No reaction from NATO about announcements of "Kosovo army"

Kosovo army ...Hahahah ...it's not April.....yet

"NATO has not officially commented on announcements made in Priština that the "Kosovo armed forces" would be formed, writes Koha Ditore."

Of course not. Why would they issue a comment on something that's little more than an empty boast on the Internet? :)

An army eh? I’d have to agree this announcement should have been made closer to 1 April. As the article quotes it “election rhetoric meant to be used for internal marketing”.
For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
Yes its an early April fools joke.

I could NOT care less what spain **FEELS**. The Kosovo Security Force has reached operational objectives and intends to transforms into the Armed Force of the Republic of Kosovo.


Tung,

Mr Thaçi said that the Kosovo army will be formed in the near future possibly by the end of the year and it will have 5000 regular and 3000 reservists. As much as i don't like Thaçi he is doing the right thing.

I hope NATO won't do the same mistake again like in Afghanistan and arm and train unreliable 'fighters' as soldiers who later kill allied forces and terrorize the people and citizens.

"unnamed diplomat, diplomat from a NATO member state and sources"
I think we have just learned that sj is actually a journalist for B92.

The Serbs are up in arms now freaking out about talk of a Kosova army. I love it!

You have plenty to worry about. Not only will there be a Kosovar army within the next 10 years, but its going to be a well equipped and well trained military force that will be able to deal with any threat that Kosova may encounter from the drunk Serbians. The USA bombed Serbia back to that grassy knoll called Serbia. USA knows what it takes to mop the floor with Serbians, because if they didn't, Serbia would be in Kosova right now. They will ensure that the Kosovars are up to the task.

And for you Serbian trolls, the only words you speak of in this forum and every other is opinion rooted in fantasy. Nothing you speak of is fact. Nothing you mention is in the works. Serbia is preparing to invade. NATO isn't preparing to leave now or for a long time. The reality of the situation is that the Kosovars have firm control over the borders of Kosova.

If you don't agree then do something about it. Until then, eat your milk and keks and shut it. We all knows what happens to the bully on the playground eventually... You don't want to have a repeat of 1999 and lose even more land.

A Kosovo Army? Are you kidding me? The inept gov't. in Kosovo can't even figure out how to make license plates. How are they going to field an army? The only army the Kosovo Albos have is that of the US and when they leave, the whole house of cards falls in. Maybe brave azir will volunteer to go fight for Kosovo. Yeah right.

Does anyone wonder why the US bombed the crap out of Albanians in Kosovo??? They killed about 10 000 and then blamed Milosevic becasue he made them do it. Even an enemy respects his adversary but Albanians are scrapings off the bottom of boots and even your allies dont think much of you; do they? They left all that lovely depleted uranium for Kosavars to breath in deeply.
There is only thing Kosovars like you are holding firmly and its not the so called borders – you make me laugh. If you control the so called borders why are the Radical Party campaigning in Kosovo??????
(sj, 26 February 2014 10:31)

And let me guess, Milosevic had these dead Albanians hiden in mass graves for NATO too?

You're full of crap sj.

(icj1, 25 February 2014 05:23)

All Please note that the AE see it differently and is in the process of planting money trees in his back yard to help his Kosova bros and the EU. He might plant more since the US is also drastically reducing its military.
P.S. AE = Albanian Einstein

"The same goes for building a highway connecting Albania with Pristina. "

erm, just wondering, can you please enlighten me as to why we shouldn't build highways to connect Albania with Prishtina?

P.S. Captain America, this paragraph is key, and these are Russians that are fortifying the Albanian peoples claim.. And this (MIR) organization they represent, is very respected around the world!!!

((After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Albania became part of Byzantium, (((and later these lands))) became part of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the Serbian kingdom, the Venetian Republic and Epirus. In 1389, the combined Serbian and Albanian forces were defeated by a new enemy – the Turks – in the battle of Kosovo Pole.)) Albania only entered the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 15th century, however. The Sublime Porte was forced to make a number of concessions, including the stipulation that the Albanians would serve in the Turkish army only on a voluntary basis and would be granted a number of trade privileges. On the other hand, it was during the years of Turkish rule that Islam spread in Albania.

