[ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Kouchner briefs

[Iris Pilika]

>From: "ALBANIA 2001" <alb2001 at beld.net>
>Reply-To: 2001ajb-owner at yahoogroups.com
>To: alb2001 at f155.beld.net
>Subject: [2001ajb] Fwd: Kouchner briefs
>Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:44:38 -0400
>
>See summary below from Lili Kepuska of Kouchner's talk at Harvard.
>
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: Lili Kepuska <lilik at MIT.EDU>
>Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 16:57:02 -0400
>
>
> >Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 16:50:27 -0400
> >To: massnaac at yahoogroups.com
> >From: Lili Kepuska <lilik at mit.edu>
> >Subject: Kouchner briefs
> >Cc:
> >Bcc:
> >X-Attachments:
> >
> >
> >This  info was what  I was able to take notes on.
> >Who ever was there please add to the info so the rest of the community
> >will be informed. Unfortunately there was no handouts
> >
> >
> >
> >Bernard Kouchner was a the head of UN Administration for Kosova July 99
> >through January 2001 he referred to himself as a dictator of Kosova
> >jokingly or not depending on whose point of view.
> >He started his talk by saying the operation was not a peace keeping but
> >peacemaking operation since the conflicts were still going on.
> >He gave a short overview of the situation prior to NATO Bombing, touched
> >on the fact that Dayton was a beginning rather then an end to diplomatic
> >efforts. He was among the supporters of having the Kosova question 
>brought
> >to the discussions in Dayton. He was very careful to point out that 
>Kosova
> >was under Apartheid regime and that they succeeded in their civil
> >disobedience efforts and in creating a parallel society. He believes that
> >the UCK was formed by young people inpatient with lack of response to
> >their peaceful efforts.
> >
> >He described his beginning in Kosova where he went with only a staff of 
>30
> >people and  what he found there. He said  Albanians were a population 
>with
> >a stripped identity,
> >
> >120,000 damaged houses
> >
> >He faced  two major obstacles:
> >
> >From within:
> >OSCE an organization that was in charge of finances and very disappointed
> >that it had to operate under UN
> >
> >European Union in charge of  economic rebuilding and pretty strong headed
> >
> >UNHCR not prone to except authority therefore very difficult to manage
> >
> >
> >NATO forces that were not under the authority of Kouchner administration.
> >Just to keep the channels of communication open he had to meet every day
> >for one hour with military.
> >
> >400 to 500 NGO's that were impossible to control.
> >
> >In all of this the good news for him as a doctor was the fact that during
> >this winter there was not an epidemic, old people did not die in large
> >numbers as feared, hospitals were restored
> >
> >In February 2000 there was no electricity or heat due to Serbian non
> >maintenance of power plants.
> >
> >What was very interesting to him  and something Albanians should be proud
> >of,  is that there was no major protests or complains
> >
> >One of the major undertaking was the demilitarization of the UCK. Taking
> >into consideration Ireland, UCK was cooperative and they did turn in
> >about 10,000 weapons.
> >
> >According to partial information since not all mass graves have been
> >excavated the number of dead people is presumed to be 10,000 and that 
>6000
> >are missing.
> >
> >Internal struggle among Albanians was a very difficult factor.
> >
> >Kouchner and his team in the beginning had neither power nor money to be
> >able to  enforce any  solutions
> >
> >He was able to get Rugova, Thaci, Qosja and Martin (I think I did not
> >ketch the name of the Serb representative) to meet twice a week
> >A very successful campaign based on his opinion Is the date set for
> >November 19 for General elections with substantial autonomy as the goal.
> >
> >What did we learn from the Kosova Peace keeping operation?
> >
> >The right to interfere, based on the toady's statistics by NGOs the
> >biggest threat to human right is the government within sovereign borders.
> >
> >No police officers available immediately was a recipe for disaster due to
> >the fact that the crime and revenge killings were running rampant. It 
>took
> >one year and a lot of pressure to even bring 1000 police officers on the
> >ground.
> >Urban Development was not organized the team of experts in rebuilding
> >should have been available right away
> >
> >He thinks the idea to rebuild the judicial system based on Yugoslav model
> >was plain stupid and premature
> >
> >The overall picture is much better than it is told.
> >
> >Considering the results of the first free and fair elections where there
> >were no irregularities, where the Albanian people showed their maturity 
>by
> >electing a democratic government, where the people that had occupied 
>these
> >posts as per their  right that they fought for Kosova peacefully released
> >their positions to the will of the people.
> >
> >His questions is: what will the world do in regard to Kosova and its
> >independence when Montenegro that is Orthodox and only 600.000 is leaving
> >the federation?
> >
> >On the question of Mitrovica he danced his way out of it by not being 
>able
> >to publicly admit it was a screw up.
> >
> >Considering the scope of the problem it was not exactly unpredictable 
>that
> >a flash point remains.
> >
> >My personal views on Kouchner are:
> >He was impressed with elections that were so peaceful in an environment
> >riddled with hatred and ethnic tensions,
> >
> >
> >The questions from the  public
> >
> >What  about Mitrovica?
> >He played the role of the politician, no straight answer
> >
> >Belgrade and why to Bomb it?
> >He believes that they deserved it and it was inevitable
> >
> >What about 40% of the population that is under the age of 18.
> >He believes they are being taken care of!!! And UNICEF is doing "great"
> >
> >What about  Yugoslav Ambassador and his seminars titled "Development of
> >Yugoslavia and the birth rate of Albanians"  where do you see the
> >connection on this topic?
> >He did not understand the question.
> >
> >The other tow speakers were very good but I was not able to take notes
> >since I did not have enough paper.. Next time I will try to do better.
> >
> >
> >Thank you,
> >Lili
> >
>
>***************************************************************************
>Lili Kepuska
>Undergraduate Academic Administrator
>Foreign Languages & Literatures
>Bldg. 14N-310
>(617) 253-4550 - work, (617) 258-6189 - fax
>lilik at mit.edu
>
>
>
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