FW: USIA ok Kosovo (161098)
Wim de Haar
Archives: http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/archives/albanews.html
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October 16, 1998
HOLBROOKE-MILOSEVIC AGREEMENT: A STEP FORWARD OR A 'NEW
MUNICH?'
The Holbrooke-Milosevic agreement on Kosovo continued to attract intense
media attention
overseas, with commentators proffering assessments about the merits of the
deal and its
prospects for success. Opinion was divided between a considerable number of
observers who
viewed the deal as a positive step forward, and an increasing number of
editorialists who found in
the agreement little to praise and much to criticize. More broadly, a
number of opinion-makers
also dwelled on the implications of the agreement and related NATO threats
to use air strikes.
There was widespread consensus that these events represented a major change
in international
diplomacy. Some analysts praised this apparent development, arguing that,
henceforth,
humanitarian intervention can be considered an accepted norm of
international relations and that
NATO has begun to function as an effective instrument of peace. Russian
pundits and a number
of others in press around the world were much more critical, contending
that any NATO-backed
intervention--especially if unaccompanied by a UN resolution--would be
unprecedented and
illegitimate, and is reminiscent of "gunboat diplomacy." They also held
that an intervention strategy
was a risky venture that could escalate the crisis and ignite a protracted
war in the middle of
Europe. Following are commentary highlights:
A STEP FORWARD: Supporters of the pact viewed it as promising to avert a
pending
humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo, helping to stabilize the situation and
serving as a first step
toward subsequent negotiations that can bring a lasting solution to
Kosovo's problems.
Significantly, even proponents perceived potential weaknesses in the
agreement, stressing that
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's compliance cannot be taken for
granted and that the
best deterrence to Belgrade's backsliding remains the threat of NATO air
strikes. Some media
voices pointed out that the deal brokered by Mr. Holbrooke was perhaps the
best one that could
be made under difficult circumstances. London's independent weekly
Economist asserted, for
example: "The deal...is an easy one to criticize.... But, despite all [its]
flaws, it is better to have this
agreement than not to have it, and better to have it before rather than
after air strikes.... Above
all, the deal provides a breathing space in which an international effort
to stop people dying of
cold and hunger can be launched." Several pundits expressed admiration for
U.S. special envoy
Holbrooke's diplomatic skills and energy, noting that, without him, the
deal with Mr. Milosevic
would not have come about.
A NEW 'MUNICH'?: Critics of the deal determined that there were too many
uncertainties and
too many opportunities for failure in the agreement. They claimed that,
based on President
Milosevic's past record, he would likely break his promises, and that it
was far from certain that
NATO would be able to maintain its resolve to take military action. Others
took issue with the
agreement itself, noting that it did not ameliorate any of the root causes
of the crisis in Kosovo
and did not include a procedure for determining the future status of the
province. Many judged
that, at best, the pact only defers the day of reckoning. The most
pessimistic assessments held
that, once again, the international community had chosen appeasement as an
answer to
aggression.
This survey is based on 67 reports from 29 countries, October 13-16.
EDITOR: Diana McCaffrey
To Go Directly To Quotes By Region, Click Below
| EUROPE | | EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC | | SOUTH ASIA | |
LATIN
AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN |
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO: "A Statesman With Courage"
Major, pro-government Politika (10/15) devoted page after page to coverage
of the positive
reactions and messages of support sent to President Milosevic by political
parties, associations,
companies, and citizens. An example follows: "The agreement on the
resolution of the Kosovo
crisis by peaceful and political means...and the statement by President
Milosevic...have received
full support throughout the country from citizens, political parties, and
companies because of
victory of the peaceful option means the retention of the sovereignty and
integrity of our
country.... It is doubtless our historic victory, a victory for the forces
of freedom against the forces
of blackmail, ultimatums, threats of bombing, and war.... We were sure you
would defend the
truth and dignity of our country.... We never doubted the statesmanship and
the political ability
and the wisdom of our president. He is responsible for averting a military
catastrophe at the
beginning of the 21st century."
"An Episode Without Consequences"
Stojan Cerovic observed in independent Nasa Borba (10/15): "I am afraid
that there will be no
peace in Kosovo. The verifiers, which Milosevic accepted under the utmost
pressure, will in
reality help him preserve the status quo. He has already completed his part
of the war, and now
this international mission will be able to report mostly on the actions by
and the violence of the
remaining Albanian desperados."
FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA: "Questions"
Zlatko Pizevski held in centrist, opposition Dnevnik (10/14): "NATO is just
a step away from
military intervention in FRY. The initiators of such interference in the
internal affairs of a sovereign
state were the United States, the UK and Germany. According to the Germans,
the intervention
in FRY should stop the humanitarian catastrophe, which will be only
worsened with the coming of
winter. The question is, why did they keep silent all the time and watch
the Serb offensive
proceed? Or, is it the fact that some of the internally displaced persons
might seek sanctuary from
the humanitarian catastrophe in Germany. Serbia has no possibility to point
their military
power--which is not to be underestimated--to Germany, but they might act in
Kosovo, which is
so available for such a retaliatory action. As is Albania."
SLOVENIA: "Likely Milosevic Has No Intention Of Complying"
Left-of-center Delo opined (10/15): "[It is likely that] Milosevic has no
intention of complying
with the agreement...he has signed. He can count on 'cooperation' of the
Albanians and their
political leaders.... Besides this, U. S. Ambassador to Macedonia
Christopher Hill, who is
supposed to continue Holbrooke's work in the field, is not an authority big
enough to talk the
political leaders of the Kosovo Albanians into negotiating the 'dirty
details' of autonomy....
