Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

British soldier dies after being shot in Kosovo "in front of a partially built Christian Church"
AFP via Yahoo! News ^ | Tuesday December 18, 6:18 AM | AFP

Posted on 12/17/2001 2:00:00 PM PST by Pericles

Tuesday December 18, 6:18 AM

British soldier dies after being shot in Kosovo

A British soldier with the international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR, died after being shot in the Yugoslav province's main city of Pristina, a KFOR spokesman said.

The spokesman, Captain Ollie Major, said: "A British soldier was injured as a result of a gunshot wound. The soldier later died."

Major said the soldier had been on duty in front of a partially built Christian Orthodox church when he was shot.

He did not give further details and did not name the soldier.

Unrest between Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority, most of whom are Muslim, and its Serbian minority, mostly Orthodox, has dogged the UN mission there since it took over the administration in mid-1999.

Serbian forces had been forced out of Kosovo after 11 weeks of NATO airstrikes launched to protect the oppressed ethnic Albanians.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: balkans; kfor; uktroops
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-155 next last
To: The_Reader_David;Fusion;Joan;nikola;Pericles;Tonycavanagh;srpska
The Racak massacre was fake by the Albanians

The Racak massacre was a set up by the KLA of which a lot of the Kosovar Albanians are unaware. The KLA used the situation to their advantage. It was common for villagers to take up arms under control of the KLA in order to defend their village. Of course the KLA had its own agenda i.e. In this case a ditch full Racak villagers of which the majority were men of fighting age. Another interesting point that a lot of people have not picked up on is the fact that RACAK and surrounding area is a very strong LDK/Rugova supporting area. So what if some of the political opposition got wasted after all its for the cause of the KLA and its grab for power.

121 posted on 12/18/2001 7:31:55 AM PST by Wraith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 108 | View Replies]

To: Traitain,Fusion
Don’t get to annoyed with Fusion Traitain, it was found that he is a sad little loner with a Walter Mitty complex always trying to hang out on the edge of the action pretending to be a intelligence operative or journalist.

Cheers Tony

122 posted on 12/18/2001 7:37:04 AM PST by tonycavanagh
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 119 | View Replies]

To: Black Jade
Dude, take me off you bump list.
123 posted on 12/18/2001 7:59:06 AM PST by Hoplite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 115 | View Replies]

To: Pericles
Nothing to see there, terrorism is normal, people get angry, you know (Sarcasm)
124 posted on 12/18/2001 9:36:32 AM PST by lavaroise
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Wraith
Dude - 45 people died at the hands of Serb security forces at Racak.

Blaming anybody other than those who pulled the triggers is unacceptable.

125 posted on 12/18/2001 9:42:28 AM PST by Hoplite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 121 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
Why do think I've taken the attitude I have? It's because there are NO heroes in the Balkans, just varying shades of villain.

This sums it up nicely. It's not surprising, though, that Bill Clinton aligned himself with the foulest of the bunch. The Balkans are sort of what you'd get if Northern Ireland were positioned where Israel is. Continuous friction exists between two Christian groups and the Muslims are causing trouble as well - for everybody. I know... this is an oversimplification. The analogy works for me, though.

Ever since the Ottoman Turks relinquished that territory, this kettle o' fish has existed. Orthodox Christians who secretly practiced their faith hated the Muslims (Albanians, etc.) because they abandoned Chritianity and converted to Islam while under Turk rule. The Orthodox Christians (mostly Serbs) also nursed a grudge against the Croats (Christians in areas not occupied and by then primarily Catholic) for leaving them at the mercy of the Turks for so long. It was and remains an unmitigated mess with no foreseeable solution.

Any possible improvement there would've had to be carried out on a sub-rosa basis, which is pretty much what Milosovic (sp?) was doing. Yes, there were Serb atrocities - mainly in the early 1990s - but the later allegations concerning Serbs murdering Albanians and such remain the stuff of rumor and conjecture, AFAIK. Heck, such actions against Islamic extremists would be smiled upon these days - a thought that brings ol' Slobodan little comfort, I'm sure.

