On February 17, 2008, the ethnic Albanian provisional government of the NATO-occupied province of Kosovo declared independence. Five years later, the “Republic of Kosovo” has been recognized by half the world’s governments and enjoys unqualified Imperial support. It is also a crime- and corruption-ridden hellhole, and a failure of Western nation-building project.
Not surprisingly, the cheerful congratulations from the White House and Foggy Bottom paint a rosy picture of progress, prosperity, peace, human rights, rule of law and multiethnic coexistence. “Kosovian” reality, as usual, is quite different.
Business As Usual
In November last year, as Albanians from Kosovo and Macedonia joined the celebrations of Albania’s independence centennial, the German weekly Der Spiegel published an insider testimonial about Kosovo:
“The so-called EULEX mission, with a staff of roughly 2,500, has cost more than €1 billion ($1.3 billion) since 2008. Nevertheless, a recent report by the European Court of Auditors finds that there have been hardly any successes.”
Similar sentiments can be found in a recent article in France’s daily Le Monde, which asked: “is the EU turning a blind eye to corruption and organized crime?”
Both the French and the German reporters are remarkably naive. The function of EULEX was never to alter the Albanian society, where “law and order” largely revolves around a medieval concept of vendetta. Rather, its purpose was to replace the status-neutral UN mission with a presence directly controlled by Brussels and Washington, openly supportive of “independence.” It has done precisely that. Hence the praise from Washington for “progress” in the very fields the Europeans shyly point out as failures.
And that’s without a single word mentioning the murderous bigotry against non-Albanians in the self-proclaimed state.
Evil and Monuments Thereto
Albanians claims of persecution and discrimination have first gained traction in the U.S. during the late 1980s, as grievance lobbies competed for policy attention in the chaos following the end of the Cold War. Yet it was only after the Dayton Accords ended the Bosnian War in 1995 that Washington began stoking the fires of violence in southern Serbia. In 1998, the Empire officially embraced the “Kosovo Liberation Army”, which it previously labeled “terrorist,” and threatened Belgrade with war unless it surrendered to rebel demands. In January 1999, following a staged “massacre,” NATO gave then-Yugoslavia an ultimatum: allow NATO occupation of Kosovo, or else. Belgrade said no.
An evil little war followed, wrong in both cause and conduct. Unable to hurt the Yugoslav Army, NATO began to terrorize civilians, until a face-saving compromise was proposed by Moscow. Not surprisingly, NATO shredded the deal before the ink was dry, and once in possession of the province turned it over to the KLA.
The result was a reign of terror: murder, rape, arson, demolition of churches, chapels and cemeteries – all directed not just against the Serbs, but also the Gorani, Romany and even Albanians who weren’t fully on board with KLA rule. NATO “peacekeepers” looked the other way, while the Western media – which had spun tall tales of “100,000 dead” and “rape camps” and “genocide” to help justify the war – shrugged the terror off as “revenge attacks.” In a particularly vile twist, Albanian repression was thus turned into “proof” that Albanians had been repressed.
The terror culminated in March 2004, with a pogrom one UN official compared to Kristallnacht, when 50,000 or so Albanians systematically torched Serb villages and tore down churches. In the aftermath, the propaganda machine went into overdrive, arguing that the pogrom ought to be rewarded with independence. And so it was.
In 2005, Bush II embraced the Balkans policy of his defeated challenger, and pledged support for the “Kosovian” cause. The UN whitewashed the pogrom and stopped insisting on “standards before status.” When opposition from Belgrade and Moscow stalled the independence creep, the Empire had the leadership in Belgrade replaced, and sidelined Moscow by having the Albanians declare independence unilaterally.
When Belgrade asked the International Court of Justice to opine on the legality of the declaration – which by all rights should have been nonexistent – the ICJ resorted to semantic contortions to make it legal.
Because of Reasons
There have been numerous explanations for Empire’s obsession with “Kosovo” over the years. One popular theory is that the province is rich in minerals and other natural resources, so the wars and the propaganda were all about greed. It is reinforced every so often with rumors of this or that former Imperial official seeking to invest in some major project – Madeleine Albright’s conglomerate in mobile telephony, or Wesley Clark in fracking for gas, for example.
