Shambulio la NATO dhidi ya Yugoslavia mwaka 1993, lilielezwa na nchi za Magharibi kuwa ni matokeo ya ukaidi wa Yugoslavia katika kukataa kukubali mpango wowote wa amani wenye busara, hasa kukataa kwake mipango ya kuunda kikosi cha kimataifa cha usalama cha kutekeleza mpango wa amani huko Kosovo. Uingiliaji wa Magharibi na baadaye kampeni ya mabomu ya NATO vimeendelea kutumiwa kama ushahidi kwamba "vita dhidi ya ugaidi" vya sasa si vita dhidi ya Uislamu, na kwamba Magharibi itaingilia kati kote duniani kwa sababu za "kibinadamu", ikiwasaidia hata Waislamu kama inavyodaiwa ilifanya mwaka 1993. James Rubin, aliyekuwa msaidizi wa Rais Bill Clinton na msemaji wa Idara ya Mambo ya Nje ya Marekani, aliunga mkono mtazamo huu mwaka 2003.

The NATO attack on Yugoslavia in 1993, was presented by the West as the consequence of Yugoslavia’s stubborn refusal to settle for any reasonable peace plan - in particular its rejection of plans for an international security force to implement a peace plan in Kosovo. Intervention by the West and then the eventual bombing campaign by NATO is continually held as evidence that the current ‘war on terror’ is not a war on Islam and that the West will intervene across the world for ‘humanitarian’ purposes, even helping Muslims as they apparently did in 1993. James Rubin former assistant to President Bill Clinton and state department spokesman advocated such a view in 2003.

Alisema: ‘Kwa kuivamia Iraq, Marekani imepoteza mamlaka ya kimaadili iliyojengwa kwa miaka mingi ya kukuza haki za binadamu, kuwaokoa Waislamu kutokana na mauaji huko Kosovo, na kwa kuchelewa, huko Bosnia.

He said: ‘By invading Iraq, America has squandered the moral authority built up over years of promoting human rights, saving Muslims from slaughter in Kosovo, and belatedly in Bosnia.

Hata hivyo, malengo ya kijiografia-kisiasa yalikuwa tofauti sana na hayo. Kutokuwa na utulivu wa kisiasa katika Balkan wakati wa miaka ya 1990 kulizidishwa na azma ya Marekani ya kupunguza ushawishi wa Urusi katika eneo hilo, kuongeza utegemezi wa Ulaya kwake, na kuipa NATO uhalali mpya wakati ilipoonekana kuwa haina umuhimu tena baada ya Vita Baridi.

In reality however the geopolitical aims were very different. The political instability in the Balkans during the 1990’s was exacerbated by American determination to reduce Russia’s influence in the region, increase Europe’s dependency upon her and confer new legitimacy to NATO when it appeared increasingly redundant after the Cold War.

Mamlaka za Magharibi na hasa Marekani na Uingereza zilifanya kazi kuhakikisha Yugoslavia inagawanyika, kama alivyofichua Balozi wa Marekani nchini Yugoslavia wakati huo, Warren Zimmerman, mnamo Januari 1992, kabla ya kuanza kwa uhasama: ‘tunalenga kuivunja Yugoslavia kuwa nchi huru.’8 Tarehe 18 Machi 1992, Umoja wa Ulaya ulisimamia makubaliano huko Lisbon kati ya jamii za Waislamu wa Bosnia, Wakroeshia na Waserbia, yaliyogawanya jamhuri ya Serbia kuwa kantoni tatu za kikabila ambazo zingefanya kazi kama shirikisho linalofanya kazi kama nchi huru. Makubaliano haya yalivurugwa na Marekani, ambayo ilimshinikiza Rais wa Bosnia, Alija Izetbegovic, kuvunja makubaliano hayo kwa kutangaza uhuru wa nchi, akisema ‘hili lilihalalishwa na kura ya maoni ya Machi 1.’ Jose Cutileiro, Katibu Mkuu wa Muungano wa Ulaya Magharibi, alithibitisha: ‘kwa haki, Rais Alija Izethbegovic na wasaidizi wake walihimizwa kuvuruga makubaliano hayo na kupigania taifa moja la Bosnia na wapatanishi wa Magharibi.’ Hiki ndicho kilichosababisha vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe vya Bosnia.

The Western powers and specifically both the US and Britain worked for the fragmentation of Yugoslavia as was revealed by the then US Ambassador to Yugoslavia Warren Zimmerman in January 1992 before the outbreak of hostilities: ‘we are aiming for a dissolution of Yugoslavia into independent states.’8 On the 18th March 1992 the EU brokered a deal in Lisbon among Bosnian Muslims, Croats and Serb communities partitioning the Serb republic into three ethnically based cantons which would act as a confederation functioning as an independent state. This agreement was sabotaged by the US which urged the Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic to renege the deal by declaring statehood saying ‘this was justified by the referendum on March 1st.’. Jose Cutileiro, secretary general of the Western European union confirmed ‘to be fair President Alija Izethbegovic and his aids were encouraged to scupper the deal and to fight for a unitary Bosnian state by Western mediators.’ This is what caused the Bosnian civil war.

