Military

CROATIA: "Milosevic No Longer A Danger To FRY, Its Neighbors"

Boris Vlasic commented in Zagreb-based Jutarnji list (10/6): "Slobodan Milosevic lost power yesterday. After heading Serbia and Yugoslavia since 1987--a period during which he attacked three successor countries of the former Yugoslavia--Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina; sent his army against Kosovo; and threatened Montenegro with war--Milosevic is no longer a danger to FRY's neighbors, nor to Yugoslavia itself.... He brought Croatia four years of life under war conditions, occupied a third of its territory, forced thousands of refugees to dwell in barracks in various refugee camps. He compelled them to be grateful for humanitarian donations, with which they were feeding their children and families, while his soldiers left devastation behind them, from which Croatia is still trying to recover and to rebuild.... Milosevic's conflict with Yugoslavia's citizens began in 1996, when he refused to accept the opposition's victory in local elections. Vojislav Kostunica said yesterday that extraditing Milosevic to The Hague was not his priority, nor a necessity, since he's a 'prisoner in his own country.' It's known that Kostunica rejected cooperation with ICTY, basing his political program firmly on nationalist principles, according to which Serbia does not intend to step back even for a meter for all that its citizens had done and in what they had participated.... The citizens of Yugoslavia are happy with Milosevic's descent from power, and the neighboring countries can only evaluate the international community's determination to punish those who were with Milosevic, who supported him, and with whose help he engaged in wars. They can be, most probably, found among those very people who were indulging in conciliatory hugging with Milosevic's policemen yesterday, after the protests."

SLOVENIA: "Serb Nation Reacts; And The West?"

Left-of-center Delo opined in a front-page editorial (10/6): "Evidently the situation has ripened enough to make the Serbian nation (re)act like this. It is not as a result of democratic efforts of the West. As long as people in the FRY were convinced that they were winning their war for a country of all Serbs...Milosevic could maintain--and after NATO's adventure even strengthen--his position. But, as soon as it became evident that the Serbs lost this war, the very people who had enthusiastically supported Milosevic, turned away from him. Including...the military and the police. And the West? It needed a different interlocutor in order to reconstruct Serbia. In the course of time, the West no longer cared if Draskovic, Dindic, or even Seselj replaced Milosevic; so much the better if Milosevic is replaced by an unknown Kostunica who is believed to be democratic. They can quickly agree about conditions; and lift the sanctions; and officially assign to Yugoslavia its seat in the UN. Nobody will pay much attention to the upset...republics of the former Yugoslavia."

"Serbs Are A Different Nation Now"

Left-of-center, independent Dnevnik held (10/6): "Starting yesterday, nothing will be as it used to be in Yugoslavia, should defeated Milosevic...end as a 'Slobonescu,' or--sitting in a tank...and paving the square in front of the parliament with bodies of inhabitants of Belgrade--transform his election defeat into a glorious victory.... Slobo has remained deaf; yesterday, he did not hear the roaring of the thousands who were demanding his head.... Hidden and well protected, he was plotting with a few loyal military and police officers how to transform the most recent defeat into victory.... But all Serbs beaten during past ten years...are no longer a crowd following him....

"They are a different nation. A new generation has grown which...is fed up with living in material and intellectual poverty and with its future stretching no further than till tomorrow.... People are tired of the openings of half-reconstructed bridges, power plants which no longer function.... Milosevic has done everything necessary to remain the beloved leader.... He just has not read Bertold Brecht.... Otherwise he would follow Brecht's statement that the only resort for a defeated dictator is to replace the people. It is too late to do it now."

BRITAIN: "To Save Serbia"

The conservative Times said in its lead editorial (10/6): "United as they have never been before, and not only against Milosevic, but behind a leader who has shown them a democratic alternative, the courageous, persistent defiance of the Serbian people has shown how brittle the dictatorial structures of communist control are once they begin to crack. This was, overwhelmingly, a peaceable, even cheerful display of civil disobedience, the sort of 'people power' Mr. Kostunica insisted could of itself force Mr. Milosevic to respect the election result.... Once the flames had begun snaking though the parliament building and the detested RTS state television, this epic confrontation had reached the point, critical in all mass revolts, beyond which only the most massive and brutal armed retaliation can reverse the great tide of popular willpower."

