BOSNIA, CURSED BY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) TECHNOCRATS

Indifference of the EU and the West on Bosnia’s political stalemate could backfire

A fellow political analyst working for the EU in BOSNIA once mentioned the frustration he encounters when briefing EU representatives in BRUSSELS on BOSNIAN issues. It appears that these mostly young highly educated technocrats, running the show in BRUSSELS, lack practical and on the field as well as life experience when it comes to complex geo political decision making in the BALKANS.   

Underestimating the ethnic rift

 

One of the most pressing issues that analysts are trying to point out to the EU and the WEST is that if they don’t offer more decisive support to solve the political stalemate in BOSNIA, BOSNIAKS (Bosnian Muslims) will turn their back on the West and turn towards other Muslim counties for support, thus inviting radical Muslim elements to establish their pillars in BOSNIA and at the doorstep to EUROPE. The SAUDI ARABIAN WAHHABI movement in BOSNIA up to now has played a minor role, despite efforts by politicians to portray them as a serious threat, nevertheless they are present and do have followers. 

Potential power of youth movements in the Balkans 

As mentioned in my previous article on BOSNIA dated the 21 July 2011 the older generations of BOSNIAKS are still strongly connected to EUROPE. This does not apply to the young generation who represents a large portion of the BOSNIAN population and who are rather well organized through social networks and student organizations and who share more radical views on the current game the EU and the West plays with BOSNIA. As one BOSNIAK student union leader pointed out bluntly, if the EU does not want us we have TURKEY and other fellow Muslim countries in ASIA to turn to, which are economically better off then EUROPE anyway. Why bother joining the EU or bother to live in harmony with Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Croats, who tend to favor secession anyway.

The minute the economic situation in BOSNIA deteriorates and the BOSNIAN DIASPORA ceases, the political landscape of BOSNIA will tilt towards more instability and provide fundamentalist movements such as the HOUSE OF SAUD WAHHABI movement the opportunity to gain more influence and power in the region. 

Unlike EUROPE, BOSNIA consists of a large population of educated youth with lack of perspectives (the latter also applying for the youth of EUROPE), thus creating a dangerous vacuum in the region which should not be underestimated, especially in times when young people increasingly  voicing their anger on the street around the world.  

The Dayton Peace Agreement Ghost

There exists common consent among the 3 ethnic groups of BOSNIA that the DAYTON PEACE AGREEMENT (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Agreement) is obsolete and that the country’s constitution has to be changed.

Threats by the RS (REPUBLICA SRBSKA ) (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republica_Srpska) to separate have been put on hold for now, but in recent past Bosnian Croats also voiced their opinion and called for a 3^rd entity, a move that would definitely complicate the situation in BIH. Some Bosnians suggest forming 3 or 4 cantons with each canton being governed by the respective ethnic entity, thus eliminating the current expensive and politically flawed 10 cantonal system of Bosnia.

Questionable Role of the Office of the High Representative 

One would think that the OHR (Office of the High Representative) (see http://www.ohr.int/), the EUROPEAN UNION and the WEST would try to intervene more decisively in current secession tendencies in BOSNIA. Instead, as WILLIAM STUEBNER, an American Diplomat who held several diplomatic posts in BOSNIA during and after the 1992 to 1995 war, points out in an article published in the CYPRUS MAIL, the EU in most likelihood would not step in strongly, should the 2, respectively 3 (Croats) entities really split. 

(seehttp://www.cyprus-mail.com/cmsearch?keyword=West%27s%20indifference%20could%20condemn%20Bosnia%20anew)

The indifference displayed by the EU and the West plays in the hands of TURKEY who already has grabbed the key player position in BOSNIA and is willing to go a step further in order to become a key player in the entire region. TURKEY’S position in the BALKANS on the other hand strengthens SAUDI ARABIA’S WAHHABI expansionism in the region, by spreading the Islamic faith. (See TURKISH and SAUDI ARABIA’S common interests at http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/MH23Ak02.html,  http://english.alarabiya.net/views/2011/08/20/163186.html )  All in front of the gateway to Europe and with EUROPE playing the indifferent!!!

Where Occident meets Orient 

Unlike EUROPE, TURKEY the USA and its ally SAUDI ARABIA are following another agenda in the Balkans, one that the EU seems to neglect, namely that of vast amount of natural resources in the region.  

BOSNIA and KOSOVO, both hold huge and almost unexploited reserves of coal, lead, zinc, lignite, bauxite and nickel. Rumors of uranium reserves in Kosovo persist, with some arguing that these reserves are located where coincidentally the USA erected the largest US Army base outside the USA, Camp BONDSTEEL.

Without strong guidance from EUROPE the BALKAN is a ticking time bomb. Unfortunately the EU “technocrats” seem not to understand the significance the BALKAN plays in the geopolitical landscape as well as in the “ war of faiths”, where OCCIDENT meets ORIENT.