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There Are 83 Responses So Far. »

1. 1 Comment by S. on 22 August 2007:

   Dr. Ttrifkovic is one of the best Chronicles’ writers. He has not only knowledge but also integrity. Excellent work Dr. Trifkovic! Bush administration should read your columns and act upon your suggestions in search for the Kosovo solution.

2. 2 Comment by Srdja Trifkovic on 22 August 2007:

   “The Kosovo Solution” may be elusive per se; the quest for one is in more ways than one the quest for an alternative to a foreign policy that is surreally postmodern and deeply detrimental to the American Interest and to the people of this country. I’ve been devoting so much attention to it lately not because I am a Serb by birth (which I am), and not because I take a dim view of the Albanians’ capacity for civilized intercourse with their Slavic and Greek neighbors (which is all too well documented), but because I see our domestic, bipartisan automatic-pilot/juggernaut on independence as a long-term diplomatic, legal, moral and cultural disaster for the United States.

3. 3 Comment by Jimmy on 22 August 2007:

   I’m a Dutchman and I also think people are making a huge mistake in the Balkans, by stating Albanian-Kosovars are some sort of victims of Serbian oppression.
   Personally I think the NATO-attacks were a strategic blunder in the clash of civilizations by the West. We shot ourselves in the foot by antigonizing Russia and Serbia — probably the leaders thought they could appease the Islamists.
   I also think, that intellectuals made a mistake in their analysis. In Europe most intellectuals are Leftists and especially in the 90s, their heart was full of multicultural Utopian dreams. They sympathised with supposedly brave Kosovars rebels, who fought against the nationalistic fascist Serbs. Boy were they wrong! Most rebels were Jihadi’s or Albanian nationalist thugs who were intolerant themselves.
   Milosovic was scum, but the Serbs were and are brave people. The Serbs just wanted to hang on to their province — like the US wants to hang on to California or France to Corsica.
   Our Leftist intellectuals took the wrong side — but hey, what else is new!

4. 4 Comment by James Butler on 22 August 2007:

   Mr. Trifkovic: Not to change the subject too much, but can you recommend a book that covers the history of the Balkans and puts the post-Clinton era, if you will, into perspective?
   PS. I am a big fan of your Sword of the Prophet. If you have written a book on the above subject I have missed it.

5. 5 Comment by Srdja Trifkovic on 22 August 2007:

   There are about a dozen good titles amidst an ocean of rubbish, but for the recent jihadist-related work please check out:

   “Unholy Terror: Bosnia, Al-Qa’ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad,” by John R. Schindler

   http://www.amazon.com/Unholy-Terror-Bosnia-Al-Qaida-Global/dp/0760330034/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-0864734-5159909?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187799752&sr=1-1

   Through the GWOT Leitmotif Prof. Schindler has composed a superbly comprehensive revision/demolition of the establishmentarian version of “Bosnia.”
   *********
   “The Coming Balkan Caliphate: The Threat of Radical Islam to Europe and the West,” by Christopher Deliso

   http://www.amazon.com/Coming-Balkan-Caliphate-Threat-Radical/dp/0275995259/ref=pd_bbs_2/104-0864734-5159909?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1187799752&sr=1-2

6. 6 Comment by Ronduck on 22 August 2007:

   If Europe ever gets to the point that it expels the Muslims in its territory, it might want to insist on the same policy for the Balkans. Reversing the Islamic invasion that occured almost a millenium ago (and is being repeated now) would go a long way toward winning the clash of civilizations.

7. 7 Comment by Red Phillips on 22 August 2007:

   “The change of Kosovo’s status against the will of Belgrade, in addition to being a clear violation of international law, would set a precedent potentially detrimental to U.S. interests. To enable an ethnic minority to secede from an internationally recognized state on the grounds of that minority’s numerical preponderance in a given locale would open a Pandora’s box of claims all over the world, not least among Russian speakers in the Crimea, parts of Estonia and Latvia, northern Kazakhstan, and eastern Ukraine.”

   I agree absolutely that we should mind our own business and stay out of this, but wasn’t the change of status of the Confederacy against the will of Washington?

   An ethnic minorities seceding is certainly against the interest of the modern nation state? I am puzzled why that is a problem.

8. 8 Comment by Simon Newman on 22 August 2007:

   Article from British Conservative MP on ‘our duty to support our Serbian allies’:

   http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2007/07/daniel-kawczy-1.html

9. 9 Comment by robert m. peters on 22 August 2007:

   Mr. Phillips,

   It was the Republicans (Whigs and Federalists) who broke the constitutional order. The peaceful secession of the Confederacy was an attempt to restore the old order. Also, the secession of the Confederacy was not a result of aliens using the weapon of demographics to supplant the original society and its polity, nor was the Confederacy disposed to further destabilized its neighbors with criminal and terroristic activity.

   If there is an American comparison to Kosovo, it is the relentless westward movement of the New England Puritan Unitarians (Albanians) into the once Southern allied West north of the Ohio. This is precisely the demographic shift which expanded the east-to-west migration of the cultural fault line that brought the South to secession and Lincoln to his aggression. Note, the aggressors in Kosovo are the Albanians and NATO (USA).

10. 10 Comment by Red Phillips on 22 August 2007:

    Mr. Peters: I don’t disagree that the situation over there is complicated and doesn’t lend itself to simplistic solutions, but I thought the way Mr. Trifkovic worded his concerns was problematic.
    Couldn’t the same argument against ethnic minorities be used to suppress Basque and Kurdish independence as well? And Scottish and Welsh?

11. 11 Comment by Michael Kenny on 22 August 2007:

    Very lucid analysis. I would guess the EU will use the UN here as it has so successfully done over Iran, i.e. a pretext to stall and do nothing, leaving it to the European brethern in Moscow to veto if things start to get out of hand.

    Just one small point: don’t confuse the ethnic Russians of Crimea with the Russian-speaking ethnic Ukranians of the eastern Ukraine. Being Irish (English-speaking but not ethnic English), I’m concious of such things!

    Also, may I remind Ronduck that we are speaking here of ethnic Europeans who happen to be Muslims, not immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. By definition, therefore, they could no more be “expelled” from their homeland than any other European people. Through those people, Islam has been an integral part of European civilisation for centuries and no amount of American “bullshitting” will change that reality. Moreover, Europe has made two unsuccessful attempts to get rid of the Jews, who make no claim to be ethnic Europeans, (the Holocaust and support for Israel), both with painful consequences for Europeans. As the saying goes, once bitten twice shy!

12. 12 Comment by Philip Candido on 22 August 2007:

    Also, may I remind Ronduck that we are speaking here of ethnic Europeans who happen to be Muslims, not immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. By definition, therefore, they could no more be “expelled” from their homeland than any other European people.

    That all depends. If one took Islamic Jurisprudence on subjects such as Jihad and Shar’ia, and compared it with Communist Party ideals of revolution and subversion, one could come to the conclusion that Islam needed to be treated as a political organization rather than a religion. This would be justified since Islam teaches that it is inherently both, and then Muslims could be subjected to a basic loyalty test for the good of the state. In that context, the deportation of Muslims who refused to swear off violence explicitly, regardless of their citizenship, would be a possibility.

    Although my views are with Dr. Trifkovic, I’m not necessarily advocating that per se, I’m just making the point that it could be done within the body of contemporary European legal structures. Whether that would be good or bad is another issue.

13. 13 Comment by robert m. peters on 22 August 2007:

    If Putin acts as Dr. Ttrifkovic suggests that he might, then Putin would not be bluffing; but he would be gambling. Providence might well have an ironic sense of humor and allow the 21st century to begin where He allowed the 20th century to begin. The double irony would be that Russia would be defending the tattered remnant of Christian Europe while the United States would be advancing the cause of Islam into the vacuum of post-Christian Europe.

    One supposes that even that scenario is a distorted image of the beginning of the last century. Europe, its Christianity only a rotten facade in 1914, went to war with itself. Wilson came into the fray and made the conflict an ideological one – making the world safe for democracy. The advancing cause of that day which the Americans were supporting was secular social democracy. Again, it would appear the Americans might be the willing vectors of a new pathogen to infect an ailing Europe – Islam. As dangerous as social democracy was and is, I hold Islam to be far more dangerous.

14. 14 Comment by Albiqete on 22 August 2007:

    A SENSIBLE POWER
    2– Weaker protégés to call the shots
    The analogy of France with Algeria and Serbia with Kosovo has some value but not Kosovo and its habitants with the United States of America since the local population does not in any circumstances want think about a war against Unites States of America. In contrary Albanian population is the most pro American population in the entire world. No one can challenge that. Please do not misinterpret the facts. It can be qualified as a good precedent in favor of Kosovo’s independence.
    France and De Gaulle allowed Algeria the independence with Evian Accords in March 1962 in because of the full scale war with Algerian people.

15. 15 Comment by JM Brewer on 23 August 2007:

    Dr. Trifkovic: Please respond to this work as published a the Christian Science Monitor website. It demands your stern rebuttal.

    Islamic Spain: History’s refrain
    It’s a model for interfaith ties, and a warning about religious division.
    By Alexander Kronemer

    Washington
    The past sometimes provides examples of glory and success that serve as models. Other times, as the philosopher George Santayana said, it warns of impending calamity for those who do not learn from it.

    For the past several years, I’ve been immersed in a history that does both. As one of the producers for an upcoming PBS documentary on the rise and fall of Islamic Spain, I’ve witnessed its amazing ascent and tragic fall countless times in the editing room, only to go home and watch some of the same themes playing out on the nightly news.

    Islamic Spain lasted longer than the Roman Empire. It marked a period and a place where for hundreds of years a relative religious tolerance prevailed in medieval Europe.

    A model for religious tolerance

    At its peak, it lit the Dark Ages with science and philosophy, poetry, art, and architecture. It was the period remembered as a golden age for European Jews. Breakthroughs in medicine, the introduction of the number zero, the lost philosophy of Aristotle, even the prototype for the guitar all came to Europe through Islamic Spain.

    Not until the Renaissance was so much culture produced in the West. And not until relatively recent times has there been the level of pluralism and religious tolerance that existed in Islamic Spain at its peak. Just as the vibrancy and creativity of America is rooted in the acceptance of diversity, so was it then.

    Because Islam’s prophet Muhammad founded his mission as a continuation of the Abrahamic tradition, Islamic theology gave special consideration to Jews and Christians. To be sure, there were limits to these accommodations, such as special taxes levied on religious minorities. But in the early Middle Ages, official tolerance of one religion by another was an amazingly liberal point of view. This acceptance became the basis for Islamic Spain’s genius. Indeed, it was an important reason Islam took hold there in the first place.

