Belgrade
First argument is that Serbia is the only country to have come out of Yugoslavia, which has still not fulfilled the condition of full cooperation with The Hague Tribunal. Although Serbia was the direct creator of the wars, and with this of crimes and genocide, it has still not delivered General Ratko Mladic. While the same Serbia swears on international law on Kosovo.
The second argument is that Serbia is the only state in post-WWII Europe to have been charged guilty of not preventing genocide. This decision was given on the accusation by Bosnia-Herzegovina at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Moreover, this decision is obliging for UN-members countries because it was a verdict and not a consultative opinion.
After the verdict, Serb President Boris Tadic initiated a resolution at the Serb Parliament through which Serbia would apologize for Srebrenica, where more than 8,000 Muslim boys and men were slaughtered. This resolution not only did not pass, but Tadic today is in coalition with Milosevic’s subordinates. So a Serbia that did not respect the court verdict on Srebrenica is now suddenly interested about the “consultative opinion” of this court on Kosovo independence.
The third argument is that Serbia has never fully accepted the authority of UN Mission in Kosovo. It has continued to support and pay parallel Serb institutions in Kosovo against the request of the UN administration, which requested their dismantling.
The other argument is that Serbia considers itself a leader of regional cooperation and says that it contributes to regional stability. But it has thrown out Montenegrin and Macedonian ambassadors to Serbia, does not recognize Kosovo and fights Kosovo participation in regional initiatives. The same Serbia requires visa-free travel in Europe for its citizens and at the same time says it will never allow Kosovars to travel with documents issued by Kosovo authorities through its territory.
Serbia boasts that it has not put an economic blockade on Kosovo, but you only need to visit any supermarket in Kosovo and see the shelves full of Serb products to understand that the blockade would have been on itself, not Kosovo.
As far as violence not being used is concerned, you need to remember the burning of foreign embassies in Belgrade and armed attacks by “empty-handed” Serbs in northern Kosovo.
So in all these cases Serbia speaks and acts differently.
Now from Serbia is required: To drop with urgency objections against the installation of EU missions in the whole territory of Kosovo. To arrest with urgency General Ratko Mladic and deliver him to Hague, along with the documents which Hague requires to establish the facts for crimes. To punish some of the attackers of the foreign embassies in Belgrade and of the Kosovo customs posts at the border with Serbia. To stop the threatening rhetoric towards its neighbors. To stop the opposition towards the participation of Kosovo in regional initiatives. All these requests are told to Serbia’s leaders in private.
Every used rhetoric could be understood through the internal Serb politics. But it is ironic when Serb Defense Minister and Milosevic subordinate Ivica Dacic talks about international law. What else to say other than God save international law from Serbia’s 'protection'.
Maybe this generation of politicians in Serbia really wants to accomplish through political and diplomatic means that which Milosevic could not accomplish through war. However, the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo left crimes behind which justice still has to deal with; otherwise, the politics would have forgotten them.
The second argument is that Serbia is the only state in post-WWII Europe to have been charged guilty of not preventing genocide. This decision was given on the accusation by Bosnia-Herzegovina at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Moreover, this decision is obliging for UN-members countries because it was a verdict and not a consultative opinion.
After the verdict, Serb President Boris Tadic initiated a resolution at the Serb Parliament through which Serbia would apologize for Srebrenica, where more than 8,000 Muslim boys and men were slaughtered. This resolution not only did not pass, but Tadic today is in coalition with Milosevic’s subordinates. So a Serbia that did not respect the court verdict on Srebrenica is now suddenly interested about the “consultative opinion” of this court on Kosovo independence.
The third argument is that Serbia has never fully accepted the authority of UN Mission in Kosovo. It has continued to support and pay parallel Serb institutions in Kosovo against the request of the UN administration, which requested their dismantling.
The other argument is that Serbia considers itself a leader of regional cooperation and says that it contributes to regional stability. But it has thrown out Montenegrin and Macedonian ambassadors to Serbia, does not recognize Kosovo and fights Kosovo participation in regional initiatives. The same Serbia requires visa-free travel in Europe for its citizens and at the same time says it will never allow Kosovars to travel with documents issued by Kosovo authorities through its territory.
Serbia boasts that it has not put an economic blockade on Kosovo, but you only need to visit any supermarket in Kosovo and see the shelves full of Serb products to understand that the blockade would have been on itself, not Kosovo.
As far as violence not being used is concerned, you need to remember the burning of foreign embassies in Belgrade and armed attacks by “empty-handed” Serbs in northern Kosovo.
So in all these cases Serbia speaks and acts differently.
Now from Serbia is required: To drop with urgency objections against the installation of EU missions in the whole territory of Kosovo. To arrest with urgency General Ratko Mladic and deliver him to Hague, along with the documents which Hague requires to establish the facts for crimes. To punish some of the attackers of the foreign embassies in Belgrade and of the Kosovo customs posts at the border with Serbia. To stop the threatening rhetoric towards its neighbors. To stop the opposition towards the participation of Kosovo in regional initiatives. All these requests are told to Serbia’s leaders in private.
Every used rhetoric could be understood through the internal Serb politics. But it is ironic when Serb Defense Minister and Milosevic subordinate Ivica Dacic talks about international law. What else to say other than God save international law from Serbia’s 'protection'.
Maybe this generation of politicians in Serbia really wants to accomplish through political and diplomatic means that which Milosevic could not accomplish through war. However, the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo left crimes behind which justice still has to deal with; otherwise, the politics would have forgotten them.
This piece is a shortened version of the one published in Albanian in Kosovo's daily Koha Ditore on 13 October. Augustin Palokaj is Brussels correspondent for the newspaper.
Comments (28)
kujtimk
said:
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... By the way, Anyone who understands Serbian, try to watch "Insider" on Serbian TV B92. (www.b92.net) In one point, second in command of Serbian Army in 2000, General Vasiljevic confesess that he recieved a list sent by Milosevic with 40 names of top Serbian oposition party leaders to be killed. Which according to general was turned down by the Army after which Milosevic was toppled. Serbian army (and other security forces) did not show the same consideration to neighbouring peoples Croats, Bosnians and Albanians which were killed en-masse during 90-ties. Hence, todays strained relations. |
kujtimk
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... @Albiqete Very impresive, your diagnosis hits right to the point. Any ideas how to remedy this self-indulged mass hysteria and brain-washing in Serbs? Personally, I'm afraid we need to wait for next generation of Serbs for them to come to terms with what was done in their name during 90-ties and move on. |
..., Low-rated comment [Show]
Timi
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... Seeing how the Serbian people are still hipnotized by Millosevic, makes me feel so sorry for them... A wasted life while being painfully manipulated... What a dull nation! |
X
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... The one that wrote this should be ashamed. I am serious... Writing propaganda with corrupted facts like this is absurd. Shame on you! |
Duka
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... Hello people of Serbia greetings an inhabitant one of your neighbour that of the REPUBLIC OF KOSOVA. You can call anything you like: terrorist, muslim extremist, hypocrits any thing you can imagine... Nowadays you can only call us that while you are in Serbia and more than words you cant say while now WE ARE AN IDEPENDENT COUNTRY and YOU CANT DO ANYTHIN ABOUT IT. Therefore I'm even not going to bother and agrument why we should be free and independent. If you dont understand it this only shows how stuppid and ignorant you all are. Believe it or not even you in Serbia have started to come to your senceses; the case at the international tribunal of justice is your last struggle and then it is FINITO!!! Furthermore others have continued to recognize the INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC OF KOSOVA, even our neigbours MONTENEGRO AND FRYOM MACEDONIA!! Too bad ai!! |
albiqete
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... I challenge anyone SERVS to find a opposing fact abut what your most famous writer of 20 century said about Serbian character "A lie, trait of our patriotism" “We lie to deceive ourselves, to console others, we lie for mercy, we lie to fight fear, to encourage ourselves, to hide our and somebody else’s misery. We lie for love and honesty. We lie because of freedom. Lying is a trait of our patriotism and the proof of our innate intelligence. We lie creatively, imaginatively and inventively." Here is the fact for you SERVS. "Deobe" (Divisions) 1961. Volume I, page 135: Please do not insult us Albanians as liars. Insult your best writer and President Dobrica covic. Please spread your garbage somewhere else. |
adea
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... wow, suprised and then not by the comments that people post. you would think the youn generation would finally accept the fact that it was Serbia who took away the autonomy granted to Kosova under the Yugoslav rules; it was serbia who decided to start wars with the former YU republics without any territorial right and without populace in those areas; it was serbia who commited genocide and it still is the same serbia (smaller each day) that does not cooperate with the intnernational courts and does not see itself as the sole successor of the former YU and the actor of "potential" ethnic cleansing throughout the Balcans. I seriously dont understand people who try to deny these facts and call themselves "educated." read some history will you, and dont fall under the propaganda. I feel bad for those few serbians who actually have the decency to accept they they did wrong and they want to cooperate for a peaceful balcans and enter EU, rather than live on the backs of their big brother Russia. Just recently, montenegro cosidered their own national interest of recognizing Kosova, showing Serbia that they do not obide to their wishes. montenegro just set a good example of how other countries, those who want to prosper, should behave. |
