The average American may be aware Kosovo declared independence from Serbia several days ago.
The average American may be aware the US embassy in Kosovo was attacked by Serbian rioters shortly afterwards. Two floors may have been burned with one protester burned to death, and perhaps 50-100 of the protestors and police injured. They were protesting the US support and recognition of the Kosovo government. 1
One might wonder why our Embassy was attacked. Let’s start and end with Kosovo’s Prime Minister, Hashim Thaci, the former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). 2
1998: US Special Envoy and Ambassador Robert Gelbard to the Yugoslavia labeled the KLA a "terrorist organization." 3 Referring to the KLA he said "I know a terrorist when I see one and these men are terrorists." 4 And then here are photos of Mr. Thaci with Sec State Madeleine Albright, the EU Secretary-General and US General Wesley Clark. 4 If you want Mr. Thaci’s rebuttal, here it is. 5
1999: Washington Times posts an article that the KLA was embraced by Clintons’ administration, but were trained in Osama Bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda terrorist camps as well as enlisted and smuggled in Islamic insurgents to fight with them. 6,7 My comments (someone - please correct me if I am wrong) is that the US-led NATO bombing had the net effect of swelling the ranks of the KLA and it appears the reason Osama Bin Laden supported the KLA was to turn Kosovo into an Islamic government.
I am not writing to judge the truth of who is right or wrong here. But this looks like a real MESS. Did the Embassy of We-the-People need to be attacked? I don't think so. Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd President, rolls in his grave and intones; "Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none."
The way the United States acted does not follow the policy of non-interventionism that Ron Paul and I support. 8,9
The way the United States acted is not "moving the country in a 180 degree direction," and is certainly not the "helluva lot more love [that the world needs]" like Mike Gravel seems to believe. 10,11
The sad fact is the government of We-the-People is spreading more and more war and violence in our world. Look at Iraq. And now people can be taken to undisclosed torture cells via the so-called Patriot Act. Some would even call our foreign policy itself the true terror. As I write this, is the danger of bodily harm to myself higher from Osama Bin Laden or my own Government?
….In other news, yesterday 10,000 Turkish troops invaded northern Iraq armed with intelligence from the United States and killed more than 30 Kurdish insurgents, members of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party)…. 12
As always, unlike the NFL, the author grants full permission to allow any accounts of, rebroadcasts, retransmissions, repostings in part or full of this article to your blog or anywhere else in order to promote the Restoration of our Republic.
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Sources
2 [cnn.com link - the mention of the KLA is a little hidden at the very bottom]
5 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kosovo/interviews/thaci.html
6 [link need to pay to access]
7 [same article as #6, can be viewed for free]
8 [link to Dr Ron Paul's defense platform position]
9 [YouTube movie with another famous Dr, RP starts talking at 3:45]
10 [link to Mike Gravel's stance]
11 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBYLodD7bIE (Please watch the other parts)
12 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnvVp5nHICs
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Other Articles from the Author
Ron Paul versus the 3 Trillion Dollar Government
Saudi Arabia: The True Cause of the Iraq War?
©2008 Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Sunday, February 24, 2008
Last modified: Sunday, February 24, 2008
The views expressed in this article are those of Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Jake Towne, the Champion of the Constitution is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: Joe
Date: 2008-02-24 13:01:11
I believe you are right. Our current foreign policy creates more problems than it solves. However, I do need to point out the embassy that was attacked is located in Serbia. When the U.S. builds an embassy in the newly independent Kosovo, I bet the Serbs will run down there and burn that one as well.
Posted By: Dee
Date: 2008-02-24 16:43:31
It certanly is one big mess and another mislead policy of the State Department. Not only that US government is breaking international law, but it is doing a great injustice to its long standing allies in both World Wars creating even more anti-americanism around the globe. Not to mention that we are snatching part of the Christian holyland to give it to those Islamic warlords on a silver plate. And what about our relations with Russia? This is hijacked agenda by State Department and someone should be held responsible for this mess.
Posted By: m
Date: 2008-02-24 20:21:53
ummm... Am supporter, and I do understand/accept that the best policy would be that of not intervention, being the central theme of this story, correct? Well in that spirit, why are you picking sides?
You seem to cherry pick from a wealth of info about a character from a particular scene in an ever evolving plot (who knows how accurate your source's source are), yet leave out centuries of pivotal moments between these two cultures to fully understand why they don't see eye to eye at this juncture in history.
Please, if your going to preach, then try to practice.
Posted By: Kim
Date: 2008-02-25 03:07:44
What went completely unnoticed in Belgrade was that 300,000 people peacefully demonstrated against Kosovo Independence and then went to church to pray. Yet a separate group of only 200 attacked the US Embassy and then looted local shops -- these were clearly a group of troublemakers who weren't even part of the peaceful demonstration but who just used the confusion of the demonstration as an excuse for violence.
On the other hand, we illegally ripped off 15% of Serbia's territory with no respect for Serbia's sovereignty and gave it to to Albanians who have driven out over 200, 000 Serbs and other non-Albanians & destroyed over 150 ancient Christian churches. Should we really be surprised that some demonstrators had no respect for the US Embassy's
Posted By: m
Date: 2008-02-25 14:59:34Kim, how about all the stuff the Serbs did to the Albanians?
The US did not rip 15% of Serbia's territory, it was a final conclusion to a decades long Serbian oppression in the region against its own minority ethnic groups as well as partner states who made up Yougoslavia.Kosovo is the result of lessons learned from the Bosnian blunders by the west. If your going to intervene might as well do it right (less blood shed)
They had it coming.