What are NATO's real Intentions?
By Dr. Samiullah Koreshi.

On MARCH 24, NATO made air strikes on Yugoslavia said to be in aid of the Albanians of Kosova who are being brutalised by the Serb Army. The NATO aerial strikes began after American Ambassador Holbrooke failed to persuade Milosovic (pronounced Miloshovich) to sign the peace agreement which the NATO powers had evolved after lengthy and painstaking talks with all parties concerned. It was an agreement which naturally was based on a compromise between the positions the two contending parties, the Serbs and the Albanians, had adopted on the issue of autonomy to the Albanians. Albanians wanted total independence and Serbs opposed it with the use of arms.

So far the facts can’t be disputed by any side. The cause of the conflict between NATO and Milosovic is also incontrovertible. But what is under doubt is that the NATO prescription is the right one and also the motives of the NATO in going for military action against Yugoslayia, which are said to be to stop the massive violations of the human rights of the Albanian Kosovans. In fact a professional cool analysis would indicate that NATO is trying to establish a regime in which small powers or powers unable to stand up to the NATO will have to bow to their dictates.

Indeed Kosova’s is a complicated problem and we must look deeper into some facts to put the crisis in its proper perspective. Kosova is the only non-Slavic part of Yugoslavia which meant the land of the Southern Slavs. Kosovans were Muslims Albanians and neither eastern nor western Slavs. All others are Slavs.

Kosova was part of the Ottoman Empire till 1912. It was conquered by Serbia in the Balkan War at the Battle of Kosovo Polje. Kosovo was also one of the poorest parts of Yugoslavia as against Slovania and Croatia which were the riches in Yugoslavia.

To begin with we have to answer four questions: (a) Against whom. (b) since when (c) for what and (d) why are the Kosovans up in arms in Yugoslavia?

First, it is to be noted that in Yugoslavia (a word which means the land of Southern Slavs), Kosova is the only Non-Slav area being ethnically Albanian and Muslim. It was added to the Kingdom of Serbia in 1912 in the victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans War.

The Kosovans are up in arms at least since 1982 when their uprising was put down by armed forces using brut force. Of course, the intensity of conflict of the present crisis was not reached since 1982 although in that year the situation reached practically to the same stage as now.

Since then there had been many incidents of ethnic cleansing in Kosova; villages and towns were cleared of Albanians and of Serbians. The Serbs were blaming the Kosovans of wanting to join adjacent Albania. The situation was controlled but there was off again on again conflict between the Serbs and the Albanians. My observation in 1982 was that Kosova has become a Bangladesh for the Serbs. But it was not the poor Kosova but the richest Slovenia and Croatia, both Slavs ethnically, who broke away from Yugoslayia.

No one ever cared from 80 till late 99 for the Albanians in Kosova. In fact Western ambassadors looked the other way then and talking about Kosova was a taboo. Now suddenly they have started to feel great sympathy for about two million Kosovans.

As regards against whom the Kosovans had rose up, it is not just Milosovic (pronounced Miloshovich). There is a deep gulf between the Serbs and the Albanian Kosovans Muslim Albanians, as is known just like eliminating Mujib-ur-Rehman could not finish Bangladesh problem so by eliminating Milosovic one cannot finish the Kosovans problem.

The Kosovans, Albanian Muslims, wanted total independence. The offer of autonomy is not looked upon by them favorably, because even now under Yugoslavia they are an autonomous province in the Republic of Serbia and that experience after Tito’s death has not satisfactory. What is required is that the party brokering a peace should ensure that autonomy will mean autonomy and not what has already failed.

Of course, a compromise cannot meet the demands of both the parties. It would have to be a compromise. Perhaps Paris Peace Agreement already signed by Kosovan Albanians is the compromise or there can be some amendment in it. Negotiations are the only way to reach a compromise. Since both are week parties militarily vis-a-vis NATO, it started flexing muscles.

No doubt Kosovans are being subjected to brutalities. No doubt the Serbs have to be persuaded by their friends to be reasonable.

However, it is most objectionable that NATO has resorted to use of force in true imperialist style of imperialism of 18th century. They are less interested in Kosovans. Clearly they want to establish a practice that they can use force to make smaller powers comply with their agendas, programme and plans. We have to take notice of the wrong means they are resorting to in chiseling the world according to their ideas and designs. Means must always be honourable and according to international law. After Iraq, NATO powers have become giants and are behaving like giants. They must be stopped from doing so. We must stop gunboat diplomacy becoming part of international law. It must be kept in view that this new phenomenon of international law might be used more on Muslim countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Iraq, Afghanistan Iran etc. They might be trying to look friends of Muslims now to use it widely on Muslims countries later.

It is necessary that Russia and China prevail on Milosovic to revise his stand. A great blood bath can be predicted otherwise. Serbs have a tradition of being stubborn before foreign use of power. They fought against Nazi 20 divisions in WW II and Yugoslavia is a very good terrain for guerrilla war-fare. Airpower cannot go too far in a terrain like Yugoslavia. Who will suffer if Kosova is destroyed or even if Serbia is destroyed. It would require rebuilding the economies. Kosova is already one of the poorest areas. Gods of Mars may not succeed in Kosova.

Let sanity prevail on NATO’s warlords and their blood thirsty hounds.

(Note: Dr. S. M. Koreshi was Pakisan's Ambassador to Yugoslavia and Albania for four years from 1980-84, and Chairman of the Group of (21) OIC Ambassadors to Yugoslavia)