Wisner: Serbian elections won’t postpone solution

“Were in the time of an agreement that will produce final status. Some of you might wonder what would final status mean. It means an achievement of historical vision that you Mr. President and all people of Kosovo wanted for so long”
“ It was my privilege that this morning I had to bring a special message of support and courage from my government and my place has understood that besides all other US obligations in the world, we have this special responsibility to follow Kosovo towards it’s final status” said Wisner, assuring President Fatmir Sejdiu that the final status will be closed during this year.

This is an interview given by Mr. Wisner to public broadcaster number one in Kosovo after meeting with Kosovo's President.

Peace :)

these are diplomats my friend and their job is not to create confusion and chaos but to prevent one. no ambassador or any diplomat have statements that would offend the other party. lets wait and see. as i have stated in my previous comments, this issue would not have gone this long if the west can act unilaterally as in the NATO bombing without a UN resolution. this issue is entirely different, i mean independence, coz it would cause domino effect in others regions of the world.

Brian Kerry,
Where have you been?

The NATO bombing did not respect the resolution 1244 by any means.

The NATO bombing created a state of chaos and anarchy without any laws. You have drugs, prostitution & people traffic.

The dimplomats are nothing but puppets.

Mr. Smith,
The Resolution 1244 was adopted after the bombing stopped. And if NATO didn't act without UNSC permition, the genocide would take place and I wouldn't be writing this , and the world would be dealing with problems of refugees etc, instead of independence.

You are a typical commenter who talks about how bad Kosovo is, but who doesn't have the slightest idea about the situation, or the region.

Then Please enlighten us (bytycci) of how KOSOVO really is

bytycci,

I know exactly how Kosovo is. I've spent many years in Kosovo. But based on your comments I don't think you've ever been other than for a breif visit.

I state the facts. You state some virtual scenario.

NATO did whatever they thought was in their interest at that time. If you think for a second they did it because they prefer the albanians, you are sadly mistaken.

Mr. Smith

Mr. Smith,
I am from Kosovo. That means I lived there almost all my life. I know the people, I know how they behave. I know what beliefs they have.I know what they eat. I know what they want. I read history, from all kinds of scholars (Albanian, Serbian, Other). I have shared the pain of everyone. I speak Albanian and Serbian. I see what's in the media.

NATO did not intervene because NATO likes Albanians. NATO intervened to prevent a genocide from happening. They also intervened in Bosnia (although too late).

You see everything in ethnic lenses and have decided that Albanians are not worth saving. But my friend, you should see people as humans first. And you should condemn all human suffering (Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serb etc).

So, that's why Kosovo should become independent. So, people can finally build their lives in peace, without politics, without fear, without Belgrade obstruction.

Peace

Yea, all of the parties had interests and stakes in the process. (Un)fortunately, Kosovo Albanians were on the right bet. Once you lose, you lose big! History can be interpreted in various ways...but what really matters is that Albanians have managed to be the prime agents of change in the recent history (e.g. past 7 years) that it would be difficult for anyone to turn around at this point. The international community has no choice but to recognize what has been established after the war: the state of Kosovo.

So much for your alleged democracy... how about mentioning that Wisner mistakenly said that the US favors independence of Kosovo?

Everybody knows that the US favors independence for Kosovo. Everybody also knows that the US needs the UN Security Council to approve Kosovo's final status.

Why cannot the world see the TRUTH about the SERBIAN elections??? Once again they show their racist side by excluding Albanians the opportunity to vote on their future. Next they will vote to keep Albanians from going to school to educate themselves. Then they will approve measures to keep Albanians from securing jobs to support themselves. Then they will do what they have done in the past with all of the other provinces of our former Yugoslavia...ETHNIC CLEANSING!!!

Sorry Dem, but you can't have the best of both worlds. On one hand you say you want nothing to do with Serbia and demand seperation, but then you insist that you should have the right to vote in a Serbian referendum? Wake up to yourself

i heard a lot of comments during my stay in kosovo about how was life during titos time as compared today. many say it was a lot more better in terms of living conditions, jobs, and multi-ethnic relations. some also are saying that milosevic was maneuvered by a BIG POWER who designed the yuguslav break-up. this BIG POWER is US allegedly. question? if the conditions today are like in titos time, do you think kosovo wants independence???

The visit of Wisner in Kosovo obviously came when the situation due to esalate. He came and brought a clear message: There will not be an postponment of Kosovo's status. The status of Kosovo will be solved within this year and Kosovo must gain independence.

