-Caveat Lector- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Holy war rages, Russia profits Militant Islamists play into Moscow hands ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- By Toby Westerman © 2001 WorldNetDaily.com >From the Balkans in Europe, through the strategic Caucasus region, and into the vast reaches of Central Asia, a holy war rages between the militant followers of the prophet Mohammed and established secular governments. The struggle is over a large area that is both rich in natural resources and possessing great strategic value. In the Balkans, the struggle is expressed in terms of a fight for a "Greater Albania;" in the Caucasus, the struggle is to establish an emirate reminiscent of medieval Islam; and in Central Asia, Islamic rebels seek to revive the khanate of Kokand, a territory governed by Islamic law until conquered by Czarist forces in the 19th century. At first glance, these Islamic fighters may seem to be merely extremists bent on an impossible quest -- reminiscent of Don Quixote – but malevolent and heavily armed. Islam, however, has a long history of conquest. Since the death of Mohammed in 632 AD, the prophet’s followers have waged a continuous -- and often successful -- series of wars against the "unbelievers." Shortly after Mohammed’s death, Moslem armies swept away most of the Byzantine Empire, the eastern half of the old Roman Empire. In 1453, the armies of Islam finally captured the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, one of the largest cities in the Christian world. Islamic troops marched to the gates of Vienna, the southern gate to Central Europe. Moslem soldiers even occupied part of Italy during the height of the Renaissance. During most of Europe’s history, Islam represented an extreme danger, an immediate threat to the entire continent. Far from being romantics lost in history, today these Islamic fighters are using history, along with present political circumstances, to further their ends. A divided Balkans Ethnic Albanians remember that their rule in the Balkans once reached far into present-day Greece, but modern attempts to unite all Albanians into one nation have been consistently blocked by the major European powers. The present struggle in and around Kosovo is aimed to finally achieve this long desired unity -- and under Islamic law. The establishment of the envisioned "Greater Albania" would extend across the center of the Balkan peninsula, fundamentally changing the borders of the always-volatile region. It would represent the first major increase in Islamic geopolitical power in Europe since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century. The Islamic fundamentalists have already achieved the first steps toward their goal. Kosovo, nominally a province of Serbia, is, for all practical purposes, independent of Belgrade. The German mark has replaced the Yugoslav dinar as Kosovo’s currency; United Nations-sponsored elections in Kosovo were conducted without any authorization from Belgrade; and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the rebel group that fought for Kosovo’s independence against the Yugoslav military, is now the core of the U.N.-sponsored Kosovo Protection Corps. Since the end of NATO's 78 day air war against Yugoslavia in June 1999, Serb refugees have poured out of Kosovo, and those still living in the province consistently report harassment from their ethnic Albanian neighbors. Another rebel ethnic Albanian group has gained prominence within the last year. This new rebel formation operates within the so-called demilitarized zone between Kosovo and southern Serbia, and is called the Liberation Army of Presevo Medvedja, and Bujanovac. This group seeks to extend the area controlled by ethnic Albanians from the border of Kosovo into the southern region of Serbia. The group acquired its name from three villages in the area. The Presevo group numbers about 1600, and has initiated multiple ambushes of Yugoslav police units in the area. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has consistently sought aid from the international community for the Serbs within Kosovo, and for the suppression of the Presevo rebels. Kostunica remains firm regarding ultimate Yugoslav authority over Kosovo, demanding that the international community observe U.N. resolution 1244, which recognizes Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia. No substantial assistance from the international community has thus far appeared. The prospect of a new Islamic republic appearing on Balkan soil ignites strong emotions in the region. Albania, although Moslem dominated, is a secular government. An independent Kosovo would not only be Moslem, but would be established as an Islamic republic. This event would arouse memories of centuries of savage domination by the Turkish Ottoman Empire, and would be certain to bring the region to the brink of all-out war. The Ottoman Empire held most of the Balkans in its grasp, reaching its high-water mark in Europe in 1683 with the siege of Vienna. A series of revolts and wars in the 19th and early 20th centuries expelled the Ottomans from all but a small portion of Europe. The modern nation of Turkey arose from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire. While the international community has been slow to react to the concerns of the Yugoslav government, and regional governments warily watch the growth of an all-but–independent Kosovo, Russia -- the traditional "protector of the