Hundreds supporters of Slobodan Milosevic pass by Army headquarters buildings in downtown Belgrade demolished durung NATO bombing as they protest the extradition of former strongman to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, June 27, 2001. The banner reads "For free Serbia."
Photo: AP, AP
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Kosovo Plays Role in Serbian Elections
// The anniversary of the NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia
Yesterday was the ninth anniversary of bombardment of Yugoslavia by NATO aviation. It was in 1999 that Serbian lost Kosovo in reality, although the territory's independence was declared only on February 17 of this year. Kosovo was encouraged to do so not only by NATO, but by several Serbian politicians as well.
The 78-day bombardment of NATO Yugoslavia, incited by accusations against Belgrade genocide of the Kosovar Albanians, cost the Federal republic of Yugoslavia dearly. Not only was practically all of its military infrastructure and a significant portion of its civil infrastructure as well, undermining the country's economic potential. Between 1200 and 2500 people died in the bombing, according to various estimates, of whom 1002 were members of the Yugoslavian army or police, and the remainder were civilians. About 10,000 people were injured. The political consequences were serious for Belgrade as well. The agreement signed in the summer of 1999 that put an end to the bombing was an act of capitulation by the regime of Slobodan Milosevic. Under the agreement, the Yugoslav army left Kosovo and was replaced by NATO forces (with a few Russian peacekeepers). Management of the territory fell to the UN. Thus, Belgrade essentially lost Kosovo in that year. It became an international protectorate. The declaration of Kosovan independence in February of this year was only the formal completion of the process.
Unsurprisingly, the ninth anniversary of the NATO operation was observed differently in Pristine and Belgrade. “March 24 is the beginning of a new era for Kosovo. The Albanians will be eternally grateful to NATO and the countries have supported our just battle,” stated Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. “Today it is becoming clear that the NATO bombing of Serbia had but a single goal – turning Kosovo into the first NATO state in the world,” said Vojislav Kostunica, whose government recently fell in Serbia.
In effect, the Albanians thank NATO for their independence and Serbian politicians curse it for the same thing. A few people in Serbia (and Kosovo) are remembering today that Milosevic provided significant cooperation in the realization of NATO's plans in the Balkans as he used Kosovo to strengthen his own position. If the Serbian special forces and army had not begun their cleansing of Albanian villages on his order (or at least with his knowledge) in 1998 and 1999, the West would probably not have found cause to bomb Yugoslavia and Kosovo would not have been seen NATO forces.
Russian foreign minister at the time Igor Ivanov acknowledged that in a curious way two days after the bombing began. He told members of the State Duma the sensational news that “When Russia prevented the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in October 1998 by convincing Belgrade to agree to a OSCE presence in Kosovo, Milosevic signed two separate, one on the maximum size of Serbian forces in Kosovo and one on NATO flyovers. Russia had no relation to those agreements. But it was their violation by Belgrade that NATO used to justify the bombing of Yugoslavia.”
When Russian presidential emissary Viktor Chernomyrdin convinced Milosevic to accept a peace plan in June 1999 to stop the bombing, a source close to Chernomyrdin told Kommersant, “If it weren't for Chernomyrdin, Milosevic most likely would have made a separate peace with NATO forces would have entered Kosovo.” In addition, information emerged in Belgrade at the time that, at the height of the NATO bombing, representatives of the Yugoslavian president made contact with then-U.S. secretary of state Madeline Albright and proposed a deal: Belgrade would capitulate to the United States, if Washington would guarantee to keep Milosevic in power. But there was no deal. The Yugoslavian capitulated without any guarantees.
Today, as Serbia is awaiting early parliamentary elections, Kosovo is being used by some Serbian politicians in their struggle for power. Former prime minister Vojislav Kostunica, whom the Serbians call “the velvet Milosevic,” is building his campaign practically exclusively around the issue of Kosovo. His close advisor Slobodan Samardzic, the minister for Kosovo, proposed the “functional division” of the territory on the anniversary of the NATO bombing. The essential of his proposal is that only Serbs should work in the police force, as judges and in the customs service in areas of Kosovo where Serbs form a majority. Kosovan authorities rejected the proposal, noting, among other things, that the proposal comes from him personally, and not from the Serbian president or government.
Thus, a figure close to prime minister simply decided to use Kosovo for campaign purposes. Supporters of Serbian President Boris Tadic have already accused those close to Kostunica several times of provoking Kosovan Serbs to violence. Recent events in Mitrovice showed what that can lead to. The Serbs in Kosovo lose in any case, just as they did nine years ago.
Gennady Sysoev, Vyacheslav Leonov
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 25, 2008
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