by Andrew Korybko
PART I: Nuland’s Plan For The Balkans (And How It Can Dramatically Backfire)
US regime change expert and architect of regional destabilization, Victoria Nuland, recently paid a visit to the Balkans to preach the oft-repeated gospel of Euro-Atlantic integration. Her trip comes at a time when the region is experiencing a spike in geostrategic significance , having emerged at the forefront of the New Cold War between the unipolar and multipolar worlds. While energy geopolitics are certainly one of the main factors behind this renewed rivalry, there are also many other variables at play too, such as civilizational affinity and grassroots support of sovereign statehood. The asymmetrical advances that multipolarity has made in the region are partially attributable to the negative reaction that the population has had to the painful ‘integration’ (read: occupation) processes they witnessed in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Croatia.
Sensing the turning tide in popular sentiment brought about by the political and economic incompetence of the pro-EU elite, Nuland came to the Balkans to issue a list of thinly veiled threats designed to scare the regional holdouts of Republika Srpska, Serbia, and Macedonia into unipolar submission. Ironically, however, however, some of her demands could actually be co-opted by the same multipolar forces that she intends to destroy, and if harnessed correctly, they could lead to the reinforcement of multipolarity and complementarily promote their governments’ pragmatic (albeit somewhat clumsy) attempts to pivot away from EU dependency towards pragmatic and balanced cooperation with Russia.
The article begins by describing the three themes of Nuland’s speech and contrasts her quoted words with an analysis of the points she’s implicitly trying to convey. They all lead up to her ultimate threat that “this region can fall prey once again to the risks, hatred, and outside interference that brought it grief so many times before” if it doesn’t follow the US’ dictates, scenarios of which were described in an earlier thorough piece on the topic. The second part of the article attempts to reverse Nuland’s strategies by suggesting ways in which some of her policy prescriptions could be exploited to resist the US’ intended role for the region and liberate the Balkans from unipolar control.
The 3 Steps To Servitude
Nuland envisions three steps that must be taken in order to bring the regional holdouts (Republika Srpska, Serbia, and Macedonia) to heel:
Politically Capitulate:
The US is adamant that the entities which have not yet formally integrated into the Euro-Atlantic space follow a so-called ‘democratic map’ in order to accelerate their progress. This is a simple euphemism for surrendering even more sovereignty than they’ve already ceded and dismantling the institutional apparatuses that stand in the US’ way. Here’s what Nuland has to say on the matter and what she really means:
* Bosnia:
“Take Bosnia-Herzegovina. Twenty years after Dayton, it is unconscionable that the unity of the state is still publicly questioned by those seeking to block reform and putting IMF assistance at risk. The EU has offered Bosnia-Herzegovina a membership perspective, and last month activated its SAA, but politicians continue to put ethnic and party interests ahead of the basic social, economic, and political reform needed to advance. The United States joins the EU, the IMF and the World Bank in urging Bosnia-Herzegovina’s leaders to make crucial reform decisions now, or risk being left behind for another twenty years.”
While not directly saying it, all of her negative criticism is directed against Republika Srpska, whose constitutional autonomy poses the strongest obstacle to Bosnia’s formal absorption by the Euro-Atlantic institutions. So long as the region remains autonomous and continues to assert its legal rights within the framework of Bosnia’s government (‘questioning the unity of the state’, as Nuland puts it), the country as a whole can never join either the EU or NATO, although portions of it (excluding Republika Srpska) could of course enter into a shadow arrangement with either of the Brussels-based organizations, much as Ukraine is currently attempting to do. Due to its resistance, the sovereign half of the federation and its elected representatives are maligned for allegedly promoting their partisan interests, which is a purposely misleading depiction of the situation meant to enflame and justify ‘reprisal attacks’ (in reality, unwarranted offensives) against the republic. If Republika Srpska doesn’t back down from legally defending its sovereign interests within the country, then Nuland hints that any forthcoming negative repercussions associated with this (‘being left behind for another twenty years’) would rest squarely on its shoulders, making one wonder what kind of punitive measures she and her cronies have in mind.
* Macedonia:
“Our message to Macedonia is equally tough: every opportunity for unity and prosperity awaits you; NATO and EU membership await you. But the major political forces must stop squabbling and get on the path to democratic reform sketched out by EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn with US support, and then move on to settle the name issue with Greece. Again, don’t squander this moment.”
