NATO groping for response to Balkan crisis

By Batuk Gathani

BRUSSELS, MARCH 19. With the rising tide of ethnic and secessionist violence in the Balkan region generally and Macedonia particularly, the western world - the European Union and NATO - are seen groping for a suitable response to the unfolding crisis.

Mr. Xavier Solana, former Secretary-General of NATO and current head of the proposed common E.U.'s defence and foreign policy portfolio, today travelled to the Balkan region on a fact-finding mission and was engaged in a round of talks with various regional leaders.

Macedonia's Prime Minister, Mr. Georgievski, last night rebuked NATO units in Kosovo - mainly the German contingent - for ``not doing enough'' to prevent an assault by ethnic Albanian guerillas on Macedonia's second largest town of Tetovo in north-west Macedonia. The ethnic Albanian population, mainly Muslim in Macedonia comprises some 22.7 per cent Macedonia's population, according to the last census but according to independent observers it could be near 35 per cent mark. The more extremist factions of the mainly Muslim ethnic Albanians have made demands for a ``greater Albania'' which may comprise parts of Macedonia and Kosovo.

Both the NATO and the E.U. leaders have irrevocably rejected such demands on the premise that post-war boundaries of Europe cannot be altered by violence. The military conflict is rated as the most serious regional crisis since the 1999 war in Kosovo. Observers note that the speed with which this `rag-tag' group of bandits have transformed themselves into a military fighting unit has baffled western observers and raised much speculation about `outside' interference.

Accusing fingers are pointed at Islamic fundamentalist states and organisations for financial, technical and material support for the Islamic oriented secessionist movement. So far, NATO has deployed some 60,000 peacekeeping troops and with escalating violence its leaders are in a quandary and hope that measures taken so far may contain the military and political challenge posed by the secessionist elements. The vast majority or over 66 per cent of Macedonia's two million population are ethnic Slavs and orthodox Christians.

The E.U. Foreign Ministers today discussed the situation in Macedonia. The Russian Foreign Minister, Mr. Igor Ivanov, is also in the region for talks with the Macedonian and Yugoslavian leaders. During the post-Milosevic era in the Yugoslavian federation, relations between Belgrade and NATO have improved dramatically, to an extent that NATO has authorised deployment of Yugoslavian troops in the buffer region between NATO controlled Kosovo, which is a province of Serbia.

Both Russia and major European powers are committed to maintain the territorial integrity of various Balkan states. But last week's serious fighting on the Yugoslav and Macedonian borders surrounding Kosovo should be a warning to NATO strategists. The Bush administration has yet to come to grips with policy options in the region.

The war waged by ethnic-Albanian guerillas puts NATO's credibility on line.

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Section  : International
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