnic Serbs.
Djukanovic and his separatists have been threatening a referendum on
independence for years, but always backed down, aware that they simply
did not have enough votes. They have finally decided to call a vote
for May 21, and even accepted EU's condition that 55 percent of voters
would have to approve secession, even though nothing has substantially
changed from before.
On March 24, Djukanovic's pro-union opponents produced a secretly
filmed video of separatist activists offering to buy votes. The
separatists have dismissed the video as staged, and accused their
opponents of malicious propaganda. On the other hand, what else would
explain their sudden confidence in winning the independence vote?
Empire-funded IWPR (in its latest Balkans iteration, BIRN) offers a
possible clue: Albanians and Muslims, who have thrown their support
behind the separatists. KLA ideologue Adem Demaci, recently
interviewed by a Podgorica daily, supported secession and even said he
could see an independent Montenegro in union with Kosovo some day.
The extent to which the Montenegrin separatists are trying to poison
the well with Serbia became apparent during the Eurosong selection
contest in March. Exactly as they did last year, Montenegrin TV judges
gave no votes to Serb performers, favoring instead a pro-separatist
boy band. The live concert-hall audience rioted. Serbian television
refused to endorse the result, which though technically valid was
absolutely against the spirit of the competition. "It is better not to
have a common representative at all than to accept, for the second
time, the manipulations, pressure, blackmailing, and tribal voting,"
said RTS director Aleksandar Tijanic.
One thing is certain. As May 21 approaches, there will be more
tensions, provocations, and hatred, as the separatists will pull out
all the stops to win, and the unionists will try to stop them.
Misguided Confidence
It may seem that events in the Balkans are following Empire's plan for
a victorious "endgame" to crown its interventionist efforts.
Milosevic, convicted by propaganda, is safely dead and unable to
defend himself. Rabid Empire supporters are promoting chaos in Serbian
politics. Preparations for the separation of Montenegro and Kosovo are
proceeding well, it appears. But they should not be so confident.
The thing about the Balkans is that it is always full of surprises.
Anyone who has sought to bend the world to their will, and had the
peculiar misfortune to step into the Balkans, quickly found that out –
always to their great detriment.