FIRE
SALE: “PRIVATIZING” KOSOVO, THE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT WAY
Source: GSI
The Balkan states of ALBANIA and KOSOVO
are, without doubt, the most pro-AMERICAN Muslim-majority countries in the
world.
According to a new census including
religious affiliation – the first since 1930 – ALBANIA now counts 57% of its
total population of 2.8 million as Muslim, down from 70% eighty-two years ago.
Its Catholic population has remained stable at 10%, and ALBANIAN citizens
identifying themselves as Orthodox Christians have fallen from 20% in 1930 to
about 7%.
Although KOSOVO does not tally
figures for religious communities, the Muslim share of the population is
thought to be larger, at around 80%. Both republics are secular.
TURKISH PRESSURE ON ALBANIA TO VOTE “YES” FOR PALESTINIAN
OBSERVER SEAT IN THE UNITED NATIONS
AMERICANS are beloved in ALBANIA thanks
to a significant history of ALBANIAN immigration and success in AMERICA, and
early contributions by ALBANIANS in the U.S. to the national movement for
freedom from the OTTOMAN EMPIRE. At the end of November, the ALBANIAN
government of Prime Minister Sali Berisha was prepared to vote with the U.S.
against a Palestinian observer seat in the United Nations, and, following
unsuccessful pressure to vote “yes,” from the TURKISH Islamist prime minister
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, ALBANIA became the sole Muslim-majority UN member to
abstain on the Palestinian issue.
KOSOVO does not belong to the UN,
although if it did, it might likely have followed the AMERICAN lead and voted
against the Palestinian bid, which was supported, among the ex-YUGOSLAV
successor states, only by SERBIA. The ALBANIANS of KOSOVO have expressed
undiluted appreciation for the actions of the Clinton administration,
represented by then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and former General
Wesley Clark as Supreme Allied Commander for Europe at NATO, in the 1998-99
military intervention that rescued the KOSOVAR ALBANIANS from SERBIAN repression.
Its pro-AMERICAN stance has caused
the KOSOVO Republic to be denied diplomatic recognition by most of the Arab
states. The late LIBYAN dictator Mu’ammar Al-Qadhdhafi dismissed the KOSOVARS
contemptuously as “AMERICAN lapdogs.”
ENERGY QUEST: KOSOVO
Recently, however, Albright and
others have commenced new efforts at involvement in KOSOVO that left local
people concerned about the intentions of their benefactors of more than a
decade past. In The New York Times on December 12, Matthew
Brunwasser wrote under a page-one headline, “That Crush at KOSOVO’S Business
Door? The Return of U.S. Heroes.” The Times account described
Albright and James W. Pardew, a special envoy sent to the Balkans by President
Bill Clinton, offering competing bids for privatization of the KOSOVO state
postal and telecommunications agency, known as PTK (from its ALBANIAN and SERBIAN
initials).
KOSOVO COAL MINES: POTENTIAL FOR SYNTHETIC FUEL PRODUCTION
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| Coal mining in Kosovo |
General Wesley Clark, chairman of
Envidity, a CANADIAN firm interested in KOSOVO’S coal mines and potential for
synthetic fuel production, has also gone to KOSOVO in search of financial
advantage.
But Albright’s involvement has given
her the highest profile in the discussion of KOSOVO’S economic future.
According to the Times, “Albright Capital Management, founded by
Ms. Albright, has been shortlisted in the bidding for a 75 % share in PTK.”
TheTimes estimates the
probable payout to KOSOVO political leaders for PTK, if a deal is consummated,
at “between $400 million and $800 million.” Officials of another Albright
entity, Albright Stonebridge Group, have a minor share in PTK’s only
competitor, the private company IPKO, based in SLOVENIA. Times correspondent
Brunwasser wrote that the situation could “threaten… market competition if Ms.
Albright’s consortium wins the bid” for PTK.”
Privatization in post-Communist
economies often presents multiple problems: State enterprises may be handed
over to individuals or groups favored by the prior dictatorial authorities, as
has allegedly occurred in SLOVAKIA, previously a part of CZECHOSLOVAKIA.
Government-owned companies may also be privatized, turned profitable, and then
re-nationalized by authoritarian rulers. In RUSSIA, the Yukos oil company was
branded an example of “oligarchic privatization” and taken over by the
government of Vladimir Putin, only to be bankrupted between 2003-2007.
“VOUCHER” PRIVATIZATION
The abolition of statist “command”
economics has most often been considered a positive outcome in any context.
Some observers have advocated “voucher” privatization, through which shares in
government-controlled companies are distributed to all the citizens of a
country, either free or at a low cost. “Voucher” privatization succeeded most notably
in the CZECH Republic.
KOSOVO is among the poorest
countries in EUROPE, with the growth of its economy hampered by the failure of
the “supervising” international authorities, with titles like the United
Nations Interim Administration Mission in KOSOVO (UNMIK) and the EUROPEAN Union
Rule of Law Mission in KOSOVO (EULEX).
They have imposed all of KOSOVO’S most
important political decisions, but these have left the country in a calculated
stasis since the end of the 1998-99 war. They have interfered with media,
elections, and border relations with SERBIA, but have neglected to reform KOSOVO’S
financial regulations or even to settle who owns various industries, such as
the large-scale Trepca mining complex in northern KOSOVO. Trepca, which
produced lead, zinc, gold, silver, and rare minerals, is the object of opposing
claims of proprietorship by SERBIA and KOSOVO; it also owes about 40 million Euros
to FRENCH, GREEK, and BULGARIAN companies. Similar state assets are KEK, the KOSOVO
Energy Corporation, and its subsidiary KEDS, or KOSOVO Electricity
Distribution.
