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Thread ID: 12883 | Posts: 1 | Started: 2004-03-26
2004-03-26 08:44 | User Profile
Letter to the Secretary of the State regarding Kosovo & Metohija
March 23, 2004
The Honorable Colin Powell Secretary of State U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520
Ref: Developments in Serbian province of Kosovo & Metohija
Dear Secretary Powell,
The past week has brought back into focus a flashpoint of specific importance to United States' foreign policy - the issue of the Serbian province Kosovo-Metohija, and the broader context of stability in Southeast Europe, raising many questions and shattering a few illusions.
The Serbian Unity Congressis very concerned about the campaign of terror that occurred in the UN-administered province March 17-20. Albanian extremists ethnically cleansed some 3600 Serbs, destroyed over 30 Serb Christian Orthodox churches, torched scores of villages and leveled over 300 houses, leaving about 1000 people injured and 31 dead.
The aim of this outrage is to intimidate the minority population by destroying their means of livelihood and effectively discouraging any further refugee returns. It has now been widely recognized that responsibility reaches to the top of the Kosovo Albanian political elites. Peter Schieder, President of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, stated on March 20 that "Kosovo cannot build its future on the blood of innocent people and the ashes of their burned homes and churches. [...] It is already evident that the Albanian majority in Kosovo - and its political leadership - are failing to demonstrate that they can create a future of Kosovo [...]." In the succinct words of NATO Southern Flank Commander, Adm. Gregory Johnson, "Such activities are actually ethnic cleansing. That must not continue and that is why we came to Kosovo."
The rampage seriously damaged UN and US reputation in Kosovo, leaving a very volatile situation. The challenge is clear. In the words of a top Western diplomat: "There can be no question that this was a deliberate attempt to drive away as many Serbs as possible, to inflict maximum damage on the UN and to test how far NATO could be driven into accepting the new realities". We must face this test in a principled yet resolute way, as we do with all forms of terrorism. These ill effects can be reversed, but only with decisive goal-oriented action, as there may not be a second chance.
We are enclosing an outline of the key conditions we feel need to be met to effectively accomplish this, to assist members of Congress in formulating policies properly aligned with our national interests and values. We also urge you to hold a hearing where victims of this terror would have a voice - thus enabling a timely, fair and objective presentation of the reality on the ground.
In conclusion, the ominous words of former UN special envoy to the Balkans, Carl Bildt:
"In the US, some are now saying that [...] in the wake of the violence we should reward the perpetrators with immediate independence: status - without standards. But giving in to violence today would give a powerful incentive to the ethnic cleansers of tomorrow. It is a principle as dangerous in the fight against ethnic violence as it is in the fight against terrorism. It risks betraying everything we have stood and fought for in the region for more than a decade."
Thank you for your attention and for giving this serious matter its due consideration.
Very sincerely yours,
Nenad Vukicevic President Serbian Unity Congress
RECOMMENDATIONS Specific Objectives for Achieving Long-Term Stability in the Serbian Province of Kosovo & Metohija
The above objectives can be achieved only with mechanisms capable of providing:
* Effective monitoring of compliance
* Enforcement of administrative accountability
* Implementation tracking with defined milestones and timeframes