X-VMS-To: EDU%"hellas%uga.cc.uga.edu"
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.hellas
Date:         Sat, 3 Oct 1992 19:05:00 EET
Reply-To:     GALLIS@JOYL.JOENSUU.FI
From:         GALLIS@JOYL.JOENSUU.FI
Subject:      A smell of Balkan gunpowder
Comments: To: hellas@uga.cc.uga.edu

Ena arthro tou Dimitry(Dmitry) Volsky apo to Rwssiko periodiko
New Times.
..............................................
Titlos: A smell of Balkan gunpowder

   As the situation in former Yugoslavia and the Balkan Peninsula
deteriorates Russia's policy in that region draws ever greater world
attention. It is ubder criticism at home and abroad. Moreover, it is
criticized from both sides of the ideological fence.

  This is not surprising given that the Balkan Peninsula has long
occupied a very important, though by no means adequate place in Russian
policy. Condemning the "pro-Western" about-face in Moscow's present-day
stand, some assert that Russia's Balkan policy has always been determined by
solidarity with the kindred Slav peoples of Orthodox Christian faith.
In the opinion of others, the "pro-Western turn" in not strong enough.
Moreover, they claim it is merely a cover for the secret backing of
"Serbian expansionism" in Moscow's own "neo-great-power" interests.
One Moscow commentator compared Russia's present-day policy with that of
the tsarist government whose protection of the Serbs and Boulgarians
served merely as a cover for plans of "seizing the straits and Constantinople".

  As for history, it can be said that, as always in similar cases, the truth
lies somewhere in the middle. The Russian Empire did strive to gain control of
 the Black Sea straits. However, our people helped their Slavs brothers to get
rid of the Turkish yoke for entirely different reasons connected rather
with national and religious sentiments. Other European states also had their
 considerations and interests in the Balkan Pen., which before the First World
 war wwas called the "powder keg of Europe".

  The situation is now different, of cource. But the lessons of history in the
Balkan Pen. remain highly instructive. they show first of all that the  fire
 which again broke out the region is likely spread. Suffice it to recall the
Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, the Albanians in Kosovo, and the problem
of Macedonia, which has become a "triple knot" of contention between Serbian
Bulgaria and Greece. the flame can hardly be contained within Balkan Pen.

  The  present situation cals for joint and concerted actions based on the
common vital onterest of all European  and also non-European nations, actions
aimed at ending Yugoslav bloodlshed and alleviating the suffering of the
people. In this sense the Security Council resolution, also backed by
Russia, and the armed protection of humanitarian aid caravans can serve as an
example of a bolod but balanced and essentially diplomatic approach.

  Any interference in Yugoslavian affairs, especially with the use of armed
 forces, sould obviously be based on the unbiassed and concrete analysis of the
situation that has arisen in the defunt federation. Canadian gen. McKenzie
who commanded the UN forces in sarajevo until recently and took part earlier
in the eight Un peace-keeping operations, had probably every reason to exclude
the possibility of establishing peace in former yugoslavia by military means.
Pressure is naturally being exerted in favour of concrete actions, he said.
But what kind of actions? In the opinion of McKenzie, any armed intervention
would end up being of an extended nature. The West bombed Berlin and Hanoi, but
nothing came out of that, he noted. The bombing of Belgrade would be even more
irrational.

  McKenzie thinks that the "cantonization" of Bosnia along ethnic borders would
be the best solution. Something of the kind could probably be done in other
 multinational regions of former Yugoslavia. In any case, an unprejudiced
 attitide to all ethnic groups is necessary. It would be wrong to overlook
 "great Serbian
expansionism", the "ethnic purges", carried out by the Serbian community leaders
in Bosnia or reports about "concentration camps" set up by them. But it would
be equally wrong to forget about the rights of Serbian minorities in the
neighbouring republics and shift the responsibility for brutalities and blood
on the Serbs only, which is being persistently done mainly by some German
newspapers and politicians. It would be good for them to recall such an
episode of the Sec. W.W.. Croatia's pro-German dictator Pavelic kept small
balls on his work-desk. They seemed to be made of glass. In fact,
they were eyes of Serbian cethnics killed by Croatian ustashis.

  Ustashis and cethnics are old notions, and few people in the world understand
 and remember what took place in the Balkan Pen. in the past. Some readers will
say that the peoples of the former Yugoslavia should also forget those events if
 they want to put out the fire and restore their towns, factories and fields.

  Well, let's follow this advice, forger the past and turn our eyes towards
the future, of interest to all Balkan and European peoples.  We'll see the
much-suffering peninsula not as "a powder keg", not as the basement of the
"European home", but as Eorope's sunlit patio looking out over all parts
of the world.

  It would be difficult to make such a turn without Russia.
In particular the new Russia could become for the West a bridge to belgrade
if it were able to find an organic combination between certain elements
(adherence to national traditions and the common interest of international
stability) in its policy with regard to the Yugoslavian crisis. But the
crisis is developing so rapidly that Moscow is forced to act in a hurry,
by improving and using the trial and error method.

  No wonder Moscow's present policy in the Balkan Pen. is not always
well-defined and consistent. It is only natural that it hAS become a
subject of sharp disputes in this country's political circles. These
disputes are a manifestation of old differences between the
Slavophiles and Westernizers. At the same time it is one more clear
sign of the democratization of Russian society.
Disputes of this kind would be welcomed if it weren't for the fact that
they are used for playing political games of every kind.

  Incidentally, there is much speculatio over the balkan affairs in
Germany, France and the United States. It should be remembered by
everyone that gunpowder must be handled carefully, the more so
that it already exploded once in serajevo.

                                  Dimitry Volsky.
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gai thn metafora

Xristos Gallis
Finland.
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