TURKISH STRONGHOLD IN KOSOVO
In June 2012, KEDS was sold by the KOSOVO
government to a TURKISH consortium, Limak Yatirim Enerji and Calik Enerji
Sanayi. Limak owns KOSOVO’S only
international airport. Limak also purchased KEDS for 26 million Euros,
although its capitalization totaled 180 million Euros. Economic analysts
criticized a lack of transparency in the transfer to TURKISH control. KOSOVO still
suffers frequent electrical power outages.
Unemployment in KOSOVO is estimated
officially at around 50%, although local reporting suggests it is closer to
60%.
When Albright and other humanitarian
liberators appear in KOSOVO as “privatizers,” questions are bound to be asked.
Although “entrepreneurship” usually means investment and expansion of commerce,
in the absence of a secure domestic financial system and other guarantees for
legitimate and desirable foreign ventures, KOSOVO’S economy continues to
shrink. As a prominent Democrat and Clinton administration figure, Albright is
associated with that party’s strident rhetoric against the free market in the
2012 AMERICAN presidential election, including allegations of Republican
corporate looting and similar “heartless” practices.
It is difficult for some KOSOVAR
political leaders to imagine that Albright’s leap into their economy would
create jobs, greater efficiency, and modernization of infrastructure. The KOSOVO
“Self-Determination” movement, which is represented in the republic’s
parliamentary opposition and which stands for a maximum standard of
independence for the country, issued an open letter to the KOSOVAR public. It
appealed for e-mails to be sent to prospective bidders for privatization of
PTK, criticizing the project for the sell-off of the post and telecoms agency.
“Self-Determination” warned that properties were being offered for sale as if
they were the private holdings of politicians, rather than resources of all KOSOVO
residents.
The “Self-Determination”
representatives argued that Kosovo’s leaders aim to drive down the value of the
state assets, so that they may be expropriated and sold. “Privatization is a
name behind which these officials hide,” the opposition advocates declared. The
call by leaders of “Self-Determination” for protests against privatization behind
the backs of the populace led to accusations that “Self-Determination” is a
violent, anti-American movement.
Albin Kurti, a young philosopher and
the articulate founder of “Self-Determination,” refuted in late December
charges by U.S. ambassador Tracey-Anne Jacobson that he and his colleagues
threatened Madeleine Albright. The leaders of “Self-Determination” pointed out
that after they published their letter in September against a distorted
privatization, they met with Albright in Kosovo in November.
“Self-Determination” did not oppose her visit, or threaten her as Ambassador
Jacobson alleged. Kurti has insisted that he and his colleagues respect
American principles of freedom, independence, and public responsibility.
The friendship of Kosovo, as a Muslim-majority
state, is a major benefit for American foreign policy. The Balkan republic has
resisted Islamist radicalization, excluded religion from public education, and
acted to protect women’s rights.
Comment by GEOPOLITICAL
ANALYSIS AND MONITORING:
PART
OF THE KOSOVO PROBLEM HAS ALWAYS BEEN NATURAL RESOURCES
Though not admitted officially……….
The vast amounts of Mineral deposits in KOSOVO have
and still are part of the problems the small country faces, asides of ethnic
and religious differences.
KOSOVO
POSSESSES THE WORLD'S FIFTH-LARGEST
PROVEN RESERVES OF LIGNITE; KOSOVO also has
substantial amounts of other natural resources such as lead, zinc, gold, silver, rare
minerals and allegedly uranium. See Mineral Deposits http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Kosovo
.
In view of these facts it becomes obvious that the
northern SERBIAN enclaves of KOSOVO, Mitrovica http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovska_Mitrovica
etc. where the Trepca
mining complex is located insist on “reuniting” with SERBIA and that certain
USA entities once again want to make sure to keep a foothold in the region in
case, rare minerals, lignite and uranium indeed are available in quantities
worthwhile to extract, pending increased market demands for afore mentioned
minerals.
CONTROVERSIAL OPPOSITION FIGURE: ALBIN KURTI
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| Vision of "Greater Albania" |
SANDŽAK
IS AN IMPOVERISHED REGION IN SOUTHERN SERBIA
that is predominantly occupied with ethnic Bosniaks,
(Bosnian Muslims)with the region technically extending into the northeastern
part of MONTENEGRO as well. SANDŽAK is also populated with ALBANIANS within the
Preševo Valley region. The citizens of SANDŽAK are fairly content with remaining
a part of SERBIA, but have highlighted the dearth of economic activity, lack of
political representation, and social woes (mainly
organized crime and drug use amongst the youth) as primary obstacles for
their communities.
SLOW
GROWING WAHHABI MOVEMENT
These two factors are also targeted as being a
reason that various frustrated youth been drawn by the small Wahhabi movement
that’s steadily growing in the region. SANDŽAK was treated as a special
interest region during the BOSNIAN war, where (SERBIAN military) General Mladić
was strictly forbidden from killing Muslims on SERBIAN territory. The bulk of
the terror reigned on SANDŽAK’S citizens included harassment and humiliation
techniques. But this didn’t stop many SANDŽAK locals from being forcibly bussed
across the BOSNIAN border to be killed.
The pre-war census in 1991 stated that
approximately 224,000 BOSNIAKS were living in SANDŽAK, with between 60-80,000 SANDŽAK
refugees leaving the region in 1992 to WESTERN EUROPEAN countries, according to
UN sources. It is a tell-tale sign of the devastation that the region
experienced less than 20 years ago. The region has experienced significant
trauma, and growing poverty and perceived discrimination have aggravated
existing inter-ethnic tensions in the country. These tensions are simmering,
and while they are not an imminent threat to SERBIA and the regions’ stability,
the region’s BOSNIAKS must have their overall standard of living improved to
enhance other integration mechanisms.
