REEKER TO THE "RESCUE !"

Picture caption: Senior ranking US State Department official Phillip T. Reeker (left) - next to him is Bujar Osmani, Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia and a member of the Albanian nationalist party DUI which has supported the building of controversial World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia after the 2001 ethnic Albanian war in that country.

by Sasha Uzunov 

The man who many Macedonians see as one of the chief architects of changing Macedonia's name and erasing Macedonian identity, the Svengali-like Phillip T. Reeker is about to arrive in Macedonia just in time to head off a number of difficulties the pro-US Zaev government is facing such as a brewing corruption scandal involving extortion and the sudden and unexplained resignation of Katica Janeva, chief of the much-vaunted Special Prosecturors Office (SJO), set up under Western pressure.

Reeker served a tour of duty as US Ambassador to Macedonia (2008-11) and laid the groundwork for name change of the country by lowering just enough Greek and Bulgarian opposition to Macedonia joining NATO - put into effect by another controversial US Ambassador Jess Baily (2014-19) via the  Prespa Agreement and the so-called Good Neighbourly Agreement between Macedonia and Bulgaria. The US maintains it had had nothing to do with it. But the evidence - as outlined extensively by both TEAM Uzunov blog and Alternate Comms website - reveals a totally different picture. see links here and here

TEAM UZUNOV blog has sent Mr Reeker a list of media questions in relation to his upcoming visit to Macedonia. Going by past experiences the likelihood of a response is next to zero. Trying to get the US to comment over its support of Albanian Neo-Nazi leaders in Macedonia is deliberately avoided. There is simply no attempt to dismiss or to put it to rest. That's odd. It strongly suggests deliberate avoidance of the issue.

"FAKE NEWS?" 

In trying to hose down the damage from the brewing Katica Janeva scandal - in reality, close down investigative journalists from investigating - Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has proposed what some say are draconian laws to combat "fake news." - more on Katica Janeva here and here

You might recall PM Zaev was the subject of a prank call by Russian comedians passing themselves off as Ukrainian President Poroshenko and NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg. see link here

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Two Macedonian journalists, Goran Momirovski, the elder statesman of Macedonian journalism, and Ljupco Zlatev a younger reporter were summoned to the Interior Ministry, which runs the police and intelligence service, for an "interview" over their stories relating to corruption scandals. It's nothing more than old fashioned intimidation by those in power. see link here and here and here

This is the environment in which Mr Reeker will find himself when he lands in Macedonia sometime soon. But it's an environment he helped to create and now ironically rushing in as the White Knight to save the day. see link here

A journalist asking a direct question and expecting an answer - and then running the answer in full - cannot in any way be construed or regarded as "fake news" and it explains why the US avoids uttering a single word about WW2 Albanian Nazi collaborator statues or any other sensitive topic as you will see below:


Questions: 

1. Why does the United States support Albanian Neo Nazi leaders in Macedonia such as Ali Ahmeti, Bujar Osmani, Artan Grubi, Nevzat Bejta of the Albanian nationalist party, DUI?

2. Why have you and the US remained silent over the World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues built in Macedonia post-2001 war by Albanian nationalist Nevzat Bejta? One statue is to a Xhem Hasa Gostivari, who according to British wartime eyewitness accounts, was a proven Nazi collaborator.

In comparison the US Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia immediately condemned a Croatian far-right extremist march through the Croatian capital in 2017. Why the US silence over WWII Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia?

3. Did you have any role in writing, drafting or assisting in writing the controversial Prespa Agreement which erases Macedonian identity? If called upon would you testify in front of the US Congress about any role or non role you had in the Prespa Agreement?

4. The pro-US Zaev-Ahmeti coalition government in Macedonia has been hit with a number of large corruption scandals. The Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva has unexpectedly resigned. Do you wish to comment over why she would have resigned if she has received enormous backing from the US, EU to combat corruption in Macedonia?

5. Macedonia's President Stevo Pendarovski and Macedonia's Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska, of Serb background, were once staunch Slobodan Milosevic and Serb-Yugoslavist supporters who were anti-West and anti-US up to the year 2000 when the Milosevic regime fell. Mr Pendarovski was in the early 1990s a counterintelligence officer in Macedonia's Interior Ministry. A number of declassified CIA reports and a US army report have revealed the massive scale of UN sanctions-busting in Macedonia in support of the Milosevic regime which would have required the complicity of the Interior Ministry which runs the police, border guards and intelligence.

