"Obama's VP candidate Kosovo's big friend"

Biden is a well known anti Serb hate monger, and a huge enemy to the Serbian nation. It doesn't matter who wins the elections in the US, Republicans or Democrats, their anti-Serb policies will remain unfortunately.

It looks like the military industrial complex in the US is still controlling everything and anything. Who really benefits from all this needless NATO expansion, pushing Russia into a new arms race, destabilizing the Balkans and the rest of the world with their illegal and immoral recognition of the fake state of Kosovo? People, ask yourself, who benefits from all this? Is it the US taxpayer? No. Is it the EU? No. Is it Poland? No. Is it the Czech Republic? No. Is it Georgia? No. Is it world peace? No.
The only beneficiaries are the US military industry, who will have more camp Bondsteels to service, more jets to sell to countries that don't need them, more missiles and tanks to sell, more war to around the world to keep them busy and profitable. The US will do anything to maintain their military advantage over the world, like getting poor eastern european countries to join NATO so they buy their expensive weapons to keep the fat cats happy - even forgetting about 'unimportant' things like universal health care for their citizens. What the US has become is quite scary, and lets hope that somehow, some way, they actually find a leader with morals who will not take orders from the US arms industry lobbyists. Otherwise, world peace is at stake.

McCain supported ground troops going in Kosova while Biden supported bombing Serbia.

Boy-O-boy will Serbia need all the luck soon.

Joe Baiden is a friend of Kosova like Obama and McCain however i think it doesnt depents anymore from individs, Kosova is state responsibility for US.
I know Baiden is a friend of albanian community for a long time so i hope he will help Kosova how he can and knows.

Dear serb camp, please check in youtube about VP.Joseph Biden and his Albanian connection.
This guy is gona tell obam: "you are wrong Mr.President, and Albanians are right every time"

Sadly for Albanians and their pseudo independence when they have to tremble when it comes to forthcoming elections in the USA and its future administration. I am very much convinced now that they are so insecure in its “independence” due to too much dependency on USA’s will when it comes to their cause.

They are well aware that everything in regard to Kosovo was forceful and blatant breach of the international law that one day will hit all of them as boomerang. Wonder what will be one day when some of the USA’s president does not have that much sympathy for K-Albanians? Perhaps bribing with huge amounts of omey will help as always did.

Serbs were so happy that Hillary Clinton lost to Obama for the Democratic candidate for President of UUSA but now the nice dream turned into a nightmare for serbs because Joseph Biden is a TRUE NIGHTMARE for serbs.

Stop being naive. $$$$ are Biden's best friend.

There is no nightmare here for the Serbs. The bottom line is that Serbs control their own destiny, and do not have to depend on others for protection and handouts.

I continua to read a naïve comments from my fellow compatriots in Kosova!

The right of the independence of Kosova is coming form the right of self determination of the nations.

The same identical right that Americans used for themselves and all other nations in the history- that’s why we have the progressive creation of new states about 50 before WW2 and today almost 200.

The fact that Kosova was systematically oppressed makes no possible other solution that separation of Kosova from Serbia.

The main issue here is that the western democracies are not run exclusively by cynical politicians of the IX and beginning of the XX century, but are run by generation that has a great respect of the human right and respect the different cultures.

Generation of politicians that were not scared to denounce the wrong actions of their own governments (McCain, or Clintons or Biden or Obama) in international policy the war in Vietnam etc, racial issues in US etc.

In other words US and the western democracies political elite is run by people that have strong regard on human rights. This is where the K-Albanians interest and the political establishment in US and EU match. It is not about the “nightmare” that the US wants to make to Serbia because is ‘blindly in love with Kosova’. Far from that! US and EU have great regard towards the Serbian nation at least as much as for Kosovars. No illusions on this.

It is the myopia of the Serbian political establishment that do not understand that the times have changed and that the human rights matter very much perhaps much more than any cynical-pragmatically political argument i.e. the precedent issue.

Basically Serbs ask form the US political elite to close an eye on the systemic abuses that Serbia did in Kosova for decades and till the end of 90s and back Serbia’s territorial integrity under the excuse of a dry and cynical sovereignty and territorial integrity principle. They didn’t do that for their own country- how could they do that for Serbia???

It is this point where Serbian politicians fail.

Milosevic won several free elections with a huge margins and the opposition had no different stance on the abuses committed systematically in Kosova- simply no one in Serbia ever denounced this racist policy- it wasn’t a political issue, neither today no one speaks about it. The most worrying thing is that still today the voice of denunciation is not laud and clear- very often it hides beyond an opportunistic claims as “Europe has no alternative”, while you now very well the position of EU in Kosova case.

In my opinion these are the points where K-Albanians meet with the western political elite and values and where the Serbs fail. No hate, no prejudices as my fellow compatriots want to believe.

Simply principles and common values is what integrate western societies and divide from others.

BGANON,
if you think that the Secretary of State will be the one who will push with policy in Balkans then I have even a worse news for Serbia.
RICHARD HOLBROOKE is the answer.
I wont say anything in regards to Richard Holbrooke, you all know him very well.

the mere fact that you are so happy and almost crying tears of happiness shows me that you are desperately realizing that your puppy-"state" is no state at all.

and although you cannot admit it publicly here, I know that you know that your happiness is a faked one.

even Mr.Biden himself knows that if the US want to preserve influence in international matters in the future ( while China, India, Russia, Brasil and others are gaining importance each and every passing day... ) they will have to comply to international law, sooner or later.

you will witness it, I am quite sure.

