Playing Games With Kosovo

THE EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN DESTINY: DEMOCRACY PART 2

By Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
E-mail: intermedusa@yahoo.com


Obviously, Russia will not join the EU. However in the letter of invitation to Russia, Europe should also offer a Super Special Relationship incorporating Russia not only into a NAFTA style free trade agreement but a special political and economic partnership bringing it as a major player into the very heart of Europe. Russia would be allowed to elect delegates to the European Parliament based on 25/40% of its total allotment as if it was a full fledged member. These delegates would participate in all committees, vote on all issues, but with no veto power. Russia cannot and must not be isolated by the West. A full and equal partnership between Russia and the EU must be offered to the Russian people. In return Russia must democratize its political institutions. If the Russian government refuses then Russia will not be able to complain when other nations decide to join. And the EU leaves the offer on the table as a demonstration to the Russian people of a different vision their economic and political future ??? a vision in direct conflict with Putin???s national repression and domination of its Near Abroad neighbors through energy blackmail.

The strategy is for Brussels to offer Russia an equal partnership in a free trade zone incorporating the Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the 5 Stan states and Mongolia. This free trade zone would then be joined to NAFTA (US/Canada/Mexico) creating an economic giant of 1.4 billion people. This giant is then expanded to include South and Central America (2.4 billion). In this free trade zone, Russia, the Stan states, Ukraine, Turkey etc are granted full access to Western markets for trade, investment and technology. The EU is guaranteed energy security ??? the very essence of the NAFTA Agreement between Canada and the United States. (Canada was given access to the US market and in return Canada guaranteed the US - energy security,)

Through this free trade alliance with guaranteed access to the EU and NAFTA - the Russian economy will be able to break the petrol strangle hold Gasprom etc have over the economy. Growth in the other economic sectors of the Russian economy with access to a market of 1.4 billion plus people will explode.

In this way a Europe without borders living in peace and security can be created stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

THE EUROPEAN AND RUSSIAN DESTINY: DEMOCRACY PART 2

By Larry Houle
www.godofreason.com
E-mail: intermedusa@yahoo.com


Obviously, Russia will not join the EU. However in the letter of invitation to Russia, Europe should also offer a Super Special Relationship incorporating Russia not only into a NAFTA style free trade agreement but a special political and economic partnership bringing it as a major player into the very heart of Europe. Russia would be allowed to elect delegates to the European Parliament based on 25/40% of its total allotment as if it was a full fledged member. These delegates would participate in all committees, vote on all issues, but with no veto power. Russia cannot and must not be isolated by the West. A full and equal partnership between Russia and the EU must be offered to the Russian people. In return Russia must democratize its political institutions. If the Russian government refuses then Russia will not be able to complain when other nations decide to join. And the EU leaves the offer on the table as a demonstration to the Russian people of a different vision their economic and political future ??? a vision in direct conflict with Putin???s national repression and domination of its Near Abroad neighbors through energy blackmail.

The strategy is for Brussels to offer Russia an equal partnership in a free trade zone incorporating the Ukraine, Turkey, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the 5 Stan states and Mongolia. This free trade zone would then be joined to NAFTA (US/Canada/Mexico) creating an economic giant of 1.4 billion people. This giant is then expanded to include South and Central America (2.4 billion). In this free trade zone, Russia, the Stan states, Ukraine, Turkey etc are granted full access to Western markets for trade, investment and technology. The EU is guaranteed energy security ??? the very essence of the NAFTA Agreement between Canada and the United States. (Canada was given access to the US market and in return Canada guaranteed the US - energy security,)

Through this free trade alliance with guaranteed access to the EU and NAFTA - the Russian economy will be able to break the petrol strangle hold Gasprom etc have over the economy. Growth in the other economic sectors of the Russian economy with access to a market of 1.4 billion plus people will explode.

In this way a Europe without borders living in peace and security can be created stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Many American commentators, particularly those who were directly involved in the carving out of former Yugoslavia try to present Kosovo as a Manichaean story of the democratic West vs a neoauthoritarian Russia. It is not as simple as that. Kosovos's independence has not been recognised not only by Russia and China, but by many other countries around the world, including democracies like Spain, Canada, India, Argentina, Brasil and many others. These countries are usually portrayed in the Anglo-American media as self serving, since their refusal to recognise Kosovo would be based in trying to avoid a precedent with their alleged "secessionist minorities". But if so, what? Every country has a right to preserve its integrity, which is a basic principle of international law. Besides, those countries which have recognised Kosovo are doing so also for reasons of national interest: confronting Russia in the case of the US or creating a series of microstates in Eastern Europe that can be easily manipulated in the case of Germany, France or the UK. Curiously enough, many of the countries recognising Kosovo have minority problems of their own. It is the case with the UK ( Scotland, Northern Ireland), France ( Corsica, Alsace, Bretagne) or Italy ( the Northern regions). The difference is that those countries have prioritised their geopolitical calculations over their internal divisions hoping that by helping the US they will have a stronger card if the worst comes to the worst.
The problem with that line of reasoning is that one day the current geopolitical configuration will come to an end. And then, they will have set a precedent of violating international law that will haunt them and Uncle Sam will be in no position to come to their rescue.

an article about 'kosovo liberation army'( a terrorist organization) and it's links with Bin Laden, US and NATO

Picture of Gen.Wesley Clark with the indicted war criminal presented in the mainstream media as a loyal and valuable NATO ally

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?entity=kosovo_liberation_army