"ANA is reality in Kosovo"

A former chief of the Serbian military intelligence says that the Albanian National Army is a reality in Kosovo and western Macedonia. "It exists, and, regardless of how much international representatives claim they have managed to disarm the paramilitaries, this is simply not true," Momir Stojanovic said this Sunday. "ANA is reality in Kosovo" According to him, the resurfacing of the group, designated terrorist by UNMIK in 2003, is "a message to the international community about what might happen if Kosovo Albanians' expectations about independence are not fulfilled." "At the same time, this is a message to the Kosovo Albanian leadership taking part in the negotiating process that they must not accept any compromise solution over Kosovo's status," Stojanovic, who was removed from office three years ago after he warned about the Wahhabi movement in the Sandzak region, believes. He said that, unless there is clear pressure from international representatives, Washington first and foremost, Kosovo Albanians are ready to declare independence on December 10. "There is a serious chance that the international community will exert pressure on them and that the process will continue is some shape until the spring of 2008, when I expect Kosovo's declaration of independence," Stojanovic explained. This scenario is likely because the international community does not wish to see Serbia's democratic capacity destroyed, and will therefore wait for the presidential and local elections, "to afterwards support Kosovo Albanians' independence story," according to him. Asked about the security outlook for Serbia's volatile south, the region close to the administrative border with the province, the former VBA chief said he did not expect the situation to worsen in the short term. "If there is a compromise solution for Kosovo-Metohija that does not move toward independence, complications could occur in the south, and also in the western parts of Macedonia," he said. Stojanovic painted a grim picture when he spoke about the future of Kosovo's Serbs. In case the province gains independence, Serbs in the enclaves and the central parts "will have no conditions to survive." Stoajnovic believes that Serbs who live south of the Ibar River face the most danger, while Kosovo's north, in his words, "is of no particular interest to the Albanians."

"ANA is reality in Kosovo"

According to him, the resurfacing of the group, designated terrorist by UNMIK in 2003, is "a message to the international community about what might happen if Kosovo Albanians' expectations about independence are not fulfilled."

"At the same time, this is a message to the Kosovo Albanian leadership taking part in the negotiating process that they must not accept any compromise solution over Kosovo's status," Stojanović, who was removed from office three years ago after he warned about the Wahhabi movement in the Sandžak region, believes.

He said that, unless there is clear pressure from international representatives, Washington first and foremost, Kosovo Albanians are ready to declare independence on December 10.

"There is a serious chance that the international community will exert pressure on them and that the process will continue is some shape until the spring of 2008, when I expect Kosovo's declaration of independence," Stojanović explained.

This scenario is likely because the international community does not wish to see Serbia's democratic capacity destroyed, and will therefore wait for the presidential and local elections, "to afterwards support Kosovo Albanians' independence story," according to him.

Asked about the security outlook for Serbia's volatile south, the region close to the administrative border with the province, the former VBA chief said he did not expect the situation to worsen in the short term.

"If there is a compromise solution for Kosovo-Metohija that does not move toward independence, complications could occur in the south, and also in the western parts of Macedonia," he said.

Stojanović painted a grim picture when he spoke about the future of Kosovo's Serbs. In case the province gains independence, Serbs in the enclaves and the central parts "will have no conditions to survive."

Stoajnović believes that Serbs who live south of the Ibar River face the most danger, while Kosovo's north, in his words, "is of no particular interest to the Albanians."