For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Unfortunately, the CE of B92 forums sj disagrees with the above. One thing we know for sure is that Kosovo does not survive on EU funding because the CE of B92 forums has already ruled that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist

"For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week."
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Be sure, for those things there's always enough money left. The same goes for building a highway connecting Albania with Pristina. Who cares if 50% of the people have to live from 1-2€/day? Who cares if there's no economy and the unemployment is 30-50% (no reliable data availiable)? The drug smugglers are probably the only ones who are happy about the this great highway.
And, like with KSF, and army would be a great opportunity to reward the 'freedom fighters' a bit more, you know, these glorious people who already received houses and apartments stolen or usurped from Serbs.

(Comm. Parrisson, 25 February 2014 10:52)

Yes that’s true. You can have an army, but at what level of proficiency and I can show you examples of supposed armies that are nothing more than a glorfied police force such used for crowd control as in Indonesia. There seems to be this fanatical belief that anything can be done there with no care to cost or where this money is coming from and that somehow the Albanians have found something in Kosovo that the entire world wants and Pristina will earn trillions in the process.
Let me just point out this fact, when you have the US drastically reducing its military, and believe me that is just what its doing right now, digused as reucing overall cost to concentrate its resources on more advanced technology. Pure double talk when in reality it all has to do with a lack of money.
Building a highway from Pristian to Albania is funded by the EU not Albanians. Its all part of an integrated road system for NATO other than that what will travel on that road? shepherds and their flocks? Albania produces little and Kosovo even less.
In the long run you cant get away by stealing wethere its art of houses. Just ask the Germans who have had to pay for art theft from Jewish families during WW2.

(Captain Kosova, 25 February 2014 15:43)
Ahh yes those fearsome goat herders riding donkeys and carrying pitchforks. That’s what NATO needs LOL, LOL.
Does anyone wonder why the US bombed the crap out of Albanians in Kosovo??? They killed about 10 000 and then blamed Milosevic becasue he made them do it. Even an enemy respects his adversary but Albanians are scrapings off the bottom of boots and even your allies dont think much of you; do they? They left all that lovely depleted uranium for Kosavars to breath in deeply.
There is only thing Kosovars like you are holding firmly and its not the so called borders – you make me laugh. If you control the so called borders why are the Radical Party campaigning in Kosovo??????

Its not going to take much to defend Kosova from external aggression. 90 year old farmers in Kosova with butter knives and spoons were able to capture and subdue Serbia's "finest" special forces. No wonder the Albanians were outnumbered 9 to 1 and still won! LOL!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Serbian_Detainees_in_Kosove_(1999).JPEG

(sj, 25 February 2014 13:37)
1ST Kosovo needs no hardcore armed forces they will forever be protected by NATO, if the UN mandate should end then there will be some sort of agreement made.
2ND The much publicized reduction in military, which I do not agree with at this time, is a cost saving maneuver but we are talking about a time when we no longer need 100+ thousand troops and equipment in Iraq nor Afghanistan. Only makes sense. The reason I am against it is that it only fuels the bottom feeders who read the headlines and run.
The US military budget once reduced will still be 10fold what our largest adversaries are. Of direct war with Russia or China would eventually result in nukes and it is there that technology and not brute force would make the difference.
Whether Kosovo has an army or not is not of much consequence as any future battles there would be fought by 3rd parties not Kosovo and Serbia.

"Whether Kosovo has an army or not is not of much consequence as any future battles there would be fought by 3rd parties not Kosovo and Serbia."
(pss, 26 February 2014 00:07)

Why future? The battle in the past was fought by third parties, too - at least on the side of Kosovo. Or do you really think the glorious KLA was responsible for any effect on the war, besides murdering of civilians?