Biden may be a 'friend of Kosovo' but the real sign to US policy in the region will be the State Secretary.

There have been a lot of lame duck Vice Presidents and in a way it doesnt surprise me that Obama has picked a guy who is no threat to him in the future etc...

Biden was brought to fill in Obama's international policy expert gap. I'm very sure Biden will have a lot of influence on Obama's foreign policy decisions.

Nonetheless, whoever wins, USA's policy towards Kosova will not change in the decades to come.

It's always funny to see how Albanians, either in newspapers or here, can take an assumption and giddily spin it into a reality - anything to grasp at good news and such. With such a short article in B92, we've got a plethora of comments from the usual suspects.

Fact: Joe Biden did support US action against Serbia.

Fact: Joe Biden was in favor of Kosovo's independence

Neither of these can be denied. However, to imply that he's some sort of "great friend" because he supported a US policy that was somehow in sync with Albanian interests is a stretch. Biden's VP office (if he gets it), will be heavily scrutinized after 8 years of Darth Cheney's rule from the shadows. So he may give recommendations to Obama, but he's not going to dictate policy. Also, I don't recall any outward sympathy Biden showed for the Albanians, or their subtle strategies of expansion. Lots of people are pulling ideas out of the air here.

So while any administration in Washington is going to own Kosovo (and if Holbrooke is made Secretary of State - God help us all - I have no doubt Pristina will we giddy again), any indication of actually defending them against perceived Serbian aggression, short of the VS moving beyond the Ibar, will be superficial. Washington has aleady passed this buck over to the EU, and we're going to have bigger issues to deal with: Iran, Russia, and that brushfire in the Middle East we love to stoke and then try to put out.

Kosovo's a footnote to the US now. And I find it hard to believe, as some Albanians are wont to think, that there's still going to be this hardline policy towards Serbia Proper.

Yes both Biden and McCain supported the NATO war in 1999 ,but they also supported the integration by force of the Presevo valley in 2001 when Albanian terrorists were operating there,and they are very outspoken for a fast EU entry of Serbia.
So if you Albanians really think that they will support the Greater Albania project you are soon in for a very rude awakening.

Amuses me to see the jubilation among K-albanians with the choice of Obama's running mate:

> Boy-O-boy will Serbia need all the luck soon.
> (Pejoni, 24 August 2008 12:25)

Most are probably too young to remember past US administrations. Fact is, most VP's are nothing more than figure-heads.

Bush jnr's administration is nothing more than an aberration in that respect - as indeed it is in many others.

For instance, recall that Clinton's VP was Al Gore & look how much influence Gore had with Clinton when it came to US policy on Global Warming - ie: next to none. And that was Gore's favourite 'hobby horse'.

As 'bganon' has stated above, the position to watch is that of 'Secretary of State'.

Bmrusila, very humorous, bganon, the Secretary of State, does not dictate policy they implement it, their position is completely at the whim of the president. Here today gone tomorrow no questions asked.

Joe Biden is a good friend of Bosnia too. So if he is elected Bosnia will sail peacefully and undivided into NATO and EU.

Peter, Sydney:

one word: CHENEY.

It may very well be that if Obama is elected (which I doubt), Biden will have significant pull in forieng policy decision-making. After all, he is an expert.

I get the sense that a lot of US Serbs as well Serbian Government and the Serbian lobby in US think that Obama will be on their side on Kosovo issue, since him, coming from Chicago and having a good relationship with Illinois Governor of Serbian descent, Rod Blagoievich and the Chicago Serbian community is wrong. Obama has a good relationship with the Chicago mob (Tony Rezko), Minister Farakhan (Muslim), and William Ayers (domestic terrorist). Picking Biden for the VP job is a capitulation of Obama for the lack of knowledge of foreign policy. With all the talk of raising taxes and wealth distribution, c'mon America will not go for that.
That leaves Sen. McCain as a very formidable candidate to become the next President of USA.
Cheers

(peter, sydney, 25 August 2008 07:23) wrote:

"Only in the minds of K-albanians oh 'Cheney'. Reality is that as soon as AMBO loses it's relevance, so too will the US lose interest in the welfare of it's vassals in Kosovo. And all the more so when the neo-con influence dissappears from the white house.

Not that it surprises me that you spout such nonsense. Anybody who chooses to write under the pseudonym of 'Cheney' loses whatever credibility he/she had to begin with."

Peter, what credibility do you have that renders your writings more superior than mine? So what if I use the username Cheney?

You make an empirical assertion about Obama's character, did you study his character? If so, how did you conceptualized it and operationalized it? I would be interested to know.

Character has nothing to do with competence. Obama may very well be an intelligent individual, but the fact of the matter is that he lacks foreign policy experience/training. That is why he chose Biden in the first place, and that's why he may choose Holbrooke, too (if elected).

Now, you make another 'expert' opinion about the upcoming U.S presidential elections, too. Are you an Electoral Behaviroalist? What makes you think that Obama will be elected on a backlash?
I guess you have never heard of the Republican Electoral Machine. Mccain has been gaining on Obama in the past month and as of right now, they are tide on "valid" polls.

You are way over your head.

