Posted on 07/23/2007 10:39:36 AM PDT by Bokababe
Washington/Belgrade, 23 July(AKI) – Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders were due to meet in Washington on US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice on Monday to try and clarify the diplomatic impasse over the breakaway province's independence from Serbia.
The Kosovan leaders and Rice will try and chart a way forward on the province's future status after the United Nations Security Council last Friday withdrew a draft resolution granting Kosovo internationally supervised independence.
After repeated efforts to push through a resolution based on the proposal by UN special negotiator Martti Ahtisaari, western powers, which favour independence, decided to shift the problem to a six-nation Contact group for Kosovo. The group - comprising the US, Great Britain, Italy, France, Germany and Russia - should hold a further 120 days of negotiations between Pristina and Belgrade.
Meanwhile German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Monday proposed that the new talks be coordinated by an international “troika” consisting of the US, EU and Russia. He was speaking to journalists in Brussels, where Kosovo is high on the agenda of a summit of EU foreign ministers. Such a troika would be "the best chance" so far to secure a deal on Kosovo, he said.
Russia, as a veto wielding permanent member of the Council, has blocked several draft resolutions, siding with Belgrade in opposing Kosovo's independence and demanding new talks which might lead to a compromise solution.
The shelving of Ahtisaari’s plan in the UN was greeted in Serbia as a “great victory” for Belgrade and Moscow, but some political analysts have warned the Contact group's brief is not entirely clear.
“The withdrawal of a draft resolution that would have paved the way for Kosovo independence is of exceptional importance for Serbia,” said prime minister Vojislav Kostunica. “It represents a victory of law over attempts to snatch a part of Serbia’s territory away,” he added.
Belgrade opposes independence for Kosovo - which has been under UN administration since NATO airstrikes drove Serbian forces from the province in 1999, amid gross human rights violations and a mass exodus of ethnic Albanians.
Kosovo majority ethnic Albanian leaders have said, on the other hand, that they would settle for nothing short of independence. Ahtisaari unveiled a plan proposing EU supervised independence after 13 months of Serb-Albanian talks ended in deadlock.
Washington has been spearheading Kosovo's independence drive and Pristina Albanian language media said that Kosovo president Fatmir Seidiu and prime minister Agim Ceku would demand that Rice clearly sets a timetable for independence.
Meanwhile, ethnic Albanians where planning demonstrations in Kosovo's capital, Pristina, at which they said they planned to “symbolically declare independence." Ethnic Albanians outnumber Serbs in Kosovo by 17 to 1.
Ceku said on Friday that Kosovo's parliament should unilaterally declare independence in November if Ahtisaari’s plan failed, but were cautioned by Washington and the European Union not to take unilateral steps.
After Russia’s last refusal in the UN on Friday, western diplomats said that the search for a solution within the Contact group would facilitate their efforts, because no country has a veto right in the group. “It remains to be seen,” retorted Russian ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin.
Moscow and Belgrade claim that the Contact group may mediate in new talks, but that the final decision on Kosovo's future status still rests with the Security Council.
The watered-down resolution, the third in three months, included a framework that Russia claimed would lead to independence of the Serbian province by stealth.
Decide "Kosovo" or "Kosova" in under a minute , so where is the question mark?
http://www.serbianna.com/columns/borojevic/060.shtml
Is Bush Ceku’s hostage, or is Ceku Bush’s?
By Boba Borojevic
Ottawa , July 23, 2007
James Jatras on the crucial victory in the UN SC
The status of the UN-run Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija, whose ethnic Albanians are demanding independence, is in the balance because Russia is threatening veto. Some western nations have been trying to push a draft resolution in the Security Council to implement key provisions of UN mediator Martti Ahtissari’s plan to grant “supervised independence” to Albanians living in the Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija.
Friday, they ran into opposition from Moscow, which had said it would use its power of veto and block the move. Faced with Russian and Belgrade’s opposition the United States and its European allies decided not to have vote on independence in the UN SC and said they would hand the issue back to a six-nation Contact Group. Meanwhile, Agim Cheku, Kosovo Albanian leader announced that he would proclaim Kosovo’s independence unilaterally on November 28.
The news is that Condoleezza Rice, the American Secretary of State, will ask the leaders of Kosovo not to do anything rash. European foreign ministers are also expected to discuss the crisis in the upcoming days. The international Contact Group, which includes the United States, Britain, France and Russia, will discuss what to do next on Wednesday.
