Spanish press: Kosovo independence laden with danger

Bravo to Spain. It's nice to see more and more voices of reason coming out. Soon the US and UK will be completely isolated in their quest for a greater albania. All we need is for the truth to get out. Kostunica and Tadic are clearly winning this public relations war.

Wow this is unbelievable... Albanian's are OPENLY saying and preaching how other countries such as Spain (although i've seen other examples such as Greece, Italy, Romania, etc) will have to do whatever the USA tells them to do even it if is illegal and against their owns populations wishes. How democratic. If i didn't know any better I'd call it dictatorship. Anyhow this is exactly why nobody likes the USA anymore and thank God Russia is back to keep the Americans and their guns in check.

Ahemt
Thats right in the face of France and UK. As for them jumping when US says so. I doubt it. They are part of the EU ahmet.
Id like to say ABC is a little more influential then koha ditore or however u spell it. I mean this article clearly shows the understanding of the situation by Spain.


No worries albanians. According to you Spain will also recognise you.

CCCC

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- Ouch that must of hurt dilusional illegal independence minded individual!

Lets hope the "Europeans" forge a "European" solution which ultimetly will be about reconciliation and trust and pulling barriers down rather then creating artifical borders where they never exisited!

Slowly but surely, the US's push to force an independent Kosovo upon Serbia is grinding to a halt. This example is exactly the one I highlighted a few days ago to Miri who dismissed it as fantasy that Spain would not recognise Kosovo.

Judging by some of the comments, there is desperation in the Albanian camp as it is becoming clearer how many countries are opposed to Kosovo independence.

Nikshala, without demeaning the deaths of around 7000 people, it was the KLA who were the aggressors and who should take full responsibility for the war in Kosovo. Serbia was responding to an armed terrorist threat in it's own backyard, like any other country would.

And Hamid Karzai - Spain isn't in Brussels with a begging bowl. It's a result of the way the Eu is set up. If you don't know basic matters about Europe, then maybe you shouldn't enter Europe.

ahmet isufi,

You are mistaken the Spanish are not weak to bullying and they will always be against Kosovo independence just like 70% of the world see list below:

Spain, Brazil and most of South America. Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Norway and most of the Nordic countries, China, Indonesia, China and most Asian countries including Turkey (Yes Turkey too! they have their own reasons) and finally Russia. This my friend is 70% of the world and if I were you I would not count on Italy, Germany France, or any of the Former Yugoslav states because when push comes to shove they will not back America just as they did not in Iraq.

Is Uncle Sam going to tell 70% of the world to Jump now? And are they going to ask how high Uncle? I think not, its an Albanian fantasy that's been going on since last year. Weren't you the guy here in 2006 who kept say independence in just a few weeks? I can see you're are still saying the same thing. Time to get real.

nikshala,

But in the 80s a lot of SERBS fled Kosovo? A giant step back indeed.
And during WWII the Albanians worked with the Nazis. A giant step back indeed.

Let's head for the future. And post-national states: Kosovo within a pluralistic Serbia!

The essence of the EU is about bridging differences not about agitating nationalistic tendencies and creating borders which have never existed.

EU is an excellent position to build up the tension and ride to the rescue. In one fell swoop they break the Gordian Knot by respecting international norms and laws and forging the compromise of EU supervised autonomy.

All of Serbia's citizens need to think with their brains not hearts if they truly wish for a positive economic future of the next generation in the EU. A great deal of consessions will be needed on part of the Serbian state & certain individuals to forge a truly great opportunity for the whole of Seria in the EU. Equally certain false promises must be realised by the duped Serbian Albanians as a false promise in which those who promised never had any anticipation of ever delivering since it was never theirs to give!

The win-win solution that forges a better future for all is for the taking - don't deny it for generations to come! What does Serbia as a state have to fear of a national minority consisting of 20-25% I think the brave step would be to offer either self rule systems within the province or a totally integrated system which respectes the integrity of the whole state and ensures true representation of all the peoples of Serbia. If these alternatives are put forward it would show a democratic maturity and like I said what does Serbia fear if it truly wishes to progress into the EU and that is the intention of the ethnic-Albanians in it's province. Maybe there needs to be a solution that regionalises Serbia as a whole and reduces the duplicity of different layers of government and parlimentarians - but that is another debate which must involve all of Serbia's citizens.

