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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 3:44:53 GMT -5
The only thing that should be shut down is you. Music to my ears.
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 3:00:04 GMT -5
The people are celebrating the liberation of the Croatian people and territory ... and not 'death' as u put it. Thats just slander. Let me tell you what slander is knumbskull, its when you are trying to convince others that have limited knowledge about the Ustasa, that all they were was just a bunch of freedom fighters. Nothing could be further form the truth. Under a third of the Croat population supported them. Macek, who was the true popular leader of his time, wanted nothing to do with Hitler and yet, Pavelic couldn't wait to jump into bed with the Nazis. Once he achieved that, went on a murderous rampage throughout Croatia and gave away Croatian lands to Italy because he was incapable of "defending" the whole territory as it seems. He is a traitor of the worst kind and you adore him. This goes beyond pity. There should be a law in Australia banning such organisations from demonstrating such obvious Nazi dendancies. They do nothing but sully the name of all Croatians. If you enjoy being known as a fascist, then thats your business and loss but don't try and make it sound like its a right to force such idiotic rhetoric on to others. This Dom is a perversion and should be shut down so normal Croats can go on to be normal and not forced into this Ustasa "feeling".
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 2:49:08 GMT -5
^^ No one is forcing you to go there. So if u dont like it ... stay away! Did I ever say that I visited the place you dumba$$. The Ustasa have been proven to be murderous and genocidial in every aspect. If you support Pavelic, that makes you no better than them.
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 0:41:37 GMT -5
ICG: Western interference may backfire 24 April 2008 | 10:32 | Source: Beta BRUSSELS -- The International Crisis Group has warned the U.S. and EU that their open support for pro-Western politicians in Serbia may backfire at the ballot box.
In a report published yesterday, the ICG, whose headquarters are in Brussels, says that “anti-Western sentiment has grown sharply in Serbia after its support for Kosovo independence.”
In the pre-election period, the EU and U.S. should stop offering direct support to any political option, should not sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia unless Belgrade cooperates fully with the Hague Tribunal, and should offer greater support to civil society, the ICG advises.
ICG special adviser James Lyon claims that “the public’s anger at Western support for Kosovo independence is such that every attempt by the EU or the U.S to support pro-Western parties ahead of the elections can only boost nationalist votes.”
The group’s program director for Europe Sabine Frazer also believes that Brussels and Washington should refrain from “playing into the hands” of nationalist forces by offering the SAA, at least until Serbia satisfies the condition of full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.
The ICG predicts that the nationalists will triumph at the elections, stating that it is “unlikely” that the pro-Western forces will come to power and that “in the event of a nationalist victory, Serbia will strengthen its ties with Russia.”
“There’s a very great likelihood that the Serb Radical Party (SRS) will win the election and form a coalition government. If that happens, Euro-Atlantic integration will come to a halt, and one can expect the nationalists to support a ‘belligerent’ response in Kosovo, including the use of ‘small scale’ violence by the Kosovo Serbs,” warns the report.
“The nationalists could offer encouragement to the Republic of Srpska (RS) to secede from Bosnia-Hercegovina and also get involved in the situation in Macedonia,” it points out.
The report goes on to say that Serbia could be left without a government until September, in which case current Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica would remain at the head of the temporary government and continue to define policy on Kosovo. “He will probably play a major role in forming the new government, maybe even as prime minister,” states the text.
The ICG says that pro-Western forces could form a weak government, but with the support of nationalists like the Democratic Party of Serbia or the Socialists.
“Were the Democrats to try and define a clear pro-European course, it would face the kind of obstacles and opposition that led to the murder of Prime Minister Zoran Ðinðiæ in 2003,” the report cautions.
Brussels and Washington would be better off offering “less rhetorical support” to the pro-Western parties—the Democratic Party, G17 Plus and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—and stop interfering in the election campaign by promising Serbia the SAA, the IMG concludes.
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 0:38:46 GMT -5
Well well. Looks like Ruecker is jumping for his life. After being paid millions to force the illegal independance through the UN mission and failed, he now must leave before his financial backers go after his head.
