Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07PRISTINA593
2007-07-31 15:47:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Pristina
Cable title:  

KOSOVO: SIGNS OF HARDLINE SERB CONSOLIDATION IN

Tags:  PGOV PINR PREL EAID PREF PHUM SOCI KV UNMIK 
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VZCZCXRO7086
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DE RUEHPS #0593/01 2121547
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 311547Z JUL 07
FM USOFFICE PRISTINA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7579
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO PRIORITY 0962
RUFOADA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1237
RHFMISS/AFSOUTH NAPLES IT PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR TF FALCON PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPGEA/CDR650THMIGP SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUFOANA/USNIC PRISTINA SR PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 000593 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI
EUR/ACE FOR DMAYHEW

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EAID PREF PHUM SOCI KV UNMIK
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SIGNS OF HARDLINE SERB CONSOLIDATION IN
RUN-UP TO FINAL STATUS

REF: A. PRISTINA 464

B. PRISTINA 520

C. PRISTINA 521

Classified By: CHIEF OF MISSION TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (b),(d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 PRISTINA 000593

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR DRL, INL, EUR/SCE
NSC FOR BRAUN
USUN FOR DREW SCHUFLETOWSKI
EUR/ACE FOR DMAYHEW

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/31/2017
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL EAID PREF PHUM SOCI KV UNMIK
SUBJECT: KOSOVO: SIGNS OF HARDLINE SERB CONSOLIDATION IN
RUN-UP TO FINAL STATUS

REF: A. PRISTINA 464

B. PRISTINA 520

C. PRISTINA 521

Classified By: CHIEF OF MISSION TINA KAIDANOW FOR REASONS 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Recent disturbing moves by Serb hardliners
linked with the Belgrade's Coordinating Center for Kosovo
(CCK) and the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) provide evidence
that Belgrade is working to sow fear and mistrust between
Kosovo Serbs and their Albanian and international
interlocutors. Kosovo Serbs, particularly those in enclaves
south of the Ibar river, have been pressured not to
participate in events linked to the international community
or the Kosovo government. Meanwhile, hardline Bishop
Artemije and others in the SOC and GOS have recently made
their own unhelpful moves, such as demanding the flying of a
Serbian flag over the recently reconstructed Monastery in
Zociste and persisting in their attempts to disrupt the work
of the Reconstruction Implementation Commission (RIC).
Although we have seen considerable unhappiness with this line
from Kosovo Serbs in the enclaves, we have no reason to
expect these hardliners to change their strategy. END
SUMMARY.

CCK PRESSURE ON THE SOUTH: VRBOVAC...


2. (C) In an apparent effort to consolidate its hold not
only in the north of Kosovo but within Serb enclave areas in
the south, we have seen increasing evidence of attempts by
Belgrade's Coordinating Center for Kosovo (CCK) to sow fear
and mistrust between local Serb communities and their
Albanian and international interlocutors. On July 6, we
received a report from USKFOR in Vrbovac (Vitina/Viti
municipality) describing a complaint by a local Serbian
Orthodox priest about the activities of Vrbovac CCK activist
Dejan Moskic. Moskic had made outrageous statements to local

Serb villagers, saying that the routine dismantling of a
USKFOR forward operating base was in fact a sign that
American troops would soon depart the area, to be replaced by
Russian troops who would "look for traitors" among the local
population. Moskic also encouraged local Serbs to wear "Tsar
Lazar Guard" t-shirts during the Vidovdan holiday June 28.
(Note: June 28 is the much-commemorated date of the 1389
Battle of Kosovo, in which Tsar Lazar was defeated by Ottomon
forces. End Note.)

...SILOVO...


3. (C) At the widely-covered inauguration of a UK-funded
sewage system in the Serb village of Silovo (Gjilan/Gnjilane
municipality) July 17, Kosovo media noted the boycott of the
event by the beneficiaries themselves, who were pressured not
to attend by former local CCK leader and local IDP activist
Milorad Todorovic. UK Liaison Office DPO Ruari O'Connell
told poloff that Todorovic attempted to block the
participation of PM Ceku and any other Albanian PISG
representatives from the event, but that the UK office went
ahead anyway because the local Serbs did not oppose the
project. Some local Serbs did appear, bravely asserting to
broadcaster RTK that they wished "both our governments could
cooperate." For his part, Ceku used his speech at the event
as an opportunity to highlight Belgrade's "manipulation" of
local Serbs.

...AND BRESTOVIK


4. (SBU) In the Serb village of Brestovik (Peje/Pec
Municipality),village leader Miodrag Dasic told the press
July 17 that the village is suffering a water shortage,
directly blaming the CCK and accusing it of blacklisting
Serbs who work with Kosovo institutions or the international
community and therefore prohibiting constructive cooperation
between the village and the municipality on these problems.
Saying that he had received no help from the CCK, he asked

PRISTINA 00000593 002 OF 003


the press "now that we are afraid to cooperate with anyone,
to whom can we turn?"
LITTLE TRACTION IN BABUSH


5. (C) Serb returnees to the Ferizaj/Urosevac-area village
of Srpski Babush (ref B) have also expressed their
displeasure with CCK and the Serbian government. In a July
12 interview with Kosovo Serb KiM radio, village leader
Novitsa Jovanovic expressed his frustration about the
complete lack of support from the Serbian government, and
told us July 18 that the village had yet to receive any help
from Serbia or the CCK, adding that KFOR MNTF-E U.S. BG
Earhart "will always be a welcome guest in our village"
because of his attention to returnees' needs after their
arrival in late June. During a July 21 CODEL visit to the
village, Jovanovic continued to praise USKFOR, UNDP,
Ferizaj/Urosevac municipality, and others for helping the
village, but never mentioned the Serbian government.

