photo by Cvetin Cilimanov for Antiwar.comPosted on 05/20/2003 8:51:59 AM PDT by Destro
Wolfowitz in Skopje – What Next for Macedonia?
by Christopher Deliso
May 20, 2003
A total eclipse of the full moon on Friday morning, street warfare between Macedonians and Albanians in Tetovo on Friday night – could these portentous events have had anything to do with the next day's visit from US Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz?
Über-hawk Wolfowitz touched down briefly in Skopje on the third leg of his Balkan tour. At his first stop (Sarajevo) Wolfowitz oversaw the signing of a treaty guaranteeing that Bosnia will never extradite an American soldier to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes. At the second stop, Kosovo's Camp Bondsteel, Wolfowitz inspected the troops at this all but forgotten imperial outpost.
Wolfowitz's trip to Macedonia was decidedly low-key, and lasted only a few hours. Officially, he came for the photo op and speech praising the Iraq-bound Macedonian conscripts. However, the fact that he also met in private with former NLA boss Ali Ahmeti, President Boris Trajkovski, and later with Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski and Defense Minister Vlade Buchkovski seems to indicate that Rumsfeld's right-hand man came to talk business.
Operation Evade Journalists
However, it is slightly unclear as to what that business was. Wolfowitz's entourage, which included US Ambassador Laurence Butler and the proverbial men in dark suits and sunglasses talking on mobile phones, were escorted briskly in and out of government buildings all morning, leaving little chance for interrogation. Although Wolfowitz answered two or three mundane questions in a mundane way when meeting with Trajkovski, no real explanation for his visit was given. And the US Embassy on Saturday claimed to have no one available who could speak on the matter.
Saturday's final photo op for Wolfowitz was the Macedonian Army's Ilinden barracks, a sprawling encampment situated on a high wooded bluff overlooking Skopje. Here Wolfowitz gave a short speech to the 39 Iraq-bound Macedonian soldiers. Among them are members of the Wolves (special forces), as well as army medics.
Flanked by officials, Wolfowitz stood opposite the neatly-arrayed Macedonian troops and thanked them for playing their part in the "liberation" of the Iraqi people from "…one of the worst dictators of modern history." He also alluded to the US-imposed Ohrid Agreement when praising the Macedonians for "settling issues by talking instead of by fighting." He then proceeded down the row, cordially shaking hands with each of the conscripts. Much snapping and flashing ensued from the thicket of cameras adjacent.
photo by Cvetin Cilimanov for Antiwar.com
(Excerpt) Read more at antiwar.com ...
Almost all that were sent were Afghan veterans and therefore had the ties to the ISI through Peshawar. It's the same Saudi-Pak alliance that supported the Taliban against the Iranian-backed Hazaras, and Russian-backed Tajiks and Uzbeks.
Through in the State Dep't with the Pak-Saudis if you're brave enough :)
Sorry I didn't address this part of your post before. A silly oversight on my part. Yes. I see what you are saying. Badinter Commission's recommendation, etc. That's well-documented in everything from publice records down to Misha Glenny's book.
Oh, have you visited this fine gentleman's web site? If not, I suggest you do! It's not organanised as it used to be and would have been more useful to you if it were... but do have a look at Ambassador James Bisset's web page.
Now, as for where you live, which part of Canada....?
I guess non-recognition leaving us to the mercy of the JNA with the examples of Vukovar and Vocin would have been a better option?
If you were a Croat I doubt you'd say that.
Please give us a link to the names of the supposed 5,000 to 7,000 Serbs killed during and after Storm in within Croatian borders.
Try and stay on topic.
Doesn't suprise me...and no, I'm not "Damjan"....you should know who this is by now.
Do you now know who this is?
And BTW, where are the names of the supposed 7,000?
Yup, Dudakovic's 5th did some nasty stuff to the fleeing Serbs near Dvor, and they've gotten away scot free while the blame has been pinned on my boys.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.