Hopefully they will install someone that understands the true meaning of Resolution 1244.
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 0:33:11 GMT -5
"Ruecker's resignation matter of days" 24 April 2008 | 09:12 | Source: Tanjug PRIŠTINA -- UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker’s resignation could be a “matter of days,” the Italian ANSA agency understands from UNMIK sources in Priština.
Two days ago, Ruecker denied that he was quitting his post as head of the UN’s mission to Kosovo.
“I’m staying in Kosovo,” he told journalists, ahead of the start of the closed-door UN Security Council session where UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s report on the situation in Kosovo came under the microscope.
Last weekend, UN officials in New York claimed that Ruecker’s resignation was a “matter of moments.”
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Post by Fender on Apr 25, 2008 0:31:53 GMT -5
Good article MiG. Just reinforces to the West that the Russians really are back and are not willing to be pushed around. Looks like they will n ot give up Kosovo that easily and what is apparant is the US do not have a back up plan to this "blockade" that the Russians have set up.
Recognition of Kosovo from other states has virtually stopped and the most they can muster is under 50. A far cry from the "100" or so instant recognitions that was expected, will propbably never materialise.
In the end, is Kosovo that important to the US where it will seriously compromise Easst West realations. The one thing the US knows is that they cannot use their policy of force against Russia without global consequences.
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Post by Fender on Apr 24, 2008 1:48:55 GMT -5
If This Goes On… Can elections change anything? by Nebojsa Malic On one of the Communist-era housing projects in the western part of Sarajevo – a slab of concrete once gray and foreboding and recently painted a shade of ochre to give it at least a semblance of warmth – there is a graffito in dark red spray-paint: "If elections changed anything, they would make them illegal." It's hard to imagine anyone in Bosnia has heard of Emma Goldman, but her words ring true; there is a marked tendency for the same people to end up in power after every election, even if they have to change party affiliation in the meantime. All of Bosnia's communities are always promised change – but they always end up losing what little change they have in their pockets.
A careful look reveals a similar pattern in the neighboring Serbia. Since the October 2000 coup, lavishly supported by the Empire, the Democratic Opposition (DOS) bloc has broken down into feuding camps, but if one looks at the cabinets from the time of Zoran Djindjic to the present, certain names tend to appear as permanent fixtures. For example, Mladjan Dinkic and Bozidar Djelic have always somehow been in charge of fiscal and monetary policy, no matter whether the government was in the hands of Djindjic, Zivkovic, or Kostunica. Serbia may have spent the past eight years in the metaphorical wilderness politically, but its economic policy has always been in the hands of a small party called G17-Plus. It is a mighty strange coincidence that G17 is now part of the "democratic reformer" bloc, promising Europe and wealth, as if they weren't the ones behind the disastrous mismanagement – indeed, outright pillaging – of the country already despoiled by war and a decade of internationally imposed isolation.
Goldman's dictum about elections certainly applies to the United States. Democrats and Republicans may argue loudly with each other – and among themselves – on a multitude of issues, but they all agree that each and every one of them requires forceful government action. And when they do argue about foreign wars, which isn't often, it is mostly about the justifications and tactics, not about the merits of those wars or – Heaven forbid! – their legality and legitimacy. No matter who ascends to the White Marble Throne next January, their answer for everything will be force. Armed with the world's biggest hammer, the rulers of Imperial America see everything in the world as a nail.
Unacceptable, Provocative, and Illegal
The Serbian province of Kosovo was occupied by NATO and the UN in 1999. In 2001, the occupiers organized elections to legitimize the Albanian separatists, led by the terrorist KLA. Whenever the province's Serbs refused to collaborate with the quasi-state institutions thus established, the occupiers would denounce "pressure from Belgrade" and "outside manipulation," claiming that the Serbs really wanted to "integrate" into the "Kosovar" society, but were coerced not to. In reality, there was tremendous pressure from the UN and NATO on both the Kosovo Serbs and Belgrade to "integrate" and accept the land-grab of Kosovo as inevitable.
