Tadić: Serbia to defend its borders

Serbia needs to defend the borders from the Albanian(or any other) people who want their land.

The land of Kosovo has been Serbian through centuries. Just because a certain ethnic group has over populated Kosovo over the last 50 years does not give them the right to own it.

Wanna give up Texas because of it's hispanic populus? Wanna start creating states within the US by ethnic differences?

against who serbia is going to defend its territory? No country in the region wants Kosovo. It is just Kosovo people who want to be indipendent.
Are they going to fight again?
This time you can gamble serbia (without vojvodina).

Perhaps Tadic is saying Serbia has a right to defend its borders WITH Kosovo. You know, like when it goes independent and radical elements within the region seek to cause instability in places like Presevo, or even Novi Pazar?

I think he means, defend the Kosovo border against illegal immigration into Kosovo from Albania, and illegal smuggling of drugs, prostitutes, weapons, etc.

KFOR has done a terrible job in controlling immigration into Kosovo from Albania (how did Kosovo population climb from 1.8 mil to 2.2 in the last 6 years?). Only a devoted army (ie the Serbian Army) can do a proper job here. A secure Kosovo border would be to the benefit of both Serbs and Albanians, so I don't see why any Albanians would oppose this.

Really I don't understand Mr. Tadic. If Serbia has denied to the K-Albanians the right to vote for the Constitution, thus not considering them as Serbian citizens, what would be their status in a Kosovo within Serbian borders? does Mr. Tadic think they'll have the status of inmigrants? That's worse than Milosevic indeed. Why don't offer to the Albanians the common Serbian-Albanian power-sharing in Serbia and save so those useless borders? Why not making the Albanian the 2nd official language in Belgrade? (If K-Albanians remain in Serbia in 10 yrs you'll have it). People should start understanding that sovereignity and borders are today strictly connected with human rights, you lose the right on them when you try to expell the others and you're not Rusia or China etc. to prevent the reaction. (Sorry for Tadic that has to pay the bill for what the serbian state did to the Albanians between 1913 (even earlier, 1878 in what is today Southern Serbia) and 1999. Mr. Smith, the Kosovo land is just a land, as all lands are, and the land belongs to them who live on it since many generations. When Kosovo was that kind of mythological land for the Serbs, in the Middle Ages, there were no Serbs in Vojvodina. (So then OK, give up Vojvodina if you want back Kosovo...) The history of Europe is very long and complicated Mr. Smith, not just as simple as the history of Mexicans in Texas. And please get better informed before speaking about the demographic conditions of Kosovo after 1913 (when it was conquered by the Serbs, who failed anyway in their attempts to colonize/serbize it). It's not that simple case like Mexicans in Texas.

”It is too simplistic to claim that Serbs are guilty for the war, just as you can’t say Albanians alone are guilty. The responsibility lies with individuals with a name and a surname”, Tadić said.

Well these individuals with a name and a surname were supported by all political parties and the majority of the people. And they are still not condemned for what they did.

The only one that Serbia needs to protect its border from is Serbia itself. And by the way the border of Serbia is in Merdare and not in Morina.

Kosovars have been liberated from Serbia in 1999, now it is time to recognize independence of Kosovo.

To (hi) you are not the first person to think Serbia is going to loose vojvodina, You are wrong about that, Serbs ARE the Majority unlike what alot of people seem to see as Hungarians who what it independent, There are very few hungarians who even think about that, they are called NATIONALISTS. As for "No one wants Kosovo except the people there" We could argue on a technacaltiy that a sum of albanians there want Kosovo to join albania, there for Serbia WOULD be defending it's land from others who seek to take it.

Mr. Smith is right.

Serbia has as much right to defend its borders as much as Albanians have no right to change them according to their threats and aggression.

Texas is not a fair comparison - Hispanics in Texas don't want to leave the United States. The majority of Kosovo's people don't want to be a part of Serbia - and realistically, Kosovo is already not Serbia as it has its own president and prime minister, own police, etc.

Mr. Tadic is obliged to say that it is too simplistic to put the blame on Serbian people for atrocities in Kosovo, but he should reminded that in the 1989 rallies in Belgrade media there reported two million Serbs shouting "we want weapons, we want to go and fight in Kosovo". Let's hope Mr. Tadic gathers the intellectual strength to admit that the individuals who had names and surnames were actually Serbs throught Serbia. Many actual Serb who were in the frontlines of those rallies then are in the frontlines of Serbian political establishment today. Don’t they bear some of the responsibility for the deaths and tragedies of hundreds of thousands of people?

Give it a rest. Whats wrong with you people? What makes Kosovo so special? A place where the Serbs lost to the Turks, again, so long ago. If they all fought together maybe they would have won. Vojvodina, bah! What is worth fighting about there, nishta! How many have to die before the Balkans can be safe and prosporous? I wish Tito could give all of you fighting people a nice slap in the head, you need it. Wake up! Look at your neighbor, go to work and mind your children.

Actually Tadic is smart , he never defined which borders he wants to defend.I think he is preparing the ground for its people in regard to Kosovo/a independance.Way to go Tadic.

While appreciating B92 as the most fair and balanced medium in Serbian language, and the one that is still striving to be one, I would really want it to get some new statements or better to say some real news from the serbian President. Mr. Tadic should have followed his father's footsteps. It's a more noble profession being an actor than being a president of a country which seems to continue to be in serious trouble not to recognize the politics of the international community and to believe in his own little world and politicians who still can't believe even after 7 years now that Kosovo is a lost case. You can do referendums, you can create plots on how to save it, all invane. It should be obvious to all that this is not a matter to be decided by Serbs or Albanians and let alone Albanians who have no clue about politics at all and they keep pretending that they know a lot, it's a matter that will soon be decided by the int'l community, respectively the UN Security Council. Just think about this for a moment. You surrender, you allow liaison UNMIK offices in Belgrade, you're willing to negotiate in Vienna, serbs in Kosovo appear at their workplaces and are part of the Kosovo political institutions. What more would you want? To continue undermining the achievements made so far by using political tools which don't function any longer? It did, before 2000. It doesn't anymore. So, come to your senses once and for all. Mr. Smith, I'd urge you to put your thought together since it seems that this issue is of particular interest to you. You're comparing Kosovo and Serbia with a federal state in the US which is 10000 miles away from us and is fully integrated. I don't blame you though. You only wanted to say something but it didn't work, because it seems that you don't know much about the case. So, Mr. Tadic, a democrat in whom I really believed would be an even better person than the late Djindjic who really made efforts to democratize Serbia, seems to want to keep his mandate as a President by serving unrealistic statements to his own people. Please, change your job!

i just don't understand people when they say Albaians from Albanina immigrating to Kosova. It's pure nonsense, if you tell me Greece or Italy I would agree with you.The border between Albania and Kosovo it needs to be wachted only for crminals and smugglers, because crime has no boundiries. But as for as people from both sides trying to immigrate you can forget about it.There are Serb orginized groups from serbia that work very closely with K-Albanian criminals. Armies have no place in borders in this era. Serbian army will never step a foot on border between Albanina and Kosova.

It seems to me that Serbia has no plans to join EU, because is talking about borders and armies guarding the borders.Wake up, you are not living in mars,and which borders is Tadic talking about? It's not clear to me just yet. Hopefully he would tell us another time when he holds a press conferance. Cheers guys

Murati,

You bring up the 1980's. In the 1980's the albanians were demontrating wanting a republic. Serbian bodies were floating in the rivers. There were terrorist acts going on. The albanian scheeming for independence has been planned since 1974 when Tito gave borders to Kosovo.

The Serbian rally to fight in 1989 was to simply defend from albanian nationalism and seccessionsm. And all of this is fine, but the albanians are doing it at the expense of the Serbian people and that's not fine and will not happen.

Hey Ahmet,

You clearly have no conceptual perception of EU boarders and what they mean.
What do you think that the borders between EU and non-EU countries look like?