"The Overthrow Of Milosevic"

The independent Financial Times sounded this note of caution in its lead editorial (10/6): "The West can help by encouraging Mr. Milosevic's opponents without undermining their independence. If they were seen as NATO stooges, the overwhelming support that exists for Mr. Kostunica could vanish. He is wise to keep clear of foreign contacts.... First, Mr. Milosevic has to show he recognizes the reality that his reign is over. That could come at any moment. The West should hold back until it does."

"Farewell To A Tyrant"

The liberal Guardian said in its lead editorial (10/6): "If Slobodan Milosevic still believes this morning that he is the president of Yugoslavia, he must be the only person in the world who does. In the end, after years of repression, lies and war-mongering, months of growing, spreading opposition, and a week of tumultuous protests, strikes and intense political pressure, his downfall came swiftly, joyously and largely without bloodshed.... Mr. Kostunica now faces daunting challenges in reuniting and rebuilding a shattered country. The West must do all it can to help, for example by ending sanctions. But right now, such worries can wait. For this, truly, is a moment of history to be savored to the full."

FRANCE: "Milosevic's Last Battle"

Isabelle Lasserre maintained in right-of-center Le Figaro (10/6): "The countdown has started for the last European Dictator.... Slobodan Milosevic is today losing the last battle, the most important of all, the one that sets him against his own people."

"Milosevic, The Ceausescu Syndrome"

Charles Lambroschini opined in right-of-center Le Figaro (10/6): "Slobodan Milosevic finally fell. Despite his reconversion to nationalism, the last Bolshevik of history is caught up by history. Eleven years after the vanishing of communism, the last stone of the Berlin Wall finally fell.... What the Western countries had not achieved with their airplanes against Saddam Hussein or Slobodan Milosevic, the population of Belgrade achieved through the strength of its faith. Yugoslavia liberated itself alone. The Serbs created their own democracy themselves."

"Welcome To Europe"

Jacques Amalric declared in left-of-center Liberation (10/6): "A whole population started last night to emerge from a ghetto of resignation and hate.... It was a matter of dignity. And, tomorrow it will be our role to say 'Welcome to Europe.' Not because everything will be simple with a liberated Serbia, but because by sending away the Milosevics, with their accomplices, their confederates, and their obsessions and hunger for power and money, the Serbs have made a very democratic gesture.... Let's not be mistaken: nationalist Kostunica's Serbia will not be an easy and multiethnic partner, forgetful of all the humiliations of the NATO war.... It will take time, intelligence, compromises and credits. But at least hope is there."

"Milosevic: The Point Of No Return"

Yves Cornu judged in right-of-center weekly Le Point (10/6): "It is often the case with authoritarian regimes: All signs point to stability until the day when, without warning, the evidence of the fall imposes itself. Thirteen years after his nomination to the leadership of the Communist League of Serbia, Slobodan Milosevic has reached the point of no return."

"Revolt Achieved What Air Strikes Did Not"

Claude Cabanes wrote in communist L'Humanite (10/6): "The Serb population, like in other countries, longs for those simple things it has been deprived of for so long by Slobodan Milosevic: to live in peace, without having to shed its own blood or that of others; to live free, by deciding itself and choosing the person it wants to trust; to live morally in comfort and dignity that international sanctions have denied it.... Actually, the fate of tyrants depends only on the people who live under the tyranny: The October 6 revolt achieved what the nights and days of NATO air strikes did not achieve. We may consider that the strategy of NATO gave a reprieve to the leader of Yugoslavia: In 1996, the country was already shaken by tremendous demonstrations."

GERMANY: "Not Just Milosevic"

Berthold Kohler opined on the front page of right-of-center Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (10/6): "With Milosevic's ouster, Serbia will not turn into a model pupil of democracy. Milosevic stands for a criminal, nationalist frame of mind for which there is no longer any space in Europe. This is why it is a stupidity to portray him as an isolated problem and to offer him exemption from punishment to free his fellow countrymen from him."