Serbia is holding general elections, scheduled for May 11, and intends to open polls in Kosovo – or at least in Serb-inhabited areas that refuse to recognize the occupied province's independence, illegally declared by the Albanian government earlier this year. The principal sponsors of "independent Kosovo," the U.S. and the UK, are raising a storm in the UN about the Serbian vote, calling it "unacceptable," "a provocation," and – this is really rich – "illegal"! Yes, you heard it right: it's provocative, illegal, and unacceptable to hold elections in one's own country, but it's perfectly acceptable – a pinnacle of virtue, even – to invade countries halfway around the world using fabricated pretexts and engage in torture and atrocities. People who resist can be, and are, killed with impunity.
To further drive that point home, the Empire's kangaroo "tribunal" for war crimes recently acquitted Ramush Haradinaj, Empire's fair-haired boy in Kosovo, who commanded KLA units that committed horrendous atrocities against Serbs, Roma, and even Albanians who would not support the KLA's cause. Two years earlier, Naser Oric, the Bosnian Muslim commander of Srebrenica who both ordered and took part in murdering Serb civilians, was convicted – and promptly released by the same "court."
But there is no court for Bill Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Richard Holbrooke, Wesley Clark, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Tony Blair… Not in this world, anyway.
Democracy, Imperial-Style
The Empire swears by democracy, but how does that translate in reality? In the immediate aftermath of the 1999 war, the taxpayer-funded National Endowment for Democracy – through its Democratic and Republican institutes – waged a campaign to topple the government of Slobodan Milosevic. No expense was spared to tutor the willing opposition politicians, journalists, and activists in tactics and tricks. The end result was the October 2000 takeover of power, ostensibly a "popular democratic revolution" that was neither popular nor democratic. If tales of "suitcases of cash" or the self-righteous boasting of American officials that they brought about "regime change" in Serbia weren't evidence enough, "revolutions" following the same script down to a letter soon took place in Georgia and Ukraine. It was later revealed that some of the Serbian activists "trained" by the NED were "advising" their counterparts in Tbilisi and Kiev.
How is it that the so-called "popular movements" can appear out of thin air and disappear again, once their purpose – "regime change" has been served? How is it that Eastern Europe, capital-starved from decades of Communism, then plundered wholesale by crooked transition regimes, somehow seems to support more non-governmental organizations and activists than enterprises and businesses? The answer is blindingly obvious even without inspecting their financial records, but upon said inspection it becomes impossible to refute: they are actually agents of Empire, bought and paid for.
The same goes for the media established to spread Imperial propaganda, which can somehow always afford the latest American shows and movies, even though there is no way they could have ever earned that money from domestic advertising markets. Sure enough, even a cursory investigation shows their money comes from "independent foundations" that are fronts for governments in Washington or London or Brussels…
The Serbian Aberration
Elections certainly change nothing in Europe. The real power has long since passed to the bureaucrats in Brussels. If Europeans vote for the "wrong" party or candidate, they are ostracized and bullied till they change their minds. If they reject additional centralization of power at a referendum, their rulers will find a way around it, or simply make them vote again and again, until the desired result is achieved. Democracy as practiced today is a hollow cult, imbuing the state with godlike attributes in the service of those who seek power for power's sake.
This is why the upcoming Serbian election is something of an anomaly. For the first time in nearly a decade, there are sharp distinctions between the opposing blocs. The EUphoric "democratic reformers" advocate unconditional obedience to the Empire, and their campaign appeals in equal parts to greed and fear. They don't really have a coherent economic program – only more of the same, as seen since 2000. The "patriots" don't have an economic clue either, but they are opposed to the Empire on principle and appeal to traditional values. Even if it were somehow possible to live prosperously at the price of dignity and identity, they ask, would such a life be worth living?
Those living in the U.S. or the EU no longer have the chance to even ask that question, let alone vote on it. In a couple of weeks, Serbian voters will have that chance. Malicious propaganda aside, elections can't bring prosperity. Voting doesn't put food on the table – though those elected can certainly take it away. Prosperity comes from the willingness and ability to work, trade, create, and invest. How likely are any of those to happen in a society that rejects dignity, honor, and law? The answer ought to be clear.
