May 22nd,
2003
(Sputnik
Kilambi /Zoran Culafic)
Hello and welcome to UNMIK
ON AIR with Sputnik Kilambi and Martin Redi
Given recent history and continuing tensions, it was
surprising to say the least that reaction was so low key to the US decision to
resume arms exports to Serbia. The White House said last week Serbia-Montenegro
had taken significant steps to advance democratic reform, citing notably
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal and moves to combat
organized crime. And in President Bush’s words, defence support to
Serbia-Montenegro would bolster US security and peace in the world.
A striking contrast to the accusations and threats not so
long ago, in the run up to and during the Iraq war – Belgrade it seemed was
breaking the sanctions regime and selling arms to Saddam Hussein. So what has
prompted this US change of heart? A question we put first to Martin Vulaj of
the National Albanian American Council in Washington.
Martin Vulaj: I think it’s clearly in light
of the actions of the Serbian government after the Djinjic assassination with
the arrest of thousands of criminals and I think they are looking to support
that direction they’re looking to basically give them a carrot for their
positive actions,(edit) because the arrest of criminal elements is something
that is in the interest not only of US security but regional security as well.
Details are still sketchy as to what the military and other
cooperation will consist of, but Serbia-Montenegro is going all out to push for
acceptance in NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme and eventual admission to
the European Union. For Belgrade, Washington’s decision to resume arms exports
is a victory of sorts. Military analyst Ljubodrag Stojadinovic.
Ljubodrag Stojadinovic: First of all, it
symbolically means that long years of isolation are over. It means that Serbia
and Montenegro is no longer a state, which needs to be isolated and relegated
to the level of technological pre-history. And unfortunately, Serbia and
Montenegro Army is indeed in such a state. In any case, this decision, apart
from its importance, will not have any direct impact on the technological
status of Serbia and Montenegro Army, simply because the state does not have
enough money to buy new, modern combat weapons, anti-aircraft systems,
airplanes and missile systems.
Strangely enough, this
turn around in US policy has elicited little comment in the local media,
normally very attentive to any statement or moves in the US towards Kosovo and
the region. This comment from Ramush Tahiri, advisor to the prime minister of
Kosovo.
Ramush Tahiri: Naturally, it will have
a positive impact if Serbia joins the Partnership for peace and normally it’ll
be appropriate for the whole region if Serbia and all the other Balkan
countries remain under the control of so called international institutions,
military ones as well as civilian ones. Furthermore, it’ll be good if there
will be control of weapons of mass destruction.
These fears appear unfounded given
that Serbia/Montenegro simply doesn’t have the hard cash to go on a weapons
buying spree. According to Belgrade based military analyst Ljubodrag
Stojadinovic, the importance is mainly symbolic
Ljubodrag Stojadinovic: This is a message too that joining the
partnership program requires certain investments but I also hope there will be
a message that such investments are not possible without help of new partners,
and that it is a political story which must end with compromise.
It is with the symbolism
of all this that Martin Vulaj, Kosovo Albanian lobbyist in Washington has
problems. It is in the US interest for
democratic reforms to continue in Serbia, but he cautions, the US decision to
resume arms exports to Serbia is premature.
Martin Vulaj: While
we understand that the US has to support democratic changes that are going on
in Serbia, I think that some of the issues are still outstanding vis a vis
Serbia’s compliance with the Dayton accord, their harbouring of war criminals,
the recent discovery of their interaction with the Iraqi government and of
course the internal issues within Kosova, with the over 4000 or 5000 Kosovars
still missing, I think all these questions are still up in the air such a bold
action is again premature and could possibly send the wrong signals.
And that comment from
Martin Vulaj of the National Albanian American Council in Washington ends this
edition of UNMIK ON AIR. Thanks for listening.