Nine injured in bomb blast in Kosovska Mitrovica

By analazying last 7 years of "development" and "progress" in Kosovo, one can quite easily draw a conclusion: it is a great craddle of instability in all of Europe, being helped by "International Community". Besides, the truth that everyone concerned is afraid to admit is: if ever Kosovo becomes "independent" there definitevely will be another war! A very simple solution to the this problem is to face this fact. It would be a great illusion and cardinal mistake for anyone concerned to think there will be "amicable" agreement between Kosovo Abanians and Serbs...the only way one can reach to a reasonable Agreement would take two or three generation... that means are foreign armed forces ready and willing to stay that long?...another illusion: is European Union that naive to eventualy accept Kosovo in their Club with hope to pacify the area...But, a hard decion to intergrate Serbian law and order services with the same in Kosovo for next 15 years + organize respectful social services, synchronize education, develop employment, jobs - build living standards IS WHAT JUST WOULD WORK WONDERS!!!

Michael, no thanks!!!
Michael there has been a lot of progress and development in Kosovo for the last 7 years.
If Serbia gets another chance to govern Kosovo, they are going to fulfil Milosevic’s plan, which was ethnic cleansing of Albanians using genocide and culturocide.

The most unacceptable solution is to integrate Kosovo in Serbia again. But that doesnt mean that I do not want to live with Serbs, because I really want to do that.

Michael, we would maybe accept your solution before 1999, but not now. We want democracy, and a multiethnic Kosovo. It is sad that some people attack minorities, but fortunately this happens very very rarely. And Michael, a new occupation of Kosovo, is not the solution for protecting Serbs. The best way is to change peoples attitude.

Michel, if as you say it would take two or three generations for Serbs and Albanians to live together in peace, I say we better start now. The EU is going to have to take full rsponsibility of integrating Kosovo into Europe and if that means having soldiers there to keep the peace, then so be it. Soldiers are STILL in Germany, Japan, Korea and Bosnia.

I have to agree with Alban on this one. Probably the best time to have reintegrated Kosovo into Serbia would have been if the democratic opposition unseated Milosevic in 1996. Rugova et al were ready to work with DOS. Is it fair that an entire nation has to suffer the consequences of Milosevic and the SPS? Absolutely not, but the responsiblity increasingly lies with Pristina, not Belgrade, in ensuring a multiethnic and integrated Kosovo is realized, because even if Kosovo only gains autonomy and not independence, Pristina is still going to call the shots.

Message to Albanians: The Albanians' wish to rid Kosovo of all Serbs started long before Milosevic came to power. Yet, Albanians keep using Milosevic as an excuse for an independent Kosovo. The Albanians' argument for an independent Kosovo is devoid of logic and reason. I will back up my statement with proof. The Albanians' argument for an independent Kosovo is that Milosevic committed crimes against Albanians and because of this; the Serbs have forfeited their right to Kosovo. The Serbs counter the Albanians' argument by saying that Milosevic is gone and Serbia has a democratic government now. The Albanians' response is, you cannot erase the past, and no matter who is president of Serbia now, the Serbs have forfeited the right to Kosovo because of crimes committed in the past. Using the Albanians' logic/argument, the Albanians' have therefore forfeited their right to Kosovo because they joined the Nazis in WWII and committed genocide against the Serbs. Remember Albanians, you cannot erase the past! I hope you can now see how devoid of merit your argument is for an independent Kosovo.

It's quite simple. Though the International Community has dropped "Status before Standards" and the kosovo albanian politicians are well versed in spin, announcing policies for minorites that will never be implemented whilst the long term multi-layered campaign of expelling all non-albanians (who ever asks about all the gypsies the KLA and friends expelled?), the Serbs do have a trump card.

If Kosovo is given independence and there are no minorities left, then Serbia should seal the border and do not trade with kosovo albanians, nor in macedonia. Is this punishing 'all albanians'? Well of course, but 'all albanians' evidently aren't pressuring the KLA (in all its guises) to actually fulfill any of the minority policies.

If the EU threatens Serbia, the retort would be that the albanians have failed to implement the policies the EU has backed, the EU has done nothing to make sure they are enforced, Serbia has no option as the EU has proved itself only interested in dropping difficult problems under the guise of a carefully marketed 'EU success'. Either way, patience is running thin with the KLA and they will not be supported by the West forever, who do not have friends, but interests...

Al and Philip why are you talking about KLA? They have not existed for 7 years, and the KLA commandant Fatmir Limaj was acquitted in Haag.