Perhaps "Running all the Muslims out" should be tried before resorting to your "Kill 'em All" approach. Oops, I forgot... that's already been tried and will bring grief on the wings of NATO aircraft. Still, the intrusion of Islam into an area populated by Eastern Orthodox Christians is what got this whole train a-rolling. Maybe they should be the first group invited to leave - just to see if Islam *is* the problem. If that fails, we go to your idea (Plan "B").

126 posted on 12/18/2001 10:28:38 AM PST by Charles Martel
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
I just want a PERMANENT solution to the mess...

Is this the part where I'm supposed to jump up and yell "Sieg Heil!"???

C'mon, buddy, take a breath...

127 posted on 12/18/2001 10:51:16 AM PST by bob808
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: Hoplite
Dude, I have been to Racak and not as a tourist. It all points to a classic KLA setup but of course you believe everything that CNN shows you on your boobtube, unless of course you have something to support your claim? The Serbs went to Racak with journalists who have filed reports. Not a good thing to do if ending up at the War Crimes Tribunal in Holland whidh is the last thing on a Serb VJ commanders mind. No Serb Commander has been indited, wonder why?? So if believing everything you hear on the news works for you, I believe that is unacceptable. I know the KLA and how they work very well.
128 posted on 12/18/2001 12:08:48 PM PST by Wraith
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 125 | View Replies]

To: Charles Martel
Ever since the Ottoman Turks relinquished that territory, this kettle o' fish has existed. Orthodox Christians who secretly practiced their faith hated the Muslims (Albanians, etc.) because they abandoned Chritianity and converted to Islam while under Turk rule.

Bravo Sierra. While non-Muslims were not considered equal to Muslims, the Orthodox Christian community existed quite openly within the Ottoman Empire--it was not "secret."

And I reject your notion that the Muslims were the foulest of the bunch--the key to determining who the foulest of the bunch has always been to figure out who has power. When the Serbs had power, they were the foulest of the bunch. When the Croats were ascendant, the Croats were the foulest of the bunch. Now that the Kosovars have great power backing, they're the foulest of the bunch.

You will find that I am fair. As far as I'm concerned, they're all equally worthless.

129 posted on 12/18/2001 12:32:00 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 126 | View Replies]

To: bob808
Yeah, well it sure beats supporting Serbian efforts to gain Lebensraum, doesn't it? I mean, that IS what you are supporting.

Better that ALL of the Balkan peoples die than one or more of them get into a position to start World War III. The needs of the many and the sane outweigh the selfish desires of the few and terminally whacked-out.

Yugoslavia: the land that brought you the 20th Century, and the one that will bring you the 21st if you ain't careful.

130 posted on 12/18/2001 12:34:51 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 127 | View Replies]

To: Wraith
Dude, I don't have a TV and can rely on the EU comission's report which rules out a KLA set-up.

If you know so much, then you'd know that the Serbs attacked Racak at least 2 hours before any journalists showed up, denied the KVM from access to the village while they were there, and obstructed the investigation into their crime.

In short, I know more than is good for your attempt to absolve the guilty here.

131 posted on 12/18/2001 12:44:20 PM PST by Hoplite
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 128 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
Better that ALL of the Balkan peoples die than one or more of them get into a position to start World War III...

Well, keep in mind that if we had simply kept out of it, yes, Slobo would still be in power, but al-Quaeda's Bosnian and KLA buddies would be no more and the region would be a lot more quiet and settled now. Clinton and Albright seemed to have no problem ignoring Sudan, but for some reason (Operation Distract Attention?) felt compelled to bomb a sovereign nation over 2,000 (total) casualties in what was at that time a low grade civil war.

Clinton & Albright's "Humanitarian Bombing" is what I consider dangerous and more likely to blow up into a major war rather the local fight between Milosovic/Tudjman/Izetbegovic.

