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We bombed the wrong side?
THE NATIONAL POST (Canada) ^ | 2004-04-06 | Maj-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie

Posted on 04/06/2004 4:54:40 PM PDT by DTA

We bombed the wrong side?

Lewis MacKenzie

Five years ago our television screens were dominated by pictures of Kosovo-Albanian refugees escaping across Kosovo's borders to the sanctuaries of Macedonia and Albania. Shrill reports indicated that Slobodan Milosevic's security forces were conducting a campaign of genocide and that at least 100,000 Kosovo-Albanians had been exterminated and buried in mass graves throughout the Serbian province. NATO sprung into action and, in spite of the fact no member nation of the alliance was threatened, commenced bombing not only Kosovo, but the infrastructure and population of Serbia itself -- without the authorizing United Nations resolution so revered by Canadian leadership, past and present.

Those of us who warned that the West was being sucked in on the side of an extremist, militant, Kosovo-Albanian independence movement were dismissed as appeasers. The fact that the lead organization spearheading the fight for independence, the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), was universally designated a terrorist organization and known to be receiving support from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda was conveniently ignored.

The recent dearth of news in the North American media regarding the increase in violence in Kosovo compared to the comprehensive coverage in the European press strongly suggests that we Canadians don't like to admit it when we are wrong. On the contrary, selected news clips on this side of the ocean continue to reinforce the popular spin that those dastardly Serbs are at it again.

A case in point was the latest crisis that exploded on March 15. The media reported that four Albanian boys had been chased into the river Ibar in Mitrovica by at least two Serbs and a dog (the dog's ethnic affiliation was not reported). Three of the boys drowned and one escaped to the other side. Immediately, thousands of Albanians mobilized and concentrated in the area of the divided city. Attacks on Serbs took place throughout the province resulting in an estimated 30 killed and 600 wounded. Thirty Serbian Christian Orthodox churches and monasteries were destroyed, more than 300 homes were burnt to the ground and six Serbian villages cleansed of their occupants. One hundred and fifty international peacekeepers were injured.

Totally ignored in North America were the numerous statements from impartial sources that said there was no incident between the Serbs, the dog and the Albanian boys. NATO Police spokesman Derek Chappell stated on March 16 that it was "definitely not true" that the boys had been chased into the river by Serbs. Chappell went on to say that the surviving boy had told his parents that they had entered the river alone and that three of his friends had been swept away by the current. Admiral Gregory Johnson, the overall NATO commander, further stated that the ensuing clashes were "orchestrated and well-planned ethnic cleansing" by the Kosovo-Albanians. Those Serbs forced to leave joined the 200,000 who had been cleansed from the province since NATO's "humanitarian" bombing in 1999. The '"cleansees" have become very effective "cleansers."

In the same week a number of individuals posing as Serbs ambushed and killed a UN policeman and his local police partner. During the firefight one of them was wounded which caused an immediate switch from Serbian to Albanian as he screamed, "I've been hit"! The UN pursued the attackers and tracked them to an Albanian-run farm where they discovered weapons and the wounded Albanian who had died from his wounds. Four Albanians were arrested. Once again, the ambush had been reported in the United States but not the follow-up which clearly indicated yet another orchestrated provocation by the Albanian terrorists.

Kosovo is administered by the UN, the very organization many Canadians have indicated they would like to see take over from the United States in Iraq. The fact the UN cannot order its civilian employees to go or stay anywhere -- they have to volunteer -- combined with recent history that saw the UN abandon Iraq after a single brutal attack on their compound in Baghdad and the reality that Kosovo, under the organization's administration, is a basket case, disqualifies it from consideration for such a role.