I seem to recall Ahmet that the Spanish 2004 elections effectively told the US to "stick it", with the election of Zapatero.

If you want to look at a country that says "how high" when the US says "jump", look no further than Pristina.

However you are right about the "Uncle" part. The EU is increasingly saying "Uncle" to US foreign policy, for good or for ill.

Hamid, your response is typical of an Albanian nationalist with little to reply to: 's opinion is irrelevant and meaningless to us Albanians". I'm surprised you put Spain even below that of Serbia! So you want to get into the EU as an independent state, but as of now, the following EU countries are irrelevant: Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Austria. Interesting. I wonder how that bravado would stand up if the US wavers on its so-far unwavering stance towards Pristina.

Nikshala - innocent civilians - i agree with you there.

hundreds of thousands of civilians "forced" out of Kosovo - factually incorrect. Again, you can thank the KLA for that. They told the Albanian population to leave Kosovo, not the Serbian army. That's more Albanian propaganda on a par with the "hundreds of thousands" of supposed Albanians being slaughtered by the bloodthirsty Serbs, which was used as justification to bomb Serbia. Wonder where the "hundreds of thousands" came from? - the KLA.

Ahmet, I think you misstake Spain for Great Britain!

If uncle Sam says anything to the english they obey properly... to bad Ole'Maggie isn't in charge anymore, then it would be an end to playing the little puppie following US faster than one could say Falkland Islands!

ahmet isufi, well Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq as soon as a new government was elected in 2004. I don't think the US wanted that to happen.

Anyway the US seems to be wanting Kosovo independence anyhow!

Nikshala, it did not happen that way in 1999. Albanians fled to safer zones because of NATO bombs and the harsh whip of the KLA - to make the "Humanitarian Crisis" appear greater than it really was. The Albans quickly returned to the province of Kosovo. On the other hand, the Albans ehnically ceansed 100' of thousands of non-Alban minorities - who never returned to their ancestral homes. Who are the real cleansers, Nick? That is what the Spanish paper is talking about. Comprende? You can keep singing the same 1999 tune all you want, the majority of the world has learned the truth.

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- that giant step backward already happened in 1999 when Milosevic killed 10.000 innocent civilians and expelled 1 million. Kosovo's independence is as a result of that.

I hope no civilized european nation will cut off aid to Spain and its needy (or threaten to) as leverage for this endeavour.

EA,

Why no alternatve?
Why Acheh (part of Indonesia) should be happy with autonomy and the Kosovars should have it all?

Is there an alternative for independence of Tibet or Kurdistan.

AGAIN: WHY SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR KOSOVO?

The Albanias here look so selfish to me. It looks like you care more for yourself then for the other one... In one word: SELFISH!

What else would you excpect from Spanish newspaper.
When Uncle Sam will sya to Spansih jump, they will say how high UNCLE.

Nikshala, it is because we are in the 21st century, that commentators like me know better than to buy the lies that pro-Albanian separatists have tried to sell as to what actually happened in Kosovo in 1999. That includes the largest fabricators, the US State Dept. These is a thing called the internet today, where we can see thousands of accounts as to what was really going on in the Balkans in '99. You may have been afraid of the Serbs and left your home but, the vast majority left due to NATO Bombs falling all around them. I would have run with my children, regardless of who's bombs were falling. Why are there several million refugees from Iraq today? Is it because the US is there to help them or, to escape bombs and bullets - regardless if they are Muslim or American. So please, stop the crying about ethnic cleansing, Serbs are the ones that were cleansed from their homes, not the Albanians. Be honest. Have more Serbs or Albanians been permanently been driven from their ancestral homes in Kosovo? It's the 21st century, lies will be exposed.

Gjon,
albania in EU year 2010???!??!
This was the funniest thing I read here in a long time!