132 posted on 12/18/2001 12:59:16 PM PST by bob808
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 130 | View Replies]

To: bob808
And that "quiet" would have lasted until ol' Slobo felt strong enough to beat somebody else, and so on, and so on. Slobo apparently felt that if a Serb ever passed gas in a given location, that place suddenly became part of Greater Serbia, forever and ever (Dubrovnik comes to mind--historically Croat, 80% Croat population, but it was part of "Greater Serbia" all the same).
133 posted on 12/18/2001 1:17:02 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 132 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
And that "quiet" would have lasted until ol' Slobo felt strong enough to beat somebody else...

Oh-oh, you better watch out, you're starting to sound like Hoplite now with your crystal ball and your "he would have...". For us non-psychics here, let's keep it in the realm of what DID happen. Anyway, I'm not saying Milosovic was a saint by any means. However, what's the alternative? Just let every frustrated group secede from the nation? What did Lincoln do when the Confederacy wanted independence? What are you going to say when La Raza says they've had enough of white man's "oppression" and they begin organizing and shooting cops and want to take control of the U.S./Mexico border and proclaim their "Aztlan"?

134 posted on 12/18/2001 1:47:35 PM PST by bob808
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 133 | View Replies]

To: bob808
I am keeping my eyes firmly on what did happen. And what did happen forms the basis of my estimate of Slobo's intentions--I tend to look at a person's past behavior in estimating their future conduct (wow, what a concept). If you do not LIKE the implications of closely examining Slobo's behavior, feel free to stick your head in the sand, cover your ears, complain and caterwaul about how I'm a judgemental patriarchal white heterosexual male, or engage in any other intellectual dishonesty that makes you feel better.
135 posted on 12/18/2001 1:51:22 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: bob808
And your statement regarding Slobo trying to hold Yugoslavia together--BS again. DO try to differentiate between what Slobo said and what he actually did.
136 posted on 12/18/2001 1:54:31 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 134 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
I am keeping my eyes firmly on what did happen. And what did happen forms the basis of my estimate of Slobo's intentions...

And on that basis you claim Milosevic was going to start WW3??? As I said, Slobo was certainly no angel, but he did not get involved where Serbs weren't threatened. Look at Slovenia. Look at Macedonia. Your firm gaze on his actions seems to have missed that point. Contrast that against Clinton, who was ready to start a war with someone who never threatened us. You say the world is a better place with Slobo out of it. Fine. But I say by disregarding a nation's sovereignty, the world is definitely a more dangerous place. I don't care how you sugar-coat it, "might makes right" can not last and will get us in serious trouble one day.

137 posted on 12/18/2001 2:32:04 PM PST by bob808
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 135 | View Replies]

To: bob808
No, he TRIED to act in Slovenia and got his butt kicked. He did what he thought he could get away with. For someone who only acted on behalf of Serbs, he was REAL quick to sell those same Serbs down the river if he got slapped too hard, and real ready to slaughter Croats and Muslims where there weren't any significant numbers of Serbs.

He was a petty thug, a fine match for all the other petty thugs of the region.

138 posted on 12/18/2001 3:16:18 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: Poohbah
... he was REAL quick to sell those same Serbs down the river if he got slapped too hard...

Agreed.

He was a petty thug...

Agreed, as I've said. How many times do I have to repeat myself on that?

However, the one aspect you are overlooking is that he was the petty thug fighting bin-Laden's buddies. The Northern Alliance may not be a shining model of the democratic process, but would it make sense for us to start bombing them too?

139 posted on 12/18/2001 3:40:17 PM PST by bob808
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies]

To: bob808
My main complaint with the diverse peoples of the Balkans is that they have an uncanny knack for dragging in the Great (or Not-So-Great) Powers into their mess. Better that we simply eliminate the ENTIRE problem (call it "removing an attractive nuisance" or "global hazard mitigation") as opposed to tolerating part of it until we find out that we have bought ourselves even more trouble.

Once you consider relative transportation infrastructures, Afghanistan is far enough away from anything we give a damn about--the Balkans are RIGHT NEXT to the Mediterranean and Europe, two areas that we DO care about.

140 posted on 12/18/2001 3:47:06 PM PST by Poohbah
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 139 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 81-100101-120121-140141-155 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson