Most recently, the debate centered on whether Kosovo can survive as an independent state, whether Serbia will go to war over it, or if it’s legal at all to proclaim a Kosovar state. However, in the background of this process for the future of Kosovo there are courtrooms working on the past, and it’s not a bright one.

During spring 1999, Cedomir Sakic, an ethnic Serb from Serbia was hired by the Serbian Interior Ministry. His work was to escort cargo for the Security unit of the Interior Ministry. In the middle of the Kosovo war, he got a call from the army colonel Sipovac,  ordering him to go to Kosovo to pick up cargo. Together with police officer Bozidar Protic and several other officers they went to the Kosovar capital Prishtina. Entering the city market, they found their “cargo”: refrigerated trucks full of murdered Albanians. The men loaded the cargo and set off for Serbia; Cedomir Sakic claims he was not aware of what his cargo really was, that his only job was to load and go.

Freezer truck with the bodies of Albanians dumpted in the Danube

According to Sakic, they got police escort until they reached the highway where the police left Sakic and officer Protic to advance further on their own. They dumped their cargo near the town of Kladovo in eastern Serbia.

Only days later, Sakic and Protic went back to Kosovo and Prishtina. This time they picked up a new truck outside of the banned ethnic Albanian media station ”Rilindja.” They dumped this cargo in Batajnica, outside of Belgrade. Batajnica is a Serbian special police training camp, where only years later mass graves were to be found of civilian ethnic Albanians murdered by Serbian security forces.

Less then one month later, Sakic got another call. This time it was time to head to Mitrovica, a town in northern Kosovo. For the first time during his trips, Sakic asks the police officers what the cargo is. ”We’re loading Albanians killed by their own - NATO,” the police replied. Sakic didn’t make much noise; he took the cargo and went back to Serbia.  Once again, he dumped the bodies in Batajnica. It was however not the last trip of Sakic and Protic to Kosovo. Only days later they went back to the small town of Janjeva, outside of Prishtina where they once again loaded trucks full of ethnic Albanians to transport to Serbia.

During the post-war interviews with the men doing the same job as Cedomir Sakic, some claimed they couldn’t mentally manage the trip from Kosovo to Serbia. One driver even went as far as to dump the truck in the Danube River hoping no one would ever find out. Obviously a bad choice considering that those living in the area woke up one morning to find their river full of dead Albanians floating around.

It is not hard at all to imagine this madness during the 90’s on the Balkans. Even wilder things occurred in the region. In Srebrenica, about 8,000 boys and men were executed by Bosnian Serb forces; in Krusha e Madhe (Ser. Velika Krusa) in southern Kosovo, all village men were wiped out. It is for this sole reason that it’s impossible to force the Kosovars under Serbian rule once again. It’s unimaginable to even picture a Kosovo under Belgrade considering the grave crimes against humanity that Serbian security forces committed. These crimes were not sporadic; they were planned by the central state leadership. The testimony of Cedomir Sakic and others in The Hague is clear evidence of this. Ultimately, ironically enough, the biggest reason for the upcoming independence of Kosovo is not the freedom struggle of the Kosovars, but the actions of the Serbian state itself.

By Salih Shala 

Comments (29)

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Sayyid Salman Rizavi said:

	... After what Serbs did in Srebrenica, how can Kosovo live with them? The efforts to create Srpska have let us think a thousand times and to decide that Kosovo should be independent. Human rights should be given to the people of Kosovo as well. If they want to live as an independent nation, they have all the legal and moral right to do so.
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October 24, 2008
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freschus said:

... ivans you are right we are the same whatever happens to us but we believe in the most precious thing that we got thats GOD we must be proud we have that part of our body... no matter what happend to us no matter how many people died to save their own country but we should forgive everything of the past and continue the future kosova and serbia must be friend not enemies couse its the narest country from kosova... thank you ivans for saying those beautiful girls... can u tell me about brazilian girls

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May 08, 2008
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IvanS said:

