NUOVO LIBRO: Kosovo Buco nero d'Europa

presentazioni a Bari e Molfetta

---

Kosovo, vi dice niente questa parola? I riflettori di giornali e TV da
tempo si sono spenti su questa provincia grande quanto la Basilicata
sulla quale nella primavera del 1999 fu rovesciato dalla NATO un
torrente di missili e bombe, per scongiurare – si disse – un
genocidio. Oltre 5 anni dopo, sotto gli occhi delle truppe della NATO,
si è realizzata la pulizia etnica a danno di serbi, rom e delle altre
minoranze non albanesi: oltre 250.000 profughi, più di 2.500 tra
uccisi e desaparecidos per mano dei separatisti albanesi, interi
villaggi rasi al suolo, città come Pristina e Prizren "ripulite".
Circa 150 monasteri e chiese ortodosse devastati e incendiati. Tra
questi i capolavori dell'arte medievale... E per la minoranza serba
rimasta, una vita impossibile, fatta di insicurezza quotidiana, di
vessazioni, di apartheid: una prigione a cielo aperto. Da recentissimi
viaggi in Kosovo un reportage documentato e appassionato, un racconto
nel presente e nella memoria.


Presentazioni del libro-reportage

Kosovo Buco nero d'Europa

Di Uberto Tommasi e Mariella Cataldo. Prefazione di Andrea Catone

Edizioni Achab, ottobre 2004 - 11 euro


--- Molfetta ---

venerdì 15 ottobre - ore 19.30

Casa dei popoli,via tenente Ragno 62


Intervengono

Uberto Tommasi, reporter di guerra, Verona

Mariella Cataldo, Ass. Most za Beograd, Bari

Prof. Ugo Villani, docente di Diritto Internazionale, Università "La
Sapienza" di Roma


I dannati del Kosovo (2002)

film di Michel Collon e Vanessa Stojlković


--- Bari ---

Sabato 16 ottobre - ore 18.30

Ass. Altair, via re David 116/a

Intervengono

Uberto Tommasi, reporter di guerra, Verona

Mariella Cataldo, Ass. Most za Beograd, Bari

Prof. Nico Perrone, docente di Storia contemporanea, Università di Bari


--- per contatti:

Most za Beograd – Un ponte per Belgrado in terra di Bari
Associazione culturale di solidarietà con la popolazione jugoslava
via Abbrescia 97 - 70121 BARI - most.za.beograd @ libero.it

The Balkans continues to fracture

by Paul Mitchell (WSWS)

Part 1:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/sep2004/bal1-s29_prn.shtml
Part 2:
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/oct2004/balk-o01_prn.shtml

World Socialist Web Site www.wsws.org
WSWS : News & Analysis : Europe : The Balkans

The Balkans continues to fracture

---
Part 1 - 29 September 2004
---

The Balkans region continues to fracture as a result of the inability
of the western powers to solve the political and economic crisis in the
region. Instead they have produced a humanitarian disaster and
cultivated inter-ethnic conflict that threatens to destabilise the
entire region once again.

The US-backed Radio Free Europe has warned that more observers are now
saying that Kosovo, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina and maybe some of
their neighbours could become failed states or “black holes”.

However, this disaster is treated as though there is no connection to
the support given by US and European powers to separatists and
capitalist free market advocates in the break up of the former
Yugoslavia.

Instead of the promised prosperity and freedom, the region is at the
mercy of the banks and financial institutions of the major imperialist
powers and is run in an essentially colonialist manner. Where matters
are not decided openly by western-imposed proconsuls, the threat of
exclusion from the European Union (EU) and NATO are wielded to ensure
governments implement policies of privatisation and welfare reforms
with sufficient rigour.

The social crisis in the region has intensified. Unemployment is 40 to
70 percent and wages average just $100 to $200 a month.

The leaders the west actively promoted as “saviours” of the Balkans and
who are responsible for these policies have become widely mistrusted
amongst the Balkan people. This has resulted in election participation
reaching an all-time low. But the loss of political confidence in the
revolutionary capacities of the working class and the prospects of
socialist revolution has opened the way for a growth of nationalist and
separatist forces.

The largest entity arising from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia
is the formation of the union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2002, which
was masterminded by the European Union. The new union has not resolved
the critical issues in the relationship between the two states. All of
the attributes of independence that the west allowed Montenegro to
develop over the previous decade were retained as was the hope of full
independence—kept alive by the clause stating that membership of the
union can be reconsidered in 2006.

The resulting impasse has caused the EU to signal another policy change
and propose a twin-track approach for the two republics that involves
the economies of Serbia and Montenegro being integrated separately into
the EU.

Demands for self-determination and greater autonomy for Montenegro were
initially encouraged by the western powers in order to undermine the
Serbian regime of Slobodan Milosevic. The Montenegrin government
assumed more federal responsibilities such as foreign trade and customs
and by 1998 it had taken full control of tax policy, monetary and
foreign policy. The German mark was introduced as a parallel currency
to the Yugoslav dinar and then the euro. The republic was afforded
international recognition normally reserved for sovereign states—with a
seat at international and regional institutions.

Following the putsch that removed the Milosevic government, the western
powers were no longer so willing to tolerate demands for Montenegrin
independence as a political counterweight to Belgrade’s new pro-western
regime. In 2001, the EU warned the Montenegrin government to abandon
its plans for a referendum on independence, saying that it would deepen
divisions within Montenegro where even today polls indicate only
slightly more than half the people support independence. The calls for
a referendum also threaten the unresolved status of Kosovo and increase
separatist pressure on the Serbian Republika Srpska in neighbouring
Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Twin-Track Approach

The new twin-track approach was first aired publicly in early September
at a meeting of foreign ministers of the 25 EU member countries. On
September 10 the Montenegrin paper Vijesti published a leaked memo
written in July purporting to come from EU external affairs spokesman
Chris Patten. It was addressed to EU Foreign and Security Policy Chief
Javier Solana and the chair of the EU Ministerial Council and Dutch
foreign minister Bernard Bot.

In the memo Patten suggests a “significant change to our current
policy” because there has been no progress towards a common economic
market or harmonisation of the two economic systems in Serbia and
Montenegro after two year’s of discussions and that there was no
prospect of it happening. Patten explains that the application for
membership in the World Trade Organisation has been “totally blocked”
and that there are “serious doubts” whether direct elections for the
union’s federal assembly will take place in March 2005 as planned
making it “totally dysfunctional”.

Patten continues, “Pro-European reformists have nothing to show to
their voters, which perhaps is linked to the unpleasantly high score of
45 percent of the vote for [Serbian Radical Party member Tomislav]
Nikolic in the recent presidential election [in Serbia]. Fortunately,
[the Democratic Party’s] Boris Tadic managed to win in the end.
However, the current minority government is unstable and may not last
for much longer”.

The new EU policy has allowed both supporters of Montenegrin
independence and supporters of union with Serbia to claim victory for
their causes.

The ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and his
Democratic Party of Socialists is pressing for Montenegrin independence
and wants a referendum. Montenegro’s President Filip Vujanovic said,
“The Belgrade Agreement represented an attempt to establish new
relations through the model of a two-member state union. It was a model
that had never existed before, in theory or in practice.” He continued
“Montenegro sees itself as a hostage of the state union ... that only
incurs inappropriate expenses” and warned, “If Serbia insists on the
preservation of the union, a citizens’ referendum will have to take the
final decision.”

The opposition is mainly composed of parties that support the union and
have 40 percent of the seats in Montenegro’s assembly. They believe
they will win direct elections for the union’s federal assembly next
March, as independence supporters will probably boycott them.

Polls suggest that the joint state has strong support from pro-Serbian
Montenegrins, but is not popular in Serbia. In Serbia most parties have
supported the union on orders from the EU, but in recent months the
small G17 Plus party has campaigned for Serbia and Montenegro to become
independent of each other. At the core of G17 Plus is a group of 17
free market economists who functioned as a pressure group before they
formed a political party in 2003. The leader of G17 Plus is Miroljub
Labus. He is also deputy prime minister of the Serbian government and
minister for economic relations with abroad in Prime Minister Vojislav
Kostunica’s coalition government. Labus said the twin-track policy
“does not represent defeat for the European idea in the western Balkans
but, on the contrary, it means abandoning the idea of the planned
economy on which Yugoslav unity was once based.”

A sign of the reactionary character of the Kostunica government and the
influence of the Serbian Orthodox Church is the banning of English
lessons in schools by Education Minister Ljiljana Colic. Colic, a
founding member of Kostunica’s DSS, also wanted to ban Darwin’s theory
of evolution because it was “full of voids”, but reversed her decision
after a public outcry. She has since resigned.

Within Serbia, elections are characterised by huge abstentions.
However, several factors have combined to made Vojislav Seselj’s
extreme nationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) the largest party in
the country. There have been years of economic hardship made worse by
NATO’s bombing in 1999. In the course of 35,000 sorties, several
thousand people were killed and a vast portion of the industrial and
social infrastructure of the country shattered, leaving several hundred
thousand workers without jobs.

During the Balkan conflict, the western powers denied that the Serbs
had a legitimate reason to be dissatisfied with the consequences of the
sudden dissolution of Yugoslavia and the danger facing the Serbian
community living in different parts of the old Federation. A
disproportionate number of Serbs have since been indicted at The Hague
war crimes tribunal—a fact that Seselj skilfully exploited by giving
himself up voluntarily to the tribunal for war crime charges laid
against him.

It is a situation that prompted regional analyst Ines Sabalic to
remark, “Serbia is almost in a Weimar situation.”

Not only did the SRS’s Nikolic come close to beating Tadic and the
Democratic Party in the Serbian presidential elections in June (in a
turnout of just 48.5 percent) but in the first round of municipal
council elections on September 19 the SRS and Democratic Party were
equally split with no clear majority in any electorate. The second
round of voting is on October 3.

In the same municipal elections Kostunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia
(DSS) slumped to fourth place. For a period Kostunica could sideline
the SRS by presenting himself as the saviour of the Serb nation and a
dedicated nationalist who was opposed to the break-up of the former
Yugoslavia. However, his nationalist rhetoric could not hide the full
consequences of the western dictated economic programme he has
championed and the catastrophic results it has had for the broad mass
of the Serbian population.

---
Part 2 - 1 October 2004
---

Kosovo’s status

An important consideration in European Union external affairs spokesman
Chris Patten’s letter was the unresolved status of Kosovo. By
accelerating Montenegro’s progress towards EU accession but postponing
the question of a referendum on independence, he hopes this “would not
interfere with the international community’s timeline for the solution
to Kosovo’s final status”.

Kosovo is marked by a 50 percent unemployment rate that government
officials admit may be as high as 70 percent since many do not
register. There is an escalating social crisis, as emigration is cut
off and funds from abroad decline. The United Nations Mission in Kosovo
(UNMIK) has just announced the sale of 500 socially owned enterprises,
which will lead to large-scale job losses.

Officially, Kosovo is part of Serbia and Montenegro, but the region is
administered by UNMIK “pending a final settlement” of its status. This
“final status” is framed as an attempt to appease both the
pro-imperialist ethnic Albanian forces that supported the United States
and European powers in their efforts to dismantle Yugoslavia, and the
pro-western regime that was subsequently installed in Belgrade.
According to Security Council Resolution 1244 the settlement involves
“substantive autonomy,” but also a commitment to “the sovereign and
territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia [now Serbia
and Montenegro].”

In March this year communal violence orchestrated by former Kosovo
Liberation Army (KLA) leaders resulted in the death of 19 people and
injury to hundreds more. More than 4,000 people—mainly Serbs—were
forced to flee. A leaked internal UN report said UNMIK was on “the
point of near collapse.”

There are conflicts amongst the imperialist powers on how to stabilise
this worsening situation, with some favouring greater autonomy for
Kosovo as demanded by Albanian nationalists and others considering
Serbian proposals for the “cantonisation” of northern Kosovo.

The UN envoy to the Balkans, Norwegian Kai Eide, recently called for
policy reversal in Kosovo and the start of talks on the final status of
Kosovo. On September 7, whilst Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer was telling Germany’s diplomats that the current international
policy in Kosovo was working, German Defence Minister Peter Struck told
a parliamentary committee that it was time to reconsider this
policy—echoing statements by the opposition Free Democratic Party for
Kosovo to become a protectorate administered by the EU. Struck pointed
out that many troops involving much expense are needed to protect often
small and isolated settlements, and that “more consolidated” Serbian
enclaves should be considered.

The US and Britain have called for faster handover of some authorities
to ethnic Albanian institutions in Kosovo. US Ambassador to Serbia and
Montenegro Michael Polt has said that whilst the US agrees with Eide
that clarifying Kosova’s final status is vital, Washington’s official
policy remains the current “standards before status.”

New elections are scheduled for October 23 of this year and have become
the focus of intense conflict between ethnic Albanian forces pressing
for full independence and Serbian nationalists seeking to maintain
Kosovo’s existing status.

The Democratic Party of Kosova, a successor organisation to the pro-US
stooge KLA, runs Kosovo, under Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi. Its
Assembly—which, like the forthcoming elections is boycotted by the
Serbs—voted on July 8 to adopt several constitutional changes,
including the right to hold a referendum on independence.

The Albanian government supports these moves, with its president Alfred
Moisiu recently declaring his country’s interest in resolving Kosovo’s
final status.

The Presevo Valley and Macedonia

Albanian nationalists are pushing for the integration of ethnic
Albanian areas in the area of south Serbia known as the Presevo
Valley—where 60,000 Albanians outnumber around 30,000 Serbs. The region
was the scene of armed conflict in 2000 involving the Liberation Army
of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja (UCPBM)—a KLA offshoot.

In the Serbian municipal elections of September 19 the Albanian Party
for Democratic Action made a clean sweep in the Presevo Valley.
Speaking of the South Serbia Coordination Centre that acts as an
assembly for the area, DPA leader Ragmi Mustafa said, “Obviously the
coordination body doesn’t have the same authority as before and must be
transformed.” Earlier this year another DPA leader, Saip Kamberi,
stated that, “It is only natural that Albanians today say this region
should be united with Kosovo.”

In 2001, the Presevo Valley conflict was exported over the border into
Macedonia by a KLA-UCPMB offshoot, the Albanian National Liberation
Army (NLA), which also wanted incorporation into Kosovo.

On November 7 the Macedonian government will hold a referendum on its
plans to redraw the boundaries of some municipalities to make Albanians
within them a majority. The referendum threatens to upset relations
between ethnic Macedonians and the approximately 25 percent Albanian
minority, and endanger the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement. The Ohrid
agreement was signed by the previous Macedonian government headed by
President Ljubco Georgijevski of the Vmro-Dpmne party and the NLA.

The US turned against Giorgijevski’s coalition when it became obvious
it had no support in the country. Mass demonstrations and general
strikes met attempts to privatise state assets and cut welfare
provision. The western powers wanted a more compliant regime that would
integrate the NLA, which a mountain of evidence suggests was secretly
backed by Washington, into government structures, and to more
vigorously pursue privatisation strategies.

The country now has a government headed by President Branko
Crvenkovski’s Social Democratic Alliance in coalition with the Liberal
Democratic Party and the NLA’s successor organisation, the Democratic
Union of Integration.

Last year the EU took command of the NATO mission in Macedonia in
Operation Concordia. Though it was a relatively small operation
sponsored by Germany, France and Belgium, it was the first military
operation in EU history.

Bosnia Herzegovina

The EU is also planning to take command of the much larger and more
complex NATO operation in Bosnia Herzegovina (BiH) involving 7,000 NATO
troops at the end of the year, although the US will maintain its base
at Tuzla.

The Office of the UN High Representative set up under the Dayton
Agreement to oversee BiH is being restructured and downsized, with UN
High Representative Paddy Ashdown saying “my own role as EU Special
Representative is growing.”

Ashdown admitted, “The international community does not have an exit
strategy here,” but “it has an entry strategy for BiH to join Europe.
And we will stay until the job is done.”

BiH remains divided into the virtually independently operating
Republika Srpska and Croat-Muslim Federation, both of which have
Assemblies run by the same nationalist parties that came to power
during the 1992-95 war. Local elections that are taking place on
October 2 seem certain to reinforce that division.

Ashdown exerts all real power in the country and recently fired 60 Serb
officials, including the interior minister and parliament speaker, whom
he accused of helping war crimes fugitives, Bosnian Serb leaders
Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.