    When the first Muslims crossed the straits of Gibraltar into Spain, the large Jewish population there was enduring a period of oppression by the Roman Catholic Visigoths. The Jewish minorities rallied to aid the Arab Muslims as liberators, and the divided Visigoths fell.

    The conquering Arab Muslims remained a minority for many years, but they were able to govern their Catholic and Jewish citizens by a policy of inclusiveness. Even as Islam slowly grew over the centuries to be the majority religion in Spain, this spirit was largely, if not always perfectly, maintained.

    Pluralistic though it was, Islamic Spain was no democracy. After years of enlightened leadership, a succession of bad leaders caused the unified Muslim kingdom to fragment among many smaller petty kingdoms and fiefdoms.

    Though they competed and fought, the spirit of pluralism continued. Indeed, it thrived as rival kings sought the best minds in the Muslim, Christian, and Jewish worlds for their courts. This was just as true in the Christian petty kingdoms, as the Muslim ones. Christian and Muslim armies even fought alongside each other against mutual rivals of both faiths.

    It is at this point that the darker parallels to our time begin. Into the competition for land, resources, and power, some leaders on both sides began to appeal to religion to rally support for their cause. Wars became increasingly religious in nature. Into this tinderbox a match was thrown: the Crusades – the same term that many Arabs use today when referring to America’s adventure in Iraq.

    The Crusades deepened Spain’s religious divide. Minorities in both Christian and Muslim kingdoms become increasingly suspect. Persecutions, expulsions, and further warfare ensued. Nothing could stop it, not even the black plague.

    Ultimately, Christian kingdoms gained the upper hand as the Muslim kingdoms of Islamic Spain fell. Spain’s Muslims and Jews were forced to either leave or convert. This led to the rise of the Inquisition, whose purpose was to verify the loyalty of suspect converts. The expulsions and inquisitions racked Spain economically, culturally, and morally. Its power was severely compromised. The fall of pluralism in Spain was the fall of Spain itself.

    Dark parallels with today

    This fall directly links to events today and raises many of the same stakes. Though few Americans note it, one of Osama bin Laden’s justifications for the 9/11 attacks was to avenge the “tragedy” of Islamic Spain.

    So far, the post-9/11 world and the policies it has spawned seem to be heading in the same dangerous direction as witnessed before. The religious intolerance that engulfed and overwhelmed medieval Spain threatens the increasingly beleaguered pluralism of our own time.

    At its best, the history of Islamic Spain is a model for interfaith cooperation that inspires those who seek an easier relationship among the three Abrahamic faiths. At its worst, it’s a warning of what can occur when political and religious leaders divide the world. It reminds us what really happens when civilizations clash.

    • Alexander Kronemer is a writer, lecturer, and documentary producer focusing on religious diversity, Islam, and cross-cultural understanding. His film “Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain” premieres on PBS Aug. 22.

16. 16 Comment by Dutchman on 23 August 2007:

    I don’t agree with the so called religious tolerance in islamic societies. Just read the book ‘Dhimmitude’ by Bat Ye’Or or the book ‘What the Koran really says’ by Ibn Warraq.
    Christians and Jews were/are tolerated under the ‘Dhimma’ and are as peoples of the book (including later also zoroastrians and hindus) not forced to convert. This in contrast with subverted polytheists or pagans who could choose conversion or death.
    But they were/are 2nd-rate civilians (Dhimmis) and have to pay taxes (under preferably humiliating circumstances) to keep their end of the bargain to the islamic conquerors. That bargain being not being killed instantly but allowed to live secondrate lives under the superieur religion Islam.
    It actually means that as long as the muslim authorities (or masters) keep on tolerating them, nothing changes, but it is of course one-sided. It is clear who has the power to decide what happens.
    As long as the Dhimmis are and behave like Dhimmis nothing is wrong (except for the humiliations like not allowed to build new churches and frequent harassments etc.) but when Jews and Christians in particular reassert themselves as equals it becomes a big problem, because it is against the fundament of the Koran/Islam.
    Liberal Muslims can only be moderate when they ignore the fundament of their teachings. Its like being a Christian without believing that Christ is the Son of God and risen from the dead.

    In short: yes there was tolerance but it was granted by the conqueror. This tolerance could be revoked at any time by the conqueror. It’s a one-sided deal forced by the Islamic conqueror on the conquered Jews and Christians. In my opinion that is no tolerance at all.

17. 17 Comment by J. on 23 August 2007:

    I have read somewhere that there was a considerable theological disparity between Islam that was practiced in Spain and the mainstream Islam.

    For example, if I recall one detail correctly, the Spanish version did allow depicting images, as reflected in their art.

    What were the more significant differences? Does anybody here know? Thank you in advance.

18. 18 Comment by Ave on 23 August 2007:

    I couldn’t disagree more with mr. Trifkovic, for several reasons including the following:

    Mr Trifkovic is of Serbian origin and his analysis are exrtremely biased, for those who don’t know he even refered to the Srebrenica masacre as ‘Long debunked myth”. He should therefore be taken with a astrong dose of reservation

    He gives some 5 so-called principles and claims that Washington’s Kosovol policy violates all 5 principles, whose principles? Trifkovic’s?

    He further says that it is irrelevant to American interests who controls Kosova. Well it is not. It’s the principles that matter. And those principles tell US that that piece of land should be run and controlled by people who belong to it, and tha’s Albanians.
    Mr Trifkovic makes the most strange comparison between the ethnic conflict in Balkans with the ethnic diversity in US. That is not only ridiculos and incorrect, but puts into question his intellectual ability

    Serbs have taken shelter to the so-called precedent. According to them and their few supporters, if Kosova becomes independent then volcanos of ethnic conflicts will erupt accross the world, in US, Russia, Europe, Africa, and maybe in the Moon if it were populated. This is as if all ethnic groups in the world have held their breath and are waiting to see what happens in Kosova to determine whether to take their arms and fight against establishments. Nothin of the sort. All that will happen is Kosova becomes independent, able to run their lives, and control their own destiny. Period. Kurds will live their lives, Basks too, Kashmiris as well.

    Trifkovic quotes George Friedman of Stratfor : “The Russians would cut supplies if provoked. Kosovo(a) really is that big of an issue to them. if they gave in to this, all of Putin’s efforts to re-establish Russia as a great power would be undermined. Putin wants to remind Germany in particular-but also other former Soviet satelites-that thwarting Russia carries a price. If the European Union were to unilaterally act against Russian wishes…”.

    So it’s not about Kosovo, Serbia or the international law?? it’s about Russia’s revival. Everyone in Kosova and in the Balkans would have the right to say: Go to hell with Russia.

    Further down, Trifkovic gives to other options of Russia’s (re)action: a) playing her energy card and b) military action against Kosova (which is in fact against NATO troops stationed there). What peaceful options Trifkovic offers!!

    According to Trifkovic, the world risks a Third World War (military intervention against NATO troops in Kosova) because Putin wants to reasert Russia’s position in world affairs. its not then because of Albanians.

    Thanks God Trifkovic is in no position to take decisions…the world would be a living hell

19. 19 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 23 August 2007:

    18 Ave wrote:
    “..According to Trifkovic, the world risks a Third World War (military intervention against NATO troops in Kosova) because Putin wants to reasert Russia’s position in world affairs. its not then because of Albanians.”
    Eight years ago, on March 23, 1999, U.S.-led NATO forces bombed Serbia for no valid reason and against international law. Thousands of Serbs have perished in the aggressive war perpetrated on Serbia in the name of “America’s values” and on behalf of the Kosovo Albanian minority that sought independence. Since NATO troops entered Kosovo in 1999, more than 230,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians have been driven out of Kosovo and Metohia by Albanians despite the presence of the international military and police force in the region.
    Bombing Serbia, a sovereign nation, for ill-defined reasons with vague objectives undermined America’s stature in the world.
    TO SUPORT KOSOVO ALBANIANS IN THEIR CRIMINAL ENDEAVOR WAS ONE OF THE GREATEST MISTAKES OF THE CLINTON ADMINSTRATION!

20. 20 Comment by R. V. M. on 23 August 2007:

    Spain was conquered in by Arab tribes, followed by massive Berber and Arab immigration, – the conquest has been coducted jointly with some Christian dissidents (this is why Moslems keep saying that Spain was “liberated”), but it continued as a classical jihad with conversion of most churches into mosques (the mosques, also the biggest and the most famous ones, were originally churches) , pillages, enslavement and killing.

    Christians and Jews could not build new churches or synagogues or restore the old ones, they were segregated and had to wear discriminatory clothing. No wonder , the humiliating status imposed on the dhimmis and the confiscation of their land provoked many revolts, punished by massacres (mutilations, crucifixions), as in Toledo, Saragossa, Cordova, Merida etc.

    The scientific achievements were mostly on the side of recently converted Christians and Jews, seldom on the side of the Arabs and Berbers.

    Maimonides who is frequently referred to as an example of Jewish achievement said himself that Arabs molested, degraded , debased and hated Jews more than anyone else.

    The myth of the “golden age” is not at all supported by historical fact. In fact , it is very dangerous, because it enables the Arabs and Muslims to push forward their imperialistic agenda.

21. 21 Comment by Srdja Trifkovic on 23 August 2007:

    Re “Golden Age” in Al Andalus, check out:
    http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID={5BB95390-5AA5-4F74-ACD5-BCCE6E77931C}
    or
    http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/789392/posts
    or
    http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=125035

    It was as golden as a Californian salted mine cca 1851…

22. 22 Comment by R. V. M. on 23 August 2007:

    Ave wrote
    “He further says that it is irrelevant to American interests who controls Kosova. Well it is not. It’s the principles that matter. And those principles tell US that that piece of land should be run and controlled by people who belong to it, and tha’s Albanians.”

    Well it is Serbia and the Serbian nation to whom Kosovo belongs. The Albanians are intruders – most of them very recent intruders, as a matter of fact. Roughly half of the Albanians living in Kosovo are illegal emigrants.