James Jatras, director of the American Council for Kosovo, a lobby group based in Washington DC, believes that Washington does not have strong enough support of the European countries for this crucial move.
“If they were determined to try to impose the solution outside the Security Council,” Jatras said, “they would have gone forward with the vote knowing that the Russians would have vetoed it. They would use that as a pretext to say: ‘Now, you see we don’t have any other choice but to try some other way.’
The fact that they did not even do that but rather they pulled back is to me an indication that they don’t have enough strength and the Washington government cannot count on the support of the European countries for a solution outside the Security Council. It means they are taking a step back. They may even go back to blabbing for a while in the Contact Group to figure out what their next step is.”
Jatras doesn’t believe that the Kosovo issue can be settled outside the UN Security Council.
“Certainly it cannot be settled in the Contact Group. Solana said the other day they would figure out something outside of the Security Council and go to the Contact Group. How can the Contact Group settle anything? There is no standing of a Contact Group under any concept of the international law,” explains Jatras.
“The Contact Group has no weight to supplant the statement from the Security Council in the Resolution 1244. It is simply an informal talk shop. They would have to go back to the Security Council or find some pretext for the unilateral declaration on independence and see whether Washington can force that through against the Russian opposition and cause a complete confusion among the Europeans.”
Jatras had said on Ottawa’s CKCU “Monday’s Encounter”this week, that Ceku was coming to Washington in the near future to see what their next move would be.
“Frankly, the big question here is: Is Bush Ceku’s hostage, or is Ceku Bush’s hostage? It is not entirely clear if Bush is now in the position where if Ceku goes ahead with the declaration on independence, will he feel bound to recognize it? To the contrary, is Ceku in the position where he cannot move forward without Bush giving him a green light? It is becoming very clear with the more general collapse of the authority of the Bush administration, not only internationally but also even domestically, that they are going to have trouble delivering promises they had made to Albanians all these years. The latest developments in the Security Council show that neither Moscow nor Belgrade are letting any kind of trickery get pass them. I am glad to see that Belgrade appears to be very united on a very clear and principled position, which will be clearer in any further negotiation that takes place now,” concluded Jatras.
And that's what uncontrolled immigration gets you.
"Uncontrolled immigration", coupled with ethnic cleansing of all non-Albanians. Two hundred thousand Serbs, Jews, Gypsies, and non-Albanians have been driven out of Kosovo since the NATO Bombing in 1999. But the MSM press never mentions that.
Yes, Ma’am.
Just saying that when you get an immigrant population through a border that leaks like a sieve, then they breed like rabbits, when they get to sufficient numbers, they get bold -- and this case, violent and aggressive, driving everyone who isn't like them out.
Not saying that the same couldn't happen here -- it could.
“Rice warns Kosovo against declaring independence unilaterally”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/23/europe/kosovo.php
It already has happened in many places in the US. Cnn did a special a while back about the 'latino' 18th st gang in LA. If a black man crosses that street he's dead.
We should have learned something from the Serbs.
.......Is Bush Ceku’s hostage, or is Ceku Bush’s?......
That’s an easy question. Ceku is a brutal terrorist, and it is terrorists that take hostages!!!!
Of course, if we develop and exercise some principle, intelligence and courage, we can oppose the terrorists as we should, and get out of the hostage situation.
Civilization, peace, and sanity will come to Kosovo with the Serb army!!!!
More and more (and this is especially after seeing the renewal of Muslim aggressiveness in Turkey) I am thinking it’s time for a renewed Byzantium alliance in the Balkans and Southern Europe along with Russia. For example, we do not need to quarrel over the name Macedonia with our Slavic orthodox brethren.
In unity there is strength.
Don't forget Justice! That's very important as well.
Interesting you mention WWI. Found a neat video on You Tube about WWI, the Serbs, Greeks (& French) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAiGQ3J2oZo
Boka, honorary serb, joan, serb5150 etc... does it affect your day to day living except for some ego-stroking ways? hoplite, why does it matter besides stoking heated online fighting? How many deficiencies and low-self esteem issues do you have? I know your daddy was a beltway insider and you hang on his coatstrings.
