Kosovo Independence: Secession from Serbia
would lead to the Formation of an Islamic State
Vecernje Novosti - May 21, 2006
James Jatras Interview for Serbian Daily "Vecernje Novosti"
www.novosti.co.yu
Journalist: Srdja Trifkovic May 13, 2006 Translated to English from Serbian, by
Alex Belgrade. English translation at
www.globalresearch.ca
Nothing is over yet
From Wednesday, May 3, on the Washington political scene, there is yet another
institution - the American Council for Kosovo, a professionally led NGO whose
prime mission is to prevent the independence of Kosovo and to take that stance
even as a defence of America's own interests. The management of this
organization consists of respectable people, former admirals and generals,
diplomats and state officials, with little or no ethnic and emotional ties to
the Balkans.
We are talking to James Jatras, a key figure of this new institution and who was
a former foreign policy analyst for the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
What's your main goal at the moment?
Our goal is to educate the American public and decision makers about the policy
of the West towards Kosovo, principally the US policy, which has been so far
based on inertia. Everyone knows that the current discussions are not getting
anywhere. Albanians are only ready to talk about the only thing Serbs have said
that they cannot give them, and that's independence. When talks at one point
reach a dead end, the international community will just put into action an
already prepared "solution" - one that would give Kosovo independence but would
be put in a conditional form, with respect of human rights etc.
RUGOVA'S MASKS
With such a course, America will not gain any sympathies in the Islamic world,
even though some suggest it will. Not only that, but just about every principle
of international law will be violated. Sir Thomas Moore once said that even the
devil himself would be given the right to refer to laws, and Serbia is not a
devil - the devils in this case are Ceku, Haradinaj and Thaci. A simple fact is
that they are terrorists and criminals. Whatever masks Rugova used, those masks
are now off. Despite just saying that there will be some "guarantees" for Serbs,
Roma and other communities in Kosovo (Jews are all gone, and Albanian Catholics
are almost all gone too), the so called "Kosova Republic" would not have a
chance for survival, yet alone a normal life.
Are your opponents ready to change their opinions?
The American Council for Kosovo and certain lobbying and PR activities related
to it, want to present this issue in the light of day and place it for the
judgment of the American people, outside the so-called Balkan specialists in the
State Department and several quazi-independent institutes which all support the
official policy. We want to place the Kosovo issue in a broader context - jihad
terrorism, endangered Christians in regions with a Muslim majority, drug and
human trafficking and so on.
Even in this early stage of our endeavor, many people whom we talk to, are
showing signs that they are ready to question their position on Kosovo, provided
that we explain it to them the right way. I am convinced that the change of the
course is possible, and that it will be achieved as we progress with our
activities.
It is absurd and immoral that tens of thousands of people should disappear, and
not as a result of our passivity (like in Darfour), but as a result of a direct
decision of "democratic" governments of nominally Christian countries, and all
that allegedly just because of one man (Milosevic) who was toppled from power 6
years ago and who is now dead.
RISKS FOR THE USA
What are your key points and the points of the Council which you represent? What
will, in your opinion, have a key impact on the American officials and public?
These are the two sides of the same medal - jihad terrorism and crime. If the
USA were to support the taking away of Kosovo from Serbia, there would be an
Islamic state, fully run by terrorists and criminal elements, and, as such, that
would have the following consequences:
1. The elimination of all Christians that still remain, 2. The strengthening of
global jihad and international crime, 3. Fatal disruption of the principles of
international law in international relations.
Not only would that be bad for Serbia (which is not our primary problem), but it
would also be bad for the USA, which is by all means our problem. When we
present our case to the American public, we will make sure that they know the
detailed biographies of the 3 possible leaders of an "independent Kosovo" - Agim
Ceku, Ramush Haradinaj and Hashim Thaci.
This is the first lobbying and information endeavor of this kind in the United
States. Why is it so? Albanians have been lobbying for decades as opposed to
Serbs?
I will stress once again that this is an American endeavor, even though it was
initiated by the Serbian National Council for Kosovo and Metohia. Its
effectiveness will show that the current US policy is damaging to the US itself.
I really can't answer why Serbia has not tried something similar in terms of
lobbying, in the previous years. Perhaps Serbs were naive and they just waited
for the truth to surface by itself sooner or later. In Washington, the truth
needs a professional approach in order for it to be heard.
The key Albanian position is - give us what we want, or there will be chaos!
But, there will be a lot more chaos if we do give them what they want.
Isn't that threat of violence effective and isn't the "international community"
unprepared to stop it? Look at all the jihadist movements in the world - Bosnia,
Kosovo, Chechenya, Palestine, Kashmir, the Philipines etc, and ask yourself when
was giving in to terrorists and pleasing them effective? Ask the Russians,
Israelis or Indians. Giving in to the jihadists in Kosovo would only boost their
appetites for something bigger.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE
Isn't it too late to stop what seems unstoppable - the process of Kosovo's
independence? Absolutely not! It's not too late! On the contrary, the false
impression that Kosovo's independence is "inevitable", has been created by the
Albanians in order to influence Western (and Russian) policies, towards an
outcome that would be a disaster. Albanians want to make Belgrade submit, to
accept what is unacceptable for Belgrade. The Serbian Government should stand
firm on its position while we are doing our work in Washington.
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