For those who care
The Commentator























The untold story of Kosovo



Serbia has the misfortune to stand in the way of three of the great forces in the modern world. Its oldest enemy is the Vatican. As the champion of the Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches it stands in the way of the Roman Catholic Church absorbing all Christians into its fold. It has also for a long time stood in the way of German expansion in the Balkans now disguised as the benign policy of EU enlargement. In the days of the Austro Hungarian Empire Serbia was coveted territory standing between it and the Ottomans. In more modern times and for modern reasons it has incurred the wrath of the United States of America. Kosovo is mineral rich and relatively undeveloped. Access to this wealth was denied to the US by Marshall Tito in his lifetime and by Serbia afterwards.

To get to the root of Vatican hostility it is necessary to go back to the history of the Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine, who granted toleration to Christianity leading to its adoption as the state religion, for some reason did not like Rome. He built for himself a new capital on the Bosphorus and called it Constantinople. He transferred the Imperial government to it leaving Rome high and dry. This was a fortuitous move because a century later Rome was sacked by the Vandals and the Western part of the Roman Empire disintegrated. It continued in the East for a further 1000 years until, in its turn, it was overwhelmed by the Ottomans in AD1453.

That eastern Empire continued to nurture the Christianity of Constantine and the eastern Mediterranean in centres such as Constantinople, Ephesus and Alexandria. At the same time Rome was developing along its own lines under the influence of such as St Augustine of Hippo although there was constant communication between the two strands and movement of individuals both ways. The second Archbishop of Canterbury appointed by Rome – Theodore – came from the eastern tradition. The Orthodox Churches of Greece Serbia and Russia are the survivors of that Eastern Church and it is one of the aims of the Vatican, as elsewhere, to reclaim lost territory and to unite Christianity on its own terms. Serbia stands in the way.

In more recent times Serbia was a thorn in the flesh of Hitler who invaded the Balkans during World War II on the pretext of coming to the aid of his hapless ally Mussolini who was attacking Greece from Albania without much success. Whilst Catholic states like Slovenia and Croatia were cooperative, and favoured, Serbia was the core of opposition in mountainous and unforgiving terrain. Its activity tied down troops desperately needed elsewhere. It is not forgotten or forgiven.

The new global economic empire of the US now has access to mineral resources worldwide including former provinces of the USSR. It is building bases and pipelines and needs capable puppet regimes through which they can safely pass. Hence United States‟ interest in places such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Hence opposition in these territories to American activity by local warlords. Hence the intention of some Muslims to inflict damage on the west wherever they can. Hence one might say the War on Terror is intended to inhibit such opposition.

The US has been successfully denied access to known but unexplored sources of Bauxite, Gas, Coal, Silica, Mica, China Clay, Calcium, Asphalt and low grade Iron Ore in Kosovo.

So these three powers have an interest in damaging Serbia and detaching Kosovo is one way to do it. Unfortunately for Serbia the population in Serbian Kosovo is mainly immigrant Albanian. In an exercise which should serve as a warning to any state which permits immigration the „International Community‟ automatically supports the majority population. AS IT SUPPORTS IMMIGRANT INDIANS IN FIJI SO IT SUPPORTS IMMIGRANT ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO.

They have been encouraged to demand independence; indeed Madeleine Albright, US Secretary of State, assured them of their independence. They have been provided with advisers, funds and weapons to that end.

To help things along the Germans have taken steps to create instability in the area. Marshall Tito died in 1980. In 1993 Slovakia and the Czech Republic parted company peaceably enough. However the rot set in earlier in 1991 when the two Catholic Provinces of Slovenia and Croatia declared their independence of Yugoslavia with German protection.

The population situation in what was Yugoslavia is almost beyond comprehension. It was kept together by the personality and reputation of Marshall Tito. With him out of the way trouble was likely. Not only is Serbian Kosovo populated by immigrant Albanians but Bosnia Herzegovina is one third Muslim, one third Serb Orthodox Christian and one third Roman Catholic Croat. All three groups can easily be induced to fear and hate the rest on grounds of religious difference. So it is throughout the region in varying proportions. There began to be expulsions of populations from land which they had lived on forever. Large numbers of Serbs were evicted from Krajina.

Serbia, which had what was virtually the Yugoslav army consisting mostly of Serbs, was minded to protect its own, not least in Kosovo. The International Community had another idea. NATO air forces from the US and Britain mounted a three month long bombardment of Serbia intended to discourage Serbs from protecting people or territory.

In itself this was a crime against humanity as great as any committed by any of the lesser characters arraigned at The Hague. It was an attack on a defenceless country which threatened nobody outside its borders. It was authorised by President Clinton, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and by Prime Minister Blair.

The pretext for all this was contrived at Rambouillet in France. A conference was called which was to result in the „Rambouillet Accord‟. This Accord was a surrender document which no self respecting sovereign government could sign. President Milosovic and his government were expected to sign. It would have given NATO forces unrestricted access to Serbian territory and with immunity for its personnel. It was not signed.

For Secretary of State Madeleine Albright this was a win win situation. Either she would achieve a cheap victory or she would have a pretext for war. She got the latter. Hence the venomous pursuit of Milosovic at The Hague, ”Pour encourager les autres“ it was necessary to demonstrate to heads of state that it does not pay to oppose American aims even when they are dressed up as the will of the international community.

So Kosovo is not about protecting poor down trodden immigrants, whose only crime is to seek a better life, from a fascist bully of a dictator, it is about the oldest of motives – greed and the pursuit of power.
The western media are guilty of gross misrepresentation, providing a gullible public with a narrative with which it could empathise. Come to think of it that seems to be the underlying reason for their existence - the purpose which they serve. The sugar on the pill is banal entertainment.

NOTE

As I write (1st Jan 2008) it is expected that Albanian Kosovars will declare independence of Serbia within weeks, maybe days, supported against complaints about a breach of International Law by those ”respectable” States which have been complicit from the beginning.