Why future? The battle in the past was fought by third parties, too - at least on the side of Kosovo. Or do you really think the glorious KLA was responsible for any effect on the war, besides murdering of civilians?
(Questioner, 26 February 2014 16:55
No I firmly believe the loosely organized and underfunded rebel forces of Kosovo were no match for the organized highly financed murder machine created by Milosevic. It took some time for NATO forces to realize what was happening in their own yard and they needed to react to prevent the 2nd most embarrassing crime on European soil. But since they did and drove the Serbian forces out, there is no way they will ever allow it to take place again.

I posted the facts about Robert Baer, a US citizen and former CIA operative, and his views on the Balkans wars, but there was no point.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

Unfortunately, true Serb patriots tell us that CIA is evil. So how could we believe an operative of evil?!
----------

Think logically. What is your total population? 320 million? So having a military of 1.2 million is not a stretch. This figure would take into account reservist too, but why waste time showing you that in the 1980s and 1990s this was real.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

Well, following that logic, even having a military of 12 million is not a stretch. But for what purpose? What do you need a military of 1.2 or 12 million for? Just for being able to say they have the largest army?! Not sure how it works in Serbia, but other countries are usually driven by pragmatism, not pride in meaningless things.
----------

If you spent that much money on purely defence you would have the Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk and not the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

You are correct they could build Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk with that money, but again, what would be the purpose of Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk?!

The U.S. military is way ahead of Russia and China's. American military armed clones and robots will be used to fight in any future wars. U.S. citizens will be able to have dinner and watch on TV as foreign enemies are destroyed. Putin is undergoing a severe tantrum since the Ukraine has been taken away from him and he can't do a thing about it. The Russian stock market is in free fall as Putin watches his wealth circle the toilet bowl.

(pss, 26 February 2014 00:07)

The west will not create an army in Kosovo because NATO will stay there. Its just someone writing an article to sell newspapers.
The military reduction in the US is a need to cut expenditure since US debt has climbed to 18 trillion and so far everything attempted to kick start the US economy has been unsuccessful. The US military were about 1.2 million until recent years, but now this number will fall to about 400 000. Many bases at home and overseas will have to be closed or downsized and this will have devistating effect on town/cities in the US close to these bases.
Your Defence Secretary said they will reduce the miltary numbers to free up money to buy high tech waepons – this is only talk to pacify the people that US will still be great etc. I say that because recent surveys in the US have shown that Americans are worn out fighting overseas wars for no gain. You will find that cost cutting will continue year in year out regardless of which party is in power.
You also have to remember that the military budget carries money used by intellegence services so not all that you see is money for tanks, guns etc. Some estimate it to be as high as 30% - Personally, I dont know.
China has already spread its wings as it now controlls the South China Sea and has claimed Islands from Japan and Phillipines. Meanwhile a huge battle“ is going in Ukraine and this is a fight over who controls Europe. Time will tell.

sj,
If you have ever had a true fact, why have you never used them. The 1.2 million number of US troops was last seen in the 1940's post WW2, Since then far less, in the max of 700=800, during the cold war. Since the late 80s and early 90s it downsized to the 500's, and peaked again close to600, during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The current proposed levels is somewhere between 420 and 490 thousand.
Hopefully spending will continue to be cut regardless of whoever is in office.
True people at home are tiring of wars oversees that we do not see a goal or any appreciable results.
Still as I said even with current cuts we still budget more than 10 fold the nearest possible adversary.
Thanks for announcing that China has claimed islands "belonging" to Japan and the Phillipines, the rest of the world has known that for decades now but thanks for the up to the minute reporting. Plus can we use you as support that the island do actually belong to Japan and the Phillipines as being accurate as China has contested that for quite some time now.
As far as the 10,000 Albanians buried in mass graves by Serbs in Serbia and Kosovo having been killed by NATO, Ian responded better than I could and I will leave it at that.