Nuland is characteristically blunt in her ‘advice’ for Macedonia – it must comply with the soft coup being planned for next year (in other words, don’t prompt the US to unleash a Hybrid War ) and abandon its national identity and very sense of being. Only when it’s devoid of its self-worth can it enter the EU and NATO as a third-rate actor, useful only for siphoning off its 3.5%-plus forecasted growth rate to cushion any financial losses Germany might incur from Greece, and providing cannon fodder for the next Western War on Libya and beyond. The reinforcement of Macedonia’s democratic security and the proud protection of its ethnic, linguistic, and historical identity impede the US’ plans for the country, and as such, they ‘squander the moment’ for Euro-Atlantic integration and allow the process to drag on indefinitely ( much to the country’s advantage , it must be said). Nuland existentially opposes the very idea of Macedonia, be it as an independent state or a unique identity in whichever form, hence why she’s so adamant that the country sacrifice its political and metaphysical sovereignty in order to become a non-descript member of the Euro-Atlantic sphere.
* Serbia:
“Meanwhile, with EU High Representative Federica Mogherini’s strong, patient guidance, Kosovo and Serbia are making progress in healing their past wounds and creating the arrangements to live as good neighbors. But the job is far from finished. We want 2015 to be the year that advances the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue so the EU can open chapters for Serbia and sign the SAA for Kosovo. But that will take courageous decisions in both Pristina and Belgrade. Again, together with the EU, America says: seize this moment and we will help.”
More than anything, the US wants to pressure Serbia into revising its constitution to omit any reference to Kosovo as an integral part of the country and consequently recognize it as an independent state. If this can be achieved (no matter the amount of terrorist blackmail or Color Revolution threats needed to get to that point), then the US can rest assured of Serbia’s satellite status and be confident in the overwhelming degree of hegemony that it exercises over its affairs. It goes without saying that this development would surely spell the end of Balkan Stream, which is why Nuland is so eager to have it happen as soon as possible (preferably by the end of the year, according to her timetable). Seizing Serbia, if one will, has correspondingly become a priority of American foreign policy, and this focus helps explain the recent events in Srebrenica. The angry, stone-throwing mob wasn’t a ‘random’ act of ‘protest’ from a people caught up in the moment, but a preplanned provocation designed to send Vucic a strong personal message – surrender to the US or face a public lynching like Gaddafi.
Patch Together Yugo-slave-ia:
Nuland’s message wasn’t all criticism, as a substantial part of it was geared towards her hopeful wishes of what a unipolar-dominated Balkans would look like:
“This brings me to the second set of challenges: regional development, integration, and energy security to promote prosperity and growth. The countries of this region will only reach their full potential when they replace old rivalries with cooperation, and embrace regional projects that bring jobs, investment and clean business practices to the whole region.
The United States strongly supports Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Berlin Process, and we have reached out to the EU to see how we can bring the International Financial Institutions, U.S. development assistance, private investment, and risk insurance to key road, rail, port, and energy projects.
We are also working closely with EU Vice President Maros Sefcovic and Energy and Climate Commissioner Arias Canete to advance crucial energy projects that will turn this region into the energy powerhouse it should be for all of Central Europe. These include investments in Krk Island LNG, key interconnectors to Hungary, Bulgaria, and Serbia, and new offshore exploration all along the Adriatic.”
In a nutshell, she’s proposing a hallowed-out version of Yugoslavia that slavishly follows the unipolar model of EU resource plunder and market entrapment. Reintegrating the former Yugoslav space is not a bad idea by any metrics (and it’s actually quite natural), but the form she’s advocating is designed to weaken, not strengthen, the countries in the region. Should Nuland get her way, then Germany will rule the Balkans as America’s Lead From Behind proxy via the fulfillment of the aptly named Berlin Process , which would finally grant it belated control over the region that it has sought to dominate for the past 100 years already. After Berlin becomes the official boss of all the Balkans, only then can the region develop and integrate, if one is to believe Nuland’s ‘prophecy’.
Just as they did during World War II, the Germans hope to use Croatia as their regional capo for retaining control over the rest of the Balkans, albeit this time via energy and not genocidal means. Aside from the enormous financial costs that LNG imports would entail, there are also political costs to Croatia’s designation as a subcontracted Lead From Behind state. If it can attain a leadership position in the region via its exploitation of the proposed energy framework, then it can begin taking the initiative to confidently promote its interests in divided Bosnia, and leverage its transit state position to inflict punishing resource blackmail against Serbia. In the US/EU vision for the Balkans, Croatia is the gatekeeper for controlling resource and product flows into the rest of the region, which would then establish a strict North-to-South development flow, the polar opposite of Balkan Stream’s South-to-North intended dynamic.
