-Caveat Lector-
9/27/00
Yugoslavia was destroyed piecemeal to prevent the existence of
an independent country siting boldly in middle of the United
States of Europe. A country with its own economy, its own culture,
and its own independent values. A country which is democratic and
multicultural. A country not controlled by Washington, London, or
Brussels.
Will the same thing happen to the Danes if they dare reject the
EURO tomorrow?
Nurev
================================================================
NATO Game-Plan: Destabilize Yugoslavia
by George Szamuely (9-27-2000)
www.tenc.net
[Emperor's Clothes]
It is entirely appropriate that US policymakers, their British
parrots, and assorted NATO toadies are already debating the
future course of Yugoslavia. Having first denounced last
Sunday’s elections as totally meaningless since they would
inevitably be "stolen" by President Slobodan Milosevic, they
then turned around and decided, before any results had been
announced, that Vojislav Kostunica had won outright on the
first ballot. So much then for Milosevic’s chicanery. NATO’s
high-fives at the election results are reminiscent of the inane
rejoicing that followed the end of the Kosovo bombing last
year. It had taken 11 weeks to defeat a tiny power like
Yugoslavia. And even then NATO had to make important
concessions.
Yet the Brits and the Americans celebrated, as if it were VE-Day
all over again. The election results show a far from convincing
win in the first round of voting for Kostunica, as well as a
victory for the Government coalition in the Yugoslav parliament.
NATO claims vindication. But if it has indeed "won"—and this is
by no means clear—then it is only after a massive and
unprecedented effort at intimidation. The Serbs were first
bribed to vote the "right" way—thus the proverbial "carrot".
And if that failed to do the trick, there was the threat of military
action—the "stick".
It is hard to take any elections seriously under such
circumstances. How can you cast a vote for the candidate of
your choice if there is a chance of cruise missiles blowing up
your home if you vote the "wrong" way? The best NATO can
boast is that it avoided total humiliation. Incidentally, it is
meaningless to talk of NATO any longer—today it is nothing
more than an echo chamber for yapping Pentagon and State
Department officials, and their fierce little pups in London. Here
is the glorious record of NATO heroism: $75 million from
Washington to bankroll the Yugoslav opposition. Millions more
to aid municipalities deemed not under Milosevic’s control.
Millions to line Montenegrin President Milo Djuakonovic’s
pockets. US and EU promises to lift sanctions if Milosevic is
voted out. Then there are the threats: Any result other than a
defeat for Milosevic will be considered by Washington to be the
product of fraud. The US reserves the right to intervene to
prevent such a calamity.
Today, the United States is demanding that Milosevic steps
down, even though the Yugoslav Federal Electoral Commission
is saying that Kostunica did not receive 50 percent of the vote.
The US Government is accepting without question the claims of
the Democratic Opposition that Kostunica won 55 percent to
Milosevic’s 35 percent. Yet these figures are not based on any
vote count, but on the reports of opposition poll
watchers—hardly a disinterested bunch of observers. There
were no American observers at the polls. The Russians were
there. They claim they witnessed no election irregularities.
Clearly, the orders emanating from Washington, and relayed
through Budapest, is that the "opposition" take to the streets
and demand Milosevic’s resignation. Such protests could well
elicit a violent response. This, in turn, could be seized on by the
United States as a threat to the region, justifying military
intervention. Alternatively, the "opposition" may be encouraged
to boycott a run-off and establish a Government in
exile—perhaps in Podgorica. Such a Government would enjoy
diplomatic recognition and would in due course, act as a NATO
stooge urging an invasion of Yugoslavia to remove the
"illegitimate" Government in Belgrade.
In the meantime, military threats are increasing. "We...need to
make sure that Milosevic understands there is very substantial
capacity in the region"—thus British Foreign Secretary Robin
Cook Britain has 15 warships in the Mediterranean near
Yugoslavia operating in two training groups. They are manned
by 5,000 sailors, Royal Marines and aircrew. They include the
aircraft carrier Invincible, which carries Harrier jump-jet fighters,
the destroyer HMS Liverpool, helicopter assault ship HMS
Ocean, the amphibious assault ship HMS Fearless and 10 more
ships including minesweepers, a tanker, a store ship and
Northumberland, a type-23 frigate. US and Croat forces are
holding joint naval exercises 150 miles northwest of
Montenegro. They include a simulated Marine landing on an
island in the Adriatic Sea. On September 28, Romania and
Bulgaria are planning a joint exercise at the Romanian Danube
port of Turnu Magurele. The plan includes the construction of a
pontoon bridge across the Danube and the evacuation of the
local population.
On Monday, the US House of Representatives passed a bill
authorizing $500 million in financial aid for opposition groups in
Yugoslavia. $500 million is a huge amount of money in a
country as small, impoverished and as burdened by economic
sanctions as Yugoslavia. Funds of this magnitude cannot but
corrupt the most virtuous of nations. Remember, this is a
Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which normally
protests foreign aid, debt relief, and handouts in general.
It is not hard to imagine what the future holds in store for
Yugoslavia. Suppose the United States gets what it wants.
Slobodan Milosevic steps aside and Kostunica takes over. There
is a peaceful transition, and both the United States and the
European Union lift sanctions as promised. In no time at all, the
United States will demand the surrender of Milosevic to The
Hague. Indeed, it will be an election issue, with George W. Bush
baiting the Clinton Administration for being insufficiently
zealous in its pursuit of Milosevic. Kostunica will probably refuse
these demands. Soon the media will fall into lockstep parroting
the line that as long as Milosevic is residing in Belgrade, he is
the one who is really running the show. Every day journalists
will be informing us that Kostunica is nothing more than
Milosevic’s puppet. Congress will then vote to cut off all further
funds to Yugoslavia. The EU will follow suit. At that point,
US-financed demonstrations will take place in Belgrade and
other major cities. The protesters will demand that Milosevic be
handed over to the Tribunal. If the US gets lucky, there will be
some violence. At that point, Washington will summon
Kostunica and tell him that he is jeopardizing Balkan stability. If
he wants to stay in power, he will have to play ball with the
United States. Milosevic must be handed over. The Rambouillet
Accords will be put back on the table, along with Appendix B
and the referendum on Kosovo independence. And while we are
at it, Vojvodina will have to be offered a "special" status.
One thing is for sure, the United States will not simply permit
Yugoslavia to walk away and happily enjoy the prestige that
comes from having defied the world’s greatest powers for over
10 years. Yugoslavia will be made to pay.
www.tenc.net
[Emperor's Clothes]
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