"From Gdansk To Kolubara"

Peter Muench noted in centrist Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Munich (10/6): "Yugoslavia has now reached the stage which the eastern Europeans reached in the fall and winter of 1989. The Serbs feel the wind of change at their backs and many want to see the miners of Kolubara as the Yugoslav version of the heroic shipbuilders from Gdansk. At that time, the neighbors from the Warsaw Pact took the right direction when they were at a crossroads. The Serbs, however, are revolving in a traffic circle. Many roads are leaving this circle and it is not yet clear upon which path the Serbs will embark."

"Storm In Belgrade"

Katja Ridderbusch argued on the front page of right-of-center Die Welt of Berlin (10/6): "The last dictatorship in Europe is faltering. It was not NATO that shook it up, it was not Russia...it was not the West. The regime in Belgrade is faltering because of the anger, the energy, the revolt of the Serbs themselves, the people who seemed to have fallen into apathy, into cynicism, into passivity, and resignation....

"The Serbian people can be pleased by the fact that they freed themselves from their paralysis and have now hopefully started the final march against the Milosevic regime."

"The End Of All Tricks"

Karl Grobe judged in left-of-center Frankfurter Rundschau (10/06): "Milosevic is losing the instruments of power. Journalists who were gagged and forced to keep course, are revolting. The rallies in the 'free cities' in the Serbian province cannot be stopped. These are the accords for a farewell march for Milosevic. What began as a protest against the usual manipulations of the regime has now turned into a comprehensive movement against the Belgrade oligarchy. It contains much hope for an overdue improvement. But only a new democratic power will succeed in meeting these hopes--with quick European assistance."

"Opposition At Still At Loggerheads"

Right-of-center Maerkische Oderzeitung of Frankfurt on the Oder held (10/6): "The West has to deal with an opposition that is at loggerheads with each other. Its smallest common denominator is Milosevic's ouster. Kostunica became presidential candidate, because he never made any agreements with the regime. His real rivals for power are Zoran Djindjic and Vuk Draskovic. They only thing that unites them is their fervent nationalism. They condemned NATO's moves last year and want Kosovo to become part of Serbia again, although this is totally unrealistic. Whatever the outcome of the conflict in Belgrade, the problems for the West will not diminish."

ITALY: "When A Regime Falls"

Prominent foreign affairs commentator Franco Venturini front-paged this view in centrist, top-circulation Corriere della Sera (10/6): "The silent Milosevic now has to choose between an increasingly risky imitation of Saddam Hussein and an increasingly possible Ceausescu-style end.... As we hold our breaths about Yugoslavia's fate, we cannot ignore the basic impotence of the world's leading nations, their inability to really influence events, their distance from the riots and the passions in the streets of Belgrade.... We still need the weight of a policy that cannot be limited to the use of sanctions, there should still be a world hierarchy that...had courageously promised a 'new order.' Instead, regional crises, illegitimate tyrants and growing nationalism are proof, in Belgrade and elsewhere, of an unrealistic approach on the part of the superpowers.... Milosevic may now play into our hands by giving up before being overthrown. That would be the time to sing the praises of the Serbian people, and certainly not to take credit for our undeserved triumph."

"Serbia Returns To Europe"

Lucio Caracciolo commented in left-leaning, influential La Repubblica (10/6): "Serbia was born again yesterday in the streets of Belgrade.... Literally at a crossroads between life and death, it has redeemed itself from ten of the darkest years of its history. We don't know what will happen to Milosevic, but we do know that his people have turned against him, with the desperate anger of those who know they don't have any alternative.... The Serbs have begun to rebuild the interrupted road that, one day, will reunite them with Europe.... As for Kostunica, he will not be an easy interlocutor. Unlike Milosevic, interested mainly in his own personal power, Kostunica cares about the interests of his country. He is an all-out nationalist, albeit a democratic one. It will take time before we can assess his intentions and his ability. But we can start hoping again at this point. No minor achievement in a country and a region that were apparently without prospects for the future.... For the West, this is the time for discretion. The opposition has let it be known to the Europeans and the Americans that the best way to help it is to maintain a low profile. Kostunica is not, and does not want to be, 'our man in Belgrade.'

"Let's not forget that Serbia is practically united against NATO, and not only due to the bombs and the sanctions.... Kostunica himself is against The Hague international tribunal.... In these hours, the Serbian people are earning the right for themselves to decide about the fate of the man that, along with many others, has been their ruin."