H.L. Mencken once observed that "democracy is a theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard." In the 1847 epic "The Mountain Wreath," by the Serbian bishop, prince, and poet Njegos, a Turkish vizier speaks thusly: "The common folk are like stupid cattle, servile only when their ribs are cracking." Was he right?
On May 11, we find out.
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Post by Fender on Apr 24, 2008 1:25:09 GMT -5
FREEDOM OF SPEECH. DEAL WITH IT. Let him celebrate whatever he likes. Australia is a free country. Only those who have something to hide must stifle freedom of speech. With freedom of speech comes responsibility. Celebrating people's deaths is wrong in every way.
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Post by Fender on Apr 24, 2008 1:12:32 GMT -5
Ej Fender, yes those things I'm sure occured at the Dom, however as I said, ustase should be far removed from it's connections and so called origins in WWII, you out of all people know what I'm talking about. Monetenegrodeki, perhaps if we wern't forcefully removed and "resettled" into other part of Bosna and Croatia after WWII, perhaps we would have left these countries with a different mindset. Only the next generation can forget, but I will make sure they know exactly why we are here. The Ustasa should be far removed but sadly it isn't. That place is still as croocked as the day it opened.
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Post by Fender on Apr 24, 2008 1:02:31 GMT -5
Looks like that Albania are trying to rape Kosovo before the Serbs take over again.
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Post by Fender on Apr 24, 2008 0:59:44 GMT -5
Clap, Clap, Clap well said Tadic, l never thought he had the capacity or balls to say what he has said.....but l still wouldn't vote for him!. If the situation were a little different, I would agree but Kostunica is really the man to have at this juncture.
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Post by Fender on Apr 23, 2008 17:53:04 GMT -5
Chief UNMIK miliatary officer critical of Kosovo policy 23 April 2008 | 22:26 | Source: B92, Tanjug PRIŠTINA -- Maj.-Gen. Raul Cunha, UNMIK's Chief Military Liaison Officer, has criticized the “incoherence of the Western international community” in Kosovo.
Cunha, who is also UNMIK chief Joachim Ruecker's military adviser, was quoted as saying that "the way this process was conducted goes in the direction of instability, and not stability".
In an interview for Italy's Osservatorio sui Balcani, the Portuguese officer focused his criticism on the way EULEX is preparing to start its work, and said he believes this part of the process should have been directed in a different way.
He argued that the UN has to stay in Kosovo for a longer period of time as the only legitimate authority, "at least in the Serb-dominated areas".
"The UN might have to stay, at least in some areas of Kosovo’s territory, for some time until, either there is a transition that is accepted by the Serb minority, which I will not say it’s impossible, but almost impossible; or until finally the European Union El Dorado starts to be a reality," Cunha said.
"This is how the Serbian minority could probably end up accepting the presence of the EU. But it will take quite some years for the European Union El Dorado to happen, if it happens.
"The situation here is not brilliant and we have a lot to be blamed for. We – I mean the Western international community. We have perhaps invested here in the worst way and we were not very careful with the money. Each time I take a look at the numbers, I notice that 80 percent of the investment was made in consultancy and capacity building but, practically speaking, we didn’t build any capacities", he said.
"The pillar of reconstruction and economic development as part of UNMIK was always a responsibility of the European Union and we can verify now that there is no productive structure in Kosovo," he continued.
The European Union has spent in EUR 4bn in Kosovo, "in different ways", Cunha noted.
Asked about the "UNMIK-EULEX transition", Cunha said it will be "very difficult".
"I don’t know why, but everybody got convinced that just by waving the EU 'carrot', the Serbs would accept everything. It can only be this belief that lead to the exaggerated optimism that is now being proven had no reason to exist".
"It will take a very long time and there will have to be concrete results for the EU projects in the field for the Serbian minority to accept this EU management. Maybe it will take years. Maybe, they will never accept it. Or maybe, they will accept such a situation only by force," he warned.