Although the agreement between Milosevic and Holbrooke seems above all hard
for the Serbs, it
requires as much self-denial from the Kosovo Albanians.... Holbrooke
himself will most probably
have to deal with the Albanian radicalization, distrust, and lack of
political control over the
Kosovo Liberation Army. How can he force them and what can he offer them?"
"Belgrade Nero"
Left-of-center, independent Dnevnik commented (10/15): "The best circus
artists would be proud
of the salto mortale performed once again by Milosevic.... Nevertheless,
like every magical trick,
the Serbian one is also of limited duration. The Serbian people
believe--and will continue to
believe for some time--that NATO, imperialism... and the Vatican are
responsible for (their
present situation).
"The rest of the world has realized--very slowly, but nevertheless--that
this is illusionism of a man
who makes strategic rather than tactical mistakes. This does not solve the
problem because
Milosevic belongs among those leaders who called a horse a senator, burned
down a city while
playing music, ate their courtiers and people, and established a new church
in order to get
remarried. The Kosovo story is not over yet; not because there is no
solution, but because there
is no one to talk to. Besides the Belgrade Nero, (the international
community) can talk to Vuk
Draskovic, who would like to be--dressed in a national costume--a Chetnik,
a socialist, a
western intellectual, and a writer at the same time; or to Zoran Dindic,
who would like to be a
Serbian intellectual with European pedigree, a Chetnik with social
connotation, and a nationalist,
without wearing the national footwear."
BRITAIN: "Fingers Crossed"
The conservative Times had this lead editorial (10/16): "In their very
imprecision, the contours of
the Kosovo plan are depressingly all too clear, and too familiar. Despite
statements to the
contrary, Slobodan Milosevic...has again been taken at his word.... NATO's
activation order is
still in force and could in theory trigger air strikes by tomorrow. But
although NATO intelligence
insists that there is no evidence of 'substantial compliance' with the
ultimatum to withdraw Serb
troops and special forces by tomorrow, and the White House agrees with
NATO, the U.S. State
Department is transparently anxious to declare victory and go home.... The
one thing that has
assuredly been bought is time...to try for the political settlement for
Kosovo that Mr. Milosevic
will never willingly negotiate."
"A Victory For Despots?"
The independent weekly Economist asserted (10/16): "The deal that has
hauled NATO back
from the brink of war...is an easy one to criticize. Not only does it fail
to determine the future
status of Kosovo, but it does not even include an agreed procedure for
settling that issue at some
future date.... Nor is the deal certain to stop either the fighting or the
looming humanitarian
disaster.... And the scope for disagreement between the OSCE and NATO, or
between America
and Europe, is huge.... But, despite all these flaws, it is better to have
this agreement than not to
have it, and better to have it before rather than after air strikes.
Attacking a sovereign state is not
something that should be done lightly. Above all, the deal provides a
breathing space in which an
international effort to stop people dying of cold and hunger can be
launched."
"This Won't Stop The Serbs"
The liberal Guardian opined (10/16): "This week's deal will bring a pause
in Serb hostilities, but it
will not bring peace.... In Bosnia, after Dayton, there were 30,000
NATO-led troops on the
ground and a political settlement. In Kosovo there are no troops and no
settlement or prospect of
one. The observers are going in unarmed, dependent on moral authority and
the goodwill of the
population. There has already been a humanitarian catastrophe. The best it
will do is alleviate the
consequences temporarily. Will it end Serb oppression in Kosovo? Not a
chance."
GERMANY: "Holbrooke's Mission"
W. Gerlach commented on regional radio station Bayerischer Rundfunk of
Munich (10/15): "The
most serious shortcoming of the agreement between Richard Holbrooke and
Slobodan Milosevic
is the fact that not enough has been done for the security of the 2,000
OSCE monitors who could
quickly get caught between the political and military fire in the region.
"This is why it is necessary to take additional and important measures such
as deploying a rapid
reaction force in the immediate neighborhood and demonstratively
maintaining NATO's activation
order."
"Next Moves"
Hans-Juergen Haller commented on regional radio station Hessischer Rundfunk
of Frankfurt
(10/14): "The crisis in Kosovo, whatever the outcome, will force us to
answer the worrying
question of whether or not it is indeed inhumane and immoral not to be
willing to use armed force.
Not carelessly, not frivolously, and not arrogantly, but without any
illusions. Not to conquer, not
to intimidate but rather to ensure that human rights are respected in other
countries."
"Is Sigh Of Relief Warranted?"
Centrist Mitteldeutsche Zeitung of Halle wondered (10/15): "The decisive
question now is
whether it was really appropriate to heave a sigh of relief about the
negotiating success of Richard
Holbrooke. Doubts are justified. In two respects, Milosevic can view
himself as the winner. First,
because he is presenting himself as the strong man in Serbia after having
crushed the opposition
movement, and second, because he has lost nothing in the Kosovo conflict.
His special units and
his army have accomplished their destructive mission.... We can also
imagine that Milosevic is
continuing to play for time--until the political will of NATO for military
intervention wanes."
ITALY: "U.S. Mediator Played A Daring Game"
Stefano Cingolani reported from Paris in centrist, top-circulation Corriere
della Sera (10/16):
"Playing a daring game, the U.S. mediator managed to concede something to
everybody, without
really surrendering to anybody. But all of this is not enough: a new UN
resolution is now
necessary to legitimize the agreement and force all signatories to respect
it.... The Kosovo
Liberation Army believes it's all a cheat.... And even in the United
States, there is no agreement
over Holbrooke's achievements. Congress, for example, is much more inclined
to help Kosovar
independence groups."
