Date: Monday, March 30, 2009, 8:19 AM
An American UNMIK official (number two ranking Steven Schook) tips off Albanian Kosovo war criminal Haradinaj about witnesses to testify against him at the Hague. The witnesses are killed and Haradinaj, a favorite of US policy makers goes free. The UN controlled Kosovo Trust Agency is privatized and standing in line to benefit are --- Haradinaj, Schook and William Walker, another UN official. * * *In Kosovo, Privatizations May Include Ex-UN Officials Schook and Walker with Ramush Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis * UNITED NATIONS, March 23 -- The Kosovo Trust Agency has passed from the UN into Kosovar hands, Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni told the Press on March 23, and it will privatize the "vast majority" of the underlying socially and publicly owned enterprises. Waiting in line, sources tell Inner City Press, are Kosovar *Ramush Haradinaj* and with him, two American former UN officials in Kosovo, *Steven Schook* and *William Walker*. Inner City Press on Monday asked the current head of the UN Mission in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, if there are any rules concerning former UNMIK officials benefiting from the privatizations in Kosovo. Zannier said he wasn't aware of any UN rules, only "professional ethics." He said that while Schook is a private individual, "we'll also assess what he does based on that," referring to undefined professional ethics. The UN had claimed to have anti-revolving door safeguards. This case goes beyond the usual conflicts of interest. The allegation is that Schook passed information to Haradinaj, including about witnesses before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Several ended up dead. Now, the sources say, comes pay back time, referring not only to the Kosovo Power Plant Project (and other political projects), but even further privatizations. And the UN has nothing to say. There was a previous quashed probe of Schook by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services; click here for one of Inner City Press' <http://www.innercit ypress.com/ ridgeschook10280 7.html <http://www.innercitypress.com/ridgeschook102807.html>> previous articles on Schook and on the KTA <http://www.innercit ypress.com/ kta1budget112608 .html <http://www.innercitypress.com/kta1budget112608.html>> . Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, after predicting Inner City Press would ask "hard questions," said he's heard of Schook's involvement as well, and that the European Union's EULEX Rule of Law mission as well as the UN should investigate. Video here <http://webcast. un.org/ramgen/ ondemand/ stakeout/ 2009/so090323am. rm?start= 00:00:00& end=00:16: 00?start= 00:05:25 <http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2009/so090323am.rm?start=00:00:00&end=00:16:00?start=00:05:25>> , from Minute 5:25. But EULEX cannot even agree to let the UN attend its meetings in Belgrade, it emerged on Monday. Zannier said the UN would only attend if the "two parties" agreed. Surprisingly, this did not mean Serbia and Kosovo, but Serbia and EULEX. http://www.innercit ypress.com/ kta1schook. jpg <http://www.innercitypress.com/kta1schook.jpg> Schook, at right, at UNMIK in 2007, Kosovo privatizations not shown Inner City Press asked Hyseni about Serbian President Boris Tadic's complaint that the Mayor of Belgrade was barred from carrying humanitarian aid into northern Kosovo. Hyseni replied that these were "provocations, " and that permission had to be sought from protocol officials of the Republic of Kosovo. Jeremic used the word province with respect to Kosovo, and said all should be on hold pending the case before the International Court of Justice about the legality of Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence. Hyseni on the other hand said he plans to meet with at least 20 countries' representatives during the next two days in New York, with an emphasis on countries which have not recognized Kosovo's UDI. Watch this site. Footnote: The disparate response to the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo and that of, for example, Western Sahara, Abkhazia and South Ossetia has previously been raised at the Security Council stakeout. More recently, a comparison that some have been has been to the situation of Tamils in northern Sri Lanka. There are many points on which to compare, from 1999 -- when as some said Monday in the Council, NATO bombed Serbia for its military acts in its province of Kosovo -- to 2008, when the UDI occurred and major Western powers strong armed smaller countries into granting recognition. Now even on the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka, these powers hardly push for a Council briefing, and others on the Council try to block even this. To be continued. http://www.innercit ypress.com/ kpp1schook032309 .html <http://www.innercitypress.com/kpp1schook032309.html> *In Kosovo, UN in Dirty Coal and Business, Ridge Global* * * *Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis * UNITED NATIONS, October 28, 2007-- The UN's administration of Kosovo has been fraught with controversy, from mis-management of the Pristina airport to the shooting death of protesters by Romanian peacekeepers using 13-year old rubber bullets. Thus, when the UN's second in command, vice-viceroy Steven Schook <http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sga994.doc.htm>, preemptively announced on September 26 that he is under investigation by the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services <http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2007/09/28/feature-02>, there was some "we-told-you-so" from the local press, and a refusal to comment by the wider UN system. Schook said "the probe pertains to my alleged aggressive behavior, unprofessional and close relationships with Energy Minister Ethem Ceku... and extends to personal relationships I supposedly had with some women from Kosovo." Inner City Press that same day asked UN spokesperson <http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db070926.doc.htm> Michele