Nothing like a juicy, photogenic human catastrophe to
enrich corrupt politicians and bottom-line-orientated,
stock-option-motivated corporate executives. The Balkan
is teeming with both these sad days.
Even as the war was raging, shortages of food and other
supplies led to the dispensation of political favours (in the
form of import licences, for instance) to the chosen few.
Bulgarian, Greek and Albanian firms, owned by ruthless
criminals and criminals-turned-politicians benefited
mightily. Millions were made and shared as artificially
high prices were maintained by various means while
cronies and crime controlled firms shared the spoils. This
orgiastic intercourse between the corrupt and the criminal
was not confined to one country. The whole region
partook in robbing the most impoverished populations in
Europe by "legal" means.
Their more refined and perfumed Western brethren were
never far behind in taking advantage of American largesse
on the one hand and re-emerging alarmist tendencies, on
the other. Thus, American, German, Greek, French and
Italian firms enjoyed funds allocated to international
humanitarian aid by the likes of the US government, the
United Nations, the World Bank, the IMF and other long
arms of the American octopus. Defence contractors and
the dubious characters known as weapons intermediaries
stoked the atavistic fires of war in securing defence
contracts. And aid workers resided in six star hotels,
driving the latest sports utility vehicles and brandishing
futuristic laptop computers as they went about the
business of dispensing aid. In the meantime, at least one
half of all aid money was pilfered - not to use a harsher
term. Aid rations were freely available in Macedonian,
Albanian, Greek and Bulgarian markets - offered at a
discount by aid workers who stole them from their
supposed recipients. The refugees were never given
mattresses, were short of blankets, water, showers and
toilets (I visited the camps - this is an eyewitness
account). Only bread was abundant.
Now that the war is over, some people are counting their
dead - while others are counting their blessings. But this
has all been a prelude. It is the next wave of aid which is
the main course in this bacchanalia. Outlandishly feverish
numbers are tossed around. Kosovo's immediate
reconstruction (housing and infrastructure) will require
well over 2 billion US dollars in the next 2 years. Of this,
1.5 billion dollars has already been raised. A further 2
billion USD is slated as direct aid to the shattered
economies of Macedonia and Albania. But the real booty
lies in Serbia. A minimum of 10-13 billion dollars will be
required simply to restore Serbia's infrastructure to its
former, inglorious self. To resuscitate the whole
languishing area, a staggering 30 billion dollars is touted
as the minimal bill.
Rest assured that at least one third of this generous
cornucopia will end up lining the pockets of the rich and
mighty. At least 1 billion dollars will end up festering in
Swiss, Cypriot, South African and Israeli bank accounts.
The politicians know it, the "grupirovki" (business cartels
controlled by mafia-style organizations) know it, Western
governments know it. This is the REAL stability pact.
Financially inebriated politicians are better motivated to
maintain peace and stability, or so the thinking goes.
The history of the Balkans will play a major role in
determining the topography and geography of this flood
of cronyism, nepotism, criminality and vice. The Balkan
is composed of states run by crime organizations and
crime organizations run by states. Old alliances last long
(as opposed to the Middle East where alliances, dune-like,
shift with the winds). Bulgaria and Macedonia, for
instance. Serbia and Greece. Albania and Kosovo. And
now Albania and Macedonia. Meetings of regional
"leaders" in the Balkans were always reminiscent of
scenes from "The Godfather". The dons, uncomfortably
clad in expensive business suits and wearing golden rings,
deciding life and death and a jovial yet vaguely menacing
atmosphere. Only the leaders of the New Balkans are
much younger, less experienced, more prone to
superstition, extremism and moodiness. The old tension
are bound to re-emerge, this time in the employ of
business interests. Expect a flare up of animosity between
Greece and Macedonia. Despite its Bulgarophile regime,
expect uneasy moments between Bulgaria and Macedonia.
And expect an unholy alliance of business interests
between Mr. Thaci and his sprawling business empire and
the governments of Albania and Macedonia. If not
assassinated before, Thaci is definitely the Man to watch.
Young, well educated, ruthless, involved in business
(read: corrupt to the core) - an aptly dangerous man in
dangerous times.
The problem is that everyone hold high expectations. This
is a poor recipe for an amicable carving of the cake of
international funding. Macedonia expects to lead the
reconstruction effort of Kosovo. It was offended greatly
by the decision to base the Kosovo reconstruction agency
in Pristina. Greek and Italian firms expect to snatch profits
out of the jaws of their near treacherous behaviour during
the war. Turkish firms except to be rewarded for the
loyalty of Turkey during the same. American and German
firms expect to exclude all else in gaining access to
American and German (=EU) funds (as they have done in
Bosnia). These all are mutually incompatible expectations
and they will lead to mutually exclusive behaviour.
Expect some very ugly scenes, including spilt doses of
this cheap, red liquid, blood.
Albania, already governed by the ungovernable crime
gangs it spawned in the last few years, has formed an
alliance with the KLA, never a moral standard-bearer.
This expanded amusement park of drug trafficking,
prostitution, weapons smuggling, contraband and much
worse is now threatening to take over its more virtuous
(though by no means virginal) neighbour, Macedonia. A
flare up of hitherto unimaginable brotherly love has
indicated this sacrilegious rapprochement. The
Macedonian Prime Minister - encumbered by a
demanding Albanian coalition partner - has met Thaci and
the encounter had all the trappings of a state visit. Soon
after senior albanian politicians started talking about a
Macedonian recognition of an independent state of
Kosovo and an Albanian language university (the reason
for student riots just two years before).
To a large extent, the Kosovo war was a gang warfare.
The Serb criminal organization known as Yugoslavia
against the Albanian gang known as the KLA. It was a
war over turf and lucrative businesses. In what used to be
the Third World and moreso in the post-communist
countries in transition, criminal activities often
accompany "wars of liberation". In Congo, in Sierra
Leone, in Chechnyia, in Kashmir - wars are as much
about diamonds, oil and opium poppies as about national
aspirations. Kosovo is no exception but it was here that
the West was duped into intervention. NATO was called
upon to arbiter between two crime gangs. There is no end
to the mischievous irony of history.
Perhaps the following incidents are more telling than any
learned analysis:
In late April, the Albanian telecom switched off the
roaming facility of cell phones in Albania. Foreigners -
including aid workers - had to pay the company 1000
dollars for a special roaming-enabled chip.
Rumour has it that the post of the Chief of Police in the
Tirana Airport was "sold" at the beginning of April for an
undisclosed amount (presumably 250,000 US dollars).
The reasons: all shippers (including NATO and aid
organizations) have to pay enormous kickbacks to airport
and customs officials to release their goods.
Most Albanian families charged refugee families an
average of 500 DM a month for their accommodation in
subhuman conditions. Refugees who could not pay (or
who had no relatives in Germany and Switzerland to pay
for them) were evicted, often cruelly.
As Serbs were murdering their supposed brothers in
Kosovo, Albanian crime gangs laid an oil pipeline
(through Lake Shkoder) to Serbia and supplied the Serb
army with the oil it was deprived of by NATO.
Welcome to the Balkans.