You have a long long way to go before EU membership. Remember that Albania insn't doing so well economicly considering that you have had over 10 years of "democracy" or non-communism.
Why haven't Albanias economy developed despite this when every other coutry in the region has? Even serbias economy is miles ahead albanias, and serbia has had many years of sanctions and war.

What is it with some peopel here??

"Nikshala, without demeaning the deaths of around 7000 people, it was the KLA who were the aggressors and who should take full responsibility for the war in Kosovo." (PB)

Why is that everybody else has to take responsibility for crimes against albanians, KLA, NATO, CIA, USA, EU,...., apart from Serbia and serbs, the very people that actually commiteed the crimes??

Yes Serbia had the right to fight against KLA (even though it was serbia's regime that led to formation of KLA), but it had no right ot kill civilians and expelled hundreds of thousands.

Gjon,

in response to comment #19, I take it you don't wish to be part of the EU when the Serbia is admitted?

Spain is the last country in the world,which opinion will matter on Kosova independence.Spain is still an Europian aid recepient which will make them accept other cuontries decesion.

"all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences." i guess the serbs failed on this miserably , which is why kosovo is where it is, seeking independance.

What I find rather amusing, is people like PB and nondeal telling me why ME and My family, and the whole of my neihgbourhood had to leave Kosovo in 1999! Thanks guys!

Unlike you guys, I experience the war personally, and I know why we had to leave, and I can tell you it definetley wasn't beacause KLA told us, or cause of NATO bombs!!

Initially I used to think that some are making ridicuolus statements like that just as propaganda and to annoy albanians, however now i realise that you guys acutaly believe what you write, and thats a scary thought that there could be so misinformed people in the 21st century.

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- Ouch that must of hurt dilusional illegal independence minded individual!

Lets hope the "Europeans" forge a "European" solution which ultimetly will be about reconciliation and trust and pulling barriers down rather then creating artifical borders where they never exisited!
(Princip, UK, 13. September 2007 14:31)

The problem is we don't want to live with you. We don't want to share the same state with those who discriminate people which doesnt speak their language, which don't go to their churches or which feels part of an older culture that theirs. What so? Will you dig again mass graves to put us in? Will you send again your army with armored tanks to demolish our homes? Because there is NO OTHER WAY serbs can have us again.
Cheers

Guy's you are all smart people.You know the big fish eat the little ones. Spain, Romania,Greece are little fish, that's why their opinion doesn't matter not to mention Slovakia that many big countries think it is Slovenia.This is the real world: The bigger fish eat the smaller one.

Ron

You are correct that internet has a lot of information, and maybe you should read from reliable credible independent sources, rather than serbiana.com, sprska-mreza-.com, or some other socialist, conspiracy, 'it was all a lie', website.

And i did no leave just out of fear, but we were physicaly forced out of our homes with guns pointed at us. And in all my life, and the thousands and thousands of albanians that I have talked, I have never met onle albanian that ran away from NATO bombs or KLA.

I can only tell you the truth, but its you choice to ignore.

Gjon,

in response to comment #19, I take it you don't wish to be part of the EU when the Serbia is admitted?
(Princip, UK, 13. September 2007 21:03)

Talking about Serbia in EU is like talking about Iran in NATO. Let me remember you that EU is a union of countries which do not discriminate their own citizens and which have not slaughtered tens of thousands of people in the last 5 years, and which do not protect war criminals, and which do not threatens all the neighbors with military agressions.
So dear, don't have illusions. There it will be NO serb admission in EU before Albania or Croatia will enter (probably in 2010). It means, at least TWO veto countries against Serb admission in EU. Kosova will became independent wish it or not. There is no way you serbs can decide on our fate.

Gjon,
Albania in EU year 2010???!??!
This was the funniest thing I read here in a long time!