As far as the U.S foreign policy is concerned, Kosovo is not a U.S vassal state. Kosovo is on its path to democracy. USA's (EU's, too) goal is to spread democracy ( and capitalism) in the region (why do you think Russia opposses this influence in her region).

And how come you are so in tune with reality when it comes to U.S foreing policy? Are you a Washington insider? Are you a CIA case worker? You speak with such condescension.
Balkan has been part of the U.S strategic foreing policy since Truman. Yugoslavia was relevant, and became an integral part of the U.S foreign policy with Reagan in 1981. ( i guess since you know so much about U,S foreign policy, you can name the resolution, too).

Also, since you claim to be an expert on Foreign Policy Decision-Making and the U.S, tell me, what would happen once USA and EU stop caring about Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina? ( I bet that your answer on this matter would answer your own question that U.S/NATO,/EU will remain interested in the region).

Cheers

I am a friend of Serbia and a former US KFOR Soldier who saw the reality on the ground, not the western media talking points about "baby eating serbs", and yet I am a McCain support. I am a conservative republic and sadly can say that there is NO candidate on either side who will change the "status quo" of US policy towards Serbia and its province Kosovo i Metohija.

(Mike, 24 August 2008 18:49) wrote:

"So while any administration in Washington is going to own Kosovo (and if Holbrooke is made Secretary of State - God help us all - I have no doubt Pristina will we giddy again), any indication of actually defending them against perceived Serbian aggression, short of the VS moving beyond the Ibar, will be superficial. Washington has aleady passed this buck over to the EU, and we're going to have bigger issues to deal with: Iran, Russia, and that brushfire in the Middle East we love to stoke and then try to put out"

What are you talking about? Balkans is an integral part of the U.S strategic foreign policy. As far as I am informed, U.S has a camp Bondsteel, NATO troops are present, EULEX, and UNMIK, too.
As far as Biden is concerned, the influence of VP in foreing policy matters depends on the President's ability to handle such issues. Obama is no Richard Nixon. It would be right to assume that Biden will have a significant influence on foreign policy matters.

Why do you speak of such technical matters--such as the structure of governance and political dynamics in the U.S Congress--with so much conviction? Based on what you wrote, you don't look to be an expert in government relations and policy matters.
Albanians are giddy and should be giddy. Biden was a great supporter of their cause. in fact, he proposed military action against YU back in 1992 (look at the transcripts of the committee of foreign relations--LOC).
Albanians do ont want to go back to Serbian rule. Why would they? Tell me, why did the American revolt against the King?

@afrim hoxha

So what,Holbrooke is the guy that brokered Dayton(he was the driving force in recognizing Republika Srpska).
I think,given the circumstances he could be the instigator for a Dayton 2 for Kosovo.

well, as i've said, i am most pleased and confident about this choice. i think that biden is a person of intelligence and integrity, and will support the cause of human rights in the balkans and around the world.

now, as for this "it will/it won't hurt serbia" dichotomy: these americans (and i include myself in this group) are not
anti-serb or anti-serbian, but they (we) are most certainly against the militant nationalist and anti-democratic serb nationalism that still characterizes the belgrade govt and so much of the diaspora. most of the posters here just conflate the 2 things, but i do not and resent it, since i have a number of serb frnds and acquaintances who are highly principled individuals and very much opposed to this noxious nationalist demagoguery. sadly, their voices are generally missing from these pages...

so viva the obama/biden ticket, and i can't wait till november, so we can party like it's... well, like it's 2008!

roberto-frisco

afrim as a self avowed supporter of George Bush and the I love guns right wing Republicans you have not a shred of credibility in my book. Call me petty but I hope that all warmongering Republicans are hurt by the election of Obama and you should spend a little more time dwelling on that - in your own adopted country.

sp I never said that Secretary of State dictates policy. What I said was that we shall see what kind of foreign policy the US will have with the appointment of the State Secretary. If he is weak then Biden might have more influence. If he is an expert then Biden will have less influence. We shall see. But as you state it will be Obama that has the final say.

Even if the God tomorrow turned out to be elected president of Americaa, Serbia will never recognize Kosovo. I hope this is clear to all fans of Kosovo.

When will I stop reading incoherent comments on this site? You have my compatriots talking about freedom of people which doesn't even exist in Kosova's case. You have Serbs talking about immoral/illegal declaration of independance which is absolutely wrong too.

I mean, stop going that wrong way. If such a forum exists and if we can freely express our views, it doesn't mean that we absolutely show one's wrong or right.

In the present case, we cannot be fooled in Kosova/Dardania about International Politics. Besa is an alien concept to International Relations. There's not such a thing as loyalty in inter-State relations. We really have to stop thinking that our big brother or big friend will come and save us from any stupid thing that we cannot even manage to get sorted together. They're only waiting for us to have dissensions to propose their good offices or their mediation through different and various ways. And this my dear friends is something that makes their day.

Kosova/Dardania declaration of independance was done on the sole purpose of Human Rights and Nato intervention was done on a large consenssus, even though not perfect one but still, about Human Rights rise and importance. States' soverignity tends to step back and to go behing individual rights when we're talking about small powers. These Human Rights were definitively not respected in Kosova's/Dardania's case hence a massive retailiation against Milosevic's regime and the lost sovreignity over this territory. There is such a thing as continuity of the State in the present case. Present government isn't less responsible than Slobo.'

afrim hoxha:
You have an answer do you?