The UNMIK chief military liaison officer believes that one of the consequences of the processes ongoing in Kosovo will be the "discrediting and weakening of the UN role".
"Mr. Solana is still saying that we are creating stability in the Balkans. I am not going to argue over the fact of Kosovo being independent, but the way this process was conducted goes in the direction of instability, and not stability."
"Because when we say this is a unique case which doesn’t represent a precedent, we know we are either lying or being hypocrites. It’s clear that no two cases are equal."
"It’s clear that each of them is unique, but all of them have one thing in common: the will of one group to separate from another to create their own motherland. This is the same for everybody," Cunho concluded.
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Post by Fender on Apr 23, 2008 5:24:27 GMT -5
President Tadiæ addresses UN SC on Kosovo 21 April 2008 The full text of President Boris Tadiæ's address at the United Nations Security Council session dedicated to Kosovo, on April 21, in New York.
"I would like to express major concern over the situation that has presented itself following the illegal proclamation of the independence of Kosovo and Metohija, the southern Serbian province that has been under UN administration ever since June 1999. Serbia has pointed on a number of occasions to the dangerous consequences of this illegitimate act which the provisional institutions of self-governance in Kosovo performed on February 17 this year.
Not only is the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, a member of the UN, threatened by this unlawful act, but the illegal act of Kosovo Albanians has also led to an aggravation of security in Kosovo and raised a number of issues in other regions of the world as well.
'The state of Serbia is concerned over the fact that there has been no reaction of the United Nations, of UNMIK, on the occasion of the proclamation of the unilateral independence of the province of Kosovo and Metohija. Belgrade demanded that the UN representatives in Kosovo annulled that illegal act, but instead of that, we saw that the report by the UN secretary general only mentioned the unilateral proclamation of independence and confirmed the new reality on the terrain.
It is completely unacceptable that the report does not specify the demands of Serbia or the country's arguments that the new reality is the result of the violation of Resolution 1244.
'Furthermore, according to the report, preparations are being made, with the approval of UNMIK representatives, for the implementation of the Martti Ahtisaari plan and supervised independence, although this plan was never discussed or adopted in the UN Security Council.
'Serbia demands a continuation of UNMIK's mandate in keeping with Resolution 11244, and we find as completely unacceptable any appreciation of the circumstances that have presented themselves following the unilateral proclamation of independence.
Security Council Resolution 1244, according to Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, obliges all member countries to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia.
The act of 35 countries that have backed the so-called independence of Kosovo, is in contradiction with the position of the UN Security Council and it has significantly weakened the credibility of the world organization. With this act, efforts are being made to give legitimacy to an illegitimate division of internationally recognized sovereign countries. Serbia warns of the fact that in case that a compromise solution is not found, the Kosovo case will become a dangerous precedent and that such a situation might open a Pandora's box with unforeseeable consequences for similar cases in many other parts of the world.
This is why I once again call on the countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence to re-examine their decision and to take personal responsibility for the unimaginable consequences of such a precedent. I call on the countries that have not done that, to persist on observing the principles of international law. I expect help from all of you, so that, through new solutions, we could defend the law which all of us have to observe and help that the decisions of the UN Security Council regain the importance they deserve.
''I view as particularly dangerous the pressure certain countries are making on our neighbors to recognize Kosovo independence and I have to warn that this could lead to a destabilization of the region and jeopardize regional cooperation.
'As a president of Serbia, I claim that my country shall never recognize Kosovo's independence. This is why it is necessary to seek a new, stable solution, which would improve the extremely bad situation that was caused by the unilateral decision of the temporary Kosovo institutions. Serbia continues to be convinced that only with a continuation of negotiations can we reach a mutually acceptable and sustainable solution that will bring lasting peace to all the people in the Balkans. The UN Security Council is the only institution that can reach a legally valid decision.
On March 17, 2004 a pogrom of Serbs took place in Kosovo and Metohija, about which I spoke at this very place on several occasions. On this very same day in 2008, violence broke out in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica. To our knowledge, international forces used extensive force against Kosovo Serbs who are in a very difficult situation that has been caused by the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence. In those clashes, several people were injured, and, unfortunately, one Ukrainian policeman got killed.