It is clear by his statement that Mr. Wisener has never read U.N. Resolution 1244, if he had, then he would know that that document expressly reaffirms the soviernty and territorial integrity of Yugoslvia, of which Serbia is internationally recognized as the successor state, which means that U.N. resolution 1244 now expressly applies to Serbia.
Furthermore, U.N. resolution
1244 obliges all member states to recognize Serbia's soviernty over Kosovo. So in effect, The U.S. has just violated U.N. Resolution 1244 (and consequently international law) as a result of Mr. Wisener's uninformed statement.

bytycci states that Nato intervened in Kosovo to "prevent genocide from happening", yet on previous comments he has made (on other articles), he says that Milosevic's forces committed genocide against the Albanians. So which is it? In truth there never was any genocide committed against Albanians in Kosovo, nor were there any plans by the Serbian government to take such action. The Yugoslav Army went to war in Kosovo for legitimate reasons: 1) to protect it's territory from Albanian Agreessions 2) to protect it's citizens from being murdered by terrorists.

Nato attacked serbia under the guise of "Humanitarian War" soley for the purpose of justifying it's own continued existence, which many were questioning due to the fact that the Soviet Union was dead, and the threat communist expansion into the rest of europe had died with it. The farce of Nato's alledged humanitarian war was exposed when they occupied Kosovo, and did nothing to prevent the KLA'a slaughter of innocent Serb and Roma Civilians, the expulsion of over 230,000 people from their homes, and the wholesale destruction of
churches and villages.

Kosovo independence will not facilitate peace, nor will it give all of the communities a chance to rebuild their lives. To the contrary, Kosovo independence would only serve to reward the Albanians for the terror they've caused, and it would insure the final realization of their ultimate goal: an ethnically pure Albanian State.

ROD;
It is amzing that in every article you mentione Serbs and Romas, have forgaten other minorities that live in Kosova.For your information majority of Romas became very rich during Milosevic era and they were dressed in paramilitary uniforms. How come you never mentione Turks, Egyptians,Ashkalinje, Bosnians etc...?

Rod, I would suggest before you wonder if Wisner has read U.N. Resolution 1244, you might wish to read it yourself – and not just the parts that underline the arguments that you want to make. You say "there never was any genocide committed against Albanians in Kosovo, nor were there any plans by the Serbian government to take such action;" 1244 says "demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo." Furthermore, 1244 calls upon the international community to facillitate "a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status" – exactly what the UN and the Contact Group are working to do!

UNSC 1244>>> excerpt>>>Welcoming the general principles on a political solution to the Kosovo crisis adopted on 6 May 1999 (S/1999/516, annex 1 to this resolution) and welcoming also the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the principles set forth in points 1 to 9 of the paper presented in Belgrade on 2 June 1999 (S/1999/649, annex 2 to this resolution), and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's agreement to that paper,

Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and annex 2,

Anne,

I think you have a gross misconception of the word 'genocide' (but dont fret, you are not alone)

Genocide - "The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group"

1244 says "demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo."
This statement basically calls for the withdawal of Yugoslav troops from Kosovo, it does not in anyway remotely refer to 'genocide'. How you linked the two is beyond me.

To claim genocide occured in Kosovo is not just mere propaganda, it is complete fantasy! There are more Albanians in Kosovo now than there were pre 1999! How on earth is this possible when 'genocide' occured??

Serbia’s sovereignty in Kosovo changed when the UN adopted Resolution 1244

That is right! It was changed not eliminated. Stop trying to act like it was.

I have indeed read
UN Resolution 1244 entirely, which also calls for the return of Serbian Army/Police personnel to Kosovo, the return of all refugees to their homes,the protection and preservation of Serbian Cultural Monuments, and the establishment of a funtioning, multiethnic society---all of which are conditions to be met before the decision on final status is to be made. 1244 also calls for the complete disarmament of the KLA. None of these conditions have been met. The very fact that Nato and the UN are discussing final status now (without the necessary conditions being met) is itself a violation of Resolution 1244 and international law.

Anne, it is clear by your comments that you have no clue what the word "Genocide" means.
The terms violence and oppression do not equal genocide, and in any event THERE WAS NO GENOCIDE COMMITTED AGAINST ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO.

For their part, the Serbs have honored 1244 to the letter. Nato, UNMIK, and the Albanians have been violating UN Resolution 1244.
from the start, as evidenced by the 7 years of terror that Albanians have inflicted on the other communities in Kosovo, the fact that over 2/3 of the non-albanian population are still refugees, the fact that the remaining non-albanian citizens in Kosovo can't leave their villages without armed Nato escort, and that hundreds of Orthodox Churches were burned to the ground. The churches that the Albanians haven't destroyed require protection from Nato troops, and are surrounded by barbed wire. All of these facts represent gross violations of 1244, which are the direct responsibility of the people running Kosovo---
IE. Nato, UNMIK, and the Albanians.

Kosovo has clearly failed to meet the criteria for status discussions, and even if this wasn't the case, UN Resolution 1244 makes no mention of Independence as the solution for Kosovo, rather the model offered in that document is for the status solution to be substantial autonomy within the borders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which the Republic of Serbia is now the internationally recognized successor state.

In any event, at this point Kosovo remains part of Serbia, and under it's soviernty, and as such, the United States (represented by Mr. Wisener) is obliged by U.N. Resolution 1244 to recognize that.

Perhaps Anne, you should read that document again, before you statrt criticizing others.

And Ahmet, please don't lecture me about people who wear paramilitary uniforms and get rich, as your "PM" Agim Ceku and his terrorist organization the KLA wrote the book on this.
The fact that the KLA was financed by Heroin Money is yet another interesting similarity between the KLA and the Taliban. Perhaps you can answer something for me: Exactly how much Heroin did Ceku have to sell to buy his name off of Interpol's Most Wanted List?

Anne,

If the albanians were so opressed in Kosovo, why did they keep moving to Kosovo over the last 40 years or so.

I'll tell you why! Because it's all a lie created to achieve a nationalistic purpose.

The definition of genocide is something even the experts have trouble with, which is exactly why I did not try to define it in my earlier post, nor did I say it happened or didn't - I was simply trying to point out what 1244 said. I was making no judgment on what happened - perhaps all of us could make fewer judgments. If the purpose of sharing our thoughts here is to judge rather than understand, or to perpetuate negative propaganda rather than what is accepted as fact by the Serbian and international experts, then participation is not only futile, but harmful. Adding more negative debate fuels the fire – what the Balkans does not need is more fire. So many people of all ethnicities are working all over Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo to add positive actions and words to the Balkan future – this should be an example to the rest of us.

Just in case you are interested, the definition of genocide accepted by the United Nations (of which Serbia is a member and therefore accepts this definition) is "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Anne,

I agree with your comments, and also in relation to your definition of the term 'Genocide'. No problems there

What worries and frustrates me though, is the one sided nature of the argument potrayed in the media. This viewpoint is similarly shared by western politicians (in general).

The media highlights and emphasises, over and over, the Albanians side of the story (sometimes with gross exaggeration) whilst silencing, criticising, and completely dismissing any valid arguments or grievances the Serbs might have. This is where the problem lies, and constructive diplomacy and re-conciliation is virtually impossible under these conditions. In fact, it only inflames the situation.

Well Anne if that's your definition, then it's quite clear who is guilty of genocide in Kosovo.
Over the past 7 years Albanians have expelled 2/3
of the Non-Albanians from Kosovo. To prevent these people from returning, Albanians have either confiscated the property and occupied it themselves, or they've levelled the buildings completely, I'm talking ENTIRE VILLAGES BURNED TO THE GROUND.
Not satisfied razing the buildings, Albanians have gone as far as burning the land itself in these areas, making it unfarmable. Additionally, the remaining non-albaninan communities (especially serb) continue to suffer from constant intimidation, harrassment, and outright violence at the hands of their Albanian "neighbors".
Almost all of these communities require Nato guard and are surrounded by barbed wire just to insure their survival. These poor people cannot venture outside of their communities without Armed Nato escort. Additionally, Albanians have destroyed several hundred Serbian Orthodox Churches in Kosovo to date,and the remaining churches similarly require armed guard and barbed wire to insure their very existence. Furthermore, the Kosovo interim government continues to take actions that jeporadize the very existence of the orthodox church. This is evidenced by the fact that the albanian led institutions issue permits for, allow,and even condone illegal building on church land.

All of the above facts fall well within the following genocide definition(s) offered by Anne:

* "Any of the following acts with the intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, such as: killing members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a group, and deliberately inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about it's physical destruction in whole or in part."

It's bad enough that Albanians are attempting to cleanse Kosovo of it's indigenous people, but in destroying Kosovo's Churches and Monuments, Albanians are not only commiting genocide against Kosovo's true people, but also against the very history and heritage of Kosovo as well.