Might be an idea to share it with Barack Obama them as he still hasn't made a choice, although I believe he has expressed a preference for Colin Powell should the latter throw his hat into the ring.

My personal opinion is that Powell would make a decent secretary of state were he to receive the backing he so sadly lacked under Bush.

Would go a long way to repatriating the current odious state of US foreign policy.


Cheney:
> one word: CHENEY

Bush was a weak leader who was lead by the nose by cheney & co.

Obama on the other hand has a fundamental strength of character that Bush lacks. And it is that same strength of character that will marginalise any 'influence' that his choice of VP will have on him.

> It may very well be that if Obama is elected (which I doubt), Biden will have significant pull in forieng policy decision-making.

Shortly, cheney & the rest of his neo-con side-kicks will be nothing but a distasteful footnote in history, & Obama will probably be propelled into the white house on the backlash.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

> Balkans is an integral part of the U.S strategic foreign policy.

Only in the minds of K-albanians oh 'Cheney'. Reality is that as soon as AMBO loses it's relevance, so too will the US lose interest in the welfare of it's vassals in Kosovo. And all the more so when the neo-con influence dissappears from the white house.

Not that it surprises me that you spout such nonsense. Anybody who chooses to write under the pseudonym of 'Cheney' loses whatever credibility he/she had to begin with.

Dear Serbian Fellows! Do you think the recognition of South Osetia and Abkazia by Russian parliament will change something in their attitude towards the new state of Kosova? Do you think they still will be so tough against Kosova's independence? Why there is no news in this site about this last move of the parliament of Russia the biggest ally of Serbian people?

@Enea Dardani

Abkhazia and Ossetia are unique cases.They have the right to be independent,Kosovo does not because the UNRSC 1244 explicitly says Kosovo is part of Serbia until this resolution is in force.
It is still in force because the veto powers Russia,China and India are against changing it and recognizing this occupied part of Southern Serbia.To my knowledge there is not such a resolution cementing the status of these two independent states.

@ massimo

Don`t fool yourself,Russia will continue to stand firmly on our side.
I don`t that this recognition of independence is illegal because there is no UN Resolution explicitly mentioning the territorial integrity of Georgia like 1244 in Serbia`s case.

Peter, Sydney,
Need I remind you that Dick Chaney runs the US? Not sure if Chaney is deserving of that position, (giving the fact that he has become the symbol of what is wrong with the current administration) but he has taken the VP authority to the next level. No more does the VP stand aside watching the world go by. U.S. is a very complicated nation for only one leader, and Joe Biden will be perfect for the job. His knowledge for foreign affairs (Obama and Biden are both members of the Foreign Relations Committee) will restore the bad image Dick Chaney and his administration have created.
Quite frankly, no mater who wins the election, they will all support Kosovo as an independent country.

Dear CG, you say that S. Ossetia and Abkhazia are unique cases. By chance the Kosovo/a independence has been called a "unique case" by many governments (in EU and USA Kosovo is considered a unique case). Now we see that we have at least three unique cases. Actually the #1244 UN resolution has not prevented many countries from recognizing Kosovo's independence.
In my opinion, if we try to make the issue clearer, the only difference between Kosovo and S. Ossetia/Abkhazia is that, for the former, a war has already been fought, for the latter a war is already in place. What is sure is that the S. Ossetia/Abkhazia case will prevent Russia from pretending to be the Serbia's advocate in relation to Kosovo's independence.

Just in case: the Security Council of the United Nations passed 32 resolutions where it recognizes Abkhazia as an integral part of Georgia and supports its territorial integrity according to the principles of the international law. That is why Russia cannot help Serbia for Kosovo invoking the 1244 UN resolution.

PARTy time,

you make no sense. maybe you should do less party time and more study time. talk about incoherent.

CG,

In your post #20 you made some rather wild assumptions. There will be no need for a Dayton2.
All the boundaries in the Western Balkans have been finalized with the Indep. of Kosova. The Republic of Srbska will be absorbed into Bosnia and not allowed to be independent or join Serbia. As you've seen already, aggressive States such as Serbia, loser of four recent wars, are not rewarded, but punished for their evil deeds. Therefore, any wishful thinking on your part, for an indep. Rep. of Srbska, is just that!

Anthony Pellicio: "there is NO candidate on either side who will change the "status quo" of US policy towards Serbia and its province Kosovo i Metohija."

But it may be Serbia that coul;d change its course towards the US. As soom as the Serbs realize that Kosovo is lost for good, but Srpska could be salvaged only thet if Uncle Sam nods,
everything on the Balkans may come into palace.

Unfortunately for Serbia nationalists even their "great" ally (Russia) is in the mood for recognizing the independence of new born states (South Ossetia and Abkhazia).
Maybe Serbia nationalists could look for starting some new war to obtain Srpska's secession from Bosna i Herzegovina. But, in order to follow that worrying (above all for Serbia) path, they sould change government in Belgrade.

All albanians must realize tha America doesn't really care about albanians. All they care about is that the largest military base in Europe is being built in Kosovo. If americans don't care about their own people why would they care about you? Twentyfive percent of children in the US live in poverty. You actually believe that America would rather help you then their own people? What do you Kosovo albanians have to offer the US? Absolutely nothing. If they wouldn't be able to have their military present in Kosovo they wouldn't care about you at all. Let's see how much time you neeed before you realize that not even the mighty US really likes you...