Purge Resistant Forces:
The third element of Nuland’s prescriptive policy for the Balkans is for the region to purge itself of all elements that stand in the way of unipolarity:
“As we redouble our efforts to bring growth to the entire region, we must also be vigilant defenders of our democratic values. We stand for free trade, free markets, and free peoples. We gain strength when our governments are clean and serve their people. We aspire to set the global gold standard for religious and ethnic tolerance and pluralism. In everything we do, we must support the sovereign right of nations to chart their own democratic futures; we must root out the cancer of corruption that eats away at livelihoods, democracies, and security; and we must work together to halt the spread of violent extremism and foreign fighters.
Corruption remains a major impediment to progress in this region. It is the cancer that saps strength from our democracies and drives up unemployment and civil unrest. More than that, it opens vulnerabilities that autocrats, petro states, and violent extremists exploit. All those who seek to stir up trouble here find an easy gateway when dirty money can buy corrupt politicians and undercut democratic governance and the rule of law.”
Her polemics about ‘democratic values’ and ‘setting the global gold standard for religious and ethnic tolerance and pluralism’ are empty and hypocritical rhetoric that offers no new insight into the US’ view on the region. What’s worth noting, however, is when she talks about how “autocrats, petro states, and violent extremists” are apparently summoned as a result of the corruption present in the region, which she also blames for democratic regression, unemployment, and civil unrest.
Read another way, she’s saying that the “petro state” buys off “autocrats”, which in turn breed “violent extremists” and “civil unrest”. Interpreting the euphemisms, Nuland is accusing Russia of buying off the governments of Serbia and Macedonia in order to build Balkan Stream, explaining the return of Albanian terrorism in the latter and the latest Color Revolution attempt there as mere ‘reactions’ to the ‘corrupt’ and ‘autocratic’ processes that Russia supposedly supports.
Thus, anything remotely associated with Russia must be purged from the Balkan countries, as Nuland is evidently scared that such influences fortify the multipolar processes currently ongoing there and keep Republika Srpska, Serbia, and Macedonia out of the US’ formal grip. This is why she alludes to the ever-present threat of pulling a Color Revolution in these areas when she hints that “It is not just governments that need to act. Civil society, independent media, and private citizens all need to make their voices heard and shape necessary reforms. They need to keep asserting their rights to freedom of expression, representation and peaceful assembly.”
When the US decides to go on the offensive in order to the do the purging itself (as was described in an earlier linked-to article ), then it conveniently offers up the false narrative that the violent extremism and civil unrest that’s unfolding is Russia’s fault and has nothing to do with American geopolitical intrigue and covert intelligence services, which are the real culprits involved.
(part II will be posted tomorrow)
In an ideal world, the Balkan nations would tell Nudelman to go **** herself. I think without ‘western’ intervention and advice they would be able to work out their differences, even if they don’t constitute an ‘NovoYugoslavia’. But of course this is not an ideal world and our ‘Camp Bondsteel’ is sitting right in the middle of the mess. The people of the Balkan countries need to have courage and determination to say NO!
Wonderful analysis. This is the first report of her trip that I’ve heard, outside of the Ukraine leg and her praise for Poroshenko’s implementation of Minsk 2 (!). I’m very glad that I’m reading it here, and through Andrew Korybko’s “translation”.
I have to wonder how many people are fooled by Nuland. Far less than used to be, I think. I hope the various national forces understand the true meaning the way we do, as it’s revealed here.
I was thinking as I read this report how much I’ve learned about color revolutions, IMF asset stripping, and the forked tongue of US State Department, and it’s all thanks to articles from Korybko and others.
It must be gratifying to learn that one’s articles over time have actually had the desired effect, of being understood and taken to heart as a force for change. So, to Mr. Korybko, it’s good to be able to say: well done. Thank you.
Thanks for such kind feedback and nice words! :-) I’m very humbled to hear what an effect my work has had on you!
How could anybody be ‘fooled’ by Nudelman? She exudes evil arrogance like a miasma, like her husband, like all the ‘neo-conservative’ Zionazis and like all the other ‘female’ Imperial bullying thuggettes like Clinton, Albright, Rice, Powers etc. And that’s even before she opens her mouth and the threats, curses, intimidation and lies come spewing out.
Foolish on my part “I’m sure”.But has anyone in Serbia thought about forming a mini Balkan “EU”.In which Serbia,Macedonia,and Republika Srpska (as well as any others interested),might combine their economies together to help trade and development.I know they had one at one time,I think they called that one “Yugoslavia”.But since this would purely be trade related.It might not ruffle too many feathers at first.
Key link there would be Serbia, but who ever thinks sovereignly in Serbia is not in any place of power. Since NATO war here, there was systemic lustration of all institutions. All was publicly supervised by NGO and media, who would work as a lynch mob if anyone was to attempt something not friendly enough to EU or USA, in effect the person is labeled as undemocratic, fascist, enemy of the free market and alike and his right to work anywhere becomes severely compromised, not to mention his public image.