And all of this "genocide" has occured under the direct supervision of UNMIK, US, NATO, and the rest of the alledged free world as well. What's even more disurbing is that to date: the responsible parties (Nato & UNMIK) have done nothing to stop or reverse the "genocide" being performed by Albanians in Kosovo. In fact, recent news articles suggest that UNMIK & NATO have contingency plans to "evacuate" the remaining Serb Enclaves south of the Ibar river in the event that Kosovo independence is declared, thereby finishing the "genocide" that the Albanians started. Disgusting!

Anne,how you could express such convictions on what genocide is, and yet fail to see what has really happened in Kosovo is completely beyond me. In any event, to say that the Serbs have committed genocide in Kosovo, in light of what the Albanians are actually doing, is not only irresponsible, it's just plain ridiculous.

Rod, I simply quoted the UN definition of genocide, I did not offer an opinion on whether it was committed or not. Please don't offer my opinions for me.

Rod, you are silly, and inflaming rather than forgiving and incouraging, for every action theres a counter and opposite equal reaction. we can all go back in time and point fingers, but what would that achieve! The past cant be changed, SERBIA MUST APOLOGISE but what we do today determins tomorrow. i think if you ask better quality questions you might surprise yourself and get a quality answer. these people will live together again, they have done so in the past.
sunny

Sunny,

Your comments do not reflect the severity of the situation. The fact is, the reality is very grave, and simply using nice words and pleasantries words will not solve anything. You are simply ignoring the reality

And to whom exactly should Serbia apologise to? And why??

The Albanians were given an opportunity to settle in Serbia for a better life, they recieved privelidges far beyond those of any other minorities in the region. They then decided this wasn't enough and wanted the land for themselves, free of all Serbs. They took up arms and resorted to violence to achieve these goals. Most of the Serbs have been forced from their ancestral lands, and sacred monuments which withstood countless wars and invasions have now been destroyed completely. Albanians are now demanding full independance and for Kosovo to be ripped from Serbia and handed over to them . . and you demand an apology from Serbia?!?!

And people question the Serbs outrage?

Max,

You write it like it is.

The albanians were given an opportunity for a better life in Serbia and they took the opportunity.

They are the ones that need to apologize and leave the sacred Serbian lands.

Max
The Albanians were given an opportunity to settle in Serbia... who r u kidding!!!! let the past go. when was kosovo part of serbia!!! when the great powers gave it to them and before that, 500yrs, the future does not lay in the past, its counter productive, albanians have been there just as long as the serbs and have not settled recently as you suggest.

MAX
these 'western elite' are trying to rectify the problems of the past that were comprimised, when these borders were formed no more no less.the serbian gov't is setting them selv's to lose kosovo " if you can see it" otherwise they would have included there vote in the constitution as citizen, they would have said sorry 7 yrs ago WHY U ASK!!! they killed 10k ppl or you havnt read the news!!! worked towards there needs and reconciliation. until serbia stands up and takes responsability for what had occured in fmr yugoslavia and kosovo it is very unlikely that the pain and suffering can possibly be reconociled. what part of this dont u understand!!!! it is this attitude that had made germany such a great country after world warII. kosovo has been run idependantly for to many years, even without the support of yugoslavia and serbia, UN and now its being run like a sovergn country. why? and how will it be reverted back under serbian control, its to late.... a taste of honey is worse than not at all. this country needs closure, unfortunately serbia does not have the fortitude nor the heart to do what is necessary in the best interest of serbia and kosovo and if they did its to late. hindsight is a wonderfull thing. action speaks greater than words, serbian and the contact group and kosovo actions are contrary to dilogue. you not part of the solution but the problem! how on earth do think with that attitude do u think that serbia can exist in the eu with other foreigners and minorities who have rights and 1 vote each. think of a future as u see it and its not workable. albanians for good or bad, a high birth rate 4 times serbians, what 50 yrs b4
they are the mojority n serbia kosovo, your silly man, macedonians are already learning albanian to get jobs, 50 yrs and all of serbia will have albanian as a second language, which is fine i guess by you and in 100 yrs a president and prime minister. my uncle was the yugoslav ambasador to india he was albanian, but with greater serbia on milosovics mind, he did well everbody had a great time, security, money, yugoslavia began with tito and died. it takes 1 idiot to stuff up and a hundred intelligent men to fix it.
look to the future, theres only pain and hearache in your ideals as well intention they maybe, but for who?