The UN recently said that nearly half of the 2.2 million refugees from
Bosnia had returned, but Udo Janz, the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees representative in Bosnia added, “The situation remains
volatile in many parts of the country” and 500,000 people had decided
to permanently settle elsewhere.

Earlier this month there were riots in Konjevic Polje between Serbs and
Muslims. Political analyst Tanja Topic told the Centre for Peace in the
Balkans that war could break out again at “any time” and that “in
post-war Bosnia neither local politicians, nor the international
community succeeded in politically stabilising the country.”

This view was shared by political and military analyst Gostimir
Popovic, who said, “The current peace in Bosnia and the region is not
permanent. This territory is still referred to as a ‘powder keg’ and
very little is needed for new conflicts to emerge.”

Hungarian intervention

Ethnic tensions have also risen in the Vojvodina province of Serbia,
which has a Hungarian-speaking minority. The province is also the home
to about 220,000 Serb refugees expelled from Croatia and Kosovo. During
the 1990s there was relative ethnic peace, but ethnic Hungarian parties
aided by Hungary have raised the temperature there, blaming refugees
influenced by the SRS. In early August, Hungary’s Foreign Minister Lszl
Kovcs complained of “atrocities” being committed against 300,000 ethnic
Hungarians, and Interior Minister Mnika Lamperth said, “Hungary is very
concerned about the increasing reports of atrocities including physical
attacks and abuses, against the ethnic kin.”

Jzsef Kasza, leader of the Vojvodina Alliance of Hungarians (VMSZ), has
said repeatedly the attacks were reminiscent of the ways the wars in
Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo started.

The “atrocities” cited relate to 67 incidents including graffiti and
defacing tombstones linked to the SRS reported by the Serbian Interior
Ministry. The Hungarian government claims the number of incidents is
closer to 300 and called for the “internationalization” of the issue.
It has suggested sanctions be imposed and a “solution to the minority
issue” before Serbia and Montenegro is admitted to EU.

The two major Hungarian-American Lobby groups, the Hungarian-American
Coalition and the Centre for Hungarian-American Congressional
Relations, are trying to focus US policymakers on the issue. The
Hungarian-born US Congressman Tom Lantos has written to Serbian Prime
Minister Kostunica, and 13 Congressmen signed another letter.

Although Hungary’s President Ferenc Madl later said the incidents were
“the effects of the recent [Balkan] wars and the difficult economic
situation” and Kroly Pl, deputy chairman of the VMSZ, blamed the
attacks on the economy’s collapse and lack of opportunities for the
young in particular, the Hungarian bourgeoisie still appeal to a
diaspora of Hungarian speakers in neighbouring countries.

The previous Fidesz party administration introduced a Status Law in
January 2002 that it saw not simply as a benefits package covering
employment, health and education, but “a means of supporting
self-organisation by Hungarians outside Hungary.”

The Hungarian Socialist Party-Alliance of Free Democrats coalition
replaced the Fidesz government in 2002 and has continued its policies
in all essential aspects.

Prime Minister Pter Medgyessy said, “Hungary’s political parties may
debate many issues, but they have all agreed that they bear
responsibility for the cause of Hungarians beyond the country’s borders
and that everything possible must be done in the interest of the
Hungarian nation, in terms of national identity and consciousness.”

His government is considering a referendum in support of granting dual
citizenship to Hungarian speakers in neighbouring countries, but is
wary that this would encourage emigration from poorer areas into
Hungary itself

The situation in the Balkans is a bitter indictment of the western
powers’ intervention. Poverty, corruption and ethnic separation have
become endemic in the Balkan region as a result of the attempt to
dismantle the former Yugoslavia.

That intervention was carried out under the cloak of humanitarianism,
but signalled the legitimisation of the naked use of overwhelming
military power against small countries in pursuit of strategic of “Big
Power” interests, the cynical violation of the principle of national
sovereignty, the de facto reestablishment of colonialist forms of
subjugation, and the revival of inter-imperialist antagonisms that
carry within them the seeds of a new war.


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World Socialist Web Site
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Kosovo (en francais)

1. Appel pour le Kosovo

2. Kosovo: deux grenades lancées sur une maison serbe de Mitrovica

3. Arrivée de renforts français au Kosovo en vue du scrutin du 23
octobre


A VOIR AUSSI, DANS LE SITE PRO-SECESSIONISTE ET ANTI-YOUGOSLAVE
"COURRIER DE BALKANS":

Kosovo : le Président Boris Tadic appelle les Serbes à participer aux
élections

Le Président de Serbie Boris Tadic a appelé les Serbes du Kosovo à
prendre part aux élections parlementaires organisées dans le
protectorat international le 23 octobre, s’opposant ainsi au
gouvernement de Serbie, à l’Église orthodoxe et à l’opinion de la
plupart des représentants serbes du Kosovo. Seuls Vuk Draskovic et
Oliver Ivanovic soutiennent cet appel.

http://www.balkans.eu.org/article4646.html

Une journaliste d’investigation blessée au Kosovo

La journaliste d’investigation Fatmire Terdevci a été blessée dans une
fusillade la semaine dernière au Kosovo. Qui donc avait envie de faire
taire cette voix courageuse d’une femme qui a osé enquêter sur beaucoup
de sujets que la plupart des journalistes du Kosovo préfèrent
délaisser ?

http://www.balkans.eu.org/article4628.html


Relations Albanie-Kosovo : Ibrahim Rugova fait son retour à Tirana

Le Président Kosovar Ibrahim Rugova vient d’effectuer une visite
officielle en Albanie, alors qu’il boycottait ce pays depuis le retour
au pouvoir des Socialistes, il y a sept ans. À quelques semaines des
élections législatives au Kosovo, cette visite a été l’occasion de
demander un plus grand engagement de l’Albanie en faveur de
l’indépendance.

http://www.balkans.eu.org/article4605.html


=== 1 ===

Liste de diffusion : Damnés du Kosovo
http://www.gael.ch/collectif/damnes/inscriptions.html

Appel pour le Kosovo


Cinq mois après les émeutes du 17 mars 2004 et cinq ans après
l’intervention militaire de l’OTAN, nous avons séjourné au Kosovo du 14
au 22 août, afin d'y observer les conditions dans lesquelles vivent les
minorités.

Nous avons constaté qu'en ce début de troisième millénaire s'y
perpétuent de véritables ghettos, dans lesquels les minorités, dont les
Roms (1), les Ashkalis (2), les Gorans (3) et les Serbes, vivent
au-dessous du minimum acceptable en matière de droits de l'homme.
/.../
La plupart des membres de minorités encore présents dans la province ne
peuvent sortir de leurs ghettos, ne fût-ce que pour faire des courses
ou accéder aux services publics : poste, école, hôpitaux, transport en
commun. Ils ne peuvent parler leur langue – le serbo-croate, le romany
ou même le turc – dans les lieux à majorité albanaise, par crainte
d’être agressés.
/.../
Tout cela se déroule alors qu'une administration internationale est
censée instaurer un état de droit au Kosovo et alors que les armées du
monde dit démocratique sont censées y faire régner l'ordre et la paix
civile, comme le prévoit la résolution 1244 du Conseil de sécurité de
l’ONU, qui mit fin à la guerre de 1999.
Nous avons pu constater que, sous le vernis démocratique et
"multiethnique", un véritable pouvoir raciste et fascisant est en place
au Kosovo. Il est dirigé en sous-main par le crime organisé qui pousse
ses ramifications dans toutes les grandes villes d'Europe et d’Amérique
du Nord.

Afin de ne pas perdre la face et achever leur mission sur le constat
d'échec que s'attachent à formuler tous les observateurs rencontrés,
les responsables internationaux, qui sont là-bas "pour gagner de
l'argent et non pas pour perdre la vie" (le Père Sava), sont prêts, à
brader dès que possible le statut final du Kosovo, au mépris de
l'exigence préalable, posée par l’ONU elle-même, du respect des
standards permettant l'instauration d'un état de droit et le retour des
réfugiés. Ceci se réalisera probablement après les élections générales
du 23 octobre, qui ne feront que cautionner des institutions permettant
cette violation continue des droits de l'homme et un régime fondé sur
la discrimination raciale la plus brutale.

Ce que nous avons constaté au Kosovo, en plus de ces perspectives
inquiétantes, dans le cadre d'une Europe qui foule ainsi aux pieds les
grands principes de la civilisation, nous incite à pousser un cri
d'alarme et à lancer un appel aux consciences européennes.

Nous ne pouvons laisser se perpétrer un tel crime alors que les
objectifs déclarés des pays occidentaux, lors de leur intervention
"humanitaire" de 1999, étaient de mettre un terme au nettoyage ethnique
et d’instaurer la démocratie au Kosovo.
/.../
Pour la délégation qui a parcouru le Kosovo entre le 14 et le 22 août
2004 : Frédéric Saillot (France), Georges Berghezan (Belgique),
Philippe Scheller (Suisse), Dominique Frey (France), Thomas Gadisseux
(Belgique), Dragan Kotarac (France), Jean-Marie Maissonnier (France),
Nedzmedin Neziri (France), Dominique Reding (Belgique), Alain
Verkindere (Belgique).

Le 1 octobre 2004

Liste de diffusion Damnés du Kosovo
http://www.gael.ch/collectif/damnes/20041001.html

Comité de surveillance OTAN
http://www.csotan.org/textes/appel.php?art_id=181

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
Comité pour la paix en Yougoslavie
http://www.gael.ch/collectif/
CP 915 - 1264 St-Cergue
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Inscription - désinscription et historique des messages envoyés à la
liste de diffusion Damnés du Kosovo
http://www.gael.ch/collectif/damnes/inscriptions.html


=== 2 ===

SOURCE:
http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/alerte_otan/messages
De : "Roland Marounek"

ATS
28 septembre 2004

http://www.edicom.ch/news/international/040928051140.tu.shtml

Kosovo: deux grenades lancées sur une maison serbe de Mitrovica

PRISTINA - Des assaillants non identifiés ont jeté lundi soir deux
grenades contre une maison serbe à Mitrovica, au Kosovo, a annoncé la
police de l'ONU. Une fusillade a également éclaté mais aucun blessé n'a
été signalé.

Une première grenade a explosé vers 23h00 locales, endommageant le toit
de la maison, a précisé cette source. Des soldats de maintien de la
paix de l'OTAN ont ensuite fait sauter une seconde grenade, qui n'avait
pas explosée.

Cet incident intervient moins d'un mois avant les élections
législatives prévues le 23 octobre dans cette province serbe à majorité
albanaise et placée sous le contrôle de l'ONU.


=== 3 ===

SOURCE:
http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/alerte_otan/messages
De : "Roland Marounek"

Arrivée de renforts français au Kosovo en vue du scrutin du 23 octobre

AP | 06.10.04 | 16:39

STANOVCE, Serbie-Monténégro (AP) -- Un détachement français envoyé en
renfort au Kosovo en prévision des élections du 23 octobre dans la
province séparatiste de Serbie ont été parachutés mercredi au-dessus de
Stanovce (15 km au nord de la capitale Pristina).
Les 361 parachutistes français de la KFOR, la force de l'OTAN au
Kosovo, se sont posés dans des champs de maïs, les visages couverts de
peinture de camouflage et l'arme prête, avant de se regrouper pour se
déployer dans la province.
Cette unité française était la première à arriver dans le cadre de
l'opération «Engagement déterminé», qui verra à terme la KFOR renforcée
de 2.000 hommes, portant son effectif total pour l'élection à 20.000
soldats. Ces renforts, français, allemands et italiens resteront un
mois au Kosovo.
La KFOR déployée au Kosovo depuis la fin de la guerre à la mi-1999, a
été fortement critiquée pour avoir échoué à protéger les Serbes et
autres minorités lors d'une flambée de violence en mars dernier. Ces
deux jours d'émeutes et de pillage avaient fait 19 morts et 900 blessés.
«L'objectif (...) est que les Kosovars puissent avoir une période très
calme leur permettant de voter sans aucune pression», a déclaré le
colonel Yves Kermorvant.
Le scrutin du 23 octobre est la seconde élection générale au Kosovo.
Les électeurs choisiront les membres de l'assemblée multiethnique,
alors que la province reste sous la protectorat des Nations unies,
depuis plus de cinq ans déjà. La minorité serbe a menacé de boycotter
l'élection, soutenus par le Premier ministre serbe Vojislav Kostunica,
l'église orthodoxe de Serbie et les ultranationalistes. AP

(italiano / srpskohrvatski)

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http://komunist.free.fr/arhiva/okt2004/kuba.html
Arhiva : : Oktobar 2004.

Evropska Unija ne sme biti saučesnik SAD protiv Kube!


Predsedništvu Evropske Unije
Predsedništvu Evropske Komisije
Brisel

Bez i malo razumevanja za Kubu, Evropska Unija je 2003. zavela sankcije
protiv te zemlje koju SAD već decenijama bespravno drže pod stravičnom
blokadom.

Smatramo taj potez činom predaje i saučesništva sa SAD koje svojom
agresorskom politikom grubo krše suverenitet i vređaju nacionalni ponos
ne samo Kube već i čitave Latinske Amerike.

Umesto da bude dosledna, Evropska Unija vodi politiku dvostrukih aršina
u međunarodnoj politici, što je nedopustivo. Nije uvela te iste
sankcije protiv zemalja koje sistematski - a ne samo iznimno -
pribegavaju smrtnoj kazni. Nepopustljiva je prema malim zemljama kao
što su Kuba i Zimbabve, dok na drugoj strani gleda kroz prste državama
kao što su Izrael i Kolubmija, gde su prava čoveka daleko ozbiljnije
ugrožena. Tri četvrtine planete smatra da je politika dvostrukih aršina
neprihvatljiva.

Imajući sve to u vidu, zahtevamo da Evropska Unija u što kraćem roku
povuče sankcije koje je zavela protiv Kube. Zahtevamo da se suprostavi
internacionalizaciji blokade pod kojom SAD drže Kubu. Zahtevamo takođe
da demokratizacija međunarodnih odnosa ubuduće bude jedan od prioriteta
politike Evropske Unije.

U Parizu, 30. septembra 2004.

Potpisnici:

Remi Herrera (Sorbona);
Paolo Nacatani (Univerzitet S.Espiritu, Brazil);
Luciano Vasapollo ("La Sapienza", Rim);
Samir Amin (Predsednik Svetskog Alternativnog Foruma);
Gorge Labica (Predsednik Međunarodnog Demokratskog Centra);
Isabel Monal (Nacionalni Institut za filozofiju, Kuba);
Al Campbell (Univerzitet u Juti, SAD);
Elena Alvarez (Nacionalni Institut za ekonomiju, Kuba);
Gentil Corazza (Univerzitet u Porto Alegreu, Brazil);
Victor Rios Vidal (Fondacija za marksistička istraživanja, Barselona,
Španija);
Armando Fernandez (Univerzitet Complutense, Madrid);
Alesando Valle (Univerzitet grada Meksika);
Francos Houtard (Centar Trikontinental, Belgija);
Regula Eburmkind (Univerzitet u Juti, SAD);
Isabel Einard Amin (Forum Trećeg sveta, Senegal)
Olga Darić (PRCF, Francuska)

....i ostali intelektualci i naučni radnici učesnici IV
Internacionalnog Kongresa Karl Marx u Parizu (Kongres se zavrsava
plenumom posle podne 2. oktobra 2004.)

---


Da Parigi appello di intellettuali per la revoca delle sanzioni
dell’Unione Europea a Cuba

Un appello firmato da quarantacinque intellettuali europei e del terzo
mondo, è stato lanciato dal congresso internazionale in corso a Parigi
e diretto alla presidenza della Commissione e dell’Unione Europea.
Nell’appello che pubblichiamo a seguito, i firmatari chiedono
l’immediata revoca delle sanzioni adottate nel 2003 dall’Unione Europea
contro Cuba.

APPELLO

L’Unione Europea non deve essere complice degli USA contro Cuba

 
Alla Presidenza dell’Unione Europea
Alla Presidenza della Commissione Europea
Bruxelles

 
Nel 2003, l’Unione Europea, mostrandosi intransigente contro Cuba, ha
adottato sanzioni contro un paese già sottoposto da decenni ad un
durissimo ed illegale blocco da parte degli Stati Uniti.

