Koštunica gives strongly-worded Statehood Day speech

Very good speech. Spot on.
PM Kostunica realises that strength and unity is the key here in dealing with the issue of Kosovo.

His speech shows up the hypocrisy of the stance of the major Western powers on the issue of Kosovo.

David Crowley

Mr.Kostunica has forgotten or he is intentionally ignoring the fact that the in the battle of Kosova in 1389 Balkan alliance fought against Ottoman Empire. On the Ottoman side were also Bulgarians and Serbs fighting too, while in Balkan alliance side where Albanians, Serbs, Hungarian etc. There are plenty of facts that tell that Balkan alliance was not Serbian alliance but Serbs have made that battle into it own myth. I remember that Milosevic had a similar speech in 1989 in Gazimestan after which he started destruction of Serbia.

To Kosovo!

Actions always speak louder than words. Prime Minister Kostunica, President Tadic and our Patriarch Pavle must recognize the essential difference between the inspiring example of brave WWI King Peter who stayed WITH his men in their Golgotha across Albania to emerge as the victor of the war, and the instructive example of the foreign-influenced, naive King Peter II, who spent WWII far away in "friendly" England only to lose his kingdom.

If Serbia's leaders move to go, stay, and live in Kosovo regardless of any "KosovA" declaration, they will inspire every Serb now there to remain and many others, including me, to come to Kosovo. It was like this that Joan of Arc (Jovanka Orleanka) inspired and saved France, which was in a much worse predicament than Serbia today. But if Serbia's leaders stay in Belgrade and tell the defenseless Serbs in Kosovo "you stay THERE, trust us, we are supporting you from HERE," they have much less chance of succeeding.

A single, clear message must reach the ears of those in power: Lead from the front, not the rear, and your nation will follow you proudly and without fear of betrayal.

Neither the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) nor the planned illegal EU police mission have any authority to physically eject Serbs from Kosovo, because doing so would explicitly violate Security Council Resolution 1244. Their only strategy therefore is to pray for a repeat of the Serbian exodus from Krajina... once the Serbs are gone, they are convinced that the "problem" will be gone forever. Most people, Serbs included, will normally flee from apparent mortal danger unless they are inspired to stand firm by wise and brave leaders. History is rich with the proofs that, when bravely led by even one man at the right place and the right time, any nation can rise up and win any battle.

A further failure by Serb leaders to lead by example would only serve agents of defeat seeking to undermine from within our immortal bond to Kosovo. Just as the saying goes, "possession is nine tenths of the law" -- the physical presence in Kosovo of Serbia's national leaders is the key to winning this struggle for survival. It is both our most effective and our most peaceful possible defense.

But only if this cry for leadership spreads among our nation, amplified by the media and the Internet, can we succeed. This national appeal must come to our Serbian leaders not from any one individual, but simultaneously, from all sides, from the entire people, from the beating heart of every living Serb, reasserting the eternal rights won by our martyr Lazar and all our other heroes who have given their lives for the Serbian heartland of Kosovo...

Summoned by our entire nation and protected by our God of justice (Boze pravde), our leaders need merely to arrive and stay in Kosovo in order to checkmate the illegal, immoral and ultimately doomed effort to amputate the heart of the Serbian people.

This appeal to our Serbian leaders must find its way to them through every possible channel...

Spread the call: To Kosovo!

John Bosnitch

Bravo VOJO!!!

SiriusBlack,

Just explain in what way Kosovo battle was humiliation??? That battle was far from humiliation, it was a battle of pride and love for the country, resistance to oppression. That battle is a witness of a bravery and honour. If the battle was lost the war certainly wasn’t. It lasted for centuries and Serbia won that war against Ottomans. Serbia has nothing in its long history to be ashamed of. Not a one moment of our history was humiliation. Do you suggest that we should forget 1389 and Kosovo battle just because we were defeated. If you think like that then it is wrong judgment because those Serbs who lost their lives lost it for Serbia and our country should be grateful to them. Kosovo battle was the deadliest battle for Serbs and Serbs do not celebrate that day as a victory of battle but as commemoration and tribute to the victims. That battle should be in the mind of every Serb. Only those who do not appreciate its country’s history and its ancestors can say something like that. But it is just unfortunate for them, not for me. You are truly sad person when you can state something like that.

Olf,

Just try to remember that Albanians were not involved in Kosovo battle. Your falsification of the history is truly amazing. I understand that you are maybe ashamed of not taking part in that battle but sided with Ottomans, however that is not good enough reason to falsify the historical facts. Yes, I heard that Milos Oblic was actually an Albanian and his name was Kobiliqi. Oh dear God!