Slavs" -- is increasing its influence in the Balkans. Russia remains firmly committed to Yugoslavia, and equally devoted to strengthening ties with the post-Milosevic government in Belgrade. Early last month, Russian Defense Minister (Field Marshall) Igor Sergeyev stated that his nation is "extremely concerned" about the situation in Yugoslavia, and that the region "continues to flare," threatening "a humanitarian disaster." Moscow also concluded an important military pact with Belgrade last month. While the Balkans wrestles with the possibility of an Islamic "Greater Albania," Russia is currently involved in two wars being waged against Islamic fundamentalist fighters -- one in the Caucasus region, the other in Central Asia. Caucasus chaos Russia’s main problem in the Caucasus region lies in Chechnya, although there have been difficulties in neighboring areas. The leader of the Islamic militants in the Caucasus is an individual named Khattab. Khattab was born in 1963 into a well-positioned Jordanian family. He attended a military academy in Jordan, became a fanatical follower of a fundamentalist movement called "Wahhabism," and fought in conflicts from Afghanistan to Iraq. Khattab, who refers to himself as "emir," styles himself as a medieval Moslem ruler as he presses his struggle against Russia, although Moscow now appears to have the upper hand in the fight. In a strange twist to the on-going story of Islamic fundamentalism, on February 6th the Voice of Russia World Service, the official broadcasting service of the Russian government, provided to its listeners a highly provocative message purportedly from Khattab to his fellow Islamic fighters. VOR stated that the message was sent to "several news organizations." The message was read with dramatic flair, but without further remark. "Comment is not needed," the VOR broadcast said. The message went as follows: >From now on, until the last day of creation, the holy brothers of Prophet Mohammed will pour over this whole earth, over the countries of the infidels, for such is his will. Oh ye abominable and corrupted infidels of the West and ye swine-like Jews! By the emir of the faithful, Khattab, has ordered the Chechen brothers-in-faith to reside in your dirty countries, to slay you without a grain of compassion. The Russians have already felt what it’s like to be smitten by the holy wrath of the Almighty. Your turn has come. The flame of jihad will wipe away your vile world. The world of the infidel. We shall blow up your homes, naval vessels, and planes. We shall kill you in your unworthy cities. For the ruin of the corrupted and disgusting infidel pleases the Almighty. Whether fact or fabrication, Khattab’s reported message encapsulates previous militant Islamic statements and actions, and, if taken seriously, is bound to garner support for Russia’s struggle against Islamic militancy -- and the means Russia uses in that struggle. Mother Russia Although Islam is one of Russia’s four "official" religions (the others are Russian Orthodoxy, Judaism, and Buddhism), Moscow’s resolute stand against militant Islam offers a unique opportunity to establish recognition for itself as a stabilizing factor, even where Islam is the dominant faith. Not only is Moscow able to play the role of savior in the strife-torn Balkans, be the firm policeman enforcing law and order in the unruly, multi-ethnic Caucasus, but it also serves as a wise supporter of the established, "democratic," governments of Central Asia. One of Moscow’s best friends in the region is the president of Kirgizia, Askar Akayev. Kirgizia had been a recent target of Islamic militants, and Akayev was forced to call for help from Moscow as well as from his neighbors. In an interview appearing in the October 2000 issue of the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, Akayev declared that the ultimate goal of the Islamic militants was to establish a "caliphate" -- a land governed by the laws of Islam -- across the region. He also acknowledged his country’s need for Russia’s assistance. Akayev also reiterated Kirgizia’s debt to the former Soviet Union, which, he stated, saved his country from Czarist "genocide." Bishkek, the capital of Kirgizia, proudly displays a gigantic statue of the USSR’s founder, Vladimir Lenin, in the central area of the city. The joint fight against Islamic militancy provides Moscow with the opportunity to further bind to itself the mineral-rich states of Central Asia. The post-Soviet process of "integration" or "reintegration" has special importance in the Central Asian region. In the early to mid-1930s the Soviet state faced a serious rebellion, referred to as the "Basmachi revolt." Stalin’s response was not only to crush the revolt, but to extend the terror-famine inflicted on Ukraine to Central Asia. Islamic rebels in Central Asia present another opportunity for Moscow to change its image from that of occupier to friend to all, except the most implacably hostile. The president of the largest of the Central Asian states, Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, several years ago called for a "more perfect union" between Moscow and the former Soviet republics. The Islamic militants are assisting in bringing about just such a union. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- I.J Toby Westerman, a contributing editor to both WorldNet Magazine and WorldNetDaily.com, *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. 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