Why does the US support Mr Pendarovski and Ms Sekerinska? Does this reveal a Machiavellian or cynical side to US foreign policy in Macedonia which has more to do with US strategic interests rather than morality or principle?

6. Bulgaria has waged blackmail and bullying in order to get Macedonia to surrender its history and in return receive Bulgarian support for EU admission. The Bulgarian Defence Minister, Mr Kressimir Karakachanov, an extremist, claims that in 1941 Bulgaria "liberated" Macedonia. This provocative statement is deliberately contrary to the facts and is an indirect and clever form of Holocaust denial. Bulgaria was an ally of Nazi Germany and as a reward was allowed to occupy Macedonia, and in return assisted in the round-up of Jews in Macedonia, sending them to their deaths in Nazi concentration camps. You and the US have remained silent over this behaviour from extremist Bulgarian politicians such as Mr Karakachanov. Could you explain why you have been silent, considering your former role in Holocaust Issues in the US State Department?

7. A 2008 wikileaks cable reveals you as then US Ambassador to Macedonia asking that Mr Nikola Dimitrov, now Macedonia's Foreign Minister, be protected as a confidential source for the US. To the average Macedonian reader that has a kind of sinister or negative inference about Mr Dimitrov's behaviour towards his own country, Macedonia. Some would see that as leaking sensitive information to a foreign power, in this case, the US. As you are well aware the issue of foreign interference of any kind, such as allegations levelled against US President Trump and his links to Russian President Putin has created great consternation.

Do you wish to comment on or react to this - that is your comment about Mr Nikola Dimitrov being protected as a US source of information? What would your reaction be if say a US official leaked sensitive information about the US to a foreign country, say for argument's sake the Democratic Republic of Congo or the People's Republic of China etc.?

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UPDATE: US ENDORSEMENT OF ALBANIAN EXTREMISM - a picture tells a thousand words! 

During his visit to Macedonia on 26 July, 2019 ,senior US State Department official Phillip T Reeker met with Albanian nationalist leader in Macedonia Ali Ahmeti whose political party DUI venerates WWII Albanian Nazi collaborators such as Xhem Hasa Gostivari & supports statues to them in Macedonia. As yet Mr Reeker has not responded to the media questions that Team Uzunov blog sent him prior to his visit to Macedonia. 

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UNDIPLOMATIC RELATIONS- France envoy endorses Albanian Neo Nazi in Macedonia

by Sasha Uzunov

France's Ambassador to Macedonia, Charles Thimonier, haughty and controversial in his own right, has despite having previous knowledge about a controversial ethnic Albanian nationalist politician Nevzat Bejta who has built a number of World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia, still brazenly met with him recently.

Mr Thimonier (centre) is photographed with Bejta (on the right of the photo) having friendly conversations over drinks recently. This was posted on the French Embassy social media page.

Mr Thimonier was contacted by TEAM UZUNOV blog in 2018 over the WWII Albanian Nazi collaborator statues built in Macedonia by Albanian nationalist politician Nevzat Bejta. Mr Thimonier after six weeks of receiving our media query responded that now was not the time to answer. - see link to story here 

Mr Nevzat Bejta has built two World War II Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia during his tenure as the Mayor of Gostivar, a predominately ethnic Albanian town in the west of Macedonia.

One of the statues is to Xhem Hasa Gostivari, who according to British wartime accounts, was a proven Nazi collaborator in Macedonia and Albanian during World War II. see link for more on Albanian Nazi collaborator statues in Macedonia

AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMAT ON MYSTERY MACEDONIA MISSION

Mr Richard Wade (left) at the British War Cemetery in Skopje, Macedonia 

by Sasha Uzunov

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed one of its diplomats, regarded by sources as a heavy hitter, was in Macedonia but would not elaborate on the nature of his fact-finding mission.

DFAT spokesperson issued the following statement to TEAM UZUNOV blog:

"Australian Government officials regularly travel to North Macedonia for bilateral meetings on a range of issues."

Mr Richard Wade, who is based in the Australian Embassy in Belgrade which covers Macedonia and Montenegro as well, was recently in Macedonia and western diplomatic sources have told TEAM UZUNOV blog that Mr Wade was conducting in-depth research and questioning local officials on a wide variety of subjects.

