peacefare.net

Crackdown, but not too far

Milan Marinković writes from Niš:

Serb extremist attacks on three polling stations in the northern part of Kosovo during the recent first round of local elections, along with an already steady increase in drug-related violence and crime in Serbia, have made Serbian prime minister Ivica Dačić and his deputy Aleksandar Vučić announce a “historically unprecedented” crackdown.  Their focus is on football hooliganism and far right political extremism – both of which have close ties with illegal activity in northern Kosovo, as well as with each other.  According to recent media revelations, a growing number of Serbian football hooligans and ultranationalists are joining the influential international neo-Nazi organization “Combat 18,” originally founded in the UK.

Rhetorical determination notwithstanding, the government is highly unlikely to launch a full-scale war against the country’s most powerful criminal organizations due to the palpable security risks, compounded by organized crime’s penetration of vital state institutions.  Police departments – and in some cases even parts of police departments – have been fighting among themselves.  There has also been a series of incidents and crimes committed in a relatively short time period by members of the elite police unit, Gendarmerie. The Gendarmerie is of particular concern because it is beyond doubt the strongest armed force within the entire security sector in terms of training, equipment and overall combat capability. Read more