You have a long long way to go before EU membership. Remember that Albania insn't doing so well economicly considering that you have had over 10 years of "democracy" or non-communism.
Why haven't Albanias economy developed despite this when every other coutry in the region has? Even serbias economy is miles ahead albanias, and serbia has had many years of sanctions and war.
(Srboslav, 14. September 2007 12:25)

Srboslav, what you are talking about is just a propaganda remaining from Slobo time. According to CIA World factbook, Albania's gdp per capita is higher than Serbias (Serbia around 4.500 USD, Albania around 6.000 USD).
Our life expectancy is 77.5 years, yours is 75 years (it means our life quality is better).Your population under poverty line is higher. And all the economic indexes show you are in regress and we in progress.
Albania is having the fastest economic growth in the Balkans (over 6% per year), Serbia barely arrives at 3%. Albania has billions of income from turism and immigration. Serbia not, because after Montenegro independence Serbia is landlocked. Albania has the largest portual facilities in the east Adriatic. Albania has the youngest and the most dynamic population in EU. Albania sends more than 10.000 young students in western world each year. And, for your info, Albania is doing much better after a much heavier communist regime. Our speed is 100 km/h, yours 10km/h. On the other hand we have not issues with war criminals, or a background of agressions towards neighbour countries. We don't have also any disputed territory, we don't have any unit of our territory which would slow down or even block our progress to EU, with refusal of accepting our regime or our state authority. If Albania has a long long way to join EU, Serbia has a long, long, long, long, long way. Next year we join NATO. And after that, EU is just a matter of months. You should settle first you ethnic problems (after Kosovo is Vojvodina, Sandjak and Banatia in the waiting list). You should get rid of your numerous war criminals. And after completing all this homework, you will come and knock to our door (the EU one), begging for entry.
The illusion of Serbia as an economic superpower in the Balkans is just a dream of the Yugoslavian era. Now you are just a small and impoverished country, with no resources and no hopes, which the only way to remain in the center of attention has to argue about lost causes. If you think I am kiddin about albanian eu admission, wait and see.

# open word towards all readers of this article and it´s comments:

just take a look on the serb comments here!

do you see the pattern? as soon as something is not going their way, they start accusing albanians, or Albania for all the worst in the world!

Guys just wait and see until the 10th of December. Kosova independence from Serbia has no realistic alternative.

Here we go again with the hoary old stories about how the gentle Serbian army didn’t touch any Albanians in 1999, and the 850,000 of them were just “fleeing NATO bombs,” or even more bizarre, that the KLA forced their own people to flee to make propaganda. While for the record I did not support the bombing, this story is ludicrous and there is not a skerrick of evidence to back it up, but plenty of evidence for what did happen.

Gregor Gysi, leader of the German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), personally went to visit Kosovar refugees in Albania, hoping to have confirmed the story presented to him by Milosevic, who had trusted up until then, that the refugees were fleeing NATO bombs. He was disappointed, reporting that “In all their stories, the reason given me was their expulsion on the part of the Yugoslav army and police.”( Letter from Gregor Gysi to Slobodan Milosevic, from PDS weekly press report, Pressedienst, May 7, 1999).

Similarly, Physicians for Human Rights released findings from interviews with 11,400 refugees selected randomly from the camps in Albania and Macedonia (Physicians for Human Rights, War Crimes in Kosovo, June 18, 1999). The report asserted that 91 percent were forced to leave their homes “simply on the grounds that they were Kosova Albanians,” ie not just because of some association with the KLA as the apologists asserted. Those who were not actually forced fled due to fear of Serbian forces or destruction of property. Only 0.4 percent fled due to KLA pressure, and not a single refugee reported they fled from NATO bombing. And this finding from an organisation that also condemned the killing of Serb civilians by NATO bombs. Other startling finds included that one in three refugees actually witnessed Serbian forces engaged in killing or saw dead bodies, and nearly half of all respondents witnessed Serbian destruction of places of worship (Mosques, Catholic churches).

open word towards all readers of this article and it´s comments:

just take a look on the albanian comments here!

do you see the pattern? as soon as something is not going their way, they start accusing Serbs, or Serbia for all the worst in the world!

you´ll cool down in a few years you won´t even admit, that you were writing such a nonsense here...while you will be living within Serbia..