"Our Own Saddam"
An editorial in leading, centrist newsweekly Panorama wondered (10/16):
"What is the difference
between Milosevic and Saddam Hussein? None.... Yet...Milosevic...lives and
operates in our
backyard. Therefore, he is a threat to Europe's stability.... That is why
stronger determination on
the part of the European nations...would have been necessary when the time
came to threaten the
use of force towards the Belgrade dictator. Instead, American diplomats had
to intervene once
again.... But nobody should fool himself that the Milosevic case has been
resolved. The
Milosevic-Holbrooke deal...is not peace and is not ethnic reconciliation.
It is only a cease-fire...to
prevent an international crisis with unpredictable consequences right at
the time when the U.S.
leadership appears very weak and financial turbulence is out of control."
"International Community Remains In State Of Alert"
Left-leaning, influential La Repubblica stressed (10/15): "Nobody trusts
Milosevic.... The doubt
remains that Milosevic is once again bluffing with the international
diplomacy.... The international
community remains in a state of alert."
"NATO Keeps Its Finger On The Trigger"
Ennio Caretto noted in centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera
(10/15): "NATO...keeps its
finger on the trigger as the OSCE begins preparations to verify the
Belgrade agreement on
Kosovo....But Holbrooke seemed to be confident in the 'diplomacy of
missiles'.... Cruise missiles
seem to be the real sword of Damocles over Milosevic's head. A threat which
proved decisive
each time America decided to use it."
"Holbrooke Wins In Kosovo, But Everybody Claims Credit"
Provocative, classical liberal Il Foglio stressed (10/15): "It should be
clear to everybody that only
the United States is (and will be) in a position to scare Milosevic. NATO
and Europe are formally
respected, but are substantially...considered to be a nuisance.... Belgrade
is more familiar territory
for the American mediator than it is for many European diplomats."
RUSSIA: "NATO's Balancing Act"
Yelena Aleksandrova filed for official parliamentary Parlamentskaya Gazeta
(10/16): "NATO is
balancing on the edge of its sword. Bombing Yugoslavia would be in
contravention of all
international norms. More than that, it would ruin the entire system of
international relations based
on the UN Charter, the Helsinki Act, and the OSCE principles. Any country
or several countries,
acting on their own, would then be able to start a war in any region which
they consider their
sphere of influence."
"Double Standard, Gunboat Policy"
Reformist, business-oriented weekly VEK (10/16) front-paged this comment by
Yury Tyssovsky:
"The world is entering the 21st century, caught in a tangle of double
standards and gunboat
politics. It's biggies like the United States and NATO that think they can
use those to secure their
interests in the international arena. They and the UN have obviously
wracked their brains, trying
to find a 'legitimate' rationale for armed intervention in the affairs of a
sovereign state. NATO and
the United States virtually encourage separatism in the center of Europe,
and, in doing so, they
constantly violate the UN Charter and the basic principles of international
law."
"NATO Supersedes UN, OSCE"
According to Anatoliy Anisimov in official government Rossiyskaya Gazeta
(10/15): "The United
Nations does not want to quarrel with its host country, so a spokesperson
for its European office
was incoherent on whether NATO's decision to use force against a sovereign
state without the
approval of the UN Security Council was a violation of the UN Charter. In
fact, NATO has
willfully superseded the UN and OSCE."
ALBANIA: "West Has Not Calculated Correctly"
Mass-circulation, centrist Shekulli contended (10./14): "We saw once again
how the West took
its finger off the button without getting a convincing promise from
Milosevic. Now Milosevic can
boast before his people that he avoided the war. It cannot be said this was
farsighted diplomacy
by Western chancelleries, which were influenced in the end by internal
divisions and by Russia's
threats to invalidate its agreements with NATO. In this way, the essence of
the problem was
neglected once again. The first reactions of the Albanians are unhappy,
exactly because of this
point--the lack of clear guarantees by Belgrade on the future status of
Kosovo. The new plan is
designed to lift the crisis away from its current ''zero point,' but the
lack of a clear statement about
Kosovo's future status deprives the plan of its very essence. And this, in
the poisoned
environment of the Balkans, is of an importance which the West seemingly
has not yet calculated
correctly."
"Agreement--Like Early Winter"
Top-circulation, mildly sensationalist Koha Jone held (10/14): "The Serbs
seem satisfied with the
agreement: It proved Serbia's determination to defend its territorial
integrity and sovereignty. The
fear of the NATO planes faded away and the belief that NATO only talks was
reemphasized.
And once again the Serb leader came out as an indispensable partner for
international
agreements. To the Albanians, the agreement is like an early winter.
According to international
analysts the agreement only puts the problem of Kosovo off until later, and
has little probability of
solving it. The only measure left is air attack, but the Serbs have gotten
used to that threat and the
Albanians can no longer trust NATO. That my children will not die under
Serbia, but NATO is
not strong enough to be convincing.''
"Albanians Treated As A Beaten People"
On its front page, medium-circulation, sensationalist, pro-opposition
Albania opined (10/14):
"What the international community asked Milosevic to do--pull the troops
out of Kosovo--is
formal and meaningless because it fails to afford the minimal conditions
for the stabilization of the
situation: the return of hundreds of thousands of Albanians. The principal
problem is whether the
international community will destroy the roots of the conflict or will
merely try to keep their effects
under control. In order to resolve the conflict, Belgrade should be removed
as a factor, and that
cannot be done by treating it as a partner while treating the Albanians as
victims. Belgade should
instead be considered an aggressor and the Albanians victims of their
loyalty to Western
principles. From the military viewpoint, Belgrade's removal as a factor can
be achieved if
NATO's plan for military intervention is carried out. The intervention
would bring civil peace in
Kosovo and make the Dayton agreement for Bosnia work, since Belgrade is its
main obstacle.