Riteniamo che questa decisione sia una forma di capitolazione e
complicità con la politica aggressiva degli Stati Uniti contro la
sovranità e la dignità nazionale di Cuba e dell’America Latina nel suo
complesso.

L’Unione Europea non può adottare una doppia morale nelle sue relazioni
internazionali. Non ha adottato sanzioni contro altri paesi che
applicano sistematicamente – e non eccezionalmente – la pena capitale.
Si mostra intransigente contro piccoli Stati come Cuba o Zimbabwe ma si
mostra indulgente verso altri stati come Colombia o Israele dove
avvengono violazioni dei diritti umani enormemente più gravi. I tre
quarti del mondo ritengono ormai inaccettabile la logica dei due pesi e
delle due misure.

Chiediamo per questo che l’Unione Europea revochi rapidamente le
sanzioni contro Cuba, si adoperi per ostacolare
l’internazionalizzazione del blocco contro Cuba da parte
dell’amministrazione degli Stati Uniti, inserisca nella sua agenda
politica la democratizzazione delle relazioni internazionali.

Parigi, 30 settembre 2004-10-01

PRIMI FIRMATARI: Remì Herrera (Università di Parigi); Paolo Nacatani
(Università S.Espiritu, Brasile); Luciano Vasapollo (università di Roma
“La Sapienza”); Samir Amin (Presidente Forum Mondiale delle
alternative); George Labica (Presidente Centro Democratico
Internazionale); Isabel Monal (Istituto Nazionale di Filosofia di
Cuba); Al Campbell (Università dell’Utah, Stati Uniti); Elena Alvarez
(Istituto Nazionale per l’Economia, Cuba); Gentil Corazza (Università
federale di Porto Alegre, Brasile); Victor Rios Vidal (Fondazione di
ricerca marxista, Barcellona, Spagna); Armando Fernandez (Università
Complutense, Madrid); Alesando Valle (Università di Città del Messico);
Francois Houtard (Centro Tricontinentale, Belgio); Regula Eburmkind
(università dell’Utah, Stati Uniti); Isabel Einard Amin (Forum del
Terzo Mondo, Senegal) ed altri trenta intellettuali, studiosi e
ricercatori riuniti al Convegno internazionale marxista di Parigi

[ Tre risposte ad una intervista rilasciata dal nuovo ambasciatore
degli USA a Belgrado, Michael Polt, lo scorso 22 agosto sul quotidiano
"Politika". Mentre Polt insiste ad imporre "condizioni" alla Serbia (ad
esempio, sulla collaborazione con il "Tribunale ad hoc" dell'Aia), i
commentatori si chiedono per quale motivo gli USA insistano tanto ad
accanirsi contro i serbi: dopo l'appoggio alla pulizia etnica antiserba
in Croazia e dopo i bombardamenti del 1999, gli USA oggi sostengono il
terrorismo a sfondo separatista e razzista nella provincia occupata del
Kosmet... Si noti che Veljko Guberina, noto avvocato, nella sua lettera
aperta all'ambasciatore afferma di aver sempre nutrito simpatie per gli
USA e di essere stato un anticomunista della prima ora; anche Raymond
Kent, professore di Storia a Berkeley, richiama la politica estera USA
a riprendere la strada tradizionale dell'amicizia con i serbi.
Evidentemente, le strategie geopolitiche ed il cinismo imperialista
sono molto piu' forti delle antiche affinita'... ]


(english / srpskohrvatski)

Mike Polt / Grahovac - Guberina - Kent


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http://www.artel.co.yu/sr/reakcije_citalaca/2004-10-03.html

ŠTA SE ‘GVOZDENOM PESNICOM’ SPROVODI U SRBIJI I NA BALKANU

Beograd, 23/8/2004
Slavica Grahovac

(Povodom teksta ‘Topi se strpljenje”, Politika 22/8/2004)

U nedavnom intervjuju novog američkog ambasadora u SCG, Majkla Polta,
koji je dao listu Politika, ambasador izjavljuje da se ‘američko
strpljenje topi..” te da Amerika hoće energično ‘gvozdenom pesnicom’ da
sprovede medjunarodno pravo povodom Haga I izručivanja osumnjičenih za
ratne zločine, hapšenje Karadžića I Mladića kao I po pitanju Kosova.

a mi sa svoje strane takodje energično tražimo odluku po pitanju
Kosmeta.

Ambasador ističe da je stav američke Vlade vis a vis Kosova da “se prvo
nametnu standardi…’ koje SAD “tražI od slobodnih ljudi u SAD a koje
tražI od slobodnih društava širom sveta, poštovanje prava manjina,
odgovornost I prava većine, bezbednost I sigurnost pojedinca…’ I
nastavlja sa tim da su “standardi neophodni da bi mogli da utvrde da li
društvo može sobodno da upravlja pravedno…pre nego počnemo da
raspravljamo o statusu Kosova…” NastavljajućI na pitanje novinara da
smo se umesto progresa u martu ove godine, suočili sa eksplozijom
mržnje na Kosovu smatra da su time “…interesi albanske većine ozbiljno
oštećeni ovakvim akcijama…” insistiraju}I dalje na tome da situacija na
Kosovu nije ni bolja ni lošija no pre martovskih dogadjaja I da SAD
“insistira na dijalogu”…Uz to protivnik je bojkota lokalnih izbora od
strane kosovskih Srba uz obrazloženje da “demokratski procesi
funkcioni{u jedino ukoliko ljudi u njima učestvuju…” I da “…nema
koristi od izbora ukoliko se na njima niko ne pojavi…”

Pitamo se da li će Vašington istom gvozdenom rukom tražiti da se ispune
zahtevi Srba da se vrate na svoja vekovna ognjišta na Kosovu a na koja
su uz pomoć NATO-a Amerikanci već vratili Albance I pomogli im svojim
delovanjem da sa iste teritorije isteraju 250.000 Srba I sada zaista
budu većinski narod na toj teritoriji??

Pitamo dalje kako to da se Hrvatima I Albancima dozvoljava secesionizam
u okviru, za prve SFRJ, legalne I legitimno priznate zemlje od strane
UN, a zatim za druge u okviru same Srbije čiji je Kosmet sastavni deo I
takodje legalno I legitimno priznate od strane UN?

Možemo na osnovu činjenica koje su nam se same nametnule kao istina za
ovih 15 godina libanizacije prostora bivše SFRJ da zaključimo da je pod
plaštom demokratije I očuvanja ljudskih prava manjini to jest prvo
Hrvatima pa sada Albanacima Amerika pomogla da se njihovi nazovi
“problemi” sa Srbima internacionalizuju I da se stekne ružna slika o
Srbima u svetu, da se isti satanizuju I time direktno I indirektno
pomogla rasturanje SFRJ a sada govori o ‘Albanskoj većini’ I
integraciji “srpske I romske manjine” u ‘albansko društvo”. Kakvog li
licemerja u najmanju ruku?

No, sve nam to govori da u svetu I dalje vlada ‘pax americana’ I da
sila boga ne moli već bog silu voli. Medjutim, ovo što se danas dešava
Srbima, može samo da služI kao opomena drugim malim narodima koji se
nalaze na takvim geostrateškim položajima bitnim za velike sile I da
ponešto nauče na našem primeru.

Mi kao autentičan narod sa ovih prostora ne bismo smeli da dozvolimo
ovakvo uništenje I kasnije pretvaranje u mit I legendu kao 13. to
pleme, Hazari, I da bi se kasnije našI suplemenici kroz vreme I vekove
prepoznavali I na uštrb drugih naroda, u zgodnoj prilici, pravili novu
državu!

No, svako zlo ima I svoje naličje I ponešto dobro a to je da nas ove
nesreće nisu razvejale u potpunosti nego sabile, pa maker na teritoriju
manju od Srbije. Verujem da u svetu ima pozitivne energije I mislećih
ljudi koji neće dozvoliti uništenje jednog celog naroda. MislećI svet
zna da se žarišta lako prave, da u Evropi postoji Severna Irska, Alto
Adidje, Korzika, Kurdi u Turskoj, koji kao Demoklov mač prete Evropi I
svetu, da ne govorimo o pojedinim državama da se isto I njima može
desiti ako ne budu kooperativni.

Opstanak Srba na svojim vekovnim ognjištima značI pobedu pozitivne
političke misli u svetskoj politici I izlazak pred sud istorije čistog
srca I obraza. A sud istorije I budućih generacija je vrlo teško breme
koga su mnogi narodi dobro svesni. Da pomenemo samo Nemačku posle
drugog svetskog rata.

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http://www.artel.co.yu/sr/reakcije_citalaca/2004-09-27_1.html

Pismo Veljka GUBERINE americkom ambasadoru u Beogradu

AMERIČKA AMBASADA U BEOGRADU
Kneza Miloša 50

Za njegovu ekselenciju ambasadora gospodina Majkla Polta

Poštovani gospodine ambasadore,

U nedeljnom broju našeg najznačajnijeg I najvažnijeg lista ‘politika”
od 22 / 8 / 2004 dali ste intervju njenom novinaru gospodinu Bošku
Jakšiću, gde izmedju ostalog stoji vaša izričita izjava: “Vašington će
s’ gvozdenom odlučnošću insistirati da Beograd ispuni obaveze prema
Hagu.”

S obzirom da vam novinar nije postavio pitanje koje je za na{u javnost
od izuzetnog značaja, to sam slobodan da Vam ja postavim pitanje ‘zašto
do danas Vaša Vlada nije ‘gvozdenom odlučnošću’ insistirala da albansko
rukovodstvo u Prištini ispuni svoju obavezu i omogućI srpskom narodu
pravo na život , to jest, da dozvoli našem narodu povratak na svoja
vekovna ognjišta sa kojih je proteran.

Naime, i posle pet godina uz primenu drastičnog nasilja koje vodi do
ubijanja, albansko rukovodstvo u Prištini to isto sprovodi, a Vaša
Vlada prelazi preko toga. Brojni poznati i ugledni gradjani Srbije nisu
iz raznih ličnih I političkih razloga takvo pitanje javno uputili Vama
I preko Vas Vašoj Vladi, dok ja, koji sam takodje poznati gradjanin ove
zemlje, a pošto sam uvek pripadao nezavisnoj advokatskoj profesiji,
slobodan sam da u svoje ime I ime brojnih drugih naših gradjana
postavim neka pitanja.

Vi kao obrazovan čovek znate da je Vaša zemlja uz učešće skoro svih
evropskih država izjavila da je: ‘BOMBARDOVALA SRBIJU DA BI SPREČILA
HUMANITARNU KATASTROFU MILION ALBANACA KOJE JE MILOŠEVIĆ PROTERAO SA
NJIHOVIH IMANJA’.

U proleće 1999. godine pa sve do danas na sve strane ste objašnjavali
svoj zločin prema Srbima, a koji Vam naš narod nikada neće oprostiti.
Štaviše, doveli ste i snage NATO pakta da budu na Kosovu kako bi
omogu}ili Albancima, juna meseca 1999. godine, da se vrate na svoja
imanja, a oni su pri tom izbacivali Srbe iz njihovih stanova, kuća i
imanja i useljavali se u iste.

Ako Vam to nije poznato, spreman sam gospodine ambasadore da Vas
povedem i uverim u tačnost tih tvrdnji, jer sam 35 godina dolazio na
Kosovo I Metohiju branećI Albance koji su počinili ubistva iz domena
krvne osvete a po čemu su oni poznati u celom svetu jer se ravnaju po
Kanonu Leke Dukadjinija. Slobodan sam takodje, da Vam skrenem pažnju na
još jedno pitanje koje bi Vam trebalo da bude dobro poznato. Ceo svet
je mirno gledao kako su Hrvati proterivali Srbe sa njihovih imanja
1995. godine jer su, a Vaša Vlada se saglasila, tvrdili da su Srbi
izvršili oružanu pobunu protiv Hrvatske države čiji su gradjani i da
Hrvatska ima pravo da zaštiti svoju državu od pobunjenika. Sada se
analogno tome postavlja pitanje ‘Zar Albanci nisu bili gradjani Srbije
protiv koje su digli oružanu pobunu, te i Srbija ima pravo da brani
svoju državu protiv pobunjenih gradjana.’

Pogotovo je značajno a što bi I Vama trebalo da bude poznato da je još
1912/13 godine rešeno pitanje granica I medjusobnih odnosa izmedju
balkanskih država koje su te godine, posle vekovnog turskog ropstva,
oslobodile se I povratile nezavisnost koju su izgubile tokom XIV I XV
veka kada su Osmanlije uništile sve, tada slobodne države, na Balkanu.
Takodje, trebalo bi da znate da tada nije bilo nikakve albanske države
na tom prostoru a najmanje na Kosovu I Metohiji a o čemu govore vekovni
spomenici o njihovom bivstvovanju u tim krajevima.

Takvo stanje je I potvrdjeno 1919. godine mirovnim ugovorom posle Prvog
svetskog rata. Takodje, to stanje je potvrdjeno 1945. godine posle
Drugog svetskog rata.

Na kraju, kao pravnik slobodan sam, gospodine ambasadore, da Vam na
kraju postavim još jedno pitanje ‘u ime kojih načela Vaša Vlada daje
sebi pravo da odvoji jednu pokrajinu srpske vekovne države koja je bila
I koja će ostati izvorište njene državnosti, istorije, kulture I
duhovnosti ?’

Gospodine ambasadore, slobodan sam da Vam uputim ovo pismo jer potičem
iz porodice koja je opšte poznata da je vaspitana na načelima Vaše
demokratije, a zbog čega sam još 1945. godine bio osudjen kao
pristalica ‘američkog imperijalizma’, jer nisam želeo, iako sam bio
mladić od 20 godina, da u Beogradu marširam pevajućI ‘Amerika I
Engleska biće zemlja proleterska!’

Uz poštovanje, uveravam Vas da sam bio I ostaću prijatelj Vašeg naroda
ali ne mogu da predjem preko gore iznetih stvari pogotovo što je moja
celokupna porodica ostala pripadnik slobodnog sveta na čelu sa Vašom
zemljom.

U Beogradu 27 avgusta 2004

Veljko Guberina
Advokat u penziji

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http://www.artel.co.yu/en/reakcije_citalaca/2004-10-06_1.html

Letter of Veljko Guberina to the American Ambassador in Belgrade

Belgrade, 27 August 2004

The United States Embassy in Belgrade,
Kneza Milosa 50.

To his Excellency Ambassador Mike Polt,

Respectfully, I submit the ensuing text to You.

In the Sunday Edition of our widerly read and most important newspaper,
"Politika," (22/08/2004), You granted an interview to its correspondent
Bosko Jaksic.
In it, inter alia, one finds Your underlined affirmation that
Washington "will insist, with iron will, that Belgrade fulfill its
obligations to the Hague (Tribunal)."
In view of the fact that the correspondent did not bring up a question
of exceptional importance to our public at large, I take the liberty to
pose the question to You. Why is it that, to this day, Your Government
has not insisted, with the will of equal strength, that the Albanian
authorities at Pristina must honor their obligation to allow the
(remaining) Serbs to live unmolestd within Kosovo? This includes also
an implicit requirement, namely to unblock the return of Serb families,
expelled from Kosovo, to their original homes?
In what cannot be factually disputed, within the last five years,
Albanian authorities at Pristina have continued with the butcheries
against remaining non-Albanian citizens while Your Government has not
intervened to stop them decisivly. Since a number of many prominent and
distinguished Serb personalities, for personal or political reasons or
both, failed to openly address the question to You I take it upon
myself to so do. I am a reasonably known and independent
attorney-at-law, now retired, without any ambitions and hence free to
ask several questions of general interest to us.
As a highly educated person, You surely must be aware that the United
States, in unison with most of the European countries, had made the
following declaration. "Serbia was bombed in order to prevent the human
catastrophe involving a million Albanians that Milosevic expellled from
their properties at Kosovo."
Since the Spring of 1999 to-date, this claim is constantly reiterated
to justify what, in effect, was and remains a terrorist attack that our
people find it hard to either forget or forgive. Interestingly enough,
the NATO armed units were put into Kosovo since June 1999 to allow
Albanian refugees from Kosovo to return their homes. The Albanians took
advantage of NATO's help and threw Serbs out of their homes, moving
into them and taking over their properties.
Should You doubt the veracity of the foregoing I am prepred, Mr.
Ambassador,
to affirm it by proposing that You join me in situ personally. For some
35 years I have been defending Albanians at Kosovo and Metohija. They
were charged in criminal courts for the vengeance killings for which
they are well known all over the world because of the draconic laws in
the Kanun of Leka Dukadjinija (binding Albanian moral code).