... I am a brazilian, married to a lifeful, beautiful and respectful croatian woman. We live in Germany (ex-nazi nation) and have many serbian, turkish and macedonian friends. We live in peace, in our little appartment and have no problems with anyone. My wife and some of our friends (serbs and macedonians) suffered a lot in war times, but, even though, they don't hate themselves. No one is proud anymore of wearing a Cetnik hat and cutting enemie's throats when one's own brothers and sisters died for the same, but oppositted-sided, reasons. I really don't mind if Kosovo will or not become independent. All I want is peace, to have no fears. Let's not blame each other for the sinns of ours and each other's Fathers. Ortodox Serbians, Catholic Croatians, Ortodox Macedonias, Muslim Albanias, doesn't matter who, where and when, all believe in God. And, dispite of which God it is, all have their prophecies of Peace, Love and Brotherhood. Shame on the Palestinians and Israelians, who have the same origin, are all sons and daughter os Abraham, and let politics and mass-media interfere in their Hearts. Look in the eyes of the humans around you. They all have souls, they are all children from God, they all have Mothers, family, emotions and memories. Let's start treasuring what is most important to us all: Ourselves. With Love, Ivan

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February 25, 2008
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PROUDALBANIANGIRL said:

HEY APATRID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LISTEN HERE I CANNOT BELIEVE MY EYES, FINALLY I FOUND A MODERATED SERB. WOW IF SERBS WERE ALL LIKE U THIS BALKAN WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PLACE. U ARE SORY ABOUT YOUR SERBIA BUT U JUST DONT KNOW HOW MUCH SORRY ARE WE ALBANIANS FOR THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE U KILLED SINCE STEFAN DUSHANI, FOR THE THOUSANDS OF WOMEN RAPED, FOR SENDIK US AWAY FROM OUR LANDS. IT IS UNJUST.I REMEMBER ONE KOSOVAR CHILD WE HAD IN THE CLASS IN 1999 WHEN THEY CAME IN ALBANIA, HE STARTED CRYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LESSON BECAUSE HE HAD LOST HIS GRANDFATHER WHEN LEAVING KOSOVO. I WILL NEVER FORGET THOSE TEARS NEVER, AND I STILL FEEL LIKE CRYING. U JUST DONT KNOW HOW MUCH ALBANIANS LOVE TO LIVE IN PEACE, U HAVE PROVOKED US, U HAVE FOUGHT US.

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February 22, 2008
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B#92 said:

	Albanian "Freezer truck with the bodies of Albanians dumpted in the Danube" The image above these coments show everything about Serbs, and setting on fire: US, British and Slovenian Embassy in Belgrade because of recognition Kosovo's Independence.
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February 22, 2008
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PROUDALBANIANGIRL said:

LONG LIFE TO MY ETHNIC ALBANIA LONG LIFE TO MY BEAUTIFUL KOSOVO. LONG LIFE TO MY ETHNIC ALBANIA.IM FROM THE REPUBLIK OF ALBANIA AND THIS INDIPENDECE IS A BLESSING.FINALLY THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE FIXING THEIR ERRORS.THEY SEPPARATED US IN 1912 BY NOT CARING FOR US AT ALL, BUT THANKS TO THE USA( GOD BLESS USA) JUSTICE WAS DONNE. AND I HOPE THAT THE 2 SISTERS REP. OF ALBANIA AND REP. OF KOSOVO MIGHT COME TOGEATHER THE WAY THEY WERE 1 DECADE BEFORE. AND ABOUT SERBS I JUST WISH THEY GO ON "PROTESING" LIKE THIS, LIKE ANIMALS, COS THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE. I HOPPE THEY DESTROY EVERY EMBASSY IN BELGRADE I HOPE THEY RUIN BELGRADE SO THAT THE WORLD WILL SEE WHAT THEY REALLY ARE. GO OFF SERBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO ONE LIKES U , NEITHER IN ALBANIA, NEITHER IN BOSNIA, KROACIA NOONE!!!!!!!!! U ARE JUST TERRORISTS, COS U MADE YOUR WAY IN THE BALKANS ONLY WITH MURDERS. U SHOULD SHUT UP AND BE ASHAMED JUST FOR THE FACT THAT U WERE THE LAST ONES TO COME IN THE BALKANS IN THE 6TH CENTURY.WE ALBANIANS HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE AN ETERNITY WE ARE THE SONS OF THE ILIRS AND WE ARE PROUD OF THIS. BE ASHAMED OF U SERBS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BE ASHAMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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February 22, 2008
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Freeturk said:

