Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Lacelle who wrote (16526)	5/9/2000 12:34:00 PM
From: George Papadopoulos	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

KLA scum fighting for control of the criminal(drugs, smuggling, prostitution, etc etc) spoils of the war Nato fought to save them<g> stratfor.com Former KLA Commanders Fight over the Spoils of War 0124 GMT, 000509 In addition to the daily incidents of inter-ethnic violence in Kosovo, a distinctly new type of battle is shaping up. Two of the highest-ranking commanders from the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have been murdered in the past month. Although the precise reason for their deaths is unclear, the murders indicate infighting among Kosovo?s most powerful ethnic Albanians. Not yet one year after the end of NATO?s bombing campaign, the Kosovar Albanians are beginning to feud over the spoils of war. A bullet to the head killed Besim Mala, also known as Murrizi, while in a cafe in downtown Pristina April 17. Mala, former commander of western Kosovo?s Adem Jashari 111th Brigade, was serving as commander of the Rapid Intervention Battalion of the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). Tens of thousands of mourners gathered at his gravesite, reported Kosovapress, a news agency based in Albania. U.N. police have so far arrested one suspect in the killing, and the investigators blamed the murder on a criminal dispute over protection rackets, reported the Scotsman. On May 8 the second high-level KLA leader was shot to death in broad daylight. Ekrem Rexha, also known as Drini, was killed as he left his house for work. Rexha, the Environment and Safety officer for the Prizren region, formerly commanded the KLA?s southern forces. Rexha was widely popular among Kosovar Albanians, his face appearing on posters throughout western Kosovo, according to the Scottish Daily Record. The killings likely resulted from struggles for power, either political or criminal ? or both. The former leader of the KLA, Hashim Thaci, reportedly rose to power by violently eliminating his competition. The murders could be the results of a second wave of Thaci?s political paranoia. Both men became famous for their roles in the war against Serb repression, and each remained a hero in his region. Each man also held posts that would lend themselves conveniently to criminal activity. The former KLA members are closely tied with local drug and arms smuggling rings, which could lead to territorial disputes. As a KPC commander, Mala still had a small army at his service. Sources in Yugoslavia report that he was involved in car smuggling, and the United Nations said his death was related to racketeering. Similarly, as the director of environment and safety, and with close KLA connections, Rexha easily could have demanded extortion and protection money out of local businesses. Rifts among the KLA leadership have until recently been imperceptible. But, as the Albanian militants become increasingly secure in their authority over Kosovo, fractures are beginning to surface. Another former KLA commander, Ramush Haradinaj, founded a new political movement last week called the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, made up of four parties. His coalition could challenge Thaci?s Party for Democratic Progress of Kosovo, as it also targets the ethnic Albanians supporting Kosovo independence. Since winning the war, the KLA militants have become accustomed to the lucrative criminal underworld and the unfettered authority they have achieved in the region. With the peacekeepers busy trying to calm ethnic hotspots, such as the city of Mitrovica, a battle among the former KLA leaders will now begin to whittle down the power structure. If this is allowed to play out without interference, Kosovo will be left with only the most criminal and violent factions in control.