Del Ponte recommends Kosovo decision delay

Nice one to cover your failures Mrs. Del Ponte.
It is not logical and naive thought to relate two things.
The fate of 2 million Kosovars should not rely in your ability to do your job right.
The Kosovars have the right to know what their future holds, and in the meanwhile you do your job.


Uranik

Well said Ms. Del Ponte!

This is ridiculous. She puts the Hague Tribunal in front of everything, with this protecting "law" and justice. If there should be justice in the world, Kosova would be independent long time a go. Part of bringing law is giving independence to Kosova. She returned very sensitive documents to Serbia, says that Serbia is cooperating forgeting that there are the same people who did all atrocities, sheltered criminels for more than ten years, but she is giving them praises. What will come next from her ...

What a joke!!!
Everyone has a right to say something about Kosova/o!!!
Miss.Del Ponte,you failed to do your job.Has been 11 years and still no sign of Mladic and Karadzic.It could take another 11 years to catch them or more,so Kosova/o can wait,who cares about them!!!
What a joke,I don't know who gave the right to speak in the name of Kosovan People.
Partition is the only option so people can stop making fun with future of Kosova/o.
This is going to far.
West are loosing the credibility,they are becoming a joke.I am starting to change my mind now,I have never liked Albin Kurti but I think we have to decide about our fate.
So many people died,so much wealth vanished and for what,wait for the moment when "Powerful West" decides to do something.My question is when because "enough is enough".

So, Serbia stands to lose its territory if it doesn't hand over Mladic and Karadzic - what a load of nonsense! The two should be no more linked than using EU membership as a bargaining chip. It's a nonsensical travesty of the European institutions.

Perhaps this is a way to paint the inevitable delay as being linked to the capture of the two men.
It's unavoidable - the delay must be on the basis of FURTHER TALKS WITHOUT A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME!!
Kosovo will either be partitioned or have the highest level of autonomy - there is no full independence on the cards.

To allow an ethnic group to annex sovereign territory of a country is totally unacceptable to anyone sane.
It would encourage separatist movements around the globe; the use of violence; and 'ethnic cleansing' and engineered movement within territories.


I agree with Jack yesterday that the majority of Albanians in Kosovo are not howling fanatics - they just want to live in peace, safety and prosperity like the rest of us who are so lucky.
They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia, especially with such a strong international presence to monitor the situation.

We do what we do and finally we end up at the trading table. I wonder how many people put these arrests on their CV.

The perfect word to describe Del Ponte phrase is...Egoism!
But i think this another effective(let's hope so) manner to make serbs understand that collaboration is the only way to achieve something good.

this is ridiculous. What does this woman think !? 2 million people should be kept in uncertainty only for Serbia to deliver criminals which should have ANYWAY BEEN DELIVERED LONG TIME AGO. Typical European, rewarding Serbia instead of punishing it for not delivering criminals. As you would say in Serbian: "Zemljo, otvori se" !

Could anyone tell me WHY EU, US, Russia are interfeering with, what it looks to me, is a question regarding Serbia and only Serbia.

Thank you

This is a signal for all Serbs that even the Prosecutor Carla des Ponte can modify her attitude when the Serb Gov. shows its good will to work with the ICTY.

I repeat: if Kostunica would have delivered to The hague all the alleged war criminals, I am quite sure that Kosovo would have remained with Serbia. Unfortunately, by showing a radical and hostile attitude towards the ICTY, Mr Kostunica brought on Serbia hostile attitude from Europe, the EU, the UN, the USA, and many nations around the world. Kostunica's hostile attitude has turned all against his nation. Sad, indeed!

By rewarding Serbia for cooperating with the Hague Ms. Del Ponte has just given Mr. Mladic and Karadjic another great "victory" over civilians.

On the other hand, if even after this gift Serbia does not deliver Mladic and Karadjic, then that will serve as yet another arguement that Serbia can not be trusted.