	Best congrats to my Kosovar fellas! As a Turk of macedonian origin, I , fullheartedly congratulate the very independence of Kosovars. May God give Kosova a healthy long life!
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February 21, 2008
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Damien said:

... I am an American. I have never lived in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, but I have read much about it. I don't pretend to be an expert, but from what I've read, it sounds like each country has committed brutal crimes against the other. It seems as if there are no innocent parties. However, I will say that there seems to be this "gang up on Serbs" mentality in almost every chat room I visit. After reading about the Ustasha in WWII, I am not so quick to blame everything on the Serbs. These were some of the most horrible crimes I have ever read about. If I understand correctly, the Bosnian Muslims and Croatian Catholics, or "Ustashi", were allied with the Nazis. They killed hundreds of thousands of Serbs, Jews, and Gypsies. Why don't I ever hear about that in these posts. And there is one other thing I am curious about. Why is the majority Kosovo population Albanian..? I know there are many Serbian Orthodox churches and monuments in Kosovo. Why aren't there more Serbs living there..? Thanks. Damien

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February 21, 2008
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bali said:

	kosova independent enough of you serbs. know the world knows what kind of evil people you are. kosova has won and now you can do nothing about. you just dont get it or you are ashamed of your selves .
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February 21, 2008
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Adem Jashari said:

Hellooo Seerbia like Nokia every day smaller and smaller ; ) kosovo happy forever im so happy i can't believe that we are talking about the Republic of Kosova internationaly known thanks all who supported the change especialy the serbs!!! im proud and it feels so good to be an Albanian happy independence day forever and ever and ever EULEX hury up we need you in KOSOVA ASAP maybe i will have the honor to work for you im happy whoooooooooo my God im happy happy i can't stop it

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February 19, 2008
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Blerton said:

" Corner of The Shame " I'm really surprized with some silly comments that Srbians are coming up with!!! If you guys think that Kosovo shouldn't declare indipendece, leave, don't interfer, Kosovo can leave without srbs even better. KOSOVO was never ever part of serbia, KOSOVO was part of X-Yugoslavia from 1912-1999. Serbian people HELLO wake up don't be using anymore bullshit that Milosevic and srbian church tought you. Whene you guys write coments come up with something better!!! I dont wanna hear anymore crap like Kosova is srbia and srbia will never give up on Kosova. Coment that I expect from srbs is " Congradulation to Kosovo People becouse we can't do anything about it " I can greet everyone with song " Goodby srbio, goodby srbio" THE END!!!

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February 19, 2008
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Aurora said:

blla blla I'm asking my self where Serbians people will sleep because they don't have "cradle" now, a cradle that they never had , it was just illusion ,but what to do they used to live in illusion oh i forgot to say OSCAR that it is not truth that Albanians did crimes over Serbians minority you mixed roles ,you ofend me .If i was instead of Serbians people i would feel shame how cruel are they ,they killed my sister she was just 10 years .So Serbians don't deserve to live in this world they are criminalist .

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February 19, 2008 | url
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apatrid said:

... lot of bla bla about albanian question , what about serbian question ? so albanians suffer and we did not , interesting for me , but i do not blame you , i can blame only ourselves we did not manage to defend ourselves from otoman invasion , and finaly otoman students finished us do i care about kosovo ? i do not ! do i want to live there ? i do not ! for me it is finally lost teritory with many many many many ,well you will never know how many serbian monasteries and other historical memories of serbian culture but i guess nobody care about that ,all you know is what you want to know and jakupi do you know what is Jasenovac , maybe some historical reading can help you to see that we , serbs lost much more civilians in ww2 than you can imagine , but this is the point , wright ? to kill all serbs i remember croats being with nazi germans , kiling serbs for fun , now talking about democracy? i see many guys from around the world talking in favours of albanians , just want to tell you that i do not blame you for that , but please do some heavy historical reading just to see that it is not simple black and white i also want to say i am sorry for every innocent albanian live , but please all of you admit that yours fight for freedom was not so clean as you would like it to be and what about macedonia? it is next on line , wright? are you gonna do it in freedom fighter style or maybe waiting few years let me see now you have 40percent population average 5 children per family,macedonians only 1.9 well this is realy great for you i guess in 10 years mayority in macedonia will be albanians so there is no need for war and serbia will of course welcome all refugess from macedonia,because there is plenty of room for them here or at least you think that and all that democratic world well i guess i was overreacting but hey montenegro is also on albanian freedom map , but for now only 10percent but in time you will manage raise that , you see many montenegrians are allready in serbia buying houses greece is quite different story , this is going to be a battle , but good natality plan might work FINNALY I DO NOT WISH ANY HARM TO ANYBODY AND I HOPE IT TO BE 2 WAY SOLUTIONS IN BALKAN HAVE NEVER BEEN EASY AND NEVER WILL BEE english is not my mothers laguage so forgive me on my style my expressions and my spelling

