From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Russian Observer August 23, 2001 Mikhail Leontyev: Macedonians may become hostile environment for NATO force Why NATO needs Macedonia 23.19.2001, 17:19 A fantastic precedent has been created in Macedonia with NATO's help, says Mikhail Leontyev, a well-known Russian TV journalist. The armed groups that invaded the country, which is absolutely loyal to the West, are not legitimate even in their Kosovo and are regarded as a party in the conflict. An agreement is to be signed with them and consultations are to be conducted on how well the agreement is observed. So, the present Macedonian authorities are becoming capable of functioning. Why does NATO need all this? Many Russian observers are trying to explain everything in economic terms. There are zinc mines in Kosovo, and Macedonia has attracted the West by some other resources, they say. In actual fact, the Americans need a sore in Europe, but it should be a controllable sore. In future it may develop in a peculiar way, with inflammations cropping up in Montenegro, Greece and Bulgaria. And an xFOR force may send to all these countries. But there is one thing that makes Macedonia different from Kosovo. It is hard to imagine that the Slav population could be completely purged away from there. Therefore the NATO force for the fist time in recent time risks finding itself in a hostile environment. This refers not to the government of Macedonia, not to mention puppet president Trajkovski, but to the country's population. The NATO force will come up against purely technical difficulties - a road may be blocked in their way, or something may be set on fire. In such a situation it will have to rely on Albanians, and that will make things still worse. It is absolutely clear why Russia, as distinct, say, from Ukraine, has rendered no military aid to Macedonia. Well, it could have delivered a few helicopters to Skopje, but they would have gone to NATO pretty soon. It's no use helping a country, which - at least its government - lies down and is ready for anything. For Russia the problem of Macedonia, and the Balkans issue in general, in its present version is a case to be studied. Macedonia was ready to meet practically all demands of the West. Only recently it was described in NATO statements as a country where national harmony was being effected in practice. What has happened now is just an excellent example of absolute absence of any guarantees on the part of NATO. It is all too obvious. The example of Macedonia to some extent may be used as a political instrument. Lets assume that, say, Eduard Shevardnadze is eager to turn Georgia into a Trans-Caucasian version of Macedonia. It may now be demonstrated to him that even the closest cooperation with NATO will not, under definite circumstances, prevent the development of the Macedonian model. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