Carla,

what about postponding arrest of Mladic and Karadzic after solving Kosovo status? This would give better position to Serbia negotiators and decision makers on Kosovo issue (although they have lost that right years ago, it is again up to persons like Carla to envolve Serbia). They should have been arrested since a years and you can negotiate few months more with Serbia, it wont make any big changes in your career.
You don't want to be aware that this situation and link between Mladic and Karadzic and Kosovo status is part of Serbia's wangle/trick.
By the way, how can you explane the fact that Serbia is released from genocid accusations, but Serbia is negotiating all the time about war criminals handover to Hague.
It is not ethic to ask from Kosovars to wait for Mladic and Karadzic as Kosovo has fulfilled its obligations towards international justice with Fatmir Limaj, Ramush Haradinaj and the others, being aware that even simple single comparison of those circumtances is exorbitant...
It is ridiculous to ask from Kosovars to wait for Kosovo status till all international open issues are solved, even more when Kosovars are fulfilling all their obligations based on international standards and laws.
Kosovo and Kosovars can not be hostages of the games of the others for a long time...

Good luck Kosovo on your own way and Carla should think more seriously about her competences and competences of Hague tribunal...

cartla -- you are WAY out of line here, and certainly play into the hands of the regime in blgd.

blgd's job has been to arrest the war criminals, esp mladic but also many others. this has so far failed for 2 main reasons: there has not been consistent pressure from the west, which is needed -- and, the ones who we need to arrest him (mladic) are exactly the same ones who are hiding-protecting him. case closed.

it is not really del ponte-s fault, altho i"m getting getting a bit sick of her.

as for the issue of independence, the delays and trickery must come to an end. del ponte especially is in no position to postpone independence, and really needs to concentrate on her job which is (luckily?) soon to expire.

meanwhile we wait to see mladic and the other monsters behind bars.

I love it. Albanians have now turned on Carla! She is no longer their friend. Just wait until George Bush has to break it to them that they will not get independence! I can't wait to see them turn on Bush! Perhaps then the US will then put the KLA back on their list of terrorist organizations, like they were before the US used them. Things change quickly. Every day Serbia gets stronger and the Kosovo albanians get weaker.

Even carla is hearing the bear's roar!

Till yesterday she was the "bitch", and since she said something in favour of Serbia know she is "angel"
Very sad.

test & others - I don't see this as any kind of reward to Serbia at all! It's a stalling tactic because the original plan of handing over independence can't go ahead. I am expecting a report to come from Carla or elswhere in the UN reiterating that this is only if the end result is independence. This is what needs to be removed from discussions once and for all.

Although I did already notice that the 'definite' end point of independence is now changing to the 'goal' of independence which is mildly more sane! Even those pro independence on this site must admit that talks with a predetermined end point is a mad suggestion from anyone.

I don’t simply understand those (read: commentators) who lose their nerves while reading statements of such unserious official. She had lost her authority long time ago with these kinds of statements. We had no chance to see any wise and original initiative of hers up to now towards arresting war criminals which are in a large number, what she should have. But we had opportunity very often to see her putting chiefly her nose into political affairs, what she shouldn’t. Thanks God for sending her soon to history. As far as the progress achieved in international justice, I think that she vas a huge obstacle to that progress.

Till yesterday she was the "angel", and since she said something in favour of Serbia now she is "bitch"
Very sad.

Mladic and Karadzic have killed Bosnjaks and not Albanians; therefore any attempt to link their arrest to Kosovo INDEPENDENCE is an absurdity. Carla Del Ponte has failed and she hopes to repair her reputation two months before leaving. She shouldn't forget to put on her CV all her fiascos.

In the end let me tell you that Serbia is only delaying independence because they can not stop it. Independence will happen because Kosovo is owned by those who live there and not war criminals who just 8 years ago killed 12 000 Albanians, raped 20 000 Albanian women, expelled 1 million Albanians and destroyed 70 % of the infrastructure. Kosovars have tasted too many times how it is to be ruled by Serbia and now they are saying: INDEPENDENCE, neither less nor more.

@Question mark:


Why dont you go to Belgrade and tell all the things you listed to Tadic, Koštunica, Dulic and so on. I'm sure they will hand you the keys of Kosova

I'm guessing good old Carla really means just a delay until her mandate expires to give her a chance to have some closure to her position. Taking it as she said it doesn't make sense, it would only encourage Belgrade NOT to send Mladic to the Hague. Think about it, as long as you don't send Mladic, we won't discuss Kosovo, doesn't make much sense.

The funny thing is I heard an interview with her on the radio yesterday and she was talking about how she went ahead and published her indictment against Milosevic despite the fact that politically at the time it could have complicated things for NATO who were trying to end the violence in Kosovo. She claimed she was just doing her job and didn't care about the political implications of her actions. Now she's asking for help politically to find Mladic.

