Forced to Flee (IV)

Geostrategic Objectives

Kosovo, from whence people have been fleeing in droves, has been a German foreign policy focus for the past two decades. The Federal Republic of Germany had first sought to separate that region from Yugoslavia / Serbia to have it become an independent nation. Berlin had seen this as an appropriately durable means for seriously undermining Belgrade - a traditional opponent of German policy in Southeast Europe - while creating a new loyal ally, the Kosovo state, on the southeastern European periphery. By around 1992, the German intelligence service BND began cultivating its "first contacts" to Kosovo's "militant opposition," reported Erich Schmidt-Eenboom, an intelligence service expert.[1] This soon developed into a close relationship including arms deliveries and training for the mafia-type Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) militia, which had been founded in 1996. Once it had destabilized Serbia's southern province, Kosovo, using terrorism in 1998, the KLA went on to serve as NATO's ground troops, during NATO's aggression on Yugoslavia, beginning March 24, 1999.

Under German Supervision

This is of particular significance because, in accordance with the primary role played during the war on Yugoslavia, the KLA could subsequently lay claim to important administrative functions in occupied Kosovo - which were granted by the occupying powers. Germany enjoyed an exclusive position among those powers, accounting for seven of the 20 commanders of NATO's KFOR occupation troops - more than any other country. Two of the United Nations' administrators (UNMIK) were from Berlin's establishment: Michael Steiner (2002 - 2003) and Joachim Rücker (2006 - 2008), each having set important trail blazers for Kosovo's secession.[2] It was during their administrations that the former KLA fighter Bajram Rexhepi (2002 - 2004), and KLA commanders Agim Çeku (2006 - 2008) and Hashim Thaçi (since 2008) have served as Kosovo's Prime Ministers. Steiner supported Thaçi, and Rücker, Ramush Haradinaj, a notorious ex KLA commander in their efforts to avoid prosecution for their suspected crimes. (german-foreign-policy.com reported.[3]) As the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) retrospectively summarized a few years ago, under the UNMIK, the "political extremists and combat-tested underground fighters" of the KLA, who are "tightly interlinked with organized crime" obtained "under international supervision, political respectability as elected parliamentarians or newly selected officials."[4]

Ambition "Mafia Boss"

The illicit activities of the former KLA commanders, having essential influence over Kosovo since 1999, have repeatedly provoked international criticism. For example, a few years ago, Germany's BND intelligence service and the Institute for European Politics (IEP) accused Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi, who remained in office until 2014, of not only having hired a "contract killer," but of also having at his disposal "a wide-ranging criminal network at the international level."[5] Dick Marty, Special Rapporteur to the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Council, also accused Thaçi of not only having played the leading role in arms and drug smuggling, but of also participating in trafficking human organs.[6] In terms of organized crime in Kosovo, the IEP made the observation in the beginning of 2007, that "several multi-millionaire organizations have developed out of former KLA structures under the noses of the international community." These organizations are very influential. In the meantime "children and youth name 'mafia boss,' when asked, what they want to be, when they grow up."[7]

Legal Black Holes

In 2007, using means of dispute settlement in Kosovo's common law, the IEP depicted the social relations that have been allowed to develop under the rule of former KLA structures and under UNMIK - including German - supervision. IEP observes that "not only is male domination codified," but this "also forms the basis of a concept of honor that justifies the use of force," which places the traditional principle of "vendetta" at "the heart of the pseudo-judicial legal system."[8] In 2012, even the European Court of Auditors (ECA) had not minced its words. In more than ten years of active occupation, there is - at best - "little progress in the struggle against organized crime." On the contrary, organized crime continues at a "high level," according to a report issued by that institution. Investigations, even of the most serious crimes "continue to remain inconsequential." The OSCE has had it explicitly confirmed that many judges are unwilling "to solely base their rulings on the law," but "tend to rule in preemptive obedience to external influences."[9] At the beginning of this year, the SWP noted that in Kosovo, there are "widespread legal black holes" - due to a "symbiotic relationship between large sectors of the administrative and political structures and organized crime."[10]

Malnutrition

The situation in Kosovo, which declared its independence on February 17, 2008, in violation of international law - after intensive German groundwork - is still economically desolate. The per capita GDP is at around €2,935 annually (EU: €25,700). Unemployment is calculated at between 40 and 45 percent, for youth - in real terms - at 70 percent. The economy is as much in ruins, as at the beginning of occupation in 1999, with foreign investments dropping from around €220 million, in the first nine months of 2013 to €122 million for the same period a year later. In 2014, Kosovo had to import commodities valued at approx. €2.5 billion to stay afloat, however, in that same period, its exports amounted to only €325 million. "Cash transfers sent by employed expatriates to their families back home remain an important driving force behind private consumption," reported the Germany Trade and Invest (gtai).[11] Without these homeward bound cash transfers from expatriates, Kosovo - where 16 percent of its children suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition and 23 percent of all pregnant women have anemia [12] - could hardly survive.

Drastically Reduce

Today, 16 years after NATO went to war, claiming, it wanted to free Kosovo and give its population the opportunity for a decent life, tens of thousands are fleeing, thereby delivering a damning indictment of the western countries, responsible for the war and the subsequent occupation. One of the principal initiators of both the war and the occupation was Germany. As a reaction to the growing number of refugees, Berlin is now preparing to classify Kosovo a "safe state of origin," to be able to deport immediately those fleeing conditions Germany helped create in their homeland. That refugees from Southeast Europe know of no other remedy than to apply for asylum in wealthy Germany, is "unacceptable and a disgrace for Europe," declared German Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière. "The most important is, to drastically reduce the quantity" - meaning of refugees.[13]

For more on this theme: Forced to Flee (I), Forced to Flee (II), and Forced to Flee (III).

[1] Erich Schmidt-Eenboom: Kosovo-Krieg und Interesse. www.geheimdienste.info. S. dazu Vom Westen befreit (IV).
[2] See Berliner Beute, Dayton II and Political Friendships.
[3] See Political Friendships and Heldenfigur.
[4] Die Balkan-Mafia. Diskussionspapier der Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik 09.12.2007. See Aufs Engste verflochten.
[5] See "Thank You Germany!".
[6] See Became Part of the West.
[7], [8] Operationalisierung von Security Sector Reform (SSR) auf dem Westlichen Balkan. Institut für Europäische Politik 09.01.2007. See Aufs Engste verflochten.
[9] See The Logic of War.
[10] Dušan Reljić: Kosovo braucht einen Beschäftigungspakt mit der EU. www.swp-berlin.org 12.02.2015. See Vom Westen befreit (IV).
[11] Kosovo rechnet für 2015 mit Konjunkturschub. www.gtai.de 05.02.2015.
[12] Dušan Reljić: Kosovo braucht einen Beschäftigungspakt mit der EU. www.swp-berlin.org 12.02.2015. See Vom Westen befreit (IV).
[13] "Als reiches Land sind wir überhaupt nicht überfordert." Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung 19.07.2015.