Montas, and again on October 18 <http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/db071018.doc.htm>, but received no explanation. Lead UN envoy Joaquim Rucker, asked by Inner City Press at a stakeout interview by the Security Council on October 9, also declined to explain. Video here <http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ondemand/stakeout/2007/so071009am2.rm>. Inner City Press has continued to inquire, leading to this first in a series: Schook's power in Kosovo involves licensing and privatization of resources. Even as Kosovo's status is pending in the UN Security Council and revolving talks, power plants are planned and for sale. The burning of dirty coal, lignite, is envisioned. The Schook-favored bidders, in a process to be finalized by the end of 2007, include Czech company CEZ (sometimes called CHEZ) and the American AES, which involves former U.S. Kosovo verification envoy William Walker. Personal connections are what get these contracts: the Czech company, incorporating as "New Kosovo Energy L.L.C.," hired <http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:5-14OyWsDHMJ:www.euinkosovo.org/upload_economic/Economic%20News%2019%20March.pdf+ekrem+belegu&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us&client=firefox-a> Ceku's former secretary Ekrem Belegu <http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:syoC_tFE9R4J:www.ks-gov.net/mem/english/engpdf/prezantime/09A_Prezentation%20of%20Ekrem%20Belegu%20140205.pdf+ekrem+belegu&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us&client=firefox-a>, from Peja. Schook on September 26 said he was being investigated for "supporting Project C as a key to the future economic prosperity of Kosova and as a part of that supporting everyone in the Project Steering Committee including its chairman Minister for Energy and Mines Ethem Ceku" and for "personal relationships." The juicy allegations involve Kosovar singers Nora Istrefi and Jehona Sopi -- Schook is said to have a weakness in this regard -- and their relation to the privatizations. Supposely this is all going to be overseen by the accounting firm PCW, whose "fees will be paid out of a $10.5 million Lignite Power Technical Assistance Project grant from the World Bank." (/Power, Risk and Finance/, July 20, 2007). Steven Schook, UNMIK "Public Information" Ridge Global -- and USAID? The trend of Washington-decided grants to U.S.-based consultants for work in the Balkans extends to Tom Ridge's firm, Ridge Global LLC, and its lobbying work for Albania, which is understood to be funded by USAID. A press release on October 1, 2007, announcing Ridge Global's creation stated "Though publicly launched today, Ridge Global already has attracted a diverse array of clients, including the government of Albania, which has enlisted Ridge Global to help the Adriatic democracy meet its goal to join NATO in 2008. Additionally, the Ridge team assists Albania in attracting private enterprise and creating a roadmap for political and justice reforms. 'Given an extraordinary depth of expertise, Tom Ridge is a leading statesman and participant on the world stage,' said Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha. 'We value his forward-leaning wisdom and input.'" Prior to formalizing his company, Ridge was hired personally to work for Albania in September 2006, triggering praise by Ridge for Berisha. On September 7, 2006, State Department spokesman Scott McCormack was asked <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2006/71935.htm> QUESTION: On Albania. Mr. McCormack, Tom Ridge, the former U.S. Homeland Security chief used to work as a consultant to the Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha on security and NATO issues. Mr. Ridge said today that Mr. Berisha is a very passionate and compelling individual with a great vision for Albania and the entire Balkans. Any comment? MR. MCCORMACK: Former Secretary Ridge is a private citizen. QUESTION: But it's -- but it's private citizen, I agree, but I was told that Mr. Ridge prior to the acceptance has full consultation with a DOS official and I'm wondering how this trilateral connection Tom Ridge, Sali Berisha, Department of State was cooperating in this -- MR. MCCORMACK: Former senior officials are very often in contact with the State Department, especially when they have contacts with foreign officials. We certainly do everything that we can to give them the most up-to-date information we have about our policies, but that is typically where it ends. The work surfaced again on June 8, 2007, when State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey was questioned about Ridge's role in Bush's trip <http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2007/jun/86238.htm> to Tirana: QUESTION: What role did Tom Ridge, who's stationed (inaudible) in Albania play in arranging the visit by President Bush to Albania? Did he consult with the Department of State or did (inaudible) -- MR. CASEY: I'm sorry, did -- QUESTION: -- with the Department of Justice for his representation of Albanian interest in this time? MR. CASEY: I'm sorry, Mr. Lambros, did who arrange the visit? The visit was arranged by -- QUESTION: Tom Ridge, Tom Ridge. He's stationed in Albania and was going to be (inaudible) Department of State. MR. CASEY: He's stationed in Albania as what? He's stationed in Albania as what? QUESTION: Excuse me? MR. CASEY: He's stationed in -- QUESTION: In Albania, yes, correct. MR. CASEY: As what? QUESTION: As PR man, as -- I think. MR. CASEY: I have no idea what Mr. Ridge is doing. I have no idea whether he's in Albania or not. I do know that we have strong relations with our good friend and ally, Albania, and that the visit of the President of the United States represents that; and you can talk to the White House in terms of the greater specifics of it. But last time I looked, you know, PR companies aren't the representatives of sovereign governments either in the United States or Albania or any other place. But in the Balkans, particularly in Kosovo, anything is possible. Developing. * * *