Belgrade's removal as a factor should start today, in order to symbolically
state that no one is
willing to talk about projects of Serb nationalism, which are spurring
other nationalistic feelings
elsewhere. Kosovo will find peace only if the Serbs and Serbia are deprived
of the right to
determine the fate of another people."
"Kosovo--Hostage Of Holbrooke's Career?"
Centrist, mass-circulation, Albanian/Italian-language Gazeta Shqiptare
commented on page one
(10/14): "The agreement of the well-known couple Holbrooke and Milosevic
cannot be a
condolence to hundreds of thousands of killed and displaced Albanians.
NATO's withdrawal
showed that the threat was more about the Alliance's image than about
finding a final solution to
the Kosovo tragedy. This latest agreement is closely linked to Milosevic's
political fate, but
perhaps even more with Holbrooke's diplomatic career. Meanwhile, the
thousands of Albanians
in the mountains are forced to wait for the umpteenth time to see if
Milosevic will keep his
promise. Milosevic considers the agreement a way to avoid armed attack, not
the solution to the
Kosovo crisis."
"'Saddam Of The Balkans Remains The Same"
Small-circulation, opposition Democratic Party daily Rilindja held (10/14):
"It seems that NATO's
threats were finally taken quasi-seriously by the Balkan dictator who
promised that he 'agrees to
implement the resolution'. But meanwhile, this is his most disgusting
alibi. It is quite impossible that
the Saddam of the Balkans became an angel within 96 hours and can convince
internal
opinion--specifically the Kosovo Albanians--that he has changed and he will
not bomb them on
their way home. The Albanians naturally have the right to be skeptical and
not believe in the
change of this man who for the sake of his own power ordered the murder of
hundreds of
innocent Albanians...because they were 'terrorists.'
"Even at the international level, Milosevic's promise can be read as pure
hypocrisy, because it is
the same Milosevic who through the ultra-nationalist Seselj closed the
mouth of electronic media
so they could not relay the 'subversion' of foreign radio stations which
'destabilize' Yugoslavia.
Milosevic, as he has demonstrated, understands only the language of force.
He understands only
when 'the rope is around his neck'. Another 96 hours. Another 96
minutes.... He remains the
same, Milosevic and nobody else."
"Falling Into The Serb Trap"
Medium-circulation, Republican Party daily Republika held in a front page
editorial (10/14):
"European diplomacy fell into the Serb trap. The Holbrooke-Milosevic
agreement on
implementation of the UN resolution should not stop NATO's initiative for
intervention. It is
precisely NATO's pressure that made such an agreement possible. The
international community
which has witnessed Yugoslavia's death must understand once and for all
that the Serbs and the
Albanians cannot live in a state ruled by Serb cynicism. Kosovo's people
have expressed their
determination for independence and their objectives do not harm the
interests of other countries
and peoples. NATO's non-intervention and the international community's
non-recognition of
Kosovo's independence would be direct concessions to Milosevic for the
continuation of
violence. It should be understood that compromise is impossible with the
Serbs and that the only
solution is the Dayton formula, which would give the Albanians the space to
exercise their national
rights."
AUSTRIA: "It Was The Americans Who Brought About Decisive Change"
Andreas Schwarz commented in prestigious, conservative Die Presse (10/15):
"Once again it was
the Americans who brought about the decisive change.... Only when the
United States did not
want to watch all this any longer, the Europeans brought themselves to show
some
determination.... It is all the more important now that there is not the
slightest crack in the unity of
the West over the next days, weeks, and months. The most decisive questions
concerning the
political future of Kosovo...are yet to be solved.... This is only the
beginning of a solution to the
Kosovo crisis."
"Not Only Milosevic, But Also NATO Saved Skin..."
Josef Kirchengast opined in liberal Der Standard (10/15): "There was no
doubt that the threat of
a military strike was meant seriously. The internal differences about the
legitimacy of an armed
operation according to international law, however, were all too obvious,
and concealed only by
the determined leadership of the United States. First of all, it is now up
to the European partners
in the Alliance to draft a political, economic--and, of course,
military--peace concept for the
entire Balkans region. And this is, as Americans rightly say, a purely
European problem. If
Europe fails another time in this respect, NATO--the foundation of the
European security
system--will not remain undamaged either."
"Efficient NATO Threat"
In tabloid Neue Kronenzeitung (10/15), Kurt Seinitz called the Kosovo
agreement with Milosevic
"the maximum that has ever been squeezed out of him. And this was only
possible thanks to the
NATO threat. NATO acted in a reserved, but responsible way and proved that
it is the most
efficient peace instrument of the world today."
"Tribute To Holbrooke"
Livia Klingl obsreved in mass-circulation Kurier (10/15): "We tip our hat
to the American.
Holbrooke, America's most undiplomatic diplomat, who performed--with NATO
support and
the EU as a small assessor--a great feat....
"Milosevic gives up, before bombs have to be dropped on Belgrade. May
Holbrooke's success
be a lesson for all those who still believe that outlaws can be confronted
by UN laws alone."