(Ian, UK, 26 February 2014 13:29)

Where are these mass graves? Are you waiting for Madeline Albright’s special satellites to disclose them just like in Bosnia where, and these are her words, “graves can be seen from space”. It’s amazing how they don’t have these special satellites anymore.
NATO bombed indiscriminately in Kosovo. How many were killed just moving on the roads because it’s a well-known fact anything seen from air was shot at???? NATO pilots did not care.
Your Thaci killed more than any Serbs paramilitary and that is a fact. Ian, get back to cleaning those bedpans because that’s all your good for.

For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Unfortunately, the CE of B92 forums sj disagrees with the above. One thing we know for sure is that Kosovo does not survive on EU funding because the CE of B92 forums has already ruled that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist
(icj1, 25 February 2014 05:23)

All Please note that the AE see it differently and is in the process of planting money trees in his back yard to help his Kosova bros and the EU. He might plant more since the US is also drastically reducing its military.
P.S. AE = Albanian Einstein
(sj, 25 February 2014 13:12)

I see it the same as the CE of B92 forums sj who has determined that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash and therefore can't be funding Kosovo. If you see it differently, please have a chat with the CE of B92 forums sj.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist

The military reduction in the US is a need to cut expenditure
(sj, 26 February 2014 12:28)

I fully agree with sj here. Indeed, any rational country or person would cut expenditures if they could so there is nothing exceptional with the above.

(pss, 26 February 2014 14:31)

I used facts at one time and found it was useless talking to people who have never been more than 20 kilometres outside their home town. I posted the facts about Robert Baer, a US citizen and former CIA operative, and his views on the Balkans wars, but there was no point. I’ve listen to Baer lecture and when asked questions on Srebrenica he has repeated many times that its (his words) a fake. So I don’t bother any more.
Think logically. What is your total population? 320 million? So having a military of 1.2 million is not a stretch. This figure would take into account reservist too, but why waste time showing you that in the 1980s and 1990s this was real.
Once cut backs start they don’t stop for a very long time and your expenditure on defence being 10 times more than your nearest adversary is a myth because in your defence budget you also have money for intelligence work and some have written that its anything up to 30% of the total budget – I don’t know. Then there is massive waste. If you spent that much money on purely defence you would have the Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk and not the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise.
10 000 Albanians in mass graves – whatever you and the Albanian Celt are on cut the dose mate.

(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)
I remember your post on Robert Baer and the 2 corroborating "facts" you had were an interview that was never published??? and some guys blog, but the facts still remain that at the time of Srebrenica he was very well established in the middle east and not involved in Bosnia. But now you have a NEW fact you personally heard him in a lecture, very interesting, IF only I would have known.
As far as members of the armed forces the numbers are readily available for anyone who wants to know. In 1973 the US ended the draft(men at age 18 must still register) but that was the last year of the actual draft after that the US has been an all volunteer army. I remember the date because that was the year I turned 18.
There were casualties from the NATO bombing both Serb and Albanian (and others) but your 10,000 number is nothing but total 100% ultranationalist bs, end of story.

The U.S. military is way ahead of Russia and China's. American military armed clones and robots will be used to fight in any future wars. U.S. citizens will be able to have dinner and watch on TV as foreign enemies are destroyed. Putin is undergoing a severe tantrum since the Ukraine has been taken away from him and he can't do a thing about it. The Russian stock market is in free fall as Putin watches his wealth circle the toilet bowl.
(The Count of Kosova, 28 February 2014 01:12)
And soon, we won't even have to use toilets either. We'll have robots go to the bathroom for us. You think we are all that. The problem is that you have a movie picture view of the US. Here we have real issues, including poverty, racism, and homophobia. Once we take care of ourselves inhouse, we will worry about other issues outside our borders. You need to learn to take care of yourselves and not depend on outside forces to protect you.

Kosovo army ...Hahahah ...it's not April.....yet

"NATO has not officially commented on announcements made in Priština that the "Kosovo armed forces" would be formed, writes Koha Ditore."