Great many people eventually succumbed to the tv mantra that we were to blame for the deaths and destruction this region faced. The NGO network was explaining the whole time that our problems lie in our national identity and way of thinking (therefor we must import one from the developed countries-so do not think, just listen to the well meaning west). Just as an example here
http://www.helsinki.org.rs/serbian/doc/izvestaj2007.pdf.
an annual report of 2007 made by one of the biggest NGOs (Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights), which actually lists individuals, mostly university professors, who are deemed nationalistic and problem to deal with. You don’t get more blunt then that. And keep in mind that only the ‘approved’ ones get media and culture space (and occasionally some simpletons to play the ”otherside”), and, of course, money and all the laurels that go with this kind of democracy fight.
All the economy and finance ministries are held by these approved people, which are loyal to IMF structures and alike (current ones have actually worked for the IMF and the World Bank), the laws are written by NGO’s and end up on desks of ministers. Army was crippled and disgraced by politicians after the last war, lustration there was severe as hell. And to top it off, we have a regular (not secret or disguised) NATO office in our Ministry of Defense.
Politician play a bit with patriotism (economic and otherwise) in election, mention Russia (no meter the immense brainwash, the majority of the people has an instinctive inclination and love towards Russia), but when they are elected they turn to the old tune: “we can not change course, because we would be doomed, no one would be able and willing to help us out, the EU is perky anyhow, just wait and see”. Anyone who does any real and significant business here is forced to battle “his own” state. Needless to say, not many succeed. Economic playing field is totally rigged for foreigners.
Sorry for the length! Best regards!
Zdraka: thanks for the detailed analysis of how the Hegemon has Serbia by the balls.
The Western NGOs are pure poison-arrogant, domineering, demanding, contemptuous thugs, most of them nakedly on the Empire’s pay-roll. They must ALL be expelled, but only after close monitoring for a time, then putting the leading subversives, local traitors and their foreign controllers, on trial, then lock ’em up for a few decades. I wouldn’t recommend being as barbaric as the Yankee Reich and burying them alive in solitary confinement, but keep them long enough to treat them a lesson, then pardon them and expel them. Let them return home to work on improving their own evil societies. As for local NGOs-they ought to be encouraged as grass-roots democracy, a source of social solidarity and stability and a testing-ground for ideas. But they MUST have nothing to do with foreigners from hostile regimes, unless they are irreproachably friendly and helpful.
“Her” plan is a slight adaptation of the “original” Nazi plan in 1941, which was a modification of Austro-Hungarian plan in 1915. No need to elaborate further.
M. Dodik (leader of Republika Srpska) is the only Serbian leader with courage, integrity and intelligence, but he is severely constrained and his armed forces are negligible.
There is no way at the moment to unify Serbia , Montenegro and Republika Srpska which should be as natural as unification of Crimea with RF, but it ought to be done for many obvious reasons , almost all contrary to EU, UK, US wishes.
China has begun investing in Serbia and this, as well as the future gas line, may be the reasons for its further destruction, as it happened to so many other countries.
I am not a Serb, but have been raised and educated there and learned to value its culture, history and people. Furthermore, most of my family perished in the concentration camps of Jasenovac, Djakovo, Stara Gradiska, and Zemun/Jajinci. My parents survived by joining Partizans in Bosnia. They often testified to exceptional courage and resourcefulness of Bosnian and Lika Serbs during armed resistance to Nazis and ustashis.
Three times during 20-th century Serbs have been assaulted, murdered, vilified, by some of the world’s most “civilized”, “cultured” and “humane” countries. They refuse to learn that lesson.
The fourth assault seems to be coming and it is hard to visualize organized resistance, unless it is spontaneous as in Donbass.
Regards, Spiral
“Three times during 20-th century Serbs have been assaulted, murdered, vilified, by some of the world’s most “civilized”, “cultured” and “humane” countries. They refuse to learn that lesson.”
Did you forget Vukovar, Škabrnja, Srebrenica, Sarajevo?
How come none of the nations living close to Serbs don`t see them that way?
Brainwashing, as in your case.
What one has to have in mind, when there is a talk about Balkans states and nations, is their deep religious (catholic, orthodox, muslim) and cultural differences, in spite of a language similarity.
Yugoslavia was a artificial project of the western powers and not a “natural” solution. It never works because those nations are actually very different among themselves.
Beside those differences among them, there is a great division in each nation itself, due to its history. For example, Serbs are divided in those who are attached to Serbian orthodox church and to Russia on one side and those who lean towards the West, especially through Masonic lodges, on other.