BELGIUM: "Compromise, While Not Perfect, Should Not Be Torpedoed"
In independent Le Soir, Edouard Van Velthem observed (10/16): "[U.S. envoy
Holbrooke's]
agreement, of course, is not perfect. The most determined people will argue
that 'good' strikes are
preferable to bad concessions. The most indignant will deplore this
additional respite...granted to
Mr. Milosevic.... The most skeptical will wonder about the details of the
future course of
events.... [But] it is no one's interest to torpedo this still temporary
outcome to the crisis. It
heralds perhaps a new era of summit negotiations which...has already termed
'gunpoint
diplomacy.' It demonstrates at least the efficiency of a political action
conducted swiftly, based on
a coherent strategy, supported by precise objectives and held at arms'
length by the prospect of a
possible resort to force. It prevents the Western experts from being
confronted with the quagmire
of the...legal justification of a ground intervention on the territory of a
sovereign state."
CANADA: "Kosovo Deal Demonstrates Adroitness"
In his regular "Home and Away" column in the liberal Toronto Star, Richard
Gwyn held (10/14):
"United States envoy Richard Holbrooke's achievement in persuading Serbian
president
Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his troops from the province of Kosovo is
the politico-military
equivalent of convincing a camel to slip through the eye of a needle. "Not
just a cantankerous
camel that's likely to balk and refuse to budge, but a rabid beast well
able to bite and buck and
kick.... [I]ndependence for Kosovo, which is the objective of almost all of
the Albanians there,
would have unhinged much of the Balkans.... "By far the most diplomatically
troubling
consequence of this kind of unravelling--for Holbrooke personally as well
as for the West in
general--is that...independence by Kosovo would justify logically the
parallel break-up of
Bosnia.... "The agreement...creates the hope that that eventual break-up
[of Kosovo from Serbia]
will now happen peacefully (more or less).... This week, the Nobel
Committee will announce the
1997-98 peace prize. Next year, if the ceasefire holds in Kosovo as it has
done so far in Bosnia
despite all the pessimists, there's little doubt that Holbrooke will be,
certainly should be, the
winner."
"Softening Up Serbia"
The mid-market Ottawa Citizen opined (10/15): "Probably no one but our
federal government
thinks Canada is an important player in the nasty crisis that has pitted
Serbia against the
recalcitrant province of Kosovo. Yet there was Foreign Minister Lloyd
Axworthy on Tuesday,
explaining, though not in so many words, that the Balkan debacle is a good
test case for his
theories on 'soft power' and 'human security.'... We are not convinced that
all the international
institutions in the world will bring Mr. Milosevic to heel over the long
term. And, in the meantime,
the pact everyone seems so pleased with contains serious problems....
Perhaps Mr. Axworthy
and his ilk can claim that peace with Mr. Milosevic has avoided the larger
cataclysm of a major
war in the Balkans. But they may only have postponed it.... If the Alliance
stands down on Friday
as originally planned, it may be that much more difficult to muster its
determination in future. In
that case, Mr. Milosevic wins. Like Saddam Hussein, he learns that, in the
matter of staring down
the West, simple postponement of confrontation goes a long way. And the
champions of soft
diplomacy will be left facing hard questions indeed."
"Kosovo Agreement A Munich In Minature"
In the conservative Ottawa Sun (10/15), Eric Margolis maintained: "Peace in
our time! If you ever
wondered why Europe failed to stand up to Hitler's aggression, just look at
Tuesday's agreement
over Kosovo between NATO and Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic.
"Like Munich and Bosnia, this was a cynical sellout, disguised as peace....
The Kosovo
Liberation Army will resume battling Serb occuaption forces. Ironically,
NATO may end up
bombing Albanian guerrillas. This latest Balkan sellout has bought wily
Milosevic some time. Still,
after more fighting, Kosovo's eventual independence seems inevitable."
"Agreement With Milosevic A Stop-Gap"
Harry Sterling commented in the business-oriented Financial Post (10/14):
"Serbian leader
Slobodan Milosevic has finally blinked.... [H]e has agreed to withdraw
Serbian security forces
from Kosovo and allow a...foreign verification force to be stationed in
Serbia's strife-torn ethnic
Albanian province. While the bloodletting in Kosovo may soon be over, the
prospects for
reaching a viable long-term agreement on its future is far from
encouraging.... As Bosnia has
shown, the presence of 30,000 peacekeepers, 1,300 of them Canadian, is the
price the
international community has to pay in Bosnia to prevent another bloodbath
there. But can even
peacekeepers keep the lid on the unpredictable forces festering in Kosovo?"
DENMARK: "UN Resolution 1199"
Center-Right Weekendavisen's editorial opined (10/16): "The only way to
pacify a minority like
the Kosovo Albanians is to give them autonomy. As time goes by, autonomy
will provide them
with good experiences and therefore confidence in the future within a
state, where their
homelands have been created more or less by chance through centuries of
war, border revisions
and migrations. This we know from experience in Western Europe and this is
why the Council of
Europe, the OSCE and other organizations based in Western Europe recommend
autonomy.
Such problems cannot be solved through violence."
"Success Of Agreement Depends On NATO's Readiness To Strike"
Mass-circulation tabloid B.T. editorialized (10/15): "The success of the
agreement depends on
NATO being ready to strike within a matter of hours. In Europe as a whole,
we will have to get
used to the idea that we are still in a wartime situation.... In reality we
have not ended the crisis in
Kosovo, or in Bosnia for that matter. This will not happen before Serbia
rids itself of the
Milosevic regime. In the meantime, the rest of the world must ensure that
Milosevic is not allowed
to fill more mass graves."
HUNGARY: "Kosovo Lessons"
Pro-government Hungarian daily Magyar Nemzet lamented (10/16): "The crisis
and its temporary
settlement strengthens the views that the post-World War II world order has
changed definitively.