“Were in the time of an agreement that will produce final status. Some of you might wonder what would final status mean. It means an achievement of historical vision that you Mr. President and all people of Kosovo wanted for so long”
“ It was my privilege that this morning I had to bring a special message of support and courage from my government and my place has understood that besides all other US obligations in the world, we have this special responsibility to follow Kosovo towards it’s final status” said Wisner, assuring President Fatmir Sejdiu that the final status will be closed during this year.

This is an interview given by Mr. Wisner to public broadcaster number one in Kosovo after meeting with Kosovo's President.

Peace :)

these are diplomats my friend and their job is not to create confusion and chaos but to prevent one. no ambassador or any diplomat have statements that would offend the other party. lets wait and see. as i have stated in my previous comments, this issue would not have gone this long if the west can act unilaterally as in the NATO bombing without a UN resolution. this issue is entirely different, i mean independence, coz it would cause domino effect in others regions of the world.

Brian Kerry,
Where have you been?

The NATO bombing did not respect the resolution 1244 by any means.

The NATO bombing created a state of chaos and anarchy without any laws. You have drugs, prostitution & people traffic.

The dimplomats are nothing but puppets.

Mr. Smith,
The Resolution 1244 was adopted after the bombing stopped. And if NATO didn't act without UNSC permition, the genocide would take place and I wouldn't be writing this , and the world would be dealing with problems of refugees etc, instead of independence.

You are a typical commenter who talks about how bad Kosovo is, but who doesn't have the slightest idea about the situation, or the region.

Then Please enlighten us (bytycci) of how KOSOVO really is

bytycci,

I know exactly how Kosovo is. I've spent many years in Kosovo. But based on your comments I don't think you've ever been other than for a breif visit.

I state the facts. You state some virtual scenario.

NATO did whatever they thought was in their interest at that time. If you think for a second they did it because they prefer the albanians, you are sadly mistaken.

Mr. Smith

Mr. Smith,
I am from Kosovo. That means I lived there almost all my life. I know the people, I know how they behave. I know what beliefs they have.I know what they eat. I know what they want. I read history, from all kinds of scholars (Albanian, Serbian, Other). I have shared the pain of everyone. I speak Albanian and Serbian. I see what's in the media.

NATO did not intervene because NATO likes Albanians. NATO intervened to prevent a genocide from happening. They also intervened in Bosnia (although too late).

You see everything in ethnic lenses and have decided that Albanians are not worth saving. But my friend, you should see people as humans first. And you should condemn all human suffering (Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian, Serb etc).

So, that's why Kosovo should become independent. So, people can finally build their lives in peace, without politics, without fear, without Belgrade obstruction.

Peace

Yea, all of the parties had interests and stakes in the process. (Un)fortunately, Kosovo Albanians were on the right bet. Once you lose, you lose big! History can be interpreted in various ways...but what really matters is that Albanians have managed to be the prime agents of change in the recent history (e.g. past 7 years) that it would be difficult for anyone to turn around at this point. The international community has no choice but to recognize what has been established after the war: the state of Kosovo.

So much for your alleged democracy... how about mentioning that Wisner mistakenly said that the US favors independence of Kosovo?

Everybody knows that the US favors independence for Kosovo. Everybody also knows that the US needs the UN Security Council to approve Kosovo's final status.

Why cannot the world see the TRUTH about the SERBIAN elections??? Once again they show their racist side by excluding Albanians the opportunity to vote on their future. Next they will vote to keep Albanians from going to school to educate themselves. Then they will approve measures to keep Albanians from securing jobs to support themselves. Then they will do what they have done in the past with all of the other provinces of our former Yugoslavia...ETHNIC CLEANSING!!!

Sorry Dem, but you can't have the best of both worlds. On one hand you say you want nothing to do with Serbia and demand seperation, but then you insist that you should have the right to vote in a Serbian referendum? Wake up to yourself

i heard a lot of comments during my stay in kosovo about how was life during titos time as compared today. many say it was a lot more better in terms of living conditions, jobs, and multi-ethnic relations. some also are saying that milosevic was maneuvered by a BIG POWER who designed the yuguslav break-up. this BIG POWER is US allegedly. question? if the conditions today are like in titos time, do you think kosovo wants independence???

The visit of Wisner in Kosovo obviously came when the situation due to esalate. He came and brought a clear message: There will not be an postponment of Kosovo's status. The status of Kosovo will be solved within this year and Kosovo must gain independence.