The investigation that is under way will do its part of the job, but my appeal to international representatives is more than clear - that all restrain from force and violence, and that in the period to come, only trough dialogue and agreement we seek solutions to all risky and sensitive situations that might present themselves.
I want to emphasize that Serbia is a peace-loving country committed to the preservation of its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that it has every reason to be worried about the fate of the Serb and other non-Albanian communities in Kosovo and Metohija.
In the new situation, when illegally and contrary to Resolution 1244, temporary Kosovo institutions are being transformed into illegal state institutions, and when the EULEX Mission is taking over the jurisdictions from UNMIK without a corresponding decision of the Security Council, the Serbs in Kosovo feel very unsafe.
The Serbs in Kosovo, whether they live to the north of River Ibar, or in the enclaves south of that river, have no trust in the Priština bodies of authority. Kosovo Serbs are not ready to cooperate with the EULEX Mission as long as it does not obtain an explicit mandate of the UN Security Council. I remind you that the Serbs in the enclaves still live in very difficult conditions, that their freedom of movement is limited and that they spend their days in an atmosphere of constant pressure and threatening.
I would like, at this point, to draw your attention to yet another negative consequence of the illegally proclaimed independence of Kosovo, to the impossibility to supply the health centers and hospitals throughout Kosovo and Metohija with medicine and medical equipment. So far, we have succeeded in resolving this situation ad hoc, with the great help of the World Health Organization.
I express gratitude to the World Health Organization, but I point out the need for an urgent and lasting solution to this issue, since, I am certain, no one wants a humanitarian disaster that might come as a result of the chronic lack of medicine in the hospitals in which Serbs, Albanians and all other inhabitants of the southern Serbian province are being treated.
These are just some of the problems that have affected the lives of Serbs after February 17, 2008, which is difficult as it is.
Ever since the arrival of the United Nations in Kosovo in 1999, hundreds of thousands of Serbs have been expelled from their homes. Dozens of thousands of Serb houses have been burnt to the ground. Thousands of Serbs have been killed or have gone missing and are regarded as dead, and more than 150 Serbian Orthodox Churches and monasteries have been leveled.
Since the arrival of UNMIK on June 10, 1999, there has been a total of 7,000 attacks on Serbs, 4,600 of which have been committed by fire arms.
The Serbs in the province were exposed to the violence of Kosovo Albanian extremists, most of whom have not been punished for their crimes.
This is why I hold that the acquittal of former KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army ) leader Hasim Taci is unjust and that the public in Serbia has every right to be embittered over such a verdict. ''Former ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte spoke on several occasions about the threatening and the murder of the witnesses in the Haradinaj case, and I expect from The Hague Tribunal to file an appeal against the unjust decision by the International War Crimes Tribunal.
Ramush Haradinaj will not return to Kosovo as an ordinary citizen, but rather as one which has the intention of taking part in the province's political life and creating the reality our fellow-men there. This disputable verdict coincides with the testimony of former ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte, who in her book speaks about the trade of the organs taken out from the bodies of kidnapped Serbs. This is still another case which The Hague Tribunal should shed light on.
Haradinaj is suspected with serious crimes against Serbs, the Roma and Albanians, and the court has to ascertain the whole truth and punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law, primarily because of the innocent victims. I hold that all criminals, regardless of their nationality, should face The Hague Tribunal, and that this is the only way in which justice can be satisfied and that once an for all, a stop be put on the painful issues of war crimes that were committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia.
The International War Crimes Tribunal was founded by the United Nations, and the Republic of Serbia, as a full-fledged member of the UN, is fully and clearly committed to the realization of a full cooperation with the Tribunal. Therefore, I would like to repeat once again that Serbia is doing all that is in its power so that this cooperation be successfully brought to an end.
UN SC Resolution 1244 has to be fully observed. Only in this way can a further deterioration of the situation on the terrain be prevented. The clearly defined mandate which the Security Council gave to UNMIK is not to be undermined, and we strongly insist that the jurisdictions of UNMIK be not transferred onto any other body.