So, Nuland is counting on those who are anti-christian, liberal, etc in each of those small nations.
And that is, believe me, the elite of those countries: political, financial, cultural… and even – partly – religious elite.
This is my 50cents…
Greetings from Croatia!
Hello,
I couldnt help myself but respond to your post which is a fair assedment on its own.
Regarding the differences and what you call to be “western project”, considering the fact that you reside in croatia, its not unusual to have such an opinion. The last 25 years of well planed and delivered propaganda has, for lack of a better word, brainwashed majority of the populace especially the ypunger generation.
What you call a western project and unnatural was in fact the only option viable at that time for the slovene and croat nations in terms of survival. Let me remind you that serbia has been awarded a large part of thw coast including split, all og bosnia, montenegro, macedonia and parts of slavonia at the congress after ww1.
The fact that the popular movements in what was then smaller shs pushed for unification with serbia knowing it was the only way to survive and atain statehood, showd it was no unnatural by any means.
You state religion as the dividing factor, when language isvfirst and foremost factor of envisioning a people. Religions have changed through history, while the language remained.
When you state cultural differences it is easier to find such within the croat nation (slavonians and dalmatians for example) where slavonian culture is far closer to that from serbian north, and dalmatian to bosnian or montenegrian than to each other.
I believe you are younger, hadnt had the pleasure of travelinh through ex yugoslavia in an extent which would provide you with a broader view of the region and all its peoples. If you disregard the elites in these countries which stand to benefit from status quo, and search for the cpnnections, you will soon realize that there are far more similarities than dufferences between bosnians, croats and serbs.
The other 50 cents.
Greetings from Croatia
I think that you have proved my point by telling us how the 1st Yugoslavia had started. It was a political solution. It was not a matter of unifying one nation, which existed in three tribes, after a long history of separation (as Germans had integration in 1989 for example). No, it was a project, started in 19th century and finished in the end of 20th century. Croats and Serbs are two different nations. Period. To unite them you need a force: army and ideology. Its expensive and it proved to be a failure.
Cultural differences in one nation are very common (remember Italians), but still you have one nation (somehow they think of themselves as Italians). Same is with the Croats. Religion plays significant role and you can not neglect that.
And you are dead wrong with my age and experience with exYu. I am quite familiar with this region. But I am not naive to think that you can put together a horse and a cow. It doesnt go.
“Tall fences bring peaceful neighborhood.”
Serbian, Croatian and Muslim nations are not different at all. They are actually the same nation divided by religion only. They share everything else: ancestry, language, mentality.
There is a chance that the “region” will reunify again, but we need a strong Russian leadership for that. Macedonian people accepted the new reality by showing unprecedented support for Serbia during the pro-governement rally (there were hundreds of Serbian flags – a historic change in Macedonian perception of Balkans reality).
The others will follow.
The key is of course to strenghten the Russian-Serbian leadership in all of former Yugoslavia. Russian veto in UN SC on British resolution on Srebrenica “genocide” was the first, but the key step in this direction. Nothing is same after this. 25 years of lies and propaganda has been defeated. The Balkan stream will be the second step, and then the process of reunification of Yugoslav countries under Serbian leadership will follow.
Do not lose hope. It will happen.
Be patient.
Excuse me, but I think you are wrong.
In spite of many similarities, differences are quite big and profound. We have different nations here. Religious differences are particulary improtant, since that factor shapes the culture of the people. (Cult and culture have the same root, ethimologically.) And you should take in consideration the fact that religion had a huge impact on south Slavs over a great span of time.
Also, 20th century experiences dont help the cause of unifying all south Slavs in one state. That experiment showed itself to be a failure. Nothing else.
Pls, let us leave behind the idea that all south Slavs are actually Serbs, as Vuk Stefanović Karadžić had thought, only difference is religion. That is simply wrong. And did not help Serbs
in last 2 centuries. It gave them a wrong perspective, and because of it they – first – lost their kingdom (Yugoslavia instead of Serbia) and then lost their culture (communism instead pravoslavlje). For Serbs it is a tragical idea.
Excuse me but YOU are wrong. How can supposedly different nations speak the same language?? Do you care to explain that?
Many different nations speak same or similar languages, for example english is spoken by englishmen and australians. Language is not unique factor in determing a nation, because there are nations which have two or three official languages. The most important factor is the self-awereness of people, a feeling of belonging to same group. And that is what you dont have on Balkan. Tell to a young Croat that he is a Serbian or a Yugoslav and he will think that you are crazy. Be Serbian, forget Yugoslavia!