Silly, I agree what she's saying doesn't make any sense, unless of course the EU is willing to abandon Kosovo independence in return for full cooperation and a European outlook from Serbia. Which to me makes the most sense politically, so that may be what they are in fact planning.

I had a couple of silly ideas and I'd like to see what people think of them.

One would be to put off Kosovo Independence until Serbia joins the EU. That would allow Serbs to always live there and work there, but still give Kosovo the Independence she desires, but within the EU, so Serbs wouldn't have to feel it’s a different country. This would also force the Serbs and Albanians to work together jointly for a better future for us both. I think the idea has merit, and it most certainly would have the best chance of ensuring the safety of both Serbs and Albanians on the ground. That is something I might be comfortable with.

The other thing I was wondering is if the Albanians would accept a small change to the Ahtisaari plan. Would you accept giving all Serbs the world over the right to live in Kosovo, rather then just those Serbs who lived in Kosovo after 1998? Ahtisaari's plan is a little harsh in that regard. I just think that maybe if we Serbs always had the right to move to Kosovo and live there, it might still feel like it was part of our national identity. Considering once both Serbia and Kosovo join the EU we will have that right anyway, it might just be a carrot the Albanian government in Kosovo could offer us.

"One would be to put off Kosovo Independence until Serbia joins the EU. That would allow Serbs to always live there and work there, but still give Kosovo the Independence she desires, but within the EU, so Serbs wouldn't have to feel it’s a different country. This would also force the Serbs and Albanians to work together jointly for a better future for us both. I think the idea has merit, and it most certainly would have the best chance of ensuring the safety of both Serbs and Albanians on the ground. That is something I might be comfortable with. "

I am thinking the same. Any solution for Kosovo would have to be acording those lines. Let Serbia join the E.U. first, and Kosovo can gets it independence when it's ready to join the E.U. also. That way it wouldn't change to to much for the Serb living in Kosovo and Serbia. There will be freedom of movement, open borders between Serbia and Kosovo, only Kosovo would be an independent country.

Nice to have Carla on board! For some time now, there has been a love fest going on between the Serbs and the world. It started with Marija winning the Eurovision song contest. There, all countries of the former Yugoslavia, including Bosnia and Croatia, gave Serbia top scores. The world was confused. What about the genocide, the ethnic cleansing? In the end, the visceral hatred proved to be nothing but passionate love.

And now even Carla has joined the feast. I have the impression that Carla is a woman with a sensitive nose for how the winds of international politics are blowing. Could this be a sign of things to come?

Anyway, nice to have Carla on board. Now we're only waiting for George, Martii and Akim to jump on the wagon.

Carla come on... 3 milliion Albanians are not hostages of any foreign power.

She was never a friend of Albanians, nor she said or did something good to be seen as "Angel" by us. The Hague couldn't punish Milosevic for his crimes aganist Albanians and others, so God had to do it. A missed point on here CV. The trial aganist The 6 top ex-officials is also taking too long, some are even beign temporarly realesed. She was very eager to sentence Fatmir Limaj, but couldn't, as she will not have the chance to do it with Ramush Haradinaj. It looks like you did some magic to her, while spending a week in Belgrade. How can in world one think that Kosovo issue is linked with handing Mladic and Karadzic for the horrible crimes they did in Bosnia....May you be in peace with yourself Carla, when seeing what you achieved (=0) while in office...As far as some proposals here having to wait for Serbia to join EU - No thank you. Our ways are seperated. We are aware we will need a lot of years to go in after you, but will go in our own.

Mr./Mrs. Question Mark, Victor, Laki and all other in the K_Albanian camp, please read the attached link and inform yourself as to what America's intervention in Kosovo was and is all about. It seems that you have bought Clinton's and CNN's melodrama like most of the ignorant world. They are the ones that you should be directing your venom at, and not the serbians, who just want to retain their land. It's nothing different than any other nation in thw world would do.
http://www.ctnow.com/custom/nmm/valleyadvocate/hce-vla-0607-va24betweenthelines24.artjun07,0,1887802.story?coll=hce-headlines-va-advocate-top

«In the end, the visceral hatred proved to be nothing but passionate love. »

Mrs Del Ponte is a professional lawyer, appointed Prosecutor at the ICTY for her skill and knowledge, and I hear affirmations such as «what she's saying doesn't make any sense.» If what she's saying does not make sense, she would not be at the ICTY. There are Serbs in Serbia, Kostunica and Nikolic, to name these two, who are protecting alleged war criminals, who have been lying for years to the world, who have kept Serbia hostage of indicted war criminals, and no Serbs on this board question the judgment of this guys as men, as politicians, knowing that what their work in Serbia is centered on war criminals and not the well being of a nation and its citizens.

