Kosovo: The Foreign Policy Litmus Test (Updated)

By M.V. Pejakovich

Even the best of us have a hard time keeping up with all the subtleties of every foreign policy issue around the world and what each presidential candidate's position on that issue is. But of all the foreign policy issues, Kosovo is perhaps one of the best issue we could possibly use as a test of foreign policy ability for a presidential candidate, largely because it involves both integrity and how the candidate sees the role of the US in the world.

Today, we know that there was no "genocide of 100,000 Kosovars", neither on the ground, nor in the supposed "planning stages". It was all a propaganda production, designed to get us to support the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia and ultimately support Kosovo (Albanian) Independence. Today we also know that hundreds of thousands of dollars from Kosovo Albanian drug-runners, sex slavers and anti-American weapons dealers has been pouring into the campaign coffers of US members of Congress via the Albanian American Civic League for the last ten years in order for them to look the other way while over 150 Christian churches in Kosovo were destroyed and desecrated in the name of the USA. Further, the insistence of many of those same bought-off US members of Congress that we pretend that "Kosovo was a success and unilaterally grant Kosovo independence", has now put the US on a collision course with Russia in direct conflict with the best interests of America.

So which of the current crop of Presidential candidates, who include some of those who were in Congress in 1999, were honest and which ones were bought? Who stood up for American decency and who still actively supports the lie that "Kosovo was a success" and we should defend Islamofascists?

The Best

(R) Representative Ron Paul for his aggressive opposition to the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia, both during and after the bombing. Ron Paul also led a bi-partisan coalition that actually sued President Clinton for violating the War Powers Act as a result of the bombing. He continues to oppose Kosovo Independence and has dismissed all descriptions of the NATO Bombing as having supposedly been "humanitarian". Ron Paul is not a member of Serbian Caucus. But there is a "Serbs for Ron Paul" message board and an "Open Letter to Orthodox Christians" re supporting Ron Paul. Ron Paul gets all of his campaign contributions from individuals, with the average contributor donating less than $200. Although labeled “an isolationist” by his critics, Ron Paul believes in free international trade & defense of America, but not intervening in the politics of other countries . Overall, Ron Paul is a conservative libertarian Republican and anti-interventionist.

The Absolute Worst

(D) Senator Hillary Clinton who insisted that her husband initiate the NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia and who still tries to preserve the myth that it was "a success". See the recent dedicated article I did on Hillary. Hillary receives 63% of her campaign donations from individuals who donate $2300 or more and 37% from those who donate the maximum $4,600, in short, she is a "big money" candidate . Hillary Clinton is a socially liberal and aggressively interventionist.

(R) Senator John McCain who made his name nationally known by advocating the 1999 NATO Bombing, and the empowerment of radical Islamofascists in the Balkans. Back in 1999, McCain even advocated the we send American troops into Kosovo on behalf of the secessionist drug-running KLA. McCain has consistently been on the Albanian American Civic League's payroll and even marched with them a year after the NATO intervention. McCain doesn't mention that while he was a POW he shared a cell with US Captain, Congressional Medal of Honor winner & proud Serb-American Lance Sijan for whom the Air Force created the Lance P. Sijan Award. If Sijan were alive today, he wouldn't spit on the better part of John McCain. McCain receives 47% of his campaign donations from $2,300 or more contributors. McCain is a conservative Republican and aggressive interventionist.

SerbBlog Note: Should (God Forbid!) both McCain & Clinton each get their party's nominations for president, it would be a worst case scenario for America, and for all countries battling both illegal immigration and radical Islam!

The Jury is Still Out:

(D) Barack Obama wasn't in Congress during the 1999 NATO Bombing, but his campaign website advocates a negotiated division of Kosovo based on demographics. Barack Obama still promotes the illusion that "Kosovo was a success" (perhaps in the hopes of becoming Hillary's running mate?) While many would like to see Barack Obama as "a peace candidate", Obama has been doing more than flirting with the Congressional hawks in order to become more of a (Democratic) Party guy. The very things that might be appealing about Barack Obama, he is burying to "fit in" with the Democratic Party machinery. Barack Obama receives 46% of his donations from $2300+ contributions and 11% from $4,600 contributions. Barack Obama is a socially liberal Democrat and moderate interventionist. 3/3/Update: Barack Obama has finally released a wishy-washy statement to Serb Americans, that complimented his other wishy-washy statement on Kosovo independence.

As one commentator said of it:

A tepid letter filled with platitudinous waffle, misnamed "Obama Appeals to the Serbs," has been posted at various Serbian sites (e.g. http://www.serbianna.com/news/2008/01566.pdf ). It is still being circulated, without commentary but with the implication that this is somehow a positive development.

Even a cursory glance shows that this is, in reality, an unimaginative exercise in "ethnic outreach" penned by some junior campaign staffer. It is in the same league with a similar effort by John Kerry's campaign to placate the Serbs in October 2004. Both epistles are deeply devious, and as devoid of political meaning as any document offered by the EU for signature to Serbia in recent months.