McCain supported ground troops going in Kosova while Biden supported bombing Serbia.

Boy-O-boy will Serbia need all the luck soon.

Joe Baiden is a friend of Kosova like Obama and McCain however i think it doesnt depents anymore from individs, Kosova is state responsibility for US.
I know Baiden is a friend of albanian community for a long time so i hope he will help Kosova how he can and knows.

Serbs were so happy that Hillary Clinton lost to Obama for the Democratic candidate for President of UUSA but now the nice dream turned into a nightmare for serbs because Joseph Biden is a TRUE NIGHTMARE for serbs.

Dear serb camp, please check in youtube about VP.Joseph Biden and his Albanian connection.
This guy is gona tell obam: "you are wrong Mr.President, and Albanians are right every time"

Sadly for Albanians and their pseudo independence when they have to tremble when it comes to forthcoming elections in the USA and its future administration. I am very much convinced now that they are so insecure in its “independence” due to too much dependency on USA’s will when it comes to their cause.

They are well aware that everything in regard to Kosovo was forceful and blatant breach of the international law that one day will hit all of them as boomerang. Wonder what will be one day when some of the USA’s president does not have that much sympathy for K-Albanians? Perhaps bribing with huge amounts of omey will help as always did.

Yes both Biden and McCain supported the NATO war in 1999 ,but they also supported the integration by force of the Presevo valley in 2001 when Albanian terrorists were operating there,and they are very outspoken for a fast EU entry of Serbia.
So if you Albanians really think that they will support the Greater Albania project you are soon in for a very rude awakening.

I continua to read a naïve comments from my fellow compatriots in Kosova!

The right of the independence of Kosova is coming form the right of self determination of the nations.

The same identical right that Americans used for themselves and all other nations in the history- that’s why we have the progressive creation of new states about 50 before WW2 and today almost 200.

The fact that Kosova was systematically oppressed makes no possible other solution that separation of Kosova from Serbia.

The main issue here is that the western democracies are not run exclusively by cynical politicians of the IX and beginning of the XX century, but are run by generation that has a great respect of the human right and respect the different cultures.

Generation of politicians that were not scared to denounce the wrong actions of their own governments (McCain, or Clintons or Biden or Obama) in international policy the war in Vietnam etc, racial issues in US etc.

In other words US and the western democracies political elite is run by people that have strong regard on human rights. This is where the K-Albanians interest and the political establishment in US and EU match. It is not about the “nightmare” that the US wants to make to Serbia because is ‘blindly in love with Kosova’. Far from that! US and EU have great regard towards the Serbian nation at least as much as for Kosovars. No illusions on this.

It is the myopia of the Serbian political establishment that do not understand that the times have changed and that the human rights matter very much perhaps much more than any cynical-pragmatically political argument i.e. the precedent issue.

Basically Serbs ask form the US political elite to close an eye on the systemic abuses that Serbia did in Kosova for decades and till the end of 90s and back Serbia’s territorial integrity under the excuse of a dry and cynical sovereignty and territorial integrity principle. They didn’t do that for their own country- how could they do that for Serbia???

It is this point where Serbian politicians fail.

Milosevic won several free elections with a huge margins and the opposition had no different stance on the abuses committed systematically in Kosova- simply no one in Serbia ever denounced this racist policy- it wasn’t a political issue, neither today no one speaks about it. The most worrying thing is that still today the voice of denunciation is not laud and clear- very often it hides beyond an opportunistic claims as “Europe has no alternative”, while you now very well the position of EU in Kosova case.

In my opinion these are the points where K-Albanians meet with the western political elite and values and where the Serbs fail. No hate, no prejudices as my fellow compatriots want to believe.

Simply principles and common values is what integrate western societies and divide from others.

Biden may be a 'friend of Kosovo' but the real sign to US policy in the region will be the State Secretary.

There have been a lot of lame duck Vice Presidents and in a way it doesnt surprise me that Obama has picked a guy who is no threat to him in the future etc...

BGANON,
if you think that the Secretary of State will be the one who will push with policy in Balkans then I have even a worse news for Serbia.
RICHARD HOLBROOKE is the answer.
I wont say anything in regards to Richard Holbrooke, you all know him very well.

CG,

In your post #20 you made some rather wild assumptions. There will be no need for a Dayton2.
All the boundaries in the Western Balkans have been finalized with the Indep. of Kosova. The Republic of Srbska will be absorbed into Bosnia and not allowed to be independent or join Serbia. As you've seen already, aggressive States such as Serbia, loser of four recent wars, are not rewarded, but punished for their evil deeds. Therefore, any wishful thinking on your part, for an indep. Rep. of Srbska, is just that!

Even if the God tomorrow turned out to be elected president of Americaa, Serbia will never recognize Kosovo. I hope this is clear to all fans of Kosovo.

Stop being naive. $$$$ are Biden's best friend.

There is no nightmare here for the Serbs. The bottom line is that Serbs control their own destiny, and do not have to depend on others for protection and handouts.

Biden is a well known anti Serb hate monger, and a huge enemy to the Serbian nation. It doesn't matter who wins the elections in the US, Republicans or Democrats, their anti-Serb policies will remain unfortunately.