As for our PM Vojislav Kostunica, what else to say but to thank him for wonderful speech he gave today. I am very happy of having him as a prime minister of Serbia. Happy statehood to my dear Serbs where every they live.

Fantastic speech.Serbia should be thankful for the brave leadership of Kostunica. Serbs should not sell their soul for the EU.

“The Battle of Kosovo in June 1389 saw the Serbian mediaeval empire suffer a heroic and costly loss, to in decades to come succumb to a Turkish invasion that engulfed much of the Balkans.”

All the Empires had their rise and their loss. Why Serbian Empire should be different? No one in the world claim the Roman Empire should be re-established as Serbian want to re-establish their medieval Serbian Empire.
By the way it is medieval and not mediaeval.
_________________________________
"As long as there are Serb holy places in Kosovo, as long as there are those who light candles in them, cross themselves, those who born and those who die there, there must not be a Serb who will recognize a violent and illegal partition of Serbia," the premier warned.

Why you Mr. PM are not saying the same think for holy places in Patrah Greece where you borders of your medieval Empire were?
Doesn’t that saying come back and bite you because “As long as there are Illyrian holy places in Beograd and Nish, as long a s there are those who pray to return to their own grand grand parents land, those who born and those who die there (even those that are mass-murdered in mass-graves, there is no rest for Serb and there is no Illyrian will recognize a violent and illegal medieval Serbian Empire.

SiriusBlack,
The battle in 1389, which you suggest is a 'humiliation', is actually the pride of every Serb. Let me explain that to you and others who clearly don't understand.
You see, Serbs chose death over surrender, they chose a heavenly kingdom instead of an earthly kingdom. Serbs did not give in and let themselves be islamicized, like albanians and others did, they kept their pride and they kept their faith and culture. Serbs are the guardians of the gate to Christendom, and instead of being grateful, Europe is spitting on them.
Shame indeed, shame on Europe! Serbs have absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to be ashamed of in their history. They have always been on the side truth and justice.
Do you now get it?
Cheers!

bmrusila,

"Serbia has nothing in its long history to be ashamed of. Not a one moment of our history was humiliation."

Not one moment in all of Serbian history? I would consider it humiliating for my country, if it had been run by a dictator into a series of wars and blunders, all ending in defeats, brading the country with images reminiscent from the dark middle ages. And all that in just during the 90's.

You don't think Serbia was humiliated by NATO bombing, or by this illegal robbing of Kosovo which is very much going on?

Be proud of your country, but for Heavens sake, try to acknowledge its faults, also. Ignorance, one way or the other, leads nowhere.

B92,

No need to apologize. If the only thing I'm complaining about is a few typos, you're doing a great job :)

Olf, we don't agree on a lot of things, but you're right on the dot with the history of the Battle of Kosovo. Yes Serbs fought against the Turks, but they fought alongside Bosnians, Hungarian, Italians, Vlachs, and yes, Albanians. Meanwhile the opposing side consisted of Turks and conscripted Greeks, Bulgarians, and some Serbs. It was a multiethnic war on both sides.

Plus, the Battle was neither a victory, nor a defeat. It was a stalemate; but a stalemate that the Ottomans could have absorbed (even with the death of their sultan) more than the Serbs.

Let's also not forget that even though Lazar lost his life that day, life went on for the Serbian kingdom. His son Stefan Lazarevic continued to rule parts of Serbia, was a contemporary of Vlad Dracul, and was a member of the Order of the Dragon.

All of this is fully written in Byzantine history accounts, and it is only later that the Battle became shaped into an epic struggle of Serbs on one side and Turks on the other. The Battle is an undeniable event in Serbian history, but it is a history that is shared - or should be shared - with other ethnicities.

BRAVO
Serbia's Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica is defending Serbia's sovereign territory and protecting Serbia's citizens. This is his obligation, first and last.
Kosovo is Serbia and no group of bandits and separatists, wherever they come from and under whose flag they fly can steal or destroy that which is Serbia.
Ethnic-Albanians living in Kosovo and Metohija really do need to return to dialogue with Belgrade.
Civilization will not survive on illegality and theft, no matter how bully-big you think you are!
p.s. A BIG THUMBS DOWN TO GEORGE SOROS and his crony media mates.

Stuart,
if you read extensively and carefully all accounts what happened in former SFRJ,
(and put aside for a while official version Western media, which created highly fabricated and politicized
picture of what happened), you will see quite clearly that for example Srebrenica and many victims and Bosnia could have been avoided, quite possibly, if it wasn't for meddling of Germany - after that seconded by US into the breakup of SFRJ. The breakup of SFRJ was the least in interest of Serbs...As I said - you should know the whole picture - before passing the judgment based on single isolated tragedy. Otherwise - your judgment of what happened and where the justice is and where it stops - is simply not adequate....

