by “S.P.”
Before, I write anything else, I would first call on you not to turn this into another “it’s not Macedonia – it’s FRYOM” thing. This feud about a name should be the last of your worries now, whether you are a Greek or Macedonian. So, everybody calm down. I’m just used to name Macedonia and I have no personal opinion on that issue.
By now the majority here heard of clashes in Macedonia that started on evening of May 8th.
It started with reports of sightings of unknown group of some 50 armed men around Kumanovo. Shortly after Macedonian agency INA reported that there are police forces present in the area.
The exchange of fire lasted throughout the night and the whole 9th of May. Assault rifles, snipers, grenades as reported were some of weapons used by the said armed group. It simmered down a little through the night and then continued on 10th again. As I type this on 10th in the evening reports are still coming, and often conflicting ones. First a report that says law enforcement upper handed the attackers, then after reports on fighting that continues. So, I’d take all this with a grain of salt.
Perpetrators are still an ‘unknown group’ according to most reports. Others report on UCK (KLA), some say it’s the Guard of Republic of Ilirida, some say a National Liberation Army. Some say an Albanian group from Kosovo, some say from Serbia…
While media outlets in the region were very reluctant to say who are the perpetrators, Albanians in Vienna were little less shy, they gathered in front of Macedonian embassy and chanted: “UCK, UCK” among other things… see here:
http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2015&mm=05&dd=09&nav_category=78&nav_id=989927
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm4hKrWBU0M
(notice the ever-present USA flag too….)
But let’s first establish this – regardless of which one of these groups (or more of them) are responsible – Without Americans giving an ‘OK’ no Albanian armed group would lift a finger. This is absolutely crucial. They never did nor ever will act independently of US command.
Sputnik reports on 8 police officers and 14 gunmen killed, and close to 40 people injured in clashes. This matches the reports from other outlets from the region.
http://sputniknews.com/europe/20150510/1021966941.html
So let’s first look in little more detail what happened in Macedonia before ‘zooming out’ to get a bigger picture and look at the background of these events.
More detailed report on one web portal, by the hour (from May 10th):
http://www.nspm.rs/hronika/od-jutros-novi-pucnji-u-kumanovu.html
I will translate some of the points from the long article below.
Helicopters and UAVs in the air above the conflict zone, according to Macedonian media
12:15 – Clearing of area in progress, sniper fire is heard
13:35 death toll rose to eight police officers, more than 30 injured
In Kumanovo, sporadic gunshots are heard since morning; burned houses; four police officers are wounded. Number of killed police officers has risen to eight. Day of mourning proclaimed in Macedonia.
14:18 the arrested terrorists were arrested earlier today at the investigative judge, as reported by regional TV N1
14:25 – Albanian politician: Time for unification of Albanians
Albanian politician, leader of the List for natural (Greater) Albania, Koco Danaj, claims that for “war in Kumanovo,” in settlements inhabited by Albanians, the standing government is to blame; considers that the time has come for the unification of Albanians.
14:43 – Police destroyed a car bomb in informal settlements
Macedonian police during anti-terrorist action in Kumanovo destroyed a car bomb, which was full of explosives, Macedonian media reported, citing sources from the security services.
15:45 – Kotevskiin: The arrested terrorist leaders from Kosovo
Plan of armed terrorist group was an attack on several government and civilian targets, admitted some of arrested individuals, confirmed a spokesman for the Macedonian Interior Ministry Ivo Kotevski.
Kotevski confirmed that the police action eliminated one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in the Balkans, reports portal mkd.mk.
17:51 – identified terrorist leaders
Interior Ministry spokesman Ivo Kotevski said at a press conference that the police action, which began on Saturday morning is now completed; a terrorist group which numbered more than 40 people, eliminated and neutralized.
The leaders of this group were, according to him, the notorious Muhammad Krasniqi called ‘commander of Malisheva’, Mirsad Ndrecaj ‘Commander of Nato’, Sami Uksini ‘Commander Sokoli’, Beg Rizaj alias ‘Commander Begu’ and Dene Shehu alias ‘Juniku’.
Kotevski said that they are Albanians from Kosovo and are associated with the formation of numerous terrorist and extremist groups in the region, that is, he said, are registered as founders of paramilitary structures.