A few years ago it would have been inconceivable that the superpowers,
first of all the United
States and the Soviet Union (that is, Russia), would not attempt to solve a
similar crisis with joint
forces. The Kosovo crisis is the first example that the United States, or
NATO, would have acted
in spite of the fact that Russia was definitely opposed to such a military
intervention. There are
some lessons for Hungary, too. The leadership had to reach a decision while
under double
pressure: it had to weigh the obligations of our imminent, de facto
membership in NATO on one
hand, and the justified fears of Hungarian citizens and ethnic Hungarians
in Vojvodina on the
other. In spite of the natural controversy and reservations, most of the
parliamentary parties
displayed a sober attitude and approved the government's proposal. From now
on, Hungarian
political and military leaders, as well as the public must reckon with the
fact that similar challenges
- stemming from membership in NATO - will occur even more frequently in the
future."
"The True Stake"
Endre Aczel wrote in top-circulation Nepszabadsag (10/15): "I find it
unthinkable that a
Yugoslavia doomed to a pariah's fate, shut out from all international
organizations, deprived of the
resources that might serve as the foundation for their economic
re-structuring, would be a willing
cooperative partner to comply with any resolutions. On the contrary: I
think the more steps are
made to welcome Yugoslavia back in the family of European nations, in order
to emancipate what
remains of this broken country, the more generous Belgrade will be in
honoring bargains accepted
by, or forced upon, it." "If the international community fails to try
emancipating this country,
'Trianon-type' grievances will live on and grow among the Serbs. Helping
such a process is the
most Hungary could do for the 300,000 ethnic Hungarians in Yugoslavia."
KAZAKSTAN: "Only Russia Supports Milosevic"
Official, Kazakh-language Yegemen Kazakhstan (10/13) concluded that "only
Russia supports
Milosevic. And if there hadn't been such a support he would have followed
the international
community's decision.... The decision of the UN is fair. But Serbians don't
want to fulfill it."
THE NETHERLANDS: "No Reason For Too Much Optimism"
Centrist Haagsche Courant asserted (10/15): "The NATO threats had some
impact. However,
there is no reason for too much optimism. Even though the immediate threat
of a war has been
diverted, the political crisis about the status of Kosovo is still on the
table. Holbrooke has a lot of
work to do in the Balkans."
"Victory For NATO (And Milosevic)"
Independent Het Financieele Dagblad commented (10/15): "The
Holbrooke/Milosevic Accord is
a victory for NATO, because Milosevic gave in. However, the Accord is also
a victory for
Milosevic for it allowed him to strengthen his position as leader of
Serbia.... The fact that both
NATO and Milosevic can claim victory is because they share a goal: keeping
Kosovo within the
Yugoslav borders without a NATO-Yugloslav war."
POLAND: "A Parable Of The Good And The Bad"
Krystyna Szelestowska wrote in leftist Trybuna (10/15): "President
Milosevic decided to make
significant concessions when he assured his readiness to comply with the UN
resolution.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Kosovo Liberation Army hastily rejected
the proposal to
give this province far-reaching autonomy. He said plainly that the KLA will
never accept it
[autonomy] and it will demand self-determination for Kosovo, which means
independence. This
statement was somehow missed by the politicians who focused all their
expectations on Belgrade
and Yugoslavia's commitments. What if Belgrade--of its own good will or
under pressure--will
carry out its obligations, while the other side of the conflict will
continue using power, killing the
Serbs, and using violence?... False is this generally publicized assumption
that the Yugoslav
president is ultimately evil, whereas the KLA and Albanian extremists are
okay--unless the United
States and the West silently support the proclamation of independence for
Kosovo and a further
break-up of Yugoslavia."
PORTUGAL: "Bellicose Adventures"
Luis Delgado wrote in centrist Diario de Noticias (10/13): "Quietly, almost
without anybody
noticing, President Clinton pushes NATO allies toward a bellicose adventure
in Kosovo.
Portugal, without political and strategic justification, is in the first
rank of those who want war. The
American president is not in the right condition to evaluate the risks of
this operation.
"He is not worried about the drama of refugees in Kosovo; he lives wrapped
up in a `marketing'
campaign to reconstruct his external and internal credibility. Kosovo is
not Bosnia, and a military
intervention against Bosnian Serbs is not the same thing, nor does it carry
the same consequences,
as an attack against a sovereign state. To be efficient, NATO has to strike
at vital strategic
objectives in Yugoslavia, and that means an open war at the center of
Europe. The political
climate in Moscow is very different from that of three years ago. In case
of war, Moscow
supports Belgrade. It is total craziness. And this is what Portugal wants
to get involved in?"
"Corruption And Kosovo"
Luis Delgado, contributed this commentary to centrist Diario de Noticias
(10/14): "To the
immense sadness of Mr. Clinton, who got stuck without a war, Milosevic gave
in to the requests
of Mr. Holbrooke. Assuming that the Belgrade accord will be fulfilled, NATO
will avoid crossing
the tenuous frontier between an inevitable and justifiable military action
and a bellicose adventure
with neither an end nor an objective in sight. It was, alas, in response to
the same principle that
the United States got involved in Somalia, and the result was a military
disaster for forces from
various countries. And that intervention solved, at least, the Somalian
tragedy? Not even the
shadow of it."
SPAIN: "Milosevic Continues On His Fascist Path"
Independent El Mundo remarked (10/15): "If there were any doubt about the
true colors of
Slobodan Milosevic's regime, the Serbian government has now closed two
independent
newspapers.... Milosevic has been irritated by their coverage of the Kosovo
crisis for which
reason he has accused the papers of 'spreading panic' in the face of a
possible NATO attack. But
the only panic that is being spread throughout Europe these days is being
caused by the Serbian
regime with its campaign of ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. The owner of one of
the closed dailies
has warned that Milosevic will lead Serbia 'into dictatorship and
totalitarianism.' Perhaps NATO
will slow him down in the next few days."