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- that giant step backward already happened in 1999 when Milosevic killed 10.000 innocent civilians and expelled 1 million. Kosovo's independence is as a result of that.

Spain is the last country in the world,which opinion will matter on Kosova independence.Spain is still an Europian aid recepient which will make them accept other cuontries decesion.

What else would you excpect from Spanish newspaper.
When Uncle Sam will sya to Spansih jump, they will say how high UNCLE.

"all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences." i guess the serbs failed on this miserably , which is why kosovo is where it is, seeking independance.

What is it with some peopel here??

"Nikshala, without demeaning the deaths of around 7000 people, it was the KLA who were the aggressors and who should take full responsibility for the war in Kosovo." (PB)

Why is that everybody else has to take responsibility for crimes against albanians, KLA, NATO, CIA, USA, EU,...., apart from Serbia and serbs, the very people that actually commiteed the crimes??

Yes Serbia had the right to fight against KLA (even though it was serbia's regime that led to formation of KLA), but it had no right ot kill civilians and expelled hundreds of thousands.

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- Ouch that must of hurt dilusional illegal independence minded individual!

Lets hope the "Europeans" forge a "European" solution which ultimetly will be about reconciliation and trust and pulling barriers down rather then creating artifical borders where they never exisited!
(Princip, UK, 13. September 2007 14:31)

The problem is we don't want to live with you. We don't want to share the same state with those who discriminate people which doesnt speak their language, which don't go to their churches or which feels part of an older culture that theirs. What so? Will you dig again mass graves to put us in? Will you send again your army with armored tanks to demolish our homes? Because there is NO OTHER WAY serbs can have us again.
Cheers

"a giant step backwards for all mankind's efforts to build diversified communities made up of free citizens, capable of living in peace despite the differences."

- Ouch that must of hurt dilusional illegal independence minded individual!

Lets hope the "Europeans" forge a "European" solution which ultimetly will be about reconciliation and trust and pulling barriers down rather then creating artifical borders where they never exisited!

Guy's you are all smart people.You know the big fish eat the little ones. Spain, Romania,Greece are little fish, that's why their opinion doesn't matter not to mention Slovakia that many big countries think it is Slovenia.This is the real world: The bigger fish eat the smaller one.

What I find rather amusing, is people like PB and nondeal telling me why ME and My family, and the whole of my neihgbourhood had to leave Kosovo in 1999! Thanks guys!

Unlike you guys, I experience the war personally, and I know why we had to leave, and I can tell you it definetley wasn't beacause KLA told us, or cause of NATO bombs!!

Initially I used to think that some are making ridicuolus statements like that just as propaganda and to annoy albanians, however now i realise that you guys acutaly believe what you write, and thats a scary thought that there could be so misinformed people in the 21st century.

Gjon,

in response to comment #19, I take it you don't wish to be part of the EU when the Serbia is admitted?
(Princip, UK, 13. September 2007 21:03)

Talking about Serbia in EU is like talking about Iran in NATO. Let me remember you that EU is a union of countries which do not discriminate their own citizens and which have not slaughtered tens of thousands of people in the last 5 years, and which do not protect war criminals, and which do not threatens all the neighbors with military agressions.
So dear, don't have illusions. There it will be NO serb admission in EU before Albania or Croatia will enter (probably in 2010). It means, at least TWO veto countries against Serb admission in EU. Kosova will became independent wish it or not. There is no way you serbs can decide on our fate.

Bravo to Spain. It's nice to see more and more voices of reason coming out. Soon the US and UK will be completely isolated in their quest for a greater albania. All we need is for the truth to get out. Kostunica and Tadic are clearly winning this public relations war.

Here we go again with the hoary old stories about how the gentle Serbian army didn’t touch any Albanians in 1999, and the 850,000 of them were just “fleeing NATO bombs,” or even more bizarre, that the KLA forced their own people to flee to make propaganda. While for the record I did not support the bombing, this story is ludicrous and there is not a skerrick of evidence to back it up, but plenty of evidence for what did happen.

