Balkan Report

Extremists, Moderates And The People;

Or when Lord Robertson never forgets.

There is no doubt that a statement by such a high official is important for Albanians, and it can't be avoided. Especially in this time, when all Albanians are being blamed by all western media.

By Beqe Cufaj
April 8, 2001

In the week we left behind, Kosovar media filled their pages with the NATO Secretary General, Sir George Robertson's statement. He said that "NATO will not forget the Albanians." NATO does not have anything against moderate Albanian leaders or the Albanian people in Kosovo, Presevo, Bujanovc, Medvedja and Macedonia".
    There is no doubt that a statement by such a high official is important for Albanians, and it can't be avoided. Especially in this time, when all Albanians are being blamed by all western media. Therefore, it is the right thing to do by the editors in Kosovar news agencies, newspapers, radio and TVs, when they give Lord Robertson's statement such importance.
    Unfortunately, we have to remark that the NATO Secretary General's message was not mentioned in any of the western newspapers, radio or TV stations.
    Neither was the proposal by Albanian political leaders that the KPC members should patrol together with KFOR troops along the Kosovo-FYROM border. In this territory, it is important that Robertson decisively separates moderate Albanians and the majority, from the extremists. There he stops. Former NATO Secretary, Javier Solana said before, during and  after the NATO air strikes against Serbia that, "NATO does not have anything against the Serb nation, only against the Milosevic regime".
    However, the Serbs were the ones suffering, not Milosevic. At least at that time. Thus, for this reason, Sir Robertson's statement has to be received carefully, and not with great enthusiasm. Of course, to compare it with Kosovo is inappropriate. Serbs also placed wreaths on the tanks before they set off to bomb Vukovar and Sarajevo, and before they set off to commit massacres in Drenica and Dukagjin in Kosovo.
    In comparison to the Serbs, Kosovar Albanians are not putting flowers and wreaths on their sons' weapons in the UCPMB and NLA in FYROM. However, this does not mean that the moment can come when Albanians from Kosovo, Tirana or Skopje will set off to new meaningless wars when everyone is against the opening of new wars.
    Therefore, Albanian political leaders have to grasp the moment and not fall as easy prey to a pseudo-political euphoria. If Robertson repeats his statement again that "NATO does not have anything against moderate Albanian and its people," then we have to be aware that things are not well. The truth be told, this means that people would suffer the most if there is an animosity with NATO and with the world powers.

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