"Waging War Against History"
Juan Pedro Quinonero commented in conservative ABC (10/15): "It is no small
task that the
North Atlantic community has set for itself in attempting to extirpate
crime, terror and ethnic
cleansing in a region where several fragile countries search for stability
in the wake of the
disintegration of the Ottoman Empire, the destruction of its
Austro-Hungarian successor, and the
collapse of communist Yugoslavia which followed.... The war in Bosnia left
many dead buried on
the former frontier between Rome and Byzantium, where Turkish and Christian
galleons fought
the naval battle of Lepanto, and where WWI began [with an assassination] in
Sarajevo.... Can
pressure applied by NATO under the transatlantic guidance of a president
under investigation for
perjury overcome all this history which dates from the separation of the
eastern church from
Rome and the Muslim assault on Vienna?"
EAST ASIA AND PACIFIC
CHINA: "How Did Kosovo Cool Off?"
Yuan Bingzhong commented in the official Beijing Municipal Beijing Daily
(Beijing Ribao, 10/15):
"The real reason for the relaxation in the Kosovo crisis is that neither
the Yugoslav Federation nor
the United States wants to see military action. The use of force against
Yugoslavia is not the best
choice for the United States. A weak basis of the legality of military
action might earn the U.S.
condemnation from the international community.... Secondly, if Russia
enters into the possible
military conflict...its relation with the West will regress drastically and
a new 'Cold War' is
possible. Such an outcome is not in line with American interests."
AUSTRALIA: "Armed, And Still Dangerous"
The liberal Sydney Morning Herald observed (10/15): "Mr. Milosevic is an
opportunist with a
sharp ear for the empty threat and a keen eye for vacillation. Over the
past few years the
international community has supplied both in abundance when it comes to the
Balkans. On this
occasion a military clash was imminent. Even so, Mr. Milosevic may be
banking on the theory
that, having averted a clash this time, NATO will find it harder to muster
the political will for
another showdown if he slips back into his old ways in the weeks and months
ahead.... A lasting
settlement is a long way off, as is the day NATO can be confident that its
forces will not be
needed in Kosovo."
SINGAPORE: "Holbrooke Wrests Only Some Small Concessions"
The pro-government Business Times editorialized (10/15): "This week, the
cheering in the West
over the latest deal with the Serbs on Kosovo made it sound as if eternal
peace is about to
descend on the Balkans. In fact, all that U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke has
done is to wrest
some small concessions from Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic--whose
words are hardly
ever any good anyway.... Of course the Holbrooke deal is a welcome, if
temporary, respite to the
misery in Kosovo.... But is the West really persuaded that Mr. Milosevic
can be trusted to keep
an agreement?... Western leaders want to keep Kosovo within Yugoslavia at
all costs because
they fear that letting Kosovo go would cause further instability in the
volatile Balkans region. It is a
threat to their own stability and a likely source of a new influx of
refugees. This is the West's little
secret. This is the reason Western leaders are prepared to deal with Mr.
Milosevic despite his
record in the Bosnian conflict. So, there will be a peace of sorts in
Kosovo and it may last a
while. But the Balkan region is inherently unstable and a further
fracturing of Yugoslavia probably
cannot be avoided, given its history. The potential for another civil war
in Europe remains ever
present. The Balkans should remain on the radar screens of all Western
leaders, even as they deal
with pressing economic, financial and political problems elsewhere."
SOUTH KOREA: "Is Peace On The Way?"
Koh Dae-hoon wrote in business-oriented Joong-Ang Ilbo (10/15): "The seeds
of conflict are
very much alive. First of all, the European security monitoring team will
have neither the authority
nor the means to deflect any future conflicts in the region. Serbia's
delaying tactics could also
unexpectedly aggravate the situation further. The Albanians' willingness to
fight until full
independence is secured also poses a potential source for serious unrest.
As long as the
animosities between Serbs and Albanians do not go away, Kosovo will remain
a time-bomb. The
whole Balkan area continues to be unstable as a result."
SOUTH ASIA
INDIA: "The Never-Ending Balkan Story"
The right-of-center Indian Express ran this comment by Saeed Naqvi (10/16):
"Two aspects of
the agreement are likely to invite comment in the coming weeks. A major
humanitarian disaster
has been averted, and to this extent Western intervention has been on
behalf of ethnic Albanians
who are predominantly Muslims. But the intrusive diplomacy that the
agreement entails, the extent
to which it impinges on issues of Belgrade's sovereignty, is no trifling
issue. There were two views
on whether the UN Security Council had authorized action on this specific
occasion. Is the
international system role of global policemen? That the Balkans continue to
erupt along ethnic and
religious lines will continue to surprise those not acquainted with the
history of the region.... In the
former Yugoslavia, where the Ottoman Empire left sizeable Muslim
populations in its
wake...historical memory is simply mobilized for nationalist politics. That
is what Bosnia was all
about....
"There were fierce differences between the Europeans and the Americans on
the one hand, and
among themselves on the other, on how Bosnia was to be managed. The
Americans were more
sensitive to hostile opinion in the Muslim world.... Compared to Bosnia,
the West has shown
greater urgency in handling Kosovo. First, the West was keen not to have a
deep divide within
NATO. Milosevic's continued ethnic cleansing in Kosovo would have brought
Turkey into
conflict with Greece. Moreover, the gains the moderate appear to be making
in countries like
Algeria and Iran would have been exposed to risk if the hardliners in those
societies had been
given an occasion to cite Western indifference to Muslim interests
everywhere, including
Kosovo."