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February 19, 2008
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GiGi said:

	the truth Did you alredy forget that Kosovo belonged tu Turks? What you have to say about this? It was Turks, then serbs, and now Albanians.So what is a big deal.........?
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February 19, 2008 | url
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Susanne Moeller said:

	... OMG....this is how wars get started. STOP arguing here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYBODY is entitled to FREEDOM. KOSOVA CONGRATS ON YOUR INDEPENDANCE. Denmark will support you as a free nation this week. We celebrate with you. FREEDOM ABOVE ALL - and let's MAKE a historical peace together!!!!!! Susanne Moller/Denmark
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February 18, 2008
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LILI said:

... HEY OSCAR sorry about your mind i think you need to start to realize the truth once again the truth and the truth is that you are only another serbian who wants to live in dark, haahahah may god bles kosova from now and forever like a democratic country and everybody lives with happines, no mater what another dark minded serbian thinks, and you now what its your right to coment anything you want just like i have the right, so im going to tell you that KOSOVA had worked hard so today to be free and if you think that Kosova will never be "normal' country i really think that you are not normall you need some educationon how to respect human rights and your country too very very normall ''SERBIA''HAHAHAHAH

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February 18, 2008
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marko said:

	... Yeah OSCAR, you have full right.
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February 18, 2008
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milos said:

... FYA. you are not informed at all. During 2th world war,serbs fight against germans,and in their retreat throw albanian mountains,albanian have opened fire on serbs war invalides and injures army which was very hungry and tired of fighinng. we were not in war with albania then,so they have first attacked us. nothing will change with this independence. their lives will continue to be same as they were before.

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February 18, 2008
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Sayyid Salman Rizavi said:

	Congratualtions Congratualtions on the independence of Kosovo!
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February 17, 2008
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Daniel said:

	VIVAT FREE KOSOVA Congratulations to the independence. Hopefeully you will live better than under serbian occupation
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February 17, 2008
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Milan Jankovic said:

	Kosovo is SERBIA KOSOVO ALWAYS WAS AND ALWAYS BE A PART OF SERBIAN THERITORY. INDEPENDENS OF KOSOVO IS NOT A LEGAL MOVE. STOP WITH BLACKMAILING SERBIAN PEOPLE.
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February 15, 2008
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albert said:

	new palestina we are in front a new palestina? Servia never will recognize the true?
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February 15, 2008
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Afrim Pulatani said:

Kosova independence My dear friends, The time has come for a new state to be born in the bosom of Europe. The soveriegn "Republic of Kosova" Let us be reminded that the most powerful, most influential and most democratic states helped create this new state. With the help and guildance of the United States of America, Eu, Japan ect, Kosova will not fail. It is the will of the Kosovar people who have fought to have thier freedom protected and insured. The late President Ibrahim Rugova has set the tone in the Balkans. A man from an area where leaders, philosophers, and humanitarians were born, Kosova. The Republic of Kosova will demonstrate how Democracy truly works in this once damned region. Albanians, be they from Albania, Kosova, Macedonia, Montenegro and even Cameria will show the world that we are peace loving people and that stability with be enusred by our freedom. The democracies of the world have not just gained an infant state but an Ambassador of peace in the Balkans. May Kosova rest easy and finally enjoy their freedom. I would like to personally that all those who have invested thier time and devotion to creating an eviroment of peace and stability in Kosova. Serbia, your thirst for power and expansionism was your self destruction. I urge you to find the courage and become apart of the EU with out strings attached and come to the realisation that and independent Rupublic of Kosova will only enhance you. Long live the peoples of Illyria.