19:19 – Leaders of terrorists were bodyguards Ahmeti and Haradinaj
The leaders of the terrorist group broken Dene Shehu and Beg Rizaj were bodyguards of leaders of the ruling Macedonian party Democratic Union for Integration, Ali Ahmeti and Hague indictee Ramush Haradinaj, transmitted Macedonian media.
Albanian media report that the Shehu as a member of the KLA took part in the fighting in Kosovo in 1999 and Macedonia in 2001, after which he was a bodyguard of Ahmeti, and was often seen with other officials of the party.
Beg Rizaj, was a member of the KLA in areo of Dukađinina in Kosovo, led by Ramush Haradinaj. After the war in Kosovo, he was a bodyguard of Haradinaj.
Some footage from the area (9-10th of May):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VofjSNQ3LQs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmeZKzdrb8g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bink1gwr_ds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj3gvjDPag
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Tdj7bAMyk
Meanwhile, this is circling on Social Media and some news sites:
“Our editorial statement that reached us, send Hamdi Ndrecaj commander known as Panther. Here is a statement as follows:
APPEAL: Guerrilla Republic of Illyrida
Seeing increased tensions of the fascist monster state of FYROM, I’m seeking urgent that all comrades, and all Albanians who serve the state apparatus of the Slavo-Macedonians, quickly take off the uniforms of this country and fascist uniform slavomakedonski police camera that the blood of our sons washes the streets of our ethnic occupied territories.
So please for the last time, to return to the right path, the path that is happiness (the hope) of the Albanian people and not be part of the monstrous state apparatus. We are obliged to tell you that we don’t want killing of brothers in any form, even though that is what someone wants.
If you do not want to join us in our just cause, then we plead that you do get in our way, the revolution will begin soon, and that is why this is our last address, as all who wear the uniform of the slav.maked.policija army and their weapons will have treat like they’re the slavomakedonci (police, military)
Guard of the Republic of Illyrida, GRI
Other interesting thing – Some 700 hundred Albanian refugees already crossed border with Serbia fleeing from conflict. I say interesting, because they were equally close to Kosovo and could also choose motherland Albania. They obviously considered Serbia to be ‘the best option’.
Also, an appeal from terrorist UCK (known as KLA in the West) appeared in Albanian media (Telegrafi.com):
“This scenario is directed against the Albanian people, and this is intimidating introduction to the ethnic cleansing of Albanians and the expulsion of people from homes. We invite barbarian formations to withdraw from Kumanovo and leave peaceful citizens alone. Albanians are accustomed to this kind of scenarios by Serbo-slavic barbarians.” – said in a statement of the KLA from this morning as transfer Albanian media.
“Failure to comply with the conclusions of the Ohrid agreement in 2001 forced the Albanians to defend themselves. We express our condolences to the families of Albanians who were killed, and at the same time we call for caution, because we need to be prepared for all scenarios that are prepared by Slovenian occupators” – concludes the statement.
In the meantime, ‘the Guard of Republic of Illirida’ and NLA made another announcement (as reported by several online Albanian/Macedonian and Serbian outlets):
In the proclamation that the “Guard” published, all Albanian territories and the international community were informed that all Albanian groups and military units of the National Liberation Army are starting to act as one body, for the establishment of the Republic ILIRIDA.
This group has asked the international community to force Macedonia and her armed forces to stop using military helicopters against the NLA. (I couldn’t make this up even if I tried)
– Otherwise, we will be forced to take proportional measures, which are in strict violation of international conventions of war – said NLA.
Albanians have pointed out that their aim is to create a so-called Republic of ILIRIDA.
– If the leadership of Macedonia, as a counterfeit creation, continues to act repressively with it’s state apparatus, we are ready to brake apart, if necessary, not only Macedonia, but also the whole of the Balkans inhabited by Albanians, because the international factor leaves us no other choice – said in a statement she signed commander Hamdi Ndrecaj. (guy on the pics: http://www.dokaz.mk/ova-e-liderot-na-novata-garda-na-ilirida-hamdi-ndretsaj-panter/ )
Serbian special police forces of “Æàíäàðìåðè¼à” as well as anti-terrorist unit “ÏÒ£” were sent into border region near Macedonia on 9th as a precaution if some of the insurgents try to cross the border.
