PM urges Serbs to stay in "their Kosovo"

So Kostunica can call the K-Albanian leadership terrorists but in the past when I have made the same reference, B92 have found it necessary to censor it. I don't know, double standards I say!

Come Sunday, it seems the Albanians will presumably be celebrating. The Americans can say "There, we delivered our promise" and the Albanians can say "Yay, we are independent!".

I suspect that's when the interesting part begins and everyone slowly reveals their hand. Albanians have "perceived" independence and stage two begins. I can't see much changing on the ground in terms of progress and stability for some time to come. I just wonder whether the Albanians will be patient enough.

One thing is certain though - and that being there is still a long way to go before this gets anywhere near resolution.

Enjoy your celebrations and see you on the other side. Hopefully you'll still have an internet connection to keep up the posting! ;)

To the albanian poster from the UK,

To clarify, on Sunday, albanians from Kosovo will declare their INTENT to announce independence at a later date determined by their western sponsors. So I guess that the albanian supporters of independence can announce their intent to celebrate on Sunday as well.

Let me ask again. . .is independence going to feed your kids, put gas in your car or get you a job?

In your rabid quest to sever land from us Serbs you overlook the obvious component that sustains state functions - economic viability!

Your 'kosova' is a cesspool of crime and corruption led by warlords and organized crime syndicates where 50% of the population is unemployed relying on handouts from the diaspora or western governments.

Wait. . .what? You're going to be admitted in the EU? Come on. . .stop lying to yourselves! Aside from the obvious "Christian countries only" prerequisite (look at Turkey), there are economic hurdles that will take decades to overcome. . .nevermind the social ones such as minority rights!

Well said Vojo. Kosovo is Serbia, and will legally remain so, no matter what.

Absolutely right Mr Kostunica, K-Serbs should stay in their homes and live their lives normally as they did so far. Actually nothing should change for the Serbs in Kosovo. They will be under Belgrade’s control and there is nothing to fear. Belgrade will take good care of them and there is no need to live and accept Thachi’s freaking state.

"Looks like Kosovo is destined to be partitioned. If not territorially, then most definitely politically and administratively. Given the circumstances on the ground and the unrelenting pressure from both sides, I'd say that would be the best possible outcome, given the options."

Mike, in other words nothing changes. After the UDI the K-Albanians will still take directions from NATO. The K-Serbs will take directions from Belgrade. Kosovo is already partitioned and the Albanians have always had a sense of "independence". Apart from a quick celebration, nothing really changes (on the ground) does it?

Of course the political mess and the consequences of a UDI will continue to unfold but in what direction? I think there is still a long way to go before some kind of breakthrough evolves.

Looks like Kosovo is destined to be partitioned. If not territorially, then most definitely politically and administratively. Given the circumstances on the ground and the unrelenting pressure from both sides, I'd say that would be the best possible outcome, given the options.

Kostunica is right. Kosovo is Serbia and Serbia is the land of the Serbs. (Cue the albanians here, but first you should read what i have to say below)

What I don't understand is how Albanians would put their signatures on 1244 which reaffirms Kosovo belonging to the Serbs and then spit on the agreement later. Quite frankly, it would have been much easier for the US to take Kosovo back then. The could've bombed Serbia until it gave up Kosovo totally. I honestly don't get it. They put a bunch of legal boundaries in their own path, and now they must live with it. Cry foul all you want, and say RS was built on genocide, but the Krajina Region of Croatia, the Federation and Kosovo are more ethnically cleansed than RS ever was. Despite this, all republic borders were said to be unchangeable back during the Bosnian and Croatian wars, and this still holds to this day. spare us the "we're the victim" talk as a way to bypass international law. Your leadership signed 1244.

Now, a question for the Albanians to respond to: Why did Rugova sign 1244? Why not push for total independence back then?(Please answer this for me)

To Kosovo!

