Posted on 02/10/2007 1:07:43 PM PST by kronos77
United Nations (UN) police in Kosovo have fired tear gas and rubber bullets during clashes with ethnic Albanians protesting against a UN plan they say falls short of full independence from Serbia.
Hospital officials say they have treated 70 people, including four who were seriously wounded.
Fourteen people were arrested as Kosovo and UN riot police advanced on hundreds of demonstrators who were hurling stones and bottles.
The clashes, a repeat of riots in November, underscored Western fears of what the United States described last week as a possible "breakdown in order" if a decision on the Albanian majority's demand for independence does not come soon.
A UN plan unveiled this month would, if adopted by the UN Security Council, set the territory on the path to statehood, eight years after NATO bombs drove out Serb forces and the United Nations took control.
But some among Kosovo's 90 per cent ethnic Albanian majority are angry at the plan's provisions for a powerful European overseer and self-government for the 100,000 remaining Serbs.
The protesters called for an independence referendum and rejected talks with Serbia, which in 1998-1999 killed 10,000 Albanians and expelled 800,000 in a two-year war with rebels.
"Freedom does not come in packages," they chanted, in reference to the plan drafted by former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari following months of Serb-Albanian talks in 2006.
Kosovo Albanian leaders condemned the violence.
"We said there was no reason to protest, because the process is going in the right direction," a government spokeswoman said.
Serbia opposes the amputation of its medieval heartland but the Albanians living there reject any return to Serb rule and are impatient to end eight years of UN-imposed limbo.
The US and the European Union back Mr Ahtisaari's blueprint and hope the UN Security Council will adopt it by June.
Ping
From BBC>
'No negotiation'
The ethnic Albanian demonstrators gathered near the provincial government building in Pristina.
Many of them chanted: "No negotiation. Self-determination", demanding a referendum on independence.
The UN police fired tear gas after the protesters tried to approach the government building.
"We're demonstrating against Ahtisaari's package, which does not reflect the will of the people of Kosovo, but only the privileges of one minority, the Serb minority, which is being manipulated by Serbia," said Albin Kurti, the leader of the protest group. He said they were also protesting against ethnic Albanian leaders who made "many concessions to Serbia without bringing independence." (Serbs are said to become minority my UN plan although There are 9,000,000 Serbs and only 1,500,000 Albanians in Serbia)
"U.N. police"?
No thanks.
Not here.
Not ever.
The Clinton legacy.
The "no abuse" policy applies to Freepmail as well as posts. If it bothers because it's threatening, report it to the Moderators.
Oh, no he e-mailed me on e-mail Iw posted on my about page
You know, if the Albanians all converted to Wahabbism, it would probably be a step up for them culturally.
True!
He's either a crypto-muslim or a fanatical dhimmi.
It's surprising how fanatical and strident dhimmi Protestants and Catholics in the US can be in supporting Albanian muslims and in hating the Serbs. How much more so for Albanian dhimmis.
Memo to Washington: The breakdown in order occurred 7 1/2 years ago. And it will only get worse once the Albanians get what they want.
Well, you could post the e-mail. Or just ignore it. You know best!
Keep the pings coming!
Yes, that's because of mass illegal immigration from Albania after economic collapse there and a sustained campaign of ethnic cleansing against the Serbs for the past 25 years.
Post it on the internet with his address in a very public place. I always remember that T shirt maker that made t shirts of Muhammed with a bomb in his turban. He posted all the hate mail he got on the internet for everyone to see with the return addresses. That stopped it.
These fanatic Muzzie Albanians need to go next door to the motherland: Albania.
Kosovo is simply not theirs.
Stand firm Russia! Apparently the state dept has bent over to the EUroweenies.
Why aren't you blaming Bush?
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