    Because Albanians responded to Serbian generosity with violence and crimes agains Serbs and expulsions (my own family has been terrorized to the point where we simply had to leave Kosovo in 1970, – as a six years old I´ve been threatened with a knife by an Albanian, my mother was nearly beaten on the street because she wanted to save a state flag that was thrown to the mud by Albanians, ), the Albanias have lost the right to live in Kosovo at all and will have to leave this Serbian land, especially those illegal imigrants, asap they have lost the USA support and asap EU realizes it cannot afford to support this black hole of lawlessness and violence. This might take some time, indeed, possibly decades, but we have time. We´ll be back Ave.

23. 23 Comment by Arben on 23 August 2007:

    Mr.Trifkovic:

    I am shocked by the fact that a person like you who claims to be an “expert” in history tells lies simply to satisfy Serbian lobbyists in Washington. But I have to admit that your article made me better understand the ubiquitous saying: “money talks, b… s… walks.” When I first read your article, I somehow got the impression that the first 6 paragraphs were written by you, and then the rest was done by a first grader: you were contradicting yourself!

    Before I continue, let me make a summary of the five principles that you mention on your letter:

    1. A prudent power will always seek to keep open as many options as possible in its foreign-policy making
    2. Mature power will never allow its promises to foreigners to entail risks of conflict that exceed the benefits of discretion.
    3. Sensible power will not allow its weak¬er overseas protégés to call the shots.
    4. A rational power will not create new hotbeds of instability while the old ones remain unresolved.
    5. Responsible power will avoid foreign entanglements that violate its moral and cultural norms.

    I wish you had talked about these principles when Mr.Milosevic was alive during the 1990s. Or maybe you had sent a letter to him explaining these principles, but then maybe he thought these principles where senseless and he didn’t listen to you, and then he went ahead and killed thousands of innocent people all over ex-Yugoslavia. So what makes you think that your five principles will make any sense to any person of the civilized world? But I forget the fact that the Serbian lobbyists paid you to say so.

    1. If “a prudent power will always seek to keep open as many options as possible in its foreign-policy making” then you should contact Mr.Kostunica and Mr.Tadic immediately before it’s too late. They are the ones that keep saying that they would rather give up EU and NATO membership than Kosovo. It was the “prudent” President of your nation who thought that it was better to isolate Serbia from the rest of the world, and get bombed, rather than listen to the world and stop the massive killings of Albanians in Kosova. But again, maybe they haven’t read about your five principles.

    2&3. If a “mature power will never allow its promises to foreigners to entail risks of conflict that exceed the benefits of discretion” and if a “sensible power will not allow its weak¬er overseas protégés to call the shots” then how come the current Serbian government is begging Russia to support Serbia on Kosova issue, and in return Serbia will do whatever for Russia, even if it means to isolate Serbia from the rest of the world? Are you telling me that the current Serbian government is not yet mature!

    4&5. “A rational power will not create new hotbeds of instability while the old ones remain unresolved” and a “Responsible power will avoid foreign entanglements that violate its moral and cultural norms.” Tell this to the leaders and member of the “Car Lazar guard”, and maybe explain this to the Chief of the Serbian military. They are the ones who want to send troops to Kosova, to” help maintain peace in Kosova!”

    You say that: ” If Kosovo were to disappear tomorrow, no ordinary American would be able to tell the difference.” That is senseless? And if it makes any sense, then how come Serbs and Russians are so obsessed with Kosova. Is it that Serbs and Russians are not ordinary people?

    In your letter you say that ” America will not earn any brownie points among the world’s … for creating a new Muslim state in the heart of Europe.” If you are really an expert in history, than you should know that the true religion of Albanians is Albanians. Before the Ottoman Empire defeated Illyrians, all Albanians were Christians. And to this day, even though a good percentage of Albanians are “nominally” muslims, a lot Albanians are converting to Christianity. We are one of the most tolerant nation in the world when it comes to religion. Regarding the Serbian orthodox churches that were burned in Kosova, they were burned because they represented the terror of the Serbs directed toward Albanians in the 1990s. Orthodox churches were the places where most of the plans to kill Albanians were cooked. Probably you should know the fact that there hasn’t been any single non-orthodox Church burned or destroyed in Kosova. In fact, more churches are being built in Kosova now than ever. So Albanians are not muslim fundamentalists. You should know the fact that while Serbs were serving as slaves of Russians hundreds of years ago, Albanians were fighting the Ottoman Empire along with Vatican and other Christian states!

    Do you really believe that Russia, just for Serbia, will sacrifice a market of 300 million customers that consumes more gas and oil in one week than what Serbia consumes maybe in one decade? If you do, then probably you should stop studying history, and start studying Economics. Russia was rich in oil and gas even in 1998, but that didn’t stop NATO from bombing Serbian paramilitary troops in Kosova. I am sure that in this case Russia will go by one of your five principles: “a prudent power will always seek to keep open as many options as possible in its foreign-policy making.” After all, it’s Russia, right?

    In the beginning of you letter you say that: “The United States … entered the war … because Woodrow Wilson wanted to do so … not because he had to do so.” If it weren’t for the U.S.A, probably people in the Balkans would speak German now, including Serbs. And if it weren’t for the Clinton and Bush Administration, the world by now would have had a new union of states, called the UNION OF DICTATORS, which would include states like: the Germany of Hitler, the Iraq of Sadam, and the Serbia of Milosevic. Probably that’s what you Serbs would call, a prudent, mature, sensible, and rational union of powers!

    Thank You,

    Arben

24. 24 Comment by Srdja Trifkovic on 23 August 2007:

    Ah, we well-paid Serbian lobbyists… the champagne, the caviar!

25. 25 Comment by Jimmy on 23 August 2007:

    @Ave

    Please read into the Kosovo case closer. Just check the facts. You’re going to be so surprised by the amount of propaganda and lies.

    For example, about 7000 people died in the Kosovo-crisis. But during the bombing estimates were ten times higher. And these 7000 dead people were from different stock, Croats, Serbs, Muslims and Roma.

    The Serbs really were demonized in the media and by politics. Most unfairly. Their only friend was an impoverished, powerless Russia.

    Mr. Trifkovic is a brave man to lift his voice against this nonsense propaganda. If you don’t believe his word for it. Just read some stuff by Bill Lind, Justin Raimondo or Pat Buchanan, they were pretty much right on the Kosovo-conflict from the beginning. They were against NATO-intervention and for good reasons. The Serbs just wanted to hang on to their province and they have every right to do so. If they would release it, the Albanians would move into the next piece of Serbia and annex that too.

    The West made the Serbs the boogeymen of the Yugoslav atrocities. Yet, they were just as much victims in a civil war as Bosniaks, Croats and all the minorities.

    Don’t believe me, check the facts. The truth will set you free.

26. 26 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 23 August 2007:

    Yes, those Serbians who get their cut from all the prostution, drugs and persons’ trafficking and other illicit activities in Kosovo. There are those, but sooner rather than later they grow silent (DiGuardi). How does being of Serbian birth precludes a person’s brain from telling the truth or just reasoning? I fail to see that magical influence, but I’d love to know.

    I wish it was only Pandora’s box, but it’s more likely to be Pandora’s chest + trunk. There has been an online discussion at Politika (a Belgrade daily) regarding comments posted by the British Ambassador who politely suggested the Serbians should willingly abandon Kosovo. For the most part the unanimous answers were a sold NO. However, even during this (most benign international exchange) there was a Muslim voice (a Punjabi Sikh who converted to Islam, and resides in Germany) – that’s how fast this conflict can ignite contrary to Dr. Rice’s assurances given to her Russian counterpart stating that this will not constitute a precedent. Yeah right. For those of us who speak even the most modest German the Punjabi participant’s homepage states: “Unser religiöse Glaube ist Islam. Wir glauben an Allah. Wir zeugen: Allah ist der Einzige Gott (es gibt keinen Gott außer Allah) und Mohammed ist Allahs Gesandter). – Imam Mahdi als Jesus (Isa) Messias ist gekommen. – and my comment: Ja woll Herr Oberst.

    That’s in case anybody doubted the Russian’s fears that Kosovo issue may affect the balance of powers and ignite a new war. In this one single vignette there is Serbian, Albanian, Indian (Punjabi) and German presence. In my view that’s more than enough for a good size world war.

    Just as the British (Alfred Lord Tennyson) has (with no monopoly on truth) suggested that “half a truth is ever the blackest of lies”, we have some of us who are born closer to the origins of Truth and Serbians (who are born divorced from all Truth).

27. 27 Pingback by Eunomia · No Independence For Kosovo on 23 August 2007:

    [...] George W. Bush has painted himself into a tight corner in the Balkans, and he will get a bloody nose if he does not relent. That is bad news for the church-burning Albanian Muslims of Kosovo, and bad news for their heroin-financed lobby in Washington, but it is very good news for America and the civilized world. ~Srdja Trifkovic [...]

28. 28 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 23 August 2007:

    Good news? It could be. But it doesn’t have to be. The Albanian loby still commands considerable power. For the time being, there is a slight leaning towards the more damaged side (the champagne and caviar) Serbians. But that too may change real fast. Russian influence is vital but not necesserely unavoidable. Russians think of Russians, first and foremost. American decission making process has been reasonably good so far. Bush did inisist (at one time) at abolishing the International Tribunal at the Hague. With the American refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol and the Russian unilateral withdrawal by Russia from the limited military advancements. I don’t foresee Putin keeping his present day strong grip while showing weakness in Serbian issues. The Russian logistics have been summarized by Mr. Judah who claims that a possible deployment of Russian troops to Kosovo COULD be swift as much as unilateral. In spite of the many mistakes our today’s administration has made, I have some modicum of hope that the good reasoning will prevail. After all Dr. Rice is no dummy.

29. 29 Comment by jmcnulty on 23 August 2007:

    I do not understand American policy in the Balkans. Why are we empowering Muslims and bombing Christians? What good will has this brought us in the Muslim world? Isn’t Europe turning Muslim quickly enogh that we have to create a Muslim nation on the continent? I am sure than the late Mr. Bin Laden is glad for all the blue-eyed Muslims found in Bosnia. Our Transportation Security Administration, in my experience going through “security” in airports, is complete flummoxed by the idea that Muslims may come through security without being swarthy like Arabs. We are suffering from madness. If we had had this political elite in World War II, we would have lost the war, giving us something else to feel guilty about. We owe Serbian civilians an apology.