What about illegal immigration and other illegal people/drug/money smuggling, etc. activities through seaports and airports?

cheers back at ya.

Mr. Smith,
you said you've spent many yrs. in Kosovo, but you're talking like an old-fashioned Milosevic fan. The Serbian rallies of 1986-1989 were the climax of the Serbian fascism of Milosevic (Hitler also rallied to support the Sudeten-Germans and after that invaded Czecoslovachia to resolve the problem). It's however true that the Republic of Kosovo was planned in 1974, maybe even earlier. You should know that the albanians were the 3rd nationality in the former Yugo (after Serbs and Croats) and they were treated like a minority, with no right for their republic, with no right for education in their own language except that in the elementary schools. Do you think that was normal? As for the seccession, the Albanians are not not doing it at serbian expences, Serbia is sufficiently big for itself. Kosovo will be the state of its citizens, regardless of their ethnical origin. Since you spent many yrs. in Kosovo you should know that very well, Mr. Smith

Dear Mr. Smith,

I agree Albanians “were demonstrating wanting a republic” in the 1980’s. They were right to do so. They did this by peaceful means. They not only wanted a republic, they wanted change of communist regime too. I, and hundreds of thousands of young Albanians were part of those demonstrations. We were young students then, we were beaten, imprisoned and tortured because we wanted change and better lives. Serbs thought it was right to torture us.

The story of Serb “bodies floatinj in rivers” was a farce. An invention of Serbian media who, I repeat, mentally terrorised their own people and created a pathological hatred against Albanians by mass production and publication of lies and non-existing events.

Unfortunately Albanian media were helpless to oppose for two reasons: 1. Albanian editors were arrested whenever they published any articles to confront the Serbian propaganda, or 2. if such articles would appear in Albanian media no Serbs were able or willing to read them.

Milosevic and many who are in the Serbian political leadership today were part of that propaganda machinery.

I will remind you that the peak of the outcry in Serbian media for “Serbian victims” was when they got hold of a man by the name of Martinovich (or similar) who had inserted a beer bottle in his anus, and later Yugoslav military presented it as a case of rape by “unknown Albanians”. They raised the poor man to martyrdom. That was the most one-sided display of Serbian people’s history next to the Celebration of Defeat from Turks. A battle which was fought by all christians living in the Balkans then, but Serbs had rushed to take ownership of it with the intention to claim Kosovo to be their own later.

The “albanian scheeming for independence” has not been planned since 1974, as you claim. Albanians wanted their independence since it was annexed by Serbs after withdrawal of Turks. Albanians never ceased or abandoned their final aim to govern themselves. 1974 was a luckier period in their recent history under the Serbian repression. And they took good advantage of it by gaining good education.

Your statement “the Serbian rally to fight in 1989 was to simply defend from albanian nationalism and seccessionsm” suggests that you approve for what Serbs did in Kosovo in late 1990s. If this is the case it would be useless and sinful to enter any further discussion with you on this subject.

Thank you for your attention.

Mr. Tadic is right! He meant the border between Albania and Kosmet. It surprises me how sure Albanci are that Kosovo will be indipendent. I wouldn't put too much hope on the west if I was you. Serbians and Albanians have been cheated by the west many times. The moment they realize that Kosovo may become a cradle of Narcotics, prostitution, and Terrorism, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't beg Serbia to put things in order there.

Borders, language, and culture make up a country. Without borders, language, and culture you lose self-identity, which leads to moral decay.

To Vlasta:
You remeber Carlos the Jackal, used to be the most wanted terrorist in the World and now he is serving time in France. He was sheltered by Serbs when French govermant was looking for him. Stop spreading disinformation about Kosova as craddle o for narcotics, prostitutions and terrorism. All of the above are very much alive in Serbia.