I take the liberty to also bring to Your attention another question
which should hardly come as a surprise. In 1995, the World at large
barely noticed, let alone protested, the massive Croat expulsion
("ethnic cleansing") of (some 200,000) Serbs from Krajina. The main de
jure reason for this failure was the U.S. position that the Serbs
residing within Croatia mounted an armed rebellion against the Croat
State of which they were citizens and Croatia had an inherent right to
"defend itserlf." By the same token, one must ask "when the Kosovo
Albanians as citizens of Serbia went into an armed rebellion against
it, was and is not not Serbia equally entitled to protect the rights of
its other citizens from a violent revolt of the rebelling segment of of
its citizenry?"
As You undoubtedly know, the question of borders and mutual relations
involving the restoration of Balkan States was settled in 1912/1913.
They had freed themselves and secured their own independence from
centuries-long enslavement by Turkish occupiers. The obliteration of
pre-existing Balkan states was attained by the Ottoman Turks in the
course of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth centuries. One must also trust
that You are familiar with the fact that there was not at the time any
question of restoring an Albanian state that never came into coherent
existence anywhere let alone at Kosovo and Metohija. This is clearly
attested by the presence of ancient monuments which were not Albanian
when they began to migrate into and settle in the two areas.
The historical matter-of-fact was re-affirmed in 1919, by way of
peaceful agreement, immediately after World War One.
Sequentially, as an attorney, I am obliged to approach the end of this
letter by asking You just one more question. "In the name of what
principles does Your Government abrogate for Itself the right to sever
the space which saw the advent of Medieval Serbia and became the
revered birthplace of the Serb state, its history, its culture and its
spirituality?"
I should reveal also that I took the liberty to address You, Mr.
Ambassador, precisely because I come from a family known for being
steeped in the fundamental principles of American Democracy. In 1945, I
was convicted as a supporter of "American Imperialism." Even at 20 I
did not wish to march through the streets of Belgrade chanting slogans
which would turn America and Great Britain into "proletarian nations."
Respectfully, to conclude, I can assure you that I have been and remain
a friend of the American People. But, I cannot sweep the foregoing
particulars under the rug and all the more so since my entire family
has been and is a member of the free world with America at its helm.

Belgrade, 27 August 2004

Veljko Guberina, Retired Attorney

---

http://www.artel.co.yu/en/reakcije_citalaca/2004-10-06.html

H.E. Ambassador Mike Polt,

United States Embassy,
Kneza Milosa 60,
Belgrade, Serbia. 

4 October 2004 

Dear Mr. Ambassdor, 

The time has arrived when foreign policy is too important to our own
survival to be left exclusively in the hands of our Government and what
might be called the “foreign-policy elite,” constantly cloning itself
and orbiting around Washington, D.C. This requires learning about the
real world at the grass-roots level and acting to promote respect for
close proximity to truth no matter where the chips might fall. I am
thus writing to you as an informed fellow-citizen. This letter and all
the addenda will be forwarded to Secretary Powell, President George W.
Bush, Senator John Kerry and others of my choice. It is also posted on
the Internet with references to the addenda.

To begin, I enclose a translation of a letter sent to you by a
Belgrade-based attorney-at-law, Veljko Guberina, on 27th September
last. In it, he touches upon two subjects which are of major interest
to the Serb People but which transcend, by far, the local dimension.
One is a demand imposed on Belgrade by our Government to “cooperate”
with the International Criminal Tribunal for (ex-)Yugoslavia. More
precisely, this is understood to mean the arrest and delivery of
General Vladko Mladic to the Hague. The principal charge against him is
a Command implication in the alleged genocide of Bosnian Muslims at
Srebrenica. Attorney Guberina merely touches upon this matter following
an interview that you had granted recently to “Politika,” leading
Belgrade newspper. You underlined the “iron will” in Washington to see
its demand honored and adhered to. 

My only comment at this time about Mladic’s alleged crime of “genocide”
is that it cannot be sustained under closer scrutiny. One basic fact
stands out in this case. He had ordered the busing out of Srebrenica
all of the Muslim women and children. All of them reached safely the
Bosnian Muslim stronghold of Tuzla. Whatever happened at Srebrenica it
was thus not “genocide.” It should be added that the scarce fuel for
the buses was donated by the U.N. Just like Milosevic (who is in a
Hague jail) Mladic has been already tried and convicted through the
media on a charge which would not pass muster in any established court
adhering to the Anglo-Saxon Common Law. Its pivotal principle requires
that a person be deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The burden of proof rests upopn the accuser, not the media. Hence, I
would suggest that our will should not be cast in iron.

The second subject is an increasing willingness in Washington to
accomodate the special interests and lobbies which advocate the
severing of Kosovo from Serbia. Under one cosmetic formula or another,
despite frequent assertions that our policy has been consistently
opposed to altering the existing borders within the Balkan Peninsula,
the transfer of Sovereignty to Kosovo’ Albanians seems to be only a
matter of timing.  

What is of capital importance to our own National Interest, the
attorney brings out, in a professional way, without any anti-American
venom, the inconsitencies, contradictions and asymmetries that came
with our entry into the Yugoslav fratricidal tragedy. This would be bad
enough if it were confined only to the Balkans but the problem has
become endemic since the end of the Administration headed by the first
member of the Bush family to be in the White House. If this seems less
than credible to some or many at home just read the recently released
and devastating report (30 September 2004) from the Washington-based
Institute for Agriculture and Trade (enclosed). Its conclusion is that
the U.S. has repeatedly shown “scorn for International Law... causing
the United States to lose credibility at offering any kind of global
leadership.”  

At this point it is appropriate to turn to the Hague Tribunal before
the trial of Slobodan Milosevic. There is, on hand, an abundant
literature against the concepts and practices of the Hague Tribunal by
different nationals from a variety of professions. For my part, as a
Historian, I enclose two articles published in the Paris-based journal
“Dialogue” in 1996 and 1997. One is extensive and documented with the
title of “Contextualizing Hate - The Hague Tribunal, the Clinton
Administration and the Serbs,” (No. 20, 1996). The other, much shorter
and without notes, is “The True Nature of the ‘International Criminal
Tribunal,’” (No. 24,1997).  

The origins of this Tribunal, its fundings, its internal practices, its
penchant for advocacy and pre-judgements, condemnations through
frequent use of the media, and last but not least the bizzare theater
called the “trial of Milosevic,” --all point to the same conclusion.
The Tribunal is a political tool, set up by Madeleine Albright and
funded originally by two Muslim states and, subsequently, by a private
person, George Soros, an illegal contribution even within the
Tribunal’s mandate.  

As is often the practice in politics, the Hague Tribunal was
immediately enveloped in moralitic imperatives (just like the NATO
military attack on the Serbs) which served to veil two of its real
political aims. One was and continues to be the interminable punishment
of Serbs through patronizing and cerebral terrorism which defined an
entire and historically honorable people through the eggregious acts of
some extreme elements. These are obviously extant in all populations,
including our own. Milosevic has been used as a club.  

The second basic purpose was and is to block the acceptance of any
notion that the U.S.- led NATO military atrtack against Yugoslavia was
an illegal act of aggression against a sovereign state neither at war
with us nor preparing any harm to our citizens. There are grounds on
which one could credibly argue that a war crime had been committed as
well by the NATO Commander, General Wesley Clark. When the NATO flight
officers discovered that the bombings of Yugoslav military targets at
Kosovo were ineffective, General Clark switched to the bombing of
civilian targets, including people and infrastructure. Additionally,
depleted uranium was injected into the soil, water and air in Serbia
and Kosovo, while cluster bombs dropped at the time can still maim or
kill a Serb or an Albanian child attracted by their color. 

The justifications for an immediate “need” to”bomb the Serbs” consisted
of the so-called “Racak massacre” that proved to be a hoax (by an
international forensic team) and “failure of the Serbs” to sign the
would-be “Peace Treaty” at Rambouillet. A special Appendix to this
doument (Appendix B) demanded nothing less than the occupation of
Yugoslavia by NATO without any resitance. It was a last- minute
insertion developed in order to make it imposible for the Serb
delegation to sign. As Madeleine Albright put it later on “we raised
the bar so Milosevic could not jump over it.” In an easy job of
demolition by close and factual analyses, the whole edifice of
disinformation, misinformation(and the constant lobotomy performed on
OUR public mind) would drawn in its own mud.

To make sure that --along with an assessment of Milosevic’s would
-be“trial”--the foregoing text is not “dismissed” as a simplistic
attempt to ,” rehabilitate the Serbs,” I enclose a measured and
credible statement of the last Canadian Ambassador to Yugoslavia, James
Bissett. He made it in an interview on 27 September 2004. I should add,
on the grounds of historical conext and knowledge, that the Serbs do
not require as a People any “rehabilitation.” This is a subject on
which I weould be prepared to correspond in detail with you should you
think otherwise. I wouild like to end now on a couple of
recommendations. 

First, I strongly believe that our leaders in Washington and our
Ambassadors abroad should stop patronizing the “natives” through
lectures of what they should or must do or not do. We have no mandate
to carry out some sort of “Civilising Mission.” But, our behavior
abroad, since the implosion of the Soviet Union, has been far too
arrogant to allow us to become as respected and even liked as we were
right after WWII. The collective effort against terrorism which we wish
to empower will never become concrete and lasting unless we show
genuine respect for the less powerful and economically less successful
humans who live in other countries and whose sons and daughters have
enriched the fabric of the American peoople. I must conclude by adding
that Americans of Serb origin have earned eight Congressional Medals of
Honor in two World Wars despite their relatively small numerical
presence.  

With the Best Regards
and the hope that, at the
end of the day, when
you leave Belgrade, the
Serbs will honor you, 

Raymond K. Kent, Emeritus

History Department,
University of California at Berkeley

ISRAELIANI SPIEGANO AGLI ALBANESI COME RISPETTARE I SERBI... IN UMBRIA


Oppure: ebrei spiegano agli ortodossi come convivere con i musulmani.
Cioe': palestinesi spiegano a serbi ed albanesi quanto sono bravi gli
israeliani.
Ovvero: come manipolare il conflitto altrui dopo aver reso cronico
quello di casa propria. In Umbria.


http://www.osservatoriobalcani.org/article/articleview/3449/1/51/


Kossovo: da Gerusalemme una scuola di pace
05.10.2004

Dal 5 al 14 ottobre si ritroveranno a Spoleto 15 vicini di casa
appartenenti alle comunità albanese, serba ed ashkalia. Per parlare di
riconciliazione sotto la guida di mediatori israeliani e palestinesi.


Kossovo, una situazione di conflitto sommerso spesso rimossa e
dimenticata. Ipsia-Acli si occupa da anni nella Provincia del sud est
Europa di progetti di cooperazione allo sviluppo che sempre tengono
conto del tema della riconciliazione e della mediazione tra le varie
comunità che vi abitano.

In questi percorsi è spesso utile non rimanere chiusi nell’analisi di
un’unica realtà ma confrontarsi con esperienze anche esterne. Proprio
per questo Ipsia–Acli propone un percorso concreto di mediazione per
gettare semi di pace in Kosovo sulla traccia di un’esperienza
pionieristica di israeliani e palestinesi: la comunità di Nevè
Shalom–Wahat al Salam.

Quindici uomini e donne kosovare di etnia albanese (dalle comunità di
Klina e Gjurjevik), ashkalia (da Mahalla) e serba (da Bicha e Grabac),
che convivono nella medesima regione di Klina, parteciperanno a Spoleto
(Pg), dal 5 al 14 ottobre, al seminario residenziale “Scuola di Pace”,
organizzato da Ipsia, la Ong delle Acli, con il contributo dei
formatori dell’esperienza di Nevè Shalom–Wahat al Salam.

Nevè Shalom–Wahat al Salam (“Oasi di Pace", in ebraico e in arabo), è
un villaggio fondato nel 1972 e situato su una collina a metà strada
fra Gerusalemme e Tel Aviv, in cui attualmente risiedono circa 50
famiglie: una dimostrazione concreta di convivenza civile tra persone
appartenenti a culture e ideologie diverse. Al suo interno, infatti,
ebrei e palestinesi pur mantenendo con fierezza la propria identità
culturale e religiosa, hanno dato vita ad una comunità basata
sull'accettazione, il rispetto reciproco e la cooperazione.

“In un conflitto si maturano esperienze che possono essere utilizzate
proficuamente in altri contesti — dichiara Paola Villa, vicepresidente
dell’Ipsia, più volte in Kosovo — Per questo crediamo sia molto
prezioso il contributo che gli educatori di Nevè Shalom possono offrire
al conflitto in Kosovo, un conflitto tutt’altro che risolto, come
dimostrano i fatti dello scorso marzo, nonostante le agenzie
internazionali continuino a descrivere quella situazione come
esemplare”.

Il seminario, il secondo nel suo genere proposto da Ipsia–Acli, è il
frutto di un percorso cominciato nel luglio del 1999, quando
l’organizzazione ha accompagnato il rientro delle famiglie kosovare
profughe in Albania e si è impegnata nella ricostruzione delle case e
delle scuole. Un percorso che è continuato e si è consolidato, dal 2002
ad oggi, nella realizzazione del progetto “Sviluppo di Comunità”.

Questo forte radicamento nel territorio kosovaro e la fiducia reciproca
costruita in tutti questi anni hanno posto le basi per questo difficile
passo: che 15 kosovari/e accettino di condividere per 10 giorni uno
spazio ed il proprio tempo per “incontrarsi e scontrarsi” con l’aiuto e
la guida di persone molto esperte nella gestione dei conflitti,
Abdessalam Najjar e Nava Sonnenschein della scuola per la pace di Nevè
Shalom – Wahat al Salam.

“La specificità e la delicatezza di questa esperienza — continua Paola
Villa — risiede nel fatto che i partecipanti sono vicini di casa: si
conoscono e conoscono la reciproca storia passata e presente, in
un’area geografica nella quale, durante gli eventi dello scorso marzo,
la tensione ha portato a dover sgomberare le enclaves serbe di Bica e
Grabac. Una situazione delicata che si è potuta arginare anche grazie
all’intervento di mediazione e di pacificazione di alcuni leaders delle
comunità coinvolte, tra i quali alcuni dei partecipanti al seminario”.

A-t-on encore le droit de dénoncer la politique de Bush ?

Wolfowitz (Pentagone) réclame 265.000 euros
à l'éditeur de Michel Collon !

VANESSA STOJILKOVIC

265.000 ? ! Cette somme énorme est réclamée par la firme Hasbro à
l'éditeur EPO pour avoir publié le livre de Michel Collon Monopoly -
L'Otan à la conquête du monde. Hasbro a intenté à Paris un procès
pour une prétendue « contrefaçon » de son jeu Monopoly. Mais qui
tire les ficelles de cette firme ? Paul Wolfowitz. Oui, le n° 2 du
Pentagone, ministère de la Guerre de Bush. Divers indices montrent
que l'attaque est politique...

La multinationale US Hasbro a fait assigner l'éditeur EPO devant le
tribunal de Paris en date du 16 mai 2003. Réclamant « 150.000 euros
pour atteinte à ses marques, 100.000 euros pour 'parasitisme' et
15.000 euros pour frais». Pourquoi à Paris alors que cet éditeur est
belge au départ ? Parce que les tribunaux français sont connus pour
être plus sévères en matière de liberté d'expression et de droit à
la parodie. Ce 9 juillet 2004, la 3ème chambre du tribunal de grande
instance de Paris a donné raison à Hasbro - Monopoly et condamné
l'éditeur à payer 20.000 euros. L'éditeur a décidé d'aller en appel.
S'agit-il d'un simple litige commercial et juridique ? Pas du tout :

1° Le prétexte « juridique » est grossier :
Hasbro se prétend « victime de contrefaçon » parce que Michel Collon
a publié sa magistrale analyse de la stratégie globale US sous le
titre Monopoly - L'Otan à la conquête du monde.
Juridiquement, la manoeuvre est grossière. Car l'interdiction
d'utiliser des marques commerciales existantes vise à empêcher des
actes dits de 'concurrence déloyale'. Or, un livre d'analyse
politique ne concurrence évidemment pas la vente d'un jeu de
société. Le livre de Michel Collon a peut-être gêné les milieux
dirigeants US en exposant leur stratégie de guerre globale et en
démasquant leurs prétextes mensongers. Mais qui prétendra sans rire
qu'il aurait fait baisser les ventes du jeu Monopoly dans le monde ?
Donc, le but est ailleurs.

