The United States (U.S.) retired General Wesley Clark said that the attack committed in the north of Kosovo, near the village of Banjska, represents a real problem for the stability of the Balkans and that the European Union (EU) and NATO should be concerned. “The disturbing fact is that after the incident it turned out that a large amount of weapons were stored in the Serbian monastery. There were also such cases during our earlier experiences in the Balkans in the nineties when some monasteries were strongholds of Serbian nationalism. I hope that the Kosovo Force (KFOR) will insist that all this be checked – because there is no place for such a thing at the moment of efforts to secure an agreement on autonomy for Kosovo’s citizens of Serbian nationality,” said Clark in an interview.
He added that “the weapons probably came from Serbia, and that it was probably an action coordinated or at least tacitly approved by the Serbian special forces.”
Moreover, Clark assessed that there are no real indicators for the claims of repression and that it is clear that money from Belgrade arrives in that area as if it were a separate state, which is incorrect. “The north of Kosovo is part of Kosovo. And it should be fully integrated into the Kosovo system. That’s the real problem,” he said. Regarding the Kosovo authorities’ claim that one of the attackers was Milan Radoicic, the current vice-president of the largest and most influential Kosovo Serb party in Kosovo, which has close ties to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party, Clark said that this could be interpreted as further evidence of the complicity of the Serbian authorities – which jeopardizes the achievement of an agreement on the autonomy of the Serbian community, the implementation of which the U.S. and the European Union (EU) are advocating for.
According to him, the individuals who participated in all of this from the Serbian side should be brought to justice in accordance with the rules prescribed by the Kosovo legislation.
“It is necessary for NATO to strengthen its capabilities and be effective on the territory of the entire Kosovo. If, for example, an individual has been sanctioned by the U.S. or the EU – how is it possible for him to be the leader of a political party in Kosovo? Who allows this? For example, Mr. Thaci, who is accused of war crimes, is still in custody in The Hague. It is necessary that there be a measure of understanding on both sides for the rule of law in Kosovo,” he added.
When asked what kind of message is being sent by declaring a Day of Mourning in Serbia, Clark said that “it is unjustified when it is raised to the level of state policy – because these people were outlaws.” “All this is a real shame for the dialogue. Reasonable statesmen should participate in it and will advocate that such things should stop. It is time to recognize the independence of Kosovo, to move forward and establish peace in the region,” Clark stated, adding that it is unlikely to happen.
He assessed that the power of inter-ethnic hatred, which has lasted for more than a century, is so powerful that he thinks it is necessary for the nations of Europe and the U.S. to deal with it with joint forces.
In the end, Wesley Clark also assessed that ten or five years ago, it seemed that Serbia was making progress in its aspiration to become a member of the Euro-Atlantic community, but now it seems that it has stopped. “Serbia is not making progress,” Clark concluded.
E.Dz.
