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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
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To: Poohbah
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.

The "Great Powers" were dragged into this one the same way you would have to drag a fish into water. I think that's part of the problem, we keep imposing these artifical borders on them, hence the problem keeps comming up. We should have just stayed out of it and let them settle it themselves. Unfortunately, Bill left a stain on Monica's dress and the rest is history.

141 posted on 12/18/2001 4:06:28 PM PST by bob808
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To: bob808
The problem is twofold: (a) it's RIGHT on Europe's back porch (and these sorts of issues tend to wind up spreading into Europe proper through terrorism), and (b) those "artificial borders" are about the best you can do, given the rather interesting demographics several centuries of the Ottoman Empire left.

BTW, do you know what the main difference between Bosniak Muslims, Croats, and Serbs was, BEFORE this mess got started? At least for the overwhelming majority?

If you were Croat, you skipped Catholic Mass every Sunday.

If you were a Bosnian Muslim, you kind of forgot to go to the mosque every Friday.

If you were Serbian, you flipped a coin between attending the local soccer match and Orthodox Mass every Sunday...heads you went to see the soccer game and skipped Mass, tails you missed Mass and saw the soccer game instead.

It didn't matter a hill of beans until the local a-holes (not-so-ex-Communist thugs) suddenly "discovered" the joys of ethnic identity.

(BTW, I a a devout Catholic; I am particularly disgusted by Croats using the religion they ignored for 20-30 years as an excuse to go shoot at other people.)

So I tend to blame the civil war (gosh, THERE's a malapropism) on people either being mentally or morally defective, in that they chose to throw away a civil society just to keep some retread Communist hacks in power. I wish them all an improper relationship.

142 posted on 12/18/2001 4:20:31 PM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
LOL, like your comparison.

You know, I always felt the current problems went back to Tito's death, with everyone fighting over the inheritance afterwards due to the divisive system he set up to keep his but in power. But I do have to say the Serbs got a raw deal on this one, though. They were accused of so many gruesome things, many of which proved later to be exagerations or outright lies. Plus, as a conservative, I am very uncomfortable with this "moral crusading police the world" attitude that we seem to be developing. When it affects the U.S., we must act; otherwise, we're just repeating the steps of every FORMER world superpower. If we do that, I wonder how long until we become a FORMER superpower ourselves.

Anyway, for whatever it's worth, peace to you and have a Merry Christmas.

143 posted on 12/18/2001 4:49:15 PM PST by bob808
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To: bob808
Well, what the Serbs actually DID do was pretty much beyond the pale of civilized conduct. Those fake atrocity stories were made quite believable by the Serbs' own actions.

It's kind of like a known serial killer trying to deny that he didn't kill those four people and that he's being framed for doing so. It just kinda rings hollow, knowwhuttahmeanVern?

144 posted on 12/18/2001 4:52:54 PM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
While non-Muslims were not considered equal to Muslims, the Orthodox Christian community existed quite openly within the Ottoman Empire--it was not "secret."

Point taken. I was relying on what I had heard from my father-in-law, who is of Croation lineage. His parents were Catholic immigrants from that region and he has been very active in local Slovenian organizations. I have therefore met a number of people from the Balkans. When the trouble in Bosnia "began" (1991 or thereabouts), I recall several of those men describing how the Christians were subjugated in the areas held by the Turks.
I added "secret" for emphasis and it was too strong a word. Perhaps a statement that the Orthodox Christians often "chose to worship *quietly*" would have better described the situation.

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.

That don't confront me none, long as I get me rent paid by Friday. ;-) Okay, so they take turns playing King-Of-The-Mountain. The Christian factions might well be stomping on one another even without the jihadists running around. Hard to say for sure, isn't it?