Mr.Smith wote:"You bring up the 1980's. In the 1980's the albanians were demontrating wanting a republic. Serbian bodies were floating in the rivers."
The only case hapened in Samadrexha village Vushttri municipiallity. Albanien men shot dead his neighbour serbian (albanian men was claiming that it was self defense, but forget the reasons. It was so bombastic that albanian killed a serb that before the court was set up, he was death sentenced by communist party. So it happened: he was death sentenced and executed months later. We got two serb police officers (special units)and two muslims(also police officers killed by Tahir Meha(1981)while they were surrounding his house. In 1989 two officers(one them albanian) got killed. So mr.Smith you aru shooting in emtpy and you evidences that serb bodies were floating one the rivers are funny and tragical also. Let me tell you that in demonstartions march 1989 and january 1990, at lest 60 albanian demonstrators were killed so again mr.Smith be serious, because the goal of these comments is to provide us with pragmatic options for Kosovo problem, and not with unsenseless statistics and facts.
Behar

All this bickering about borders is archaic – borders are no longer relevant in a modern Europe. What defines a country is its people, or peoples, and how they define themselves and are defined by others. Serbia could be defined by its warmth, its hospitality, its creativity. Unfortunately, it is still defined by its intolerance. And I don't see many comments here that are going to convince anyone outside Serbia that this will change any time soon.

Also, Kosovar Albanians have a great chance to define themselves now too. In 5 years, I'd like to see Kosovo (and Serbia!) known as a place where all people are welcome and the injuries of the past are not forgotten, but forgiven. Maybe this is Utopia, however isn't it something we should all strive for?

Anne,

Unfortunately your comments are not very realistic. Borders are indeed very necessary, mainly for security reasons. EU countries which share common borders, although not 'guarded' as in previous years, are still well defined and controlled. The relaxing of borders as we have seen in western europe in the past few years, basically allows for easier and safer travel. The fact is, these borders have not changed and their integrity is still in tact. No democratic country in europe, or the world, would allow its borders to be re-drawn or disected by foreign powers based on the wishes of an minority ethnic group. If this does happen, there is no argument that can deny any other ethnic minorities anywhere else in the world the same right. Or does this rule only apply to ethnic minorities within Serbia?

The Albanians have had over 7 years to define themselves as a people and as a 'nation', and unfortunately it is not a pleasant result. The forced removal of over 100,000 Serbs, Romas, Gorani, Turks etc, the burning and desecration of countless of churches, numerous murders, and a government run by, and supported by, criminals. Most of the politicians and government officers (be it beauracrats or police) are ex-KLA.
I don't think this is the utopia you quite imagined

And if you kindly explain your perception of the meaning of the word 'tolerance'. The Serbs took acception to a part of their land being ripped away from them by seperatists and terrorists, and this makes them 'intolerant'?

Maybe you should take a look at the demographics of Belgrade, over 60,000 Albanians there alone. Does this not mean anything to you?

Max,

I can see that you hate KLA. That's fine! We love KLA. Boy! They kicked out the invadors and nationalists like you!

Where is my comment B92! If you publish every piece by this guy, why don't you publish my harsh comments as well?

Maybe some of your editors may disagree with some of our comments from the Albanian side, but why not publish them, and let the readers make judgement!

Isn't that what's democracy about!

Xhafer Ejupi,

Anne,

Based on current and rest of history, albanians do not know of the word utopia.

Why did the albanians joing the Nazis?

Why did the alabians leave their 'utopian' land of albania?

Why are drugs and prostitution the main trades in Kosovo developed over the last 5 years?

It's because 'utopia' is a word not in an albanian vocabulary.

Max, I would not discount the many, many things that both Serbians and Kosovars of MANY ethnic backgrounds have done in the past seven years to create a better world here. There have indeed been moments where both Serbs and ethnic Albanians slid backwards (March 2004 saw the burning of churches in Kosovo AND the burning of Belgrade's mosque). However, I chose to focus on the things that have helped move all the peoples of this region together – school programs that bring kids from Kosovo and Serbia together to realize that they are not so different after all, projects by NGOs from Serbia and Kosovo aimed at cross-ethnic understanding, and so on. I am an optimist – I see so much being done by regular people that can bring everyone together so that borders become, as you said, “relaxed” – both in reality and as a metaphor.

against who serbia is going to defend its territory? No country in the region wants Kosovo. It is just Kosovo people who want to be indipendent.
Are they going to fight again?
This time you can gamble serbia (without vojvodina).

