Read the New Politics articles by David Walls and Steven Shalom, Joseph. http://www.wpunj.edu/newpol/issue33/walls33.htm http://www.wpunj.edu/icip/newpol/issue27/shalom27.htm
http://www.nettime.org/Lists-Archives/nettime-l-9912/msg00200.html <nettime> Ethnicizing and Natosevic - the war and the left
To: nettime <nettime-l AT Desk.nl> Subject: <nettime> Ethnicizing and Natosevic - the war and the left
http://www.geocities.com/nowar_buttheclasswar/Yugoslavia.html CIVIL WAR AND DISINTEGRATION OF YUGOSLAVIA
Class Decomposition in the New World Order: Yugoslavia Unravelled - from Aufheben #2 (Summer 1993). http://www.geocities.com/aufheben2/auf_2_yugo.html Yugoslavia: imperialist war against the world proletariat - from Communism #9, journal of the Internationalist Communist Group (ICG). http://www.geocities.com/Paris/6368/communism/c9_yugowar.htm Mutiny in Banja Luka - from Communism #9. This article is about the mutiny of soldiers in the Bosnian Serb Army in September 1993. Articles from Wildcat #18 http://www.geocities.com/Paris/6368/communism/c9_banjaluka.htm Three articles from the magazine Wildcat #18 (Summer 1996) about the development of the war and resistance to it:-
Yugoslavia: from wage cuts to war http://www.geocities.com/nowar_buttheclasswar/Yu_War.html
http://csf.colorado.edu/pen-l/apr99/msg02924.html
>> RALLY AGAINST THE WAR IN YUGOSLAVIA
PRESENTS MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY<<
below, a post from an anti-war activist. - Angela
__________________________________
-----Original Message-----
From: Harald Beyer-Arnesen <haraldba at online.no>
[...]
More recently, an article by Michel Chossudovsky, professor at the
Department
of Economics at University of Ottawa, "Dismantling Yugoslavia; Colonizing
Bosnia" (Covert Action No. 56. Spring 1996 and
http://www.lbbs.org/yugoslavia.htm)
was forwarded to the Organise list. It has also been widely distributed
elsewhere on the world-wide-web, along with another article of his from 7
April 1999, "Kosovo 'Freedom Fighters' Financed by Organised Crimes"
(http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/kosovo23.htm).
Whatever other merits the writings of Chossudovsky may have, the remarkable
thing with these articles, though the first mentioned at least is not
without
insights, is that they are cleansed for any critique of the Milosovic
regime.
Without going into specifics about the first article of Chossudovsky, which
focuses on the role of IMF in the break-up of Yugoslavia, it paints a very
limited picture. It is hard to see it as mere coincidence that he in this
forwarded article fails to mention the so-called "Milosovic Commission"
report from May 1988, with its advocacy of market-oriented reforms in which
the "world market and world competition represents the strongest generator
of
economic operation." Or that Milosovic urged Yugoslavs to overcome their
"unfounded, irrational and ... primitive fear of exploitation" by foreign
capital: "Yugoslavia must be a unified economic area where identical
system-related solutions exists and where products and services, money and
capital, people and knowledge move freely". (Source: Lenard J. Cohen,
"Broken Bonds: Yugoslavia's Disintegration and Balkan Politics in
Transition".)
[...]
What is most amazing however is the sources he uses in the article "Kosovo
'Freedom Fighters' Financed by Organised Crimes". In a critical footnote to
the essay Reflections on NATO and Kosovo"
(http://www.lbbs.org/shalomnp.htm)
Stephen R. Shalom (who both is strongly opposed to the NATO military
intervention, and against giving support to the UCK/KLA) writes: "4. Some
on
the left claim that the KLA was already being armed by U.S. and German
intelligence, but the evidence is extremely dubious (apart from the fact
that
it would make no sense given that Washington denounced the KLA as "without
any question a terrorist group" in February 1998). For example, Michel
Chossudovsky of the University of Ottawa claims CIA backing for the KLA on
the basis of an unsupported claim by right-wing conspiracy nut John Whitley
(who says that the Bilderbergers planned, financed, and started the Kosovo
war) as quoted by another right-wing source, "Truth in Media," which
reprints
"for what it's worth" an alleged letter from a KLA soldier claiming that
the
KLA has been dressing up as Serbs and then ethnically cleansing Albanians.