2° Parmi les administrateurs d'Hasbro, on trouve Paul Wolfowitz.
Vice-ministre de la Guerre de Bush, c'est lui le 'penseur' qui
prépare depuis 1991 la stratégie US de la « guerre globale ». C'est
lui qui, le premier, a poussé Bush à attaquer l'Irak.
Certes, à sa nomination dans l'administration Bush, il a suspendu
cette activité très lucrative (Hasbro est avec Mattel un des deux
géants mondiaux dominant l'industrie du jouet). Mais business et
politique sont aux USA des « vases communicants » avec de fréquents
aller-retour. Dick Cheney a lui aussi quitté ses fonctions à
Halliburton, mais bien sûr il continue à en tirer les ficelles.
Parmi les administrateurs d'Hasbro, on trouve aussi Marie-Hélène
Kravis. Un nom peu connu, mais l'épouse d'un des hommes les plus
riches du monde. Le couple est lié au complexe militaro-industriel
et à Israël (services secrets et lobby du Congrès juif mondial).
(Voir ci-après « Qui se cache derrière Hasbro ? » et « Wolfowitz,
le 'penseur' de la guerre globale »).

3° Le but est clairement de mettre un éditeur en faillite. La maison
EPO, active en France et en Belgique, s'est signalée ces dernières
années en publiant plusieurs livres marquants sur l'impérialisme US.
Citons seulement « 11 septembre » de Franssen, « Palestine » de
Lucas Catherine ainsi que les ouvrages de Calvo Ospina sur les liens
CIA - Bacardi - maffia cubaine. Ou Hassan & Pestieau sur
l'occupation de l'Irak. (voir www.epo.be)
L'éditeur EPO se bat avec acharnement pour maintenir son
indépendance face à la concentration des gros éditeurs aux mains de
l'industrie et de la finance. Lui réclamer des sommes aussi
exorbitantes vise manifestement à l'empêcher de continuer son
activité.

4° C'est le contenu politique du livre Monopoly qui pose problème.
Dans ce livre, publié en 2000, Michel Collon a magistralement
démontré que la guerre contre la Yougoslavie n'était nullement
humanitaire, mais annonçait d'autres guerres notamment contre l'Irak
et l'Afghanistan, ce que la pratique a confirmé. Il a révélé que
Washington se battait pour contrôler les routes du pétrole (projets
de pipeline à travers les Balkans) qui lui permettraient de bloquer
éventuellement l'approvisionnement énergétique de l'Europe. Le
véritable crime de Collon, c'est d'avoir exposé sans fard la
stratégie de guerre globale des Etats-Unis.

5° Michel Collon avait déjà démasqué Wolfowitz dans son livre Poker
menteur. L'auteur belge avait épinglé un rapport Wolfowitz peu
remarqué. Dès 1992, Wolfowitz y demandait au Pentagone de tout faire
pour empêcher l'apparition d'une armée européenne. A une époque où
il semblait encore qu'USA et Europe marchaient de concert, Collon
avait montré que ce rapport était une déclaration de guerre à peine
camouflée aux 'amis ' européens. Analyse qui fut confirmée par la
suite des événements et la montée de leurs oppositions. (lien Poker
menteur p. 116)

6° Michel Collon : un homme à abattre ? Depuis douze ans, l'auteur
belge mène une action originale qui a beaucoup contribué à démasquer
l'impérialisme US. Depuis le célèbre Attention, médias ! (1992), ses
livres, abondamment réédités et traduits, combinent une analyse
stratégique à la fois globale et pointue avec une démarche originale
de « test - médias » qui lui a valu sa réputation de « traqueur de
médiamensonges ». Co-auteur du film de Vanessa Stojilkovic Les
Damnés du Kosovo, traduit en six langues, Collon a été invité à des
centaines de conférences et débats à travers l'Europe et le monde.
Analyste mais aussi militant anti-guerre, Collon a mené des missions
internationales importantes sur les conséquences des agressions US :
les « 15 Belges sous les bombes de l'Otan » (Yougoslavie, 1999) et
les 120 « Inspecteurs de la paix » (Irak, 2002). D'où l'acharnement
de Washington. (www.michelcollon-info/bio)

7° Mais c'est surtout la plainte pour « crimes de guerre », déposée
à Bruxelles contre le général Franks qui a déclenché la colère de
Washington. Michel Collon est un des animateurs du mouvement Stop
USA. Celui-ci a aidé les familles de 17 victimes irakiennes à
déposer plainte à Bruxelles en 2003 contre le général Franks,
commandant en chef de l'armée US pour crimes de guerre. Basée sur
des témoignages nombreux et un dossier solide, la plainte avait
toutes les chances de l'emporter. Mais les menaces de Washington
obligèrent Bruxelles à supprimer sa loi dite « de compétence
universelle ».
'Coïncidence' : c'est quelques jours après le dépôt de cette
plainte, mais... trois ans après la sortie du livre Monopoly que la
firme Hasbro est passée à l'attaque. Le rapport est clair.

Tous ces indices le démontrent : l'attaque d'Hasbro - Wolfowitz est
politique. On a affaire à des représentants majeurs de
l'impérialisme US, avec un exemple parfait de la fusion personnelle
des intérêts économiques et politiques. Les guerres détestables de
cet impérialisme US se prolongent par une guerre contre la liberté
d'expression, pour le monopole de Hollywood, Bill Gates et CNN.
(clair ?)

Il faut sauver l'éditeur EPO !

Ce n'est pas le soldat Ryan, ni le président Bush qu'il faut sauver,
mais les éditions EPO. Les éditeurs indépendants sont de moins en
moins nombreux de par le monde à avoir les moyens de publier
témoignages, révélations, analyses sérieuses sur le militarisme US,
sur les agissements des grandes puissances et sur les grandes
questions sociales.
Au moment où le monde entier se mobilise contre la guerre et
l'impérialisme US, l'attaque d'Hasbro et Wolfowitz fait partie des
tentatives du régime Bush pour faire taire la contestation. Mais, de
même que Michael Moore ne s'est pas incliné lorsqu'on a essayé
d'empêcher la distribution de son film Fahrenheit 9/11, Michel
Collon et l'éditeur EPO ont décidé de continuer le combat. Ils
refusent de se laisser museler, quels que soient les prétextes
utilisés.

Comment pouvez-vous les soutenir dans ce combat ?
1. En diffusant la présente information (qui existe aussi en
anglais, espagnol, italien, néerlandais : www.epo.be et bientôt
sur : www.michelcollon-info.be )

2. En envoyant un mail de protestation sur leur site :
www.hasbro.com ou www.hasbro.fr (Ou Hasbro, 1027 Newport Avenue
Pawtucket, Rhode island, 02862, USA)

3. En faisant connaître les titres des éditions EPO, en invitant
leurs auteurs à des débats, en aidant EPO à trouver des canaux de
diffusion. Contact : jos.hennes@...

4. En achetant, à titre de solidarité ( pour couvrir les frais du
procès), un ou plusieurs exemplaires du livre Monopoly Soit pour
vous-même, soit pour offrir, notamment en fin d'année. Ce livre
existe en français, anglais, espagnol, néerlandais. La vente reste
autorisée pour quelques semaines. Prix : 19 Euros + port.

ENVOYEZ VOTRE COMMANDE VIA :
nessa.kovic@... qui transmettra.
Indiquez votre adresse mail (ou postale) pour recevoir le formulaire
de paiement !

POUR COMMANDER EN ANGLAIS :
Milo Yelesiyevich serbianclassics@...

POUR COMMANDER EN ESPAGNOL :
Eva Forest : hiru@...

POUR COMMANDER EN NEERLANDAIS :
Jos Hennes : jos.hennes@...

===============

Qui se cache derrière Hasbro, 'respectable' firme de jeux ?

MICHEL COLLON

Ce n'est pas parce qu'il s'agit de jouets que nous entrons dans un
monde de « petits » et de « gentils ». Le marché mondial du jouet
est aujourd'hui aux mains de deux mastodontes qui ont réussi à
éliminer ou racheter presque toutes les autres firmes : Mattel
contrôle notamment Barbie, Fisher - Price, Scrabble... Quant à
Hasbro, cette petite firme familale (Hassenfeld Brothers) a décollé
dans les années 60 en lançant un jeu militariste G.I. Joe. Ensuite,
de nombreuses prises de contrôle lui ont permis de devenir
propriétaire des marques Monopoly, Trivial Pursuit, Playskool,
Pictionary, Cluedo, Atari, Teletubbies, des dérivés du Pokemon et de
Star Wars, de très nombreux jeux électroniques, des firmes de
bonbons et bien d'autres encore.
Classique : les profits de ces deux géants du jouet ont explosé en
fermant un maximum d'usines aux USA et en Europe et en délocalisant
vers des pays pauvres du tiers monde. Ainsi, en 2002, Mattel a fermé
son usine du Kentucky. Elle exploite à présent 39.000 personnes dans
ses usines d'Asie. Si Hasbro n'emploie que 10.000 personnes
directement, c'est qu'elle recourt surtout à la sous-traitance aux
avantages bien connus. (1)

Quand vous achetez un jeu, enrichissez-vous Paul Wolfowitz, le
maître à penser de Bush ?

Donc, quand vous achetez un jeu pour vous ou vos enfants, vous avez
pratiquement toutes les chances d'enrichir les actionnaires de
Mattel ou Hasbro. Et il faut savoir que le budget jouets moyen d'un
enfant de l'U.E. s'élève à 250 ?/an.
Parmi les administrateurs que vous enrichissez ainsi
involontairement, on trouve du beau monde. Ou du vilain, ça dépend
du point de vue. D'abord, un des plus grand va-t-en-guerre des Etats-
Unis : Paul Wolfowitz. Le numéro deux de Rumsfeld, ministre de la
Guerre de Bush, avec qui il forme un 'tandem parfait' selon le très
conservateur hebdo US Time : « Si Rumsfeld est le visage, la bouche
et le bras armé de la guerre en Irak, Wolfowitz, le parrain
intellectuel, en est le coeur et l'esprit. » (2) (voir article sur
Wolfowitz, ci-après)
« Le coeur et l'esprit de la guerre » a été administrateur d'Hasbro
jusqu'à la veille de sa nomination dans l'administration George
Bush. Y retournera-t-il après son mandat politique, comme beaucoup
de personnalités US, ferventes pratiquantes de ce sport lucratif
qu'est le yo-yo business - politique ? C'est probable, mais de toute
façon les liens et les intérêts communs demeurent, discrètement ou
pas. Ainsi, Dick Cheney, le vice-président US, n'a théoriquement
plus rien à voir avec la firme pétrolière Halliburton qu'il
dirigeait avant son entrée en fonctions. Mais le scandale des «
commandes gonflées » a montré qu'il avait utilisé sans vergogne
l'occupation de l'Irak pour remplir les poches d'Halliburton, et
très probablement les siennes aussi.

Liée au complexe militaro-industriel et à Israël

Mais en parcourant la liste des administrateurs d'Hasbro, on tombe
sur un autre nom extrêmement intéressant : Marie-Josée Kravis est ou
a été administratrice de Ford, Canadian Imperial Bank, Vivendi
Universal et Hollinger. Cette société est liée à la droite dure US
et aux services de renseignements israéliens puisque leur ancien
chef Shlomo Ben Gazit siège dans un comité de Hasbro (3). Elle
contrôle divers journaux britanniques et israéliens qui ont joué un
rôle de tout premier plan dans le dossier irakien.
Marie-José Kravis a aussi été administratrice de Seagram. Dont le
patriarche Edgar Bronfman Sr. est président du très influent lobby
du 'Congrès Juif Mondial'. Elle siège aussi à la direction d'un
think thank US conservateur, l'Institut Hudson. Bush Père l'avait
nommée au conseil du secrétariat à l'énergie. Sur le site du Council
on Foreign Relations, organe majeur où se discute et décide la
politique internationale US, elle est présentée comme « experte » en
économie internationale, politique publique et stratégie. (4)
Son mari, Henry Kravis, occupe le 351e rang de la liste Forbes des
hommes les plus riches du monde avec une fortune estimée à 1,3
milliard $. Sa firme KKR a possédé ou possède en tout ou en partie
plusieurs firmes significatives: Safeway, Union Texas Petroleum,
Duracell, American Re Insurance, Nabisco...
Enfin, à ceux qui s'étonneraient si un tribunal français se montrait
peut-être complaisant envers une société US, signalons que KKR est
le principal actionnaire de la société française électrique Legrand.
Dont le président est Ernest-Antoine Seillière, patron du Medef,
c'est-à-dire patron des patrons français (5). Le monde du business
est petit.
Parmi les autres administrateurs actuels d'Hasbro, on trouve encore
Jack Greenberg, ex-boss de McDonalds, Paula Stern, ancienne
présidente de la Commision du Commerce International des Etats-Unis,
Sylvia Hassenfeld (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committe) et
Alan Batkin, vice-président de Kissinger Associates. Cette société
de consultance fait profiter les multinationales US des conseils
expérimentés du "Docteur Henry", qui fut le boss de Pinochet et de
quelques uns des dictateurs les plus sanglants de la planète.

Conclusion : Hasbro, ce n'est pas du tout un jeu. Ni pour des
dizaines de milliers de travailleurs du tiers monde, surexploités au
bénéfice d'actionnaires et administrateurs richissimes comme Kravis
et Wolfowitz. Ni pour son rôle aux côtés des agressions militaristes
US et israéliennes. Hasbro est un élément du complexe militaro-
industriel qui a mis en place le régime Bush et sa guerre globale.

(1) Chiffres de l'International Council of Toy Industry. Voir aussi
Thérèse Jeunejean, Le grand jeu de la mondialisation, Le Ligueur
(Belgique), 12/11/2002. Gresea (Belgique), La face cachée du jouet,
juillet 2002.
(2) http://www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2003/poywolf.html
(3) Voir l'index de Geoffrey Geuens, Tous pouvoirs confondus, EPO,
2003, que nous remercions pour son aide précieuse.
(4) Source : <http://www.kkr.com/>
(5) Sur l'importance du Council on Foreign relations, voir Geuens,
idem, p. 84-92. (Et Gounet, EM?)

Paul Wolfowitz, le penseur de la 'guerre globale' de Bush
Ce document, vous pourrez le trouver bientôt - ainsi que les
développements du procès Wolfowitz c/ EPO & Collon - sur le site
www.michelcollon.info qui n'est pas encore ouvert, mais va l'être
bientôt. Un mail vous avertira. Sur ce site, vous pourrez vous
inscrire ou désinscrire de la liste d'envoi ainsi que vos amis.

(english / italiano)


--- BIELORUSSIA ---

USA, EU declare Belarus officials personas non grata (by Alina Kalinina)
http://english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=14336

Belarus president prepared to struggle against possible Western
aggression (by Olga Mazaeva)
http://english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=14353

US Congress imposes sanctions against Belarus over democracy issues
http://english.pravda.ru/printed.html?news_id=14389

Belarus ' Foreign Ministry sees U.S. Congress statement as interference
in country's domestic affairs
http://en.rian.ru/rian/
index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4940585&startrow=11&date=2004-10-
06&do_alert=0


--- MOLDAVIA / TRANSNISTRIA ---

Transdniester: Western-Backed Blockade Inflicts Damage On Citizens,
Region
http://en.rian.ru/rian/
index.cfm?prd_id=160&msg_id=4848655&startrow=1&date=2004-09-
14&do_alert=0

NATO Secretary General discusses Transdniestra in Moldova
http://www.noticias.info/Asp/aspPrintingVersion.asp?NOT=34300

Moldova wants US, EU to 'help solve Transdniestr headache'
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040930144748.5zn54wch


--- UCRAINA ---

I COMUNISTI SONO PREOCCUPATI DELLE PRESSIONI SENZA PRECEDENTI CHE GLI
USA ESERCITANO SULL’UCRAINA

http://www.glavred.info/

ripreso in http://www.partaktiv.info/main/415ab26ec0bdc/

29 settembre 2004

Il Partito Comunista di Ucraina ha protestato per la presentazione alla
camera dei rappresentanti USA di un progetto legislativo di sanzioni
contro la dirigenza ucraina in caso di elezioni non corrette ( si
tratta del progetto 5102 del 15 settembre, il cosiddetto “Atto sulla
democrazia ucraina e la correttezza delle elezioni del 2004”, nota del
traduttore) ed ha dichiarato che ciò rappresenta un’ingerenza negli
affari interni dell’Ucraina.