Since the NATO/UN intervention in 1999, Kosovo has become the crime capital of Europe. The sex slave trade is flourishing. The province has become an invaluable transit point for drugs en route to Europe and North America. Ironically, the majority of the drugs come from another state "liberated" by the West, Afghanistan. Members of the demobilized, but not eliminated, KLA are intimately involved in organized crime and the government. The UN police arrest a small percentage of those involved in criminal activities and turn them over to a judiciary with a revolving door that responds to bribes and coercion. The objective of the Albanians is to purge all non-Albanians, including the international community's representatives, from Kosovo and ultimately link up with mother Albania thereby achieving the goal of "Greater Albania." The campaign started with their attacks on Serbian security forces in the early 1990s and they were successful in turning Milosevic's heavy-handed response into worldwide sympathy for their cause. There was no genocide as claimed by the West -- the 100,000 allegedly buried in mass graves turned out to be around 2,000, of all ethnic origins, including those killed in combat during the war itself.

The Kosovo-Albanians have played us like a Stradivarius. We have subsidized and indirectly supported their violent campaign for an ethnically pure and independent Kosovo.We have never blamed them for being the perpetrators of the violence in the early '90s and we continue to portray them as the designated victim today in spite of evidence to the contrary. When they achieve independence with the help of our tax dollars combined with those of bin Laden and al-Qaeda, just consider the message of encouragement this sends to other terrorist-supported independence movements around the world.

Funny how we just keep digging the hole deeper!

Maj-Gen. Lewis MacKenzie, now retired, commanded UN troops during the Bosnian civil war of 1992.

(c) 2004 National Post . All Rights Reserved.


TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; alqaedaandclinton; aq; balkanalqaeda; balkans; campaignfinance; clinton; clintonfailures; clintonlegacy; kfor; kosovo; milosevic; muslims; nato; religiouscleansing; soros; un; wagthedog
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To: b4its2late
I would kill to have Dr. Rice connect these dots tomorrow.
They are relevant, afterall.
81 posted on 04/07/2004 1:13:00 PM PDT by mabelkitty (A tuning, a Vote in the topic package to the starting US presidency election fight)
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To: Prince Charles
And what did Clinton get in return?
Did he know about 9/11?
Clarke did, afterall, approve of bin laden's family fleeing the country.
What did they know, when did they know it, and what did they get from it?
82 posted on 04/07/2004 1:16:33 PM PDT by mabelkitty (A tuning, a Vote in the topic package to the starting US presidency election fight)
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To: Makedonski
"I didn't like them when Dubrovnik was bombed in 1991 for no military aim or gain."

You're behind in your reading. Dubrovnik wasn't destroyed. The Croats were burning tires to make it look like destruction. They set themselves up to DRAW Serb fire for the cameras. Professor Peter Maher was in Dubrovnik shortly after the so called 'destruction of Dubrovnik' and found it pretty much intact. I think the only building destroyed was the Serbian Library. Just notice how soon they were advertising for tourists -- chipped roof tiles was the main problem I hear.
83 posted on 04/07/2004 6:09:13 PM PDT by gershwin
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To: DTA
Bump
84 posted on 04/07/2004 6:23:04 PM PDT by Incorrigible (immanentizing the eschaton)
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To: gershwin
Did I say Dubrovnik was destroyed? No.

Was Dubrovnik bombed? Yes.

The old city was hit by medium caliber shells and the harbour was hit with small anti-tank missiles.

I didn't read I was simply watching the news in 1991. Small Anti-tank AT-3 Sagger missiles hit the walls doing little damage and hit several boats. Some hit roof tops. It was a waste of wire guided missiles with no military gain.

Were the Croatians drawing fire? Most probably.

In all it was waste of time on the Serb side and the only result was bad publicity for them.

A Macedonian admiral Bocinov in the Yugoslav navy was on a ship near the city of Split in Croatia when he was ordered to bomb it. The order was so stupid that he refused it and got sacked on the spot.

85 posted on 04/07/2004 6:56:44 PM PDT by Makedonski
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To: Makedonski
What was the name of Macedonian conscript who was strangled to death in Split May 6 1991 by mob of peaceloving Croats?