And now, Mr Wassberg, presupposes that Miss del Ponte's work has been motivated by 'visceral hatred' of Serbs! This is a very serious accusation. What she has done is based on dedication and justice, to bring to justice people who have participated in a joint criminal enterprise to persecute, torture, and exterminate entire population.

This is the basis of the analysis that should make every Serb before philosophizing on other's work and profession!

"They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia, especially with such a strong international presence to monitor the situation.
(kate, Tuesday, 19 June, 2007, 10:37)"

If you could tell me just one reason why and how do you think ,"They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia"????

Independence wont happen because there r a lot more Serbs then albanians. And EU now loves us as long as we dont go to the EAST. Which I personally believe is the smarter option.

I saw this coming now all the sqawking why come here and comment about this issue. Oh well

carla wekup and smell the cooffe.....i think kosovars should dicide for ther own country(not me you or ..........

Mathew,

If you or your grandfather was born in Kosova, you are wellcome to live anywhere in Kosova including my neighborhood. However, if you just want to move down there as a new resident, you are wellcome too as long as you go through immigration proces you'd go in any country.

We wellcome anybody from anywhere including peace loving Serbs to come and be part of our new country, however, if some war criminals try to sneak themselves in, rest asure they'll be caught. We will never forget some faces that have terrorized us.

By the way, Carla's proposal is totally off the subject. What does Ratko Mladic have to do with Kosova. He is wanted for crimes in Bosnia. What if Ratko Mladic lives another 20 years in hiding? Does that mean that Albanians have to wait 20 years for a Bosnian war criminal to be caught. These are shameful days of Carla trying to get a headline with an absurd proposal.

It is just enough that some irresponsible lady (?) say something not positive about "independence" of Kosovo, to make her a hero and pro Serbian.

She isn't, she wasn't and she won't be. She is just a tool in hands of western imperialists and she is doing and saying whatever instruction she get.

When Mladic and Karadzic would be arrested then the way to independence of Kosovo will be open.

Perhaps Serbia should join Shanghai Cooperation Organization instead of European Union. China and Russia are very fast growing powers and Russia has enormous natural and human resources.

At the same time US and West economy is on the brink of collapse.

Dear Serbs! Do not believe to bright future with EU. My country was sold to Stalin in 1945 in Yalta and now returned to "Free world". In 1978 its debt to the West was $40 billions (milliards). Thanks God, IMF and World Bank its debt in 2005 was $102 billions (milliards).

I would love to know all the info Karla knows. Can you imagine? Like all the stuff on Ceku, and she cannot act on it, because she has been told to lay off by the Western Powers. But she still knows the charges. Her job was not easy.

She had to walk a tightrope between who she could, and who she could not prosecute. That is difficult. All nations played around with her, mostly the EU and West, because they didn't want their so called "Allies" prosecuted. How would that look? Having Washington backing a "War Criminal"? So obviously she was told to lay off..

All of this garbage is exactly that, garbage. If you cannot bring Ceku to the Hague, then you should not bring anyone, really. It's a circus act now.

Ms. Del Ponte,
I think that has expired the time, and the manners to seduce Serbia nowadays are spent. You should not realize your objectives by jumbling the other's one.

You and the institution you represent should know better that anyone else that Kosova has sacrificed more than enough. Please try to do your job by respecting the blood of anyone who sacrificed for a better future, and respecting also that which should be holy for every one, the JUSTICE.
The guilty always escape. 11 years has past, don’t allow please passing others without doing anything. You have to catch them by your own ways and for sure Kosova is not one of these ways. No more caresses for Serbia and its criminals.

Lady_B

LADY BCarla is being smart about it and so should you...
She realises there will be no independence and is trying to reason it for you. She is actually helping your cause. Read it carefully and then if you still dont get it READ it again. But what neither you nor her realise is that... THERE IS NO INDEPENDENCE and there never will be.

Well said Ms. Del Ponte!

This is ridiculous. She puts the Hague Tribunal in front of everything, with this protecting "law" and justice. If there should be justice in the world, Kosova would be independent long time a go. Part of bringing law is giving independence to Kosova. She returned very sensitive documents to Serbia, says that Serbia is cooperating forgeting that there are the same people who did all atrocities, sheltered criminels for more than ten years, but she is giving them praises. What will come next from her ...

What a joke!!!
Everyone has a right to say something about Kosova/o!!!
Miss.Del Ponte,you failed to do your job.Has been 11 years and still no sign of Mladic and Karadzic.It could take another 11 years to catch them or more,so Kosova/o can wait,who cares about them!!!
What a joke,I don't know who gave the right to speak in the name of Kosovan People.
Partition is the only option so people can stop making fun with future of Kosova/o.
This is going to far.
West are loosing the credibility,they are becoming a joke.I am starting to change my mind now,I have never liked Albin Kurti but I think we have to decide about our fate.
So many people died,so much wealth vanished and for what,wait for the moment when "Powerful West" decides to do something.My question is when because "enough is enough".

So, Serbia stands to lose its territory if it doesn't hand over Mladic and Karadzic - what a load of nonsense! The two should be no more linked than using EU membership as a bargaining chip. It's a nonsensical travesty of the European institutions.

Perhaps this is a way to paint the inevitable delay as being linked to the capture of the two men.
It's unavoidable - the delay must be on the basis of FURTHER TALKS WITHOUT A PREDETERMINED OUTCOME!!
Kosovo will either be partitioned or have the highest level of autonomy - there is no full independence on the cards.

To allow an ethnic group to annex sovereign territory of a country is totally unacceptable to anyone sane.
It would encourage separatist movements around the globe; the use of violence; and 'ethnic cleansing' and engineered movement within territories.


I agree with Jack yesterday that the majority of Albanians in Kosovo are not howling fanatics - they just want to live in peace, safety and prosperity like the rest of us who are so lucky.
They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia, especially with such a strong international presence to monitor the situation.

We do what we do and finally we end up at the trading table. I wonder how many people put these arrests on their CV.

The perfect word to describe Del Ponte phrase is...Egoism!
But i think this another effective(let's hope so) manner to make serbs understand that collaboration is the only way to achieve something good.

this is ridiculous. What does this woman think !? 2 million people should be kept in uncertainty only for Serbia to deliver criminals which should have ANYWAY BEEN DELIVERED LONG TIME AGO. Typical European, rewarding Serbia instead of punishing it for not delivering criminals. As you would say in Serbian: "Zemljo, otvori se" !

Could anyone tell me WHY EU, US, Russia are interfeering with, what it looks to me, is a question regarding Serbia and only Serbia.

Thank you

Nice one to cover your failures Mrs. Del Ponte.
It is not logical and naive thought to relate two things.
The fate of 2 million Kosovars should not rely in your ability to do your job right.
The Kosovars have the right to know what their future holds, and in the meanwhile you do your job.


Uranik

This is a signal for all Serbs that even the Prosecutor Carla des Ponte can modify her attitude when the Serb Gov. shows its good will to work with the ICTY.

I repeat: if Kostunica would have delivered to The hague all the alleged war criminals, I am quite sure that Kosovo would have remained with Serbia. Unfortunately, by showing a radical and hostile attitude towards the ICTY, Mr Kostunica brought on Serbia hostile attitude from Europe, the EU, the UN, the USA, and many nations around the world. Kostunica's hostile attitude has turned all against his nation. Sad, indeed!

By rewarding Serbia for cooperating with the Hague Ms. Del Ponte has just given Mr. Mladic and Karadjic another great "victory" over civilians.

On the other hand, if even after this gift Serbia does not deliver Mladic and Karadjic, then that will serve as yet another arguement that Serbia can not be trusted.

Carla,

what about postponding arrest of Mladic and Karadzic after solving Kosovo status? This would give better position to Serbia negotiators and decision makers on Kosovo issue (although they have lost that right years ago, it is again up to persons like Carla to envolve Serbia). They should have been arrested since a years and you can negotiate few months more with Serbia, it wont make any big changes in your career.
You don't want to be aware that this situation and link between Mladic and Karadzic and Kosovo status is part of Serbia's wangle/trick.
By the way, how can you explane the fact that Serbia is released from genocid accusations, but Serbia is negotiating all the time about war criminals handover to Hague.
It is not ethic to ask from Kosovars to wait for Mladic and Karadzic as Kosovo has fulfilled its obligations towards international justice with Fatmir Limaj, Ramush Haradinaj and the others, being aware that even simple single comparison of those circumtances is exorbitant...
It is ridiculous to ask from Kosovars to wait for Kosovo status till all international open issues are solved, even more when Kosovars are fulfilling all their obligations based on international standards and laws.
Kosovo and Kosovars can not be hostages of the games of the others for a long time...

Good luck Kosovo on your own way and Carla should think more seriously about her competences and competences of Hague tribunal...

cartla -- you are WAY out of line here, and certainly play into the hands of the regime in blgd.

blgd's job has been to arrest the war criminals, esp mladic but also many others. this has so far failed for 2 main reasons: there has not been consistent pressure from the west, which is needed -- and, the ones who we need to arrest him (mladic) are exactly the same ones who are hiding-protecting him. case closed.

it is not really del ponte-s fault, altho i"m getting getting a bit sick of her.

as for the issue of independence, the delays and trickery must come to an end. del ponte especially is in no position to postpone independence, and really needs to concentrate on her job which is (luckily?) soon to expire.

meanwhile we wait to see mladic and the other monsters behind bars.

I love it. Albanians have now turned on Carla! She is no longer their friend. Just wait until George Bush has to break it to them that they will not get independence! I can't wait to see them turn on Bush! Perhaps then the US will then put the KLA back on their list of terrorist organizations, like they were before the US used them. Things change quickly. Every day Serbia gets stronger and the Kosovo albanians get weaker.

Even carla is hearing the bear's roar!

Till yesterday she was the "bitch", and since she said something in favour of Serbia know she is "angel"
Very sad.

test & others - I don't see this as any kind of reward to Serbia at all! It's a stalling tactic because the original plan of handing over independence can't go ahead. I am expecting a report to come from Carla or elswhere in the UN reiterating that this is only if the end result is independence. This is what needs to be removed from discussions once and for all.

Although I did already notice that the 'definite' end point of independence is now changing to the 'goal' of independence which is mildly more sane! Even those pro independence on this site must admit that talks with a predetermined end point is a mad suggestion from anyone.

I don’t simply understand those (read: commentators) who lose their nerves while reading statements of such unserious official. She had lost her authority long time ago with these kinds of statements. We had no chance to see any wise and original initiative of hers up to now towards arresting war criminals which are in a large number, what she should have. But we had opportunity very often to see her putting chiefly her nose into political affairs, what she shouldn’t. Thanks God for sending her soon to history. As far as the progress achieved in international justice, I think that she vas a huge obstacle to that progress.

Till yesterday she was the "angel", and since she said something in favour of Serbia now she is "bitch"
Very sad.

Mladic and Karadzic have killed Bosnjaks and not Albanians; therefore any attempt to link their arrest to Kosovo INDEPENDENCE is an absurdity. Carla Del Ponte has failed and she hopes to repair her reputation two months before leaving. She shouldn't forget to put on her CV all her fiascos.

In the end let me tell you that Serbia is only delaying independence because they can not stop it. Independence will happen because Kosovo is owned by those who live there and not war criminals who just 8 years ago killed 12 000 Albanians, raped 20 000 Albanian women, expelled 1 million Albanians and destroyed 70 % of the infrastructure. Kosovars have tasted too many times how it is to be ruled by Serbia and now they are saying: INDEPENDENCE, neither less nor more.

@Question mark:


Why dont you go to Belgrade and tell all the things you listed to Tadic, Koštunica, Dulic and so on. I'm sure they will hand you the keys of Kosova

I'm guessing good old Carla really means just a delay until her mandate expires to give her a chance to have some closure to her position. Taking it as she said it doesn't make sense, it would only encourage Belgrade NOT to send Mladic to the Hague. Think about it, as long as you don't send Mladic, we won't discuss Kosovo, doesn't make much sense.

The funny thing is I heard an interview with her on the radio yesterday and she was talking about how she went ahead and published her indictment against Milosevic despite the fact that politically at the time it could have complicated things for NATO who were trying to end the violence in Kosovo. She claimed she was just doing her job and didn't care about the political implications of her actions. Now she's asking for help politically to find Mladic.