Actions always speak louder than words. Prime Minister Kostunica, President Tadic, please compare the divergent leadership styles of the brave Serbian WWI King Peter who retreated WITH his troops through Albania and won the war, versus the foreign-influenced naive WWII King Peter II who fled Yugoslavia into exile in "friendly" England and lost his kingdom.

If Kostunica moves to Kosovo today, before any "KosovA" declaration, he can enter peacefully and inspire every Serb there to stay and others, including me, to come to Kosovo. This is precisely the way that Joan of Arc (Jovanka Orleanka) saved France, which was in a much worse predicament than Serbia today. But if Kostunica stays in Belgrade and tells the defenseless Serbs in Kosovo "you stay THERE, trust me, I am supporting you 100% from HERE" he has very little chance of succeeding.

I have proposed this idea before and hope it might finally reach the ears of those in power: Lead from the front, not the rear, and your nation will follow you proudly and without fear of betrayal.

The EU absolutely does not want to have to physically eject Kostunica by force and thereby explicitly violate Security Council Resolution 1244. Their only strategy is to pray for a repeat of the Serbian exodus from Krajina... once the Serbs are gone, they are certain that the "problem" will be gone forever. Any nation, Serbs included, will naturally run from perceived danger when deprived of inspiring leadership. On the contrary, one man at the right place at the right time can win any battle.

A continuing failure of the top Serb leaders to lead by example throws in doubt their commitment to the cause. Just as "possession is nine tenths of the law", physical presence in Kosovo is the key to winning this struggle for survival and it is the only effective, peaceful defense.

If this message can spread via e-mail across our nation, we can succeed... this call must come to our Serbian leaders not from any one individual, but simultaneously, from the entire nation, from every side, from the beating heart of every living Serb, reasserting our eternal rights established by the martyrs Lazar and all others who have given their lives for the Serbian heartland of Kosovo...

Against such a tide of justice, the illegal, immoral and ultimately doomed effort to steal Kosovo will collapse completely.

Spread the word: To Kosovo!

John Bosnitch

.... what if Belgrade moved the government to Kosovo?

It's a thought!

They will be under Belgrade’s control and there is nothing to fear. Belgrade will take good care of them and there is no need to live and accept Thachi’s freaking state.

(bmrusila, 13 February 2008 15:15)

Still a dreamer, aren’t we Bmrusila?

Wise words from a wise man. Go VOJO!!

NEW MILOSEVIC: ""at a time when Serbia is threatened by the province unilaterally declaring independence under the leadership of convicted terrorists and under the patronage of the U.S. and the EU..."

Oh! dose this mean that the SERBIAN PM considers EU and US as supporter of terrorists??? and who are terrorists? oh, ye the definition was already provided by Milosevic- all KOSOVARS ;)

no words for teh vocabulary of the Serbian PM- once again MILOSEVIC

"Our people in Kosovo should stay and live in their homes, in their province and in their Serbia".- everything fine except the last word- in their KOSOVA

WOW, this is what we call a true message.
"Our people in Kosovo should stay and live in their homes, in their province and in their Serbia. For the government of Serbia, each and every man in Kosovo is an equal citizen of Serbia enjoying full rights, and it is our obligation to do absolutely everything to provide normal living conditions for our people in the province," he affirmed.
Are K-Serbs supposed to believe this or what? They believed for 8 years that Kosova will never become Independent but now it is becoming Independent. Who are they supposed to believe now. Don’t confuse people.

Bmrusila

I thought that they were living behind barbed wires as you claimed few days ago. Is that how Serbia was looking after K-Serb or maybe they were taught to play the role of victim. Bmrusila, message from an K-Serb, come down to Mitrovica and live like you are in Serbia. After some time you will find a small difference from Serbia you know.
Guys, Ahtisaari package offers K-Serbs right that no minority has in the world. It offers so much that you can easily say that theya re in Serbia not in Kosova. Guys dont ruin their chance for prosperious life in Kosova.