Of course not. Why would they issue a comment on something that's little more than an empty boast on the Internet? :)

I could NOT care less what spain **FEELS**. The Kosovo Security Force has reached operational objectives and intends to transforms into the Armed Force of the Republic of Kosovo.


Tung,

Mr Thaçi said that the Kosovo army will be formed in the near future possibly by the end of the year and it will have 5000 regular and 3000 reservists. As much as i don't like Thaçi he is doing the right thing.

I hope NATO won't do the same mistake again like in Afghanistan and arm and train unreliable 'fighters' as soldiers who later kill allied forces and terrorize the people and citizens.

An army eh? I’d have to agree this announcement should have been made closer to 1 April. As the article quotes it “election rhetoric meant to be used for internal marketing”.
For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
Yes its an early April fools joke.

A Kosovo Army? Are you kidding me? The inept gov't. in Kosovo can't even figure out how to make license plates. How are they going to field an army? The only army the Kosovo Albos have is that of the US and when they leave, the whole house of cards falls in. Maybe brave azir will volunteer to go fight for Kosovo. Yeah right.

The Serbs are up in arms now freaking out about talk of a Kosova army. I love it!

You have plenty to worry about. Not only will there be a Kosovar army within the next 10 years, but its going to be a well equipped and well trained military force that will be able to deal with any threat that Kosova may encounter from the drunk Serbians. The USA bombed Serbia back to that grassy knoll called Serbia. USA knows what it takes to mop the floor with Serbians, because if they didn't, Serbia would be in Kosova right now. They will ensure that the Kosovars are up to the task.

And for you Serbian trolls, the only words you speak of in this forum and every other is opinion rooted in fantasy. Nothing you speak of is fact. Nothing you mention is in the works. Serbia is preparing to invade. NATO isn't preparing to leave now or for a long time. The reality of the situation is that the Kosovars have firm control over the borders of Kosova.

If you don't agree then do something about it. Until then, eat your milk and keks and shut it. We all knows what happens to the bully on the playground eventually... You don't want to have a repeat of 1999 and lose even more land.

"For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week."
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Be sure, for those things there's always enough money left. The same goes for building a highway connecting Albania with Pristina. Who cares if 50% of the people have to live from 1-2€/day? Who cares if there's no economy and the unemployment is 30-50% (no reliable data availiable)? The drug smugglers are probably the only ones who are happy about the this great highway.
And, like with KSF, and army would be a great opportunity to reward the 'freedom fighters' a bit more, you know, these glorious people who already received houses and apartments stolen or usurped from Serbs.

(Captain Kosova, 25 February 2014 15:43)
Ahh yes those fearsome goat herders riding donkeys and carrying pitchforks. That’s what NATO needs LOL, LOL.
Does anyone wonder why the US bombed the crap out of Albanians in Kosovo??? They killed about 10 000 and then blamed Milosevic becasue he made them do it. Even an enemy respects his adversary but Albanians are scrapings off the bottom of boots and even your allies dont think much of you; do they? They left all that lovely depleted uranium for Kosavars to breath in deeply.
There is only thing Kosovars like you are holding firmly and its not the so called borders – you make me laugh. If you control the so called borders why are the Radical Party campaigning in Kosovo??????

(Comm. Parrisson, 25 February 2014 10:52)

Yes that’s true. You can have an army, but at what level of proficiency and I can show you examples of supposed armies that are nothing more than a glorfied police force such used for crowd control as in Indonesia. There seems to be this fanatical belief that anything can be done there with no care to cost or where this money is coming from and that somehow the Albanians have found something in Kosovo that the entire world wants and Pristina will earn trillions in the process.
Let me just point out this fact, when you have the US drastically reducing its military, and believe me that is just what its doing right now, digused as reucing overall cost to concentrate its resources on more advanced technology. Pure double talk when in reality it all has to do with a lack of money.
Building a highway from Pristian to Albania is funded by the EU not Albanians. Its all part of an integrated road system for NATO other than that what will travel on that road? shepherds and their flocks? Albania produces little and Kosovo even less.
In the long run you cant get away by stealing wethere its art of houses. Just ask the Germans who have had to pay for art theft from Jewish families during WW2.