It is clear by his statement that Mr. Wisener has never read U.N. Resolution 1244, if he had, then he would know that that document expressly reaffirms the soviernty and territorial integrity of Yugoslvia, of which Serbia is internationally recognized as the successor state, which means that U.N. resolution 1244 now expressly applies to Serbia.
Furthermore, U.N. resolution
1244 obliges all member states to recognize Serbia's soviernty over Kosovo. So in effect, The U.S. has just violated U.N. Resolution 1244 (and consequently international law) as a result of Mr. Wisener's uninformed statement.

bytycci states that Nato intervened in Kosovo to "prevent genocide from happening", yet on previous comments he has made (on other articles), he says that Milosevic's forces committed genocide against the Albanians. So which is it? In truth there never was any genocide committed against Albanians in Kosovo, nor were there any plans by the Serbian government to take such action. The Yugoslav Army went to war in Kosovo for legitimate reasons: 1) to protect it's territory from Albanian Agreessions 2) to protect it's citizens from being murdered by terrorists.

Nato attacked serbia under the guise of "Humanitarian War" soley for the purpose of justifying it's own continued existence, which many were questioning due to the fact that the Soviet Union was dead, and the threat communist expansion into the rest of europe had died with it. The farce of Nato's alledged humanitarian war was exposed when they occupied Kosovo, and did nothing to prevent the KLA'a slaughter of innocent Serb and Roma Civilians, the expulsion of over 230,000 people from their homes, and the wholesale destruction of
churches and villages.

Kosovo independence will not facilitate peace, nor will it give all of the communities a chance to rebuild their lives. To the contrary, Kosovo independence would only serve to reward the Albanians for the terror they've caused, and it would insure the final realization of their ultimate goal: an ethnically pure Albanian State.

ROD;
It is amzing that in every article you mentione Serbs and Romas, have forgaten other minorities that live in Kosova.For your information majority of Romas became very rich during Milosevic era and they were dressed in paramilitary uniforms. How come you never mentione Turks, Egyptians,Ashkalinje, Bosnians etc...?

Rod, I would suggest before you wonder if Wisner has read U.N. Resolution 1244, you might wish to read it yourself – and not just the parts that underline the arguments that you want to make. You say "there never was any genocide committed against Albanians in Kosovo, nor were there any plans by the Serbian government to take such action;" 1244 says "demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo." Furthermore, 1244 calls upon the international community to facillitate "a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status" – exactly what the UN and the Contact Group are working to do!

UNSC 1244>>> excerpt>>>Welcoming the general principles on a political solution to the Kosovo crisis adopted on 6 May 1999 (S/1999/516, annex 1 to this resolution) and welcoming also the acceptance by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the principles set forth in points 1 to 9 of the paper presented in Belgrade on 2 June 1999 (S/1999/649, annex 2 to this resolution), and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's agreement to that paper,

Reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the other States of the region, as set out in the Helsinki Final Act and annex 2,

Anne,

I think you have a gross misconception of the word 'genocide' (but dont fret, you are not alone)

Genocide - "The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group"

1244 says "demands in particular that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia put an immediate and verifiable end to violence and repression in Kosovo."
This statement basically calls for the withdawal of Yugoslav troops from Kosovo, it does not in anyway remotely refer to 'genocide'. How you linked the two is beyond me.

To claim genocide occured in Kosovo is not just mere propaganda, it is complete fantasy! There are more Albanians in Kosovo now than there were pre 1999! How on earth is this possible when 'genocide' occured??

Serbia’s sovereignty in Kosovo changed when the UN adopted Resolution 1244

That is right! It was changed not eliminated. Stop trying to act like it was.

I have indeed read
UN Resolution 1244 entirely, which also calls for the return of Serbian Army/Police personnel to Kosovo, the return of all refugees to their homes,the protection and preservation of Serbian Cultural Monuments, and the establishment of a funtioning, multiethnic society---all of which are conditions to be met before the decision on final status is to be made. 1244 also calls for the complete disarmament of the KLA. None of these conditions have been met. The very fact that Nato and the UN are discussing final status now (without the necessary conditions being met) is itself a violation of Resolution 1244 and international law.

Anne, it is clear by your comments that you have no clue what the word "Genocide" means.
The terms violence and oppression do not equal genocide, and in any event THERE WAS NO GENOCIDE COMMITTED AGAINST ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO.