ZK UK, Chances for Serbia to jam frequencies of VALA 900 are ZERO to none. Beleive me I will have internet at home since I have a satelite and you curtting some wires will have nothing to do with my internet.

.... what if Belgrade moved the government to Kosovo?

It's a thought!
(Bob, 13 February 2008 21:16)

Serbian officials have come out and said that they only want Kosova in their map..they don't care for the Kosovars, or the mosques, or the churches.

"Mike, in other words nothing changes."

Basically that's how I see it ZK UK. Looking at all the pieces on the board, the strengths and limits of each player, and the motives of each side, I pretty much think that whatever is on the ground now will become formally represented in official institutions: Albanians will declare self rule in their sectors, and Serbs will make a similar declaration in theirs.

The AP does provide a number of provisions for K-Serbs in the form of self rule, parallel structures with Belgrade, and near complete control over their educational, cultural, and historical needs. Solidifying these provisions in solid political institutions is something I've always felt needed to take place in order to keep Pristina at bay. Seeing as how lots of laws are being loosely interpreted in Kosovo, I see no reason why the AP shouldn't form the basis for a separate Serb political entity.

Again, the big issue as far as the EU is concerned is what northern Kosovo will do. Simply saying this, after 8 years, implies that there is no ability to force the north to comply with the rest of the province, and further implies that Serbs there are a separate entity from Pristina. The main goal was/is to keep them from seceding back into Serbia. Ivanovic said they won't, and Kostunica now says for Serbs to remain on their land. To me, this clearly means that K-Serbs are intending to stay, and are going to form their own institutions which will be closely coordinated with Belgrade.

If the EU sees this as a concession towards keeping the greater peace, and if Thaci realizes he can't control Mitrovica any more than Kostunica can control Pristina, we've got a stalemate. Kosovo become one land with two governments. Albanians control what is theirs, and Serbs control what is theirs.

Regardless, Serbs and Albanians will almost invariably have to work together, but coming from respective institutional quarters, this at least ensures each has some solid foundation from which to work from.

Kostunica is dreaming with wide open eyes. Does here really think that the Kosovar Serbs will stay in Kosova because they will follow his advise? He lives in Belgrade and not Kosova. Kosova Serbs will stay in Kosova because there will be a better and secured future for them in Kosova. Can you imagine how life would be if they do not work together with the Kosovar Albanian towards their common future in Europe. Kostunica should stop meddling in the life of the Kosovar Serbs.

Kosova has been switched many times in its history under albanian and serbians legislative administration. Teh fact is that first was inhabitated from Albanians then Serbs. One party get control of political and administrative net abuse the other party. Kosova now is been populated from Albanians and Indipendence is caming. Can they live in one country ? I think i can but it will be hard. As far as someone here suggestion to be split, if kosova get split so does presevo valley, macedonia and republica sebska in bosnia. So is not that easy..

actually there will be THe official declaration of the independence of kosovo/a this sunday. it is wholly irrelevant what kostunica or any other ultra-nationalist thinks, here or in blgd. you have no power to stop it, and that is good!

of course it is true that the blgd politicians (unlike the rest of the media, i have quite a hard time differentiating between them)can cause problems, can stir up serbs in kosovo/a and will, esp. if the international forces allow it. but it doesn't affect the independence of kosovo/a. and now bully-meister moscow even admits that they will take no drastic steps against kosovo/a, despite their nasty rhetoric. also from serbia i can't believe there will be boycotts, embargos and the splicing of wires -- it would just be so tacky and provocative and make them look ever worse to the outside world, which is to say very bad indeed.

to the kosovar posters, congratulations and best wishes!! for sunday and yr future. it is an exciting and dynamic time. there is a strong article from roger cohen, a REAL expert on the balkans and a wonderful writer and analyst, in today's international tribunal. i don't believe you can find it on this b92 website... just do a yahoo news search for "kosovo".

best wishes from frisco

They will be under Belgrade’s control and there is nothing to fear. Belgrade will take good care of them and there is no need to live and accept Thachi’s freaking state.