"unnamed diplomat, diplomat from a NATO member state and sources"
I think we have just learned that sj is actually a journalist for B92.

(icj1, 25 February 2014 05:23)

All Please note that the AE see it differently and is in the process of planting money trees in his back yard to help his Kosova bros and the EU. He might plant more since the US is also drastically reducing its military.
P.S. AE = Albanian Einstein

"The same goes for building a highway connecting Albania with Pristina. "

erm, just wondering, can you please enlighten me as to why we shouldn't build highways to connect Albania with Prishtina?

(pss, 26 February 2014 00:07)

The west will not create an army in Kosovo because NATO will stay there. Its just someone writing an article to sell newspapers.
The military reduction in the US is a need to cut expenditure since US debt has climbed to 18 trillion and so far everything attempted to kick start the US economy has been unsuccessful. The US military were about 1.2 million until recent years, but now this number will fall to about 400 000. Many bases at home and overseas will have to be closed or downsized and this will have devistating effect on town/cities in the US close to these bases.
Your Defence Secretary said they will reduce the miltary numbers to free up money to buy high tech waepons – this is only talk to pacify the people that US will still be great etc. I say that because recent surveys in the US have shown that Americans are worn out fighting overseas wars for no gain. You will find that cost cutting will continue year in year out regardless of which party is in power.
You also have to remember that the military budget carries money used by intellegence services so not all that you see is money for tanks, guns etc. Some estimate it to be as high as 30% - Personally, I dont know.
China has already spread its wings as it now controlls the South China Sea and has claimed Islands from Japan and Phillipines. Meanwhile a huge battle“ is going in Ukraine and this is a fight over who controls Europe. Time will tell.

(Ian, UK, 26 February 2014 13:29)

Where are these mass graves? Are you waiting for Madeline Albright’s special satellites to disclose them just like in Bosnia where, and these are her words, “graves can be seen from space”. It’s amazing how they don’t have these special satellites anymore.
NATO bombed indiscriminately in Kosovo. How many were killed just moving on the roads because it’s a well-known fact anything seen from air was shot at???? NATO pilots did not care.
Your Thaci killed more than any Serbs paramilitary and that is a fact. Ian, get back to cleaning those bedpans because that’s all your good for.

"Whether Kosovo has an army or not is not of much consequence as any future battles there would be fought by 3rd parties not Kosovo and Serbia."
(pss, 26 February 2014 00:07)

Why future? The battle in the past was fought by third parties, too - at least on the side of Kosovo. Or do you really think the glorious KLA was responsible for any effect on the war, besides murdering of civilians?

(pss, 26 February 2014 14:31)

I used facts at one time and found it was useless talking to people who have never been more than 20 kilometres outside their home town. I posted the facts about Robert Baer, a US citizen and former CIA operative, and his views on the Balkans wars, but there was no point. I’ve listen to Baer lecture and when asked questions on Srebrenica he has repeated many times that its (his words) a fake. So I don’t bother any more.
Think logically. What is your total population? 320 million? So having a military of 1.2 million is not a stretch. This figure would take into account reservist too, but why waste time showing you that in the 1980s and 1990s this was real.
Once cut backs start they don’t stop for a very long time and your expenditure on defence being 10 times more than your nearest adversary is a myth because in your defence budget you also have money for intelligence work and some have written that its anything up to 30% of the total budget – I don’t know. Then there is massive waste. If you spent that much money on purely defence you would have the Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk and not the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise.
10 000 Albanians in mass graves – whatever you and the Albanian Celt are on cut the dose mate.