Reading these forums are similar to attending Serbian festivals and having guest speakers...people "talking about WW2 and old history"... you know what, get over it and move on. I have and actually feel better about the entire Serbian questions. There is more to life then typing out arguements. A few people need to get a life, ahem hoplite and boka.
Thanks I will watch...
I believe it does matter if Kosovo is take from the Serbs.
For one thing, we know that the Moslem Albanians will destroy and desecrate every Christian church, monastery, and graveyard that they can get their hands on.
I believe setting a precedent by which illegal immigrants can use criminal activities to drive a population from their land that then allow the illegal immigrants to claim it as their own is a dangerous thing to do.
Nothing good can come from having a criminally-minded Moslem state created in the Balkans.
There is more at stake here than just Serb nostaglia.
Because the Jihadists are our enemies and only the Serbs stand against them in the Balkans.
Peace and justice will only return to Kosovo alongside the Serb Army.
And the unpleasant precedent of having those criminal activities abetted, and finally made to succeed, by an axis of outside parties, for their own purposes, and with callous acceptance by all others.
Why is the US State Department hell bent on giving radical islam its own country in Europe? Why is the US State Department FACILITATING a genocide of christians in Kosovo?
Why is the DBM asleep again? This is pulitzer prize stuff about radical islam causing suffering on innocents but not one media person is reporting it.
right...
so by analogy, if some illegal alien mexicans come to your neighborhood, literally kill all your surrounding neghbors and then claim their houses it is ok for them to claim your house too.
You are mistaken. The participation here is to educate people to the horrors. The additional work goes on with the lobbying and contact to congressional representatives.
If you don’t mind a few holocosts or genocides a few times a century then you are free to live in your own little world.
It was the Bosnian Moslems that operated terror campaigns out of UN "Safe Zones" and beheaded hundreds of Serb civilians.
The Serbs have been our allies during two World Wars while the Moslems supplied men to form SS units to fight for Hitler.
The Serbs will continue to be our allies against the Jihadists in the War on Terror, all the United States has to do is stop supporting the Jihadist scum in the Balkans.
So how's your connectivity in Tirjana?
Now, Kosovo does affect you. More than you know. You may not feel it but feeling an effect is a poor gage for making a judgment on the veracity of the cause. By the time you feel it it’s too damn late.
Kosovo affects every citizen of this nation in the fact that it is an illegal attempt to separate a legal state that belongs to a sovereign country. This diminishes American sovereignty.
Think about that. This is setting a dangerous precedent that suggests as long as there is a certain ethnic majority living in any area they have the right to own that land. So, if I want to take over a nation without firing a single shot just have more kids. Muslims are very interested in this concept since their birth rate is far more than Europe and America. This is one good way of acquiring nuclear capability. Just take over France by numbers.
So, let’s say California one day becomes majority Mexican. By Kosovo precedent, Mexicans can appeal to the UN and maybe get some UN countries to recognize their independence from the United States. Impossible! We are America that would never happen here!
By the way, what do you think our government would do? Send troops or send Condolezza Rice to Mexico?
Additionally, your former President Clinton had illegally engaged in the bombing of Yugoslavia and set the ground work for the illegal separation of Kosovo which Bush intends on finishing. Does it bother you that your government officials are forcing policy that is not supported by one legal domestic or international document? That doesn’t affect you?
The UN charter, that is an extension of the United States Constitution by way of “treaties”, does not support such an act nor does it allow for such action.
The fact is, supporting the separation of Kosovo is not only a violation of international laws and constitutional principles, it establishes dangerous precedent for those who seek to undermine American interests within. It also diminishes our sovereignty and the concept of sovereignty.
Welcome back from Iraq, ma bell.
Your service to America has been a long hard time for you and I respect that. My husband is a Vietnam Vet so I know what disillusionment “with all of it” looks and sounds like. Take your time — you don’t need to be on this thread if it feels bad for you now. I am not going to argue with you.
BB
Germany attacked the world, Serbia only (rightly or wrongly) defended Yugoslavia -- there is a major difference.
But in any case, at what point did we try to rip off a piece of Germany and give it to their neighbors?
More lies, I see.
It was the Chetniks who rescued 500 American airmen.
No one’s buying your Bravo Sierra here.
Has everyone met our latest resident pro-Jihad cheerleader? Hmmm, almost three years to the day since Bonly earned the ban stick.