86 posted on 04/08/2004 6:15:00 PM PDT by DTA (you ain't seen nothing yet)
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To: DTA
Sasho Geshovski i think it was from Kavadarci.

This out of top of my head so I could be wrong.

87 posted on 04/08/2004 7:14:55 PM PDT by Makedonski
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To: vooch
life's to short. No thank you.
88 posted on 04/08/2004 7:59:16 PM PDT by Ronly Bonly Jones (killing innocent people is not a hobby that anyone should take up)
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To: Ronly Bonly Jones; Wraith; GeraldP; Hoplite; Ranger; *balkans; wonders
here's what some one who was really there for a while posted about the KLA

With understanding of how the KLA can organized a Kosovo wide riot i.e. ethnic cleansing, one must ponder on the strong possibility the the mass exodus of Albanians during the time of the NATO bombing was in fact organized as well. An AK47 is a great motivator to move on down the road.

I do believe like the so called Racak massacre that every large scale event in kosovo was orchestrated by the KLA and the latest riots and the dead Serbs prove this. This article is well written and provides the world of how the KLA operates which I had the opertunity to see for myself back in 1999/2000. The Serbian VJ and MUP will be back into Kosovo in soon because I do believe NATO will be very busy in other parts of the world in the very near future. Nothing happens in Kosovo unless the KLA decide it is going to happen, Racak was an example like the recent riots. Its time to give up the idea that there can be peace in Kosovo. The only result of that wet dream will be the genocide of the remaining Serbs in Kosovo. I do believe the KLA and those that support them deserve what is coming to them and its a big ugly storm on the horizon. Once again the Serbs are on the front line of the Muslim invaders but I do hope that they are fair with those Albanians that wish to remain in Kosovo peacefully.

89 posted on 04/09/2004 6:04:51 AM PDT by vooch
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To: Enterprise
Yes. But, we learned, and we're bombing the correct side now.

Clinton and the democrats have made the muslims mascots to be supported when they can. Like the gays, blacks, hispanics, etc. So we bombed the non-muslims but they were not to be appeased.

90 posted on 04/09/2004 6:46:14 AM PDT by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: vooch
Once again the Serbs are on the front line of the Muslim invaders but I do hope that they are fair with those Albanians that wish to remain in Kosovo peacefully.
>>>

They won't, which is why we're there. Like no duh.
91 posted on 04/09/2004 12:18:22 PM PDT by Ronly Bonly Jones (killing innocent people is not a hobby that anyone should take up)
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To: Ronly Bonly Jones
Looks like Lewis is pocketing loonies from the loonies again.

``I had no idea that it was a Serb pressure group who were paying for my speaking tour. When I found out I gave the money to Aids research in Canada.''

That was 1994 - one wonders who he would donate his blood money to this time.

The need to rationalize the failure of one's mission by delegitimizing it is a fascinating phenomenon. It's interesting to see the different approaches to the problem taken by the likes of Rose and Mackenzie vs. Dalliare or Smith.

92 posted on 04/09/2004 8:50:39 PM PDT by Hoplite
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To: Hoplite
Please provide a source link of that quote.
93 posted on 04/10/2004 4:34:27 PM PDT by ma bell
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To: ma bell
Well of course - lord knows the web skills required to find that gem are just too complicated for mere mortals such as yourself, Zoran.
94 posted on 04/10/2004 4:44:02 PM PDT by Hoplite
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To: Hoplite
c'mon, find a more reliable source than some jibberish posting, Mr Greenjeans. Is that all the vast internet resources you are capable of? You are one of the few I respect on here for your dynamic robust defense of the muslims. But, that is the lamest answer you have ever given!
95 posted on 04/10/2004 4:49:58 PM PDT by ma bell
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To: ma bell
Um, Ok.

Hey, Mackenzie - did you say that?
Yup
Ok, thanks.

There, happy?