(See Chossudovsky at http://www.globalpolicy.org; Truth in Media at
http://www.truthinmedia.org/Kosovo/day10up2.html.)
For a trenchant critique of leftists mucking about with rightwing
conspiracy
theorists during the Gulf War, see Chip Berlet, Right Woos Left: Populist
Party, LaRouchian, and Other Neo-Fascist Overtures to Progressives, And
Why
It Must Be Rejected, Cambridge, MA: Political Research Associates, Oct. 7,
1992."
Michel Chossudovsky ends this article with saying "Western governments
which
participated in the NATO operation bear a heavy burden of responsibility in
the deaths of civilians, the impoverishment of both the ethnic Albanian and
Serbian populations and the plight of those who were brutally uprooted from
towns and villages in Kosovo as a result of the bombings." It is hard to
disagree on that. I would even have added that the leaders of the UCK bear
their part of the responsibility for this tradegy; but to not in one word
mention the Milosovic regime in this connection, is just too incredible to
be
true. The most amazing thing here however is Chossudovsky sources. The
point
here is not whether Michel Chossudovsky's claim that UCK already on an
early
was backed up by the CIA is correct or not. Giving his use of sources, it
is
tempting to suggest that the truth or not of his claim is also entirely of
secondary importance for him. Chossudovsky writes: "According to
intelligence analyst John Whitley, covert support to the Kosovo rebel army
was established as a joint endeavour between the CIA and Germany’s
Bundes
Nachrichten Dienst (BND) (which previously played a key role in installing
a
right wing nationalist government under Franjo Tudjman in Croatia). (9)
The
task to create and finance the KLA was initially given to Germany:
“They used
German uniforms, East German weapons and were financed, in part, with drug
money.� (10) According to Whitley, the CIA was, subsequently
instrumental in
training and equipping the KLA in Albania. (11)" So who is this
intelligence analyst? It is the same John Whitley who is behind the New
World
Order Intelligence Update , and passes on such meaningful information as:
"Deverell also quotes an lengthy Internet summary on the Bilderbergers
posted
by Brian Redman, which included the assertion that 'The role of the
Bilderberg group is a one-world totalitarian, socialist government and
economic system.' Brian is a frequent and highly-respected Internet
contributor." And "It may come as no surprise, therefore, when we state
that,
through our own sources, the NEW WORLD ORDER INTELLIGENCE UPDATE has
learned
that Bilderberger-backed President Clinton has promised President Yeltsin
that, after he has won the upcoming U.S. Presidential election, Russian
warships will be given full refuelling and other port privileges at all
U.S.
Navy bases." But that is only the beginning to John Whitley wild and
self-contradictory so-called intelligence reports. Apart from the
Bilderbergers plan to break up Canada and integrate it
into United States in 2005, he claims to be in possession of an U.S. State
Department document called "Freedom from War": On his web page you can
order
a diversity of cassettes, where among other things the following is
revealed:
"In this amazing cassette set, the Editor of the NEW WORLD ORDER
INTELLIGENCE
UPDATE details the carefully-contrived plan to disarm U.S. citizens as part
of aU.N. program of global disarmament. The relevant U.S. Public Law, with
its accompanying State Department "interpretive application" is outlined,
the
plan to transfer control of the U.S. and other national armed forces
irrevocably to the United Nations is detailed, the agreement that a Russian
will always command the resulting New World Army is proven, and the current
steps being taken to rapidly implement this program are revealed." In
another cassette we learn.