There will be many dignitaries from Serbia and Montenegro with Kosovo Serbs during the next few days.
Like our brave PM said, as long as there is one Serb in Kosovo the province will remain a part of Serbia.

We Serbs are very proud of our ancestors. In The Battle for Kosovo they stood up in front of the biggest force of that time Ottoman Turks to defend their Kosovo. Whats more, they never converted to Moslems and remained Christians despite the hardships they went through.

SiriusBlack,

When I said war that lasted for centuries I certainly did not have Kosovo battle in mind lated for that long but the entire occupation by the Turks. It was one hell of a long war against them. That war including Kosovo battle and entire Serbian history is certainly not any myth nor legend but the absolute and painful reality. Unlike Albanians, Serbs do not spread myths over here about being decedents of some extinct nations but handle the facts. Calling you sad person I did not have any intentions of insulting you as I personally do not see this as an insult. However, if I did insult you and caused you any emotional pain please accepts my apology.

To the others,

I see that my post triggered some reactions, therefore I will just briefly say that you can deny historical facts as much as you like and if that makes you feel better then it is ok with me as I used to it. For the one who recommended me to read history not written by the Serbs I just say that no one can handle better Serbian history than Serbs themselves. However, I do have a sufficient knowledge on Serbian history and do not praise around pretending to know the history of entire world as some posters here do. I hope sometimes in future to base your arguments on facts without reading to much wikipedia and once again Milosevic seems to be used again as an excuse for all the Albanian failure.

This type of language has its following as evidence by some posts here. Unfortunately for Serbia it proves the often repeated point that Serbia is not even remotely interested in the people of Kosovo but in its self-serving crusader-like pride. Has it ever occurred to you guys that a lot of European countries might have been alienated because of such language and attitude?

I often wonder whether Serbian politicians are incapable of not mentioning the humiliation which was the battle of Kosovo of 1389. I would understand why they do that if the army that fought the ottomans had won the battle, but they lost, badly!!! It seams to me that whenever there is a crisis they go back to the usual rhetoric and give empty speeches to those who will listen to them, mainly the army and state dignitaries and such.

Sad. Really sad.

Great speech, though a little spotty reporting here and there:

1. "He was addressing top state and army officials in historic Orahovac, central Serbia, during the Statehood and Army Day celebrations there Friday."

Really? Orahovac? Or do you mean Orašac? I mean it would have been incredibly cool if Vojo, the Karadjordjevic's, Metropolitan Atanasije, and members of the VS brass suddenly showed up in Orahovac. Talk about a firm committment to keep all Serb enclaves in Kosovo part of Serbia :)

2. "Koštunica sent out a message to all state institutions and citizens to be united in the defense of Kosovo, just as the Serbs were united in Kosovo in 1938 and in Orašac in 1804."

Don't you mean 1389?

Oh well, great speech, and it only would have been better had he pulled a William Wallace and gave a "they make take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom" ending.

Very touching! Unfortunately, full of myths and false stories that nobody, except people from Shumadia, believe in, anymore. It's just so ridiculous that even politicians to get political points use these kind of fairy tales.
Cheers.
p.s. You probably read the news from the russian news agency that Kosovo IS declaring its independence on Sunday.

Bmrusila

I use the history books of international writers not Serbian.I suggest you do the same to learn something about the battle of Kosova.Mate,free your mind form Milosevic style of thinking. Come to Kosova to se the reality please.

bmrusila
I can se that you have no grasp on history.Just repeating what Milosevic said in the 90-is.
And as for mr.Kostunicas speech...
You can't take that speeach to any international court,cuz thats just mythological evidence.You can sell that only to narrow minded serb politicians.History is writen by the wining side,but the history facts are not writen they remain there to be uncovered by historians.And those facts dont agree with your speeach!

"But this is the first time in our history that the snatchers are asking for our consent, for our approval and acceptance, for a slave-like welcome of the stealing of Kosovo – for us to sign that something that has been ours for centuries – is not ours,"
---------------------------

well it aint Kostunica..and neither is Serbia for that matter (if you really want to go down that historical road)

"while Kosovo is another name for the most valuable contribution Serbia has made to the Christian civilization."

that'll be the 800,000 ethnically cleansed Kosovars, the dozens of mass graves, the tens of thousands of destroyed houses and looted apartments between '98 and June '99, then, Vojo.

bmrusila - thank you for calling me sad. I do not understand why people have to use personal insults in order to put a point across. I would never insult you and I do not care whether you are sad or not. I can confirm that I am not sad. In fact I am a very happy man :)

Now, how is that Serbia has won a 4 century long war. Are you saying that there was this war that lasted for four centuries and somehow it has escaped the attention of the world historians? If that is what you're trying to say than I am not surprised because it just proves the well know believe that the Serbs revel in talking about wars and battles and deaths and triumphs and losses, in one word rhetorics and mythology.

As far as 1389 battle is concerned feel free to live by its glory. I a not convinced that it ever happened actually but thank god we are free to believe whatever we want. There you go.

And your point is ???. This speech is not that much of different from that of Milosevic We know you lost the battle of 1389 and you lost the battle of 1999. By the way the current Serb political elite must have problems hearing things. Remember what Thaci says when Mr. Tadic visited Kosovo last time. I quote him "This is the last time that any politician from Belgrade will come to Kosovo seeking the votes of the Serbs" So with this said the next time any Serbian government official wants to come to Kosovo first they must ask Prishtina for permission.

Mr. Kostunica grow up for god’s sake and at least lose with some dignity. Hopefully the Serbs begin to open their minds and hearts and start to look beyond obvious. If you want to join Europe you must get rid of nationalists like Mr. Kostunica. Kosovo is lost and the only way to get it back is to go to war. This is the sad reality unfortunately. Can’t Serbia produce a politician who could say lets turn the pages and make new history. Europe this time is giving Serbs a clear choice – Europe or Nationalists your choice please.

Dragan,

Looking at all the European countries in the world, particularly European ones, I really cannot think of one which does not have something in its history to be ashamed about. Before 1991, that part of former Yugoslavia which eventually became Serbia in 2006 was the same. After then, there were alot of things in places such as Srebrenica which all well-informed, right-thinking, decent, educated Serbs would be ashamed was done in their name. I don't believe the criminals who committed acts in these towns (and many others like them) had either "truth" or "justice" that you talk about on their side. Perhaps Vojo agrees with you, though.

Dear Mike,

We can only offer our apologies, and correct the typos which indeed somewhat changed the meaning of this story.

Regards,

B92

Don't worry man, you will never enter EU. At least not like this!

SiriusBlack,
The battle in 1389, which you suggest is a 'humiliation', is actually the pride of every Serb. Let me explain that to you and others who clearly don't understand.
You see, Serbs chose death over surrender, they chose a heavenly kingdom instead of an earthly kingdom. Serbs did not give in and let themselves be islamicized, like albanians and others did, they kept their pride and they kept their faith and culture. Serbs are the guardians of the gate to Christendom, and instead of being grateful, Europe is spitting on them.
Shame indeed, shame on Europe! Serbs have absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to be ashamed of in their history. They have always been on the side truth and justice.
Do you now get it?
Cheers!
(Dragan, 15 February 2008 21:30)

Very well said Dragan, this is really the core of the problem, and not just with the Kosovo status issue. Most people (practically all of the Western world) don't realise that if it wasn't for the Serbs and Greeks and other East Europeans (like Bulgaria and Romania) Europe wouldn't be Europe, it would be eur-abia. A moslem continent run by sharia law. What would that make West Europe? A bunch of Secular states? I think not. And why doesn't the west appreciate what the Serbs did in those early ages - protecting christiandom and all? Well its very simple - money and power. Western nations revolve around these things, that's why they are so prosperous. They don't care about pride or identity, they just care about money - its the Western way. They are also foolish enough to believe that Christianity and Islam can mix. People who think that obviously don't understand both religions well at all. Well I guess now comes the interesting part... who will recognise Kosovo and/if under what terms...

First off lets get one thing clear NO COUNTRY or group of PEOPLE are without shameful parts of their history. But to all of the who bring up the recent atrocities of the Bosnian war, srebrenica as an example, must realize what compelled these (serbs) to act in such a violent way. In a little conflict known as WWII between 700,000 and 1,000,000 serbs, romas, and jews were cleansed by Croats, Bosnian Muslims, and Albanians. These are facts! Five hundred plus years of oppressive Turkish rule and Slavic children carried away by the Turks to be Janissaries are facts! Tito who was half Croatian and half Slovenian purposely created states that kept one third of the Serbian population out of Serbia! That is also a fact! Fear created these unfortunate events based on recent and past histories that are only looked upon as myths and exagerations by people that know nothing of reality. A member in every generation of my family has been killed in a conflict. How many years does it take to officially go on? Have the people of Dresden or Hiroshima forgoten their dead? Should the Jews and Native Americans just move on? Why don't the Kurds just take it easy? What about the coptic christians in Egypt and the poor christians in southern Sudan? Are they just being cry babies? Until all people are treated fairly and given the same rights and privledges we will have these debates. Prime Minister Kostunica should be applauded for his resolve. Is the EU worth the price of ones soul?