Perhaps Tadic is saying Serbia has a right to defend its borders WITH Kosovo. You know, like when it goes independent and radical elements within the region seek to cause instability in places like Presevo, or even Novi Pazar?

Serbia needs to defend the borders from the Albanian(or any other) people who want their land.

The land of Kosovo has been Serbian through centuries. Just because a certain ethnic group has over populated Kosovo over the last 50 years does not give them the right to own it.

Wanna give up Texas because of it's hispanic populus? Wanna start creating states within the US by ethnic differences?

I think he means, defend the Kosovo border against illegal immigration into Kosovo from Albania, and illegal smuggling of drugs, prostitutes, weapons, etc.

KFOR has done a terrible job in controlling immigration into Kosovo from Albania (how did Kosovo population climb from 1.8 mil to 2.2 in the last 6 years?). Only a devoted army (ie the Serbian Army) can do a proper job here. A secure Kosovo border would be to the benefit of both Serbs and Albanians, so I don't see why any Albanians would oppose this.

Really I don't understand Mr. Tadic. If Serbia has denied to the K-Albanians the right to vote for the Constitution, thus not considering them as Serbian citizens, what would be their status in a Kosovo within Serbian borders? does Mr. Tadic think they'll have the status of inmigrants? That's worse than Milosevic indeed. Why don't offer to the Albanians the common Serbian-Albanian power-sharing in Serbia and save so those useless borders? Why not making the Albanian the 2nd official language in Belgrade? (If K-Albanians remain in Serbia in 10 yrs you'll have it). People should start understanding that sovereignity and borders are today strictly connected with human rights, you lose the right on them when you try to expell the others and you're not Rusia or China etc. to prevent the reaction. (Sorry for Tadic that has to pay the bill for what the serbian state did to the Albanians between 1913 (even earlier, 1878 in what is today Southern Serbia) and 1999. Mr. Smith, the Kosovo land is just a land, as all lands are, and the land belongs to them who live on it since many generations. When Kosovo was that kind of mythological land for the Serbs, in the Middle Ages, there were no Serbs in Vojvodina. (So then OK, give up Vojvodina if you want back Kosovo...) The history of Europe is very long and complicated Mr. Smith, not just as simple as the history of Mexicans in Texas. And please get better informed before speaking about the demographic conditions of Kosovo after 1913 (when it was conquered by the Serbs, who failed anyway in their attempts to colonize/serbize it). It's not that simple case like Mexicans in Texas.

”It is too simplistic to claim that Serbs are guilty for the war, just as you can’t say Albanians alone are guilty. The responsibility lies with individuals with a name and a surname”, Tadić said.

Well these individuals with a name and a surname were supported by all political parties and the majority of the people. And they are still not condemned for what they did.

The only one that Serbia needs to protect its border from is Serbia itself. And by the way the border of Serbia is in Merdare and not in Morina.

Kosovars have been liberated from Serbia in 1999, now it is time to recognize independence of Kosovo.

To (hi) you are not the first person to think Serbia is going to loose vojvodina, You are wrong about that, Serbs ARE the Majority unlike what alot of people seem to see as Hungarians who what it independent, There are very few hungarians who even think about that, they are called NATIONALISTS. As for "No one wants Kosovo except the people there" We could argue on a technacaltiy that a sum of albanians there want Kosovo to join albania, there for Serbia WOULD be defending it's land from others who seek to take it.

Mr. Smith is right.

Serbia has as much right to defend its borders as much as Albanians have no right to change them according to their threats and aggression.

Texas is not a fair comparison - Hispanics in Texas don't want to leave the United States. The majority of Kosovo's people don't want to be a part of Serbia - and realistically, Kosovo is already not Serbia as it has its own president and prime minister, own police, etc.

