Kommentare zu: Kosovo and the House of war http://balkanblog.org/2008/12/05/kosovo-and-the-house-of-war/ Balkan Infos Mon, 21 May 2012 22:25:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 Von: ctstmaser http://balkanblog.org/2008/12/05/kosovo-and-the-house-of-war/#comment-3354 ctstmaser Sat, 13 Dec 2008 08:03:10 +0000 http://balkanblog.org/2008/12/05/kosovo-and-the-house-of-war/#comment-3354 Slaves, mainly young girls from Moldova and Ukraine, are transported through the Balkans regularly — and Kosovo is part of that route. The transportation of heroin, however, is Kosovo’s main source of income. Heroin from Afghanistan and Central Asia enters the Balkans through Turkey and is distributed through Kosovo to various points in Europe. One of the main smuggling routes goes to the Italian port of Bari on the Adriatic Sea, where the Italian Mafia distributes the product to the rest of Europe. However, the most lucrative distribution method for Kosovo is via its own diasporic networks in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In particular, Switzerland — where the diaspora numbers more than 100,000 and where the Kosovo mafia handles up to 90 percent of all incoming heroin — is key for further distribution through Europe, particularly now that the Swiss have joined the Schengen treaty of open European borders. European authorities, having dealt with the Kosovo mafia for decades, are well aware of the strategic value of Kosovo to smuggling operations. The Kosovo mafia is brutally efficient and is difficult to penetrate due to Kosovo’s clan - and family-based networks. (There is also an added language barrier: Albanian, although of Indo-European origin, is unrelated to all European languages and practically impossible to master by non-native speakers.) At the heart of the problem, however, is the fact that Kosovo does not have material or resource alternatives lucrative enough to support other viable industries that might rival smuggling. Making matters more difficult, many in Kosovo’s current leadership are directly related to the drug-trafficking operations. Much of Kosovo’s current leadership, including Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, has a history in the KLA, which was mainly funded by the drug trade. Indeed, many Kosovars see the narcotics trade as having been justified in light of what they consider illegitimate domination by Serbia, the explanation being that it was the only way to raise funds to combat alleged oppression. http://www.b92.net/eng/news/in_focus.php?id=228&start=0&nav_id=55491 Slaves, mainly young girls from Moldova and Ukraine, are transported through the Balkans regularly — and Kosovo is part of that route. The transportation of heroin, however, is Kosovo’s main source of income. Heroin from Afghanistan and Central Asia enters the Balkans through Turkey and is distributed through Kosovo to various points in Europe. One of the main smuggling routes goes to the Italian port of Bari on the Adriatic Sea, where the Italian Mafia distributes the product to the rest of Europe. However, the most lucrative distribution method for Kosovo is via its own diasporic networks in Turkey, Greece, Italy, Germany and Switzerland. In particular, Switzerland — where the diaspora numbers more than 100,000 and where the Kosovo mafia handles up to 90 percent of all incoming heroin — is key for further distribution through Europe, particularly now that the Swiss have joined the Schengen treaty of open European borders.

European authorities, having dealt with the Kosovo mafia for decades, are well aware of the strategic value of Kosovo to smuggling operations. The Kosovo mafia is brutally efficient and is difficult to penetrate due to Kosovo’s clan - and family-based networks. (There is also an added language barrier: Albanian, although of Indo-European origin, is unrelated to all European languages and practically impossible to master by non-native speakers.)

At the heart of the problem, however, is the fact that Kosovo does not have material or resource alternatives lucrative enough to support other viable industries that might rival smuggling. Making matters more difficult, many in Kosovo’s current leadership are directly related to the drug-trafficking operations. Much of Kosovo’s current leadership, including Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, has a history in the KLA, which was mainly funded by the drug trade. Indeed, many Kosovars see the narcotics trade as having been justified in light of what they consider illegitimate domination by Serbia, the explanation being that it was the only way to raise funds to combat alleged oppression.

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/in_focus.php?id=228&start=0&nav_id=55491

]]> Von: ctstmaser http://balkanblog.org/2008/12/05/kosovo-and-the-house-of-war/#comment-3353 ctstmaser Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:58:38 +0000 http://balkanblog.org/2008/12/05/kosovo-and-the-house-of-war/#comment-3353 <p>Security Mission to Kosovo Faces Local Reluctance<br /> <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122877290688889167.html#" rel="nofollow">Wall Street Journal </a>^ </p> <p>Posted on Dienstag, 9. Dezember 2008 22:02:33 by Bokababe</p> <p>Civilian law-enforcement officials from the European Union, the U.S. and a handful of other countries began working in Kosovo Tuesday to bolster shaky police, courts and customs systems.</p> <p>This unprecedented mission in a country recognized as a major conduit for smuggling drugs and weapons into Europe faces steep challenges. A bombing in Kosovo's capital of Pristina and a murky spy affair involving German agents highlight some of the diplomatic difficulties as the EU begins the ambitious effort in the Balkans......</p> <p>In the BND report, a copy of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is linked to paramilitary groups, cigarette smugglers, extortion rackets and drug dealers. The report details connections among the ruling elite to Islamist militants who helped Kosovars, who are mostly Muslims, to fight in a guerrilla war against Serbian forces.</p> <p>Similar allegations have been circulated by Serbia. But the charges have more credibility coming from Germany, which took a lead in securing international recognition for Kosovo's independence and is Kosovo's second-largest foreign-aid donor, behind the U.S.</p> http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122877290688889167.html# <p>comments over the german crim politicans idiots</p> <p>http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2145692/posts</p> Security Mission to Kosovo Faces Local Reluctance
Wall Street Journal ^

Posted on Dienstag, 9. Dezember 2008 22:02:33 by Bokababe

Civilian law-enforcement officials from the European Union, the U.S. and a handful of other countries began working in Kosovo Tuesday to bolster shaky police, courts and customs systems.

This unprecedented mission in a country recognized as a major conduit for smuggling drugs and weapons into Europe faces steep challenges. A bombing in Kosovo’s capital of Pristina and a murky spy affair involving German agents highlight some of the diplomatic difficulties as the EU begins the ambitious effort in the Balkans……

In the BND report, a copy of which was reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is linked to paramilitary groups, cigarette smugglers, extortion rackets and drug dealers. The report details connections among the ruling elite to Islamist militants who helped Kosovars, who are mostly Muslims, to fight in a guerrilla war against Serbian forces.

Similar allegations have been circulated by Serbia. But the charges have more credibility coming from Germany, which took a lead in securing international recognition for Kosovo’s independence and is Kosovo’s second-largest foreign-aid donor, behind the U.S.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122877290688889167.html#

comments over the german crim politicans idiots

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2145692/posts

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