Leo hivi, wanajeshi 11,000 wamewekwa Bosnia, Kosovo na Makedonia kwa madai ya kulinda amani; hata hivyo, wanajeshi hao wamehakikisha kwamba maslahi ya kiuchumi ya Marekani yanalindwa. Aliyekuwa mbunge wa Marekani Lee Hamilton alisema katika gazeti la New York Times: ‘Tumechukua kikamilifu udhibiti wa Balkan. Maafisa wa Marekani wanatekeleza kazi za usimamizi juu ya nchi zote za Yugoslavia ya zamani. Kivitendo sisi ni procônsul.’ Mtaalamu wa masuala ya kijiografia Karen Talbot alithibitisha: ‘Azma ya Marekani na NATO, kwa gharama yoyote, ya kuikalia Kosovo na karibu Yugoslavia yote, inachochewa na kivutio cha rasilimali asilia nyingi. Kosovo pekee ina rasilimali za madini tajiri zaidi barani Ulaya upande wa magharibi wa Urusi.’ Gazeti la New York Times lilibainisha kwamba ‘mgodi mkubwa unaomilikiwa na serikali wa Trepca, mali yenye thamani zaidi katika Balkan, una thamani ya angalau dola bilioni 5, ukizalisha dhahabu, fedha, risasi safi, zinki, kadimiamu, pamoja na mamilioni ya dola za faida kila mwaka. Kosovo pia ina akiba ya makaa ya mawe ya tani bilioni 17, na Kosovo (kama Serbia na Albania) pia ina akiba ya mafuta.’

Today 11,000 troops are stationed in Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia allegedly for peace; however such troops have ensured US economic interests are secured. Former US congressman Lee Hamilton commented in the New York Times: ‘we have completely taken over the control of the Balkans. US officials exercise managing functions over all states of the former Yugoslavia. We are virtually the pro consul.’ Karen Talbot geopolitical expert confirmed ‘the determination by the U.S and NATO, at all costs, to occupy Kosovo and virtually all of Yugoslavia, is spurred on by the enticement of abundant natural resources. Kosovo alone has the richest mineral resources in all of Europe west of Russia.’ The New York Times observed that ‘the sprawling state-owned Trepca mining complex, the most valuable piece of real estate in the Balkans, is worth at least $5 billion, producing gold, silver, pure lead, zinc, cadmium, as well as tens of millions of dollars in profits annually. Kosovo also possesses 17 billion tons of coal reserves and Kosovo (like Serbia and Albania) also has oil reserves.

Rais Bill Clinton wakati huo alitoa kauli isiyotarajiwa: "Ikiwa tunataka kuwa na uhusiano imara wa kiuchumi unaojumuisha uwezo wetu wa kuuza bidhaa duniani kote, Ulaya lazima iwe kiungo muhimu…Hiyo ndiyo maana halisi ya suala la Kosovo."

President Bill Clinton at the time let slip ‘If we are going to have a strong economic relationship that includes our ability to sell around the world, Europe has got to be a key…That‘s what the Kosovo thing was all about.

Tangu mabomu yamekoma, kambi nyingi za kijeshi za Marekani zimeanzishwa katika Balkan. Kambi ya kijeshi inajengwa Kosovo, ambayo imeelezwa kuwa kambi kubwa zaidi ya kigeni ya Marekani kujengwa tangu Vita vya Vietnam. Utawala wa Marekani ndani ya NATO ulimaanisha kwamba uingiliaji wa vikosi vya NATO katika Balkan ungehakikisha ushawishi wa Marekani katika eneo hilo. Toleo lililovuja la ripoti ya Pentagon ya Mwongozo wa Mipango ya Ulinzi ya 1994-1999 linashauri kwamba Marekani "lazima itafute kuzuia kuibuka kwa mipango ya usalama ya Ulaya pekee ambayo ingedhoofisha NATO...Kwa hiyo, ni muhimu sana kuhifadhi NATO kama chombo kikuu cha ulinzi na usalama wa Magharibi, pamoja na njia ya ushawishi na ushiriki wa Marekani katika masuala ya usalama wa Ulaya.

Since the bombing has ended, numerous US bases in the Balkans have been set up. A military base is being built in Kosovo, described as the largest US foreign base built since the Vietnam War. US domination of NATO meant intervention by NATO forces in the Balkans would ensure US influence in the region. A leaked version of the Pentagon’s 1994-1999 Defense Planning Guidance report advises that the United States ‘must seek to prevent the emergence of European-only security arrangements which would undermine NATO...Therefore, it is of fundamental importance to preserve NATO as the primary instrument of Western defense and security, as well as the channel for US influence and participation in European security affairs.

Haya yote yanathibitisha kwamba ushawishi wa Urusi, mafuta ya Bahari ya Caspian, na kufufuliwa kwa NATO (ili kuendeleza ushawishi wa Marekani) yalikuwa malengo ya kijiografia nyuma ya uingiliaji wa Marekani na Magharibi.

This all confirms that the influence of Russia, the oil in the Caspian Sea and the revitalisation of NATO (to continue US influence) were the geopolitical aims behind US and Western intervention.

Maisha ya maelfu ya watu wasio na hatia na maisha ya wale waliouawa kikatili huko Srebrenica yalikuwa bei inayostahili kulipwa na Marekani ili kuendelea kutawala.

The lives of thousands of innocent people and the lives of those slaughtered in Srebrenica were a price worth paying by the US for continued US dominance.