Mr. Tadic is obliged to say that it is too simplistic to put the blame on Serbian people for atrocities in Kosovo, but he should reminded that in the 1989 rallies in Belgrade media there reported two million Serbs shouting "we want weapons, we want to go and fight in Kosovo". Let's hope Mr. Tadic gathers the intellectual strength to admit that the individuals who had names and surnames were actually Serbs throught Serbia. Many actual Serb who were in the frontlines of those rallies then are in the frontlines of Serbian political establishment today. Don’t they bear some of the responsibility for the deaths and tragedies of hundreds of thousands of people?

Give it a rest. Whats wrong with you people? What makes Kosovo so special? A place where the Serbs lost to the Turks, again, so long ago. If they all fought together maybe they would have won. Vojvodina, bah! What is worth fighting about there, nishta! How many have to die before the Balkans can be safe and prosporous? I wish Tito could give all of you fighting people a nice slap in the head, you need it. Wake up! Look at your neighbor, go to work and mind your children.

Actually Tadic is smart , he never defined which borders he wants to defend.I think he is preparing the ground for its people in regard to Kosovo/a independance.Way to go Tadic.

While appreciating B92 as the most fair and balanced medium in Serbian language, and the one that is still striving to be one, I would really want it to get some new statements or better to say some real news from the serbian President. Mr. Tadic should have followed his father's footsteps. It's a more noble profession being an actor than being a president of a country which seems to continue to be in serious trouble not to recognize the politics of the international community and to believe in his own little world and politicians who still can't believe even after 7 years now that Kosovo is a lost case. You can do referendums, you can create plots on how to save it, all invane. It should be obvious to all that this is not a matter to be decided by Serbs or Albanians and let alone Albanians who have no clue about politics at all and they keep pretending that they know a lot, it's a matter that will soon be decided by the int'l community, respectively the UN Security Council. Just think about this for a moment. You surrender, you allow liaison UNMIK offices in Belgrade, you're willing to negotiate in Vienna, serbs in Kosovo appear at their workplaces and are part of the Kosovo political institutions. What more would you want? To continue undermining the achievements made so far by using political tools which don't function any longer? It did, before 2000. It doesn't anymore. So, come to your senses once and for all. Mr. Smith, I'd urge you to put your thought together since it seems that this issue is of particular interest to you. You're comparing Kosovo and Serbia with a federal state in the US which is 10000 miles away from us and is fully integrated. I don't blame you though. You only wanted to say something but it didn't work, because it seems that you don't know much about the case. So, Mr. Tadic, a democrat in whom I really believed would be an even better person than the late Djindjic who really made efforts to democratize Serbia, seems to want to keep his mandate as a President by serving unrealistic statements to his own people. Please, change your job!

i just don't understand people when they say Albaians from Albanina immigrating to Kosova. It's pure nonsense, if you tell me Greece or Italy I would agree with you.The border between Albania and Kosovo it needs to be wachted only for crminals and smugglers, because crime has no boundiries. But as for as people from both sides trying to immigrate you can forget about it.There are Serb orginized groups from serbia that work very closely with K-Albanian criminals. Armies have no place in borders in this era. Serbian army will never step a foot on border between Albanina and Kosova.

It seems to me that Serbia has no plans to join EU, because is talking about borders and armies guarding the borders.Wake up, you are not living in mars,and which borders is Tadic talking about? It's not clear to me just yet. Hopefully he would tell us another time when he holds a press conferance. Cheers guys

Murati,

You bring up the 1980's. In the 1980's the albanians were demontrating wanting a republic. Serbian bodies were floating in the rivers. There were terrorist acts going on. The albanian scheeming for independence has been planned since 1974 when Tito gave borders to Kosovo.

The Serbian rally to fight in 1989 was to simply defend from albanian nationalism and seccessionsm. And all of this is fine, but the albanians are doing it at the expense of the Serbian people and that's not fine and will not happen.

Hey Ahmet,

You clearly have no conceptual perception of EU boarders and what they mean.
What do you think that the borders between EU and non-EU countries look like?