"... the background, membership, goals and near-future objectives of the
secretive Bilderberg Group; the agenda, attendees and substance of their
most
recent heavily-guarded, private meeting near Toronto, Canada; and the
worldview of this elite cabal, which includes massive world-wide
de-population and de-industrialization under tightly-controlled coming
federal World Government - the "New World Order" [or "Our Global
Neighbourhood", as it is now being re-named]. " Whitney can also inform us
of
"the final planned Russian and Chinese imposition of a Marxist New World
Order on America," a conspiracy in which Clinton, Kissinger and the King of
Spain, among others, are supposed to be involved in, if we are to believe
"the intelligence analyst John Whitley". That a leftist professor of
economics chooses to use the same John Whitley as a source is almost too
much.
Chossudovsky also writes that "German, Turkish and Afghan instructors were
reported to be training the KLA in guerrilla and diversion tactics." This
may be, but what is his source? An anonymous e-mail to "Truth in Media"
(TiM)
(if they have not just made it up). Something Chossudovsky conveniently
fails
to mention. If we go to his so-called source however, we can read: "Apr. 2
-
This morning we found an unusual e-mail letter in the TiM's mailbox. It
came
from someone calling himself a KLA field commander, and was signed only as
"Ibrahim." Since it came from a HOTMAIL.COM e-mail address, there was no
way
that we could verify the authenticity of the message." Not much to rely
on.
The question is do we have any reason to rely on Chossudovsky? This same
source, Truth in Media, which seem to believe that being called
"ultra-nationalist" is a compliment and to support the Serbian Radical
Party,
also quotes the before mentioned John Whitley as saying: "the Kosovo war
was
no accident... It was carefully planned and set into motion at the
Bilderbergers' secret meeting near Toronto in late May 1996."
As to UCK's alleged connection to organised crime and drug trafficking. It
is
quite possible that such a connection exists. I would even find this both
probable and logical, if not on the scale that Chossudovsky implies. Most
likely almost every so-called "national liberation army" have made such
connections to procure arms, whether they define themselves within the left
or the right. But whatever Chossudovsky claims, he can show no sources that
proves this, just a more or less well-founded suspicion of such a
connection.
However this is, that UCK should have been backed up both by the CIA, the
German Bundes Nachtrichten Dienst, as well as the income from large-scale
drug-dealing, begs the question why they are not better armed.
Chossudovsky on five different places uses Geopolitical Drug Watch as a
source. I have not been able (had time) to trace the documents he refers to
(Geopolitical Drug Watch, no 32, 35, 1994, and Geopolitical Drug Watch, No
66. No year given.) But I find the annual report for 1995-96, published in
1997, on the www http://www.ogd.org/rapport/gb/RP00_TABLE.html). I cannot
judge the reliability of the Geopolitical Drug Watch's report, but anyway
they write: "Heroin production, processing and marketing are mainly the
preserve of ethnic Albanians from Macedonia, where they are estimated to
represent about 25% of the population, and those from the Serbian province
of
Kosovo. While it cannot be denied that the Albanian population is the most
involved in heroin trafficking – but also the one most affected by
heroin
use – it is also true that any drug-related crime is amplified when
the
culprit is an Albanian and minimized or even hidden when s/he is a
Macedonian. Albanian clans operate on mafia-like ethics based on the Leko
Dukajdzini, or the clan's Code of Honor. The drug trade is often
coordinated
by Albanian political circles in Macedonia and Kosovo which oblige all
Albanian criminal organizations to contribute a share of their profits.
The
traffickers are also obliged to buy and deliver arms. The Party for
Democratic Prosperity based in Tetovo, the Kosovo Democratic Union based in
Pristina, and especially armed militant groups like the Kosovo Liberation
Army, thus find a significant and above all steady source of funding. For
example, the Albanians' yearly narco-profits on the Swiss market alone are
estimated to amount to close to US $3 million."