In December 2012, the New York Times ran a story about Americans who “helped free Kosovo” (sic) returning to a heroes’ welcome as investors. While some of these people no doubt seek to cash in on their reputation, Albright’s telephone takeover is in limbo, while Clark’s oil and gas exploration has never been more than a pipe dream.
Vanity has certainly played a role in Imperial meddling. After declaring his support for the “Kosovian” cause, Bush II was given worshipful reception and a monument in Albania proper. His predecessor was honored with a golden statue and a street in the “Kosovian” capital. A shopping mall was named after his wife and later Secretary of State. It was Hillary Clinton who, visiting Pristina last October, declared her interest – and that of all Americans, even – to be “personal.”
One reason, however, rarely gets examined by the press: power. According to insider memoirs, the 1999 war wasn’t about the Albanians, or even so much about breaking the Serbs, as much as sticking it to the Russians. Yet it was the “Kosovian agenda,” starting with the 1999 attack on Serbia, that “lost” Russia to Washington, as the client Yeltsin regime was overthrown in a palace coup by Vladimir Putin.
Hegemon’s Gambit
Even so, there is still power to be gained from breaking Serbia. In the 1990s, the Empire’s propaganda apparatus manufactured an image of the Serbs as arch-villains, whose atrocities supposedly spurred the noble West into finding its moral compass and embarking on humanitarian crusades. This paved the way to a world without rules, governed by the strongest, who have the right to invade anyone, anywhere.
By making a public spectacle of Serbia’s humiliation, the Empire seeks to maintain hegemony as long as possible, sending a message to the rest of the world that resistance is futile. Judging by the Muslim world, however, the message didn’t take. That is particularly ironic, considering that the Balkans interventions were advertised as proof of Empire’s good intentions towards Islam.
Working As Intended
Five years ago, when the Albanians declared “Kosovo” independent, their only argument was conquest. Today they stand on the cusp of being officially recognized by Belgrade – a result of systematic betrayal first by the puppet regime of Boris Tadic, then by the replacement quislings installed last May.
After all that has happened, the Imperial government has the cheek to congratulate Serbia on its state holiday, praising “our many years as partners and friends” and wishing “all the people of Serbia… a peaceful and prosperous future.” If this is partnership and friendship, what does hostility look like?
The “Kosovian” black hole and the treason of Belgrade are not glitches in the system, but features. The system, as designed by the Empire, is working as intended. Yet Washington and Brussels are counting on the Serbs never figuring it out, and even if they do, being absolutely powerless to do anything about it.
Legend says this was precisely the attitude of Ottoman lords in February 1804, right before a major Serb uprising started the century-long struggle that eventually ended the Ottoman Empire. The holiday which prompted Foggy Bottom’s “congratulations” marks the day that rebellion began.
Ignorance, you see, cuts both ways.
Read more by Nebojsa Malic
- Two Simple Rules – January 31st, 2013
- Promises to Break – January 17th, 2013
- A Gathering Storm – December 27th, 2012
- Falling Towards Entropy – December 6th, 2012
- Injustice for All, Again – November 22nd, 2012
Kossovo: Still Lying Their Heads off | The Libertarian Alliance: BLOG
February 16th, 2013 at 7:44 am
[...] by Nebojsa Malić http://original.antiwar.com/malic/2013/02/15/still-a-lie/ [...]
MichaelKenny
February 16th, 2013 at 7:45 am
The usual, typically American, rant, raking over old coals rather than building the future as we Europeans do. Here in Europe, ex-Yugoslavia has been a non-story for the last 20 years. We're back to "every two weeks, stir the pot"!
Lulezim Maliqi
February 16th, 2013 at 8:45 am
Kosova is independent, whether you like it or not. Even Serbia's top politicians have lately recognized Kosova.