"The Defeat Of A Dark Nationalism"

Prominent defense/strategic analyst Stefano Silvestri judged in leading, business Il Sole-24 Ore (10/6): "One thing is certain.... Milosevic has lost the support of the Serbian people.... De facto, we have two presidents in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as of this time: A situation that cannot continue for long.... We should be optimistic once again, since we are witnessing a new miracle of democracy in a former totalitarian country."

"Either Suicide Or China"

Michele Tito held on the front page of centrist Il Messaggero (10/6): "What can Milosevic do at this point? Shoot himself, escape to China?... The assault on the Serbian Parliament has the meaning, the value and the consequences of a revolutionary act. It marks the end of the false legality of the Milosevic regime.... The opposition that has prevailed in Serbia certainly is not of the kind that the West has imagined. His leader is a capable man and will look to the fate of Serbia in a new way, distant from the old myths of the Byzantine tradition. But it is not certain that he will be willing to run all the risks and to accept all the difficulties that, even with the end of the sanctions, Serbia must accept in order to hope for a restoration of normality.... And it is not certain that the international community will be able to honor its commitment to bring Milosevic before The Hague International Court."

"Clinton's Threat: 'I Want A Trial'"

Arturo Zampaglione reported in left-leaning, influential La Repubblica (10/6): "Bill Clinton hailed the democratic insurrection in Belgrade with enthusiastic, almost rhetorical tones, but immediately pointed out two things: One, that Washington has no intention whatsoever to intervene militarily in the Yugoslav crisis; and, two, that deep differences exist between the White House and Vojislav Kostunica.... The 'differences' concern mainly the fate of Slobodan Milosevic. Kostunica is against handing him over to The Hague International Court.... But Clinton does not want to give in and renounce a symbolic process of the man who is responsible for a decade of wars and massacres in the Balkans.... There is an atmosphere of general mobilization within the administration.... The priority for the Americans is to convince Moscow to officially recognize Kostunica as the winner of the elections and the future president of Serbia.... The second goal is to prevent sudden reactions on the part of the Serb police and armed forces."

RUSSIA: "Last Act Of Yugoslav Drama"

Reformist Vremya Novostei ran this by Fyodor Lukyanov and Andrei Stakhov (10/6): "It looks like the last act of the Yugoslav drama. The chronicle of the disintegration of greater Yugoslavia is a story of all its participants--people in the Balkans, the West, Russia and international organizations--making the same mistakes over and over again. With variations, this happened in Croatia in the early 1990s, in Bosnia in the mid-1990s, and in Kosovo in the late 1990s."

"The Worst Scenario"

Georgy Stepanov stated on page one of reformist Izvestiya (10/6): "Again, the Yugoslavia crisis is following the worst of scenarios. The country is on the brink of a civil war. Milosevic is true to himself. It is his style. He will fight.

"He can also try to embroil us in this war, on his side. We will lose what little authority we still have if we keep to our incoherent position or, worse, do Milosevic's bidding should he start a new anti-Western game."

"Russia's Late"

Gennady Sysoyev contended in reformist, business-oriented Kommersant (10/6): "Moscow was quite justified doing its utmost to stave off violence in Yugoslavia as a way to solve the crisis. But it used the wrong tactics. It worried lest it should offend Milosevic, instead of trying to persuade him at least to correlate the official results of the vote with the opposition's. The tactics of appeasement gave Milosevic the idea that the Russians were on his side. The crisis is far from over. So Russia can still play an important role, provided it acknowledges two obvious things: One, the overwhelming majority of Yugoslavs does not want President Milosevic, and two, playing up to him only prolongs the agony of the regime."

"Revolution Of New Generation"

Ksenia Fokina remarked on page one of centrist Nezavisimaya Gazeta (10/6): "What is happening in Belgrade these days looks like a revolution of a new generation."