(bmrusila, 13 February 2008 15:15)

Still a dreamer, aren’t we Bmrusila?

Kosova has been switched many times in its history under albanian and serbians legislative administration. Teh fact is that first was inhabitated from Albanians then Serbs. One party get control of political and administrative net abuse the other party. Kosova now is been populated from Albanians and Indipendence is caming. Can they live in one country ? I think i can but it will be hard. As far as someone here suggestion to be split, if kosova get split so does presevo valley, macedonia and republica sebska in bosnia. So is not that easy..

NEW MILOSEVIC: ""at a time when Serbia is threatened by the province unilaterally declaring independence under the leadership of convicted terrorists and under the patronage of the U.S. and the EU..."

Oh! dose this mean that the SERBIAN PM considers EU and US as supporter of terrorists??? and who are terrorists? oh, ye the definition was already provided by Milosevic- all KOSOVARS ;)

no words for teh vocabulary of the Serbian PM- once again MILOSEVIC

"Our people in Kosovo should stay and live in their homes, in their province and in their Serbia".- everything fine except the last word- in their KOSOVA

.... what if Belgrade moved the government to Kosovo?

It's a thought!
(Bob, 13 February 2008 21:16)

Serbian officials have come out and said that they only want Kosova in their map..they don't care for the Kosovars, or the mosques, or the churches.

actually there will be THe official declaration of the independence of kosovo/a this sunday. it is wholly irrelevant what kostunica or any other ultra-nationalist thinks, here or in blgd. you have no power to stop it, and that is good!

of course it is true that the blgd politicians (unlike the rest of the media, i have quite a hard time differentiating between them)can cause problems, can stir up serbs in kosovo/a and will, esp. if the international forces allow it. but it doesn't affect the independence of kosovo/a. and now bully-meister moscow even admits that they will take no drastic steps against kosovo/a, despite their nasty rhetoric. also from serbia i can't believe there will be boycotts, embargos and the splicing of wires -- it would just be so tacky and provocative and make them look ever worse to the outside world, which is to say very bad indeed.

to the kosovar posters, congratulations and best wishes!! for sunday and yr future. it is an exciting and dynamic time. there is a strong article from roger cohen, a REAL expert on the balkans and a wonderful writer and analyst, in today's international tribunal. i don't believe you can find it on this b92 website... just do a yahoo news search for "kosovo".

best wishes from frisco

WOW, this is what we call a true message.
"Our people in Kosovo should stay and live in their homes, in their province and in their Serbia. For the government of Serbia, each and every man in Kosovo is an equal citizen of Serbia enjoying full rights, and it is our obligation to do absolutely everything to provide normal living conditions for our people in the province," he affirmed.
Are K-Serbs supposed to believe this or what? They believed for 8 years that Kosova will never become Independent but now it is becoming Independent. Who are they supposed to believe now. Don’t confuse people.

Bmrusila

I thought that they were living behind barbed wires as you claimed few days ago. Is that how Serbia was looking after K-Serb or maybe they were taught to play the role of victim. Bmrusila, message from an K-Serb, come down to Mitrovica and live like you are in Serbia. After some time you will find a small difference from Serbia you know.
Guys, Ahtisaari package offers K-Serbs right that no minority has in the world. It offers so much that you can easily say that theya re in Serbia not in Kosova. Guys dont ruin their chance for prosperious life in Kosova.

Absolutely right Mr Kostunica, K-Serbs should stay in their homes and live their lives normally as they did so far. Actually nothing should change for the Serbs in Kosovo. They will be under Belgrade’s control and there is nothing to fear. Belgrade will take good care of them and there is no need to live and accept Thachi’s freaking state.

