Will the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia continue?

[Cort Haus]

Contrary to popular mythology, the Kosovo war was not fought to prevent Albanians being expelled from Kosovo, it was fought to enable the expulsion of Serbs from Kosovo. The project's final stage is now being prepared - expect no comment on this from the 'humanitarian warriors' Toni Blair and Javier Solano.

Europe Prepares to Evacuate 40,000 Kosovo Serbs
FOCUS News Agency - 18 April 2006; 17:12

Podgoritca - Chair of Serbian National Council for Central Kosovo Rada Trajkovic revealed that WHO and UN Refugee Agency are preparing project for evacuation of 40,000 Serbs who are expected to leave Kosovo after it receives its independence. The project is in its final stage and crisis headquarters that will receive Serbs who would leave Kosovo are being set up, Montenegrin newspaper Dan reads today.

Trajkovic expressed her regret the World Trade Organization participates in a project for moving Serbians from Kosovo. “I am waiting for official reaction from Belgrade because instead of creating an environment to keep the Serbs in Kosovo there is a project that proposes leaving it,” Trajkovic noted

[Dinner]

As a person who actually spent time in Kosovo immediately following the war and who saw the burned out and destroyed Albanian towns I am going to call bull****.

[Cort Haus]

I can't comment on the specifics of what you saw. There was a war on which was started by the KLA - supported by Osama bin Laden and described by the US in 1998 as a terrorist organisation, but subsequently supported by the US. The word 'Fallujah' springs to mind in this context, and not only that, evidence at the Hague showed that the VJ were given clearer and more explicit instructions to adhere to the Geneva Conventions with regard to civilians than the US army was in Iraq.

War crimes committed against Albanians were not acting under orders from the FRY government, and the criminals responsible were charged and imprisoned by that government during the war. Contrast this with war crimes comitted by the KLA, all of whom got off scott-free.

Where the KLA operated from, they got shot at, and their hiding places were destroyed. Consider also that substantial damage was caused by the NATO bombing campaign. Did you also get to see the burned out and destroyed schools, hospitals, bridges, TV stations, embassies etc in Serbia proper?

[Dinner]

Scot free?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3071315.stm

http://www.balkanpeace.org/cib/kam/kam21.shtml

http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/klatrial.htm

The Hague has KLA members on trial just as it has Serbs who commited war crimes.

[Cort Haus]

I was referring to how the FRY leadership prosecuted its own war criminals, and immediately, in comparison to the Albanian leadership. The Kosovo courts were notoriously reluctant to move against its 'war heroes' unless arm-twisted by the internationals. In the first example quoted, (Rustem Mustafa & Latif Gashi) Judge Timothy Clayson handed down the sentences.

The second link from 2000 doesn't refer to anyone specific, but hints at big fish to come. I expect these are the guys in the third link (2001), Ceku & Haradinaj.

Agim Ceku gets to effectively run Kosovo today, despite having a sealed indictment against him made in 2000. The business of sealed indictments appears to underline the point from earlier in the thread, on how The Hague is used to exert control. Ceku gets to enjoy the trappings of wealth and power, and to persue his political agenda within permitted limits, but ultimately the great powers could theoretically haul him in. Meanwhile, he's free to get on with it.

Ramush Haradinaj resigned from the top spot, in March 2005 to make way for Ceku, ostensibly to face a very serious list of ICTY charges but in May 2005 he is allowed out on bail. (Kosova Sot, Pristina, 31 May 05 p3). I'm not sure if a date has been scheduled for his trial. Contrast this with Milosevic, who is not even allowed out for life-saving medical treatment in the days before his death.

Here's what Kosovo's UN viceroy, Soeren Jessen-Petersen had to say about the man indicted for '*persecutions, murder, looting, wanton destruction of towns and villages, deportation, forced displacement, and other inhumane acts'.

"Thanks to Ramush Haradinaj's dynamic leadership, strong commitment and vision, Kosovo is today closer than ever before to achieving its aspirations in settling its future status. Personally, I am saddened to no longer be working with a close partner and friend… The decision announced by Mr. Haradinaj to cooperate with the Tribunal, despite his firm conviction of innocence, and although painful for him, his family, Kosovo and for his many friends and partners, including in UNMIK, is at the same time an example of Kosovo's growing political maturity as a responsible member of the international community."

http://www.unmikonline.org/press/2005/pressr/pr1325.pdf

So Peterson, the International Community's man in Kosovo is a close friend and partner of Haradinaj. What does this tell us about the supposed impartiality of this viceroy?

So yes, a few small fish from '99 have been prosecuted by UN-run local courts, and gestures have been made by the ICTY against the bigger fish, but I think that Peterson's comments and the ICTY's actions show where the powers-that-be really stand. If anyone can point to prosecutions against those responsible for the March 2004 pogroms, I'd be grateful.

* http://www.trial-ch.org/trialwatch/p...ures/p322.html