-Caveat Lector- -----Original Message----- From: Miroslav Antic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: SIN <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; Siem <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Saturday, December 11, 1999 3:12 AM Subject: SN364:Kouchner defensive > >____________________________________ >>SUNDAY HERALD > >>(Glasgow, Scotland) >> 9 December 1999 >>Kosovo will erupt unless West delivers >>Back from a fact-finding mission to the Balkans, Paddy Ashdown has >>warned that Europe has to act to prevent another war in the area. Fred >>Bridgland reports >>Publication Date: Dec 5 1999 >>LAST Friday, Prime Minister Tony Blair was handed a report warning >that >>the expensive Nato air war victory over Serbia in Kos ovo could all be >>wasted because of the lack of a co-ordinated follow-up to bring civil >>and economic development to the Balkans. >>In his report, Paddy Ashdown, the former Liberal Democrat party leader >>who was pipped by a French candidate for the post of head of the >United >>Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), told the prime minister further >>warfare was inevitable unless the European Union "gets its act >together" >>and delivers on extravagant aid promises made in the wake of Serb >>military defeat. >>"The danger is very, very grave that the sacrifices of war will now be >>lost in the peace," Ashdown told the Sunday Herald, after handing his >>report to 10 Downing Street on his return from a fact-finding trip to >>Kosovo. "There is no co-ordination, no vision, no focused political >>will. >>"Kos ovo and the entire Balkans region is part of Europe on the >>continent's southeastern marches. It will be folly of the highest order >>if the EU fails to help the Balkan states develop and join the European >>heartland. The fuses are already there waiting to be lit for the next >>conflagration if we fail to get to grips with the issues." >>The last thing EU and Nato want is to be dragged into yet another >>Balkans war but Ashdown and other analysts who stayed with the >problem >>after the last bomb was dropped on Belgrade believe that is where the >>post-war stra tegy - or, rather, lack of it - is leading. >>One example of what Ashdown describes as the "entirely crazy" and >>"manifestly stupid" post-war policy towards the Balkans is the failure >>to provide an adequate international police force to prevent a new >wave >>of ethnic cleansing and criminality in the Kosovo province. >>Bernard Kouchner, the French UNMIK chief, last week demonstrated >the >>stresses of his job when he shouted angrily at journalists in Paris who >>asked why there were so many murders of Serbs in Kosovo and >increasing >>conflict between Kosovar Albanian factions. >>"We are having to reconstruct Kosovo not from a base of zero, but >from >>a base of minus 20," said the overwrought official. "There have been >40 >>years of communism and 10 years of ethnic apartheid. I'm sick of >hearing >>people saying we have to move faster." >>Kouchner said the international community had promised a >6000-strong >>international police force to restore order in the province but, six >>months after the war ended, only 1700 have arrived. >>The failure to get international police on the streets has resulted in >>widespread attacks by Kosovar Albanians on Serbs and other >minorities in >>revenge for the estimated thousands of Kosovars killed during the 18-month >>crackdown by forces loyal to Serbian leader, Slobodan Milosevic. In >>addition to revenge attacks against Serbs, there is widespread >>criminality by Kosovars and mafia groups who have crossed from >Albania. >>Lucrative drugs, cars, petrol and cigarettes smuggling operations are >>happening under the noses of Nato soldiers, who are powerless to >>intervene. Ahead of a severe winter, during which returning Kosovars >>will suffer severe hardships through lack of housing, heating and food, >>a major prostitution racket has developed with young girls from >>impoverished families being taken by Albanian mafiosi to Italy and >>Austria to work in brothels. >>UNMIK is also handicapped by the paucity of international funds to >begin >>restoring electricity, telephone and other essential services. >>At the first donors conference after the air war, some $2.2 billion >>(Ѓ1.375bn) was pledged to rebuild the province, but less than half has >>been delivered. That has practical consequences - for example, in the >>interim court system, which is a bureaucratic labyrinth suffering from >>institutional rivalries and a lack of qualified staff as well as the >>underfunding, which complicates the already formidable task of >bringing >>justice to a post-war environment. >>Unfortunately, said Fred Abrahams, senior Balkans researcher for the >>London-based Human Rights Watch, responsibility returns to the door >of >>the hapless Kouchner and his UNMIK mission. "Only one district court >is >>functioning and it has completed only two trials," said Abrahams. >"Most >>crimes, such as murder, abductions and arson, are going unpunished. >>"There are no civil courts anywhere in Kosovo to deal with non-criminal >>matters. Courts are without the most basic materials, such as paper, >let >>alone computers. The judges are paid absurdly low and sporadic >salaries, >>and even copies of UNMIK's new laws do not get pro perly distributed >>within Kosovo to those who must enforce them." >>While analysts recognise the handicaps, there is nevertheless >growing >>criticism of Kouchner's alleged arrogance and incompetence, which >could >>result in his sacking if the new Kosovo crisis worsens. >>Many problems could be solved or avoided without additional funds or >>police. Kouchner has yet to produce an official gazette to publish all >>the new UN regulations, which means that their implementation is >delayed >>for months. >>On the Macedonian border, the main entry point to Kosovo, Kouchner's >>UNMIK is imposing duties on another UN agency, the United Nations >High >>Commission for Refugees, to bring international food and other relief >>into the province. >>This kind of absurdity is sympto matic of the lack of any clear concept >>about the future of the international protectorate, where the >>international community has manifestly failed to protect the Serb >>minority. >>Having intervened to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Alba nians by >>Serbs, it now runs the risk of becoming party to the ethnic cleansing of >>Serbs by Albanians. Milosevic, the Yugoslav president whom Western >>leaders forecast would be overthrown in the wake of his Kos ovo >>humiliation, is already taking propaganda advantage of the slothful UN >>performance. >>'We will fight for a Kosovo in which people and nationalities are going >>to be equal and fight against the Nazism Nato countries, together with >>Alba nian terrorists, are trying to install in Kos ovo," Milosevic said >>last week on Yugo slav state television. >>"I am certain the civilised values for which we are fighting will >>prevail over the dictates of force and darkness." >>Ashdown is believed to have recommended to the prime minster that >the EU >>take res ponsibility from Nato and the UN for a solution to the >>continuing Balkans crisis. "It is essential Europe takes the issue >>firmly in hand and implements a focused policy - not Balkanising the >>issue, seeing each country as an iso lated problem, but recognising >that >>there are deep interlocking problems throughout the region," he told >the >>Sunday Herald. >>"This is our problem, and it is no good sitting back and hoping for >some >>ludicrous free ride while Uncle Sam bails us out. The EU is an >economic >>giant, now it must stop being a political pygmy." > > DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. 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