Madam, – Aiden Hehir writes (Opinion, March 23rd) that “Kosovo had no oil [correct] or strategic value [incorrect]”.
In fact, what was claimed to be a “humanitarian” intervention, triggered by the staged “massacre” in Racak, to be followed by a period of international government of the province, has led to the establishment of “Bondsteel”, the largest US military base in the world, in preparation for the completion of the planned steel line facing Russia and the Middle East, stretching from the Baltic to Mediterranean.
What remains is the installation of radars and missiles in Poland and Czech Republic, and the coercion of Serbia to join Nato.
The campaign itself ran into PR trouble from every early on, particularly after the Nato bombing of an Albanian refugee column. It was only then that Jamie Shea was brought in as Nato spokesman and managed to turn wider public opinion in favour of Nato action.
As Mr Hehir states, this action has failed to achieve it stated objective: an independent, stable and democratic Kosovo.
It is a “state” unrecognised by the majority of UN General Assembly members, largely lawless, with no inward investment, its economy reliant on drug trade, people-trafficking, prostitution, racketeering, etc. Some international “achievement”! – Yours, etc,