Two emigrants from Albania are forced to beat and ethnically insult each other by a policeman at an Athens police station. Three other policemen watch, and of course, use the cellphone to record. This is just the top of the iceberg. Racism against Albanians in Greece is pervasive, with many of them being forced to convert and change ethnic identify to be allowed to stay in Greece. This wouldn't be so shocking if Greece wasn't an EU country.
Through Vrima e çelësit
State Secretary with Ministry for Kosovo Dušan Proroković, said that there will be no cutting off of diplomatic relations with countries that might unilaterally recognize Kosovo independence.
“Cutting off diplomatic ties is costly, but relations would not stay the same and Serbia would have to react in some way,” Dušan Proroković said, adding that the measures that may be taken are yet to be decided.
Source: B92 - News - Politics - Official: Serbia would not cut ties over Kosovo
Yesterday was the 8th anniversary of Serbian capitulation in Kosovo.
Britain's 5th Airborne Brigade was the first to enter Kosovo.
Blessed be the liberators.
A 12-year old Kosovar kissing Bush's poster in Tirana. There is an ongoing contest at Peshku pa ujë (sq) for the best caption for this picture.
The Next Battle for Kosovo
Bush and Putin square off over the question of independence.
by Stephen Schwartz
Source: The Next Battle for Kosovo
Schwartz is always refreshing with his reporting - did I say reporting? Yep, that's what he does, time and time again, he visits the damn place .
Until about a month ago Veton Surroi, Kosovo's chief diplomat - a moderate with much respect in the world capitals - considered that the risks of going it alone were too big. Now he's become more acceptive of it.
“Kosovo cannot continue to remain hostage to Russia’s veto, nor to issues that are to do with bilateral relations between the Great Powers. Kosovo… needs its own solution”, the Unity Team said.
“We will respect the partnership, but we stand by our people and we don’t want this process to be delayed endlessly”, said Veton Surroi, a member of the Unity Team.
I'm not sure if it's because he's more confident than before, or is it just that there is no other solution left on the table. Whatever it is, declaring unilateral independence is the way to go now. We have to act swiftly and with determination while Europe takes its summer siesta. The rest will be history.
Source: BIRN
PRISTINA, Serbia (Reuters) - Kosovo is prepared to make a unilateral declaration of independence and is pressing the West to go ahead with a vote at the United Nations even if Russia is likely to veto the proposition.
Source: Kosovo urges UN vote, Russian veto or not - Yahoo! News
An "African" (is Africa a country yet?) economist calls on Europe to stop all aid to Africa. The paragraph below could be just as relevant and powerful if "Africa" is replaced with "Kosovo." Aid handouts are not the way to development. Instead, if it really means it, the developed world should open its markets and remove all farm subsidies to their farmers for food that is ultimately dumped in Africa. This also makes environmental sense for EU and US.
Shikwati: ... jobs that were created artificially in the first place and that distort reality. Jobs with foreign aid organizations are, of course, quite popular, and they can be very selective in choosing the best people. When an aid organization needs a driver, dozens apply for the job. And because it's unacceptable that the aid worker's chauffeur only speaks his own tribal language, an applicant is needed who also speaks English fluently -- and, ideally, one who is also well mannered. So you end up with some African biochemist driving an aid worker around, distributing European food, and forcing local farmers out of their jobs. That's just crazy!
Source: SPIEGEL Interview with African Economics Expert: "For God's Sake, Please Stop the Aid!"
To all of the people that do not understand or do not want to understand the difference between crimes commited from Serbs and Albanians. The crimes commited from Albanians are commited from individuals and those individuals deserve punishment. The crimes commited from Serbs are planed and commited from the state of Serbia so the Serbian State is responsible. It is the state and the government elected by the people of Serbia. That's why the people of Serbia should feel responsible. This is the difference and it is huge. And let's not talk here about the numbers of the crimes or who started everything.
(ardian, Prishtina, Monday, 4 June, 2007, 19:11)
Source: B92 - News - Comments - Mass grave may hold up to 500 Kosovo victims
Kosovo will become independent the hard way, or the right way'' Michael Polt, U.S. Ambassador to Serbia
So which one is it, no solution until September or a solution on Friday, June 1. It seems like the UN Resolution will be put for voting that day. This last one has been fed by diplomats close to the negotiations to respectable media such as Koha Ditore in Prishtina and Blic in Belgrade. Add to that Jutarni List's Moscow source saying that an agreement is close and we may see Russia coming back to the Balkans for peacekeeping and Kosovo independent with a UN seat after a two year moratorium. Yupi!
I don't mind Russians in Serb enclaves as long as Americans, Brits and Germans are protecting the borders. Otherwise Russians will turn into a Trojan horse. They could also find themselves into a hostile sea of Albanians, giving US some ammunition to work on local and global matters vis-a-vis Russia.
For the Serb population in enclaves this is as damaging as it gets. They will still not have any incentive to cooperate with their Albanian neighbors and will be left hanging hoping against the inevitable. They will be pawns once again. My hope that status resolution will be a wake up call for them will be postponed for at least another two years.
Since it's always easier to criticize something you are not part of, Russian presence in Serb enclaves will take away all the ammunition away regarding the security of the enclaves. At the same time, the two levels of security from the Serb perspective between "us" and "the rest" will stop Serbs from venturing out into the "wild."
Last time Russians would engage in black market trade of cigarettes and gasoline with the local Albanian population. Yeah, Albanians were capable of buying armaments from the valiant Serbs fighting for the cradle of Serbdom, let alone poor Russian soldiers living thousand of miles away from home on a mission that surprisingly seemed more noble from far away. Very soon their mission will turn stale and they will go home just like the first time around. But in order to go, they will have to announce mission accomplished first.
Balkan Baby needs your vote now.
Link to Balkan Baby: You promised to put me in a magazine on every table in every lounge.
That's the likelihood of an agreement between Prishtina and Belgrade. So why does Russia insist on an agreement between the parties that is impossible?
Remember the previous agreements between Serbs and their opponents? There aren't any. Ok, there are some, but they were all preceded by air force raids so they don't count. Last one around made a mess of Belgrade for 11 weeks. Before bombings began, negotiations went on for years while thousands perished and Sarajevans starved under the siege. With no Sarajevo siege in the world news, what's the chance of an agreement? 0.
Sometimes I wonder if Kosovo won't find peace unless something akin to the Krajina campaign happens. Once and for all. To be done with it. It's not politically correct, I know, but at the back of my brain the urge is so strong to be done with it once and for all.
Last time around I was just a powerless child found at the mercy of thugs around me. My family and I were spared as insurance for the thugs, in case anyone dared to attack them. I promised myself that if I made it out alive, I wouldn't stay without a gun by my side.
Now as I clench my hands target shooting the fine USP, I know its my small contribution towards recovering myself from that moment of helplessness eight years ago. It's been a while.
