Contact Group on Kosovo

I feel that the Serbs (not everybody) are trying to falsificate the history by threatening those who are trying to be objective.
Unfortunately, Milosevic’s friends and supporters are governing Serbia, still.

Apology from Ahtisaari should be considered after Serbia apologizes to the people of Kosovo for a decade of crimes against them.

Here's my problem with this whole issue:

1. Atisaari should realize that in a situaton as emotionally charged as Kosovo, saying what he said was bound to be taken out of context. Belgrade would bristle at such a statement and look for an excuse to shift focus away from status talk to one of semantics. At the same time, I've no doubt the Albanian newspapers in Pristina are playing this up, making it seem like Atisaari and the UN team are not only definitively on their side, but legitimized the notion that all Serbs are guilty and responsible for the crimes committed in 1999. Plenty of reports issued since 1999 have been just as critical of the Albanian government to ensure security and a safe return of Serb refugees. It just so happens to be that the focus, right now, is on Serbia.

2. Yes, Serbia IS responsible for what happened in 1999, just as Germany was for 1939-45, Croatia for 1941-45, Turkey for the Armenian Genocide, and just as Pristina is for the level of instability in Kosovo now. While collective guilt is not what's in question, Atisaari is talking about states having to take up the responsibility for what previous governments did. Turkey can say the Armenian Genocide happened under the Ottoman Empire, exonerating Republican Turkey from responsibility. That doesn't make it right. Federal Germany has accepted all responsibility for the Nazi regime and has made reparations. By simply saying that the present govenrment in Belgrade today needs to address the crimes of the previous decade doesn't implicate them, but it does say that there are issues unsolved that need to be addressed. Just as for us, Iraq, Katrina, Afghanistan will not go away when a new president takes office in America in 2008.

Sorry for the long comment! :)

I feel that 'Peter' meant to say 'falsify', rather than the 'falsificate' bushism and what (some) people class as being 'objective', are nothing of the sort.

When it comes to the balkans, everyone has a opinion, and everyone claims to be 'objective', especially those from outside the Balkans, ignorant of the indirect influence of years of rubbish transmitted in the Media (of all kinds and from all places). The sad thing is that they do not even realize this (or don't want to). Plus ca change.

That apology will be forthcoming Dardan once the people of Kosovo apologise for the treatment of non-Albanians in the last 7 years, and the conduct of the Albanians during world war II, and the conduct of the Albanians during the twilight years of the Ottoman Empire, and then the Greeks can apologise for the Byzantine Empire, Turkey for the Ottoman Empire, Austria and Hungary can apologise for their empire.... where would it end? An apology means nothing. If we Serbs apolgise to the ethnic Albanians can we have OUR country back? I think you'll disagree.

lets face the reality. today, there is a big discrimination in the allocation of budget for infrastructure projects. the albanian municipalities are well budgeted...roads, government buildings and medical services. tommorow, when independence comes and albanians have no more standards to fulfill and no more international community to satisfy, it will be catstrophe. good today that USAID have given 1M dollar grant for Zubin Potok, Leposavic and Zvecan. friends who are giving comments in this columns seems not to see the present ground conditions but only the past.

I feel that the Serbs (not everybody) are trying to falsificate the history by threatening those who are trying to be objective.
Unfortunately, Milosevic’s friends and supporters are governing Serbia, still.

Apology from Ahtisaari should be considered after Serbia apologizes to the people of Kosovo for a decade of crimes against them.

Here's my problem with this whole issue:

1. Atisaari should realize that in a situaton as emotionally charged as Kosovo, saying what he said was bound to be taken out of context. Belgrade would bristle at such a statement and look for an excuse to shift focus away from status talk to one of semantics. At the same time, I've no doubt the Albanian newspapers in Pristina are playing this up, making it seem like Atisaari and the UN team are not only definitively on their side, but legitimized the notion that all Serbs are guilty and responsible for the crimes committed in 1999. Plenty of reports issued since 1999 have been just as critical of the Albanian government to ensure security and a safe return of Serb refugees. It just so happens to be that the focus, right now, is on Serbia.

2. Yes, Serbia IS responsible for what happened in 1999, just as Germany was for 1939-45, Croatia for 1941-45, Turkey for the Armenian Genocide, and just as Pristina is for the level of instability in Kosovo now. While collective guilt is not what's in question, Atisaari is talking about states having to take up the responsibility for what previous governments did. Turkey can say the Armenian Genocide happened under the Ottoman Empire, exonerating Republican Turkey from responsibility. That doesn't make it right. Federal Germany has accepted all responsibility for the Nazi regime and has made reparations. By simply saying that the present govenrment in Belgrade today needs to address the crimes of the previous decade doesn't implicate them, but it does say that there are issues unsolved that need to be addressed. Just as for us, Iraq, Katrina, Afghanistan will not go away when a new president takes office in America in 2008.

Sorry for the long comment! :)

I feel that 'Peter' meant to say 'falsify', rather than the 'falsificate' bushism and what (some) people class as being 'objective', are nothing of the sort.

When it comes to the balkans, everyone has a opinion, and everyone claims to be 'objective', especially those from outside the Balkans, ignorant of the indirect influence of years of rubbish transmitted in the Media (of all kinds and from all places). The sad thing is that they do not even realize this (or don't want to). Plus ca change.

That apology will be forthcoming Dardan once the people of Kosovo apologise for the treatment of non-Albanians in the last 7 years, and the conduct of the Albanians during world war II, and the conduct of the Albanians during the twilight years of the Ottoman Empire, and then the Greeks can apologise for the Byzantine Empire, Turkey for the Ottoman Empire, Austria and Hungary can apologise for their empire.... where would it end? An apology means nothing. If we Serbs apolgise to the ethnic Albanians can we have OUR country back? I think you'll disagree.

lets face the reality. today, there is a big discrimination in the allocation of budget for infrastructure projects. the albanian municipalities are well budgeted...roads, government buildings and medical services. tommorow, when independence comes and albanians have no more standards to fulfill and no more international community to satisfy, it will be catstrophe. good today that USAID have given 1M dollar grant for Zubin Potok, Leposavic and Zvecan. friends who are giving comments in this columns seems not to see the present ground conditions but only the past.