For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Unfortunately, the CE of B92 forums sj disagrees with the above. One thing we know for sure is that Kosovo does not survive on EU funding because the CE of B92 forums has already ruled that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist

P.S. Captain America, this paragraph is key, and these are Russians that are fortifying the Albanian peoples claim.. And this (MIR) organization they represent, is very respected around the world!!!

((After the collapse of the Roman Empire, Albania became part of Byzantium, (((and later these lands))) became part of the Kingdom of Bulgaria, the Serbian kingdom, the Venetian Republic and Epirus. In 1389, the combined Serbian and Albanian forces were defeated by a new enemy – the Turks – in the battle of Kosovo Pole.)) Albania only entered the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 15th century, however. The Sublime Porte was forced to make a number of concessions, including the stipulation that the Albanians would serve in the Turkish army only on a voluntary basis and would be granted a number of trade privileges. On the other hand, it was during the years of Turkish rule that Islam spread in Albania.

Does anyone wonder why the US bombed the crap out of Albanians in Kosovo??? They killed about 10 000 and then blamed Milosevic becasue he made them do it. Even an enemy respects his adversary but Albanians are scrapings off the bottom of boots and even your allies dont think much of you; do they? They left all that lovely depleted uranium for Kosavars to breath in deeply.
There is only thing Kosovars like you are holding firmly and its not the so called borders – you make me laugh. If you control the so called borders why are the Radical Party campaigning in Kosovo??????
(sj, 26 February 2014 10:31)

And let me guess, Milosevic had these dead Albanians hiden in mass graves for NATO too?

You're full of crap sj.

sj,
If you have ever had a true fact, why have you never used them. The 1.2 million number of US troops was last seen in the 1940's post WW2, Since then far less, in the max of 700=800, during the cold war. Since the late 80s and early 90s it downsized to the 500's, and peaked again close to600, during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The current proposed levels is somewhere between 420 and 490 thousand.
Hopefully spending will continue to be cut regardless of whoever is in office.
True people at home are tiring of wars oversees that we do not see a goal or any appreciable results.
Still as I said even with current cuts we still budget more than 10 fold the nearest possible adversary.
Thanks for announcing that China has claimed islands "belonging" to Japan and the Phillipines, the rest of the world has known that for decades now but thanks for the up to the minute reporting. Plus can we use you as support that the island do actually belong to Japan and the Phillipines as being accurate as China has contested that for quite some time now.
As far as the 10,000 Albanians buried in mass graves by Serbs in Serbia and Kosovo having been killed by NATO, Ian responded better than I could and I will leave it at that.

The U.S. military is way ahead of Russia and China's. American military armed clones and robots will be used to fight in any future wars. U.S. citizens will be able to have dinner and watch on TV as foreign enemies are destroyed. Putin is undergoing a severe tantrum since the Ukraine has been taken away from him and he can't do a thing about it. The Russian stock market is in free fall as Putin watches his wealth circle the toilet bowl.

(sj, 25 February 2014 13:37)
1ST Kosovo needs no hardcore armed forces they will forever be protected by NATO, if the UN mandate should end then there will be some sort of agreement made.
2ND The much publicized reduction in military, which I do not agree with at this time, is a cost saving maneuver but we are talking about a time when we no longer need 100+ thousand troops and equipment in Iraq nor Afghanistan. Only makes sense. The reason I am against it is that it only fuels the bottom feeders who read the headlines and run.
The US military budget once reduced will still be 10fold what our largest adversaries are. Of direct war with Russia or China would eventually result in nukes and it is there that technology and not brute force would make the difference.
Whether Kosovo has an army or not is not of much consequence as any future battles there would be fought by 3rd parties not Kosovo and Serbia.