A ciò fa riferimento la dichiarazione, diffusa oggi dal servizio stampa
dell’ufficio elettorale del candidato alla presidenza Piotr Simonenko:
“Noi in quanto cittadini di uno stato sovrano e indipendente, membro a
pieno diritto dell’ONU e delle altre più influenti organizzazioni
internazionali, eleviamo la nostra vibrata protesta contro le ormai
abituali attività ostili che caratterizzano la politica americana nei
confronti dell’Ucraina e del suo popolo”.

Nel documento si afferma anche che i comunisti ucraini sosterrebbero
pienamente gli Stati Uniti, se essi fossero disposti a prodigarsi per
far ottenere “la restituzione, secondo quanto prevede la legge,  degli
strumenti finanziari di ogni tipo che sono in possesso di malversatori,
di funzionari poco puliti e di “uomini d’affari” ucraini, che sono
stati portati fuori in modo criminale dal nostro stato e trasferiti
nelle strutture finanziarie degli USA”.

“Proprio un tale atto di buona volontà da parte del governo USA, a
nostro avviso, favorirebbe la realizzazione dei processi democratici in
Ucraina e rappresenterebbe l’evidente dimostrazione dell’effettivo
desiderio di garantire successo e prosperità al nostro paese”.

Traduzione dal russo di Mauro Gemma

---

ELEZIONI PRESIDENZIALI IN UCRAINA: LA PARTITA IN GIOCO NELLA
VALUTAZIONE DEI COMUNISTI

http://www.partaktiv.info/main/4160fba82c73b/

“Il presidente dell’Ucraina Leonid Kuchma (la discussa personalità
politica, alla fine dei suoi mandati presidenziali, nota del
traduttore) e la sua cerchia hanno puntato sin dall’inizio non sul
premier Viktor Janukovic (gradito all’amministrazione presidenziale
russa, nota del traduttore), ma sul suo oppositore Viktor Juschenko”
(il candidato filoccidentale, sostenuto dalla destra liberista e
nazionalista, nota del traduttore).

“Molti processi della campagna elettorale sono condizionati dagli Stati
Uniti, che stanno preparando un colpo di mano”. “Se in Ucraina
succedesse ciò che è avvenuto in Georgia, tale processo si
trasferirebbe immediatamente in Russia. Se la Federazione Russa dovesse
perseverare nella sua politica di non ingerenza, i carri armati della
NATO domani si troverebbero alle porte di Voronezh (importante città
russa non distante dai confini ucraini, nota del traduttore)”.

Sono alcune delle affermazioni contenute nella lunga intervista che il
leader comunista Piotr Simonenko ha concesso all’agenzia russa “Novij
Reghion”, di cui vengono tradotte le risposte  più significative.

 
D. Che giudizio dà delle voci, secondo cui la squadra di Kuchma in
realtà non starebbe appoggiando Janukovic, ma lavorerebbe per la
vittoria di Juschenko?

R. Oltre un anno fa feci una mia diagnosi, prevedendo che Kuchma e la
sua squadra avrebbero lavorato per far eleggere Juschenko. Ho detto
questo anche a molti politici russi. E oggi è davanti agli occhi la
realizzazione pratica di questo progetto. Fingono di appoggiare
Janukovic, ma puntano su Juschenko nell’interesse della “famiglia” e
del grande capitale.

Anche per i politici e gli uomini d’affari russi la realizzazione di un
tale schema avrebbe conseguenze enormi. Se, con tali metodi, dovesse
essere assicurato l’arrivo al potere del nuovo presidente, si
assisterebbe a un indebolimento dei processi di integrazione.
Naturalmente, avverrebbe una spartizione della proprietà. Si
rinnoverebbe il tentativo di risolvere la questione del controllo del
settore della trasformazione del petrolio e di alcune altre imprese
strategiche del paese.

(…)

D. In che modo il risultato elettorale (favorevole alla destra
nazionalista) potrebbe riflettersi sulle prospettive di integrazione di
Ucraina, Russia e Bielorussia?

R. Non ho alcun dubbio che tali processi sarebbero interrotti.
Verrebbero compiuti passi ostili, tali da spingere la Russia a una
risposta adeguata. E allora i rappresentanti delle forze nazionaliste
di destra dichiarerebbero: “Vedete che cosa fanno i nostri vicini?
Hanno chiuso le frontiere alle merci ucraine!”.

Noi invece riteniamo che i processi di integrazione vadano
approfonditi. Certo, comprendiamo quanto siano affini i sistemi
politici in Ucraina e in Russia e quanto facciano conto sul grande
capitale. Ma capiamo anche che non siamo in grado di accedere a mercati
diversi da quello russo e bielorusso. Anche in Asia non ci danno libero
accesso. Là i mercati sono da tempo conquistati. E gran parte della
nostra produzione non riesce a reggere nei confronti della concorrenza.
Per questa ragione, se i processi di integrazione dovessero subire un
arresto, l’Ucraina non sarebbe più in grado di difendere i propri
interessi. Penso che allora gli americani troverebbero il modo di,
scusate le parole pesanti, tapparci la bocca. E’ vero che esiste un
problema che gli americani non sono in grado di risolvere subito: il
problema del gas e del petrolio. Ma i nazionalisti hanno già
ripetutamente dichiarato che bisognerà dettare condizioni alla Russia,
partendo dalla considerazione che il sistema di trasporto del gas russo
attraversa il territorio ucraino. Finora queste condizioni non le hanno
ancora avanzate in modo esplicito e sfacciato. Ma ciò sicuramente
avverrà, non appena giungeranno al potere.

(…)

D. Ma perché gli americani alla fine vincono sempre? Qual è la sua
opinione?

R. Io affermo sempre che vincono solo coloro che non incontrano
resistenza. Gli americani non riescono a vincere quelli che resistono.
Ci sono molti esempi. Forse che i vietnamiti non ce l’hanno fatta?
Hanno vinto. E gli americani non possono nemmeno fare nulla con Cuba.
Per questo oggi il nostro compito è quello di dimostrare il più grande
senso di responsabilità di fronte a quanto sta accadendo…


Traduzione dal russo di Mauro Gemma

https://www.cnj.it/INIZIATIVE/maidirezmaj.htm
Segnalazione iniziativa

Fonte: http://www.maidirezmaj.it


Mercoledì 13 ottobre 2004

ore 20.30

Chicobar Via Ollearo 5 - MILANO

Presentazione del documentario "Guadi sul ponte"
girato all'orfanotrofio Zmaj di Belgrado.

Interverranno:

Filippo Tognazzo
regista del documentario

Un rappresentante della rivista "Come"
che ha recentemente dedicato un numero monografico alla Serbia

Andrea della Regina e Antonio Furlan
del gruppo Maidirezmaj-La tenda che da tempo portano avanti progetti
di solidarietà in Serbia
e in particolare presso l'orfanotrofio Zmaj di Belgrado

Ivana Kerecki e Milica Vukelic
del Coordinamento Nazionale per la Jugoslavia
parleranno della situazione attuale in Serbia

LiMes su Cuba disinforma. Perche'?

Gli organi di stampa italiani, all'unisono, urlano che a Cuba non c'e'
liberta' di stampa. Essi stessi pero' nascondono aspetti e fatti
importanti, censurano notizie e falsificano l'immagine di quel paese.
Conosciamo bene, purtroppo, questa maniera di fare disinformazione, per
averla pagata sulla nostra pelle come jugoslavi e come amici della
Jugoslavia: il parallelo con Cuba e la solidarieta' per quel paese ci
sorgono dunque spontanei.

Dov'e' allora che manca la liberta' di stampa: a Cuba o in Italia? Dopo
l'esempio vergognoso de L'Unita' (vedi:
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/aa-info/message/9073 ) la nostra
carrellata prosegue con la rivista LiMes. Dal Comitato 28 giugno
“Difendiamo Cuba” riceviamo e volentieri giriamo:


Undici domande su Cuba alla redazione
e agli autori di Limes
 
L’ultimo numero di “Limes” dedicato alla realtà e alla storia di Cuba è
riuscito ad essere una condanna senza appello per l’esperienza politica
di Cuba. Questa caduta di stile e di qualità di una rivista che abbiamo
sempre letto con interesse, ha suscitato una serie di interrogativi che
vogliamo girare alla redazione di Limes, agli autori dell’ultimo numero
ed ai lettori della rivista.

 1)    Se la situazione a Cuba prima della rivoluzione del 1959 era
così “florida” come sostengono gli autori di Limes, come mai nel 1959
c’è stata una rivoluzione?

2)    Come spiegano gli autori che se la situazione cubana appare così
catastrofica, il suo governo non sia stato travolto dalla dissoluzione
del socialismo reale tra il 1989 e il 1991 o negli anni immediatamente
successivi?

3)    Alcuni autori di Limes sostengono che Cuba oggi “è la più grande
prigione di giornalisti del mondo”: E’ una frase a effetto di una certa
perentorietà, ma su quali dati oggettivi si basa? Assai più vicino di
Cuba, in Spagna per l’esattezza, oggi ci sono molti più giornalisti in
carcere, sono stati chiusi dalle autorità due quotidiani e due
settimanali e intere redazioni sono finite in galera (alcuni ancora vi
permangono). La redazione di Limes pensa di poter o di dover
rettificare l’affermazione non esatta contenuta in questo ultimo numero
della rivista?

4)    Se Cuba rinunciasse oggi al suo modello sociale e accettasse le
regole del FMI e della WTO, quali possibilità di sviluppo sociale più
avanzate potrebbe avere un paese le cui uniche risorse sono: le rimesse
degli emigrati, gli introiti del turismo e i prodotti agricoli i cui
prezzi sul mercato mondiale declinano sistematicamente da anni? Da un
confronto onesto con la Repubblica Dominicana ed Haiti (gli altri due
paesi importanti delle Grandi Antille “aperti” al mercato), potreste
affermare che in questi paesi c’è uno sviluppo ed una coesione sociale
superiore e migliore di quella di Cuba?

5)    La partecipazione popolare alle decisioni dello Stato è il
fondamento della democrazia. Se gli autori ritengono che il modello
elettorale e decisionale cubano sia “non democratico”, potrebbero
affermare che il modello democratico liberale sia migliore sul piano
della partecipazione popolare alle decisioni? Come e con quali
argomenti potreste spiegare ad un cittadino cubano o di un altro paese
latinoamericano che nei paesi liberali vota solo una minoranza di
cittadini?

6)    Un istituto demoscopico dell’America Latina (Latinobarometro)
rivela che più della metà dei latinoamericani non nutre più fiducia sul
fatto che democrazia liberale e progresso sociale siano la stessa cosa
(vedi Sole 24 ore del 13 settembre). Con quali argomenti replichereste
a tale contraddizione che rovescia nel suo contrario le vostre
affermazioni sulla “non democraticità” del modello politico cubano?

7)    Se le ambasciate in Italia dei paesi dell’Unione Europea
invitassero alle loro feste nazionali i leader dei movimenti che si
oppongono al governo Berlusconi, quali sarebbero secondo voi le
reazioni del governo italiano?

8)    Se un aereo militare francese sorvolasse tutti i giorni al limite
delle acque territoriali italiane trasmettendo programmi che invitano a
rovesciare il governo, come reagirebbero le autorità italiane?

9)    Gli autori di Limes conoscono sicuramente le differenze tra
segregazione razziale, razzismo e pregiudizio razziale. Come mai in un
articolo su Cuba lasciate che assumano lo stesso significato?

10) Fidel Castro è un leader politico che gode di grande autorevolezza
nel suo paese, in America Latina, nel terzo mondo ed anche in alcuni
paesi europei. Secondo gli autori di Limes deve farsene una colpa o i
tanti che lo stimano devono ritenersi degli stupidi?

11) Come mai quando si parla della realtà di Cuba, i giornali
“democratici” intervistano solo gli “oppositori” e non sentono
l’esigenza di sentire anche le voci ufficiali del governo cubano o le
voci ufficiose non ostili al governo, come si fa per altri paesi? In
altri numeri e su altre realtà (Balcani, Medio Oriente) Limes lo ha
fatto fornendo documentazione e stimoli interessanti. Non sarebbe più
utile fornire ai lettori tutte le fonti e consentire al lettore di
farsi una sua opinione su Cuba?

 Alla luce di queste domande, la redazione di Limes sarebbe disposta a
pubblicare un nuovo numero della rivista che ripristini un confronto ed
una documentazione plurale e più corretta sulla realtà di Cuba? Ce ne
sarebbe bisogno, per il prestigio della rivista e per l’onestà del
dibattito sulla realtà internazionale di questo nuovo secolo.

 In attesa di un vostro riscontro, cordiali saluti

 
Il Comitato 28 giugno “Difendiamo Cuba”

Informazioni e contatti: cuba28giugno@ libero.it;
tel. 06-5110757

(english / italiano)

La Unione Europea premia la pulizia etnica in Croazia

1. UE: CROAZIA; VERHEUGEN, SI' APERTURA NEGOZIATI IN 2005

2. CROAZIA: PROFUGHI SERBI, SOLO IL 14 PER CENTO VUOLE TORNARE / Poll:
Most Serb refugees unwilling to return to Croatia

3. The Z-4 Plan and the Run-up to Operation Storm (by Andy Wilcoxson)


=== 1 ===

UE: CROAZIA; VERHEUGEN, SI' APERTURA NEGOZIATI IN 2005

(ANSA) - BRUXELLES, 6 OTT - Il commissario europeo all'allargamento,
Guenter Verheugen, ha indicato oggi che Bruxelles raccomandera' ai capi
di Stato e di governo dell'Ue di ''aprire i negoziati con la Croazia
per l'adesione all'Ue all'inizio dell'anno prossimo''. La decisione
definitiva sull'apertura dei negoziati con Zagabria sara' presa dai
leader Ue nel summit del 17 dicembre prossimo a Bruxelles. (ANSA) CM
06/10/2004 14:05


=== 2 ===

CROAZIA: PROFUGHI SERBI, SOLO IL 14 PER CENTO VUOLE TORNARE

(ANSA) - ZAGABRIA, 15 SET - Solo il 14 per cento dei 188 mila profughi
serbi di Croazia ha intenzione di ritornare alle loro case che hanno
abbandonato durante la guerra serbocroata (1991-1995) e oltre l'85 per
cento ha dichiarato invece di non aver alcun intenzione di rientrare.
E' l'esito di un sondaggio realizzato per conto dell'Organizzazione per
la sicurezza e la cooperazione in Europa (Osce), pubblicato oggi sulla
stampa croata. Circa 300 mila serbi di Croazia fuggirono davanti all'
offensiva delle truppe di Zagabria che nel 1995 ripresero il controllo
della regione della Krajina, dove quattro anni prima era stata
proclamata la Repubblica serba di Krajina in contrasto con la
proclamazione dell'indipendenza della Croazia dalla Federazione
jugoslava. Secondo statistiche del governo croato finora circa 112.000
serbi sono ritornati, mentre appunto secondo il sondaggio realizzato su
un campione di mille persone in Serbia e in Bosnia, la maggioranza dei
188.000 che non sono rientrati ha l'intenzione di restare nei paesi
dove hanno vissuto negli ultimi nove anni. Il sondaggio e' il punto di
partenza di una vasta campagna congiunta dell'Osce, delle Nazioni
unite, della Commissione europea e del governo croato che in autunno
sara' lanciata in Serbia, Bosnia e Croazia per incoraggiare il rientro.
Cosi' come si auspica il ritorno dei serbi dalla Croazia, si spera
anche nel rientro dei croato-bosniaci che durante la guerra sono
fuggiti dalla Republika Srpska (Rs, entita' serba della Bosnia). Il
ritorno dei profughi serbi e' una delle condizioni fondamentali per
l'ingresso della Croazia nell'Unione europea e i negoziati di adesione
dovrebbero iniziare nei primi mesi del 2005. (ANSA). COR-VD
15/09/2004 18:36

---

http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/world_4830365KathiLev&xml/
&aspKath/world.asp?fdate=16/09/2004

Associated Press
September 16, 2004

Poll: Most Serb refugees unwilling to return to Croatia

ZAGREB - About 85 percent of ethnic Serbs who fled
their homes in Croatia during the 1991-95 war here are
not prepared to return, fearing discrimination and
mistreatment, a poll released yesterday suggested. At
the same time, nearly two in three Croats interviewed
by the respected polling agency Puls don’t want to see
them back, the survey found. The poll of 1,000 Serb
refugees now living in neighboring Serbia-Montenegro
and Bosnia was conducted for the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe.