Now another interesting news. Yesterday on 9th of May this showed up:
“German citizen, was arrested at the border crossing Batrovci, when the police in his car brand “Passat” found 10 packages of 100 pieces of electronic detonators for explosives.”
(this is a border crossing between Serbia and Croatia). He was entering Serbia. However, still no follow-up on this.
So, now that we’ve seen what is taking place in Macedonia, I would go back to some previous events that took place there and put it all into context. This, of course, is not an isolated or spontaneous event, just like the ‘colored revolution’ taking place there at the moment isn’t spontaneous.
All Albanian leaders mentioned by name in these reports were at some point connected to the KLA. Whether this was in 2001 conflict in Macedonia and south of Serbia, ‘98/’99 war on Kosovo or any of separate attacks afterwards, they were connected to some of these.
KLA is, of course, another bastard child of the American Empire. And has, just like her other children several names and sub-groups. (i.e. Al-qaeda, ISIS, FSA, Boko Haram and so on…) So, we have KLA (UCK), some Guard of so called Republic of Ilirida, then some Liberation Army. All in fact are one and the same, same leaders, same goals, and with one main patron – the USA.
They are USA’s ‘wild card’ in the Balkans, an ‘Ace from the sleeve’. America holds this entire area in the state of frozen conflict. With the snap of the fingers this can become an all out war all over again. Bosnia, Southern Serbia/Kosovo and Metohija, Macedonia, Montenegro… any area – you name it, and they have it ready to blow.
Now in this possible new conflict in Macedonia (with a strong possibility of spreading into Serbia, if needed be) there are roughly speaking, three ‘sides’ – Albanian, Serbian and Macedonian. Neither of three can ‘win’, there can only be losers. We will now walk the path that the USA put in front of us and hope not to step on a mine. Or if we do, then hope we step on as little mines as possible.
There are already appeals coming from the ‘international community’ saying that there must be an end to the violence. Now, that’s very noble indeed, but it’s only a shame these appeals are arriving at the wrong address. EU should try appealing to Washington, if they are really sincere in wanting to stop this.
So, this conflict it totally out of hands of either of the governments of the countries in region. Each of them has a puppet government in place and the ‘merry crew’ that started shooting few days ago, works for the same boss as those governments. In other words, the conflict will grow depending on how much USA wants it to grow. Is the goal just stopping the possible Turk stream? Is it directed at destabilizing the region and thus giving a warning to all parties involved – Macedonians to stop dreaming of deals that do not have the Empire’s blessing and for Serbia to stop flirting with Russia? Or to explain the Greeks that your tourist season can really suck if you have a war next to your border. Who would dare fly there? Nobody wants another MH17. Was this a ‘backup Ukraine’ if fighting there slows down too much? Or is this just a way the Empire says ‘Happy Victory Day!’
Or is the whole deal just a series of false flag attacks directed by the current gov.? This is a popular theory in Macedonia, spread mostly by the opposition. The only problem is – no one of Macedonians controls the KLA, USA does. And USA already picked their new government – and it’s not the current one.
Now don’t mistake this for some kind of a supportive statement aimed at current government of FRYOM. Gruevski is, by all accounts very corrupt and with ton of affairs/scandals in his belt – very wrong man to head your government. But like the armed conflict that will have no winner, same can be said for current political struggle there. We have one set of stooges trying to replace other set of stooges. A corrupt puppet of the West, Gruevski, getting replaced by the slimy puppet of the West, Zaev. The new stooge might even be worse. Why? Well, common sense tells you that if USA is using CIA front groups to install a new puppet in place of their old puppet, that means that they expect the new one to be even more servile and obedient. USA definitely counts on having something to gain from installing a new toy politician there. For the common citizen of Macedonia, however, there is nothing to gain from this ‘change’. Example of this from Ukraine – who would you like to have as head of the government: Poroshenko, Turcinov or Yatsenuk. Awesome choices, right!?
