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Why Kosovo Still Matters
"The people of Kosovo—both the cleansed Albanians and the demagogically exploited Serbs—now know who their political and humanitarian friends were. One of the most outstanding European and parliamentary advocates has been Dr Denis MacShane. This will surprise none who know of his record on human rights. The book will stand as a monument to a harsh time and to the fortitude that overcame it."—Christopher Hitchens This polemical appeal by Denis MacShane calls for policy makers to re-engage with the Western Balkans before it is too late. MacShane has written a vivid and forceful account, showing that the Western Balkans are a symbol of Europe's weakness to transform one of its key regions and the choice we face is now either the Balkans become European or Europe becomes Balkanized.
120 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2012
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About the author
Denis MacShane
27 books6 followersBritish MP for the Labour Party (1994-2012) and Labour minister and UK Minister of State for Europe.
MacShane was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is pro-Israel and Nuclear Power.
In 2012 he resigned after it was found he he had submitted 19 false expenses invoices.
MacShane was a supporter of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, is pro-Israel and Nuclear Power.
In 2012 he resigned after it was found he he had submitted 19 false expenses invoices.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 30, 2020
Much of this is dated, which can’t be helped. Unfortunately much of the historical record portion of the book seems to be more about score-settling and criticisms of everyone but Blair-era Labour, making it more grating than useful.
January 17, 2012
http://nwhyte.livejournal.com/1855346...
I was interested to read information which I already knew well but told from the point of view of a junior minister in the British government of the mid 2000s. MacShane includes extracts from his own diaries, apparently unrevised, which is honest of him but perhaps a little confusing for the less well-informed reader. It is also striking to realise how much the debate in the House of Commons matters to MPs, as opposed to how little the rest of the world cares about it (certainly outside the UK, and probably outside Westminster). MacShane doesn't really answer the question in the title of his book, but most readers will have made up their mind before opening it.
Where MacShane did add value for me was his dissection, if I may use the word, of the claims by a Swiss politician that Hashim Thaçi, now prime minister of Kosovo, had during the 1999 war been involved with removing organs from captive Serbs to trade them on the international market. It always seemed to me just from the logistics of the alleged process that this is a vanishingly improbable allegation; MacShane adds extra details as to the implausibility of the sources, and, more importantly, the internal politics of the Council of Europe to explain why such an appalling and patently untrue rumour was given legs. I would add that, by comparison, the transport of Albanian corpses to mass graves in Serbia by refrigerated truck during the war is rather well documented. (Those of us with longer memories also recall the Martinović case.)
I was interested to read information which I already knew well but told from the point of view of a junior minister in the British government of the mid 2000s. MacShane includes extracts from his own diaries, apparently unrevised, which is honest of him but perhaps a little confusing for the less well-informed reader. It is also striking to realise how much the debate in the House of Commons matters to MPs, as opposed to how little the rest of the world cares about it (certainly outside the UK, and probably outside Westminster). MacShane doesn't really answer the question in the title of his book, but most readers will have made up their mind before opening it.
Where MacShane did add value for me was his dissection, if I may use the word, of the claims by a Swiss politician that Hashim Thaçi, now prime minister of Kosovo, had during the 1999 war been involved with removing organs from captive Serbs to trade them on the international market. It always seemed to me just from the logistics of the alleged process that this is a vanishingly improbable allegation; MacShane adds extra details as to the implausibility of the sources, and, more importantly, the internal politics of the Council of Europe to explain why such an appalling and patently untrue rumour was given legs. I would add that, by comparison, the transport of Albanian corpses to mass graves in Serbia by refrigerated truck during the war is rather well documented. (Those of us with longer memories also recall the Martinović case.)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews