SERBIAN COMMENTARY SEES ALBANIAN DESIRE FOR
UNIFIED TERRITORY AS SECURITY THREAT
BBC Monitoring International Reports - November 21, 2006 Tuesday
Text of commentary by Dusan Janjic, coordinator of the Forum for Ethnic
Relations: "Threat of violence" published by the Serbian newspaper Politika on
17 November
The Serbo-Albanian clash over status reflects the two sides' aspirations to
control territory and resources. It is estimated that Kosovo has a significant
share of the world's reserves of lead, zinc, nickel, chromium, magnesium, and
other minerals. There are also significant deposits of the strategic raw
material boron, which is used to improve the rigidity of steel and is also used
in nuclear reactors. The idea of controlling these resources has become a very
powerful motivation that is manifested in frequent violations of human rights,
violence, murders and expulsions. But it is precisely in that area that a
resolution of the crisis is possible. If the conflict were to be resolved
through a fair deal on the distribution of stock shares in privatization and
joint projects (joint electric energy production, for example), the motivation
for conflict could be turned around into energy for cooperation. That is an area
where help could come from the formula of development instead of military and
police control of a territory!
On the other hand, violence is one of the basic characteristics of life in
Kosovo, especially in relation to Serbs and other ethnic and political
minorities. In addition, the threat of Albanian extremism to regional stability
and security has not been fully considered. There is a high risk of extremist
activity and violence in Macedonia, the aim being to "remake" that country into
a "bi-ethnic federation." Behind that threat lies the pan-Albanian
ethno-nationalistic movement. The opening of talks on the future status of
Kosovo intensified preparations by all interested parties and raised their
expectations and fears. That was confirmed by the example of the Political
Platform of Councilmen from Albanians of the Presevo Valley (the municipalities
of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja), adopted on 4 January 2006. A sense of
threat comes from the part of the platform that states that "until the regular
question of Albanians in this valley is resolved, the entire region will be a
constant hotbed and an obstacle to Euro-Atlantic integration."
The emergence of the OVK [Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA; UCK in Albanian] in Tuzi
(Podgorica) in October 2006 raises new questions and trepidation concerning the
persistence of the Albanians' efforts to achieve "unified ethnic territory" in
the western Balkans and to destabilize Montenegro.
The unwillingness or inability to marginalize that movement is an indication of
the alarming absence of democratic capacities in the Albanian community, which
provokes suspicion and fear among neighbours. Of course, that suspicion is kept
alive and occasionally strengthened by other ethnic nationalisms, especially the
Serb kind. Moreover, it is widely believed by the Serbian and Macedonian public,
and also among Albanians themselves, that there are groups of Albanian
extremists and paramilitary organizations that enjoy NATO support and that they
have their roots in the OVK era. It is also firmly believed that the OVK
leadership is linked to the organized crime and drug trafficking network.
It is in Serbia's interest that Kosovo be stable. It would be dangerous for the
entire Balkan region, but especially for Serbia, if Kosovo were to continue to
develop into a sort of "Balkan Afghanistan." In that case, Kosovo would
principally pose a threat in terms of the transfer of terrorism and organized
crime, forcing Serbia to expend huge amounts on its military and police, which
is to say on maintaining security.
Serbia should also demonstrate its interest in Kosovo's stability through
concrete initiatives and activities. It would be best for that to come in the
form of a "security package" that would be discussed within the process of
defining the future status of Kosovo. Thus far, no such attempts have been made.
The "security package" should embrace the following premises:
The EU, the United States, and NATO should be the main factors of international
influence in the Balkans, with a strong international presence and commitment
led by the EU and the United States continuing most likely until the end of the
next decade; the gradual elimination of ad hoc institutions such as UNMIK [UN
Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo], the Stability Pact, and others,
consolidation of the EU stabilization and association process, and the transfer
of responsibilities to local leaders and communities; support for highly diverse
forms of cooperation in the subregion, one possibility being the establishment
of a Club of Shared Responsibility for Security in the Western Balkans, which
would coordinate joint actions by Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and
international and local authorities in Kosovo, NATO, and the EU in confronting
security threats (organized crime, political extremism, and terrorism).
In the western Balkans today, there is no risk of a significant number of
Muslims supporting Islamic extremists, but that does not mean that they do not
exist. A few days spent in Southern Mitrovica or Pec in Kosovo, or in Novi Pazar
in Sandzak, will be enough to sense the influence of the Wahhabi movement. The
activities of some Islamic organizations in Bosnia and Kosovo could become
extremely dangerous to security because those organizations promote radical
Islam, which is irreconcilable with democratic societies and multiethnic
environments. Under circumstances of limited support, those groups could become
attractive to a populace traumatized by fighting. Hence the need to carefully
track the activities of Islamic organizations in Bosnia and Kosovo, especially
those linked to terrorist networks.
Source: Politika, Belgrade, in Serbian 17 Nov 06
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