Holbrooke fears violence, blames Russia

Richard Holbrooke warned on Wednesday of a possible outbreak of violence in the Balkans.

Izvor: B92

Thursday, 22.11.2007.

09:31

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Richard Holbrooke warned on Wednesday of a possible outbreak of violence in the Balkans. The U.S. diplomat, a former Balkans envoy, told the Munich daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung that Russia would be to blame for such an outcome. Holbrooke fears violence, blames Russia He also commented on last weekend's elections in Kosovo, from which Hashim Thaci, a former KLA member, emerged victorious. "I have known Hashim Thaci for about ten years now," Holbrooke said. "He has a fine career behind him." In case there is a worsening of the security situation in the region, the diplomat believes, the culprit must be found elsewhere. "The problem lies in the fact that Russia has decided to act very unpleasantly […] because it has decided, no matter the cost, to return to the world stage in the role of a big power." Holbrooke said he did not think that the direct negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina can be fruitful, assessing that "about a month after December 10", the Kosovo Albanian leaders would proclaim independence unilaterally. "The act will then be acknowledged by the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and most of the other members of the European Union," Holbrook told the newspaper, adding that "the only thing he is not certain about" is what the stand of Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria will be. "Of course, Russia will not accept this either," said the war-time U.S. envoy to the region. "There is also a great danger that violence will break out after this," Holbrook assessed, adding that the same went for Bosnia, "since its Serb part might try to secede." Holbrooke's name has been in the media recently after a long pause with claims that he and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic struck a deal that gave Karadzic de facto immunity from international prosecution, in exchange for his disappearance form the political scene after the war. Karadzic is wanted by the Hague Tribunal, charged with war crimes that include genocide. Former spokeswoman for the chief UN court prosecutor, Florence Hartmann, revived the claims in her book published recently, but Holbrooke has denied the accusations vehemently. Russia behaves unpleasantly: Richard Holbrooke (FoNet, archive)

Holbrooke fears violence, blames Russia

He also commented on last weekend's elections in Kosovo, from which Hashim Thaci, a former KLA member, emerged victorious.

"I have known Hashim Thaci for about ten years now," Holbrooke said.

"He has a fine career behind him."

In case there is a worsening of the security situation in the region, the diplomat believes, the culprit must be found elsewhere.

"The problem lies in the fact that Russia has decided to act very unpleasantly […] because it has decided, no matter the cost, to return to the world stage in the role of a big power."

Holbrooke said he did not think that the direct negotiations between Belgrade and Priština can be fruitful, assessing that "about a month after December 10", the Kosovo Albanian leaders would proclaim independence unilaterally.

"The act will then be acknowledged by the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and most of the other members of the European Union," Holbrook told the newspaper, adding that "the only thing he is not certain about" is what the stand of Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Bulgaria will be.

"Of course, Russia will not accept this either," said the war-time U.S. envoy to the region.

"There is also a great danger that violence will break out after this," Holbrook assessed, adding that the same went for Bosnia, "since its Serb part might try to secede."

Holbrooke's name has been in the media recently after a long pause with claims that he and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić struck a deal that gave Karadžić de facto immunity from international prosecution, in exchange for his disappearance form the political scene after the war.

Karadžić is wanted by the Hague Tribunal, charged with war crimes that include genocide.

Former spokeswoman for the chief UN court prosecutor, Florence Hartmann, revived the claims in her book published recently, but Holbrooke has denied the accusations vehemently.

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