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

To: James F. Hopkins who wrote (3966)	4/16/1999 2:51:00 AM
From: Douglas V. Fant	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

James, I will suggest to you as a former member of the Carter Administration, that yes Germany in particular egged both Slovenia and Croatia on to secede from Yugoslavia in 1991, and then immediately recognized diplomatically the rebel governments inorder to bolster their initial shaky status. Germany sees an opportunity (economic not military) to create hegemony in eastern Europe with Russia's withdrawal. Also IMO the "ship is headed down the plank" in the Balkans now- IMO NATO's actions almost guarantees problems to follow in Macedonia first and then Montenegro. Macedonia in particular will be more serious than Kosovo in terms of the parties it will draw in.... Finally do not overestimate the impact of religious differences here. There are major geopolitical issues and economic issues which are much large drivers than religion. And Albanians are not all Muslims, but mixed Christians and Muslims, about 30/70% throughout the region....IMO pegging this dispute to religion is overly simplyfying some very complex historical problems touched off in 1350 when Turkey invaded the Balkans.....

To: James F. Hopkins who wrote (3966)	4/16/1999 8:55:00 AM
From: coug	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

James, Thanks for your posts. I am always glad to read your take on the world situation.. This issue IMO has it's basis in US economic interest AS ALWAYS. And the Balkans are an opportune region for US intervention.. 1.WHY? as been said here a number times.. the confluence of major ethnic and religious differences in an AREA of STRATEGIC Econmic interests, heres that word again.. Destabalize the whole region down to the energy and mineral rich Caspian sea so a vacuum is created and western interests. can INSTALL a friendly regime.. 2. We pick the Serbs as bad guys because they have the closest ties to Russia.. and we want to play BRINKMANSHIP with them to Revive a a struggling Military Industrial complex.. Look at WAR STOCKS, the past few days.. Don?? Paul, a representative from your state of Texas, whom I admire greatly stated yesterday, 14 major defense contractors from the allies poured, I believe $250,000. each into some NATO sponsered function.. Not much money for a Company to host one helluva party to Wine and dine and supply BJs to the heads of NATO.. just a little perk to remind them of their Business. On other issues, I believe there are cracks developing in the Media coverage of this.. CBS had a commentary after a "60 minutes segment stating how WAR is SANITIZED with future speak.. That Episode also contained a segment how the military lied about the USS IOWA and the gun turret explosion, and how they blamed it on one dead sailor and besmirched his memory.. How Sick.. Maybe, just maybe, somebody with a conscious aired it at that time to show how the miltary can LIE..with a straight face. Well good luck trading and best wishes.... Coug