Most Australians are direct descendants of people from the British Isles.Their “Australian English” (minus a few native words thrown in) is a “regional” dialect of English,no more,no less.In the settler countries like Australia, its totally different than in countries, such as say,Jamaica (and many others). Where the language was adopted by the population, but there was a different “ethnicity” (noticeable) of the population.The South Slavs share not only language.They share ethnicity as well.The only things they don’t share are religion.And their history of which foreign power ruled them in the past.
Excuse me, but you are wrong about same ethnicity (what ever it means, by the way) of south Slavs. You can not impose on someone the feeling of belonging to one same nation or ethnic group. Also, you are wrong about the history. Serbs and Croats have their own states already in the Middle Age. Those states (kingdoms) later were the parts of some other states, but never together, until Yugoslavia was established. And they had called themselves Serbs or Croats throughout the history, not Yugoslavs. The idea of one nation in several tribes is just that – the idea.
It was an idea popular among some Croat intelectuals in 19th century, later that idea became the ruling idelogy, in 1st Yugoslavia, the ideology of governing elite. It was acompanied with the communism/socialism (whatever) in the 2nd Yugoslavia. These two ideas, more or less, vanished in the end of 20th century. Hopefully, forever.
Wrong! As a Serb, you see those flags as “Macedonian people accepted the new reality by showing unprecedented support for Serbia during the pro-government rally” although it was the opposite!:-) Serbs living in Macedonia supported the government, which eventually sold out, as usual:-).
Andrew is right about the part of the eureich desire for Macedonians to commit suicide, which off course will be like healthy individual doing that with his hands tied under SS supervision and assisted by Dr. Mengele;-). Just see what happened to Scotland and our southern neighbours…
And there will be NO reunification under Serbian leadership because there is none, only hegemony. Too many emotions run this region, and FALSE sense of “superiority” instead of MUTUAL RESPECT! And the “politicians” in all of these countries are soooo miserable, it hurts!:-) That`s why frau Nudelman and others act as they do…
I live in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where the man in the street only reading and seeing Euronews versions of US propaganda, no longer associates with Ukraine as a brother nation, much less Russia
who won WW11 for Europe. All US multinational companies fill Amsterdam, each with it’s own mafia.
Russian sanctions on all flowers and plants from Netherlands could be very effective to wake up the men and women in the streets what Ukraine means to the future or loss of it to all Europe.
The future of Europe depends on removing the US and all Nazi elements from Ukraine, thousands of the Germans, and making it a federation free of unrest. China does not understand this as the close partner of Russia that it is. Even understanding WW11 is extremely difficult for China to even believe.
I am family close to a Chinese family close to the Premier of China, they are basically unaware of the danger from America and Germany by way of Ukraine, completely. There is an element of the removal of human identity and it’s replacement with a deadening, genocidal, factor to create human obedient colonialists that is part and parcel of the US/ German (Nazi) uni-lateral power structure China as yet does not even believe. I think it knows very little about this now well advanced technology.
Still a closed society, it’s news media is more closed than that of the US/EU.
Does Russia know that Obama praised it for help in acquiring a peaceful end of the 12 year war on peaceful Iran in order to better concentrate on bringing Russia to heel? The US plans to bring China to heel too, with Russia out of the way, this over many years, they believe can be done. China does not even consider this it seems.
If China does not understand what Ww1 and WW11 meant to the West, it is deeply hampered in understanding Europe or America today on the brink.
I think Saker wrote recently about a animosity of EU towards referenda. After Crimea and Greece, we have another example for the casebook ”unwelcomed democracy”, this time in Serb part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republic of Srpska):
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/serbia-cautions-ethnic-ki/1991466.html
The source is not precise enough, but couldn’t find a better in English. The question on the referendum should be something along following lines: “do you accept the laws imposed by high representatives in the past, particularly on the Court and the Prosecutor’s Office and do you accept that the decisions of those state judicial institutions be applied in RS?”
High representative is a post held by EU and USA personal with dictatorial power (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Representative_for_Bosnia_and_Herzegovina), they can override democratic procedures and throughout past years they have illegitimately amended points of Dayton agreement by means of pressure and blackmail.
There seems to be something else which might influence the situation:
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2015/07/10/islamic-state-coming-to-balkans-ii.html
Might be that they will attempt this. If history teaches us something then it’s that we Serbs will never submit to anyone and especially not to jihadist terrorists.
Don’t get me wrong, we respect Muslims but even the Bosniak Muslims would never accept living with them or support them. If ISIS attempts anything in Serbia they will be eradicated with all their supporters from the Balkans.
I say let them pass to the EU, after all the EU and its master the US caused all the chaos in the middle east.
So let them deal with the results.
Good, if true.
That would act as a re-union
(if not re-unification) rallying point like no other.