Kosovo is promising the world that Serbs and other minorities will have at least the same rights as other minorities in Europe’s most democratic countries. But Kosovo also will claim such rights for Albanians in the Preshevo valley.

What more do you want?

Ben, the KLA is alive and kicking. It has many different names, was supposedly transformed into the Kosovo Police Service, was supposedly disarmed. The KLA=NLA=TLA. They still have most of their guns (very few have been handed in).

Along with soft protests (students), it's very easy for the KLA to create or 'allow to operate' splinter groups like the UCMB in southern serbia. No one claims to know who these people are, but they have weapons, logistics and operate more or less freely.

The KLA runs and controls Kosovo. The concept of democracy is a pick and mix bag of sweets. They keep what they like, they play lip service to what they don't, but they know how to make all the right noises (like Ceku mentioning orthodox holidays because this goes down extremely well in the Media).

Answer this. Why have none of the roma come back? 'Lone' gunmen can roam free, take pot shots from cars etc. etc. There are many examples, though the international community likes to call these events 'isolated'. Look up the Kosovo Ombundsman Anton Nowiki's reports and comments on the situation of minorities (the ones that remain). Who, again, is stopping people returning??? Saying they're all paranoid is a complete copout.

As for being acquitted, the same International Community allows an indicted war criminal to continue to partake in politics before the trial. The Hague gave very precise guidelines of what Ceku was and wasn't allowed to do. This he ignores when it suits him. Do not forget that NATO used the KLA (with little success) as its ground troops.

As for the Albanians in Presevo have minority rights. What they don't like is having to their identity cards to get into Kosovo. The same with the Albanians who live on the Macedonia/Kosovo border, and who protest and block roads because their 'rights' are being infringed.

What about Montenegro? In the SFRY Albanian was an official language. Now minority status is inline with international law which within those parameters means that albanian as an official language is not necessary. Still they moan.

Speaking of Macedonia, the BUI says that because it is not included in the new coalition government, that it is a violation of the Ohrid Agreement. They believe whatever the vote is, they should be in power. Now who is it who has a slight grasp on the meaning of democracy.

It is so pointless to argue back and forth "My argument is better than yours" "No my argument is much better than yours". The status of Kosovo has been decided by American foreign policy makers 8 years ago, when America entered the conflict. Kosovo will be independent by the end of 2006. You people are simply wasting energy by going back 1000 years in history and looking for who did what.

By analazying last 7 years of "development" and "progress" in Kosovo, one can quite easily draw a conclusion: it is a great craddle of instability in all of Europe, being helped by "International Community". Besides, the truth that everyone concerned is afraid to admit is: if ever Kosovo becomes "independent" there definitevely will be another war! A very simple solution to the this problem is to face this fact. It would be a great illusion and cardinal mistake for anyone concerned to think there will be "amicable" agreement between Kosovo Abanians and Serbs...the only way one can reach to a reasonable Agreement would take two or three generation... that means are foreign armed forces ready and willing to stay that long?...another illusion: is European Union that naive to eventualy accept Kosovo in their Club with hope to pacify the area...But, a hard decion to intergrate Serbian law and order services with the same in Kosovo for next 15 years + organize respectful social services, synchronize education, develop employment, jobs - build living standards IS WHAT JUST WOULD WORK WONDERS!!!

Michael, no thanks!!!
Michael there has been a lot of progress and development in Kosovo for the last 7 years.
If Serbia gets another chance to govern Kosovo, they are going to fulfil Milosevic’s plan, which was ethnic cleansing of Albanians using genocide and culturocide.

The most unacceptable solution is to integrate Kosovo in Serbia again. But that doesnt mean that I do not want to live with Serbs, because I really want to do that.

Michael, we would maybe accept your solution before 1999, but not now. We want democracy, and a multiethnic Kosovo. It is sad that some people attack minorities, but fortunately this happens very very rarely. And Michael, a new occupation of Kosovo, is not the solution for protecting Serbs. The best way is to change peoples attitude.

Michel, if as you say it would take two or three generations for Serbs and Albanians to live together in peace, I say we better start now. The EU is going to have to take full rsponsibility of integrating Kosovo into Europe and if that means having soldiers there to keep the peace, then so be it. Soldiers are STILL in Germany, Japan, Korea and Bosnia.

I have to agree with Alban on this one. Probably the best time to have reintegrated Kosovo into Serbia would have been if the democratic opposition unseated Milosevic in 1996. Rugova et al were ready to work with DOS. Is it fair that an entire nation has to suffer the consequences of Milosevic and the SPS? Absolutely not, but the responsiblity increasingly lies with Pristina, not Belgrade, in ensuring a multiethnic and integrated Kosovo is realized, because even if Kosovo only gains autonomy and not independence, Pristina is still going to call the shots.