Heck, the muslims even had NATO FO/ANGLICO, Satellite Intel/Imagery, The latest and the greatest Weapon System Technology courtesy of UNPROFOR and the US.
The only method that worked in the VRS giving ground was the sell out from Milosovic and the green light he gave to the US/NATO. The muslims had instant Air Force which drastically severed the VRS commo and movement.
Mind you, the VRS quickly adapted and befuddled the Commanders of NATO, who expected the VRS to become paralyzed and in disaray. I don't think a low-quality Army would be capable of quick adjustment and adaptation, which the VRS did.
Sparky, the Croatians were smart when they were on the recipient end of the VRS counter operation and began shelling their "ally, the muslims". The VRS agreement was to pull back to predetermined lines, but the muslims overeached their boundary. The VRS struck back, hence them being instantly driven backwards til the Serbs were given assurances from NATO the muslims WOULD be bombed next if they became greedy.
So, I don't believe you know shit about the war or what occurred.
Why was it the VRS were able to drive back "The Federation" back to Sanski Most in late 95? Heck, the Croatians switched sides and began shelling the muslims in support of VRS offensive operations. Not to mention slightly under 10,000 VRSK soldiers driving deep towards Karlovac outskirts during a counter-offensive operations of Operation Storm. OK, sparky.
squid - do not preach to me about albanian scum. I know about them all too well. I've nearly become one of their victims back in 2003 and 2004, so I have no love nor care if they live or die.
Besides, we Marines eat Navy Squid for midnight feedings.
no, you don’t google..you yahoo vukovar...i have stock in yahoo...
This will interest you. Approximatelly 40% of Slovenians were considered Arians by the Third Reich and their children attended Nazi schools in Slovenia during WWII.
After WWII, they were not punished, they became Communists and staunchest Communist supporters. Slovenia had more communists per capita than any other people in Yugoslavia.
Nazi connection did die hard, however. During farcical war, Slovene national guard committed war crimes and murdered Federal Army soldiers who surrendered. No one ever faced justice in Slovenia because of that.
I believe you know what I am talking about. About your neighbors, and perhaps your own family during and after WWII.
Your NAZI revisionist propaganda will not pass here - you compare German Nazis who were perpetrators of the worst and the most massive crimes and Serbs who were Nazi victims.
The Swiss invented Cookoo clock. Slovenes invented rabid racist propaganda against the Serbs as a people. - the best Slovenian export product.
Actually, there’s been a small rash of anti-Serb posters since the big “push” to steal Kosovo picked up steam. But they don’t seem to have much staying power.
.Not a surprise. The tide is turning against them with the Security Council lock-out so they are desperate to get public opinion in their favor. But I think that ship has sailed, because the more people know, the less likely they are to support Kosovo independence.
besides, on the Marine Corps KD Range, I shot 247 out of 250 and the last Army Range, I shot 39 of 40, with my miss in the fricking "supported" at 50m target. Unheard of for me, but I jerked it to the upper right somehow when I normally would go lower left if I jerked my trigger pull.
Besides all that, in combat, wasted ammo is for the ill-disciplined. You never know when you may need those rounds back. I prefer the single shot rather then the burst unless it is CQ. then you unleash the fury of hell.
HAHAHAHA!!!! Much respect with my salute.
Did some American TV re-run once teach you the word "dude? Because, it hasn't been used here (except by old farts) for a very long time, Shqptr!
And learn to speak English properly before you try to pretend you are "an American"! "Lifes"? Give me a break! Even the worst spellers among us wouldn't screw that up.
Serbs are the Christian heros of the Balkans, fighting the wars which must be fought against the Jihadist scum. Hey, sorry that they kicked your collective asses so bad the last time but you’re going to find the next time even more unpleasant.
Kosovo is Serbia.
Ah...the simple truth. Thanks FormerLib! :)
I'll say it again for those who can't seem to grasp this fact: KOSOVO IS SERBIA!!!
hop, your bf is calling for you. He needs help.
LOL, Jihadi support network to the rescue.
Let’s punish the Albanians since there were complicit Nazi puppets, sound good?
You are officially an idiot. Facts are obviously not not your forte so please refrain from posting here, you’re only embarrassing yourself.
idiot hasn’t been around since day one... maybe he has hooked up with hoplite for a hot weekend?
Ustasha wannabe/Jihadi cross pollenation? Ewwwwwwwww...
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