Just listening to Zaev speaking you’ll hear how hollow it all sounds. Same BS like when Porosenko was promising prosperity to Ukrainian masses. But add to it a massive support from western owned media – and voilà, we have a winner. Not only that, but you will also bring sheeple out on the streets and have them grabbing each other’s throats, fighting for ‘their champion’.
So, it’ll be good to ‘tune your antennas’ when receiving the coverage of this crisis from western media as ‘tone’ of it can tell a lot about the stance that State Department & Co. will take on it. Even if it doesn’t mention State Dept. at all.
When you saw, after an hour of downing of MH17 , headlines that said >>PUTIN’S MISSILE!!<<, you didn’t really have to wait for separate, official statements of NATO governments. If CNN starts reporting about the ‘use of excessive force on freedom loving, democracy-admiring peaceful citizens, you’re in for a bad period Macedonia. And if you see a headline like this:
then you’re really screwed.
Albanian media, like the outlet ‘Koha Ditore’, already started playing the ‘Milosevic card’ on Gruevski, just like they played ‘Hitler card’ on Milosevic (which was kinda stupid, as Hitler actually supported the greater Albania project). Now, there was a similar ‘show of force’ by the KLA just recently (of which I will write further down in this post) where ~50 armed men took a border post at the village of Gosice. Only that time there were no victims, other than a few beaten-up police officers. Many called that event a false flag. Claiming that the current government organized it in order to deflect attention from themselves and to bring dissent into Macedonian and Albanian public. To make them direct their discontent toward each other, instead at government. And I have to agree that it had many symptoms of a false flag op. Maybe it was a ‘double false flag’ made by the accusers so they can accuse the accused (some of you are probably thinking of the ‘keanu reevs meme’ right now, but let’s remain serious for a moment). Whatever the case was back then, now it serves to ‘prove that all this is a set up’.
And now it gets interesting. Now the opposition blames every action of the armed groups on the current government!
And it looks like the good ol’ US of A took some notes while watching those polite green men in Crimea in action. Spreading dis-info and confusion and contradicting information to paralyze everyone trying to respond. Meanwhile some real work is getting done on the ground. So this “it’s all an act”, serves as some kind of anesthesia – ‘don’t worry everyone, it’s just the current gov. trying desperately to stay in power’. The same mantra is repeated by some outlets on the Serbian side too – ‘hey no need to secure the border, it’s just an act by the government’. It’ll all simmer down once all these affairs and scandals are forgotten. But by looking at who are the most vocal proponents of this ‘it’s all nothing’ mantra, you will trace them back to CIA and Soros funded front groups, also.
Now, take a step back and have a look at who’s running the show here. We have KLA (run exclusively by the USA), mass media, run by the USA, NGOs (USAID, NED, Freedom House, Open Society Foundation….) again from the same source. And then we have two sides ‘fighting for power’ – both USA puppets along with the current governments in the region (Serbia, Albania).
So, some foul play is definitely taking place, and all this might really be some theatrics. But NOT directed by one of the sides trying to take power in Macedonia, but by the USA.
But these tensions were present almost without interuptions for the past 15+ years. And every month or so a smaller incident would take place, just to not let the ‘frozen conflict’ project ‘melt away’.
About the origins of KLA, their leaders, ties with USA and NATO there are many articles written. Without even trying hard you can find all the information needed online. So, I’ll just focus on recent incidents tied to one that just happened.
As reported by KM Neswpapers last month:
“KLA negotiates in Brussels, kills in Macedonia” (http://www.kmnovine.com/2015/04/t_21.html )
“Macedonian police reported that about 40 well-armed and masked men with insignia of the terrorist KLA, on the night between Monday and Tuesday, stormed the border post of “Gošince” on the border between Macedonia and Kosovo and Metohija. Then they tied up and beaten the police officers while taking it all on camera.
They captured four policemen, said Assistant Minister of Interior Ivo Kotevski.
Through an interpreter who spoke bad Macedonian, lider of the group addressed the policemen with words – “we are the KLA, nor Ahmeti nor Gruevski can save you. We want our country and we do not want any of Ohrid negotiations,” said Kotevski.
According to the first accounts and operational information a terrorist group in Macedonia came from Kosovo.