What is suggested above is primarily a kind of "national tax" the drug
dealers have to pay, rather than a direct involvement of the KLA in the
business. This seems to me to be very likely. I should add though that the
document laid out on the www does not give any sources for this information
/claim.
But again, how come Chossudovsky entirely managed to overlook Geopolitical
Drug Watch claims of the Serbian governments involvement in the drug
dealing
and organised crime? They write: "Thus in Serbia the Belgrade secret
services, whose job includes raising a war chest for the Bosnian conflict,
use their own international networks and some Yugoslav firms to channel
drugs
to the European and Balkan markets and to launder the proceeds. [...] But
the
bulk of the drug trade is handled by three state organizations: the SID
(the
foreign ministry information and documentation service); the SDB (the
interior ministry secret police); and the KOS (the defense ministry
counter-espionage service). The traffic, along with currency
counterfeiting, is organized through two prominent figures: Zeljko
Raznatovic, alias Arkan, and Asanin Darko, a heavy cocaine user who is now
in
an Athens jail. Both were wanted by Interpol, Arkan for escaping from a
Belgian prison where he was serving a sentence for bank robbery, and Darko
for the Brussels slaying of an Albanian rival, Enver Hajin, formerly an
agent
for the Albanian communist secret police, the Sigurimi. [...] Paradoxically
enough, Arkan himself is the co-owner, along with Croatian officials, of a
Nicosia-based offshore company. This former hit man for the SIS (Croatian
military counter-espionage) still holds a false passport issued by the
Zagreb
authorities. The great Serb "cleanser" owns a pork-butchering company
in Croat-held Slavonia and shuttles in and out of the country with no
problems, maintaining close contact with his former bosses. Part of the
drug
profits also finds its way into the secret bank accounts of political
parties
and the state. It is used to buy arms, mainly in Russia, and to finance
Serb
lobbies in the United States, Britain and Austria. The Belgrade police
protect these highly-placed traffickers, whether they deal in drugs,
cigarettes, alcohol or currencies. Making the best of things, the policemen
take their rake-off. In Belgrade then, as elsewhere, the drugs business and
politics are closely intertwined, so much so that some military officers,
politicians, war profiteers, embargo-busters and businessmen have been
killed
for trying to break free and cut their links to the Serb secret services.
Miograd Niksic, alias Miska, who bartered heroin for diamonds in Bangkok,
was
gunned down in Belgrade. The same punishment was meted out to Dragan
Tepcevic, who handled drugs and arms shipments for the Serb Republic of
Bosnia, and to Goran Vukovic, who was murdered in Germany by Ljubo Zemunac,
a
Yugoslav mafia boss. These links between politics and drug trafficking are
also in evidence on the other side, among the Albanians in Kosovo. Several
of
Arkan's "political" victims in the province were in fact rival dealers who
got in the way of his
commercial activities." [...]
"The end of hostilities in Bosnia, the lifting of the embargo against
Serbia
and the reopening of the Belgrade-Zagreb highway handed fresh opportunities
to this new generation of traffickers. They have the advantage of being
battle-hardened, headed by politicians and backed up by well-run legal
business operations. What is more, they are continuing to collaborate with
each other, even when they belong to enemy camps, as they did throughout
the
war. In short, they can rely on all the resources normally available to a
state's secret services." "Independently from these "new networks", the
now
classical Istanbul-Sofia-Belgrade route in the hands of the
Turkish "babas", has started functioning again. But it appears that this
older route is always shadowed by a new one, which was created during the
three-year embargo and dealt in merchandise as varied as basic goods, oil
and
heroin. The new route links Bulgaria to Montenegro via Macedonia, the
Serbian
province of Kosovo, and/or Albania. Both these routes can lead into
Slovenia
which, with its "lax" drug laws, has become a must for land routes
targeting
Italy and Austria, as well as a significant consumer market for illicit
drugs. Thus, several TIR trucks were caught transporting hundreds of
kilograms of heroin destined for the Slovenian market at the Gradina border
post between Yugoslavia and Bulgaria in 1996.