The question that remains unanswered is simple and straightforward:

"Senator Obama: If elected President, will you order de-recognition by the United States of the illegal Albanian quasi-state that was self-proclaimed in the Serbian province of Kosovo last February 17?"

If he is not prepared to give a clear answer, he does not get the Serb vote -- period.

(R) Mike Huckabee wasn’t in Congress in 1999, and I can find no references to statements made by Huckabee re Kosovo or the Balkans. Until recently, Huckabee has been hard to nail down on any foreign policy specifics which is perhaps why he was doing well in the polls, he was a blank slate on which a voter could write their own foreign policies from his general statements. But Mike Huckabee did reveal his policies in “America's Priorities in the War on Terror”, once again focusing on what he thinks that average Americans want to hear – “kinder, gentler worldwide foreign policies”, but “big bad Russia” – if it sounds familiar, it should, it was once said by a Bush. Huckabee receives 37% of his campaign donations from $2300 contributors. Huckabee is a big government, “nanny state Republican” (as much as that should be an oxymoron) and an interventionist who supports surrounding Russia with missiles. (Update: Huckabee has recruited a marine for his campaign who is telling Kosovo Albanian fairy tales. Mike could be joining the "the Worst" list soon, if he continues pandering to McCain's Albanian fan club.)

Side-liners (Withdrawn Candidates & Potential Running Mates)

(D) Representative Dennis Kucinich (Best) for both his opposition to the NATO Bombing and his insistence on the idea that the Serbian side must be heard in Congress if any real peace is to be achieved. Dennis Kucinich was part of the bipartisan coalition who sued President Clinton. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, has tried to prohibit funding for the Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC), the successor to the KLA now being protected by U.N. troops as a result of the outcome of the conflict. Kucinich said an internal United Nations Report found the KPC responsible for violence, extortion, murder and torture. Dennis Kucinich get all of his campaign contributions from individuals, with the average contributor donating less than $200. Dennis Kucinich is a member of the Serbian Caucus in Washington DC. Dennis Kucinich is a socially liberal Democrat who is non-interventionist.

(R) Representative Tom Tancredo, (Best)

(D) John Edwards, (Worst)who although he voted against the 1999 Bombing of Yugoslavia, did vote to use all necessary force (American troops) once we were engaged. His statement: “We saw the success of NATO in the Kosovo operation under President Clinton.” Edwards wants to expand NATO and Edwards called for a combination of U.S. and NATO actions to accelerate the peacekeeping process and engage in Darfur. Edwards receives 39% of his campaign contributions from $2300+ donations and 16% from $4600 donations. Edwards is a liberal Democrat and, perhaps a well-meaning interventionist, but an interventionist none the less.

(R) Fred Thompson (Worst) for his vote to authorize the “use of all necessary force” (American troops) in the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia. Other than McCain, Thompson is the only Republican who still promotes the lie that the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia was “a success”, even though Thompson initially voted against the airstrikes. Thompson supports the war in Iraq and is eyeing Iran as the next target. Thompson receives 38% of his campaign donations from $2300+ donations. Thompson is a neocon Republican and an aggressive interventionist. (Withdrawn from the Race)

(D) Senator Joe Biden (Worst) for so much that I don't know where to start. Biden, not only backed the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia, he co-sponsored the bill with Senator John McCain that would have put American troops on the ground in Kosovo. Like Clinton, Biden is an avid advocate of Kosovo Independence. Most recently, Biden wrote an article describing why "all Kosovo critics must be stopped" -- obviously forgetting that the US stands for something called "freedom of speech". A connected Democrat friend of mine once said to me, "Biden is a complete idiot and everyone here on the Hill knows Biden is a complete idiot, but he is electable and he's our (Democrat) idiot". Enough said. Biden receives 58% of his campaign donations from those who donate $2300 or more, with 25% coming from $4,600 contributors. Biden is a socially liberal Democrat and aggressive interventionist. (Has withdrawn from the race)

(R) Rudy Giuliani (?)also wasn't in Congress during the 1999 NATO Bombing of Yugoslavia. Giuliani's main connection to Kosovo appears to have been as US Attorney back in 1985, when the Albanian drug mafia put "a hit" out on him. Otherwise, I can find no specific reference directly tied to Kosovo. Giuliani does hit all the right chords in making people think that he "understands Islamic terrorists", but his recent foreign policy treatise makes him sound like he doesn't have clue as to what the Presidency can & can't do. (How do you punish countries for "anti-Americanism"?) Giuliani receives 60% of his contributions from those who donate $2,300+ and 19% from $4600 contributions. Rudy Giuliani is a moderate Republican and (verbally) aggressive interventionist. (withdrawn from the Race)

(R) Mitt Romney (?) had no history or statements on Kosovo, although he sees Russia as more of a partner in defeating terrorism, rather than pretending that the Cold War is still on. Romney has the endorsement of Tom Tancredo and Rick Santorum, who were both members of the Serbian Caucus, and much of Tancredo's former team are now with Romney. Romney understands radical Islam and plans to stop it in its tracks. Romney was a successful venture capitalist before entering politics and has financed a significant part of his own campaign. However from individual donations, 49% come from donors of $2,300+ Romney is a Conservative Republican, and an interventionist.