ZK UK, Chances for Serbia to jam frequencies of VALA 900 are ZERO to none. Beleive me I will have internet at home since I have a satelite and you curtting some wires will have nothing to do with my internet.

Kostunica is dreaming with wide open eyes. Does here really think that the Kosovar Serbs will stay in Kosova because they will follow his advise? He lives in Belgrade and not Kosova. Kosova Serbs will stay in Kosova because there will be a better and secured future for them in Kosova. Can you imagine how life would be if they do not work together with the Kosovar Albanian towards their common future in Europe. Kostunica should stop meddling in the life of the Kosovar Serbs.

Looks like Kosovo is destined to be partitioned. If not territorially, then most definitely politically and administratively. Given the circumstances on the ground and the unrelenting pressure from both sides, I'd say that would be the best possible outcome, given the options.

Well said Vojo. Kosovo is Serbia, and will legally remain so, no matter what.

So Kostunica can call the K-Albanian leadership terrorists but in the past when I have made the same reference, B92 have found it necessary to censor it. I don't know, double standards I say!

Come Sunday, it seems the Albanians will presumably be celebrating. The Americans can say "There, we delivered our promise" and the Albanians can say "Yay, we are independent!".

I suspect that's when the interesting part begins and everyone slowly reveals their hand. Albanians have "perceived" independence and stage two begins. I can't see much changing on the ground in terms of progress and stability for some time to come. I just wonder whether the Albanians will be patient enough.

One thing is certain though - and that being there is still a long way to go before this gets anywhere near resolution.

Enjoy your celebrations and see you on the other side. Hopefully you'll still have an internet connection to keep up the posting! ;)

Wise words from a wise man. Go VOJO!!

Kostunica is right. Kosovo is Serbia and Serbia is the land of the Serbs. (Cue the albanians here, but first you should read what i have to say below)

What I don't understand is how Albanians would put their signatures on 1244 which reaffirms Kosovo belonging to the Serbs and then spit on the agreement later. Quite frankly, it would have been much easier for the US to take Kosovo back then. The could've bombed Serbia until it gave up Kosovo totally. I honestly don't get it. They put a bunch of legal boundaries in their own path, and now they must live with it. Cry foul all you want, and say RS was built on genocide, but the Krajina Region of Croatia, the Federation and Kosovo are more ethnically cleansed than RS ever was. Despite this, all republic borders were said to be unchangeable back during the Bosnian and Croatian wars, and this still holds to this day. spare us the "we're the victim" talk as a way to bypass international law. Your leadership signed 1244.

Now, a question for the Albanians to respond to: Why did Rugova sign 1244? Why not push for total independence back then?(Please answer this for me)

"Looks like Kosovo is destined to be partitioned. If not territorially, then most definitely politically and administratively. Given the circumstances on the ground and the unrelenting pressure from both sides, I'd say that would be the best possible outcome, given the options."

Mike, in other words nothing changes. After the UDI the K-Albanians will still take directions from NATO. The K-Serbs will take directions from Belgrade. Kosovo is already partitioned and the Albanians have always had a sense of "independence". Apart from a quick celebration, nothing really changes (on the ground) does it?

Of course the political mess and the consequences of a UDI will continue to unfold but in what direction? I think there is still a long way to go before some kind of breakthrough evolves.

To the albanian poster from the UK,

To clarify, on Sunday, albanians from Kosovo will declare their INTENT to announce independence at a later date determined by their western sponsors. So I guess that the albanian supporters of independence can announce their intent to celebrate on Sunday as well.

Let me ask again. . .is independence going to feed your kids, put gas in your car or get you a job?

In your rabid quest to sever land from us Serbs you overlook the obvious component that sustains state functions - economic viability!

Your 'kosova' is a cesspool of crime and corruption led by warlords and organized crime syndicates where 50% of the population is unemployed relying on handouts from the diaspora or western governments.