However, right after, followed the attacks by pro-Western parties, various NGOs and members of the illegal, paramilitary movement of shqiptar separatists who claim to want peace. That same vocabulary which they used to hide their true intentions before the start of massive terrorist attacks on Serbian police, civilians and military. So did a former member of the so-called. “National Liberation Army” (NLA) Abedin Zimberi, who lives in Lipkovski region, say that ‘in this area there are no armed persons’, announced american Radio Free Europe in Macedonian language.”
Anyway, border Post Gošince located above Kumanovo, on the border with Kosovo is in the immediate vicinity ofthe post Tanusevci, and those were two points which were attacked first in 2001, when members of the KLA in the area declared free territory.
RT gave just a short mention in their News Line. Here, a screenshot:
http://postimg.org/image/xx09oxhrp/
UCK/KLA also took responsiliblty for several attacks that took place in December of 2014. on police stations and government building.
*For readers from exYugoslavia (picture has text in Serbian)– a small chronoligy of the conflicts in Macedonia http://srbin.info/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/46.jpg
This exact course of events was predicted at the beginning of 2015. Example from ‘Politika’ (one of the oldest newspapers in the region with first publication in January of 1904.) which had Op-ed by Misha Djurkovich, named “Destabilization of Macedonia” ( http://www.politika.rs/pogledi/Missa-Djurkovich/Destabilizacija-Makedonije.sr.html ) on 13th Feb 2015.
“Zaev and a new team of associates chose different methods of struggle against Gruevski. Last year’s elections for parliament and president they did not acknowledge and up until today MPs of the party are boycotting the parliament. They turned to primarily non-parliamentary methods and encouragement of civil protests. During the last year, instead of political struggle, Macedonia was marked by various forms of social and civil protests.”
“SDSM began to announce the “media bomb” four months ago. While the public is waiting, Zaev, with some material secretly went to see the Prime Minister trying to blackmail him to form joint caretaker government and organize new elections. Two weeks ago, Gruevski came out in public with this information. Sitel Television broadcasted the footage that show Zaev claiming that he received the compromising material from members of the foreign service of some “non-adjacent state”, and the police subsequently arrested Zoran Verushevski, former head of the Macedonian authorities, his wife and another person from Strumica. Against all of them, and Zaev, whose passport was taken away, the procedure for endangering the constitutional order and a threat to the authorities was initiated. In public this was intensified by the story of the “coup” that is being prepared with the help of foreign powers.”
“This case received wider international dimension. Western embassies and senior EU officials have reacted very upset and asked for some kind of arbitration in this process. On the other hand, the Russian Foreign Ministry was very clear, speakiing of a coup, seeking to “preserve stability in a friendly country” and noting that destabilization could also be initiated by “ethnic tensions”. In Macedonia, it is speculated that this spring could bring new movements among extremist Albanian groups fueled by images of “natural Albania” and appeals from ISIL.”
“Geopolitical analysts point to the fact that with the new project of Russia “Turkish Stream”, Macedonia became an important hub. Stubborn Gruevski rejects all proposals to change the name of the state, and like Orban, shows more interest in cooperation with the eastern partners and fewer worries for dissatisfaction with Western states and institutions. Many local analysts argue that this is the background of current developments and attempts to destabilize Macedonia. The opposition claims that this is just an excuse for authoritarian methods.”
And just for fun and little irony I will quote the second comment below the article in Politika, posted under the name ‘Serb from Macedonia’:
“I carefully read every word. I know the affairs of the Republic of Macedonia much better than the author of the article. To me, it’s a COMPLETE anachronism the assertion by the author that it will come to destabilization of Macedonia and broader area. Even more, the situation that someone wants to portrait as dangerous and that the Albanian factor is the most dangerous is not correct.”
No destabilization indeed!
November 4th 2014. On Voice of Russia (now Sputnik news) , Ratko Paic wrote of:
“Guard of the Republic of Ilirida in Macedonia also remotely controlled?”