30. 30 Comment by Albiqete on 23 August 2007:

    Racism does not have any bigger horns than this
    Who gave Srdja the right to label people how he wants or is because per bad word maximum dollars articles. If the second is the case, I rest my argument. No more, question your Honor
    Our policy = I thought you Serdja are a Serb how come is United States policy yours. I am a little bit confused here. You write exalter remarks when it comes to Rice- Putin-ing and mother Russia. You yet live in USA and spoil the benefits of this country. Here it comes the RACISM
    It panders — to the aspirations of a small and primitive yet shrewdly opportunistic, polity with territorial pretension against all of her neighbors.

    As for small, there are around 7-8 million Albanians in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Turkey, Germany etcetera. Compare to almost equal number so Serbs so your argument of small is out . I am sorry Serdja but find another fallacious statement able to back it up with facts.
    As primitive goes. I have to take my hat to you madam this cracks me up I have been in Kamenica area and the Serbs I met there are as primitive as I can ever think. A bunch of drunks living with pigs.
    I think you have to get some geographical lessons of the Balkan ALBANIA IS THE ONLY STATE IN THE BALKAN SURROUNDED BY ITS POPULATION WHICH THEY SHARE THE SAME LANGUAGE, THE SAME CULTURE AND NATIONAL IDENTITY. Why they you re saying we have territorial pretension
    It is Serbia who does have territorial pretension in Croatia Bosnia even Slovenia and forget Kosovo and even Albania proper. Your nationalistic dream has been to have Shkodra and a route to the Adriatic Sea so dream on buddy.

31. 31 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 24 August 2007:

    If you meant Skadar – I have been there. There are some 12 Serbian families (from the estimated 4000 at the beginning of the 20th Century). Not a bad way of exterminating a minority, which used to be a majority. I wonder how many times have you been to Skadar? Or even the other side of the Skadarsko jezero (lake)? Never? That’s more like it. Albania is composed of Albanians. Today’s Interpol is dominated by Albanians in some 8 European countries – what does that tell you? Propensity towards crime? Serbian forgeries? Innocent Albanians being charged with crimes in a world-wide conspiracy?

32. 32 Comment by Gentian Zyberi on 24 August 2007:

    Gosh,

    What an analysis… and the principles…Mr. Trifkovic is Serb and he frankly discloses it. I’m Albanian. The names in fact disclose that for both of us. Mr. Trifkovic does not need to be paid to write such articles, as some might have suggested. It is his birth-bound duty. Even if he wanted he cannot escape the “Call”. Now he cannot pick up a gun and go finish Milosevic’s “Final solution” for Albanians…which the late Mr. Milosevic started long ago but culminated in 1998 to expel all Albanians from Kosova, which is known nowadays as “ethnic cleansing”. No, there are enough para-militaries that would love do that. Mr. Trifkovic is needed to argue the necessity of such a thing with words.

    The reactions lost a bit sight of the issue, but that’s understandable when you have people who are thinking about deportation of Muslims within the contemporary European legal structures…Jesus Christ!!! Mr. Candido, your so candid and at the same time so horrible thought could compete only with the “Final Solution” a person who shall not be named applied to the Jews of Europe. European legal structures for your information are there in place to prohibit such horrors.

    Let me say a few words about the the five principles:

    1. A prudent power will always seek to keep open as many options as possible in its foreign-policy making.

    Arben’s reaction above was right on the point from that particular aspect. I think, however, that in foreign policy making not many options are left open, even from a prudent power. The solution to a problem is usually a competition between two largely well-defined options. Now, you support one or the other (or remain neutral), but keeping open as many options as possible is non-sense. Superpowers usually have a steady course in their foreign policy. As such they leave many options to other powers to jump on board. That’s how it has been and that’s how it is.

    2. Mature power will never allow its promises to foreigners to entail risks of conflict that exceed the benefits of discretion.

    There are no risks or benefits for US in Kosova, besides for showing to the world that those who kill, rape and maim on a large scale will not be tolerated. Serbian oppression was brought to a stop only by NATO’s intervention. Do not think for a moment that Russia and US would not battle over Kosova outside the SC.

    3. Sensible power will not allow its weak¬er overseas protégés to call the shots.

    That’s true. Neither US nor Russia will allow their proteges call the shots. But one can never be sure of what happens when proteges decide to take the matter on their own hands. And that’s when sensible powers have been dragged into conflicts by other powers.

    4. A rational power will not create new hotbeds of instability while the old ones remain unresolved.

    Cannot agree more with Mr. Trifkovic. This is a golden principle. That’s why the US and the EU are trying to close this chapter on Kosova. Ahtisaari’s plan offered a very good solution to Serbs, even better than for Albanians. But US is encountering resistance from the same part that initiated all wars in the Balkans supported now by a big ally, Russia. It is clear who is beating the drums of war again…with the ‘democrat’, Mr. Kostunica, trying to steal the flag of nationalism from Seselj’s radicals. Why not? It seems to sell quite well in Serbia and a politician’s mission there is to remain in power.

    5. Responsible power will avoid foreign entanglements that violate its moral and cultural norms.

    There is nothing amoral and anti-cultural in liberating and supporting a people that has been oppressed over a century. The Kosovar Albanians drama was being unfolded and was covered by all media on those difficult days of 1998-1999. Those who have forgotten please go back and watch those horrible views which prove the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Serb military, police and para-military in Kosova against ethnic Albanians. It is on charges of those crimes that a large part of Serb leaders are facing trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

33. 33 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 24 August 2007:

    What a nice surprise, Mr. (I think it’s a male name) Gentian Zyberi, does acknowledge that there are substantial diffrences between Serbain and Albanian views – Great start. Best I’ve seen in recent years. There is one nasty little bit where I beg to differ “Albanians drama was being unfolded and was covered by all media on those difficult days of 1998-1999.” is not a well chosen starting date of the difficulties we had with the loss of Serbians, their lands, their chruches, and there might have been some “ever so slight” media manipulation, were the lobby (sans caviar and champagne) of one ethnic group was stronger and cleverly displayed its wounded, dead in front anybody’s camera lense. I had two school friends In Kosovo at that time. One was a documentary film-maker who was filming both sides (not only one as it seems to presented from your angle), the other was a certain Mr. Dimitrijevic who was dealing with the Serbian refugees – I wonder why would the Serbians be abandoning Kosovo if they were so crafty (and in a position of power – as you have stated). Somehow it doesn’t add up. Perhaps you wish to include some other activities like church burnings? How about rapes? Death threats? Shooting of children? Pantelija Dakic and Ivan Jovovic, who were murdered by Albanian terrorists on August 14 in Gorazdevac? I don’t know of a single entity that is in a position of “power” to have to abandon their homes or shoot their own children. Could it be that there were some Albanian crimes there?

34. 34 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 24 August 2007:

    For accuracy’s sake I called my friend who filmed both sides of the Kosovo tragedy and she gave me a link where the more objective newsreels can be viewed, feel free to help yourself, both sides suffered, but there is only one Oscar for best acting.

    These are her eyewitness comments “Once in an Albanian village, there would be hundreds of kids on all sides coming out of woodwork, the moment one of them noticed a tally light blinking the first few would start crying on cue, no director, no script, no editing – perfect execution of a refugee film, on the other hand, once I would enter a Serbian village I was cursed at and told to go to my “Western paymasters”, resulting in nobody wanting to even be interviewed let alone be filmed, my footage is a testament to the root canal I had in Kosovo (mobbed on one side, cursed at the other). It was my impression that the Milosevic regime has given strict orders “no contacts with foreign media” – as I was shooting footage for the Swiss Red Cross, Japanese NHK, Swiss National TV, etc. etc.

    This brave lady’s footage can be seen at http://www.sandrastojanovic.com/sandra/ENG/ENG_04_Kosovo_Refugees.htm

35. 35 Comment by Alban Ziguri on 24 August 2007:

    I have read about half the article. I stopped reading it because I had something more important to do.
    The writer of the article should have better command of history.
    Benito Mussolini never visited Albania. Victor Emanuel did. Once he set foot on Albanian soil in 1940, a brave young Albanian made an attempt on his life. Although the empror of Italy and Abissinia did not die [he was wounded], the Albanian youth showed the world that the Albanians can distinguish between friends and foes. No high ranking Nazi official came to Albania during World War II.
    As regards Soviet Russia, and Communist China, I would say that Albania’s relations with these two countries was part of the global strategy of communism. Everything was imposed from above and the people had no say. While Bush was accorded a hero’s welcome on his June visit to Albania by a people who freely and spontaneously expressed his pro-American sentiments. Nobody told them to turn out in the streets, as was the case under communism, and cheer for a foreign leader.

36. 36 Comment by EMete on 24 August 2007:

    Can you post your opinion on the following? (Strongly recommended)

    After watching the footage on “Serbian refugees” posted by I.P.,
    please watch what follows:

    http://www.alb-net.com/warcrimes-img/warcrimes.htm

    P.S. I forgot to include it in the above post.

37. 37 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 25 August 2007:

    There is a big difference between live camera shots where the film-maker is alive, easly found and a bone-fide eyewitness who never had any derogatory comments on either side except for the Milosevic policy of restraining people from talking to the media.

    Second set of still photos could have been produced at any location by use of any of a vast number of techniques and the person having submitted thiese stills to us has already discredited himself by deciding a priori that Serbians left with bloody hands – I failed to see any blood on anybody’s hands, which disqualifies all Albanian participants except Gentian Zyberi, others were visibly biased, untrue, hostile.

38. 38 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 25 August 2007:

    35Alban Ziguri

    How many times do I have to remind our friends, Albanians, that their history books are no good?

    Mussolini did visit Albania on several occasions. Here is a link to a photo of Mussolini in Albania with his military commanders directing the attack against Greece in 1940:

    After Italy conquered Albania in 1939, Mussolini did make visits to Albania. Mussolini and his foreign minister Ciano sponsored a Greater Albania that included Kosovo from 1941 to 1943, when Germany took over Greatre Albania. Carl Savich talks about this material in his piece KOSOVO’S NAZI PAST. Mussolini and Ciano sponsored Greater Albania, then Hitler and Himmler became the main sponsors in 1943 when Italy surrendered.

    http://www.serbianna.com/columns/savich/054.shtml

39. 39 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 25 August 2007:

    Photo : Mussolini in Albania** http://www2.fhw.gr/projects/cooperations/f_policy36_45/en/photo/410.html

40. 40 Comment by Alex Dibran on 25 August 2007:

    The article, and the opinions stated therein, are just that – opinions, with no real policy prescription whatsoever.