Silly, I agree what she's saying doesn't make any sense, unless of course the EU is willing to abandon Kosovo independence in return for full cooperation and a European outlook from Serbia. Which to me makes the most sense politically, so that may be what they are in fact planning.

I had a couple of silly ideas and I'd like to see what people think of them.

One would be to put off Kosovo Independence until Serbia joins the EU. That would allow Serbs to always live there and work there, but still give Kosovo the Independence she desires, but within the EU, so Serbs wouldn't have to feel it’s a different country. This would also force the Serbs and Albanians to work together jointly for a better future for us both. I think the idea has merit, and it most certainly would have the best chance of ensuring the safety of both Serbs and Albanians on the ground. That is something I might be comfortable with.

The other thing I was wondering is if the Albanians would accept a small change to the Ahtisaari plan. Would you accept giving all Serbs the world over the right to live in Kosovo, rather then just those Serbs who lived in Kosovo after 1998? Ahtisaari's plan is a little harsh in that regard. I just think that maybe if we Serbs always had the right to move to Kosovo and live there, it might still feel like it was part of our national identity. Considering once both Serbia and Kosovo join the EU we will have that right anyway, it might just be a carrot the Albanian government in Kosovo could offer us.

"One would be to put off Kosovo Independence until Serbia joins the EU. That would allow Serbs to always live there and work there, but still give Kosovo the Independence she desires, but within the EU, so Serbs wouldn't have to feel it’s a different country. This would also force the Serbs and Albanians to work together jointly for a better future for us both. I think the idea has merit, and it most certainly would have the best chance of ensuring the safety of both Serbs and Albanians on the ground. That is something I might be comfortable with. "

I am thinking the same. Any solution for Kosovo would have to be acording those lines. Let Serbia join the E.U. first, and Kosovo can gets it independence when it's ready to join the E.U. also. That way it wouldn't change to to much for the Serb living in Kosovo and Serbia. There will be freedom of movement, open borders between Serbia and Kosovo, only Kosovo would be an independent country.

Nice to have Carla on board! For some time now, there has been a love fest going on between the Serbs and the world. It started with Marija winning the Eurovision song contest. There, all countries of the former Yugoslavia, including Bosnia and Croatia, gave Serbia top scores. The world was confused. What about the genocide, the ethnic cleansing? In the end, the visceral hatred proved to be nothing but passionate love.

And now even Carla has joined the feast. I have the impression that Carla is a woman with a sensitive nose for how the winds of international politics are blowing. Could this be a sign of things to come?

Anyway, nice to have Carla on board. Now we're only waiting for George, Martii and Akim to jump on the wagon.

Carla come on... 3 milliion Albanians are not hostages of any foreign power.

She was never a friend of Albanians, nor she said or did something good to be seen as "Angel" by us. The Hague couldn't punish Milosevic for his crimes aganist Albanians and others, so God had to do it. A missed point on here CV. The trial aganist The 6 top ex-officials is also taking too long, some are even beign temporarly realesed. She was very eager to sentence Fatmir Limaj, but couldn't, as she will not have the chance to do it with Ramush Haradinaj. It looks like you did some magic to her, while spending a week in Belgrade. How can in world one think that Kosovo issue is linked with handing Mladic and Karadzic for the horrible crimes they did in Bosnia....May you be in peace with yourself Carla, when seeing what you achieved (=0) while in office...As far as some proposals here having to wait for Serbia to join EU - No thank you. Our ways are seperated. We are aware we will need a lot of years to go in after you, but will go in our own.

Mr./Mrs. Question Mark, Victor, Laki and all other in the K_Albanian camp, please read the attached link and inform yourself as to what America's intervention in Kosovo was and is all about. It seems that you have bought Clinton's and CNN's melodrama like most of the ignorant world. They are the ones that you should be directing your venom at, and not the serbians, who just want to retain their land. It's nothing different than any other nation in thw world would do.
http://www.ctnow.com/custom/nmm/valleyadvocate/hce-vla-0607-va24betweenthelines24.artjun07,0,1887802.story?coll=hce-headlines-va-advocate-top

«In the end, the visceral hatred proved to be nothing but passionate love. »

Mrs Del Ponte is a professional lawyer, appointed Prosecutor at the ICTY for her skill and knowledge, and I hear affirmations such as «what she's saying doesn't make any sense.» If what she's saying does not make sense, she would not be at the ICTY. There are Serbs in Serbia, Kostunica and Nikolic, to name these two, who are protecting alleged war criminals, who have been lying for years to the world, who have kept Serbia hostage of indicted war criminals, and no Serbs on this board question the judgment of this guys as men, as politicians, knowing that what their work in Serbia is centered on war criminals and not the well being of a nation and its citizens.