"U.S. Torpedoes Putin's Initiative"

Editor-in-chief Viktor Linnik of neo-communist Slovo claimed (10/6): "Vladimir Putin's idea of talks between Milosevic and Kostunica in Moscow is all but dead, torpedoed by the United States of all countries. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department stated that Milosevic, once he landed in Moscow, should be arrested and turned over to The Hague tribunal. So much for Russia's mediation. That is another instance of the United States trying to show who wears the pants in the family called 'international community.' Clearly, Russia's foreign ministry overlooked things, failing to appreciate the gravity of the situation. It was an error resulting in Russia not being prepared for a dramatic turn of events in the Balkans."

"This Is How Revolutions Start"

Under this headline, reformist Vremya MN (10/6) ran a page-one report by Yulia Petrovskaya in Belgrade: "Responsibility for the bloodshed is on both parties. The Milosevic regime, which manipulated the results of the presidential, parliamentary and local elections, refused to admit its defeat. The opposition, for the first time having real power within its reach and swearing not to shed a single drop of blood on the way to it, has all along demonstrated its readiness for any course of events. As it called on all of Serbia to come to Belgrade on the fourth day of the civil disobedience action, it could not but realize what the convergence of hundreds of thousands of virtually uncontrollable people might lead to."

"Serbs Bombed, Betrayed"

Nationalist, opposition Zavtra (10/5) front-paged a lead by its editor-in-chief Aleksandr Prokhanov: "Milosevic is all but finished in the Balkans. The Serbs have resigned themselves to the idea that they have lost Kosovo and are about to lose Montenegro. Crushed by bombs and betrayed by Russia, they have bowed to the will of Albright and the U.S. Sixth Fleet. Now they are ready to elect a pro-American president, and the Serb Orthodox Church is sending him greetings."

AUSTRIA: "Slobo, Or: An Obituary"

Mass-circulation Kurier had this by foreign affairs editor Livia Klingl (10/6): "During ten years Slobodan Milosevic has kept the world, but mainly his own people, in suspense--the first with privileges, and the latter with tanks. He provoked wars and played the guarantor of peace. But above all: He made the Serbs and the world believe that nothing would go without him. Now the bad strategist has overdone it; he misjudged the symptoms of the times and did not take into consideration the Serbian mentality: An internally weakened man is no longer feared. Within a few days, the oppressed lost their fear. The last democratic revolution in Central Europe began.... Milosevic has lost all the wars; including this last one. He does not have any more friends in the world and hardly any in Serbia. Still, nobody dared to predict the outcome of this historic moment. Would he stamp all over the grass like a dying elephant? Or would a call from Moscow divert a civil war? According to last night's rumors, he has fled from Belgrade. And there was the hope that the Serbs had liberated themselves."

BULGARIA: "The Street Won't Let Slobo Complete His Term Next June"

Center-left Sega opined (10/6): "This time there will be a solution for Yugoslavia's problems. The genie is out of the bottle and no power is capable of forcing it back. The street will decide the country's future. The outcome is pretty much clear--a victory of the opposition, followed by Kostunica's inauguration as Yugoslavia's president... The end of Slobo is near. If the NATO air strikes consolidated the Serbian people and made the president stronger, the country's catastrophic condition, which is the result of numerous wars, finally made the Serbs force his ouster."

"Serbia's Civilized Revolution"

Left-leaning weekly 168 Chassa commented (10/6): "Contrary to the apocalyptic scenarios, Serbia is acting in quite a civilized way--going to the election polls and then participating in the protests. The lack of excess on the part of Milosevic and his disenchanted fellow citizens once again shows the complete lack of understanding that Western politicians and their expert advisors have demonstrated all this time regarding the Serbian reality."

CZECH REPUBLIC: "After The Breaking Point"

Tomas Loskot commented in leftist Pravo (10/6): "For ten years, Slobodan Milosevic has managed to keep his position by power and political moves. However, in the course of the years, he became an unsupportable rock on the throat of the Serbian people. Whatever the course of events will be, one thing is clear: Milosevic made the crucial mistake not to step down himself. It is true that the international warrant has chased him to a corner and deprived him of the possibility to leave legally. There nevertheless is no doubt that the dictator he is maintains the possibility of an unrecognized departure from the country. He has lost everything to his own nation. In the end--the victory of democracy, freedom and European values is also in the interest of the Czech Republic and all its citizens."

