Abstract

Oana-Valentina Suciu

Is the West doing enough for Kosovo?

The paper is an attempt to present the way the countries and citizens of the former Yugoslav Federation states were affected by the prolonged conflict that began in 1991. Without pretending complete objectivity, the positions presented try to take both sides: both the situation of the Serbian elite (who has to fight the dictatorship in Belgrade, which is, however, supported by the masses) and the situation of the Kosovar gangs, who seek justice with their weapons, are presented.

After a brief presentation of Kosovo's history, viewed both as a reality and as a historical myth, the paper concentrates on the recent history (1989-1999) of the region. Though Western fears concerning the unrest is Kosovo date since 1991, nothing or little has been done to prevent a conflict that was threatening to spill over the borders. Another emphasized point regards the available alternatives to military interventions, considering that the NATO campaign had immediate humanitarian repercussions of two distinct kinds: on one hand, it prompted the Serb regime to switch from an anti-insurgency operation against KLA to the wholesale expulsion from their homes of well over half of the Kosovo's population and, on the other hand, it brought misery to thousands of Serb civilians, who were killed by misdirected bombs and missiles. The NATO intervention needs to be seen against a background of ten years of trouble in the Balkans, during which the Serbian elite did not manage to get rid of the Milosevic regime.

The Western allies have humanitarian and geopolitical interests in Kosovo. But what happened during the bombing campaign reinforced for many people the notion that the West was simply using them. On the other hand, the idea of the collective Serbian guilt has to be fought. In the meantime, the Stability Pact has to step from conferences and roundtables to more concrete aid, not only for the FRY but also for the neighboring countries. Support for grassroots organizations in Serbia is of paramount importance for both the displacement of the Milosevic regime and for the establishment of a democratic political order in Kosovo.

The questions, the paper points out, if the NATO action merely precipitated pre-existing plans for mass expulsions in Kosovo, or if, in fact, prompted Milosevic to embark on a course that he would not have taken otherwise still remain. To some extent, NATO should have been prepared for the massive ethnic cleasening that followed its attack.

However, the selectivity of the US interventions is itself evidence that the main Western interests in the Balkans are political rather than purely humanitarian. Not to mention the fact that the Western powers also needed to protect the considerable investment that they have made in Bosnia. These are the reasons why the peace keeping force is going to be located in Serbia for quite a long time from now on.

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