Gregor Gysi, leader of the German Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), personally went to visit Kosovar refugees in Albania, hoping to have confirmed the story presented to him by Milosevic, who had trusted up until then, that the refugees were fleeing NATO bombs. He was disappointed, reporting that “In all their stories, the reason given me was their expulsion on the part of the Yugoslav army and police.”( Letter from Gregor Gysi to Slobodan Milosevic, from PDS weekly press report, Pressedienst, May 7, 1999).

Similarly, Physicians for Human Rights released findings from interviews with 11,400 refugees selected randomly from the camps in Albania and Macedonia (Physicians for Human Rights, War Crimes in Kosovo, June 18, 1999). The report asserted that 91 percent were forced to leave their homes “simply on the grounds that they were Kosova Albanians,” ie not just because of some association with the KLA as the apologists asserted. Those who were not actually forced fled due to fear of Serbian forces or destruction of property. Only 0.4 percent fled due to KLA pressure, and not a single refugee reported they fled from NATO bombing. And this finding from an organisation that also condemned the killing of Serb civilians by NATO bombs. Other startling finds included that one in three refugees actually witnessed Serbian forces engaged in killing or saw dead bodies, and nearly half of all respondents witnessed Serbian destruction of places of worship (Mosques, Catholic churches).

Gjon,
albania in EU year 2010???!??!
This was the funniest thing I read here in a long time!

You have a long long way to go before EU membership. Remember that Albania insn't doing so well economicly considering that you have had over 10 years of "democracy" or non-communism.
Why haven't Albanias economy developed despite this when every other coutry in the region has? Even serbias economy is miles ahead albanias, and serbia has had many years of sanctions and war.

Ron

You are correct that internet has a lot of information, and maybe you should read from reliable credible independent sources, rather than serbiana.com, sprska-mreza-.com, or some other socialist, conspiracy, 'it was all a lie', website.

And i did no leave just out of fear, but we were physicaly forced out of our homes with guns pointed at us. And in all my life, and the thousands and thousands of albanians that I have talked, I have never met onle albanian that ran away from NATO bombs or KLA.

I can only tell you the truth, but its you choice to ignore.

ahmet isufi, well Spain withdrew its troops from Iraq as soon as a new government was elected in 2004. I don't think the US wanted that to happen.

Anyway the US seems to be wanting Kosovo independence anyhow!

Ahemt
Thats right in the face of France and UK. As for them jumping when US says so. I doubt it. They are part of the EU ahmet.
Id like to say ABC is a little more influential then koha ditore or however u spell it. I mean this article clearly shows the understanding of the situation by Spain.


No worries albanians. According to you Spain will also recognise you.

CCCC

Ahmet, I think you misstake Spain for Great Britain!

If uncle Sam says anything to the english they obey properly... to bad Ole'Maggie isn't in charge anymore, then it would be an end to playing the little puppie following US faster than one could say Falkland Islands!

nikshala,

But in the 80s a lot of SERBS fled Kosovo? A giant step back indeed.
And during WWII the Albanians worked with the Nazis. A giant step back indeed.

Let's head for the future. And post-national states: Kosovo within a pluralistic Serbia!

The essence of the EU is about bridging differences not about agitating nationalistic tendencies and creating borders which have never existed.

EU is an excellent position to build up the tension and ride to the rescue. In one fell swoop they break the Gordian Knot by respecting international norms and laws and forging the compromise of EU supervised autonomy.

All of Serbia's citizens need to think with their brains not hearts if they truly wish for a positive economic future of the next generation in the EU. A great deal of consessions will be needed on part of the Serbian state & certain individuals to forge a truly great opportunity for the whole of Seria in the EU. Equally certain false promises must be realised by the duped Serbian Albanians as a false promise in which those who promised never had any anticipation of ever delivering since it was never theirs to give!

The win-win solution that forges a better future for all is for the taking - don't deny it for generations to come! What does Serbia as a state have to fear of a national minority consisting of 20-25% I think the brave step would be to offer either self rule systems within the province or a totally integrated system which respectes the integrity of the whole state and ensures true representation of all the peoples of Serbia. If these alternatives are put forward it would show a democratic maturity and like I said what does Serbia fear if it truly wishes to progress into the EU and that is the intention of the ethnic-Albanians in it's province. Maybe there needs to be a solution that regionalises Serbia as a whole and reduces the duplicity of different layers of government and parlimentarians - but that is another debate which must involve all of Serbia's citizens.