    The starting point to any argument when discussing the relationship between Albanians and Slavs in the Balkans is this: What is my perception of the two groups, especially that of Albanians? If you can’t seem to get them on the same playing field in your head, study them as equals, with equal opportunities, equal status, equal progression, and also equal as human beings, then you must stop and not continue with your analysis. Only when we view them from this lens can we finally realize what has happened to the Albanians and why they deserve their own independent state.

    I lived in Kosova and in Belgrade for nearly a decade. I’ll make this short — Albanians and Serbs cannot live with one another, and what is happening in Vienna today (to seperate them forever) is the only solution. Whatever it takes, forced independence, partition of the north, or war, these two groups have been damaged by history and there is no possible remedy, especially when you have western states and their multiculturalism imposed, there is no such thing as that in the former Yugoslavia and there never will be, especially in Serbia.

    The only solution is what President Bush preached that sunny day in Tirana. You all know it as I know it.

    Cao

41. 41 Comment by Srdja Trifkovic on 25 August 2007:

    Please be linguistically consistent: you either lived in Kosovo and in Belgrade, or else in Kosova and in Belgradi.

42. 42 Comment by EMete on 25 August 2007:

    In reply to I.P.’s 38: The Serb press itself reveals Serbs’ atrocities:
    Read the following. It’s an eye-opener:

    http://www.bosnia.org.uk/news/news_body.cfm?newsid=1545

43. 43 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 25 August 2007:

    To Alex Dibran: Would you have the same advice if Albanians in Presevo Valley or Muslims in Raska demand to separate from Serbia ?

    The US and their NATO allies made a mass in Kosovo [and not only in Kosovo!!!]. They not only supported the worst Albanian leaders in Kosovo-Metohija but also covered up for KLA atrocities and crimes against the Serbs, lied about mass expulsion of Albanians from Kosovo-Metohija, maintained the hate mongering against the Serbs and kept silent about Albanian genocide committed against the Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija.

    The US/NATO has to reprogram their Albanian allies by telling them to face the reality. Kosovo is Serbian land. It is on Albanians in Kosovo-Metohija to either have a normal life in Serbia or to live as they have for the last eight years in a lawless part of the country headed by war criminals and drug dealers. Or, to move out to Albania – an option is also to move out to the USA!

44. 44 Comment by Alban Ziguri on 25 August 2007:

    Srdja Trifkovic says to Alex Dibran: “Please be linguistically consistent: you either lived in Kosovo and in Belgrade, or else in Kosova and in Belgradi.”

    Why do you claim that you know Albanian?

    In Albanian ‘Belgrade’ is ‘Beograd’ and not ‘Belgradi’. I think it is the time, though a little late for you age, you learned some Albanian. Only by so doing can you understand the Albanians of Kosova better.

    P.S. – If not another Srdja Trifkovic, I am glad to see that the author of this article has to come down in person to the battlefield on this webside and draw the sword against those who disagree with him. I do not think this is democratic. Let others agree or disagree with you.

    If I.P. and Boba Borojevic or somebody else could not do everything on their own, then coming to their rescue would be an excuse.

    This is a real achievement by those who are opposed to Srdja’s erroneous analyses.

    - By the way, what does ‘Srdja” mean in Serbian? It seems to be similar to the Russian word for ‘heart’.

    - Somebody has told me that Serbian is a dialect of the Russian language. It is not a language by itself. Is this true? If yes, Serbs, too should not be a separate nation. They must be just a minority in the Russian wilderness, who emigrated to the Balkans in the 7th century AD.

    Can I.P. or someone else on this website help me by answering these simple questions? Thank you.

45. 45 Comment by Mona Agrigoroaiei on 25 August 2007:

    In 1912 Serbia conquered Kosovo. In 1999 Serbia has lost its colony, through the intervention of the NATO bombing campaign. In 2007 Serbia tries again to gain domination to his colony, through the process of the “status resolution”.
    Let’s return much more in time, to see why Serbia is the Balkan’s principal war instigator. In 1844, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Ilija Garasnin created the plan “Nacertanije”, by which it seen the “necessity” to gain all the Albanian territory, from Nis to Durres, in order to achieve at the Adriatic Sea. This Greater Serbia plan has been part of a larger Panslavic plan, started by Russia. All this game is opposed to democratic principles, starting with the principle of self-determination, that is above all other principles in UN hierarchy.
    Kosovo question is part of the larger Albanian question that needs to find resolution through the liberation and reunification of all the Albanian territories in a single national Albanian state.

46. 46 Comment by Mona Agrigoroaiei on 25 August 2007:

    Mr. Borojevic,

    Your statements are false.
    Since the years of war it was said that Albania and the Kosova Province were given to Germany and Italy. This claim in to fully true. Hitler, the real author of the new Balkan Map, did not give to Albania the ethnic Albanian territories of Yugoslavia, but to Italy, which one handed them over to Tirana only in administrative point of view. Except this, from the six prefectures with Albanian population that included the heroic Kosova, only four of them joined administratively with Albania: the prefectures of Prishtina, Peja, Prizren and Tetova. The prefecture of Mitrovica (with it’s sub-prefectures of Vuciternë, Gjilan and Podujeva), Hitler left to Serbia, which remained under the German occupation with purpose that Berlin uses the rich mines of Trepça instead of Rome. On the other hand, the Albanian provinces of Shkup, Kaçanik, Presheva and Prespa were given to Bulgaria. The provinces of Dibra, Kërçova and Struga were given to the Government of Tirana. From the Montenegro sector, the territories of Ulqin, Tuz (Hot and Grude) along with Gucia and Plava were also given to the Tirana Government for administration. From the ethnic Albanian territories of former Yugoslavia, approximately half of it, 11.780 km2 joined the Tirana administration. As a result, the ethnic Albanian territories of Former Yugoslavia remained, although in different scale, again fragmented, this time between Italy, Germany and Bulgaria.

    - The fact that the Albanian territories joined administratively with Tirana, cannot be denied, although they were under Italian rule they profited in the field of the national rights. First of all they were liberated from the genocide Serbian rule and the total denial of their national rights that the government of Belgrade had done. The creation of the Albanian State Administration, the free development of the Albanian education, the un-obstacle use of the Albanian literature, the removal of the political boundaries with Albania in the year 1913, all the above-mentioned were profits for the population that was tired from the Serbian and Montenegrin oppression. But, the estimation of the Tirana collaborationist, which ones compared these profits with a liberation of Kosova, was certainly wrong. The transition from one oppression to another, regardless of one being easier then the other can never be compared with a national liberation. Onward, if in case the war would have been won by the axis Berlin-Rome, Albania together with the part of Kosova which joined it, would remain under the oppression of Fascist Italy and the ethnic Albanian territories would again remain fragmented.

    - The opponents of the fascist Anglo-Soviet-American block didn’t recognize the border changes, which Hitler and Mussolini did. So, the antifascist coalition neither recognized the fascist occupation of Albania, nor the disintegration of Yugoslavia, or the union of Kosova with the occupied Albanian. In case the fascist block would have lost the war, the cooperation of Tirana with Rome and Berlin for creation of ethnic Albania under the conditions of the Italian fascist occupation, was compromising the national cause itself. The Albanians would be treated as allies of the Nazi-fascist block. This would give a reason to Yugoslavia, one of the biggest allies of the great anti-fascist coalition, to use a wilder violence on Albanians than the one the Yugoslav monarchs before the war used. The big allies of the anti-fascist coalition had declared through the Atlantic Card (August 1942) that the aspirations of the people for freedom and democracy would be taken into consideration at the end of the war, and it would be understood according to the contribute they would give on the conflict with the Nazi-fascist aggressors. Under these circumstances, the issue required that the Albanians should engage in a war without compromise against the Italian occupant, with the conviction that this war would serve as a capital to raise the voice at the end of it when the time comes for delimitation.

    - During the Second World War the Albanians of Albania and Kosova gave an important contribute in the defeat of the Italian-German fascist block. At the end of the war, the anti-fascist forces counted in Albania around 70 thousand partisans and around 50 thousand in Kosova. According to the important contribute they gave (comparing the number of the population) in the victory of the war against the fascist aggressors, the Albanians inside and outside the borders were expecting that the great allies will respect the principle of their self-determination and to keep the engagement of respecting the national rights of the nations.

47. 47 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 25 August 2007:

    Mina, it seems that your motto is” “The end justifies the means”!
    You have stated your “end” very clearly – …”liberation and reunification of all the Albanian territories in a single national Albanian state.”

    To achieve this “end” Albanians have falsified history relentlessly. Your way of “liberation” [Kosovo] consists of: dynamiting, burning and looting Serbian houses and churches; expelling hundreds of thousand of Serbs, killing Serbs, erasing traces of Serbian presence in Kosovo-Metohija, banning Serbian language, changing names of Serbian villages and territories – three words GENOCIDE AGAINST SERBS!

    Hardly something that you and your American friends [Bill Clinton and the gang] should glorify!

48. 48 Comment by Mona Agrigoroaiei on 25 August 2007:

    Mr. Borojevic,

    Kosova is not the heart of Serbia, because you are conquerors and colonizers of a compact ethnic Albanian territory. And yes, the mean is the reunification of all the Albanian territories in a single Albanian state. And this means not a ethnic cleansed state, how Serbia attempted in a 90 years of Serbian domination of Kosova. If there is a falsified history, there is that of Serbian mythology on Kosova. The Serbian population in Kosova is suffering, yes, because of Belgrade’s politics that have used it as a weapon directed against the freedom of Kosova, by creating enclaves. Serbian Secret Service orchestrated the attacks on Serbs, including the attacks on monasteries and churches, in order to create chaos and disorder in Kosova. So, Belgrade’s strategy for riconquest of Kosova is the impediement to peace and stability in Kosova and in the entire region.

49. 49 Comment by Alban Ziguri on 25 August 2007:

    To post better and realistic comments and learn more about Kosova and the Balkans, read: Madeleine Albright “MADAM SECRETARY” , Miramax Books

50. 50 Comment by Mike Popovich on 26 August 2007:

    Mona,

    In 1912 Serbia didn’t conquer Kosovo. In 1912 Serbian and Montenegrin army defeated otoman ocupators and expeled them from that part of Balcanian Peninsula. Both of my grandfathers took part in that war as high ranked officers in Montenegrin Army. Your albanian people were then arnauts (that means stable boys) and that was status that they earned for treason, rejecting Christianity and accepting Islam.

