VJESNIK: EUROPE REPEATS OLD MISTAKES IN ALBANIA

ZAGREB, March 18 (Hina) - In analyzing the situation in Albania and the conduct of the West, Carl Gustaf Stroem writes in Tuesday's Zagreb daily "Vjesnik", "... After the most recent decisions (or better, indecisions) of the European Union, which is not ready for a military intervention in Albania, sober observers arrive at a depressing conclusion: the West is repeating the same mistakes and delusions in the case of Albania as it had in the beginning of the 90's in the region of former Yugoslavia, during the time of aggression against Croatia and later Bosnia-Herzegovina," Stroem comments, pointing out a statement by Klaus Kinkel after a meeting of EU members in which he said, "Albanians have to solve their own problems themselves and establish the necessary security - only after that can they count on the help of the West, that is, Europe..." "If we translate Kinkel's words and those of other European officials from camouflaged diplomatic empty phrases into everyday, normal language, it would sound like this, 'We, Europeans, shall help you, Albanians, only when you will no longer need help'," Stroem writes. "Almost none of the western observers and reporters asked how it was possible that 'insurgents' were shooting like mad in the streets of Tirana on Thursday, and the day after, everything was 'calm' all of a sudden. It seems the Albanian 'insurrection' might not be as spontaneous as the western media describe it," Stroem writes. "Is it really about the 'rage' of the common people - or is behind it a plan by different forces, among others by the mafia and different communist clans which have organized themselves in the Socialist Party as the successor party of the infamous Enver Hoxh's party?" Stroem writes, "Why was the uprising most successful in the south - the native land of the late Enver? (...) How is it possible that 'after taking over barracks of the disintegrated Albanian army, the insurgents sat into heavy tanks and armoured vehicles - and immediately went into action'? a 'normal' citizen would not know how to manage a tank!" Stroem continues to write that only the "Wallstreet Journal" had described CNN network's report from Albania as 'catastrophic', stressing that, citing reliable warnings, it was not an uprising of the people, "'but it is about a secret strategy of the Albanian Socialist Party, which has had wondrous successes so far'. The plan of Albanian socialists, according to the American paper, is so good and efficient that it could use as an example to frustrated communists in other post-communist countries," Stroem writes. "... The West, which confirmed the correctness of choice a long time ago suddenly 'finds out' that the elections (in Albania) had been manipulated and that Berisha - the western politicians' former favourite - is not a democrat after all," he writes. "In the meantime, the world public (if it wants to hear) could find out that, for example, the insurgent Committee for the Protection of the Town of Vlora is being presided by one Skender Sker, who was in the communist system an army general until Berisha dismissed him...' Stroem writes. (hina) lm mm 181122 MET mar 97