DFAT would not comment if Mr Wade discussed topics, such as the controversial Prespa Agreement signed with Greece which led to Macedonia changing its name, WWII Albanian Nazi collaborator statues built in Macedonia, Bulgarian inspired Holocaust denial and convicted Australian-Albanian terrorist Sevdet Besim, with Macedonian officials.

TEAM UZUNOV blog received a tip about Mr Wade's visit and contacted the Australian Embassy in Belgrade on 7 June 2019 and received a response about six weeks later.

TEAM UZUNOV email: 

I've heard on the grapevine that Mr Richard Wade of DFAT was or still is in Macedonia involved in a fact-finding mission. Is this correct? 

Can you reveal any details of his visit? The topics discussed? Was the Australian Macedonian community concerns over Albanian Neo-Nazism such as the WW2 Albanian Nazi collaborator statues built by Albanian politicians discussed by Mr Wade with Macedonian authorities; the Australian Macedonian community's concerns and anger over name change and the Prespa Agreement with Greece etc.? Concerns over Bulgarian influenced Holocaust denial trying to take root in Macedonia?

Will Australian be opening an Embassy in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia?

Was there any discussion in intelligence sharing between Australian and Macedonia in relation to extremism and terrorism? Was there any discussion about Mr Sevdet Besim, the convicted Australian Albanian terrorist whose family are ethnic Albanians from Macedonia?

COUNTER-TERRORISM INTELLIGENCE EXCHANGE - Australia and Macedonia?

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) together with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) run counter-terrorism operations in Australia. ASIO doesn't take part in any physical raids or arrests but supplies the relevant intelligence usually obtained by telephone and/or internet intercepts or informers. Australia swaps information with other countries on intelligence and terrorism matters, including Macedonia.

The AFP was contacted to ask if it and the Macedonian security authorities had swapped information about Sevdet Besim, a convicted Australian-Albanian jihadist terrorist who planned an attack in Melbourne in 2015.

An AFP spokesperson issued this statement:

"Unfortunately, we cannot answer that question for you. In no circumstances does the AFP comment on the exchange of intelligence or on intelligence requests from overseas (or even domestic) police. The reason is that talking about such exchanges has the potential to compromise activities being undertaken by policing partners. If they want to confirm they have asked us for information, that’s fine. But we won’t confirm or deny it."

The Macedonian Interior Ministry (MVR) which runs the country's Police and Intelligence services was contacted for a response but no response has been forthcoming.

Australian-born Mr Besim is of ethnic Albanian origin from Macedonia.

ZOKI ZAEV & THE (POROSHENKO) CHOCOLATE FACTORY !

Zoran Zaev, Clown-Prince of Telecommunications, Can’t Live Down Russian Pranking Episode

By Sasha Uzunov

Not a week has passed since Macedonia PM Zoran Zaev became the latest victim of two nefarious Russian phone pranksters, and the farce is only compounding on itself- making Zaev, and by extension ‘North’ Macedonia the laughingstock of the diplomatic world. The government is stumbling to contain the damage as Zaev continues to contradict himself while being forced to apologise to leaders around the region he had gossiped about over the ‘hot’ line.

The conversations, which were posted on Youtube, start out with an explanatory text in English and Russian. The rest of the video consists entirely of Zaev speaking in English with subtitles in Russian.

The audio comprises almost an hour of cringe-inducing admissions of Zaev’s personal opinions on burning international issues, plus a faint whiff of Zaev considering corrupt practices- not to mention him giving out the private phone numbers of US diplomat A. Wess Mitchell.

Quite predictably, the opposition VMRO-DPMNE has enjoyed having a go at Zaev all week as more details emerge of the premier was willingly duped into thinking he was talking with NATO head honcho and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko by infamous impersonators ‘Leksus’ and Vovan,’ who have also pranked the likes of Macron, Boris Johnson and others.

A WESTERN PUPPET, PAR EXCELLENCE

The phrase ‘Western puppet’ is arguably overused, but the case of Zoran Zaev’s conversations with the faux Poroshenko and Stoltenberg reveal that Zaev has passed his course in this regard with flying colours. When he was just an opposition figurehead cursing the Gruevski government, the man could barely put a coherent sentence together. But just listen to him now!

After some special training under the tutelage of ex-US Embassy hand David Stephenson and especially the former gunslinging American ambassador, Jess ‘Wild West’ Baily, Zaev seems to sound like a credible diplomat. As the tapes reveal, Zaev’s actually heard of Abkhazia – and might even be able to find it on the map – and can also express concern over complicated international issues, like relations between Serbia and Kosovo, Turkey, Greece and Cyprus, and of course, the ‘Russian threat’ lurking around every corner.