51. 51 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 26 August 2007:

    I wonder how was it that so many Serbians would have chosen Albanian lands to settle and call it home. It’s even more puzzling that so many Serbian Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches are built on lands – according you the present sources “traditionaly Albanian Muslim”. Very confusing to me. I still think there must have been some error in the above views (perhaps even overt lies) – why else would this happen. I can’t remember white residents of Manhattan clamoring to get housing North of 96th Street (that’s where Harlem begins). It seems to violate some fundametal sociological principles or at best – it is completely unsustainable.

52. 52 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 26 August 2007:

    Just as it was during the height of Stalinism the recent history gets deleted and a new one written in its place. I own several large dictionaries but often I doulbe check to see if the Internet version supports the definition I found in a hard copy. My old American heritage disctionary (1976 edition) has the word Arnaut listed as a noun Turkish in origin designating Albanian persons who served their stables and catered to Turkish army. The 2006 and 2007 American Heritage no longer has that word. I suspect that pages 103 to 120 in most old dictionaries will be worth a lot of money on account of this politically correct omission. Even most Albanians refer to themselves as Arnauts. The word is well deserved and equally true.

53. 53 Comment by Albiqete on 26 August 2007:

    I told you before you live in a fluxional world —- Now for the god’s sake is Manhattan!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    And the last
    The word Serbs according to the same dictionary derives from SERV = service = slaves = servants. The word is well deserves and equally true

54. 54 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 26 August 2007:

    …”Mean envy vomits forth darkness upon your illustrious grave,
    but who can put out the powerful, celestial light of your soul?
    Miserable, ugly darkness – can it dim the glow of such light?
    Darkness hides from the light, and yet it only makes the light more bright[22].
    The life-giving flame of your torch will shine for the Serb forever,
    and it will grow more luminous and miraculous for ages.
    Serbian women used to give birth to Dusan[23] and nurse Obilic[24],
    and now Serbian women give birth to such heroes as Pozarski[25],
    all wonderful and noble men! Serbdom breathes nobility now.
    Away from the Serbs, you vile curse – the Serbs have now fulfilled their vow![26] ..”

    “The Mountain Wreath”, by Serbian writer, Petar II Petrovic Njegos

55. 55 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 27 August 2007:

    Unlike the available public sources which substantialy show that Aranut is a noun of Turkish origin meaning a servant in the Turkish Army – stable cleaner, living in the mountinous regions of today’s Albania – the only variation of the noun Serbs is Sorboi which in no way traces any of its roots to servant, slave and similar rubbish. Even the worlds dictionaries are indicative of Albanian lack of Christianity and their LOW station in life under the Turkish occupation. Let alone the fact that it was London (after Creamiean Wars – fought to protect Turkey – but on Russian soil) was the sole creator of Albania. How come no explanation to the presence of all the Serbian churches and so many Serbians on what is claimed to be Albanian lands? Why don’t wee see McDonald’s in the Afghan mountins of Tora-Bora, or Bagdada, Kabul? Those are equally hostile grounds to the U.S. Perhaps you are avoiding to mention the obvious – these lands were Serbian and remain Serbian.

56. 56 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 27 August 2007:

    If the linguistics are to be the sole source of the land’s origin, we must take into account many of the villages in KosvO: Obilic, Vucitrn, Glogovac, Urosevac, Suva Reka, Klina, Lipljan, Janjevo, Kamenica, Zubin Potok, Istok and Brod. Anybody that has even the remotest knowledge of Serbian language will see that these are all Serbian words. Not to mention the following about the name of the entie province:

    By: J. P. Maher Ph. D.
    Professor Emeritus of Linguistics
    Northeastern Illinois University Chicago

    “Kosovo” is a Serbian place name, more fully “kosovo polje”, meaning the ‘field (or plain) of blackbirds’. “Kosovo Polje” lies just outside the city of Prishtina.

    Ornithology lesson: Among North Americans, Australians, and South Africans, only ornithologists can identify the species in question. Kosovo’s “black bird” is no crow, nor raven, no starling nor grackle, but “turdus merula”, European cousin of the North American rusty-bellied thrush (“turdus migratorius”), which Yanks call the “robin”.

    In Britain and Ireland “robin” is the name of another species, “erithacus rubecula”.

    (The “four and twenty ‘blackbirds’ baked in a pie”, of the English rhyme, were of the species “merula”, in Serbian called “kos”. From this term “kosovo” is the derived possessive adjective.

    Like America’s harbinger of spring, the black bird called “kos” in Serbian language sings sweetly in the springtime and early summer.

    For North Americans the feel of the Serbo-Croatian place name “Kosovo” can only be had from a free translation, “Field of Robins”.

    Albanians have borrowed the word from the Serbs, whose once overwhelming majority was driven down, especially since the Congress of Berlin, by savage aggression from Albanians incited then and in WW I by Austria-Hungary and Germany, in World War II by Mussolini’s puppet Albanians, and after WW II by the discriminatory ethnic cleansing of the Stalinist dictator Josip Broz.

    Native Indian place names in America have no meaning in English: e.g. “Michigan” means nothing in English. In Ojibwa “mishshikamaa” means “it is a big lake”.

    Just so the place names of Ireland have transparent meaning in Gaelic but are meaningless tags in the colonialist English, e.g. “Dublin” is Gaelic “dubh lin” ‘black pool’, and “Kildare” is “cil dara” ‘church of the oak’,

    Just so the names of the Serbian province of Kosovo are clear Serbian formations, but have no meaning in the Albanian language.

    Proof of the Serbian origin of the name and the loanword status of the immigrant Albanian term is that the word “kosovo” has a clear etymology to anyone who knows a Slavic language, while Albanian “Kosova” is an opaque, meaningless place name in the Albanian language.

    Kosovo is Serbian.

    (End of quoted text by Professor Maher)

    It’s pretty clear, with or without Manhattan that Kosovo is named by Serbians using Serbian names all accross the province (the villages I chose are scattered all over Kosovo (Brod in the very South; Mitrovica in the Very North; Novo Brdo, Kamenica in the far East and Istok, Pec, Decani, Junik in the far West), not a single Albanian name.

57. 57 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 27 August 2007:

    Mr. Mona clearly shows that Albanians ARE Turks by any other name by stating “In 1912 Serbia conquered Kosovo. In 1999 Serbia has lost its colony, through the intervention of the NATO bombing campaign. In 2007 Serbia tries again to gain domination to his colony, through the process of the “status resolution”.

    It is therefore most logical that all Albanians (from Kosovo, Albania and elsewhere) return to their mother ship (Turkey) – which is in its own right wrestled away from the Greek Anatolia.

58. 58 Comment by Rublev's Dog on 27 August 2007:

    I’ll never forget a Sunday afternoon lunch several years ago with my relatives in East Tennessee… some of them had been watching media reports regarding the “genocide” in Kosovo, and they said, “How could we not go in and help those poor, poor people?”

    And I thought, “Boy, East Tennessee was dumb in 1861 and is even dumber now.”

59. 59 Comment by Mona Agrigoroaiei on 27 August 2007:

    Mr. Popovic,

    In 1912 Albanian people began first the revolt on Ottoman power. The Serbian-Montenegrin alleance intervened in the conflict when the Ottoman power was in colapse in the Albanian territories. So, Serbia and Montenegro fought more against Albanians than against Turks.

60. 60 Comment by Hajrullah Dandullah on 27 August 2007:

    hi

61. 61 Comment by Mike Popovich on 27 August 2007:

    Albanian territories? Visoki Decani, Pecka Patrijarsija, Gracanica, over 150 churches that your people burned under supervision of the New World Order? Illiterate albanian islamized tribes built them? Why then did you burn them?
    Revolt on Ottoman power? Maybe some albanian tribes found Ottoman rule to oppressive from time to time. Serious albanian resistance to Ottoman power was almost nonexistent.

62. 62 Comment by S. on 27 August 2007:

    Re:”NATO state”

    In a statement to the Tanjug news agency, Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica stressed how unfavourable it is that Ahtisaari’s plan for the Serbian province of Kosovo-Metohija envisages that NATO should play a role in the province which no other military organisation has ever played in the democratic world.

    Is it in the American Interest to give NATO unlimited power as to attack, partition and occupy parts of a sovereign state and practically disregard any existing law? Whom does NATO answer to?

63. 63 Comment by lulu wiener on 28 August 2007:

    All of you people should fear what the Zionst is doing to our country,forget about the Balkins they are lost!

64. 64 Comment by EMete on 28 August 2007:

    Mike Popovich says: “Albanian territories? Visoki Decani, Pecka Patrijarsija, Gracanica, over 150 churches that your people burned under supervision of the New World Order? Illiterate albanian islamized tribes built them? Why then did you burn them?”

    Which New World Order? It sounds like communist rhetoric. Was NATO instrumental or did it aid and abet people to burn your political tools turned churches and monasteries?

    Why did the Albanians burn them? As I have heard and read, religion and state in Serbia and Greece are the same. The state serves the Church and the Church helps the state to carry out the policies, which have the blessings of the Church. Church-State – one and inseparable.

    Serb churches and monasteries in Kosova have always been the spearhead of Serb ultranationalism. They are political instruments in pursuit of the Greater Serbia idea.

    Don’t the Albanians understand this fact? This fact is known to all the Serbs too, but they hide it. Some do not know it and believe what the Serb ultranatioanlists have cooked up.

    One quick question:Why did the Serbs themselves burn their own churches? To tell the World that the Albanians did?

    How bad!
    Too sad!

65. 65 Comment by Alban Ziguri on 28 August 2007:

    This article is so boring! It repeats the same old stale theses that the articles on the Kosova issue on this website dish up to the readers.

    In fact, the most interesting part are the comments on the comments and not the article, especially those by I.P., the initials of Iliya Pavlovich, used by a reader who posts his/her comments on this website, and those by a certain Bee Bee (Boba Borojevic) and an M.P. which somebody may think stand for Member of Parliament. I would like to call on the above persons in particular to concentrate on the article. If they don’t, I am sure they must have experienced the same feeling as mine, which is why, they are attracted to what others say or make up.

    The above persons’ negative and offensive reactions to other people’s comments, especially the comments posted by Albanians are understandable. This is what happens when you hear things that you have never heard before, which is dependable on what you have been educated with, what you have read and what propaganda you have been subject to. I think it’s nobody’s fault.

    In this comment, which is more or less similar to one I have posted about another article, I’ll dwell in passing on some issues that the above gentelmen or some others who are not aware of the real state of things, always raise in their posts on the different articles that appear on this website.