"Journey To Europe Shorter For Yugoslavs And Czechs"

Petr Zavadil noted in the centrist Lidove Noviny (10/6): "And it is not only about the possible financial profit from participation on the Balkans reconstruction, or from doing business with developing Yugoslavia. Even the Czech Republic will have it closer to Europe after the return of Serbia to Europe. It will be possible to drive to Bulgarian beaches. We would be able to travel by coach safely even to Greece, Turkey, Albania or Macedonia. The return of Yugoslavia to the family of free European nations will be another step for healing the dividing lines in Europe that politicians like to talk about. It will be a step toward erasing the lines drawn on the continent by nationalism, Nazism and communism.

"Not only in the abstract sense of the word. They were real."

DENMARK: "The End For Milosevic"

Center-right Berlingske Tidende observed (10/6): "Putin was not among the foreign leaders who called for Milosevic to step down. Yet again, Putin only offered to act as a mediator in the conflict. The West, which for years has urged the Serb people to depose Milosevic must now live up to its promises to provide massive aid to the Serb people. We owe this to the demonstrators in Belgrade."

"Milosevic's Death Throes"

Center-left Politiken noted (10/6): "The fact that the Serbs themselves succeeded in toppling Milosevic from power paves the way for their return to normality and democracy. Milosevic's deeds have also tarnished a large number of people in Serbia, but a new Serbia still deserves massive international aid as well as the lifting of sanctions. Emergency aid will help Serbia to once again become a part of Europe. The events of yesterday show that Serbia is headed in the right direction."

HUNGARY: "End-Game In Belgrade"

Foreign policy writer Ivan Zsolt Nagy stated in influential, liberal-leaning Magyar Hirlap (10/5): "From now on, Yugoslavia and Kostunica will have to prove themselves. Kostunica will have to prove that his nationalist statements were more campaign rhetoric and less the main themes of his policy. The now triumphantly celebrating opposition must prove that what will follow is not its own inside fight for power, but also prove that it will be able to continue to cooperate in the country's interests. The people will have to wake up from the tragic nightmare they had let themselves be led into. It will, obviously, not be easy: Mistakes, even crimes will have to be admitted, culprits taken to account, and last but not least, peace will have to be made somehow between sworn enemies of not long ago. People will have to forget and try to live with one another."

IRELAND: "Revolution In Belgrade"

The moderately conservative Irish Times judged (10/6): "Mr. Vojislav Kostunica has declared himself president and began his address to a huge crowd of demonstrators with the words 'welcome to liberated Serbia.' His choice of words was significant. The political entity to which he referred was that of Serbia rather than Yugoslavia and it should be remembered that he is a Serbian nationalist who, though pro-European, holds views that may not be welcome everywhere in the West. A post-Milosevic administration may harbor a nationalism and a desire to regain the territory of Kosovo that would be unacceptable to most Western governments. It would, however, have the distinct advantrage of being, at long last, democratically representative of the Serbian people."

"Revolution"

The conservative, populist Irish Independent editorialized (10/6): "And now that the defining moment has arrived, Yugoslavia must in the main work out its own salvation. Foreign intervention in Bosnia and Kosovo was justified: Not so in Serbia. There is, however, one way in which the West can and indeed must help. Once a new and democratic regime takes a grip on power, sanctions must be lifted. More: There will be need for substantial aid to rebuild the wrecked infrastructure. The defining moment should not be followed by a missed opportunity."

POLAND: "To Friends, Serbs"

Editor-in-Chief Adam Michnik wrote in liberal Gazeta Wyborcza (10/6): "Milosevic is the curse of Serbia. The communist apparatchik reached for power 13 years ago under the chauvinist slogans of Greater Serbia. He launched a process that broke up Yugoslavia, led to several wars, and caused thousands of casualties. He condemned Serbia to isolation, and plunged the country into poverty, corruption, and disrespect. In order to maintain power, he incited new conflicts, manipulated elections, put a gag on the public opinion, and organized treacherous killings. Having finally lost the [presidential] elections, he responded by falsifying the returns, and then by open violence. This is the defensive of dictators who do not understand that their time has already passed.... Dear Serbian friends! We wish for you that Serbia would now take the Polish, not the Romanian, road: a revolution without violence instead of a bloody conflict. Serbia deserves to enjoy freedom and peace."