Azdren Coma
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... @TRUTHBETOLD I challenge you to rebut my argument of what Slobodan Milosevic did on June 28th 1989. Tell me what I fabricated, if anything. |
truthbetold
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... my god, what a bunch of lies and misrepresentations. It goes to the heart of the matter that the Albanian Kosovars are nothing but manipulative, thieving, lying, crooks. This article is so riddled with lies and misrepresentations that in not only borders on libelous defamation, it is the embodiment of it. Oh, and Azdren, I think you may have been in a Coma for the past 20-30 years, because all of your points are completely fabricated and baseless. To rebut your comments would be a waste of time as any half-way educated person would realize that you are completely delusional and just trying to peddle your own propaganda. |
Nasko
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... Wow quite a suprize to see some comments by John L. Vik and so on. Its abvious that its just some serbs acting like foreigners. The only problem for you guys its that truth hurts :) Serbia wont never gain free visa regime for its citizens until it accepts the reality. The only country with Africa standards is Serbia. I mean look at the past, Serbia has only sefl-destruct. I understand Serbias reactions and some of its citizens propaganda and "rough" actions. I mean what you gotta lose? And whats left of Serbia in Kosovo. Uhm the Serbian minority. That maybe in 10 years wont even exists, not because we albanians will evacuate them, its just nature will do the job. So have fun furfilling your egos with illusions. |
Jana
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... God save international law from Serbia's 'protection' ?? You mean Alah save us, the remnants of the Otoman empire in Europe. Where will you be when US gets weaker and sinks??? Nowhere to be seen. |
Jana
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... God save international law from Serbia's 'protection' ???? You mean Alah save us, the remnants of Otoman empire in Europe. Where will you be when US goes down??? |
Azdren Coma
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... @SGA June 28th 1989 is when Serbia became effectively a dictatorship under the authority of Slobodan Milosevic, revoking the autonomy of Kosova (which at the time was on equal par with Macedonia, Croatia, etc...), firing all Albanian professors at Prishtina University and expelling 14500 of the 15000 students (500 remaining were Serbian), baring all oposition political movements by law, and establishing Serbian rule throughout Yugoslavia. And there was much more. That was the date Tito's Yugoslavia turned into the conflict-zone Balkans we know of today. |
alex johnson
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... you should get your facts straight, writing propaganda like this will earn no respect. serbia like all other states involved has turned over criminals to the hague. how about the criminals that croatia refuses to turn over and will not be forced to, they say "we cannot send our defender to the hague" |
sga
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... "Slobodan Milosevic speech June 28th 1989" seemed a quite sensible piece, what's wrong , racist, etc, with it ? |
albiqete
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... Dobrica Cosic Former Serbian President “We lie to deceive ourselves, to console others; we lie for mercy, we lie to fight fear, to encourage ourselves, to hide our and somebody else’s misery. We lie for love and honesty. We lie because of freedom. Lying ie is the trait of our patriotism and the proof of our innate smartness. We lie creatively, imaginatively, inventively.” Six pivotal themes in Serbian propaganda are 1. Victimization, in which Serbs were constructed as collective victims first of the NDH, then of Tito’s Yugoslavia, and more specifically of Croats, Albanians, Bosnians, and other non-Serbs. 2. Dehumanization of designated ‘others’, in which Croats were depicted as ‘genocidal’ and as ‘Ustaše’, Bosnians were portrayed as ‘fanatical fundamentalists’, and Albanians were represented as not fully human. These processes of dehumanization effectively removed these designated ‘others’ from the moral field, sanctifying their murder or expulsion. 3. Belittlement, in which Serbia’s enemies were represented as beneath contempt. 4. Conspiracy, in which Croats, Slovenes, Albanians, the Vatican, Germany, Austria, and sometimes also the Bosnians as well as the U.S. and other foreign states, were seen as united in a conspiracy to break up the SFRY and hurt Serbia. In this way, the Belgrade regime’s obstinate disregard for the fundamental standards of international law was dressed up as heroic defiance of an anti-Serb conspiracy. 5. Entitlement, in which the Serbs were constructed as ‘entitled’ to create a Greater Serbian state to which parts of Croatia and Bosnia would be attached, under the motto,’ All Serbs should live in one state.’ 