It looks like the military industrial complex in the US is still controlling everything and anything. Who really benefits from all this needless NATO expansion, pushing Russia into a new arms race, destabilizing the Balkans and the rest of the world with their illegal and immoral recognition of the fake state of Kosovo? People, ask yourself, who benefits from all this? Is it the US taxpayer? No. Is it the EU? No. Is it Poland? No. Is it the Czech Republic? No. Is it Georgia? No. Is it world peace? No.
The only beneficiaries are the US military industry, who will have more camp Bondsteels to service, more jets to sell to countries that don't need them, more missiles and tanks to sell, more war to around the world to keep them busy and profitable. The US will do anything to maintain their military advantage over the world, like getting poor eastern european countries to join NATO so they buy their expensive weapons to keep the fat cats happy - even forgetting about 'unimportant' things like universal health care for their citizens. What the US has become is quite scary, and lets hope that somehow, some way, they actually find a leader with morals who will not take orders from the US arms industry lobbyists. Otherwise, world peace is at stake.

Bmrusila, very humorous, bganon, the Secretary of State, does not dictate policy they implement it, their position is completely at the whim of the president. Here today gone tomorrow no questions asked.

Joe Biden is a good friend of Bosnia too. So if he is elected Bosnia will sail peacefully and undivided into NATO and EU.

It's always funny to see how Albanians, either in newspapers or here, can take an assumption and giddily spin it into a reality - anything to grasp at good news and such. With such a short article in B92, we've got a plethora of comments from the usual suspects.

Fact: Joe Biden did support US action against Serbia.

Fact: Joe Biden was in favor of Kosovo's independence

Neither of these can be denied. However, to imply that he's some sort of "great friend" because he supported a US policy that was somehow in sync with Albanian interests is a stretch. Biden's VP office (if he gets it), will be heavily scrutinized after 8 years of Darth Cheney's rule from the shadows. So he may give recommendations to Obama, but he's not going to dictate policy. Also, I don't recall any outward sympathy Biden showed for the Albanians, or their subtle strategies of expansion. Lots of people are pulling ideas out of the air here.

So while any administration in Washington is going to own Kosovo (and if Holbrooke is made Secretary of State - God help us all - I have no doubt Pristina will we giddy again), any indication of actually defending them against perceived Serbian aggression, short of the VS moving beyond the Ibar, will be superficial. Washington has aleady passed this buck over to the EU, and we're going to have bigger issues to deal with: Iran, Russia, and that brushfire in the Middle East we love to stoke and then try to put out.

Kosovo's a footnote to the US now. And I find it hard to believe, as some Albanians are wont to think, that there's still going to be this hardline policy towards Serbia Proper.

PARTy time,

you make no sense. maybe you should do less party time and more study time. talk about incoherent.

I am a friend of Serbia and a former US KFOR Soldier who saw the reality on the ground, not the western media talking points about "baby eating serbs", and yet I am a McCain support. I am a conservative republic and sadly can say that there is NO candidate on either side who will change the "status quo" of US policy towards Serbia and its province Kosovo i Metohija.

well, as i've said, i am most pleased and confident about this choice. i think that biden is a person of intelligence and integrity, and will support the cause of human rights in the balkans and around the world.

now, as for this "it will/it won't hurt serbia" dichotomy: these americans (and i include myself in this group) are not
anti-serb or anti-serbian, but they (we) are most certainly against the militant nationalist and anti-democratic serb nationalism that still characterizes the belgrade govt and so much of the diaspora. most of the posters here just conflate the 2 things, but i do not and resent it, since i have a number of serb frnds and acquaintances who are highly principled individuals and very much opposed to this noxious nationalist demagoguery. sadly, their voices are generally missing from these pages...

so viva the obama/biden ticket, and i can't wait till november, so we can party like it's... well, like it's 2008!

roberto-frisco

afrim as a self avowed supporter of George Bush and the I love guns right wing Republicans you have not a shred of credibility in my book. Call me petty but I hope that all warmongering Republicans are hurt by the election of Obama and you should spend a little more time dwelling on that - in your own adopted country.

sp I never said that Secretary of State dictates policy. What I said was that we shall see what kind of foreign policy the US will have with the appointment of the State Secretary. If he is weak then Biden might have more influence. If he is an expert then Biden will have less influence. We shall see. But as you state it will be Obama that has the final say.

Unfortunately for Serbia nationalists even their "great" ally (Russia) is in the mood for recognizing the independence of new born states (South Ossetia and Abkhazia).
Maybe Serbia nationalists could look for starting some new war to obtain Srpska's secession from Bosna i Herzegovina. But, in order to follow that worrying (above all for Serbia) path, they sould change government in Belgrade.

Dear Serbian Fellows! Do you think the recognition of South Osetia and Abkazia by Russian parliament will change something in their attitude towards the new state of Kosova? Do you think they still will be so tough against Kosova's independence? Why there is no news in this site about this last move of the parliament of Russia the biggest ally of Serbian people?

Just in case: the Security Council of the United Nations passed 32 resolutions where it recognizes Abkhazia as an integral part of Georgia and supports its territorial integrity according to the principles of the international law. That is why Russia cannot help Serbia for Kosovo invoking the 1244 UN resolution.

@ massimo

Don`t fool yourself,Russia will continue to stand firmly on our side.
I don`t that this recognition of independence is illegal because there is no UN Resolution explicitly mentioning the territorial integrity of Georgia like 1244 in Serbia`s case.

Amuses me to see the jubilation among K-albanians with the choice of Obama's running mate:

> Boy-O-boy will Serbia need all the luck soon.
> (Pejoni, 24 August 2008 12:25)

Most are probably too young to remember past US administrations. Fact is, most VP's are nothing more than figure-heads.

Bush jnr's administration is nothing more than an aberration in that respect - as indeed it is in many others.

For instance, recall that Clinton's VP was Al Gore & look how much influence Gore had with Clinton when it came to US policy on Global Warming - ie: next to none. And that was Gore's favourite 'hobby horse'.

As 'bganon' has stated above, the position to watch is that of 'Secretary of State'.

the mere fact that you are so happy and almost crying tears of happiness shows me that you are desperately realizing that your puppy-"state" is no state at all.

and although you cannot admit it publicly here, I know that you know that your happiness is a faked one.

even Mr.Biden himself knows that if the US want to preserve influence in international matters in the future ( while China, India, Russia, Brasil and others are gaining importance each and every passing day... ) they will have to comply to international law, sooner or later.

you will witness it, I am quite sure.

I get the sense that a lot of US Serbs as well Serbian Government and the Serbian lobby in US think that Obama will be on their side on Kosovo issue, since him, coming from Chicago and having a good relationship with Illinois Governor of Serbian descent, Rod Blagoievich and the Chicago Serbian community is wrong. Obama has a good relationship with the Chicago mob (Tony Rezko), Minister Farakhan (Muslim), and William Ayers (domestic terrorist). Picking Biden for the VP job is a capitulation of Obama for the lack of knowledge of foreign policy. With all the talk of raising taxes and wealth distribution, c'mon America will not go for that.
That leaves Sen. McCain as a very formidable candidate to become the next President of USA.
Cheers

Peter, Sydney:

one word: CHENEY.

It may very well be that if Obama is elected (which I doubt), Biden will have significant pull in forieng policy decision-making. After all, he is an expert.

Biden was brought to fill in Obama's international policy expert gap. I'm very sure Biden will have a lot of influence on Obama's foreign policy decisions.

Nonetheless, whoever wins, USA's policy towards Kosova will not change in the decades to come.

@afrim hoxha

So what,Holbrooke is the guy that brokered Dayton(he was the driving force in recognizing Republika Srpska).
I think,given the circumstances he could be the instigator for a Dayton 2 for Kosovo.

When will I stop reading incoherent comments on this site? You have my compatriots talking about freedom of people which doesn't even exist in Kosova's case. You have Serbs talking about immoral/illegal declaration of independance which is absolutely wrong too.

I mean, stop going that wrong way. If such a forum exists and if we can freely express our views, it doesn't mean that we absolutely show one's wrong or right.

In the present case, we cannot be fooled in Kosova/Dardania about International Politics. Besa is an alien concept to International Relations. There's not such a thing as loyalty in inter-State relations. We really have to stop thinking that our big brother or big friend will come and save us from any stupid thing that we cannot even manage to get sorted together. They're only waiting for us to have dissensions to propose their good offices or their mediation through different and various ways. And this my dear friends is something that makes their day.

Kosova/Dardania declaration of independance was done on the sole purpose of Human Rights and Nato intervention was done on a large consenssus, even though not perfect one but still, about Human Rights rise and importance. States' soverignity tends to step back and to go behing individual rights when we're talking about small powers. These Human Rights were definitively not respected in Kosova's/Dardania's case hence a massive retailiation against Milosevic's regime and the lost sovreignity over this territory. There is such a thing as continuity of the State in the present case. Present government isn't less responsible than Slobo.'

(Mike, 24 August 2008 18:49) wrote:

"So while any administration in Washington is going to own Kosovo (and if Holbrooke is made Secretary of State - God help us all - I have no doubt Pristina will we giddy again), any indication of actually defending them against perceived Serbian aggression, short of the VS moving beyond the Ibar, will be superficial. Washington has aleady passed this buck over to the EU, and we're going to have bigger issues to deal with: Iran, Russia, and that brushfire in the Middle East we love to stoke and then try to put out"

What are you talking about? Balkans is an integral part of the U.S strategic foreign policy. As far as I am informed, U.S has a camp Bondsteel, NATO troops are present, EULEX, and UNMIK, too.
As far as Biden is concerned, the influence of VP in foreing policy matters depends on the President's ability to handle such issues. Obama is no Richard Nixon. It would be right to assume that Biden will have a significant influence on foreign policy matters.

Why do you speak of such technical matters--such as the structure of governance and political dynamics in the U.S Congress--with so much conviction? Based on what you wrote, you don't look to be an expert in government relations and policy matters.
Albanians are giddy and should be giddy. Biden was a great supporter of their cause. in fact, he proposed military action against YU back in 1992 (look at the transcripts of the committee of foreign relations--LOC).
Albanians do ont want to go back to Serbian rule. Why would they? Tell me, why did the American revolt against the King?

Peter, Sydney,
Need I remind you that Dick Chaney runs the US? Not sure if Chaney is deserving of that position, (giving the fact that he has become the symbol of what is wrong with the current administration) but he has taken the VP authority to the next level. No more does the VP stand aside watching the world go by. U.S. is a very complicated nation for only one leader, and Joe Biden will be perfect for the job. His knowledge for foreign affairs (Obama and Biden are both members of the Foreign Relations Committee) will restore the bad image Dick Chaney and his administration have created.
Quite frankly, no mater who wins the election, they will all support Kosovo as an independent country.

afrim hoxha:
You have an answer do you?