MITROVICA: PRESSURE ON SERBS WHO COOPERATE WITH USOP


6. (C) On July 9, Dajana Gosmanac, Kosovo Serb American
Corner Coordinator in north Mitrovica, reported to PAO that
she is under increasing pressure from local politicians, whom
she would not identify, because of her work with USOP. She
said she is told that she is "collaborating with the enemy,"
and that her daughter, who traveled to the U.S. last year on
a USG-funded fellowship, now feels ashamed of having done so.
Gosmanac, who has worked extensively with USOP in the past,
including participation in training seminars in Pristina and
Croatia, feared that politics was creeping into her everyday
work, which she sees as purely cultural.

PROVOCATIONS IN ZOCISTE, PRIZREN


7. (C) On July 13, nearly 2,000 Serbs attended a
celebration of the reconstruction of the Zociste monastery
(Rahovec/Orahovac municipality),during which a Serbian flag
was flown from the belfry. Local Albanians, including the
local KLA War Veterans Association, were offended by the
flag's continued presence in the days following the event and
by press interviews given by hardline Bishop Artemije to both
Kosovo- and Serbia-based media outlets in which he asserted
it was appropriate that the flag fly over Serbian territory,
adding that KFOR could take it down if it were so inclined.


8. (C) Moderate SOC leader Father Sava of Decani Monastery
(protect) told USOP that Artemije issued the original
instruction to fly the flag and has insisted that it remain
there regardless of the consequences, which Sava and his
patron, Bishop Teodosije, fear could stir conflict in Serb
communities near Orahovac. Upping the stakes, on July 26,
monks at the Holy Archangels Monastery outside Prizren also
raised a Serbian flag above their monastery. On July 29,
Holy Archangels monk Father Benedict gave an interview to the
Kosovo daily "Express," in which he said that the monastery
was Serbian territory and that Serbian flags would fly over
all SOC monasteries and churches in Kosovo. (Note: UNMIK and
KFOR are monitoring the situation closely and believe that
while it is not critical now, the continued presence of flags
above SOC sites could exacerbate extremist feelings among a
population fed up this summer with high temperatures, chronic
water shortages and delays in the decision on Kosovo's final
status. End Note).

ARTEMIJE STILL WORKING AGAINST CHURCH RECONSTRUCTION...


8. (C) According to Father Sava, Artemije has also refused
to bless churches reconstructed by the Reconstruction
Implementation Commission (RIC),and has not allowed nuns at
the Gracanica monastery to paint icons for a reconstructed
church in Pristina. Artemije refers to holy sites rebuilt by
the RIC as "Teodosije's churches," considering them an
abomination. During a July 21 meeting with CODEL Bean,
Artemije referred to "150 churches" destroyed since 1999, yet

PRISTINA 00000593 003 OF 003


refused to mention the RIC and its good work, much to the
dismay of Teodosije. Sava told us that "it is incredible how
much they (SOC hard-liners and the Serbian government) are
hysterically against reconstruction and anything constructive
in Kosovo."

...HAND IN HAND WITH BELGRADE


9. (C) Although hardline Serbian Ministry of Culture
representative Gordana Markovic has been replaced as the
official Serbian government delegate to the RIC (ref C),she
has continued her attempts to disrupt church reconstruction.
RIC chairwoman Emma Carmichael told poloff July 20 that she
has been compelled to intervene in order to prevent Markovic
from attending RIC meetings. Markovic forced herself into
the June RIC meeting, declaring that "Samardzic has
authorized me to be here," after which Carmichael asked her
to leave the building. Markovic reappeared for the July 17
meeting but was again stopped (this time at the front of the
building). Carmichael expressed relief that Serbian
President Boris Tadic's DS party controls the Ministry of
Culture, which in turn appoints Serbia's representative to
the RIC, thus insulating it from DSS-linked hardliners in the
Ministry for Kosovo.

LOCAL SERBS DESPAIR, BUT CANNOT EVADE THE MACHINATIONS


10. (C) Recent conversations with moderate Kosovo Serb
politicians Oliver Ivanovic and Lipljan major Momir Cankovic
provide some insight on how ordinary Serbs view these
machinations. Neither believed that Belgrade provides
largesse for Kosovo Serbs out of any real concern for their
welfare, but rather uses the threat of removing salaries,
pensions and other payments to maintain control in
Serb-majority areas. Cankovic expressed the common fear
among local Serbs that the Belgrade-provided public sector
salaries of Kosovo Serbs will be cut off once status is
resolved, a factor many Serbs are considering now in deciding
whether to stay or leave Kosovo in the event of an
independence declaration by Kosovar Albanians.

COMMENT


12. (C) While the evidence remains anecdotal, there appears
to be an emerging pattern both within the Belgrade-run CCK
and other institutions associated with it, like the Serb
Orthodox church, to enforce an increasingly strict policy of
separation between local Serb communities and both Albanian
and international interlocutors. In some cases, this has
extended even further into acts that are both provocative and
dangerous. We have not yet seen a Serb community refuse our
aid or cut off ties completely, but it has happened to other
international donors and it is clear to our colleagues at
USKFOR that CCK interference is in several instances
hampering their efforts to ensure close ties to Serb areas in
their AOR. We can expect such a pattern to intensify as
negotiations on Kosovo's status draw to a close and we move
closer to independence for Kosovo, though we are using every
methodology at hand to keep the lines of communication open
and clear. End comment.
KAIDANOW