Its not going to take much to defend Kosova from external aggression. 90 year old farmers in Kosova with butter knives and spoons were able to capture and subdue Serbia's "finest" special forces. No wonder the Albanians were outnumbered 9 to 1 and still won! LOL!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Serbian_Detainees_in_Kosove_(1999).JPEG

The U.S. military is way ahead of Russia and China's. American military armed clones and robots will be used to fight in any future wars. U.S. citizens will be able to have dinner and watch on TV as foreign enemies are destroyed. Putin is undergoing a severe tantrum since the Ukraine has been taken away from him and he can't do a thing about it. The Russian stock market is in free fall as Putin watches his wealth circle the toilet bowl.
(The Count of Kosova, 28 February 2014 01:12)
And soon, we won't even have to use toilets either. We'll have robots go to the bathroom for us. You think we are all that. The problem is that you have a movie picture view of the US. Here we have real issues, including poverty, racism, and homophobia. Once we take care of ourselves inhouse, we will worry about other issues outside our borders. You need to learn to take care of yourselves and not depend on outside forces to protect you.

For those that believe this stuff, the question to ask is who or what will pay for this army? Kosovo survives on EU funding and without it would collapse within a week.
(sj, 24 February 2014 22:09)

Unfortunately, the CE of B92 forums sj disagrees with the above. One thing we know for sure is that Kosovo does not survive on EU funding because the CE of B92 forums has already ruled that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist
(icj1, 25 February 2014 05:23)

All Please note that the AE see it differently and is in the process of planting money trees in his back yard to help his Kosova bros and the EU. He might plant more since the US is also drastically reducing its military.
P.S. AE = Albanian Einstein
(sj, 25 February 2014 13:12)

I see it the same as the CE of B92 forums sj who has determined that the EU has collapsed and run out of cash and therefore can't be funding Kosovo. If you see it differently, please have a chat with the CE of B92 forums sj.

P.S. CE = Chief Economist

The military reduction in the US is a need to cut expenditure
(sj, 26 February 2014 12:28)

I fully agree with sj here. Indeed, any rational country or person would cut expenditures if they could so there is nothing exceptional with the above.

I posted the facts about Robert Baer, a US citizen and former CIA operative, and his views on the Balkans wars, but there was no point.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

Unfortunately, true Serb patriots tell us that CIA is evil. So how could we believe an operative of evil?!
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Think logically. What is your total population? 320 million? So having a military of 1.2 million is not a stretch. This figure would take into account reservist too, but why waste time showing you that in the 1980s and 1990s this was real.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

Well, following that logic, even having a military of 12 million is not a stretch. But for what purpose? What do you need a military of 1.2 or 12 million for? Just for being able to say they have the largest army?! Not sure how it works in Serbia, but other countries are usually driven by pragmatism, not pride in meaningless things.
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If you spent that much money on purely defence you would have the Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk and not the aircraft carrier the USS Enterprise.
(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)

You are correct they could build Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk with that money, but again, what would be the purpose of Star ship Enterprise with Captain Kirk?!

Why future? The battle in the past was fought by third parties, too - at least on the side of Kosovo. Or do you really think the glorious KLA was responsible for any effect on the war, besides murdering of civilians?
(Questioner, 26 February 2014 16:55
No I firmly believe the loosely organized and underfunded rebel forces of Kosovo were no match for the organized highly financed murder machine created by Milosevic. It took some time for NATO forces to realize what was happening in their own yard and they needed to react to prevent the 2nd most embarrassing crime on European soil. But since they did and drove the Serbian forces out, there is no way they will ever allow it to take place again.

(sj, 26 February 2014 23:01)
I remember your post on Robert Baer and the 2 corroborating "facts" you had were an interview that was never published??? and some guys blog, but the facts still remain that at the time of Srebrenica he was very well established in the middle east and not involved in Bosnia. But now you have a NEW fact you personally heard him in a lecture, very interesting, IF only I would have known.
As far as members of the armed forces the numbers are readily available for anyone who wants to know. In 1973 the US ended the draft(men at age 18 must still register) but that was the last year of the actual draft after that the US has been an all volunteer army. I remember the date because that was the year I turned 18.
There were casualties from the NATO bombing both Serb and Albanian (and others) but your 10,000 number is nothing but total 100% ultranationalist bs, end of story.