Wow this is unbelievable... Albanian's are OPENLY saying and preaching how other countries such as Spain (although i've seen other examples such as Greece, Italy, Romania, etc) will have to do whatever the USA tells them to do even it if is illegal and against their owns populations wishes. How democratic. If i didn't know any better I'd call it dictatorship. Anyhow this is exactly why nobody likes the USA anymore and thank God Russia is back to keep the Americans and their guns in check.

I hope no civilized european nation will cut off aid to Spain and its needy (or threaten to) as leverage for this endeavour.

Slowly but surely, the US's push to force an independent Kosovo upon Serbia is grinding to a halt. This example is exactly the one I highlighted a few days ago to Miri who dismissed it as fantasy that Spain would not recognise Kosovo.

Judging by some of the comments, there is desperation in the Albanian camp as it is becoming clearer how many countries are opposed to Kosovo independence.

Nikshala, without demeaning the deaths of around 7000 people, it was the KLA who were the aggressors and who should take full responsibility for the war in Kosovo. Serbia was responding to an armed terrorist threat in it's own backyard, like any other country would.

And Hamid Karzai - Spain isn't in Brussels with a begging bowl. It's a result of the way the Eu is set up. If you don't know basic matters about Europe, then maybe you shouldn't enter Europe.

I seem to recall Ahmet that the Spanish 2004 elections effectively told the US to "stick it", with the election of Zapatero.

If you want to look at a country that says "how high" when the US says "jump", look no further than Pristina.

However you are right about the "Uncle" part. The EU is increasingly saying "Uncle" to US foreign policy, for good or for ill.

Hamid, your response is typical of an Albanian nationalist with little to reply to: 's opinion is irrelevant and meaningless to us Albanians". I'm surprised you put Spain even below that of Serbia! So you want to get into the EU as an independent state, but as of now, the following EU countries are irrelevant: Spain, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria, Austria. Interesting. I wonder how that bravado would stand up if the US wavers on its so-far unwavering stance towards Pristina.

ahmet isufi,

You are mistaken the Spanish are not weak to bullying and they will always be against Kosovo independence just like 70% of the world see list below:

Spain, Brazil and most of South America. Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Norway and most of the Nordic countries, China, Indonesia, China and most Asian countries including Turkey (Yes Turkey too! they have their own reasons) and finally Russia. This my friend is 70% of the world and if I were you I would not count on Italy, Germany France, or any of the Former Yugoslav states because when push comes to shove they will not back America just as they did not in Iraq.

Is Uncle Sam going to tell 70% of the world to Jump now? And are they going to ask how high Uncle? I think not, its an Albanian fantasy that's been going on since last year. Weren't you the guy here in 2006 who kept say independence in just a few weeks? I can see you're are still saying the same thing. Time to get real.

Guys just wait and see until the 10th of December. Kosova independence from Serbia has no realistic alternative.

Gjon,
Albania in EU year 2010???!??!
This was the funniest thing I read here in a long time!

You have a long long way to go before EU membership. Remember that Albania insn't doing so well economicly considering that you have had over 10 years of "democracy" or non-communism.
Why haven't Albanias economy developed despite this when every other coutry in the region has? Even serbias economy is miles ahead albanias, and serbia has had many years of sanctions and war.
(Srboslav, 14. September 2007 12:25)