Might be an idea to share it with Barack Obama them as he still hasn't made a choice, although I believe he has expressed a preference for Colin Powell should the latter throw his hat into the ring.

My personal opinion is that Powell would make a decent secretary of state were he to receive the backing he so sadly lacked under Bush.

Would go a long way to repatriating the current odious state of US foreign policy.


Cheney:
> one word: CHENEY

Bush was a weak leader who was lead by the nose by cheney & co.

Obama on the other hand has a fundamental strength of character that Bush lacks. And it is that same strength of character that will marginalise any 'influence' that his choice of VP will have on him.

> It may very well be that if Obama is elected (which I doubt), Biden will have significant pull in forieng policy decision-making.

Shortly, cheney & the rest of his neo-con side-kicks will be nothing but a distasteful footnote in history, & Obama will probably be propelled into the white house on the backlash.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

> Balkans is an integral part of the U.S strategic foreign policy.

Only in the minds of K-albanians oh 'Cheney'. Reality is that as soon as AMBO loses it's relevance, so too will the US lose interest in the welfare of it's vassals in Kosovo. And all the more so when the neo-con influence dissappears from the white house.

Not that it surprises me that you spout such nonsense. Anybody who chooses to write under the pseudonym of 'Cheney' loses whatever credibility he/she had to begin with.

(peter, sydney, 25 August 2008 07:23) wrote:

"Only in the minds of K-albanians oh 'Cheney'. Reality is that as soon as AMBO loses it's relevance, so too will the US lose interest in the welfare of it's vassals in Kosovo. And all the more so when the neo-con influence dissappears from the white house.

Not that it surprises me that you spout such nonsense. Anybody who chooses to write under the pseudonym of 'Cheney' loses whatever credibility he/she had to begin with."

Peter, what credibility do you have that renders your writings more superior than mine? So what if I use the username Cheney?

You make an empirical assertion about Obama's character, did you study his character? If so, how did you conceptualized it and operationalized it? I would be interested to know.

Character has nothing to do with competence. Obama may very well be an intelligent individual, but the fact of the matter is that he lacks foreign policy experience/training. That is why he chose Biden in the first place, and that's why he may choose Holbrooke, too (if elected).

Now, you make another 'expert' opinion about the upcoming U.S presidential elections, too. Are you an Electoral Behaviroalist? What makes you think that Obama will be elected on a backlash?
I guess you have never heard of the Republican Electoral Machine. Mccain has been gaining on Obama in the past month and as of right now, they are tide on "valid" polls.

You are way over your head.

As far as the U.S foreign policy is concerned, Kosovo is not a U.S vassal state. Kosovo is on its path to democracy. USA's (EU's, too) goal is to spread democracy ( and capitalism) in the region (why do you think Russia opposses this influence in her region).

And how come you are so in tune with reality when it comes to U.S foreing policy? Are you a Washington insider? Are you a CIA case worker? You speak with such condescension.
Balkan has been part of the U.S strategic foreing policy since Truman. Yugoslavia was relevant, and became an integral part of the U.S foreign policy with Reagan in 1981. ( i guess since you know so much about U,S foreign policy, you can name the resolution, too).

Also, since you claim to be an expert on Foreign Policy Decision-Making and the U.S, tell me, what would happen once USA and EU stop caring about Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina? ( I bet that your answer on this matter would answer your own question that U.S/NATO,/EU will remain interested in the region).

Cheers

Anthony Pellicio: "there is NO candidate on either side who will change the "status quo" of US policy towards Serbia and its province Kosovo i Metohija."

But it may be Serbia that coul;d change its course towards the US. As soom as the Serbs realize that Kosovo is lost for good, but Srpska could be salvaged only thet if Uncle Sam nods,
everything on the Balkans may come into palace.

@Enea Dardani

Abkhazia and Ossetia are unique cases.They have the right to be independent,Kosovo does not because the UNRSC 1244 explicitly says Kosovo is part of Serbia until this resolution is in force.
It is still in force because the veto powers Russia,China and India are against changing it and recognizing this occupied part of Southern Serbia.To my knowledge there is not such a resolution cementing the status of these two independent states.

Dear CG, you say that S. Ossetia and Abkhazia are unique cases. By chance the Kosovo/a independence has been called a "unique case" by many governments (in EU and USA Kosovo is considered a unique case). Now we see that we have at least three unique cases. Actually the #1244 UN resolution has not prevented many countries from recognizing Kosovo's independence.
In my opinion, if we try to make the issue clearer, the only difference between Kosovo and S. Ossetia/Abkhazia is that, for the former, a war has already been fought, for the latter a war is already in place. What is sure is that the S. Ossetia/Abkhazia case will prevent Russia from pretending to be the Serbia's advocate in relation to Kosovo's independence.

All albanians must realize tha America doesn't really care about albanians. All they care about is that the largest military base in Europe is being built in Kosovo. If americans don't care about their own people why would they care about you? Twentyfive percent of children in the US live in poverty. You actually believe that America would rather help you then their own people? What do you Kosovo albanians have to offer the US? Absolutely nothing. If they wouldn't be able to have their military present in Kosovo they wouldn't care about you at all. Let's see how much time you neeed before you realize that not even the mighty US really likes you...