6. Superhuman powers and divine sanction. The Serbs were told that they were, in some sense, “super”. They were the best fighters on the planet, they could stand up to the entire world, and they were sanctioned by God himself, because of Tsar Lazar and the fact that Lazar had chosen the heavenly kingdom. Moreover, since Lazar had chosen the heavenly kingdom, the Serbs, encouraged to view themselves as Lazar’s heirs, were entitled to the earthly kingdom which Lazar had repudiated, as their patrimony. Serbian society began to stray down the path to war more or less unwittingly. Already in the years 1981—86, long before the other republics experienced anything like a ‘national awakening’, Serbia (and here one may include Kosovo too) was already sliding into a syndrome in which myths, threats, the allure of victory, and belligerent rhetoric filled the public discourse, giving Serbs a sense of common destiny but also separating them, psychologically, from the other peoples of socialist Yugoslavia. That this was an unhealthy state of collective mind is clear from the prominence of the themes of victimization, conspiracy, national entitlement, and divine sanction of the Serbian national project, as well as from the insistent campaigns of dehumanization, demonization, and belittlement of Croats, Bosnian Muslims, and Albanians, as well as other peoples and states, which began at this time. This syndrome, in an individual, would be considered psychotic; to the extent that it permeated much of Serbian society, perhaps especially in the countryside, one may speak of Serbia having been sucked into a kind of collective psychosis. And to the extent that Serbian war propaganda aimed at reinforcing and stimulating this state of mind, we may say that it aimed at inculcating and reinforcing neurotic and psychotic syndromes in Serbian society. This psychosis had its cultic saints – portraitsof Miloševiæ and Chetnik leader Draža Mihailoviæ were often displayed alongside those of saints canonized by the Church – had its bards (such as Simonida Stankoviæ and Ceca Ražnjatoviæ, and even had its official music – “turbo-folk”, a pop mixtureof folk-ethnic style with a rhythmic pounding beat. Moreover, this psychosis could even transport those infected to a state of consciousness which they mistook for a better world. Miloševi, for example, arriving dramatically at Kosovo polje in a helicopter on 28 June 1989, told those gathered for the six hundredth anniversary of Serbia’s mythic confrontation with its national destiny, that in that the - century battle, Serbia had defended not just herself but all of European culture and civilization. Fine oratory might even be called the elixir of national psychosis |
Mike
said:
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... I agree. The only hypocrites here are Kosovo Albanians. Not only that they have managed to ruin their own (non-existing) economy but also drained out the money from ex Yugoslav and Serbian treasuries that ended up in narco cartels and brothels across Kosovo and Albania. This so called country is appalling, even for African standards let alone European ones. It will never have worldwide legitimacy. |
Amer
said:
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... More briefly, Serbia requested support from the UN General Assembly for the ICJ to consider its request for an advisory opinion on Kosova's declaration of independence, but states it has no intention of abiding by the decision if it goes against Serbia's position. Strange. |
Azdren Coma
said:
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... For all of you hating, ignorant ultra-nationalist racist serbs, that have nothing better to do than to take the stance of the [one sided] B92 news source you probably live by... I suggest you look up "Slobodan Milosevic speech June 28th 1989." and tell me again who is the racist one?!!! Tell me, who is the one taking away autonomy? and taking away peoples rights to self determination and taking away peoples cultures, and jobs, and dignity??? Look at that speech, and you will see who started the FOUR WARS which ultimately servia lost! ... You have no guilt! you have no remorse. And you justify your righteous lives how exactly? What is the logic and rational which has allowed you to move along without even a shred of doubt to the story supplied by your government, or wihtout a shred of guilt or remorse? Go ahead, lie to yourself and believe that Serbia is the Moral and Legal authority of the world. Ha ha.... hah.... |
wow.
said:
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... I'm not at all surprised to see a completely one sided argument poseted on this web site. The poor grammar and logic aside, this site has done nothing but continually bash one side in a multi-sided story. I wonder if the writer of this article would argree that in any and all disputes that there are two contributing factors or is it that the author is so enamorred by their own inflatedf sense of worth that they must use cheap one sided journalism to advance their own private agenda... if you want to write the facts, get them all and not one way... I could spend some time to rebut with legal based arguments that counter all your points with a level of validity that you would have no option but to retract your statements, and as such I have also recognized that these truths will never be published on this site... please enjoy your internal utopia... Sweeden is a wonderful place... Truth has a funny way of escaping... |
Benny
said:
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... UAE just recognized Kosova. http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=081014155526.3e2km83b.php |
Machetti
said:
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... This is the biggest pile of crap i have ever read, also use some grammer, your english is pooooor!!!!!!!!! |
veki
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... this is propaganda. Serbia was not the only state out of the Yugoslav states to start the war. Croatia is equally to blame. and the Hague gives harsh sentences to the Serbian criminals and not Croatian or Bosnian or Albanian. get your facts straight because this is garbage. |
Azdren Coma
said:
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... All the points mentioned above are exactly why Serbia is a hypocrite. very well written article. |
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