Srboslav, what you are talking about is just a propaganda remaining from Slobo time. According to CIA World factbook, Albania's gdp per capita is higher than Serbias (Serbia around 4.500 USD, Albania around 6.000 USD).
Our life expectancy is 77.5 years, yours is 75 years (it means our life quality is better).Your population under poverty line is higher. And all the economic indexes show you are in regress and we in progress.
Albania is having the fastest economic growth in the Balkans (over 6% per year), Serbia barely arrives at 3%. Albania has billions of income from turism and immigration. Serbia not, because after Montenegro independence Serbia is landlocked. Albania has the largest portual facilities in the east Adriatic. Albania has the youngest and the most dynamic population in EU. Albania sends more than 10.000 young students in western world each year. And, for your info, Albania is doing much better after a much heavier communist regime. Our speed is 100 km/h, yours 10km/h. On the other hand we have not issues with war criminals, or a background of agressions towards neighbour countries. We don't have also any disputed territory, we don't have any unit of our territory which would slow down or even block our progress to EU, with refusal of accepting our regime or our state authority. If Albania has a long long way to join EU, Serbia has a long, long, long, long, long way. Next year we join NATO. And after that, EU is just a matter of months. You should settle first you ethnic problems (after Kosovo is Vojvodina, Sandjak and Banatia in the waiting list). You should get rid of your numerous war criminals. And after completing all this homework, you will come and knock to our door (the EU one), begging for entry.
The illusion of Serbia as an economic superpower in the Balkans is just a dream of the Yugoslavian era. Now you are just a small and impoverished country, with no resources and no hopes, which the only way to remain in the center of attention has to argue about lost causes. If you think I am kiddin about albanian eu admission, wait and see.

open word towards all readers of this article and it´s comments:

just take a look on the albanian comments here!

do you see the pattern? as soon as something is not going their way, they start accusing Serbs, or Serbia for all the worst in the world!

you´ll cool down in a few years you won´t even admit, that you were writing such a nonsense here...while you will be living within Serbia..

Nikshala - innocent civilians - i agree with you there.

hundreds of thousands of civilians "forced" out of Kosovo - factually incorrect. Again, you can thank the KLA for that. They told the Albanian population to leave Kosovo, not the Serbian army. That's more Albanian propaganda on a par with the "hundreds of thousands" of supposed Albanians being slaughtered by the bloodthirsty Serbs, which was used as justification to bomb Serbia. Wonder where the "hundreds of thousands" came from? - the KLA.

Nikshala, it did not happen that way in 1999. Albanians fled to safer zones because of NATO bombs and the harsh whip of the KLA - to make the "Humanitarian Crisis" appear greater than it really was. The Albans quickly returned to the province of Kosovo. On the other hand, the Albans ehnically ceansed 100' of thousands of non-Alban minorities - who never returned to their ancestral homes. Who are the real cleansers, Nick? That is what the Spanish paper is talking about. Comprende? You can keep singing the same 1999 tune all you want, the majority of the world has learned the truth.

Gjon,

in response to comment #19, I take it you don't wish to be part of the EU when the Serbia is admitted?

EA,

Why no alternatve?
Why Acheh (part of Indonesia) should be happy with autonomy and the Kosovars should have it all?

Is there an alternative for independence of Tibet or Kurdistan.

AGAIN: WHY SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR KOSOVO?

The Albanias here look so selfish to me. It looks like you care more for yourself then for the other one... In one word: SELFISH!

Nikshala, it is because we are in the 21st century, that commentators like me know better than to buy the lies that pro-Albanian separatists have tried to sell as to what actually happened in Kosovo in 1999. That includes the largest fabricators, the US State Dept. These is a thing called the internet today, where we can see thousands of accounts as to what was really going on in the Balkans in '99. You may have been afraid of the Serbs and left your home but, the vast majority left due to NATO Bombs falling all around them. I would have run with my children, regardless of who's bombs were falling. Why are there several million refugees from Iraq today? Is it because the US is there to help them or, to escape bombs and bullets - regardless if they are Muslim or American. So please, stop the crying about ethnic cleansing, Serbs are the ones that were cleansed from their homes, not the Albanians. Be honest. Have more Serbs or Albanians been permanently been driven from their ancestral homes in Kosovo? It's the 21st century, lies will be exposed.

# open word towards all readers of this article and it´s comments:

just take a look on the serb comments here!

do you see the pattern? as soon as something is not going their way, they start accusing albanians, or Albania for all the worst in the world!