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

Hey, that reminds me of a quote from one of my favorite movies, Dirty Harry:

Gonzales: Why do they call ya 'Dirty Harry'?
De Georgio: That's one thing about our Harry, he doesn't play any favorites. Harry hates everybody. Limeys, (Beat) Mics, Hebes, Fat Dagos, Niggers, Honkies, Chinks, you name it.
Gonzales: How does he feel about Mexicans?
De Georgio: Ask him!
Callahan: Especially Spics.

145 posted on 12/19/2001 7:16:22 AM PST by Charles Martel
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To: Charles Martel
Classic line.

My quote was swiped from Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the movie "Full Metal Jacket."

146 posted on 12/19/2001 7:29:17 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
I thought I sensed a bit of R. Lee Ermey. Ever see his website?
147 posted on 12/19/2001 8:02:34 AM PST by Charles Martel
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To: Charles Martel
YGBSM! He has a website?
148 posted on 12/19/2001 8:05:55 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
Oh, MAN! Here 'tis: Lee Ermey's Website!
149 posted on 12/19/2001 8:29:45 AM PST by Charles Martel
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To: Poohbah
Kill them all.....

And God is,I suppose,American !

You sound like a true democrat and peace lovin` Christian!

BTW Organize a land rush in your own country not in other peoples` countries!It`s simple:you stay at home and nobody will shoot at you!Appart from your neighbours (very good people)!

150 posted on 12/22/2001 12:03:19 AM PST by branicap
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To: branicap
Hmm Branicap I do hope you would be consistent in your beliefs. There is much more "kill them all" mentality here regarding Muslims (not just those in ex Yugoslavia) and I don't hear you protesting. But I guess that's ok?
151 posted on 12/22/2001 12:42:22 AM PST by bluester
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To: bluester
Well, he just applies his Slobospeak and states that anyone who isn't a Serb is automatically a terrorist.
152 posted on 12/23/2001 5:14:00 AM PST by Poohbah
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To: Poohbah
Well I don't know if Branicap is a spokesman for Slobo or that he would like to be, and I don't have a problem if people disagree on many issues , but I do have a problem with people that justify or defend people that have so much blood on their hands, no matter where they come from.

Serbs, Albanians as people are not the problem. The extremists, radicals, fundamentalists, haters are.

You won't see anyone here praising people like Tudjman, or Gotovina,Norac or Naser Oric. But can I say the same regarding Milosevic, Arkan, Mladic, Karadzic or Martic? Unfortunately not. There is the problem.

153 posted on 12/23/2001 5:56:18 AM PST by bluester
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To: bluester
Excuse me but what exactly did Tudjman do thats so bad? Why does he deserve to be in the same category as Arkan or Karadzic or Milosevic? Did he kill tens of thousands people? No. Did he rape women? No. Did he loot homes? No. He was a good president who was only protecting his country from aggression and his only concern was to do what was best for his people. Any president would have done the same in his shoes.
154 posted on 12/23/2001 6:48:00 AM PST by ZaDomSpremni
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To: ZaDomSpremni
ZaDomSpremni, it's something called commanding responsibility. And as I have heard, Tudjman even gave a green light (as was recently exposed in Croatia) to the killings, not doing anything particular to stop them. I am talking about civilians not the legitimate defense against JLA or the Serb paramilitary forces. I know and saw very well what was going on in Croatia, what the forces of Martic (and even Mladic in one case) did there or some of JLA, what happened in Vukovar and elsewhere. But revenge against civilians and driving people from their homes because of their nationality (even though they were not necessarily involved in any killings) is wrong. And I blame only those responsible and those that were commanding them. And that does not mean that the whole HV was responsible or all the leading politicians in Croatia. Just as all in Serbia were not supporting Milosevic and his policy or that all JNA units were involved in war crimes. But those responsible (whoever they are) must face with their actions. That is all. I am not demonizing anyone, or saying that he is by default guilty. Only those that are proven so and there is evidence. Be that in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia or anywhere else.
155 posted on 12/23/2001 7:39:50 AM PST by bluester
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