For their part, the Serbs have honored 1244 to the letter. Nato, UNMIK, and the Albanians have been violating UN Resolution 1244.
from the start, as evidenced by the 7 years of terror that Albanians have inflicted on the other communities in Kosovo, the fact that over 2/3 of the non-albanian population are still refugees, the fact that the remaining non-albanian citizens in Kosovo can't leave their villages without armed Nato escort, and that hundreds of Orthodox Churches were burned to the ground. The churches that the Albanians haven't destroyed require protection from Nato troops, and are surrounded by barbed wire. All of these facts represent gross violations of 1244, which are the direct responsibility of the people running Kosovo---
IE. Nato, UNMIK, and the Albanians.

Kosovo has clearly failed to meet the criteria for status discussions, and even if this wasn't the case, UN Resolution 1244 makes no mention of Independence as the solution for Kosovo, rather the model offered in that document is for the status solution to be substantial autonomy within the borders of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which the Republic of Serbia is now the internationally recognized successor state.

In any event, at this point Kosovo remains part of Serbia, and under it's soviernty, and as such, the United States (represented by Mr. Wisener) is obliged by U.N. Resolution 1244 to recognize that.

Perhaps Anne, you should read that document again, before you statrt criticizing others.

And Ahmet, please don't lecture me about people who wear paramilitary uniforms and get rich, as your "PM" Agim Ceku and his terrorist organization the KLA wrote the book on this.
The fact that the KLA was financed by Heroin Money is yet another interesting similarity between the KLA and the Taliban. Perhaps you can answer something for me: Exactly how much Heroin did Ceku have to sell to buy his name off of Interpol's Most Wanted List?

Anne,

If the albanians were so opressed in Kosovo, why did they keep moving to Kosovo over the last 40 years or so.

I'll tell you why! Because it's all a lie created to achieve a nationalistic purpose.

The definition of genocide is something even the experts have trouble with, which is exactly why I did not try to define it in my earlier post, nor did I say it happened or didn't - I was simply trying to point out what 1244 said. I was making no judgment on what happened - perhaps all of us could make fewer judgments. If the purpose of sharing our thoughts here is to judge rather than understand, or to perpetuate negative propaganda rather than what is accepted as fact by the Serbian and international experts, then participation is not only futile, but harmful. Adding more negative debate fuels the fire – what the Balkans does not need is more fire. So many people of all ethnicities are working all over Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo to add positive actions and words to the Balkan future – this should be an example to the rest of us.

Just in case you are interested, the definition of genocide accepted by the United Nations (of which Serbia is a member and therefore accepts this definition) is "any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group."

Anne,

I agree with your comments, and also in relation to your definition of the term 'Genocide'. No problems there

What worries and frustrates me though, is the one sided nature of the argument potrayed in the media. This viewpoint is similarly shared by western politicians (in general).

The media highlights and emphasises, over and over, the Albanians side of the story (sometimes with gross exaggeration) whilst silencing, criticising, and completely dismissing any valid arguments or grievances the Serbs might have. This is where the problem lies, and constructive diplomacy and re-conciliation is virtually impossible under these conditions. In fact, it only inflames the situation.

Well Anne if that's your definition, then it's quite clear who is guilty of genocide in Kosovo.
Over the past 7 years Albanians have expelled 2/3
of the Non-Albanians from Kosovo. To prevent these people from returning, Albanians have either confiscated the property and occupied it themselves, or they've levelled the buildings completely, I'm talking ENTIRE VILLAGES BURNED TO THE GROUND.
Not satisfied razing the buildings, Albanians have gone as far as burning the land itself in these areas, making it unfarmable. Additionally, the remaining non-albaninan communities (especially serb) continue to suffer from constant intimidation, harrassment, and outright violence at the hands of their Albanian "neighbors".
Almost all of these communities require Nato guard and are surrounded by barbed wire just to insure their survival. These poor people cannot venture outside of their communities without Armed Nato escort. Additionally, Albanians have destroyed several hundred Serbian Orthodox Churches in Kosovo to date,and the remaining churches similarly require armed guard and barbed wire to insure their very existence. Furthermore, the Kosovo interim government continues to take actions that jeporadize the very existence of the orthodox church. This is evidenced by the fact that the albanian led institutions issue permits for, allow,and even condone illegal building on church land.

All of the above facts fall well within the following genocide definition(s) offered by Anne:

* "Any of the following acts with the intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, such as: killing members of a group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of a group, and deliberately inflicting on a group conditions of life calculated to bring about it's physical destruction in whole or in part."

It's bad enough that Albanians are attempting to cleanse Kosovo of it's indigenous people, but in destroying Kosovo's Churches and Monuments, Albanians are not only commiting genocide against Kosovo's true people, but also against the very history and heritage of Kosovo as well.

