ClarkCast 013: Reflections on Kosovo
June 4, 2006
transcript by Reg NYC

Hello, everyone. Well, I'm going to be putting on the web my slides and pictures from my recent trip to Kosova. I was over there for three days.

I went at the request of the Prime Minister of, of Kosova. He's a former General named Agim Çeku. I met him after the war when he came out of hiding, and we were trying to figure out what to do with all these fighters.

We wanted them to be demilitarized, but we knew that they would hang around together no matter what we did. So, with the support of the United Nations and NATO, we created something called The Kosova Protection Corps, and General Çeku served in that, developed it. And it was used for civil support and basically as a fraternal organization for the fighters who'd fought to prepare the way for Kosova's independence. And he was pulled from this position as a non-political person about three months ago and, in order to become the Prime Minister of Kosova.

General Çeku asked me to come over and, and see him, see Kosova, and if I could give some words of encouragement or advice, then I would be able to do that. So, I made the trip, got back last Friday night.

It was a fabulous experience. First time I've been back in the country since I gave up my command in NATO. Lot's of construction, and the weather was, was gorgeous. People were incredibly friendly, and I got to do a lot there. We, we had dinner with all of the international people the first night I got there.

The next morning, I met with the team that's responsible for preparing the negotiations for the international community to assure Kosova's independence. Then I spoke to their, at their assembly, which will be the, the Parliament of Kosova when it becomes independent. We went out and, and had a, a quick bite to eat. We drove up to the town of Vu?itrn, where they named a street after me. I went to a factory. We came back, and I was honored at their civic center with a, a ballet and, and, and some flowers and a presentation. Met a little boy on the way out (laughs) who was named after me. It was just a wonderful day, day and a half in, in Kosova.

I came away very encouraged - lots of progress has been made - but also concerned, because it's time for the international community to move forward, give the Kosovars their independence. There has to be some assurances for the Serb population. And in this part of the world, like in every other part of the world, there's hard-heads on all sides, but people have got to move past the events of the 1980s and 90s in, in, in Kosova. We've got to get independence, fix the legal structure, get foreign investment in there, provide jobs, and with those jobs the opportunities for advancement.

These are wonderful people. The Albanian people are family people. They're proud of their families. They're proud of their heritage. I was just so thrilled to be back there. I met so many wonderful, warm, friendly people. So many of them speak English. They have relatives in the United States, but they have their own culture, and they're very proud of it.

So, I hope you'll enjoy these pictures. I will say this, It's probably the only place in the world where an American can go and be welcomed by ten thousand school children wearing American flags and have it a genuine welcome.

Thanks a lot. I hope you'll be as enthusiastic about it as I am.

It shows that there's a way for America to take action in the world and do it right, bring hope, bring freedom and do it with a minimum of force - diplomacy first, force only, only, only as a last resort, and then only in the case of the extreme provocation.

You know in Kosova we acted only because there was ethnic cleansing underway by the Serb forces under Slobodan Milosevic, for no other reason. And we acted with great reluctance. But when I went back and saw the people, I was very, very proud of what we did, and proud to have been a part of all that.

Thank you again and hope you'll have a great day.