They’ve already played their hand in the Balkans: the Caliphate has a snowball’s in hell of takeover, not even of the Albanians/Bosnians.
I don’t see ISIS finding support in Albania.
Re “setting the global gold standard for religious and ethnic tolerance and pluralism” (with ‘gold’ possibly being the operative word here), Bucharest is going to set the standard in the region by tolerating one of the biggest mosques in Europe to be built there, although there are only 64,000 Muslims in the whole of Romania. Thus generously opening the door to pluralism where there was not too much before; because, as former president Basescu said, there will also be a university for thousands of Islamic students coming from abroad to test the religious and ethnic tolerance of the Romanians.
http://www.santinoro.com/the-largest-mosque-in-europe-in-romania/
http://www.turkishweekly.net/2015/06/30/news/turkey-aids-fincancing-of-bucharests-first-mosque/
I do not agree with all the commentators here suggesting that the Serbian leadership has sold out to the West. When you look at what Vucic is actually doing it seems like he is trying to copy Putins policies in every way possible.
No sanctions on Russia, Attempts to establish the South-Stream pipeline, strengthening of families by introducing a payment from the state for families that have more children, effectively balancing the EU and US demand to recognize Kosovo by negotiating but never accepting it, supporting Macedonia back when US controlled Terrorists from Kosovo attempted to attack the state and there’s many more examples.
He understands that there is no way forward for Serbia and the whole Balkan if there is no peace with the Muslim Bosniaks. So he went to Srebrenica to show his respect to the Muslims, even though calling it a massacre and never a genocide. And when some idiot hooligans attempted to stone him he still declared on the same day that he reaches out his hand to all the Muslim Bosniaks in peace and will go forward with this policy.
That’s how I imagine Putin or any other smart statesman would do it. Serbia cannot isolate itself from the EU and US, nor can it beat them. But they can isolate and hurt Serbia via their puppet governments around it. The only way Serbia can prevent to submit to them is to have strong and positive relationships with her neighbors.
Ivan, you have made some astute comments on this topic.
Countries in trouble need wise leadership. Perhaps, Serbia has one.
Will you people stop talking about that Western puppet idiot Vucic? Vojislav Seselj is back on the scene and he is Serbia’s true Putin. Nikolic and Vucic are doing their best to silence Seselj with a nationwide media blockade but it will not work.
Seselj should have been the president instead of that naive idiot Milosevic but Milosevic jailed Seselj while he was in power so…
Are you serious? How can you claim that? He has dismantled Serbian institutions in Kosovo and Metohija, forced the people there to participate in Taci’s elections (threatening them, his own people), he openly leaves room for constitutional changes concerning Kosovo and he is a statesman, a Putin? He firstly makes irrevocable damage and then afterwords puts on a sad face and pretends to be fighting for the ones he destroyed and that which he already gave away. He practices a skill of Goebbels, but has a character of a slave who would not hesitate to kill of fellow slaves if only the masters treat him as their own and let him eat at their table once in a while.
He is doing the same thing with Srpska. It is one thing to have your differences with the political lieder there, but to demonstrate it publicly, means just: look EU, I am not like he, I am a good student of yours. On the other side, he sings hymns to IMF and Merkel, publicly and openly celebrates the ”approval” he gets from EU and USA. He shows no dignity, he took non other then Tony Blair as an adviser! Never have we stoped so low. I do hope you are a party member or an employee, that would be easier to stomach then the fact you could be a well meaning compatriot who is blind to the utter nakedness of our emperor.
“I do hope you are a party member or an employee, that would be easier to stomach then the fact you could be a well meaning compatriot who is blind to the utter nakedness of our emperor.”
Well said. Vucic is a traitor that comes only once in a hundred years or so. And he will be remembered as one, for a long time.
Balkans: LNG terminals for all!!! Come one, come all, we will pave your streets with fool’s gold and with expensive fuel lines. LNG Debrovnik ? and LNG Odessa? This was the first time I saw the contents of her speech reported or analyzed.
Hi There,
In order to get much balanced picture, person should to get access to both sides of the stories.
When I say that I mean as much as possible efforts engaged toward collecting well researched and independent datas collection, balanced in it’s approach and still with reservation due to long way to arrive to any premature conclusion. On that way the best source of information in this particular case could be account submitted by some refuge of that period so that all other written material made in some bureaucratic buildings could be brought under scrutiny of independent revisionists.
This article and second part as well is not balanced. It makes someone literally sick listening this immoral devolved demonic disrespecting inhumane narrative regarding Republika Srpska so called legal status in occupied East Bosnia. Republika Srpska was established after gross aggression from Serbia into deep Bosnian territory, after legal binding referendum of majority of Bosnians to depart from SFRJ which Serbian President Milosevic took for itself. Croatia already departed Slovenia too so it was logical that all ex Republics would depart what actually indeed happened.