Ironically, it’s this unusual mastery of detail that’s gotten Zaev into hot water all week. After blaming ‘foreign networks hostile to NATO’ as being behind the pranking in his Monday press conference, and accusing former President Ivanov of being Pro-Russian, Zaev suddenly made an about-face in the most ironic of places: a new Lukoil patrol station. He appeared together with Russian ambassador Sergey Bazdnikin and tried to distance himself from his antI-Russian rhetoric. As Sloboden Pecat reported, Zaev reassured the public that the pranksters did not represent the Russian Federation, but were merely acting on their own. The Russian Ambassador took mercy on Zaev and agreed that bilateral relationship will continue normally. link here 

ZOKI AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

As is widely known, former Ukrainian president Poroshenko made his fortune before politics in the chocolates industry. At one point in the conversation the fake Poroshenko offers to ‘sweeten the deal’ by hinting that he might be willing to invest in a new chocolate factory in Macedonia, to which Zaev agrees, whether or not this would be a realistic investment.

Even more bizarrely, the phony Ukrainian also disclosed to Zaev that his people had a bit of ancient Macededonian blood in them, putting the question of ‘Macedonian kinship’ between Ukraine and Macedonia back to the days of Aleksandar the Great, in what has to be a first.

 Even the normally pro-Zaev Telma TV couldn’t help but note the topic, with the title of its lead article being “Zaev with the Fake Poroshenko the Macedonian talked about chocolates and politics” - see link

Pro-opposition Kurir went further with the theme of Zaev’s desire to be the middleman in the deal, saying that “Russian comedians promising Zaev business with chocolates, and he offers his personal help.” -see link

INSERT LINK One can only imagine the excitement in Zaev’s cabinet when he reported back that the Ukrainian oligarch was offering Zoki a chocolate factory-a real Macedonia miracle. The only strange thing is how the news of this never made it to a Government press conference on foreign investment. 

‘IN CASH… NORMALLY’

Zoran Zaev has the dubious distinction of being the only Macedonian premier to have been pardoned by two different presidents (SDSM’s Branko Crvenkovski, over a corruption charge during the former VMRO-DPMNE government’s rule, and Gjorge Ivanov, during his mass pardons of politicians in April 2016 preceding the ‘Colourful Revolution’). Zaev has consistently been accused, rightly or wrongly, of corruption involving his family’s extensive business holdings in his native Strumica region.

So it is particularly cringe-inducing to hear Zaev’s reaction to the fake Ukrainian president’s hint that he can get Zaev a ‘discount’ on a bribe to the Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew in Istanbul. ‘Poroshenko’ intimates that he had to pay the patriarch 150,000 euros to get the freshly-minted ‘Ukrainian Orthodox Church’ recognised by the symbolic leader of the world’s Orthodox faithful- a move that infuriated the Russian church.

In the taped conversation, the prankster repeatedly states that he can use his own personal connection with Bartholomew to get ‘autocephaly’ for the Macedonian Orthodox Church, to which Zaev readily agrees. Worse, the prankster president of Ukraine tells Zaev directly that this will require a bribe for the patriarch… and particularly, in cash.

To which Zaev unflinchingly replies: “in cash… normally.” This kind of answers only strengthens the case for those who suspect Zaev of having corrupt tendencies.

 THE OPPOSITION ATTACKS

These kinds of shocking statements gave the opposition VMRO-DPMNE plenty of material to attack Zaev with. According to opserver.mk’s quotation from a party spokesman, “Zoran Zaev should immediately resign. With the last international scandal Zoran Zaev shamed Macedonia. The justification for the scandalous disclosure of state secrets and the acceptance to pay a bribe to the patriarch shows how inexplicable and criminal Zaev and the team around him are.” see link

Nevertheless, since Monday Zaev has stubbornly refused all calls to resign, and continuous to attack all of his critics for his own poor decision. But the situation has only gotten worse as VMRO-DPMNE mouthpiece Republika has recently interviewed the pransters, who expressed bewilderment at Zaev’s lack of common sense. see link