=== 3 ===

http://www.slobodan-milosevic.org/news/smorg-anl082804.htm

www.slobodan-milosevic.org, Saturday, August 28, 2004

The Z-4 Plan and the Run-up to Operation Storm

Written by: Andy Wilcoxson

Throughout 1995 the Contact Group was conducting peace negotiations in
Geneva between the Republika Srpska Krajina (RSK) Government, and the
Croatian Government.

On August 3, 1995 the RSK Prime Minister, Milan Babic, announced that
Kinin had accepted the so-called "Z-4 Plan" which envisioned the
integration of the RSK into the Croatian state, while giving autonomy
to the Serbs living there. Babic had reached the agreement on August
2nd through negotiations with the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Peter
Galbraith.

Unfortunately, the Krajina Serbs’ acceptance of the Z-4 Plan was
rejected by Croatia, and Operation Storm was launched the next day.
During Operation Storm the Croats killed or expelled approximately
200,000 Serbs. This article will examine the events that immediately
preceded Operation Storm.

On August 3rd Galbraith went on Croatian TV and announced that "Mr.
Babic agreed to negotiate the reintegration of the Serb-held areas in
Croatia. Mr. Babic said that he was going to instruct his delegation in
Geneva about these points. According to our reports, he has already
done so." [1]

According to an August 3, 1995 interview that Babic gave to Serbia's
FoNet news agency, Galbraith had promised that the United States would
protect the Krajina Serbs from any Croatian military offensive.

Babic told FoNet that: "I spoke to US Ambassador [to Croatia, Peter]
Galbraith last night. Today I also made a statement which supported the
stand of our delegation in Geneva. Mr. Galbraith promised me that his
government would uphold our stand and that it would intervene to
prevent Croatia from carrying out its military strike, provided we made
public the stands we adopted earlier and which we made public today."
[2]

Unfortunately, in spite of the good-will of the Serbian side, the
Croats had no intention of reaching a peace agreement and broke-off
negotiations.

According to Babic, "Despite the fact that our delegation had accepted
all of the co-chairman, [Thorvald Stoltenberg's] proposals, the Croats
did not accept anything and broke off today's talks." [3]

Babic's claims were backed-up by Glasgow's "The Herald" newspaper.
Consider the following excerpts from the August 4th edition of that
paper:

Last night [August 3, 1995], an American mediator said a leader of the
rebel Krajina Serbs had offered significant concessions so that there
was now no reason for Croatia to go to war.

The US ambassador to Croatia, Mr. Peter Galbraith, said Krajina Serb
“prime minister” Milan Babic had agreed to hold talks on the “peaceful
re-integration” into Croatia of Serb-held areas." [4]

[…]

“On my part, I can state that we are ready to enter negotiations on a
political solution with Zagreb,” Babic said.

He said a “modified and improved” version of the so-called Z-4 plan
drafted by the United States, Russia, the United Nations, and the
European Union could serve as a basis for talks. [5]

[…]

Ambassador Galbraith said Babic had told the Serb delegation holding
last-ditch talks in Geneva to carry out his pledges. The Croatians in
Geneva consider the talks to have broken down.

However, UN mediator Thorvald Stoltenberg said the discussions in
Geneva could yet help to avert a new war. “We did not reach an
agreement but I felt it is not far away,” he told reporters. [6]

The Serbian side had agreed to the Z-4 Plan. Babic publicly stated his
acceptance of the Z-4 Plan. He had instructed his negotiators in Geneva
to implement the agreement, and the U.S. Ambassador Galbraith confirmed
all of this with his public statements. In spite of all of this the
Croats still decided to break off talks. But why; what justification
did they use to break off the talks?

The answer to that question is contained in the transcripts of the
so-called "trial" of Slobodan Milosevic.

When Milan Babic testified as a witness against Milosevic, the
prosecution entered into evidence [as Exhibit 352, tab 104] a
coded-cable dated August 3, 1995 from the U.K. embassy in Zagreb,
regarding a conversation between Galbraith and Babic.

The cable read: "RSK Prime Minister tells my American colleague that to
avoid war he is ready to meet Tudjman's conditions and will announce
this today. Unclear whether he has other RSK leadership on board.
Milosevic being briefed by Americans on Galbraith's discussions with
Babic, need to get Belgrade backing to lend credibility." [7]

When the prosecutor, Ms. Uertz-Retzlaff, put the cable to Babic to get
his reaction he said:

"I don't know about any briefing of Milosevic by international factors.
All I know is that a member of the French embassy in Belgrade had told
me that Milosevic did not support us." [8]

Milosevic was not briefed by the Americans. Galbraith complained that
they could not get a hold of Milosevic, but we'll discuss that later.

At this point we can start to see what gave the Croats their excuse to
break-off the negotiations. The French said that Milosevic did not
support the Z-4 Plan, and the British said that without his support the
negotiations had no credibility. Therefore, the Croats could say that
the negotiations were not being done in good-faith, and had their
excuse to break off the talks.

Of course it is totally false that Milosevic didn't support the Z-4
Plan. Already in April 1995, Milosevic told Babic that Z-4 was "a good
plan." [9]

When Babic, through his negotiations with Galbraith, agreed to the Z-4
Plan; he called Milosevic on the morning of August 3, 1995 to inform
him. According to Babic, Milosevic approved and said, "Yes. Yes.
Everything should be done peacefully [or 'mirno' in Serbian]." [10]

So, twice Milosevic told Babic that Z-4 was a good plan. He told him
that it was good four months before he agreed to it, and he supported
Babic’s decision when he agreed to it in the negotiations with
Galbraith.

Of course, none of this stopped Galbraith from blaming Milosevic for
the talks breaking down. Never mind that neither Serbia, nor the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was even invited to those talks.

When Galbraith testified he said, "In August of 1995, this was August
2nd, this was the meeting I had in Belgrade with Babic which produced
the last-minute agreement to try to head off the war."

"The next day Rudy Perina [the US charges d'affaires in Belgrade]
requested an appointment to see Mr. Milosevic to demarche him to
support the Galbraith-Babic agreement. He refused to see Mr. Perina
that day, the 3rd of August, and the next day the Croatian army
attacked the Krajina." [11]

It is completely untrue that Milosevic "refused to see Perina."
Milosevic was not in Belgrade on August 3rd, and therefore he could not
possibly see Perina in Belgrade. However, this doesn't mean that Perina
couldn't speak to him on the phone, and secure his support for the
agreement in that way.

Take a look at the following exchange between Milosevic and Galbraith:

MILOSEVIC: Mr. Galbraith, I never refused to receive Rudy Perina. I
wasn't in Belgrade at that time.

MR. MAY: It's no use repeating that. You've heard what the witness
says. If you can give evidence about it, no doubt you may.

GALBRAITH: Your Honour, if I can point out, even if the [accused] were
not in Belgrade, which I don't know, there are telephones, and we did
use telephones to talk to leaders on urgent matters.

MILOSEVIC: Why then didn't they speak to me by telephone? They didn't
want to talk to me, Mr. Galbraith. Why don't you say that?

GALBRAITH: We desperately wanted to talk to you. We desperately wanted
you to support this last-minute agreement. We desperately wanted to
head off the war. Mr. Babic also wanted to see you and get you to
support this last-minute agreement. As he said to me, one sentence from
you and Knin would have agreed, and I think there would have been a
very good chance at that point that Operation Storm, even at that last
minute, Operation Storm could have been headed off and a 180.000 Serbs
from the Krajina would not have been driven from their homes and a huge
humanitarian catastrophe would not have happened.

MILOSEVIC: Mr. Galbraith, Babic testified here. He asked to see me. He
heard that I wasn't in Belgrade. He asked for my telephone from people
from the Ministry of the Interior, and my telephone was known to all my
associates always. I was on vacation. He reached me by phone. [12]

At this point Milosevic is cut-off by Mr. May, but notice that
Galbraith didn’t explain how come nobody called Milosevic, even though
he claims that they “desperately wanted to talk to him.” However, later
in the cross-examination Milosevic re-visits the topic and look at the
lame answer that he gets from Galbraith:

MILOSEVIC: Before we move on, just one thing, please. Since you said
that you could not reach me, that Perina could not reach me, that
Roberts could not reach me because I was away on vacation, if you
already wanted to give this kind of information, why didn't you give it
to the Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister, anybody, or why didn't you
request telephone contact with me? It was possible at any time.

GALBRAITH: It was for -- referring now to the August meeting or August
3rd events, it was for the charges of the United States to try to get
in contact with you. He attempted to get in contact with you. I don't
know the particulars of it. Some of these officials the United States
did not see because we did not recognise the government of -- of the
so-called Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

MILOSEVIC: That's not correct. Perina contacted the Foreign Minister,
Jovanovic, and many others. So if you really cared about this, if you
really wanted to convey some information or a demarche, are you trying
to say that the US charges d'affaires could not deliver this at my
office and would he not have known that I would have gotten it
immediately for sure, or couldn't he have requested to speak to me on
the telephone? He didn't ask for any such thing. He just asked for me
to receive him and the answer given to him was I was not in Belgrade
and that was it.

There's a saying in Serbia, Mr. Galbraith, and it says that a person
requests something and prays to God not to get it. So I think that this
was the case. [13]

Galbraith's answer is nonsense; the U.S. wouldn't contact any officials
of the FRY Government to try and get in contact with Milosevic, because
the U.S. didn't recognize the FRY. That is obviously a lie.

Milosevic is right; Galbraith never wanted to contact him. Galbraith
wanted the negotiations to fail. He wanted the Croats to attack the
Krajina Serbs, and now he wants to make Milosevic the scapegoat, and
blame him for the genocide that was committed against his own people.

Look at what happened: France made up the lie that Milosevic didn’t
support the Z-4 Plan; the U.K. decided that the negotiations had no
credibility without Milosevic’s support, the Americans deliberately
failed to contact Milosevic to see if he supported the plan or not,
then the Croats broke off talks and launched Operation Storm.

The international community, specifically France, England and the U.S.
undermined the, negotiations by lying about Milosevic’s position, and
handed the Croats the pretext to break-off negotiations, and that’s not
all. The Americans gave the Croats the go-ahead to attack.

On August 18, 1995, just two weeks after Operation Storm, Galbraith and
Richard Holbrooke went to Zagreb and met with Tudjman and his cabinet.
The stenographic notes from that meeting were obtained by Milosevic and
entered into evidence at the tribunal. In the stenographic notes
Holbrooke is quoted as saying:

"You had just justification for a military operation in Western
Slavonia, and I kept defending it in Washington. You will recall that
the two of us met in London immediately afterwards, and then we went to
the US embassy to meet Gore. It was a very dramatic exchange of views.
Some people wanted Gore to tell you -- tell us that you would be
withdrawing from Western Slavonia and we said absolutely not. You have
to stay there.”

“You've closed the back door, that is to say, your country, and then we
discussed your activities in Livanjsko Polje, and then we stated the
following: Continue, carry on."

"We publicly said that we were concerned. However, privately, you knew
what we wanted." [14]

So, Holbrooke is boasting that he defended Operation Flash (the Croat
attack on Western Slavonia) in Washington. Then he tells the Croats to
“carry on” with activities in Livanjsko Polje where they were getting
ready for Operation Storm, and then at this meeting that took place
only two weeks after Operation Storm, he says to Tudjman “We publicly
said that we were concerned. However, privately, you knew what we
wanted.”

The writing is on the wall. The international community and the Croats
had the same objective: To commit genocide against the Krajina Serbs.
Holbrooke publicly professed concern for the fate of the civilians in
the Krajina, while secretly plotting their demise together with Tudjman.

On August 3rd Galbraith was promising Babic that the United States
would protect the Krajina Serbs [15], and the very next day, as Croatia
was waging its offensive, American warplanes were bombing the Krajina
Serbs’ air defense systems. [16]

The day before Croatia launched Operation Storm, Galbraith said that
there was no reason for Croatia to go to war, since there was now an
agreement with Babic [17], but when Galbraith testified he sang a
different tune, and mocked Milosevic for being surprised when the
Croats attacked.

Galbraith said: “I mean, I don't -- Mr. Milosevic must have been very
cut off on top of the mountain, because everybody else in the world
understood that in August 1995, Europe was on the verge of the biggest
battle since the Second World War. And how any leader, any responsible
leader could be on vacation with all this happening and with the fate
of so many people, may I add, so many Serbs, at stake, I cannot
understand. But, you know, it was clear that the Croatians were going
to attack. It was in the press. It was -- their forces were mobilised.
I mean, he could not have not known this. -- And so -- I mean, what
else can I say?” [18]

Galbraith, who personally, the day before the attack took place reached
an agreement with Babic, and said that there was no reason for an
attack, is now saying that everybody knew there would be an attack and
that Milosevic was stupid for not seeing it?!

The implication that Galbraith is making is that Milosevic knew about
the attack in advance, and could have somehow stopped it, but didn’t.

It defies logic that anybody would think that an attack would happen
after a peace agreement had been reached. Babic agreed to the Z-4 Plan.
Milosevic supported the Z-4 Plan. Galbraith promised Babic that the
United States would stop any Croatian attack. The British Embassy’s
August 3, 1995 coded-cable stated that Babic was “ready to meet
Tudjman's conditions.” Galbraith had said himself that there was no
reason for the Croats to launch a war.

How was Milosevic supposed to know that an attack would happen? And
what could he have done about it even if he did know? Babic agreed to
the Z-4 Plan, and agreed to Tudjman’s conditions. Did Galbraith want
Milosevic to send in the Yugoslav Army so that Serbia could be accused
of “aggression” and bombed that much sooner?

Croatia and the International Community committed a horrific crime
against the Serbian people. Operation Storm was pure evil, and those
responsible for it such as, Holbrooke, Galbraith, and Tudjman should
burn for what they did.

Footnotes:

1. Croatian TV satellite service, Zagreb, in Serbo-Croat 1730 gmt 3 Aug
95 BBC Monitoring 5 Aug 95, "Krajina Serb leader reportedly agrees
concessions to Croatia"

2. FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 2015 gmt 3 Aug 95 BBC
Monitoring 5 Aug 95, "Babic comments on Geneva outcome"

3. Ibid.

4. The Herald (Glasgow), August 4, 1995, "Shelling starts as Serbs
offer a deal"

5. Ibid.

6. Ibid.

7. Milosevic trial transcript - November 21, 2002 - page 13261, line 24.

8. Milosevic trial transcript - November 21, 2002 - page 13262, line 6

9. Milosevic trial transcript - June 26, 2003 - page 23162, line 17

10. Milosevic trial transcript - November 21, 2002 - page 13260, line 6

11. Milosevic trial transcript - June 26, 2003 - page 23157, line 20

12. Milosevic trial transcript - June 26, 2003 - page 23158, line 3

13. Milosevic trial transcript - June 26, 2003 - page 23169, line 22

14. Milosevic trial transcript - January 22, 2004 - page 31373, line 8

15. FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbo-Croat 2015 gmt 3 Aug 95 BBC
Monitoring 5 Aug 95, "Babic comments on Geneva outcome"

16. The Navy Times, "August 25, 1995, "Navy jets bomb Serb missile
sites"

17. The Herald (Glasgow), August 4, 1995, "Shelling starts as Serbs
offer a deal"

18. Milosevic trial transcript - June 26, 2003 - page 23160, line 1

19. Milosevic trial transcript - November 21, 2002 - page 13261, line 24

[ La infame aggressione della NATO contro la RF di Jugoslavia e la
conseguente occupazione neocoloniale sul territorio del Kosovo-Metohija
hanno avuto perlomeno una conseguenza incontestabile: il rafforzamento
della mafia albanese, e dei traffici che essa gestisce a livello non
solo locale, ma internazionale: droga, armi, esseri umani. Quella
aggressione e quella occupazione militare, infatti, sono state
realizzate in stretta collaborazione con (ma potremmo piuttosto dire:
per conto di) la criminalita' organizzata attorno alla struttura armata
dei secessionisti grande-albanesi, cioe' l'UCK. Nel suo libro "La
televisione va alla guerra" (Sperling&Kupfer / ERI Rai, 2002), Ennio
Remondino racconta come nei bagagli dei membri della delegazione UCK a
Rambouillet la Sûreté francese trovo' "una grossa quantita' di polvere
bianca, sigillata in sacchetti di plastica, che non era farina o
borotalco" (pp. 175-177; vedi anche JUGOINFO di Mer 19 Mag 2004). In
una Italia in cui Giustizia non fosse solo una parola vuota, Massimo
D'Alema ed i suoi ministri di allora dovrebbero rendere conto anche di
questo ... (Italo Slavo) ]

http://www.serbianna.com/columns/mb/028.shtml
(look at the original URL for the many useful hyperlinks and impressive
photos)

The New Islamic Mafia

By M. Bozinovich
03 October, 2004

FBI has recently announced that ethnic Albanian gangs, including
immigrants from Kosovo, are replacing the Italian La Cosa Nostra mafia
as the leading organized crime outfit in the US. According to a CNN
report the FBI "Officials said ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia
and Montenegro" make up the emerging American criminal cartel and
"represent a major challenge to federal agents because of their
propensity for violence and brutality." This statement comes several
months after Amnesty International declared NATO-administered Kosovo
province a hotbed of organized crime activity.