"Yugoslavia After Milosevic"

Ryszard Malik opined in centrist Rzeczpospolita (10/6): "After years of wrestling with the regime, Yugoslavia is now entering the road of freedom and democracy. Slobodan Milosevic, a leader who could only trigger wars and incite ethnic and religious hatred, had been a man without a future for a long time..... The change of power in Belgrade will allow the close of the bloody chapter of recent years in the entire region. A stabilization pact is ready to be implemented, and there are funds the West allocated to this end. The Serb revolution can bring liberation from fear and from poverty not only to Yugoslavia--it also heralds peace and development for the entire Balkan region."

ROMANIA: "Deja Vu In Belgrade"

Pro-government Ziua published this editorial by foreign affairs analyst Cristian Stefanescu (10/6): "At the time this editorial was written, events were moving rapidly. By the time the readers read this, the history of Yugoslavia will have turned, most probably, toward democracy.... The decision lies with Milosevic. In his hands lies the last chance for refuge. Ceausescu never gave the slightest thought to exile.... Milosevic did not respond to Russian President Putin's invitation to negotiate the end of the crisis. As for other changes, the Balkans have certain unmistakable habits that they cannot shake."

SPAIN: "The Other October Revolution"

Conservative La Razon averred (10/6): "The leaders of the world's great powers have placed themselves, unequivocally, on the side of the democratic opposition and have chosen that Milosevic immediately be removed from power.... Even though this situation parallels that which drove the bloody Romanian dictator Ceausescu from power, on this occasion no violence has broken out."

"Milosevic, Ultimate Act"

Independent El Mundo commented (10/6): "The unequivocal international support...indicates to Milosevic, in case he had doubts, that he is completely alone in the defense of himself and his mafia cohorts that surround the regime. The only thing left for him to do is to decide when and how to physically and legally find safety."

"The Ten Days That Changed Yugoslavia"

Center-left El Pais judged (10/6): "The dictator is on his own.... This should be the end. We hope, that with the new day, we can greet a democratic Yugoslavia...a Yugoslavia that can join the concert of nations, a renovated Balkans that stops being the 'sick nation' of Europe.

"At this point, the future of Milosevic is unavoidably questioned. His last act may be to die fighting because he has nothing to loose. In this sense, it is practical, at least in the short term, that Kostunica has not shown interest in putting Milosevic into the hands of international justice. Without renouncing the dictator to pay for his sins...right now, the most important thing for Yugoslavia is democracy."

TURKEY: "Will Kostunica Bring Stability?"

Hasan Unal commented in religious/intellectual Zaman (10/6): "Vojislav Kostunica talks about the re-integration of Kosovo into Serbia and opposes the independence movement in Montenegro; therefore it is quite impossible to expect a stable FRY under his leadership.... Milosevic, on the other hand, is very much aware of the fact that Kosovo is gone and Montenegro's independence is only a matter of time, if not very soon. It seems more logical to provide facilitating assistance to both Kosovo and Montenegro in order to let them sort things out. Having said that, supporting Kostunica just because he is a Milosevic opponent does not make much sense."

VIETNAM: "A New Kosovo In Yugoslavia"

Manh Kim wrote in Sai Gon Giai Phong, mouthpiece of the Ho Chi Minh City's Communist Party (10/6): "A new Kosovo has nearly been founded in Yugoslavia, one year after NATO's bloody airstrikes on the country.... Yugoslavia's elections proved to be the best opportunity for the United States and the West to really end the Yugoslav war, which has a final target of overthrowing Milosevic.... Actually, NATO's purpose is to ensure that the Yugoslav elections will justify the 'efficiency' of the policy they imposed on the Balkans, which is a combination of military threats and economic sanctions. What the United States and the West are carrying out in Yugoslavia is similar to their previous campaigns launched in Latin America, South Africa and Eastern Europe. In other words, they set up puppets, dictators, corrupt leaders, and those who will sell their countries at any price for their own interests. For that reason, there won't be any surprises regardless of the election results."

NIGERIA: "An Appeal To The Opposition"

The Lagos-based, independent Daily Champion observed (10/6): "In general, it is not difficult to see that Milosevic has totally lost support and the thing for him to do...is step aside gracefully and save Yugoslavia from needless crisis. But Milosevic is unlike normal people who easily read the handwriting on the wall. We acknowledge the opposition's assertion that it won outright."