Kinda living in the proverbial glass house when you're talking about 'gibberish', Zoran. You asked for a source, I gave it to you. If you don't like that I can actually back up my posts whereas you're talking out your fourth point of contact most of the time, it's up to you to change your behavior, not cast aspersions on mine.

96 posted on 04/10/2004 5:01:52 PM PDT by Hoplite
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To: Hoplite
Sorry mac, but I am able to back my claims with actual visuals on some postings I reply to. Others, I stay away from the fray and let others argue.

Problem is, you have never been to any of the regions you feverishly defend. Yet, you blast others as liars that have been there or have done investigation/s (first-hand).

97 posted on 04/10/2004 5:07:56 PM PDT by ma bell
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To: ma bell
The only useful visuals you've posted are the ones that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're one ugly SOB.

Don't you get it? Getting serially banned and then coming back asking another poster how you're doing just isn't conducive towards being viewed as a reputable source for anything other than unintended humor.

You've got the Serbian strain of the Nationalist bug, Zoran, and it's taken you down hard. You can't be part of any solution because you're part of the problem.

98 posted on 04/10/2004 5:21:00 PM PDT by Hoplite
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To: Hoplite
Maybe you are resentful that I am straight and would reject your homosexual advances, hoplite? You've gotten out of shape, fat percentage exceeds 25%, LBM is outragiously disproportianate making you a cardiac arrest candidate?

Sorry pal, the truth supplants all lies you foment on here, hoplite. If I have been banned, then sue me. This is the internet hoplite. You can text what ever you desire without proving a darn thing.

Pictures of my being there, doing a CI of the area proves the lies you have posted and what the media has posted (ex of the UNMIK Police Officer being ambushed in Northern Kosovo by "Albanian" gunmen. Whom you claim were Serbs posing as Albanians).

99 posted on 04/10/2004 5:29:12 PM PDT by ma bell
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To: Hoplite
Criticism of Maj. Gen. Lewis Mackensie has appeared frequently every since he chose a non-partisan stance on the Yugoslav civil wars and is typical of the fascist mentality of many "liberals" who can't accept other points of view outside of their own. Whether or not Maj. Gen. Mackensie received some aid from Serbian groups is nothing compared with the aid that Western politicians and media receive for their racist, one-sided, biased, and ignorant anti-Serb pro-Muslim policies. Consider the $ 1 billion+ dollars loaned by the Vatican to the Croats to recreate the Holy Roman Empire. Consider the millions of dollars of drug money funnelled by DioGuardi and company in New York to all sorts of "US" politicians for their racist anti-Serb stances (recipients of this dirty money include "Gen." Wes Kanne Clark and Senator McCain.
In fact, it has been frequently argued that since the Serbs were not as financially organized as the other players in this tragedy were (Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Albanians) to pay people to support their side, they suffered so much. Americans, let's get with it! Their is no such thing as a 'free and fair' mainstream media in this country. We live in a corporate dictatorship where the mainstream media (controlled by corporations) dictate what is spoken to the masses. 99 percent of what the Western media said about Yugoslavia since 1989 has been wrong. As a result of our flawed policies, Al-Quada has a great "safe haven" in the midst of Europe in Bosnia and Kosovo. Many thanks for courageous truth-seeking people like Maj. Gen. Mackensie who are willing to challenge the "politically correct" garbage in the West to broadcast the truth of what we have done. I only wish that there were more like him. He, unlike most of the US reporters "reporting" from the Balkans was actually in Sarajevo. He knew what was going on. Recent horrific violence encountered by US troops in Fallujah is only a drop in the bucket compared to what the Serbs experienced this past 14 years. It's time to acknowledge the role of Klinton and Company in destroying global security due to pandering to Islamic fundementalism.
If more Americans really knew about this, they would be much less inclined to vote for Kerry or any Democrat at ths stage.
100 posted on 04/10/2004 9:06:32 PM PDT by justicefortheserbs
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