And all of this "genocide" has occured under the direct supervision of UNMIK, US, NATO, and the rest of the alledged free world as well. What's even more disurbing is that to date: the responsible parties (Nato & UNMIK) have done nothing to stop or reverse the "genocide" being performed by Albanians in Kosovo. In fact, recent news articles suggest that UNMIK & NATO have contingency plans to "evacuate" the remaining Serb Enclaves south of the Ibar river in the event that Kosovo independence is declared, thereby finishing the "genocide" that the Albanians started. Disgusting!

Anne,how you could express such convictions on what genocide is, and yet fail to see what has really happened in Kosovo is completely beyond me. In any event, to say that the Serbs have committed genocide in Kosovo, in light of what the Albanians are actually doing, is not only irresponsible, it's just plain ridiculous.

Rod, I simply quoted the UN definition of genocide, I did not offer an opinion on whether it was committed or not. Please don't offer my opinions for me.

Rod, you are silly, and inflaming rather than forgiving and incouraging, for every action theres a counter and opposite equal reaction. we can all go back in time and point fingers, but what would that achieve! The past cant be changed, SERBIA MUST APOLOGISE but what we do today determins tomorrow. i think if you ask better quality questions you might surprise yourself and get a quality answer. these people will live together again, they have done so in the past.
sunny

Sunny,

Your comments do not reflect the severity of the situation. The fact is, the reality is very grave, and simply using nice words and pleasantries words will not solve anything. You are simply ignoring the reality

And to whom exactly should Serbia apologise to? And why??

The Albanians were given an opportunity to settle in Serbia for a better life, they recieved privelidges far beyond those of any other minorities in the region. They then decided this wasn't enough and wanted the land for themselves, free of all Serbs. They took up arms and resorted to violence to achieve these goals. Most of the Serbs have been forced from their ancestral lands, and sacred monuments which withstood countless wars and invasions have now been destroyed completely. Albanians are now demanding full independance and for Kosovo to be ripped from Serbia and handed over to them . . and you demand an apology from Serbia?!?!

And people question the Serbs outrage?

Max,

You write it like it is.

The albanians were given an opportunity for a better life in Serbia and they took the opportunity.

They are the ones that need to apologize and leave the sacred Serbian lands.

Max
The Albanians were given an opportunity to settle in Serbia... who r u kidding!!!! let the past go. when was kosovo part of serbia!!! when the great powers gave it to them and before that, 500yrs, the future does not lay in the past, its counter productive, albanians have been there just as long as the serbs and have not settled recently as you suggest.

MAX
these 'western elite' are trying to rectify the problems of the past that were comprimised, when these borders were formed no more no less.the serbian gov't is setting them selv's to lose kosovo " if you can see it" otherwise they would have included there vote in the constitution as citizen, they would have said sorry 7 yrs ago WHY U ASK!!! they killed 10k ppl or you havnt read the news!!! worked towards there needs and reconciliation. until serbia stands up and takes responsability for what had occured in fmr yugoslavia and kosovo it is very unlikely that the pain and suffering can possibly be reconociled. what part of this dont u understand!!!! it is this attitude that had made germany such a great country after world warII. kosovo has been run idependantly for to many years, even without the support of yugoslavia and serbia, UN and now its being run like a sovergn country. why? and how will it be reverted back under serbian control, its to late.... a taste of honey is worse than not at all. this country needs closure, unfortunately serbia does not have the fortitude nor the heart to do what is necessary in the best interest of serbia and kosovo and if they did its to late. hindsight is a wonderfull thing. action speaks greater than words, serbian and the contact group and kosovo actions are contrary to dilogue. you not part of the solution but the problem! how on earth do think with that attitude do u think that serbia can exist in the eu with other foreigners and minorities who have rights and 1 vote each. think of a future as u see it and its not workable. albanians for good or bad, a high birth rate 4 times serbians, what 50 yrs b4
they are the mojority n serbia kosovo, your silly man, macedonians are already learning albanian to get jobs, 50 yrs and all of serbia will have albanian as a second language, which is fine i guess by you and in 100 yrs a president and prime minister. my uncle was the yugoslav ambasador to india he was albanian, but with greater serbia on milosovics mind, he did well everbody had a great time, security, money, yugoslavia began with tito and died. it takes 1 idiot to stuff up and a hundred intelligent men to fix it.
look to the future, theres only pain and hearache in your ideals as well intention they maybe, but for who?