CANADA: "Freedom In Belgrade"

Under the sub-heading, "All must now pray that Milosevic's removal can be permanently secured," the conservative National Post wrote (10/6): "Now is not the time to be overly concerned about prosecuting Mr. Milosevic. The NATO countries who bombed Yugoslavia to unseat Mr. Milosevic must first throw their financial and moral support behind Mr. Kostunica, whose democratic revolution has achieved what one Serb observer yesterday called 'a miracle.' In just a few hours, Mr. Kostunica and his supporters did what NATO bombs and warplanes could not achieve in more than two months of bombing. They toppled a dictatorship."

"Yugoslav Troubles Not Over"

Editor emeritus Peter Worthington commented in the conservative Ottawa Sun (10/6): "By blatantly financing and supporting the Yugoslav opposition, America may be tempted to think Kostunica is their man. Not so. His election to power and Milosevic's defeat won't ameliorate every Serb's historical and emotional commitment to Kosovo and Serb outrage at being attacked. If Kostunica is seen as an American puppet, trouble awaits. Shamefully, the United States has intruded in Yugoslav affairs. Last week it apparently warned that it would force down any plane leaving Belgrade with Milosevic officials. Milosevic is branded a war criminal by the United States and NATO, but at the Dayton Accords in 1996, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hailed him as a 'man of peace.'... If he ever goes on trial, Milosevic could tell of Western chicanery, expediency and deceit--which is why some think the United States would prefer him to be assassinated, or lynched.... Although Milosevic is gone, the Balkans story is far from over. History has just taken another step forward. For the sake of future security, one hopes the United States backs off, leaves Serbia alone and refrains from 'helping.' Balkan people are adept at solving their own problems, if allowed to. As for the future, Kostunica isn't Milosevic, but he's also a Serb and is unlikely to be a lapdog--as the Albanian Kosovars are--and NATO will eventually find out."

ARGENTINA: "The Twelve Hours That Moved Yugoslavia"

Gabriel Uriarte, left-of-center Pagina 12's international columnist, commented(10/6): "The only mystery of this almost bloodless revolution was Milosevic's fate.... U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said that Milosevic is no longer in Belgrade. Wherever he is, the key is whether he has military forces under his command. A counter-revolution is possible, but before that, the Yugoslav president must have the means to start it."

"The Last Obstacle"

Guillermo Ortiz, business-financial El Cronista's international columnist, opined (10/6): "The Kosovo war and NATO's action (from now on, an offensive instrument of the West, which assumed its role as a 'de facto' military coalition) dissipated the U.S. doubts and revealed the need for the European Union to assume a greater leading role to advance on a pending subject--the incorporation of the East. The end of Milosevic cleared the main obstacle of this process, which the West faces by expanding NATO, and the European Union by adding members. The whole geopolitical readjustment will be complex, and will call for taking Russia into account.... Russia does not bet on a counter alliance...but it aspires to be consulted by Washington, to be listened on security and economic institutions, and does not want the United States to have influence on the Caucasus and on the Caspian Sea."

BRAZIL: "Backfired"

Independent Jornal do Brasil opined (10/6): "Milosevic's political project is dead. Greater Serbia, with all the nationalistic projects of the small Balkan people, has suffered an historic defeat. The opposition, like its leader, Vojislav Kostunica--also a nationalist, although moderate--criticizes Milosevic for having failed to carry out the Greater Serbia dream. The opposition continues to assert that one day the Serbs will recover the lands lost in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo. Little by little, Milosevic is losing what is left of Yugoslavia: the army, the police, the bureaucracy and the press.... In despair, he may try to provoke a civil war. Wars in Yugoslavia have always been above all against civilians.... One of Milosevic's traits is the ability to be his own enemy. He has taken several wrong steps, but at each fall he unleashes a new crisis. When he feels that power has escaped from Belgrade, he may cause a crisis in Montenegro.... Gradually, political parties, the 'intelligentsia' and the people have understood that the enemy was the nationalistic ideology which only benefitted one single Yugoslav who could profit from it: Milosevic." ##