    That the Illyrians are the forefathers of today’s Albanians is true beyond any doubt /see: http://members.lycos.co.uk/illyrians/ Arguments, no matter how they are presented, should not be disregarded out of hand because somebody has not heard or read about them before. Every argument, despite the source, should be taken seriously. This is what I always do, no matter how it is worded or who dishes it up, be it the “famous” I.P., Bee Bee, or somebody else.

    As to the names ‘Albania’ and ‘Albanians’, I would say that they derive from ‘Arber’ [the name of an ancient Illyrian tribe] or ‘Arberia’ [the country of the Arbers, the Albanians]. Such terms to denote Albanians as Arvanitis (Greek), Arnauts (Turkish), Arberesh (Italian) derive from the term ‘Arber”. The terms ‘Albania’, ‘Albanians’ are used by foreigners to denote the country of the Albanians and the Albanians themselves. Such names have gone through a process of evolution.

    The change of nations’ names through the ages is not a new phenomenon. The inhabitants of today’s Greece, for instance, were not always called Greeks. The denomination ‘Greek’ is relatively new. Or, let’s take the name of the country of the Serbs, ‘Serbia’. Until the 1930s, Serbia was called ‘Servia’ and the Serbs were called ‘Servians’ from the Latin word ‘servus’ meaning ‘servants’, or ‘slaves’. The terms ‘Servia’ and ‘Servians’ make sense because the Serbs came to the Balkans as mercenaries, namely, as servants of the Byzantine emperor in 630 AD. And the Servians (servants) settled in part of Illyrian territories, which we call Serbia. Why do we say ‘Serbia’ and not ‘Servia’, today? In 17th and early 20th century English works, the country was often referred to as ‘Servia’. The usage of this term offended the Serbs because “Servia”, as already said, linked the Serbs to the Latin ’servus’, a slave or a servant. Because of the protests by Serbs, the British press stopped using the term by the 1930s, because, as can be seen, it was too offensive to the Serbs.

    The other Slavs (Croats, Slovenes, Bosnians) had settled in other parts of Illyria not long before the Serbs set foot on Balkan soil. They mingled with the Illyrian local population and today, we have such names as Croats, Slovenes and Bosnians (Muslim, Catholic or Orthodox), the product of the then admixture of the local population and the new comers. As to the origin of the names Croat, Slovene and Bosniac, I would like I.P. or Bee Bee to give us some explanation as the experts that they are.

    As regards Constantine the Great, he hailed from today’s Nish (Naisus) located in Serbia. Since Nish is in Serbia, it does not mean that he was Serbian and not Illyrian. Things are not as simple as that. In his time, the Serbs were still living in Asia. Since the majority of scholars consider the Albanians to be the descendants of the Illyrians, we may as well say that Constantine the Great who made Christianity the official religion of the Empire, must have been Albanian. But this does not exclude other options. For example, he might have come to Naisus from Allemagne, Galia, the British Isles, Normandy, the Alps of Switzerland or from the Baikal Lake area, the original location of the Servians. Nothing can be ruled out. The question is: How can you prove that he was not Illyrian and that the Albanians are not the descendants of the Illyrian population that lived in what until recently was called Yugoslavia? You can in no way rely on hearsay or wishful thinking. Far from it.

    Don’t blame others when they say something you don’t know. Blame yourself for not knowing it.

66. 66 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 28 August 2007:

    – Dan Burton, Indiana Republican, ranking member of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, writes in the Washington Times on August 20:

    …”But against this clear standard for Kosovo’s future, the U.S. State Department has insisted the only possible solution for Kosovo is not autonomy, but independence — even though Serbia refuses to give up 15 percent of its territory. Even worse, during his recent trip to Albania, President Bush suggested that if a Russian veto blocks any new Security Council Resolution to separate Kosovo from Serbia, the U.S. might take the lead in recognizing a unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence with no legitimate claim of authority at all. Within Europe itself there are growing misgivings and decisions about this course.

    This is a terrible idea. To start with, our policy is in contravention of international laws and will create a dangerous precedent. Also, there is no reason to suppose an independent Kosovo would be a viable state, either economically or politically. Terrorist and organized crime influences, already rampant in Kosovo, would be granted a consolidated haven for their operations. Independence would likely be followed by renewed anti-Serb attacks, at least against the smaller enclaves, if not against Northern Mitrovica, where most of the remaining Serbs enjoy relative security. Unrest in neighboring Albanian-dominated areas of southern Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, even Greece, could be reignited.

    Perhaps most damaging, an imposed separation of Kosovo from Serbia would send a message to other trouble-spots, not just in the Balkans, that state borders are up for grabs.The American relationship with Serbia would suffer badly if we insist on inflicting on a democratic country of 10 million people an offense they cannot accept and never will forget. An imposed separation of Kosovo, the cradle of Serbia’s national and spiritual life, would alienate Serbs of all political stripes and could very well result in the implosion of Serbian democracy, with incalculable negative consequences. In short, an imposed independence of Kosovo could set the region back another decade.”…

    As with any genuine negotiation, the eventual outcome cannot be foreseen with certainty. However, it is certain that unless we hit the reset button and reevaluate the situation, Kosovo may once again become a trouble-spot requiring American and NATO attention at a time we can least afford it. As Kosovo re-emerges from years of obscurity, we neednow to take another serious look at America’s options and long-term interests. As I stated before, the solution must come from negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo Albanians.

67. 67 Comment by Boba Borojevic on 29 August 2007:

    Kosovo’s Grim Future – David Binder, Washington Times

    http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070829/EDITORIAL/108290006/1013

    …”They continued: “It is a Mafia society” based on “capture of the state” by criminal elements. (“State capture” is a term coined in 2000 by a group of World Bank analysts to describe countries where government structures have been seized by corrupt financial oligarchies.

    In the authors’ definition, Kosovan organized crime “consists of multimillion-Euro organizations with guerrilla experience and espionage expertise.” They quote a German intelligence service report of “closest ties between leading political decision makers and the dominant criminal class” and name Ramush Haradinaj, Hashim Thachi and Xhavit Haliti as compromised leaders who are “internally protected by parliamentary immunity and abroad by international law.”
    The U.N. Mission in Kosovo, they add, “is in many respects an element of the local problem scene.” They describe both UNMIK and KFOR as infiltrated by agents of organized crime who forewarn their ringleaders of any impending raids…”

68. 68 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 29 August 2007:

    Is it only me, or is it a fact that Albanian posts are composed of nothing but hatred. This is a welcome observation as it is indicative how Albania (with or without KosovO) will be served (justice only as an abstract noun, peace – only as War and Peace in literature, etc.)

69. 69 Comment by makedon on 29 August 2007:

    Mr. Srdja Trifkovic,

    I wanted to personally thank you for the book. It made a big difference in my understanding of the Muslims and what is happening in Europe.

    Must Reading

    The Sword of the Prophet
    by Srdja Trifkovic
    http://www.amazon.com/Sword-Prophet-History-Theology-Impact/dp/1928653111/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-0896254-8892905?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188414364&sr=8-1
    For $14.00, what a bargain, one of the best reads ever.

    Some background on me, I am of Northern Greek descent, raised in Canada, well read on history, especially Ancient History, I knew my Grandparents well and know my people,
    know what the Muslims, Turks, Bulgarians, and Communists did to my people. Your book was valuable in understanding history, what, where, when, why, how ?

    You have always been a leader.

    Again Thank You.

    It is must reading for those that have not read it. A lot of documentation and leads for further more detailed study. No one can deny the dirty facts, especially when the source is Muslim Jurists, in their own words.
    The Muslims are happy to make us slaves.

    Wake up people.

70. 70 Comment by Alban Ziguri on 29 August 2007:

    To post better and realistic comments and learn more about Kosova and the Balkans, read: Madeleine Albright “Madam Secretary”, Miramax Books: WHY DID THE WEST START THE AIR WAR AGAINST SERBIA, pp.379-381)

71. 71 Comment by Gentian Zyberi on 1 September 2007:

    Reply to Mr. Iliya Pavlovich (Comment 33 above).

    I guess it is not difficult for you to guess whether I am a Mr. or a Mrs. as you apparently have been visiting Albania time and again in your UDB (acronym for the Yugoslav Security Service) missions since the early 80s. Thus, probably we could even converse in Albanian together. Now retired probably you have enought ime in your hands to spill hatred and hurl insults about Albanians on internet.

    You beg to differ with me on the following phrase: “Albanians drama was being unfolded and was covered by all media on those difficult days of 1998-1999.” Please go back and watch the footages broadcasted during that time from all tv channels. Lies and fabrications as the ones you bring forward in every posting you write can stick only in a Milosevician/Seselj world (although I might be doing too much honour to Seselj to compare him with the Master). So whatever point of reference you take it is difficult to cover or tone down the horrible consequences of that campaign of ‘ethnic cleansing’.

    It’s a pity to hear your complaining about the Albanian lobby being stronger than the Serb one. It’s not a mater of lobbying. Your government pays good money to fill the world with anti-Albanian propaganda. Thus, hurry up and make sure you can tap in it also as many others amongst whom probably also your beloved Mr. Trifkovic.

    Facts spoke for the grim fate befalling the Kosovar Albanians in 1998-1999. Lobbying was hardly necessary. The forced biblical exodus of Kosovar Albanians from Kosova under the threat of Serb police, military and para-military troops was obvious to all. Thanks God we live in a different era where information travels with light speed so the world could see on time what the Milosevic’s regime was doing to Kosovar Albanians.

    You ask me the question: “Could there have been crimes from the Albanian part?” Probably there have been. And some have already been punished for that in the post-war Kosova. However, those small-scale incidents at most would be uncomparable to what a military machine trained in the killing, maiming, torturing and raping civilians all over former Yugoslavia was busy with in 1998-1999. What is Serbia doing to prosecute those persons who were killing innocent Albanians? Less than nothing. Your beloved Mr. Trifkovic, once an accomplice to war crimes criminals, now turned academic, could tell you more about the skills of the boys of Karadzic and Mladic. Or maybe you could go and ask them in person. If you don’t know how to contact them then ask Mr. Trifkovic, he might tell you their whereabouts.

72. 72 Comment by Johan Dieckmann on 4 September 2007:

    BBC: Russia ‘won’t bargain on Kosovo’

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6975724.stm

    2007/09/03 08:33:04 GMT

    Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that Moscow will not give in to pressure over “red line” issues such as missile defence and Kosovo.

    Mr Lavrov said Russia could not remain passive in the face of any threat to its national security.