Therefore, the basic position of the Republic of Serbia is that EULEX is operating beyond the frame envisaged by Resolution 1244 and that their activities are in contradiction with the principles of the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.
Let me be clear: the issue here is not whether or not the EU is welcome in our southern province. However, for any such engagement, a clear legal mandate has to be provided for, and this mandate can only be obtained by a decision of the Security Council.
The Republic of Serbia is ready to take a constructive part in seeking solutions to such a complex issue.
No one has the right to obstruct Serbia in its legitimate and peaceful defense of the country's integrity, or to jeopardize the realization of our other legitimate goal - membership in the European Union.
I am fully convinced that these two goals are linked, and that without joining the world, Serbia will not be able to defend the country's integrity, and that without defending its integrity, it will not be possible to ensure European integration.
We will, therefore, be ready to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the European Union as soon as it is offered to us, and thus achieve the soonest possible status of an official candidate for membership. In spite of our present difficulties, I want to reiterate this principled stand, which most of my fellow-citizens share with me.
Serbia has been on the road of European integration ever since 2000, and along with the fact that it will bring unequivocal economic benefit to all the people in Serbia, the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement will also enable a continuation of the legitimate fight for the preservation of the integrity and sovereignty of our country, since the Agreement envisages an indisputable respect of UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
Serbia's most important internal political goals are the preservation of territorial wholeness and the country's integration into the EU. These two aims can be achieved only if realized at the same time.
Article 135 of the Agreement specifies that Kosovo is under temporary UN administration, on the basis of Resolution 1244, as well as the signing of the Agreement does not prejudge the future status of our province.
By repeating once again that Serbia views Kosovo as its inseparable part, I want to inform you that parliamentary and local elections will beheld in Serbia on May 11, which are of crucial importance for the consolidation of democracy in Serbia and its integration into the EU.
It is of particular importance that on that day local elections be also held in Kosovo and Metohija. We hold that it is important that everywhere in Kosovo, where the inhabitants recognize the Republic of Serbia as their own state, the citizens elect their municipal, as well as parliamentary representatives in a democratic manner.
The Republic of Serbia is willing to be a constructive partner in the achievement of peace and reconciliation in the region. We are committed to an open dialogue and negotiations, which will be held in good faith with everyone. We also continue to be committed to the principles of international law.
Serbia wants all the problems to be resolved in a peaceful manner.
We want to deal with issues that are of vital importance for the people that are most threatened in the province.
In the end, please let me point out Serbia's principled, deeply- rooted position that regional peace and security are the issues that are of greatest importance for all the countries in the region and that lasting peace and stability can be achieved not by imposing solutions and use of force, but rather by dialogue, agreement and the respect of laws."
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Post by Fender on Apr 23, 2008 5:11:50 GMT -5
Its now plainly obvious that key milestones will never be met in the Kosovo debacle.
1. The supposed "100" instant recognitions will never materialise. They barely have 40 and the process has now stalled.
2. Kosovo will never enter the EU unless as a part of Serbia.
3. Kosovo will never enter the UN and be formally recognised.
What a mess.
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Post by Fender on Apr 23, 2008 5:02:49 GMT -5
Slovak FM rules out recognition of Kosovo 22 April 2008 Slovakian Foreign Minister Jan Kubiš said today in Priština that his country’s position on opposing Kosovo’s independence remained as before.
“I heard very clearly President Fatmir Sejdiu’s request for recognition of Kosovo independence, while I made it clear that the position of my country’s current position is how it is,” said Kubiš.
After meeting with the Kosovo president, the Slovakian foreign minister said that Kosovo was a unique case and could not be compared to anywhere else.
However, he said that a lot of time would be necessary before Slovakia recognized Kosovo’s unilateral independence, even though Bratislava has given its approval to the EU mission to the province.
Kubiš added that Slovakia had increased its military contingent in Kosovo, which attested to its determination over the matter.
