Re: protection racket

I saw the article below, and I wondered if any of the "Senior NATO generals, 
United Nations officials and Western diplomats" quoted do not work for the US 
government.  My impression is that the US liberal interventionist 
establishment (epitomized by the Times, among others) was outraged about the 
isolationist rhetoric Bush was throwing around during his campaign, and wants 
to pressure him.  For actual European opinion, we should probably watch 
things like the Op-Ed page for signed statements.  This morning on NPR they 
had an amusing tape of Clinton begging/threatening Europe to not go forward 
much with its defense plans.

Steven Sherman

In a message dated 1/16/01 11:12:10 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
facbolese@usao.edu writes:

<< Subj:     protection racket
 Date:  1/16/01 11:12:10 AM Eastern Standard Time
 From:  facbolese@usao.edu (Boles (office))
 Sender:    wsn-owner@csf.colorado.edu
 To:    wsn@csf.colorado.edu (WORLD SYSTEMS NETWORK)
 
 Well, how quickly does Europe (excluding France) really wish to take control
 of NATO and stem US power if they warn the US to remain in Kosovo?  Is it
 feared that Bush is leaning toward an isolationist position and that a
 stronger Europe will mean a stronger Germany?  Or is the sudden move by Bush
 really a bargaining chip for SDI and continued US dominance in NATO?
 
 Here's the gist of it (war / instability or acquiescence to US protection):
 
 PRISTINA, Kosovo, Jan. 15 — Senior NATO generals, United Nations officials
 and Western diplomats say they believe that the American role in Kosovo is
 as crucial now as ever, and they assert that President-elect George W.
 Bush's expressed desire to pull American troops out of the Balkans is both
 ill-timed and damaging to Western goals in the region. ... If these officers
 and officials do not necessarily fear a new war, they say they believe that
 the presence of the world's superpower as a mainstay of the NATO-led
 international force keeps Kosovo stable and secure, providing the space for
 the United Nations effort to rebuild the province and promote democratic
 self-government.  If the Americans should suddenly withdraw or downgrade
 their commitment in a big way, the implications would be severe for the NATO
 alliance, for regional stability, relations with Russia and the behavior of
 the ethnic Albanian Kosovars as well, these officers and officials declare.
 If the United States pulled all its troops out of Kosovo, Baton Haxhiu,
 chief editor of Kosovo's most respected newspaper, Koha Ditore, has no
 doubts about what would happen.  "It would be a disaster," Mr. Haxhiu said.
 "Kosovo is an unfinished peace. If American soldiers leave, it's war.
 Kosovars believe in the American flag, and Serbian soldiers are afraid of
 it. If they don't see it, there's a war between Kosovo and Serbia."
 
 Elson E. Boles
 Assistant Professor, Historical Sociology
 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
 2108 S. 19th St.
 Chickasha, OK 73018
 
 
 
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 Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 10:02:01 -0800
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 Subject: protection racket
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