Brian
February 16th, 2013 at 8:50 am
It's true that Serbia basically has recognized Kosovo independence with the ambassador and customs and meeting and conferences but its still in the constitution! Why is it still there? Dacic likes to call its mentions of kosovo "dead letter" but where is his effort to remove it from the constitution? Serbs have seemed to embrace this policy of recognizing kosovo independence because except for a few dozen people LOL there is no popular opposition to meetings with kosovo president and prime ministers as equals and them representing kosovo as an independent country. So the big thing now is when the constutition will remove kosovo. Serbs voted for nikloci and dacic and their pro eu policies and don't care about their pro inpepdendent kosovo policies. I just don't see any opposition to serbia being a quisling state among the vast majority of serbs in serbia?
Brian
February 16th, 2013 at 8:52 am
the government is quisling and majority of serbs are quislings too. That doesn't make it right but its the fact now.
The Threeof Spades
February 16th, 2013 at 10:09 am
Yes, I am astounded by the future being built on the unemployment ranging anywhere from 10% to 30% and the diet being degraded from the prime beef to horse-meat continent-wide.
Indeed, you are back every two weeks to stir the pot. The only trouble is that what's in your pot may not be stirring, as you are reduced to spam (the pun intended!)
The Threeof Spades
February 16th, 2013 at 10:13 am
You are correct. For 13 years now we keep hearing about the illegitimacy of the Belgrade governments, and their quisling nature. The only trouble with that is that they are ELECTED quislings. By that standard they are as legitimate as can be, and I don't see how any Serbian citizen can claim to be any better than the government that represents him.
Nebojsa Malic
February 16th, 2013 at 5:52 pm
You know how the previous government was the one no one voted for, because no one in their right mind could envision the coalition between the Socialists and the Democrats (except the Empire, which put it together)? Well, same here – these parties ran against each other in the polls, and then made a back-room deal after the fact.
Nikolic only won the presidency because Tadic was so reviled – kind of like how Obama beat out McCain, because of Bush. And are you saying all the things Bush and Obama (or Clinton before them) have done must be legit, because hey, they were elected?
Nikolas
February 16th, 2013 at 11:55 pm
Elected quisling cult or not, Serbia is still the result of 20 years of Soros/NED brainwashing and white-washing of the unspeakable crimes of the western regimes, NATO and their then kriegsfuherer Javier Solana.
Serbs are supposed to be flaggelants to the alleged crimes the victors of the aggression and their courts accuse them of. Anything less is equal to "holocaust denying" . Serbia is a mind raped society living in a constant Stockholm-syndrome, run by 1.800 heavily entrenched and western supported NGO´s from top to bottom to that effect. Not even the Nazis succeeded with anything like that. Efforts must be made to reclaim parts of the generation lost to western propaganda, almost an impossible task and a irreparable damage but Serbia has to go east
where it´s real friends are and stop dreaming of becoming instant millionaires once disintegrated into
the neo-liberal Borg-hive that bombed them in the first place
Articles for Sunday » Scott Lazarowitz's Blog
February 17th, 2013 at 4:45 am
[...] Nebojsa Malic: Still a Lie: Serbia and “Kosovo,” Five Years Later [...]
The Threeof Spades
February 17th, 2013 at 6:04 am
I can't say that I am intimately familiar with the numbers and population mood in Serbia, but, based on the media reports, and what those who care to voice their opinion post by the way of commentary, it would appear that the population is adamant about jettisoning Kosovo and receiving promises from the EU.
The resistance to the government is probably in two camps: a tiny one that wants to be done with the EU charade and fight for Kosovo, and the vast majority of those I named in the first paragraph.
Hrebeljanovic
February 17th, 2013 at 7:21 am
"sticking it to the Russians"
Excellent essay Mr. Malic, excellent.
Roque Santa-Cruz
February 17th, 2013 at 8:04 am
Mr Kenney,
you are one sick MF but worst of all you are blind, please seek help of the psychiatric and ophtalmological kind
kirk
February 17th, 2013 at 8:43 am
clinton's murderous international stain to cover up his domestic dress stain continues to offend. this is just another of the many sins America become amerika will have to account for.