And now, Mr Wassberg, presupposes that Miss del Ponte's work has been motivated by 'visceral hatred' of Serbs! This is a very serious accusation. What she has done is based on dedication and justice, to bring to justice people who have participated in a joint criminal enterprise to persecute, torture, and exterminate entire population.

This is the basis of the analysis that should make every Serb before philosophizing on other's work and profession!

"They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia, especially with such a strong international presence to monitor the situation.
(kate, Tuesday, 19 June, 2007, 10:37)"

If you could tell me just one reason why and how do you think ,"They can do this within the existing boundaries of Serbia"????

Independence wont happen because there r a lot more Serbs then albanians. And EU now loves us as long as we dont go to the EAST. Which I personally believe is the smarter option.

I saw this coming now all the sqawking why come here and comment about this issue. Oh well

carla wekup and smell the cooffe.....i think kosovars should dicide for ther own country(not me you or ..........

Mathew,

If you or your grandfather was born in Kosova, you are wellcome to live anywhere in Kosova including my neighborhood. However, if you just want to move down there as a new resident, you are wellcome too as long as you go through immigration proces you'd go in any country.

We wellcome anybody from anywhere including peace loving Serbs to come and be part of our new country, however, if some war criminals try to sneak themselves in, rest asure they'll be caught. We will never forget some faces that have terrorized us.

By the way, Carla's proposal is totally off the subject. What does Ratko Mladic have to do with Kosova. He is wanted for crimes in Bosnia. What if Ratko Mladic lives another 20 years in hiding? Does that mean that Albanians have to wait 20 years for a Bosnian war criminal to be caught. These are shameful days of Carla trying to get a headline with an absurd proposal.

It is just enough that some irresponsible lady (?) say something not positive about "independence" of Kosovo, to make her a hero and pro Serbian.

She isn't, she wasn't and she won't be. She is just a tool in hands of western imperialists and she is doing and saying whatever instruction she get.

When Mladic and Karadzic would be arrested then the way to independence of Kosovo will be open.

Perhaps Serbia should join Shanghai Cooperation Organization instead of European Union. China and Russia are very fast growing powers and Russia has enormous natural and human resources.

At the same time US and West economy is on the brink of collapse.

Dear Serbs! Do not believe to bright future with EU. My country was sold to Stalin in 1945 in Yalta and now returned to "Free world". In 1978 its debt to the West was $40 billions (milliards). Thanks God, IMF and World Bank its debt in 2005 was $102 billions (milliards).

I would love to know all the info Karla knows. Can you imagine? Like all the stuff on Ceku, and she cannot act on it, because she has been told to lay off by the Western Powers. But she still knows the charges. Her job was not easy.

She had to walk a tightrope between who she could, and who she could not prosecute. That is difficult. All nations played around with her, mostly the EU and West, because they didn't want their so called "Allies" prosecuted. How would that look? Having Washington backing a "War Criminal"? So obviously she was told to lay off..

All of this garbage is exactly that, garbage. If you cannot bring Ceku to the Hague, then you should not bring anyone, really. It's a circus act now.

Ms. Del Ponte,
I think that has expired the time, and the manners to seduce Serbia nowadays are spent. You should not realize your objectives by jumbling the other's one.

You and the institution you represent should know better that anyone else that Kosova has sacrificed more than enough. Please try to do your job by respecting the blood of anyone who sacrificed for a better future, and respecting also that which should be holy for every one, the JUSTICE.
The guilty always escape. 11 years has past, don’t allow please passing others without doing anything. You have to catch them by your own ways and for sure Kosova is not one of these ways. No more caresses for Serbia and its criminals.

Lady_B

LADY BCarla is being smart about it and so should you...
She realises there will be no independence and is trying to reason it for you. She is actually helping your cause. Read it carefully and then if you still dont get it READ it again. But what neither you nor her realise is that... THERE IS NO INDEPENDENCE and there never will be.