What about illegal immigration and other illegal people/drug/money smuggling, etc. activities through seaports and airports?

cheers back at ya.

Mr. Smith,
you said you've spent many yrs. in Kosovo, but you're talking like an old-fashioned Milosevic fan. The Serbian rallies of 1986-1989 were the climax of the Serbian fascism of Milosevic (Hitler also rallied to support the Sudeten-Germans and after that invaded Czecoslovachia to resolve the problem). It's however true that the Republic of Kosovo was planned in 1974, maybe even earlier. You should know that the albanians were the 3rd nationality in the former Yugo (after Serbs and Croats) and they were treated like a minority, with no right for their republic, with no right for education in their own language except that in the elementary schools. Do you think that was normal? As for the seccession, the Albanians are not not doing it at serbian expences, Serbia is sufficiently big for itself. Kosovo will be the state of its citizens, regardless of their ethnical origin. Since you spent many yrs. in Kosovo you should know that very well, Mr. Smith

Dear Mr. Smith,

I agree Albanians “were demonstrating wanting a republic” in the 1980’s. They were right to do so. They did this by peaceful means. They not only wanted a republic, they wanted change of communist regime too. I, and hundreds of thousands of young Albanians were part of those demonstrations. We were young students then, we were beaten, imprisoned and tortured because we wanted change and better lives. Serbs thought it was right to torture us.

The story of Serb “bodies floatinj in rivers” was a farce. An invention of Serbian media who, I repeat, mentally terrorised their own people and created a pathological hatred against Albanians by mass production and publication of lies and non-existing events.

Unfortunately Albanian media were helpless to oppose for two reasons: 1. Albanian editors were arrested whenever they published any articles to confront the Serbian propaganda, or 2. if such articles would appear in Albanian media no Serbs were able or willing to read them.

Milosevic and many who are in the Serbian political leadership today were part of that propaganda machinery.

I will remind you that the peak of the outcry in Serbian media for “Serbian victims” was when they got hold of a man by the name of Martinovich (or similar) who had inserted a beer bottle in his anus, and later Yugoslav military presented it as a case of rape by “unknown Albanians”. They raised the poor man to martyrdom. That was the most one-sided display of Serbian people’s history next to the Celebration of Defeat from Turks. A battle which was fought by all christians living in the Balkans then, but Serbs had rushed to take ownership of it with the intention to claim Kosovo to be their own later.

The “albanian scheeming for independence” has not been planned since 1974, as you claim. Albanians wanted their independence since it was annexed by Serbs after withdrawal of Turks. Albanians never ceased or abandoned their final aim to govern themselves. 1974 was a luckier period in their recent history under the Serbian repression. And they took good advantage of it by gaining good education.

Your statement “the Serbian rally to fight in 1989 was to simply defend from albanian nationalism and seccessionsm” suggests that you approve for what Serbs did in Kosovo in late 1990s. If this is the case it would be useless and sinful to enter any further discussion with you on this subject.

Thank you for your attention.

Mr. Tadic is right! He meant the border between Albania and Kosmet. It surprises me how sure Albanci are that Kosovo will be indipendent. I wouldn't put too much hope on the west if I was you. Serbians and Albanians have been cheated by the west many times. The moment they realize that Kosovo may become a cradle of Narcotics, prostitution, and Terrorism, I wouldn't be surprised if they don't beg Serbia to put things in order there.

Borders, language, and culture make up a country. Without borders, language, and culture you lose self-identity, which leads to moral decay.

To Vlasta:
You remeber Carlos the Jackal, used to be the most wanted terrorist in the World and now he is serving time in France. He was sheltered by Serbs when French govermant was looking for him. Stop spreading disinformation about Kosova as craddle o for narcotics, prostitutions and terrorism. All of the above are very much alive in Serbia.