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February 15, 2008
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Bislim said:

	Well.. Indeed the Albanians did commit crimes Oscar, but comparing individual crimes with state organized terror is simply plain ridicilious. The day when the KPS, Kosovo Police Service launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against the minorities of Kosovo, Kosovo should be ripped of its right to govern over these regions.
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February 14, 2008
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fisnik jakupi said:

pamvarsia I speak to whom this may be a concern.I call upon Serbian Nation to be sorry for what thay have done,it is never to late.And I ask them:What will you do with the land of Kosova if there is no people on it?Further more,what will you do with that Land and the people on it,when those people,meaning Albaninas,hate your guts for what you did to them?I wonder how Serbs sleep at night.You can try to cover one or two crimes,but we are talking about something beyond masive here.Reminder to Serbs,Serbia created 4 wars in one Decade!I dont think that any Serb has an explonation for that.Serbs even tryed to cover the masacre in Srebrenica,over 8000 people where murderd brutaly in one day.No one has ever done that to Serbs for as long as history remembers. I mean we lived in peace sincs 1974,so can anyone explain to the WORLD what Sllovenians,Croations,Bosnians or Kosovars did to Serbia,or serbs anywhere for them to wage a brutal War against these 4 Nations.So I once again call upon Serbs to stop trying to cover their actions,couse its impossible,and it makes them look even worse!Any minority or anyone for that matter is welcome to live in the State of Kosova,and thay all will be treated the same as humans we are! Kosoava was never part of Serbia nor will ever be! Thay sey truth hurts! Serbs need to stop wasting time,and need to start helping these 4 Nations on their heeling proces,specialy Albanians from Kosova,since that was a more recent War. Fisnik Jakupi from DARDANA,State Of Kosova. LIVE IN ATLANTA,USA..

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February 14, 2008 | url
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Nappi said:

... We are going ti declare Independence, like it or not Oscar, we deserve it as Kosova was never part of serbia and never will be. I am happy because at last US and Europe are helping us to be in a "normal place that we should have been long time ago, and im quite sure that we will be able to prosper for our childrens and to honour all the people that have fought and gaved their lives for this Day, Proclamation of New Independent Democratic State, Republic of KOSOVA. cheers mates

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February 14, 2008
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Sam said:

	... Oscar, nice try but you forgot one thing: when someone responds to unprovoked violence with violence, it is called self defense. And Kosova will have a seat in the UN when Serbia is still sucking Russia's tit and living in the dark ages. I know you want the crimes of Serbia to just go away, but hey will never ever be forgotten by the world.
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February 14, 2008
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Heku said:

... We are not here for scaling suffering but International Community attacked Serbia and Serbia only. Not at all a way to say that International Community (Democratic countries with freely elected gvts, not talking about China or Rossia or Bielorossia (sic.)). As I still love to say to people that think this act is an illegal act. First we have to consider soft International Law, which is deemed to become one day or another hard law. We see a branch of territorial law developping in what is said to be "Remedial Secession", basically the contract between the people and the State is void because of the use of violence. This State could have been much more keen at his citizens but in fact it used the sovereignity they had discharged to this so-called Yugoslav State to ill treat them. So what goes on next, people can liquidate this contract and decide to pass it to an other entity, a sui generis one. This is what will happen this week-end. Plus, the idea of the territory conditionning people's fate goes against all humanitarian law when this precise law is breached. In these cases, and that's why we say Kosovo's case is unique, it's up to people to decide about their fate, this is what will happen too this week-end my dear. Saying Kosovo will never be a "normal" country is like when all of you were saying Kosovo will never be independent. A kind of a threat we were telling to our children before putting them asleep. "Sleep now otherwise we will never be independent, these guys who believe in Russia's upheaval said it". Let us laugh.... a bit, enjoy.... a lot this week-end and forget these last nine years and develop OUR country. Best, Heku.

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February 14, 2008
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Oscar said:

	... Don't forget the crimes that Albanians did over Serbian minority. It was a bloody war in which both sides commited crimes, so the fact is that very good media-war by kosovar albanians, with support of USA moved them towards indepedence. I would say ilegal indepedence that is still so far from the reality, because Kosovo will never become a "normal" country with seat in UN.
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February 14, 2008
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