Ultimately, as long as the West still hopes to build a "dem(on)ocracy" in Kosovo with the same people who are actively training terrorist groups and planning further attacks against remaining Serbs and NATO, those moderate Kosovo Albanians who see that the future of their people and Kosovo province is not in terrorism and violence will remain isolated both by their extremist compatriots and by pragmatic Western bureaucrats. The Balkan troubleshooters must plug into Kosovo reality and understand that Kosovo Albanian extremist leaders are only manipulating the masses and making them believe that they can create their ethnic Albanian Eldorado overnight without offering them any clear vision of a civilized and economically sustainable society. That is why tens of thousands of angry protesters shouting the mantra UCK (KLA) are just repeating what they are told but not necessarily what they themselves would have believed if they had been told the truth by the West. Albanian extremists with their mafia sponsors and partners control most of the media in Kosovo, local TV and radio stations and can easily mobilize large crowds by inflammatory speeches and war songs. It may sound funny, but one of the most efficient communication tools for orchestrating the March ethnic cleansing and riots was the VALA mobile telephone system which worked flawlessly the entire time. It is simply amazing that it took several days for KFOR experts to figure out how such large crowds can be so easily transported and directed throughout the province from the villas of the KLA warlords in Pristina (just a few hundred meters far from KFOR headquarters).

The crucial problem in Kosovo is not its status, or the right of self-determination or social problems. The problem lies in the wrong belief that an ethnically clean and independent Kosovo is the only thing which may satisfy Kosovo Albanians and grant them prosperity. Regrettably, many international politicians with their statements very much contributed to this deception. Kosovo may eventually become independent, all the Serbs may have to leave and their holy sites may be reduced to ashes but that will essentially not solve any of the crucial problems. In fact, this will only institutionalize Albanian terrorism and encourage its further development, destabilizing the entire region. The success of extremism in Kosovo will create a precedent for extremists in other countries and Europe will face a series of Kosovo-like attempts to achieve political goals by terrorism. Kosovo will become a safe haven for terrorist attacks and mafia while Kosovo institutions will continue to be used (as is already the case) as a mere cover for spreading of an intricate terrorist and mafia network all across Europe. Like a perforated ulcer, poison from Kosovo will spill over across the continent.

Some bureaucrats in the West (some of whom actually visited Kosovo once or twice on safari to Pristina) believe that the "cheapest" solution of recognizing independence may actually salvage their "credibility" (as if they had any left after five years of blunders). But they are completely wrong on several accounts. First, history will remember them as the godfathers of a first terrorist state in Europe and sponsors of ethnic cleansing. Second, sooner or later, they will have to deal with their monstrous creation in a rougher way. However, the possibilities for the West to deal with the Kosovo problem at that point will be far more limited than they are now. That is why the West should not lose momentum but deal with problems in the right way and at the right time. Constantly turning back the clock in order to make everything look fine is the strategy of losers and the Albanian extremists understand this very well.

The question remains: will the March 17 lesson bring about the same sort of decisions as the Sep. 11 tragedy in New York or will it soon be forgotten like some unpleasant nightmare? The following weeks and months will tell.

E.K.