Mr.Smith wote:"You bring up the 1980's. In the 1980's the albanians were demontrating wanting a republic. Serbian bodies were floating in the rivers."
The only case hapened in Samadrexha village Vushttri municipiallity. Albanien men shot dead his neighbour serbian (albanian men was claiming that it was self defense, but forget the reasons. It was so bombastic that albanian killed a serb that before the court was set up, he was death sentenced by communist party. So it happened: he was death sentenced and executed months later. We got two serb police officers (special units)and two muslims(also police officers killed by Tahir Meha(1981)while they were surrounding his house. In 1989 two officers(one them albanian) got killed. So mr.Smith you aru shooting in emtpy and you evidences that serb bodies were floating one the rivers are funny and tragical also. Let me tell you that in demonstartions march 1989 and january 1990, at lest 60 albanian demonstrators were killed so again mr.Smith be serious, because the goal of these comments is to provide us with pragmatic options for Kosovo problem, and not with unsenseless statistics and facts.
Behar

All this bickering about borders is archaic – borders are no longer relevant in a modern Europe. What defines a country is its people, or peoples, and how they define themselves and are defined by others. Serbia could be defined by its warmth, its hospitality, its creativity. Unfortunately, it is still defined by its intolerance. And I don't see many comments here that are going to convince anyone outside Serbia that this will change any time soon.

Also, Kosovar Albanians have a great chance to define themselves now too. In 5 years, I'd like to see Kosovo (and Serbia!) known as a place where all people are welcome and the injuries of the past are not forgotten, but forgiven. Maybe this is Utopia, however isn't it something we should all strive for?

Anne,

Unfortunately your comments are not very realistic. Borders are indeed very necessary, mainly for security reasons. EU countries which share common borders, although not 'guarded' as in previous years, are still well defined and controlled. The relaxing of borders as we have seen in western europe in the past few years, basically allows for easier and safer travel. The fact is, these borders have not changed and their integrity is still in tact. No democratic country in europe, or the world, would allow its borders to be re-drawn or disected by foreign powers based on the wishes of an minority ethnic group. If this does happen, there is no argument that can deny any other ethnic minorities anywhere else in the world the same right. Or does this rule only apply to ethnic minorities within Serbia?

The Albanians have had over 7 years to define themselves as a people and as a 'nation', and unfortunately it is not a pleasant result. The forced removal of over 100,000 Serbs, Romas, Gorani, Turks etc, the burning and desecration of countless of churches, numerous murders, and a government run by, and supported by, criminals. Most of the politicians and government officers (be it beauracrats or police) are ex-KLA.
I don't think this is the utopia you quite imagined

And if you kindly explain your perception of the meaning of the word 'tolerance'. The Serbs took acception to a part of their land being ripped away from them by seperatists and terrorists, and this makes them 'intolerant'?

Maybe you should take a look at the demographics of Belgrade, over 60,000 Albanians there alone. Does this not mean anything to you?

Max,

I can see that you hate KLA. That's fine! We love KLA. Boy! They kicked out the invadors and nationalists like you!

Where is my comment B92! If you publish every piece by this guy, why don't you publish my harsh comments as well?

Maybe some of your editors may disagree with some of our comments from the Albanian side, but why not publish them, and let the readers make judgement!

Isn't that what's democracy about!

Xhafer Ejupi,

Anne,

Based on current and rest of history, albanians do not know of the word utopia.

Why did the albanians joing the Nazis?

Why did the alabians leave their 'utopian' land of albania?

Why are drugs and prostitution the main trades in Kosovo developed over the last 5 years?

It's because 'utopia' is a word not in an albanian vocabulary.

Max, I would not discount the many, many things that both Serbians and Kosovars of MANY ethnic backgrounds have done in the past seven years to create a better world here. There have indeed been moments where both Serbs and ethnic Albanians slid backwards (March 2004 saw the burning of churches in Kosovo AND the burning of Belgrade's mosque). However, I chose to focus on the things that have helped move all the peoples of this region together – school programs that bring kids from Kosovo and Serbia together to realize that they are not so different after all, projects by NGOs from Serbia and Kosovo aimed at cross-ethnic understanding, and so on. I am an optimist – I see so much being done by regular people that can bring everyone together so that borders become, as you said, “relaxed” – both in reality and as a metaphor.