Analyst: Bush arms decision expected

Professor Zoran Dragisic from the Civil Defense Faculty told B92 that the U.S. administration’s decision was predictable. Dragisic said that the move was leading to the creation of a Kosovo Army, which would in no way help stabilize the region. Analyst: Bush arms decision expected “It was predictable after the recognition of Kosovo independence, and after everything that the U.S. has done in Kosovo, and I think that it is now the U.S.’s clear intention to help create a Kosovo Army. “In any case, the existence of a Kosovo Army, in this situation, is something that can only destabilize the region and maybe encourage the Pristina government to try and reintegrate the north of Kosovo by force, which is the worst-case scenario,” the professor explained. “That scenario is not coming together right now, I believe, because the Albanians don’t have enough military force to do it. I think the creation of a Kosovo Army in no way contributes to stability in the region, and I think that it is just one more in a string of disastrous foreign policy decisions taken by President [George] Bush,” he added. A White House memo states that Kosovo will receive defense material, and in Dragisic’s opinion, this is not simply a matter of police equipment. “Defense material means military equipment. That, therefore, means armed forces. Obviously, the U.S. aren’t going to begin by sending tanks and aircraft to Kosovo, but it will definitely be equipment and weaponry that is necessary for creating an army,” the professor ventured. Another military analyst, Tomislav Djurin, says, however, that this contingent “cannot be called military aid,” as the nature of the weaponry is still unknown. “And I would give the U.S representative the benefit of the doubt that it is for maintaining security forces for the internal struggle with international terrorism and Kosovo security such as it is. I wouldn’t take it in the context of being directed at Serbia,” said Djurin.

Analyst: Bush arms decision expected

“It was predictable after the recognition of Kosovo independence, and after everything that the U.S. has done in Kosovo, and I think that it is now the U.S.’s clear intention to help create a Kosovo Army.

“In any case, the existence of a Kosovo Army, in this situation, is something that can only destabilize the region and maybe encourage the Priština government to try and reintegrate the north of Kosovo by force, which is the worst-case scenario,” the professor explained.

“That scenario is not coming together right now, I believe, because the Albanians don’t have enough military force to do it. I think the creation of a Kosovo Army in no way contributes to stability in the region, and I think that it is just one more in a string of disastrous foreign policy decisions taken by President [George] Bush,” he added.

A White House memo states that Kosovo will receive defense material, and in Dragišić’s opinion, this is not simply a matter of police equipment.

“Defense material means military equipment. That, therefore, means armed forces. Obviously, the U.S. aren’t going to begin by sending tanks and aircraft to Kosovo, but it will definitely be equipment and weaponry that is necessary for creating an army,” the professor ventured.

Another military analyst, Tomislav Đurin, says, however, that this contingent “cannot be called military aid,” as the nature of the weaponry is still unknown.

“And I would give the U.S representative the benefit of the doubt that it is for maintaining security forces for the internal struggle with international terrorism and Kosovo security such as it is. I wouldn’t take it in the context of being directed at Serbia,” said Đurin.