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May 20th, 2005 | #1 |
biocultural Realpolitik
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: ZooSA
Posts: 697
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Why Kosovo ?
Kosovo Gold
Kosovo is often portrayed in the media as an isolated mountainous region that's poor and without resources. It might seem, from these accounts, to be an area of interest only to those who live there. The New York Times, on July 8, [1998], wrote about the real wealth of Kosovo--the Stari Trg mining complex. It was a tip-off that something more was at stake in this war. Reporter Hedges description of a visit to the Stari Trg mining complex is an eye opener. He describes the glittering veins of lead, zinc, cadmium, gold and silver in Stari Trg. According to Hedges, "The sprawling state-owned Trepca mining complex, the most valuable piece of real estate in the Balkans, is worth at least $5 billion." According to the mine's director, Novak Bjelic, "The war in Kosovo is about the mines, nothing else. This is Serbia's Kuwait--the heart of Kosovo. In addition to all this, Kosovo has 17 billion tons of coal reserves. The enormous mineral wealth of Kosovo is never publicly discussed by U.S. United Nations Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, President Bill Clinton or the Pentagon generals. They speak only of "self-determination" of the Albanian population of Kosovo. Of course, they never mention what U.S.-imposed "self-determination" means. Who ever controls that enormous mineral wealth, will also have an impact on the economy and political climate of much of Europe. It is clear we do not want a communist government controlling that area. To secure control of that region, we violated our Constitution and the NATO Charter. Both of these documents do not permit attacking a sovereign nation. Should not strict economic sanctions been imposed first? It seems clear that when this nightmare of atrocities is over, Kosovo will gain autonomy. This then is the question: Who will have the financial resources to operate these mines? Certainly not Kosovo; they are financially devastated. This leaves the U. S. backed multinational corporations an open door to take over the mineral wealth of this area. Is this the "self determination the New World Odor gang have in mind? C.W. MILLER Fort Madison, Iowa Email [email protected] http://www.populist.com/99.5.letters.html -------- Miners work round the clock, day and night, in six-hour shifts. According to the mine director, "In the last three years we have mined 2,538,124 tons of lead and zinc crude ore and produced 286,502 tons of lead and zinc and 139,789 tons of pure lead, zinc, cadmium, silver and gold." Although the average person watching the news in the evening has never heard of Stari Trg, it has been a prize changing hands for two thousand years. The wealth of Stari Trg is legendary. Precious metals were mined there more than 2,000 years ago, first by the Greeks, then by the Romans. These mines were the grand prize in the Nazi occupation of the Balkans after Germany grabbed control from the British. The mines have great industrial and military importance. The Nazis used batteries produced there to power their U-boats. Today submarine batteries are still made there. Profits from these mines are helping to keep the Yugoslav Federation afloat. http://rrojasdatabank.info/agfrank/n.../msg00011.html check the map here: http://www.commondreams.org/kosovo/k.../bceurope1.jpg ---- In Kosovo, the United Nations took on a sweeping undertaking that was unprecedented in both its scope and structural complexity. No other mission had ever been designed in a way that other multilateral organizations were full partners under United Nations leadership. Mandate: UNMIK was born on 10 June 1999 when the Security Council in resolution 1244 authorized the Secretary-General to establish in the war-ravaged province of Kosovo an interim civilian administration led by the United Nations under which its people could progressively enjoy substantial autonomy. In particular, resolution 1244 has called upon UNMIK to: perform basic civilian administrative functions; promote the establishment of substantial autonomy and self-government in Kosovo; facilitate a political process to determine Kosovo's future status; coordinate humanitarian and disaster relief of all international agencies; support the reconstruction of key infrastructure; maintain civil law and order; promote human rights; and assure the safe and unimpeded return of all refugees and displaced persons to their homes in Kosovo. Working closely with Kosovo's leaders and people, the mission performs the whole spectrum of essential administrative functions and services covering such areas as health and education, banking and finance, post and telecommunications, and law and order. In January 2000, Joint Interim Administrative Departments were created; in October 2000, local elections took place in Kosovo's 30 Municipalities; in May 2001, the new Constitutional Framework of Kosovo was adopted. Province-wide elections will take place in November 2001. http://www.unmikonline.org/intro.htm ----- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/253992.stm |
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