“And while in those moments all the theartics possibly looked to some as just a cleverly designed show with a striking stage presence whose purpose was only to entertain the audience and end it at that, then the subsequent events have shown that the problem is deeper, and that the “play” will have more acts, and that probably many will not be fun. Namely, several days ago, it went a step further, or if you want – many steps further, as the self-proclaimed “Republic of Illirida” got its Guard, which is said that will be patrolling everywhere where ethnic Albanian population in Macedonia is, until, as noted, “the final status of that territory is resolved” and the proclamation was signed by a man who poses as General; from this all, the conclusion can be derived that someone will actually do everything in his power to turn into a real life a slogan “Skopje is the heart of Albania”, which was launched this summer on protest rallies.”
Another fact that favours the claim that all this was premediated and that armed conflict was planned for this spring is this:
The sudden ‘exodus’ of Albainan population (mainly from Kosovo) into EU.
http://www.balkanmagazin.net/novosti-i-politika/cid128-108219/kosovski-albanci-masovno-napustaju-kosovo (Feb. 4th 2015))
http://rt.com/news/234131-eu-kosovo-asylum-seekers/ (Feb. 20th 2015)
When interviewed, people gave various reasons for seeking asylum abroad. Economin situation is very bad, unemployment rate is sky-high, constant mafia wars, unsafe place to raise children, more frequent ISIS recruiters and so on… But interestingly, some gave this for an answer: fear from a new conflict in the region.
Many reports from November to late Febriary in many media outlets spoke of “massive Albanian exodus”. Now, it should be kept in mind that all nationalities live equally bad in the region. Serbs and Macedonians are in the same, hard situation, whether they live on territory of Serbia and Kosovo or Macedonia. And yet, Albanians make up overwhelming majority 95+% in this ‘big exodus’. First reactions from Macedonians and Serbs were – “they know something that we don’t know.” “War is about to start this spring.”
Why would they know? Well once the members of armed extremist groups got their marching orders, it spread throughout the (very close) community. And why would you, otherwise, choose the middle of the winter to go on such a risky adventure? -a tip: it was urgent to leave!
If Novorussians got the memo from State Department that a war is coming to their neighbourhood, they’d probably have some of their family sent away (to Russia or elswhere), even before the actual shooting started.
http://fakti.org/srpski-duh/iza-egzodusa-su-dirigentski-prsti-zapada-i-vlasti-u-pristini (March 4th 2015)
(first picture is taken on a bus station in Pristina)
“The West and authorities from Pristina are behind the exodus”
“This phenomenon scared many, in a way, but certainly most are in confusion and dilemma. For these reasons, after following the developments in Kosovo and Metohija for many years, I wanted to give my observations and view.”
“Analyzing this phenomenon, we must first know that the Albanians are a nation very prone to migration, if one can say so. The most common reasons for migration are economic in nature but also an element of constant striving for claiming new territories. That’s why this latest exodus from Kosovo is not some special phenomenon. However, what is specific to the current mass exodus is that it occurs in specific conditions and with strong intensity in a very short period of time.
This phenomenon undoubtedly leads to the conclusion that in this case we have a very organized process of emigration.
The very organization of such a departure, when viewed from the side, begs the question: how is it possible to animate such a number of departures on a national basis? However, here too, there’s nothing especially new as far as the Albanians are concerned, especially when fullfilling a given national goal.
Concluding thoughts or Riding out the storm
When talking about these migrations with people around here, you could here things like this: “So, it is beginning! – What do you think, Spring? – Spring or Summer!”
“Did you hear about the new ‘Turk stream’ they want to build?” -“Yeah, it’s gonna get bad, Americans will never allow it to pass through here.”
And even earlier, when the Ukrainian crisis started. When the Empire finally took of the mask, and went openly against the Russia, people here knew. “If Russians continue to win this, it’s the Balkans then.” -“Yes, it’s our turn, again.”
And, of course, everyone kept cheering for Russia. Because if the Russians don’t win this, we won’t even have a fighting chance. If they do however, there’s hope. Even if that means another war that NATO will start in the Balkans. The sole fact that they are destabilizing Macedonia or Serbia or Greece means that we still have a ‘pulse’. It means that they still have something to ‘shatter’. I’d be more worried if everything was quiet here – that would mean that we are way beyond the point of no return, that there are no free people left here. And for my brothers and sisters in Macedonia and the region – we just have to ride out this storm.