“I want to say that my country has increased its contingent within KFOR. We’ve brought over helicopters at NATO and KFOR’s request,“ said the Slovakian foreign minister.
Sejdiu said that there had been discussion of the assistance Slovakia had offered the province, though he added that it was very important that that country recognize Kosovo independence.
Kubiš also met with Kosovo Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuqi.
Yesterday, the Slovakian foreign minister visited Kosovska Mitrovica to speak with Serb officials, including leader of the Serb List Oliver Ivanoviæ.
Besides Ivanoviæ, Kubiš also spoke last night with President of the Democratic Party’s (DS) provincial committee Goran Bogdanoviæ.
“Slovakia’s principled position protects not only international law and Serbs’ rights in Kosovo, but also protects Europe from the implications such a precedent could have,” Ivanoviæ told FoNet today.
“During the talks, it was stressed that a lot of countries that had recognized Kosovo often exhibited uncertainty and doubts in private conversations over whether they had done the right thing, because they did so under certain pressure from the U.S. and other countries,” he added.
“The present situation is problematic, and we informed Kubiš of this. EULEX has a serious problem with its legitimacy, and the only solution is one supported by, above all, Belgrade, but also by permanent Security Council members, Russia and China,” Ivanoviæ explained.
The leader of the Serb list said that he thought that “such a possibility exists” and that June and July, when the Security Council will be presided by UK and the U.S., will be “months of certain additional initiatives by countries that support independence.”
Ivanoviæ said that during his conversation with Kubiš the two men had concluded that the EULEX mission had to be legitimized by a new UN resolution or by changes and annexes to Resolution 1244, with the support of Belgrade and the permanent Security Council members.
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Fender
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Post by Fender on Apr 21, 2008 18:20:56 GMT -5
Looks like partition to me.
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Fender
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Hardarse
Posts: 2,653
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Post by Fender on Apr 21, 2008 18:17:36 GMT -5
Trouble in paradise?
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Fender
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Hardarse
Posts: 2,653
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Post by Fender on Apr 21, 2008 0:12:36 GMT -5
Dienstbier: Kosovo never legal, independent 20 April 2008 If I were in Serbian politicians' shoes, I would never recognize Kosovo's independence, Jiri Dienstbier says.
Dienstibier, a former UN human rights rapporteur for former Yugoslavia and former Czech foreign minister, was speaking in an interview for the Frankfurt-based Serbian-language daily Vesti.
Dienstbier said that Serbia's southern province has been in a "legal chaos" since some countries recognized the ethnic Albanians' unilaterally declared independence.
"This chaos has been created through the arbitrary political and interest-based interpretation of the norms of international law, which is unprecedented in the history of legal systems," Dienstbier said.
He added that many countries in the world have not taken this illegal path because they have a "sense of shame", while some have their own problems similar to Serbia's.
Such countries fortunately make up the majority, Dienstbier said, and added that the number of states that have recognized Kosovo's independence is lower than 25 percent of the world's countries.
"The pressure exerted on the 'disobedient' ones is huge, both by America, and the EU's 'elite members'. It's hard to say how many will succumb to that pressure. It is clear and certain, after all that’s been said and done, that Kosovo will never, but really never, be a legal and legitimate independent country."
"Kosovo cannot become a UN member, and with this, it cannot join most international organizations. Besides, the economic impotence of such a state must be kept in mind, and the fact that the international community has not managed to turn the Kosovo extremists into European democrats in the past ten years," the former Czech diplomat said.
"It's ridiculous that they are convincing us the Kosovo issue is unique, that it cannot serve as precedent. They should explain this to the Kurds, the Basques and many others, so if those people 'understand and accept' it, there will be no precedent."
"Nationalists are very happy because of Kosovo. In the words of Czech President Vaclav Klaus, by recognizing Kosovo, we are opening Pandora's Box," Dienstbier concluded.
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Fender
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Post by Fender on Apr 20, 2008 3:37:57 GMT -5
This EU-Lex has crumbled for now, soon it will happen in the KLA heartland of Pristina ;D The KLA are being held together with Bush's glue.
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