WashingtonDC Goddamn
February 17th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Yes MK, do as you Europeans do: march on to Libya, to Mali, to Algeria, all for the glorious future, right?
The Threeof Spades
February 17th, 2013 at 10:11 am
There are few, if any, people that detest Slick Willy as much as I do. Having said that, I find linking Ms. Lewinsky to the US/NATO bombing of Yugoslavia both naive and harmful to the truth about that part of the world and time. Clinton is a quintessential "White Thrash" person and as such fits entirely in the class lacking tryst that some would use to explain the world history by.
People ought to learn to separate the US policies and objectives from the personalities. The two Bushes, Clinton, and Obama are as different from each other as can be, and yet their policies toward Yugoslavia and that part of the world are 100% identical.
Presidents come and go, the US objectives and policies endure.
Nebojsa Malic
February 17th, 2013 at 10:53 am
Key phrase here is "based on the media reports." Mainstream media in Serbia are part of the quisling machine. Just look at who funds them.
Nebojsa Malic
February 17th, 2013 at 10:54 am
"The two Bushes, Clinton, and Obama are as different from each other as can be, and yet their policies toward Yugoslavia and that part of the world are 100% identical.
Presidents come and go, the US objectives and policies endure."
QFT.
The Threeof Spades
February 17th, 2013 at 11:10 am
There are few, if any, people that detest Slick Willy as much as I do. Having said that, I find linking Ms. Lewinsky to the US/NATO bombing of Yugoslavia both naive and harmful to the truth about that part of the world and time. Clinton is a quintessential "White Thrash" person and as such fits entirely in the class lacking tryst that some would use to explain the world history by.
The Threeof Spades
February 17th, 2013 at 11:19 am
Mr. Malic, something happened with my keyboard and my (below) answer got posted, which is out of context.
I entirely agree with your assessment of the "media reports" issue. A veritable conundrum.
I merely remain puzzled by the fact that the region and culture that have centuries long history of sabotaging the governments, systems, and oppressors, are unable to find a way for the truth to break out and discredit the propaganda.
Perhaps, that's where I see the Serbia's people's complicity in their own undoing.
Nikkolas
February 17th, 2013 at 11:25 am
Well every 2 weeks we get you pathetic rant about Malic's assessments of your Democracy.
I would be expection form the flush of your arrogance that at least in this case you tell us did Eulex found anyone for Burning 2004 84 Serbian churches
-or for blowing up bus and killing 12 and wounding 34 Serbs..( if this was western bus it would be terrorism..right )
-or who was shorting in to 15 kid playing on the banks of the river
-how about savage killing of the alder Serbs in Prizren who has try to return to own home.
You know some people can have difference in opinion but people like you are the worst of the human kind as they say her in USA …full of s..t.
You need professional help man !
tinkersailor
February 17th, 2013 at 4:16 pm
UNTIL IT ISN"T OR B4…
eric siverson
February 18th, 2013 at 7:44 pm
Leads one to suspect these two political parties are really under control of one identity . And they often both do what the majority of U.S. citizens would rather not do . Almost 70 % of americans wanted the goverenment to spend no more than they take in . Their Policies were very similar in Iraq and Afganhistan too . The U. S government does what some force other than the american people want done .
eric siverson
February 18th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Are you guys aware Nikolic agreed to meet the Kosovo president .Jahgana said the this could be a meeting between two independant states . Nikolic said that there is not two independent countries . stating this ruins the meeting . Than Nikolic said Kosovo can't be recognized by the UN unless big changes should suddenly take place in the UN . Nikolic also said the Kosovo can not be independent unless Serbia says they can be independent. He also said this is not somthing I would want to see anytime in my life . But Nikolic says there is no reason we should not talk to improve things for Kosovo and Serbia . I know I have spelled this name Jahgana wrong , She is a women and she said there has to soon be dead lines on northern Kosovo or NATO will be comming in with NATO guns . Nikolic also said Serbia has a big desire to join the E.U. and inorder to do that Serbia has to come to terms with its province of Kosovo ..