"Kosovo Accord Leaves Many Questions Unanswered"
The centrist Hindu's Batuk Gathani wrote (10/16): "The accord-on
Kosovo...has averted
controversial NATO air strikes against Serbia, but the eleventh hour
settlement raises more
questions than it answers. There are many imponderables looming over the
Kosovo horizon, as
ethnic Albanians under the influence of kosovoan secessionists have vowed
to fight for total
independence. This is not acceptable either to the Western powers or to
Serbia.... If relations
between Serb security forces and ethnic albanian further deteriorate,
international peacekeepers
can become easy military targets and human shields. Such an eventuality
would warrant instant an
military response from nato. In such an eventuality, NATO will have to go
through the process of
seeking a fresh mandate. It is argued that diplomacy backed by credible
military threat can always
work. This time the Americans made sure that it worked.... So far, even
Holbrooke has not made
much headway on autonomy for Kosovo's 90 per cent Albanian majority.... At
best, Belgrade
can offer autonomy to Kosovo under the momentum of the current political
agreement."
PAKISTAN: "A Breakthrough On Kosovo"
Islamabad's radical, pro-Iran Muslim held (10/15): "Holbrooke has proven
yet again that he is the
man of peace and that tough talks and political skills in politics are far
better than the language of
military attacks and Tomahawk missiles, earlier used by the United States
against Iran, Iraq,
Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan.... However, the international community and
NATO should be
vigilant since Milosevic has never fulfilled his commitments to the United
Nations, European Union
and NATO. Kosovo is not out of the emergency yet.... One would also like to
commend the
resolve of NATO, which formally moved to the verge of air strikes. Also,
the U.S. president
played a positive role by announcing that the United States would fully
participate in the airstrikes
to save the Kosovar people from an imminent genocide."
LATIN AMERICA
BRAZIL: "Bombings Would Only Aggravate Situation"
Center-right O Estado de Sao Paulo ran this piece by Brazilian diplomat
Antonio Amaral de
Sampaio (10/15): "It seems doubtful, considering the Belgrade's dictator's
obstinacy and
combative spirit of its people, that only aerial attacks will give rise to
the acceptance of UN
resolutions. It may even happen that such measures will aggravate the
situation, reinforce the
Serbian resolve, cause more suffering to the Kosovo people and encourage in
Moscow the
supporters of the return of the confrontation of the outdated Cold War, as
has just threatened the
Russian Congress and Defense Minister. Yugoslavia is reduced to two similar
'republics' because
both are Slavic: Serbia and Montenegro. The first oppresses the second one,
meaning that the
federation may be with its days numbered. The most urgent and immediate
issue, however, is
Kosovo. The province shows its sociological peculiarities that both bring
them closer and keeps
Albania away from Yugoslavia. For the government in Belgrade, the
separation of that province,
or even the official recognition of its regional peculiarities...is
inadmissible."
CHILE: "Brief Interruption"
Top-circulation, conservative La Tercer (10/14) carried this editorial:
"The latest conversations
between U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke and President Milosevic could
be the prelude to
an agreement that can bring peace to thousands of people who today survive
in what seems more
like a cemetery, surrounded by hatred and cruelty that no nationalism can
justify."
MEXICO: "Balkan Kaleidoscope"
Nationalist, pro-government Excelsior held (10/14): "The United States
finally reached an
agreement with the government of Slobodan Milosevic, which will prevent the
air strike that was
in the works since several days ago. However, President Clinton warned that
the military
preparations will continue and that the Yugoslavian president will not
fulfill its desires to dominate
the region. Milosevic has four days to demonstrate in reality that the
persecution of the Albanian
minority in Kosovo has stopped. Russia, which was against the (military)
aggression has
welcomed the truce, and President Clinton has noted that Milosevic would
pay the price of any
violation of the agreements.... Meanwhile, the great powers are interested
in keeping the Balkans
as a fragmented and weak region. Germany is exercising influence in
Croatia, and the U.S.
influence is increasing in the former Yugoslavian provinces. The situation
is further complicated by
religious rivalries. The Balkan kaleidoscope is broken in pieces and nobody
will be able to
reintegrate to its original size."
PANAMA: "To Avoid A New Infamy"
Independent El Universal de Panama (10/14) ran an inside editorial that
said, "It is difficult to find
another region in the world that may have given more shocks to humanity....
For the Yugoslav
President Milosevic, the dilemma is clear: Either the persecution against
the Albanians in Kosovo
is stopped or the NATO artillery...would impose its power against the
Yugoslav military actions
against the refugees.... The latest outcome, that began with Milosevic's
apparent acceptance of
NATO's ultimatum...highlights once again that diplomacy is searching for
and finding effective
formulas beyond the established procedures in international organisms....
But it is a good
symptom that the world demonstrated effectiveness in mobilizing to avoid a
new infamy."
PERU: "Taming Milosevic's Stubborness"
Respected El Comercio opined (10/13): "The situation in Kosovo has reached
a breaking point.
Last night, NATOo was on maximum alert ready to fulfill the orders of the
UN Security Council if
Serbian President Milosevic had not abandoned his intransigent position.
Vis-a-vis (Milosevic's)
barbaric acts and refusal to negotiate, the international community's
response is legitimate and
opportune. The EU, the so-called Contact Group, the UN, the Organization
for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, and America's direct involvement through special
envoys, have played a
key role in trying to stop the massacres and tame Milosevic's stubbornness."
For more information, please contact:
U.S. Information Agency
Office of Public Liaison
Telephone: (202) 619-4355
10/16/98
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