In Europe, the Albanian Mob is already the chief perpetrator of drug
and people smuggling, passport theft and forgery, weapons and human
body parts sales, sex-slavery, abductions, murders... The scope,
ferocity and intensity of the Albanian criminal activity has prompted
the Italian top prosecutor, Cataldo Motta, to declare Albanians most
dangerous mobsters brandishing them in 2000 "a threat to Western
society."

While the skimpiness of the FBI statement may be a subtle illustration
of its lack of hard operational intelligence on the emerging Albanian
criminal network in the US, the displacement of La Cosa Nostra by
ethnic Albanians may be a seminole event in the American criminal
underworld history for yet another reason: a predominantly Catholic
Mafia is being replaced by a predominantly Muslim Albanian Fis.

Although no hard links with terrorists have been found yet, the FBI
believes that the emerging Muslim Albanian Mafia in the US may be
implicated in terrorist financing hence FBIs continuing surveillance
"to see whether the militant Muslims in the emerging organized crime
world demonstrate ties to organizations suspected of involvement in
terrorist financing".

[ PHOTO: Albanian teenager Valentina Bicaku vanished from her home in
Albania. More than 30,000 Albanian girls and young women are kidnapped
and auctioned off into a world of prostitution in Europe. ]

Evolution of the Criminal Network

During the 1970s Albanian expatriates in the US were actively recruited
as couriers, transporters or assassins for the Italian Mafia. The
efficiency and brutality with which these members conducted these
criminal affairs got them to advance within the Mafia network, so much
so, that by 1996 the main assassins for the Gambino crime family were
ethnic Albanians. Gambino's Sammy Bull Brovano's go-to "clipper", for
example, was an ethnic Albanian, Zef Mustafa, whose notoriety for
murder and racket was exceeded only by his love of alcohol: drunk from
dawn, in a 1996-02 span this Albanian organized a $19 million internet
heist, was let out on a $5 million bond and has since disappeared from
the US.

A 1996 murder of a waiter, Jonathon Segal, and a bouncer, Michael
Greco, in New York's Scores restaurant illustrates the indifference and
haste with which Albanian assassins kill: two ethnic Albanians employed
as Gambino family assassins opened fire on the waiter and bouncer after
instigating an argument over quality of service they got in the
restaurant.

While employment with Italian Mafia gave these ethnic Albanians
valuable experience in the art of a criminal heist, 1980s was also a
decade of clandestine criminal initiatives that are to lead into bigger
and more spectacular ones later. In 1985, for example, a now-famous
Rudolph Guiliani led a persecution team of the Balkan Connection - an
ethnic Albanian criminal outfit involved in trafficking heroin from
Afghanistan and Turkey, via Kosovo into US. Caught with at least $125
million in heroin, members of this Albanian smuggling outfit issued a
$400,000 contract on the prosecutor Alan Cohen and the detective Jack
Delemore, both placed under protective custody as the result.

[ PHOTO: Ismail Lika, pictured on the right with long sleeves, in
Florida jail posing with convicted ethnic Serb, Nikola Kavaja. Dubbed
the king of the New York drug underworld, Ismail Lika issued a contract
on Guiliani's prosecutors in 1985. Kavaja was serving a sentence for
attempted assassination of Yugoslav communist dictator Tito. ]

Even fellow mobsters are afraid to do business with the Albanian gangs.
Speaking anonymously for Philadelphia's City Paper a member of the
"Kielbasa Posse", an ethnic Polish mob group, declared in 2002 that
Poles are willing to do business with "just about anybody. Dominicans.
Blacks. Italians. Asian street gangs. Russians. But they won't go near
the Albanian mob. The Albanians are too violent and too unpredictable."

While FBI concurs with the brutality assessment, the difficulty in
obtaining operational intelligence on the Albanian mafia, and any
convictions, may be multifold. Dusan Janjic, Coordinator of the Forum
for Ethnic Relations in Serbia, cites three reasons for the success of
the Albanian criminal gangs: "Firstly they speak a language that few
people [sic] understand. Secondly, its internal organization is based
on family ties, breeding solidarity and safety. Thirdly there is the
code of silence and it is perfectly normal for somebody to die if he
violates the code."

Culture of Violence

According to the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, "Honour killings
are deeply rooted in Albanian society and were given formal recognition
in the collection of medieval tribal laws known as the 'Canon of Lekë
Dukagjini'" and still remains the organizing structure of the Albanian
society. "...blood feuds were relatively rare among Albanians either in
Kosovo or Albania. But after the turmoil of the 1990s, the ideas
contained in Leke’s canon revived," writes Fatos Bytyci.

The fundamental rule of Canon law of Albanian clansman organization is
Bessa - a concept that simultaneously converges loyalty, fidelity,
dignity and honor of one's word. Although restrictive, the concept is
such a prevalent force in the Albanian culture so that it got enshrined
in many of Albanian folksongs:

"death happens because you betrayed a host,
when bread is missing to serve the host,
death happens for the faith renounced."

Gjakmarria or taking of the blood is the vendetta killing done in order
to restore the violated honor.

Loyalty to the family clan (fis) and vendettas appear to be mutually
affectionate features of both the Italian and Albanian gangsters. Much
like Sicilian social emphasis on family loyalty, writes the Italy's
anti-mafia agency DIA, these mutually alike features are outgrowth of a
general social construct and not necessarily criminal. "Albanian mafia
is based on family groups... The division among clans or family groups
in Albania was originally a social division, not a criminal one. Today,
every activity in Albania still works in that way."

In the field of politics, however, the fear of the Canon's consequences
is plunging Albania, an increasingly Kosovo, into a seismic convulsion
of lawlessness.

Albanian Parliament in Tirana has recently addressed the close
connection between the criminal and political. According to the
Albanian Daily News, in July of 2004, the Albanian government has
adopted a package of anti-mafia legislation and among the provisions is
a prohibition of officials convicted of corruption from holding public
office for a specified period of time.

However, according to an Albanian writer Faruk Myrtaj: "Not a single
trial of a criminal gang has successfully been completed in Albania.
According to the data of the Albanian Centre for Studying Organized
Crime and Mafia in Tirana, trials of groups linked to politics are
usually held behind closed doors by decision of the courts, and the
judges usually resign and emigrate from the country", presumably out of
fear of being killed acording to the Canon law that grips the Albanian
society.

So much for Albania's efforts to curb organized crime.

[ PHOTO: Dangerous Hybrid - Kosovo Albanian Dobrosi was serving 14 year
sentence in Norway and in 1997 bribed the guard with 150,000 Norwegian
crowns, fled to Croatia, where he underwent plastic surgery to change
his appearance, then moved to Prague where, according to the Czech
daily Lidove Noviny met the President of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, during
his visit of Prague in December 1998. In 1999 Czech Police arrested
Dobrosi, along with another Kosovo Albanian gangster for drug
trafficking and trafficking with light-infantry weapons and rocket
systems. ]

Political-Criminal Hybrid

According to research by a leading criminologist in France, Xavier
Raufer, "In the Albanian world - in Albania and in Kosovo and in the
Albanian-populated part of Macedonia - you have clans and in those
clans you have a mix of young men fighting for the cause of national
liberation, young men belonging to the mafia, young men driving their
cousins or other girls from the village into prostitution. It's
absolutely impossible to distinguish between them.... The guys are
liberation fighters by day and sell heroin by night or vice versa".

The political-criminal hybrid structure based on the frightening Canon
structures of clan membership is defining the Albanian political
landscape in the Balkans as well.

For example, the leader of the Albanians in Macedonia, Ali Ahmeti, is a
nephew of Fazli Veliu, former chief of an Albanian language newspaper
in Kosovo and a cofounder of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Both are
from the same village near Kicevo, Macedonia, and both belong to the
Zajas clan. Before leading a military insurgency in Macedonia, Ahmeti
was employed as a KLA operative out of Switzerland, from where he was
moved to Macedonia when times were ripe to lead the Albanian violence
there.

[ PHOTO: Albright giving a friendly hug to the KLA leader Hasim Taci ]

In turn, Veliu is close to the Albanian Jashari clan from Kosovo, known
to be the first to start the armed uprising against Milosevic's
repression. Main victims in the disputed Racak massacre were members
from the Jashari clan as is Hasim Taci, a youthful political spokesman
for an Albanian para-military (KLA) group with suspicious criminal
biography yet befriended by Clinton's foreign policy team, most notably
Madeline Albright, Richard Holbrooke and Wesley Clark.

Many, including the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee in 1999,
have accentuated widespread allegations of KLAs criminal connections.
Citing that a "major portion of the KLA finances are derived from
[criminal] network, mainly proceeds from drug trafficking" the report
goes on to say that Clinton's befriending of the shady Albanian
political men is "consistent Clinton policy of cultivating
relationships with groups known for terrorist violence... in what may
be a strategy of attempting to wean away a group from its penchant for
violence by adopting its cause as an element of U.S. policy."

[ PHOTO: Unofficial taxation of Albanians - Allegations are made that
the Albanian Mafia in America is acting as a collection arm for the war
aims of the Albanian political groups. Christian Science Monitor, for
example, cited a case of Agim Jusufi, a building superintendent on
Manhattan's West Side. Mr. Jusufi gets a weekly paycheck. He describes
himself as an ordinary 'working man.'" yet he wrote a $5,000 check for
the KLA. "We have canceled checks to prove it,' he told the Monitor. ]

While the Republican Report cites New York Times' version of the
origins of the KLA to be a "radical fringe of Kosovar Albanian
politics, originally made up of diehard Marxist" the clan structure
indicates that this may be a deliberate fabrication. Claims are made
that 15 leading family clans in Albania (15 fis) have been controlling
a clandestine smuggling operations even during the dark communist days
of dictator Enver Hoxa. When Albania got rid of the communist, these
fis increased their criminal control of Albania and, during the
collapse of the Albanian state into anarchy in 1997, the 15 fis
established complete control over the criminal activity in Albania
including arms smuggling. Motivated by fear of inter-fis blood feuds
over a limited Balkan criminal turf, the 15 fis allegedly made a deal
to make a common para-military enforcement unit, the KLA, in order to
incite violence in Kosovo with dual objectives, to make money financing
the war as well as conquer Albanian-inhabited areas of the Balkans.

The most prominent criminal out of the 15 fis is Daut Kadriovski, a
drug kingpin that managed to escape German prison in 1993, and is
believed to be in the US where sources say he is operating through
several types of businesses in New York and Philadelphia.

[ PHOTO: Daut Kadriovski ]

Albanian Mafia and al-Qaeda?

Allegations of an al-Qaeda presence in Albanian inhabited areas have
also been made. For example, 24 Wahabi mosques and 14 orphanages have
been built in Kosovo since 1999, along with 98 primary and secondary
Wahabi funded schools. The chief Albanian Imam in Kosovo has been
schooled in the Wahabi doctrine in Saudi Arabia and is of vital
political importance to the party of the Kosovo President Ibrahim
Rugova.

Wahabism is the chief spiritual source of the al-Qaeda terrorists.

More distressing for the West is the existing Albanian criminal
infrastructure that has been exported out of Kosovo into Europe, and
given clan connections, may infiltrate the US.

In Brussells, for example, two Islamic city quarters - one specializing
in terrorism and the other in false and stolen passports - complement
one another. In the terrorist part is the Dar Salaam hotel where the
accused "shoe bomber" Richard Reid stayed in for 10 days plotting to
blow up American Airlines jet, while just across from the hotel is a
shadowy Brussels strip of bars and hotels controlled by the Albanian
mob specializing in stolen passports. According to the Global Policy,
the quarter is a hotbed for "human trafficking, sex trafficking and
false documents."

Although Richard Reed did not carry any of the Albanian doctored false
passports, the al-Qaeda assassins of the Ahmed Shah Massoud did. The
killers of the leader of Afghan's Northern Alliance traveled from
London to Karachi using these Albanian doctored false passports before
they murdered him.

More ominously still, an al-Qaeda operative, Djamel Beghala, was
arrested in Dubai after the customs agent recognized one of these
Albanian mafia's manufactured false passports. Under interrogation,
Beghala identified a major European al-Qaeda cell that was planning to
blow up the United States Embassy in Paris.

Recently, FBI conducted a statistical study on effectiveness of false
passports and concluded that at least 10% of the falsified passports
have effectively been used to enter the US. Given that 30 million
people enter US, Albanian Mafia's monopoly on false documentation may
indeed justify FBIs continuing surveillance of the emerging Albanian
criminal cartel.

Entrance-level job for al-Qaeda
-Before becoming kingpins of the American underworld, many ethnic
Albanian mobsters got their organized crime initiation as couriers for
the Italian Mafia. Fox News analyst, Manossor Ijaz, claims that ethnic
Albanians now hold an entry-level courier position for al-Qaeda as well:

[ PHOTO: "... President Bush said in October of last year when he
identified a senior al Qaeda leader [Abu Masab al-Zawkawi] who had gone
to Iraq, received medical treatment to have a leg amputated that was
blown up in the Afghan bombing campaign and then proceeded to a
northern Iraqi terrorist outfit. What we have not yet heard and this is
what my sources are telling me over the past two or three days, is that
that leader was in fact, transported through southern Turkey using
Albanian mercenaries to transport him into..." ]

The New Islamic Mafia

Yossef Bodansky, director of the House Task Force on Terrorism and
Unconventional Warfare, believes that Albanian Mob itself will not
commit acts of terrorism but that their criminal infrastructure will
aid al-Qaeda. "The role of the Albanian Mafia, which is tightly
connected to the KLA, is laundering money, providing technology, safe
houses, and other support to terrorists within this country," Bodansky
explained to The New American. "This isn’t to say that the Albanians
themselves would carry out the actual terrorist operations. But there
are undoubtedly ‘sleeper’ agents within the Albanian networks, and they
can rely upon those networks to provide them with support. In any case,
a serious investigation of the Albanian mob isn’t going to happen,
because they’re ‘our boys’ - they’re protected."

In fact, in 2002 the government of Macedonia submitted to the CIA a
79-page report on al-Qaeda-Albanian activity in the Balkans, including
an al-Qaeda recruitment video aimed at Albanian conscripts touting hate
for Christians, Jews, and the West. The video was hosted by an ethnic
Turk, Ramzi Adem, who was demonstrating Balkan activities of an elite
120-man foreign fighters unit led by Selimi Ferit, an Albanian born in
the Macedonian capital of Skopje.

Perhaps out of tactical, short-term reasons, the Bush administration
duly ignored this report. Yet one ought to be mindful that it may be
for the tactical advantages, to the terrorists, to present all of these
criminal machinations as a haphazard event.

The seeming disconnect in the activities of terrorists is the
insidiousness for which they are known.