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throughout the Americas, such as Tyson and Cargill, have since thereby strengthening the US dollar in a German deutschmark— used the farming surplus to drive down costs, pitting farmers dominated region. Without Macedonia in the EU, British and US against each other and prohibiting countries from taking protec- oil companies have an advantage over European counterparts in tive actions. These same corporations have entered into massive building oil pipelines. Actions toward destabilisation intend to farming ventures outside the US and use NAFTA to import impose economic control over national currencies and protect cheaper agricultural products back into this country, further British-US oil companies, such as BP-Amoco—ARCO, Chevron undermining the small farmers in the US. Since the enactment of and Texaco against Europe's TotalFinaEIf. NAFTA, 80 per cent of foodstuffs coming into the US are prod- The British-US consortium controls the AMBO trans-Balkans ucts that displace US-raised crops. pipeline project linking the Bulgarian port of Burgas to Vlore on NAFTA has allowed multinational megacorporations to the Albanian—Adriatic coastline. The power game is designed to increase production in Mexico, where they can profit from much _ increase British-US domination in the region by distancing cheaper labour as well as freely use chemicals and pesticides Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania from the influence of EU coun- banned in the US. In both Mexico and Haiti, NAFTA policies tries such as Germany, Italy, France and Belgium. It's an effort have caused an exodus from rural areas, forcing people to live in supported by Wall Street's financial establishment, to destabilise urban slums and accept low-paid sweatshop work. Farmers in and discredit the deutschmark and the euro, with hopes of impos- Mexico, unable to compete with the large-scale importation and ing the US dollar as the sole currency for the region. chemical-intensive mass production of US agricultural corpora- The Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the National tions, are swimming in a corn surplus that has swelled approxi- Liberation Army (NLA) were trained in Macedonia by British mately 450 per cent since NAFTA's implementation. Haiti's Special Forces and equipped by the CIA. British military sources deregulation of trade with the US has destroyed the island's rice confirm that Gezim Ostremi, NLA Commander, was sponsored industry in a similar manner. Urban slums, engorged with rural by the UN and trained by British Special Forces to head the economic refugees, are contributing to the breakdown of cultural Kosovo Protection Corps (KPC). When Ostremi left his job as a traditions and public authority, mak- United Nations officer to join the NLA, ing the growing masses increasingly the commander remained on the UN ungovernable. payroll. Attacks within Macedonia by (Sources: Fellowship Magazine , U ict i the NLA/KLA last year coincided December 2000/January 2001; The Last year s conflict Lt chronologically with the process of Hightower Lowdown, September Macedonia isa small part of EU enlargement and the signing of the 2001) H H historic Stabilisation and Association a growing rift between the Agreement (SAA) between the EU 9: US Faces Housing Crisis Anglo-American and and Macedonia. These attacks paved The national housing crisis affects H i the way for further US military an nearly six million American families European interests in political presence in the region. , and is growing worse. Over 1.5 mil- the Balkans. In a strange twist the CIA, NATO lion low-cost housing units have and British Special Forces provide recently been lost, and millions of weapons and training to the children are growing up in housing NLA/KLA terrorists, while at the that is substandard, unaffordable and same time Germany provided dangerous. Macedonia's security forces with all-terrain vehicles, advance: A new crisis in affordable housing is spreading across America. weapons and equipment to protect themselves from NLA/KLA What was once a problem relegated to low-income families along attacks. US military advisers, on assignment to the NLA/KLA the East and West coasts is now affecting the middle class all through private mercenary companies, remained in contact with across the country. Middle-class working Americans are having NATO and US military and intelligence planners. It was just as much trouble finding affordable housing as low-income Washington and London that decided on the broad direction of families did 10 years ago. NLA/KLA military operations in Macedonia. Homelessness has become the result for many families across Following the August 2001 Framework Peace Agreement, the nation. The economic slowdown, the welfare reform of 1996 3,500 armed NATO troops entered Macedonia with the intent of and the events of September 11 are pushing hard-working disarming Albanian rebels. Washington's humanitarian efforts for Americans into the street. In New York alone, it is estimated that the NLA/KLA suggested its intent to protect the terrorists rather 30,000 people are living in shelters and many thousands more live than disarm them. Vice President Dick Cheney's former firm, on the street. In Chicago, more than 20,000 units of public hous- Halliburton Energy, is directly linked to the AMBO trans-Balkans ing have been removed from service and some 50,000 people now oil pipeline project. reside in the streets. Last year's conflict in Macedonia is a small part of a growing In an era when there is only one apartment for every six poten- rift between the Anglo-American and European interests in the tial renters in the US, Congress has taken no action to address this Balkans. In the wake of the war in Yugoslavia, Britain has allied problem. Corporate media have only covered this issue locally, itself with the US and severed many of its ties with Germany, and few media reports have recognised this as a national crisis. France and Italy. Washington's design is to ensure the dominance (Source: In These Times, November 2000) of the US military—industrial complex, in alliance with Britain's major defence contractors and British-US oil. These develop- 10: CIA Double Deals in Macedonia ments establish significant control over strategic pipelines, trans- lhe CIA destabilised the political balance in Macedonia to portation and communication corridors in the Balkans, Eastern allow easier access for a US/British-owned oil pipeline and to Europe and the former Soviet Union. prevent Macedonia from entering the European Union (EU), (Source: http:/www.globalresearch.ca, June 14, 2001) Last year's conflict in Macedonia i isa small part of aa awe = ae eae De a growing rift between the Anglo- “American and wean ee Bee European interests in the Balkans. 10: CIA Double Deals in Macedonia lhe CIA destabilised the political balance in Macedonia to or a US/British-owned oil pipeline and to prevent Macedonia from entering the European Union (EU), 14 = NEXUS www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2002 — JANUARY 2003