Seizures by the Bulgarian and Serbian customs services at Gradina totalled
close to 700 kg of heroin in 1996. While large amounts of heroin are seized
by Yugoslav customs on their country's southern border – on average
180 kg –,
seizures by them or their foreign counterparts on the northern Yugoslav
border involve smaller amounts – an average of 20 kg – but
are more numerous.
Therefore, it seems that the New Yugoslavia has become a significant
transhipment point, with traffickers using a strategy of transferring drugs
from TIR trucks to private car or tourist buses. Smaller heroin shipments
are
distributed among a larger number of vehicles which first have to cross
Slovenia and Hungary before reaching their final destination, the countries
of the Schengen area." (End of quote.)
"Demonising" has become a popular word among leftist. Chossudovsky writes:
"While Slobodan Milosevic is demonised, portrayed as a remorseless
dictator,
the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) is upheld as a self-respecting nationalist
movement struggling for the rights of ethnic Albanians. The truth of the
matter is that the KLA is sustained by organised crime with the tacit
approval of the United States and its allies." And then continues:
"Following
a pattern set during the War in Bosnia, public opinion has been carefully
misled." I do no doubt for a moment that the public opinion has been
misled.
But it seems not only from the likes of Blair and Clinton (or the leaders
of
the UCK for that) but also from the likes of leftists like Michel
Chossudovsky, who seem to think that the only way they can oppose the war
is
to "demonise" Albanians and serve as apologists for the Milosovic regime.
Or
is it just a coincident that he never once mentions the ethnical cleansing
of
Kosovo Albanians carried out under the shield of NATO bombing, and that he
uses the Beograd (Belgrade) government sources without reservations, to not
speak of nut-cases like "intelligence analyst John Whitley".
....we should consequently oppose the NATO military intervention, the
Milosovic
regime, as well as the UCK and every other nationalist faction. But we
should
also consider well the arguments we take in use and be critical to many of
the "alternative" sources of information. Some of the descriptions we are
hearing these days of the Kosovo-Albanians, to a lesser or greater extent
supported by at least parts of the so-called left, are at times almost
indistinguishable from the racist diatribes and stereotypes more commonly
associated with the populist right, or the nationalist demagogics Milosovic
employed to bring himself to power. (But neither should we overlook the
less
pleasant traits which presently also can be found within "Albanian
culture",
as in others, nor forget the concerns of the Serbian population and those
of
other minority groups within Kosovo with the voices calling for a Greater
Albania.) And then we should of course do our best to sabotage the war
efforts of NATO.
At last, I might have treated Michel Chossudovsky unfair. After all I
cannot
read his mind. But he should know as well as anyone that what one writes in
times of war can have a function beyond ones intentions. Neither is it
Michel
Chossudovsky my critique is foremost directed against, but an existing
tendency of trivialising or downplaying the present sufferings of those
uprooted and
driven from their homes on a massive scale, and the role of the Milosovic
regime in bringing this above, even if with the invaluable help of NATO.
The Left Revisionists By Marko Attila Hoare November 2003
whole. http://www.glypx.com/BalkanWitness/hoare.htm
They have been frequently cited by those of us critical of Project Censored, specifically the alignment nof Peter Phillips and many of their award winners over the yrs. w/ Iraqi Ba'athists, http://www.counterpunch.org/phillips1223.html
And, as one who read the book by Tim Judah on Kosova/o and the article by Chris Hedges in Foreign Affairs in '99 on the KLA, I didn't need some conspiranoid to tell me the CIA helped them. It was right in the NYT and LA Times dispatches by Paul Watson. The CIA will manipulate any bunch of ex- maoist/hoxhaiite fighters like the KLA it can find. Ask the late Jonas Savimbi.
BORBA (Belgrade daily newspaper) July 5, 1999
CIA LAUNDERS DIRTY-MONEY LAUNDERS http://groups.yahoo.com/group/decani/message/15036?source=1