Th news outlet also published phone images showing that, in additont the three released phone conversations, Zoran Zaev also sent several photos of himself with world leaders to the comedians. He apparently used the common WhatsApp phone app rather than any secure lines that normal heads of state would use. Zaev’s CIA handlers obviously failed to finish his training course; the irony is especially thick sinze it was Zaev himself who rocketed to power after using wiretapped ‘bombs’ of dubious veracity to overthrow the Gruevski government. As they say… live by the bomb, die by the bomb! see link

A FAILURE OF INTELLIGENCE- AND INTELLIGENCE

Zaev’s multiple talks and unsolicited messages with the supposed ‘Poroshenko and Stoltenberg’ indicate a staggering failure of intelligence- both basic critical thinking on his own part, and failure of the security system and protocol staff around him. We are talking here about the most important leader in the country, a fellow who could hardly be considered a political neophyte, making himself vulnerable to a calculated prank- you can almost hear the cursing up on Kale now!

At his press conference on Monday, after the release of the Youtube conversations spread like wildfire around the internet, Zaev listed the names of many of the other world leaders who had been pranked, like Macron and Boris Johnson, stating this put him in ‘good company.’ Yet these men had the presence of mind, and probably the protocol staff, to suss out a prank within minutes of receiving the call, and thus the pranksters failed to get much out of them.

Not so with Zaev. He turned out to be a gold mine of information. Listening to the audio, one gets the feeling that the Russians were even surprised by Zaev’s forthcoming attitude and willingness to be led on as they floated business propositions and asked about his political opinions. The overwhelming response of ordinary citizens on comment sections on Youtube, Twitter and Facebook reveal an enormous sense of humiliation and disbelief. Whether or not they were supporters of Zaev’s SDSM government, the people are angered and dismayed. It wasn’t enough to throw away the Macedonian name and identity at Prespa- now, with his embarrassing lack of critical thinking and poor security, Zaev made all Macedonians look like fools.

A FINAL NOTE- WHO WINS FROM ZAEV’S GAFFES?

So, who comes out of the ‘Poroshenko and Stoltenberg Hour’ feeling not the worse for the wear? TEAM UZUNOV ranks its top five persons who stand to see their stock improve from the debacle.

Hashim Thaci-the Kosovo president, who has been a controversial figure in his own country regarding alleged covert negotiations with Serbia’s Aleksandar Vucic, made a spirited response and graciously accepted Zaev’s apology. Media also noted that, unlike the dimwitted Zaev, Thaci had not been taken in by the pranksters’ previous attempt to fool him in a different phone call.

‘Slick Nick’ Dimitrov-Macedonia’s controversial foreign minister, who has stubbornly refused to denounce Albanian Neo-Nazism in Macedonia and controversially claims that he will be ‘on the right side of history’ for signing away Macedonia’s name and identity with the Prespa Agreement, can now sleep easier knowing that he can blame any diplomatic failures on his boss.

Radmila Sekerinska-the ruthless career politician who prefers to wield power behind the scenes in SDSM while being the West’s most trusted local puppet will surely see her stock rise as a result of Zaev’s idiocy. Who knows? In the SDSM’s current race to the bottom, she might even become prime minister by appointment, since she is too polarising to ever win at the ballot box.

Kyriakos Mitsitakis-Greece’s new prime minister, whose New Democracy was elected to replace Zaev’s pal Alexis Tsipras and his left-wing Syriza government just a day before Macedonians were shocked by the Zaev conversations, has got to be loving Zaev’s own-goal, as it paints Zaev and Tsipras in a conspiratorial light negative for Greek interests.

Anyone else vying for the Nobel Peace Prize-Indeed, while the aforementioned Greek and Macedonian leaders have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the name issue dispute with the Prespa Agreement, the Nordic nominating committee will have to be thinking twice about Zaev’s fitness for the prize.

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HOLOCAUST GAFFE 

Who could forget Zaev's Holocaust gaffe earlier this year? - see link here

CROOKS AND RACISTS?

To add to the craziness of Macedonia PM Zaev being caught by Russian prank calls was his own earlier Holocaust gaffe, without provocation from outside forces.

To top that off, Zaev's SDSM Party General Secretary Dragi Rashkovski recent racist attack on Roma (Gypsies) and Italians now throws new light on Zaev's Holocaust gaffe. Does Zaev hate Jews?

Rashkovski was allegedly caught trying to shakedown a foreign company for a kickback in doing "business" with the Macedonian government. He was recorded as making racist comments - see link here

If the allegations of corruption are true, then the Zaev government is a seething hotbed of crooks, racists, haters, greedy malcontents supported by the West.

 

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