“The Battle of Kosovo in June 1389 saw the Serbian mediaeval empire suffer a heroic and costly loss, to in decades to come succumb to a Turkish invasion that engulfed much of the Balkans.”

All the Empires had their rise and their loss. Why Serbian Empire should be different? No one in the world claim the Roman Empire should be re-established as Serbian want to re-establish their medieval Serbian Empire.
By the way it is medieval and not mediaeval.
_________________________________
"As long as there are Serb holy places in Kosovo, as long as there are those who light candles in them, cross themselves, those who born and those who die there, there must not be a Serb who will recognize a violent and illegal partition of Serbia," the premier warned.

Why you Mr. PM are not saying the same think for holy places in Patrah Greece where you borders of your medieval Empire were?
Doesn’t that saying come back and bite you because “As long as there are Illyrian holy places in Beograd and Nish, as long a s there are those who pray to return to their own grand grand parents land, those who born and those who die there (even those that are mass-murdered in mass-graves, there is no rest for Serb and there is no Illyrian will recognize a violent and illegal medieval Serbian Empire.

I often wonder whether Serbian politicians are incapable of not mentioning the humiliation which was the battle of Kosovo of 1389. I would understand why they do that if the army that fought the ottomans had won the battle, but they lost, badly!!! It seams to me that whenever there is a crisis they go back to the usual rhetoric and give empty speeches to those who will listen to them, mainly the army and state dignitaries and such.

Sad. Really sad.

Very touching! Unfortunately, full of myths and false stories that nobody, except people from Shumadia, believe in, anymore. It's just so ridiculous that even politicians to get political points use these kind of fairy tales.
Cheers.
p.s. You probably read the news from the russian news agency that Kosovo IS declaring its independence on Sunday.

"But this is the first time in our history that the snatchers are asking for our consent, for our approval and acceptance, for a slave-like welcome of the stealing of Kosovo – for us to sign that something that has been ours for centuries – is not ours,"
---------------------------

well it aint Kostunica..and neither is Serbia for that matter (if you really want to go down that historical road)

"while Kosovo is another name for the most valuable contribution Serbia has made to the Christian civilization."

that'll be the 800,000 ethnically cleansed Kosovars, the dozens of mass graves, the tens of thousands of destroyed houses and looted apartments between '98 and June '99, then, Vojo.

Mr.Kostunica has forgotten or he is intentionally ignoring the fact that the in the battle of Kosova in 1389 Balkan alliance fought against Ottoman Empire. On the Ottoman side were also Bulgarians and Serbs fighting too, while in Balkan alliance side where Albanians, Serbs, Hungarian etc. There are plenty of facts that tell that Balkan alliance was not Serbian alliance but Serbs have made that battle into it own myth. I remember that Milosevic had a similar speech in 1989 in Gazimestan after which he started destruction of Serbia.

This type of language has its following as evidence by some posts here. Unfortunately for Serbia it proves the often repeated point that Serbia is not even remotely interested in the people of Kosovo but in its self-serving crusader-like pride. Has it ever occurred to you guys that a lot of European countries might have been alienated because of such language and attitude?

And your point is ???. This speech is not that much of different from that of Milosevic We know you lost the battle of 1389 and you lost the battle of 1999. By the way the current Serb political elite must have problems hearing things. Remember what Thaci says when Mr. Tadic visited Kosovo last time. I quote him "This is the last time that any politician from Belgrade will come to Kosovo seeking the votes of the Serbs" So with this said the next time any Serbian government official wants to come to Kosovo first they must ask Prishtina for permission.

Mr. Kostunica grow up for god’s sake and at least lose with some dignity. Hopefully the Serbs begin to open their minds and hearts and start to look beyond obvious. If you want to join Europe you must get rid of nationalists like Mr. Kostunica. Kosovo is lost and the only way to get it back is to go to war. This is the sad reality unfortunately. Can’t Serbia produce a politician who could say lets turn the pages and make new history. Europe this time is giving Serbs a clear choice – Europe or Nationalists your choice please.

Bmrusila

I use the history books of international writers not Serbian.I suggest you do the same to learn something about the battle of Kosova.Mate,free your mind form Milosevic style of thinking. Come to Kosova to se the reality please.

Dragan,

Looking at all the European countries in the world, particularly European ones, I really cannot think of one which does not have something in its history to be ashamed about. Before 1991, that part of former Yugoslavia which eventually became Serbia in 2006 was the same. After then, there were alot of things in places such as Srebrenica which all well-informed, right-thinking, decent, educated Serbs would be ashamed was done in their name. I don't believe the criminals who committed acts in these towns (and many others like them) had either "truth" or "justice" that you talk about on their side. Perhaps Vojo agrees with you, though.

bmrusila - thank you for calling me sad. I do not understand why people have to use personal insults in order to put a point across. I would never insult you and I do not care whether you are sad or not. I can confirm that I am not sad. In fact I am a very happy man :)

Now, how is that Serbia has won a 4 century long war. Are you saying that there was this war that lasted for four centuries and somehow it has escaped the attention of the world historians? If that is what you're trying to say than I am not surprised because it just proves the well know believe that the Serbs revel in talking about wars and battles and deaths and triumphs and losses, in one word rhetorics and mythology.

As far as 1389 battle is concerned feel free to live by its glory. I a not convinced that it ever happened actually but thank god we are free to believe whatever we want. There you go.

bmrusila,

"Serbia has nothing in its long history to be ashamed of. Not a one moment of our history was humiliation."

Not one moment in all of Serbian history? I would consider it humiliating for my country, if it had been run by a dictator into a series of wars and blunders, all ending in defeats, brading the country with images reminiscent from the dark middle ages. And all that in just during the 90's.

You don't think Serbia was humiliated by NATO bombing, or by this illegal robbing of Kosovo which is very much going on?

Be proud of your country, but for Heavens sake, try to acknowledge its faults, also. Ignorance, one way or the other, leads nowhere.

Don't worry man, you will never enter EU. At least not like this!

bmrusila
I can se that you have no grasp on history.Just repeating what Milosevic said in the 90-is.
And as for mr.Kostunicas speech...
You can't take that speeach to any international court,cuz thats just mythological evidence.You can sell that only to narrow minded serb politicians.History is writen by the wining side,but the history facts are not writen they remain there to be uncovered by historians.And those facts dont agree with your speeach!

To Kosovo!

Actions always speak louder than words. Prime Minister Kostunica, President Tadic and our Patriarch Pavle must recognize the essential difference between the inspiring example of brave WWI King Peter who stayed WITH his men in their Golgotha across Albania to emerge as the victor of the war, and the instructive example of the foreign-influenced, naive King Peter II, who spent WWII far away in "friendly" England only to lose his kingdom.

If Serbia's leaders move to go, stay, and live in Kosovo regardless of any "KosovA" declaration, they will inspire every Serb now there to remain and many others, including me, to come to Kosovo. It was like this that Joan of Arc (Jovanka Orleanka) inspired and saved France, which was in a much worse predicament than Serbia today. But if Serbia's leaders stay in Belgrade and tell the defenseless Serbs in Kosovo "you stay THERE, trust us, we are supporting you from HERE," they have much less chance of succeeding.

A single, clear message must reach the ears of those in power: Lead from the front, not the rear, and your nation will follow you proudly and without fear of betrayal.

Neither the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) nor the planned illegal EU police mission have any authority to physically eject Serbs from Kosovo, because doing so would explicitly violate Security Council Resolution 1244. Their only strategy therefore is to pray for a repeat of the Serbian exodus from Krajina... once the Serbs are gone, they are convinced that the "problem" will be gone forever. Most people, Serbs included, will normally flee from apparent mortal danger unless they are inspired to stand firm by wise and brave leaders. History is rich with the proofs that, when bravely led by even one man at the right place and the right time, any nation can rise up and win any battle.

A further failure by Serb leaders to lead by example would only serve agents of defeat seeking to undermine from within our immortal bond to Kosovo. Just as the saying goes, "possession is nine tenths of the law" -- the physical presence in Kosovo of Serbia's national leaders is the key to winning this struggle for survival. It is both our most effective and our most peaceful possible defense.

But only if this cry for leadership spreads among our nation, amplified by the media and the Internet, can we succeed. This national appeal must come to our Serbian leaders not from any one individual, but simultaneously, from all sides, from the entire people, from the beating heart of every living Serb, reasserting the eternal rights won by our martyr Lazar and all our other heroes who have given their lives for the Serbian heartland of Kosovo...

Summoned by our entire nation and protected by our God of justice (Boze pravde), our leaders need merely to arrive and stay in Kosovo in order to checkmate the illegal, immoral and ultimately doomed effort to amputate the heart of the Serbian people.

This appeal to our Serbian leaders must find its way to them through every possible channel...

Spread the call: To Kosovo!

John Bosnitch

SiriusBlack,

When I said war that lasted for centuries I certainly did not have Kosovo battle in mind lated for that long but the entire occupation by the Turks. It was one hell of a long war against them. That war including Kosovo battle and entire Serbian history is certainly not any myth nor legend but the absolute and painful reality. Unlike Albanians, Serbs do not spread myths over here about being decedents of some extinct nations but handle the facts. Calling you sad person I did not have any intentions of insulting you as I personally do not see this as an insult. However, if I did insult you and caused you any emotional pain please accepts my apology.

To the others,

I see that my post triggered some reactions, therefore I will just briefly say that you can deny historical facts as much as you like and if that makes you feel better then it is ok with me as I used to it. For the one who recommended me to read history not written by the Serbs I just say that no one can handle better Serbian history than Serbs themselves. However, I do have a sufficient knowledge on Serbian history and do not praise around pretending to know the history of entire world as some posters here do. I hope sometimes in future to base your arguments on facts without reading to much wikipedia and once again Milosevic seems to be used again as an excuse for all the Albanian failure.

Great speech, though a little spotty reporting here and there:

1. "He was addressing top state and army officials in historic Orahovac, central Serbia, during the Statehood and Army Day celebrations there Friday."

Really? Orahovac? Or do you mean Orašac? I mean it would have been incredibly cool if Vojo, the Karadjordjevic's, Metropolitan Atanasije, and members of the VS brass suddenly showed up in Orahovac. Talk about a firm committment to keep all Serb enclaves in Kosovo part of Serbia :)

2. "Koštunica sent out a message to all state institutions and citizens to be united in the defense of Kosovo, just as the Serbs were united in Kosovo in 1938 and in Orašac in 1804."

Don't you mean 1389?

Oh well, great speech, and it only would have been better had he pulled a William Wallace and gave a "they make take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom" ending.

SiriusBlack,

Just explain in what way Kosovo battle was humiliation??? That battle was far from humiliation, it was a battle of pride and love for the country, resistance to oppression. That battle is a witness of a bravery and honour. If the battle was lost the war certainly wasn’t. It lasted for centuries and Serbia won that war against Ottomans. Serbia has nothing in its long history to be ashamed of. Not a one moment of our history was humiliation. Do you suggest that we should forget 1389 and Kosovo battle just because we were defeated. If you think like that then it is wrong judgment because those Serbs who lost their lives lost it for Serbia and our country should be grateful to them. Kosovo battle was the deadliest battle for Serbs and Serbs do not celebrate that day as a victory of battle but as commemoration and tribute to the victims. That battle should be in the mind of every Serb. Only those who do not appreciate its country’s history and its ancestors can say something like that. But it is just unfortunate for them, not for me. You are truly sad person when you can state something like that.

Olf,

Just try to remember that Albanians were not involved in Kosovo battle. Your falsification of the history is truly amazing. I understand that you are maybe ashamed of not taking part in that battle but sided with Ottomans, however that is not good enough reason to falsify the historical facts. Yes, I heard that Milos Oblic was actually an Albanian and his name was Kobiliqi. Oh dear God!


As for our PM Vojislav Kostunica, what else to say but to thank him for wonderful speech he gave today. I am very happy of having him as a prime minister of Serbia. Happy statehood to my dear Serbs where every they live.

Dear Mike,

We can only offer our apologies, and correct the typos which indeed somewhat changed the meaning of this story.

Regards,

B92

Bravo VOJO!!!

Fantastic speech.Serbia should be thankful for the brave leadership of Kostunica. Serbs should not sell their soul for the EU.

SiriusBlack,
The battle in 1389, which you suggest is a 'humiliation', is actually the pride of every Serb. Let me explain that to you and others who clearly don't understand.
You see, Serbs chose death over surrender, they chose a heavenly kingdom instead of an earthly kingdom. Serbs did not give in and let themselves be islamicized, like albanians and others did, they kept their pride and they kept their faith and culture. Serbs are the guardians of the gate to Christendom, and instead of being grateful, Europe is spitting on them.
Shame indeed, shame on Europe! Serbs have absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to be ashamed of in their history. They have always been on the side truth and justice.
Do you now get it?
Cheers!

BRAVO
Serbia's Prime Minister, Vojislav Kostunica is defending Serbia's sovereign territory and protecting Serbia's citizens. This is his obligation, first and last.
Kosovo is Serbia and no group of bandits and separatists, wherever they come from and under whose flag they fly can steal or destroy that which is Serbia.
Ethnic-Albanians living in Kosovo and Metohija really do need to return to dialogue with Belgrade.
Civilization will not survive on illegality and theft, no matter how bully-big you think you are!
p.s. A BIG THUMBS DOWN TO GEORGE SOROS and his crony media mates.

Stuart,
if you read extensively and carefully all accounts what happened in former SFRJ,
(and put aside for a while official version Western media, which created highly fabricated and politicized
picture of what happened), you will see quite clearly that for example Srebrenica and many victims and Bosnia could have been avoided, quite possibly, if it wasn't for meddling of Germany - after that seconded by US into the breakup of SFRJ. The breakup of SFRJ was the least in interest of Serbs...As I said - you should know the whole picture - before passing the judgment based on single isolated tragedy. Otherwise - your judgment of what happened and where the justice is and where it stops - is simply not adequate....

SiriusBlack,
The battle in 1389, which you suggest is a 'humiliation', is actually the pride of every Serb. Let me explain that to you and others who clearly don't understand.
You see, Serbs chose death over surrender, they chose a heavenly kingdom instead of an earthly kingdom. Serbs did not give in and let themselves be islamicized, like albanians and others did, they kept their pride and they kept their faith and culture. Serbs are the guardians of the gate to Christendom, and instead of being grateful, Europe is spitting on them.
Shame indeed, shame on Europe! Serbs have absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING, to be ashamed of in their history. They have always been on the side truth and justice.
Do you now get it?
Cheers!
(Dragan, 15 February 2008 21:30)

Very well said Dragan, this is really the core of the problem, and not just with the Kosovo status issue. Most people (practically all of the Western world) don't realise that if it wasn't for the Serbs and Greeks and other East Europeans (like Bulgaria and Romania) Europe wouldn't be Europe, it would be eur-abia. A moslem continent run by sharia law. What would that make West Europe? A bunch of Secular states? I think not. And why doesn't the west appreciate what the Serbs did in those early ages - protecting christiandom and all? Well its very simple - money and power. Western nations revolve around these things, that's why they are so prosperous. They don't care about pride or identity, they just care about money - its the Western way. They are also foolish enough to believe that Christianity and Islam can mix. People who think that obviously don't understand both religions well at all. Well I guess now comes the interesting part... who will recognise Kosovo and/if under what terms...

First off lets get one thing clear NO COUNTRY or group of PEOPLE are without shameful parts of their history. But to all of the who bring up the recent atrocities of the Bosnian war, srebrenica as an example, must realize what compelled these (serbs) to act in such a violent way. In a little conflict known as WWII between 700,000 and 1,000,000 serbs, romas, and jews were cleansed by Croats, Bosnian Muslims, and Albanians. These are facts! Five hundred plus years of oppressive Turkish rule and Slavic children carried away by the Turks to be Janissaries are facts! Tito who was half Croatian and half Slovenian purposely created states that kept one third of the Serbian population out of Serbia! That is also a fact! Fear created these unfortunate events based on recent and past histories that are only looked upon as myths and exagerations by people that know nothing of reality. A member in every generation of my family has been killed in a conflict. How many years does it take to officially go on? Have the people of Dresden or Hiroshima forgoten their dead? Should the Jews and Native Americans just move on? Why don't the Kurds just take it easy? What about the coptic christians in Egypt and the poor christians in southern Sudan? Are they just being cry babies? Until all people are treated fairly and given the same rights and privledges we will have these debates. Prime Minister Kostunica should be applauded for his resolve. Is the EU worth the price of ones soul?

Very good speech. Spot on.
PM Kostunica realises that strength and unity is the key here in dealing with the issue of Kosovo.

His speech shows up the hypocrisy of the stance of the major Western powers on the issue of Kosovo.

David Crowley

B92,

No need to apologize. If the only thing I'm complaining about is a few typos, you're doing a great job :)

Olf, we don't agree on a lot of things, but you're right on the dot with the history of the Battle of Kosovo. Yes Serbs fought against the Turks, but they fought alongside Bosnians, Hungarian, Italians, Vlachs, and yes, Albanians. Meanwhile the opposing side consisted of Turks and conscripted Greeks, Bulgarians, and some Serbs. It was a multiethnic war on both sides.

Plus, the Battle was neither a victory, nor a defeat. It was a stalemate; but a stalemate that the Ottomans could have absorbed (even with the death of their sultan) more than the Serbs.

Let's also not forget that even though Lazar lost his life that day, life went on for the Serbian kingdom. His son Stefan Lazarevic continued to rule parts of Serbia, was a contemporary of Vlad Dracul, and was a member of the Order of the Dragon.

All of this is fully written in Byzantine history accounts, and it is only later that the Battle became shaped into an epic struggle of Serbs on one side and Turks on the other. The Battle is an undeniable event in Serbian history, but it is a history that is shared - or should be shared - with other ethnicities.

There will be many dignitaries from Serbia and Montenegro with Kosovo Serbs during the next few days.
Like our brave PM said, as long as there is one Serb in Kosovo the province will remain a part of Serbia.

We Serbs are very proud of our ancestors. In The Battle for Kosovo they stood up in front of the biggest force of that time Ottoman Turks to defend their Kosovo. Whats more, they never converted to Moslems and remained Christians despite the hardships they went through.