To proof this and give some dough to the supporting story telling- line, I am offering here long and crucially detailed BBC documentary from that period of time:
BBC The Death Of Yugoslavia 4of6 ”The Gates Of Hell”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfSLxK417AI
As anyone could understand after watching this presentations, from the point of view that to both sides in conflict ( which you never se today in RT Russia news system of Putin’s indoctrination ) equally time had been given to present it’s own vision and prospect in relation to evolving events and succession of dramatically/criminally arranged crystal clear aggression of Serbia.
What gives unforgettable here occasion are the recordings with Seselj and Milosevic, perfect example how Milosevic had been truly deceiving demon in the region and how blatant truthful nationalistic Serbian, Nazi Seselj put it all there, without any hesitation what, how, where and why?!
Everything is there, summarized from 13:13 to 25 minute, where you will be able to dive deep into very beginning of the conflict beginning (surprisingly for demagogues BBC corporative propaganda tool ) with Sarajevo. Where peaceful protesting people, fed up by these nationalist uprising hooligans, hoodlums and good looms, took thing in its own hands and proclaimed mass awakening in all Bosnia- with intention to come with buses as much as possible -toward Sarajevo and start to new life from the scratch. That just after legal Referendum!
That would be the end of all trouble; no Milosevic no Karadzic, no Seselj no any maniac in Bosnia no any more ( listen carefully )- inclusive Bosnian legal President Izetbegovic!
All these people there, included me, were committed to make final push to all of this sudden artificial spewing hatred, unknown to us all and nationalistic sentiment and in some regions religious apprising. Socialistic Federative Republic Jugoslavija have been country for free people with all freedoms, but never religious fundamental in any sense, any shape and form division. Exactly that started to prompt out like anything in very short of time, so we decided to deal with it.
And we made it…almost!
It would be giant leap into human recognizing morphic field event, people had ever witnessed in the world, if there had not been order of Karadzic to start shooting on innocent people from the Hotel and later from the East Sarajevo and later from the mortars surrounded Sarajevo for 3 and half long years! Izetbegovic legal President of Bosnia after referendum had been three times thrown out inside parliament after the shooting incident. You could clearly see that he was pushed and energized from some apart different source of magic, inspiration we would not be able to discern right there on the spot.
Than someone came on the stage and said very profound and truly truth namely that Izetbegovic came here few times alone, very much different to all other national so called colorful figures of that time and he came of his free will. Why should we denied him to speak, he said? So he spoke something I cannot recollect anymore, but the main point was that we the people took things into our hands and peacefully started change in Bosnia till the moment of aggression from external source and that source was Serbia and Milosevic land and territory Great Serbia so called project.
Why is this all important? It is important because of this 20 years later just of this late April happened in East Bosnia inside Republika Srpska, on genocide and ethnic cleansing build up phantom demonic entity:”TERRORIST ATTACK IN ZVORNIK: A Wahhabis liquidated, a policeman killed and two others wounded! (PHOTO) (VIDEO) http://www.telegraf.rs/english/1543236-terrorist-attack-in-zvornik-a-wahhabis-liquidated-a-policeman-killed-and-two-others-wounded-photo-video”
So to just get clear picture here, one more time I am calling anyone to watch presented historic BBC documentary in order to understand stunning indifference from the BRICS Putin China and author of the article toward Republika Srpska illegitimate status. Exactly as I prophesied that Illuminati makes every war unjustifiinglly ended, so that seeds of destruction could be planted and reaped off just some 20 years later – all over again. Unfortunately!
Please be informed that you will see some pictures very disturbing, just in a moments after invasion into Zvornik ( note elegant description made by Seselj and lies made by Milosevic ) and scattered horror filled minds of Bosnians escaping over the bridge into Serbia. Just like with Iraq they invented some reason to invade this time for Bosnian case were stories about Green Berets as some kind Islamic force or what ever.
These people shot dead and town dead on to the truck were the people I knew personally, completely innocent ( one women recorded even shot in the back ). Man in the case died in to the hands of the traumatized daughter, which is now somewhere in Sweden and well and good working as Lector-engineer. Her father was Veterinary animal doctor…All that street was massacred! That is the same street just little bit further on with that other link provided 20 years later on late April event…
Part of the video with tanks and some silos in the backside is 4 kilometers from Zvornik; school yard where young man from village Divich were brought down ( many were students inside that school premises, secondary school Electro-technic division ) and brutally tortured and killed together.
Thank you for reading,
Harri