Wait. . .what? You're going to be admitted in the EU? Come on. . .stop lying to yourselves! Aside from the obvious "Christian countries only" prerequisite (look at Turkey), there are economic hurdles that will take decades to overcome. . .nevermind the social ones such as minority rights!

"Mike, in other words nothing changes."

Basically that's how I see it ZK UK. Looking at all the pieces on the board, the strengths and limits of each player, and the motives of each side, I pretty much think that whatever is on the ground now will become formally represented in official institutions: Albanians will declare self rule in their sectors, and Serbs will make a similar declaration in theirs.

The AP does provide a number of provisions for K-Serbs in the form of self rule, parallel structures with Belgrade, and near complete control over their educational, cultural, and historical needs. Solidifying these provisions in solid political institutions is something I've always felt needed to take place in order to keep Pristina at bay. Seeing as how lots of laws are being loosely interpreted in Kosovo, I see no reason why the AP shouldn't form the basis for a separate Serb political entity.

Again, the big issue as far as the EU is concerned is what northern Kosovo will do. Simply saying this, after 8 years, implies that there is no ability to force the north to comply with the rest of the province, and further implies that Serbs there are a separate entity from Pristina. The main goal was/is to keep them from seceding back into Serbia. Ivanovic said they won't, and Kostunica now says for Serbs to remain on their land. To me, this clearly means that K-Serbs are intending to stay, and are going to form their own institutions which will be closely coordinated with Belgrade.

If the EU sees this as a concession towards keeping the greater peace, and if Thaci realizes he can't control Mitrovica any more than Kostunica can control Pristina, we've got a stalemate. Kosovo become one land with two governments. Albanians control what is theirs, and Serbs control what is theirs.

Regardless, Serbs and Albanians will almost invariably have to work together, but coming from respective institutional quarters, this at least ensures each has some solid foundation from which to work from.

.... what if Belgrade moved the government to Kosovo?

It's a thought!

To Kosovo!

Actions always speak louder than words. Prime Minister Kostunica, President Tadic, please compare the divergent leadership styles of the brave Serbian WWI King Peter who retreated WITH his troops through Albania and won the war, versus the foreign-influenced naive WWII King Peter II who fled Yugoslavia into exile in "friendly" England and lost his kingdom.

If Kostunica moves to Kosovo today, before any "KosovA" declaration, he can enter peacefully and inspire every Serb there to stay and others, including me, to come to Kosovo. This is precisely the way that Joan of Arc (Jovanka Orleanka) saved France, which was in a much worse predicament than Serbia today. But if Kostunica stays in Belgrade and tells the defenseless Serbs in Kosovo "you stay THERE, trust me, I am supporting you 100% from HERE" he has very little chance of succeeding.

I have proposed this idea before and hope it might finally reach the ears of those in power: Lead from the front, not the rear, and your nation will follow you proudly and without fear of betrayal.

The EU absolutely does not want to have to physically eject Kostunica by force and thereby explicitly violate Security Council Resolution 1244. Their only strategy is to pray for a repeat of the Serbian exodus from Krajina... once the Serbs are gone, they are certain that the "problem" will be gone forever. Any nation, Serbs included, will naturally run from perceived danger when deprived of inspiring leadership. On the contrary, one man at the right place at the right time can win any battle.

A continuing failure of the top Serb leaders to lead by example throws in doubt their commitment to the cause. Just as "possession is nine tenths of the law", physical presence in Kosovo is the key to winning this struggle for survival and it is the only effective, peaceful defense.

If this message can spread via e-mail across our nation, we can succeed... this call must come to our Serbian leaders not from any one individual, but simultaneously, from the entire nation, from every side, from the beating heart of every living Serb, reasserting our eternal rights established by the martyrs Lazar and all others who have given their lives for the Serbian heartland of Kosovo...

Against such a tide of justice, the illegal, immoral and ultimately doomed effort to steal Kosovo will collapse completely.

Spread the word: To Kosovo!

John Bosnitch