(Koha Ditore) The voice of the Kalashnikov...

[Paola Lucchesi <paola.lucchesi@mail.inet.it>]

Wednesday's Press Review

In today's Koha Ditore, Shkelzen Maliqi writes about a political
dialogue he had with an ex-Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) soldier.
"You politicians, intellectuals and journalists don't understand a thing
about that game that is being played in the Balkans," said a friend and
former UCK fighter. "What I'm trying to say has to do with internal
politics and finding the way to achieve the best position and advanced
interest, under the consensus of the big guns. You, the ones that I'm
naming as idealists, you say 'amen' to all the big guns, while only
Kalasnikov politics can insure the creation of the best framework, or it
forces the big guns to reexamine the framework.
"Without the war, Bosnia would never be what it is today. Without the
revolt of UCK, even Kosova wouldn't be what it is today. In the end,
even for the Macedonian issue, it isn't being said what the solution
will be but only that its integrity will be respected. Also, the
National Liberation Army, as you could read about it, agrees with the
idea of Macedonian integrity but they are asking for equality for
Albanians in this state. And this cannot be achieved without the
cracking of Kalasnikovs. It is a vain notion to believe that equality
could be achieved with negotiations.
Maliqi: "But you know that with NATO on the scene, the circumstances
have changed. In Macedonia, Albanians are not so insecure the way they
were here [in Kosova]. There have been changes there, not completely
satisfactory ones, but after all a positive process…."
Ex-UCK soldier: "Stop that senseless talk. In Macedonia, Albanians,
looked at objectively, are serious political players, as well as
military ones. Xhaferi and the others have proved that they are serious
politicians but they haven't proved yet that they are serious military
players. Don't think that this is shown by creating a common army where
one or two low grade officers will be Albanians. Why show ourselves in
an inferior way, when we are not? It's not like you call it - extremism
and terrorism - but it's called the demonstration of a self-defense
force. And after this is demonstrated, all together, both Macedonians
and the foreigners start to realistically respect you as a force that
can be a second tower in Macedonia. Without this second tower, Macedonia
will never be a stable state. Presheva is not an argument in your favor,
you who are giving us knowledge about diplomacy and civil society, but
is the opposite. Without the Liberation Army of Presheva, Medvegja and
Bujanoc (UCPMB), we would have lost two municipalities in the 'Serbian
Sea' with one or two deputies in the Serbian Parliament, and the voice
of Albanians would not be heard at all, or would be kept without any
influence. The resistance and politics of the Kalasnikov, as you call
it, created a situation in which the whole world now knows about the
Presheva Valley, that it is an Albanian valley and that those people
should have their national rights, political ones and the right to
representation. We can agree politically with Belgrade as much as we
want, but without the Kalasnikov or a resistance no one will take you
seriously in Belgrade or in the world."
When I was ready to start debating with him, he looked at his watch and
said,
"I'm sorry, I have to go, I have some work to finish. Don't worry that
you didn't have a chance to give me your arguments and contra-arguments.
I know them very well, because I read your texts regularly. But I have
one remark for you, even when you start well, somehow you miss the
essential thing, or you remain unclear. And don't think that my friends
and I value the Kalashnikov for achieving a political solution."