Message to Albanians: The Albanians' wish to rid Kosovo of all Serbs started long before Milosevic came to power. Yet, Albanians keep using Milosevic as an excuse for an independent Kosovo. The Albanians' argument for an independent Kosovo is devoid of logic and reason. I will back up my statement with proof. The Albanians' argument for an independent Kosovo is that Milosevic committed crimes against Albanians and because of this; the Serbs have forfeited their right to Kosovo. The Serbs counter the Albanians' argument by saying that Milosevic is gone and Serbia has a democratic government now. The Albanians' response is, you cannot erase the past, and no matter who is president of Serbia now, the Serbs have forfeited the right to Kosovo because of crimes committed in the past. Using the Albanians' logic/argument, the Albanians' have therefore forfeited their right to Kosovo because they joined the Nazis in WWII and committed genocide against the Serbs. Remember Albanians, you cannot erase the past! I hope you can now see how devoid of merit your argument is for an independent Kosovo.

It's quite simple. Though the International Community has dropped "Status before Standards" and the kosovo albanian politicians are well versed in spin, announcing policies for minorites that will never be implemented whilst the long term multi-layered campaign of expelling all non-albanians (who ever asks about all the gypsies the KLA and friends expelled?), the Serbs do have a trump card.

If Kosovo is given independence and there are no minorities left, then Serbia should seal the border and do not trade with kosovo albanians, nor in macedonia. Is this punishing 'all albanians'? Well of course, but 'all albanians' evidently aren't pressuring the KLA (in all its guises) to actually fulfill any of the minority policies.

If the EU threatens Serbia, the retort would be that the albanians have failed to implement the policies the EU has backed, the EU has done nothing to make sure they are enforced, Serbia has no option as the EU has proved itself only interested in dropping difficult problems under the guise of a carefully marketed 'EU success'. Either way, patience is running thin with the KLA and they will not be supported by the West forever, who do not have friends, but interests...

Al and Philip why are you talking about KLA? They have not existed for 7 years, and the KLA commandant Fatmir Limaj was acquitted in Haag.

Kosovo is promising the world that Serbs and other minorities will have at least the same rights as other minorities in Europe’s most democratic countries. But Kosovo also will claim such rights for Albanians in the Preshevo valley.

What more do you want?

Ben, the KLA is alive and kicking. It has many different names, was supposedly transformed into the Kosovo Police Service, was supposedly disarmed. The KLA=NLA=TLA. They still have most of their guns (very few have been handed in).

Along with soft protests (students), it's very easy for the KLA to create or 'allow to operate' splinter groups like the UCMB in southern serbia. No one claims to know who these people are, but they have weapons, logistics and operate more or less freely.

The KLA runs and controls Kosovo. The concept of democracy is a pick and mix bag of sweets. They keep what they like, they play lip service to what they don't, but they know how to make all the right noises (like Ceku mentioning orthodox holidays because this goes down extremely well in the Media).

Answer this. Why have none of the roma come back? 'Lone' gunmen can roam free, take pot shots from cars etc. etc. There are many examples, though the international community likes to call these events 'isolated'. Look up the Kosovo Ombundsman Anton Nowiki's reports and comments on the situation of minorities (the ones that remain). Who, again, is stopping people returning??? Saying they're all paranoid is a complete copout.

As for being acquitted, the same International Community allows an indicted war criminal to continue to partake in politics before the trial. The Hague gave very precise guidelines of what Ceku was and wasn't allowed to do. This he ignores when it suits him. Do not forget that NATO used the KLA (with little success) as its ground troops.

As for the Albanians in Presevo have minority rights. What they don't like is having to their identity cards to get into Kosovo. The same with the Albanians who live on the Macedonia/Kosovo border, and who protest and block roads because their 'rights' are being infringed.

What about Montenegro? In the SFRY Albanian was an official language. Now minority status is inline with international law which within those parameters means that albanian as an official language is not necessary. Still they moan.

Speaking of Macedonia, the BUI says that because it is not included in the new coalition government, that it is a violation of the Ohrid Agreement. They believe whatever the vote is, they should be in power. Now who is it who has a slight grasp on the meaning of democracy.

It is so pointless to argue back and forth "My argument is better than yours" "No my argument is much better than yours". The status of Kosovo has been decided by American foreign policy makers 8 years ago, when America entered the conflict. Kosovo will be independent by the end of 2006. You people are simply wasting energy by going back 1000 years in history and looking for who did what.