    “Such issues include for example the US plans to set up bases in Eastern Europe for a global missile defence system, and a settlement for Kosovo”, he said.

    Russia opposes a UN blueprint to give Serbia’s Kosovo province independence.

    Russia does not engage in bargaining, and its international partners should realise this, Mr Lavrov said in a speech at Moscow’s prestigious Institute of Foreign Relations (MGIMO) on Monday.

    Russia says the planned US missile defence shield is a threat to its own security.

    The US argues that it needs to install anti-missile systems in the Czech Republic and Poland to counter possible threats from “rogue” states, such as Iran and North Korea.

73. 73 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 4 September 2007:

    Mrs. Zyban Albangqrxep, No UDBA didn’t exist in 1980s it was abolished in the mid 1950s, I am glad that you are following my writings here if you remember how I visited Albania many times (as I did, but mainly the northern half) and it was during the 1970 and 1980s (both decades) and never ever saw one Christian chruch in spite of your claims to have some elements of Christianity. However after you (Albanians) have implemented the act of state capture (as defined above) I would remind you that most dictionaries printed prior to 2005 list the word ARNAUT to mean exactly Stable boy in Turkish Army, the one who cares for horses, inhabitants of today’s Albania so no need to keep trying to invent some “iliryan past and berber connections” berbers are people of Norhtern Africa or the type of carpets defintely not Albanians. By the way my vote still stands on reversing the mistakes of 1912 London and getting Albania off European soil – Turkey is your natural mother and would welcome you back – right? Ms. Zigquixcep?

74. 74 Comment by Iliya Pavlovich on 4 September 2007:

    Peculiar how you found a convenient system of weights and measures according to which Albanian crimes are “minor incursions” violations, while Serbian crimes are all major felonies. Are you kidding or are you deranged? How can there be such a vast difference? Have there not been Serbians KILLED by Albanians or do you want me to publish the names of Serbians KILLED by Albanians? That is the essence of your Gestapo workings you began to belive your own lies.

75. 75 Comment by EMete on 4 September 2007:

    I.P (73) says: “I visited Albania many times (as I did, but mainly the northern half) and it was during the 1970 and 1980s (both decades)”

    I don’t believe it. He makes it up. In what capacity did he visit Albania’s northern part? As a businessmam, I very much doubt it or, may be, he must have been participating in some cloak-and-dagger operation there. But why should we question what he says. It is most likely that he must have visited Kosova or I’d better say that part of it which lies to the north of Albania.

76. 76 Comment by EMete on 4 September 2007:

    Unable to reply to an insult to my address by Boba Borojevic (42) posted on article THE DISHARMONIOUS “TROIKA” because my comments have been denied access there, I would only say to him: “Civility please, Mr. Borojevic! Personal abuse is indication of a weak mind.”

77. 77 Pingback by News | Serbian Unity Congress » Drawing the Line - A Fight Empire Can’t Win, antiwar.com/Nebojsa Malic on 6 September 2007:

    [...] a “done deal,” and “sooner or later,” have found themselves painted into a corner, unable to [...]

78. 78 Pingback by » The Badly Painted Corner The Third Site: Resources and discussion of the proposed U.S. Missile Defense Project in Eastern Europe on 6 September 2007:

    [...] Trifkovic, writing in Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture, says the Bush administration has painted itself into a bad corner on the issue of Kosovo independence – a geopolitical issue that Russia is on the other side of and [...]

79. 79 Comment by Vassili on 6 September 2007:

    Couple words about my background – I lived (legally for 12 years in the US, and moved back to Moscow (Russia) 4 years ago. War in Iraq was a strong factor. So, I hope I understand US cultural context enough to be able to communicate here.
    This is a very nice article, but I can’t agree with the point that Kosovo’s independence would be a huge loss for Russia.
    Putin is great player (I admit that for one I moved to Russia due to a simple reason that I wanted to cast my vote for him and enjoy the show). So – Russia may be indicating that Kosovo’s independance is completely unaccaptable because in fact Russia would only win from this and secretly wants that to happen.

    One thing to understand here – Serbia is not in alliance with Russia, not a close friend, not a darling – none of a kind. Yes, indeed languages are very close due to some quirk.
    In general people have been indoctrinated in Russia that Serbia is not our friend. Stalin and Tito were not friends. So, we had known very well that the reason for the 1st World War was – Serbia, that Russia got drugged into the war – because of Serbia. That resulted in communists coming to power etc. etc. So people say here – “we really don’t want to get into a 3rd world war bacause of Serbs AGAIN”.
    Back during soviet time there were two kinds of international travel passports – one for “friends” (Poland, East Germany, Bolgaria, Chechoslovakia etc.), it was relatively easy to travel there as a tourist. To travel to the West there was a differenct kind of a passport. In order to get such one had to go through a lot of approvals and it was possible to obtain the “capitalist” passport only after “socialist”. So the point of this excursion into history …. guess which kind of passport was required to travel to Yugoslavia? “Capitalist”, it was technically treated as the Western country.

    Now, what Russia stands to gain from Kosovo’s independance:

    1) EU is not Russia’s friend. Another muslim state in EU is bad for EU.
    2) conflict with Serbia and EU – more brownie points
    3) PRECEDENT – There are 3 de-facto independent states around Russia that Russia would gladly recognize – Osetia, Abhasia and Pridnestrovie. These are de-facto countries, and there is a potential in Crimea, Baltics, Eastern Ukraine. Russia was cut very unfavourably with lots and lots of Russian population left outside of Russia. The other way round… Chechnja is obedient now, and I don’t see other serious claimers for independence now. Tatarstan is anclave inside the Russia territory and have been part of Russia for 600 years, and then initialy it was Russia that was occupied by Tatars, so I don’t see them willing to leave in practical terms.
    4) many nations all over the world would hate US for this precedent – more brownie points

    Now, of course all that is not good for the US. I still do not understand and never understood the whole point about Kosovo – my theory is that neo-cons are really not educated at all about history and Serbi/Russian relations, so they THOUGH that with Kosovo they will cause a lot of pain to Russia. In fact it acted only as a trigger for Russia’s understanding that is should protect it’s own interests in the first place, since US would try to do any kind of harm and damage to Russia, even imaginary harm, or non-harm, but not for the lack of desire and trying.

80. 80 Comment by Gentian Zyberi on 8 September 2007:

    My dearest Mr. Pavlovich,

    I noticed that the time you wrote your coment was a bit early in the morning. Had you drank your coffee maybe you would have been more polite towards me. But anyhow…I don’t mind. As a French proverb goes: “The spit of the frog cannot catch the white dove.”

    I’m not going to comment on your affiliations with the UDBA… Not necessary. Now there are two possibilities concerning your comment about you seeing no churches during the 70s and the 80s in Albania: either you’re ILL-INFORMED…or you’re a LIAR. I’ll let you choose between the two.

    For the benefit of the others who read OUR early mornings entries the communist regime that was established in Albania after WWII (with the help of the Yugoslav Communist Party) forbade religion in Albania in 1967. At that time many religious objects were destroyed. No wonder you did not see many of them (none, according to your claims). The communist regime had many of them razed to the ground. However, the ruins of old churches were still there during all times. I come from what is now Northern Albania Mr. Pavlovich and I can tell you one thing or two about the north of Albania. That’s where religion was still practised even under the nose of one of the most dictatorial regimes in the world. In my village we celebrated Easter and other religious feasts even then..albeit not openly (my family of Muslim origin and other families of Roman Catholic belief). The church was always there…although it was not functional and people buried their dead in its yard all the time..even during communism. That information might help you a little bit to refresh the memory or awaken it to the Reality as IT IS and not as you want it to be.

    Let me also give you a lesson of history. It’s free of charge. You can better use your money for caviar and champagne.

    Albanians have been stable boys and Grand Vezirs in the Ottoman empire…just like other people from other ethnicities! They have been soldiers and generals throughout history..they have been illiterate and scholars…they have been brick-layers and great architects that have designed objects that pertain now to the world heritage… The problem you have is not that you don’t know or you don’t understand..you just don’t want to accept that Albanians can be good, or create good things, or that ultimately are a force to be reckoned with…But it’s not only your problem…it’s a general problem you seem to have on a national level…Too bad, how sad…

    Because you’re left with little to argue you resort to personal insults. I’ll not deal with them. Spreading lies and being disrespectful to others will not earn you any admiration. I don’t expect words of this kind as the ones used above to come from a learned person as yourself..but then being a good person and reasonable is not only a matter of education.

81. 81 Comment by Juli on 16 September 2007:

    This analysis is a little bit naive. The world is not a big game of “Risk” ( a board game where Ukraine is weak-Seinfield episode). As said from Vassili, i think, Russia gains more from Kosovo independence and also by “firmly opossing” it they gain the right for first dips in the next big move after Kosovo is independent (or if, according to some), Putin is very smart after all he served in KGB and who knows what they are bargaining for maybe pipelines, Georgia, the Arctic. I also got the feeling that Mr (or Dr., sorry) Trifkovic is some what waiting for this mayheim of army interventions to occur. This is a sick scenario (and unlikely to my opinion) that serves well only the real jihadist wherever they are. A war between NATO and Russia is nonsense and serves no good to any of the two, so i don’t see them making this huge tactical mistake over the tiny nation of Kosovo (or region according to others). Also it will be detrimental for Serbians and Albanians (ethnic or otherwise).
    Another point is that Albania is not a muslim state, eventhough i don’t know you definition of a muslim state. Many “muslims” or even “orthodox” from Albania are only so in name (like me i tell people i am orthodox because i have to tell them something but i only go to church for Christmas and Eastern), i have seen more covered women in my mid-size comunity here in US than in my home town in Albania. Albania has no laws that actually favor one religion versus another, what i like about it is that religion is significantly separated from the state (at least more than in US) and no one cares what religion you come from. The first time i was asked for my religion was in The States. I realise though that some of these facts might not resonate well with the conservative comunity in US. Anyway i also don’t think that Kosovo will become a kaliphate once independent. Why do i think that kosovo should become independent? For the simple fact that they can not live in the same state with serbs anymore (or vice versa), history has shown it to be imposible and so does this thread. It is tragedy, it really is given the things we actually have in common.

82. 82 Trackback by Jessie on 30 October 2007:

    Jessie…

    This is one of the more useful reads I have had today….

83. 83 Trackback by the role of horses in the civil war on 27 June 2008:

    the role of horses in the civil war…

    I am thinking of doing a blog, how many times a week do you think I should post?…