De-militarize to stabilize

I usually don't agree with you. But, you make several points of strength. One, that it's inevitable that Kosovo will get some sort of conditional independence. If that must be the case, then they must be rendered militarily inept. Otherwise, their territorial aspirations will only increase. In reagards to Bosnia, I agree that all sides should have been forced to disarm and this 'get out of my country' rhetoric would not be so inflammatory. I would love nothing more than to see the Balkans as a de-militarized zone. See what you can do when you become the next Sec. of Defense.

De-militarizing Kosovo without de-militarizing Serbia it will simply not work. In fact, a workable solution would be to de-militarize the entire Ballkans. But would Serbia go along with it. I doubt. Serbia has a horrible record when it comes to respecting the minority rights. If the west wants to avoid another bombing of that aerea, they ought to allow Kosovo Albanians to establish a fully functional Army. That is the only way Serbia will not in the future violate the territorial integrity of Kosovo if it were to be recognized as an indipendent state. Other than that, Serbians are known to be brave, especially attacking unarmed such as we saw in the Kosovo conflict of 1999.
In Adittion, in order to avoid future conflicts, the northern part of Kosovo, should be traded with Presevo valley. Like that Serbs that do not want to live in an indipendent Kosovo can Join Serbia, and as well Albanians who don't want to live in Serbia can join Kosovo.

Thanks B92

First, let me respond to Issac. You say, "Serbia has a horrible record when it comes to respecting the minority rights." Where are you getting this information from? It was just reported last week in B92 that respect for minority rights in Vojvodina was an exemplary model for the whole of Eastern Europe. Not only that, Presevo Albanians have been given all but decentralized self-rule in their region, which was negotiated by Belgrade and the local officials. True, Serbia has not had the greatest track record in the last 15 years, but neither has any of its neighbors - including Albanians (no Albanian on this site has yet explained March 2004). Plus, you say that Serbia needs to demiliarize while Kosovo retains a strong army. Sorry, that's not going to work. No one in the Balkans wants an armed group of KLA/KPC fighters running across international borders stirring up separatist agitation.

As far as Montgomery's article is concerned, I think he's right on target. The KPC needs a complete overhaul, bordering on complete demilitarization, with a near total confiscation of weapons of the entire region. It's time the West stops looking at the region in Black and White, and assumes that if the Serbs were bad, the Albanians, by default, have to be good. If the key powers that have been determining the fate of the Balkans for the last 15 years were really serious about stability and economic and social growth, the civic and political institutions need to be built up. No EU official wants to see an independent Kosovo become an economic parasite with an unchecked paramilitary organization that simply changed its initials.

First, I would like to thank Mike for responding to my comment. It appears that you have missunderstood the concept of my comment, dear Mike. Kososo and Serbia ought to be de-militarized by all means if it's done on the bases of fairness. However, you can't expect Kosovo Albanians to throw down their weapons while Serbia, known to be the agressor to hold on to theirs.
The kosovo lands have changed their ownership several times for the last two thousand years. I am not going to reiterate Serbian or Albanian heroic battles on this land, because they truly don't matter at this point. The present statistics indicate two million Albanians and two hundred thousand Serbs. That represents Albanian majority in any civilized democratic thinking. If you think that the will of majority, can simply be ignored because Serbia claims to have owned those lands in the past, then, you are out of touch with the modern democratic thinking. Kosovo and Serbia should be de-militarized because of their decade long track records, which clearly show violation of human rights on both sides. However, if that's not possible, both should have functional armies, and become full members of Nato. The nationalistic armed groups in Kosovo, or Serbia can be controled by EU or nato only if they are legitimized. If it's left for Serbia to control those groups, we remember very well how they did it 1998/99. I do however agree with you about the progress in minority rights in Vojvodina. Though that's a wonderful news, it can't be compared with the complexity of the situation in Southern Serbia. Therefore, it's in Serbia's interest to improve its minority right's record in Southern Serbia. As I mentioned above, there are two hundred thousand Serbs in Kosovo, and an equal number of Albanians in Southern Serbia. "Serbians in Kosovo, should be treated like Albanians in Presevo valley." Because one undeniable fact can't be simply ignored. Both of these etnicities have been leaving in these lands for centuries. "None of them have come from Mars as far as I remember."
I also agree with you about the March tragedy of 2004. That is a historic setback for Kosovo, UNMIK, and Albanians who perpetrated those crimes. But we've seen similiar setbacks before,as the one on the day Milloshevic fired the entire intelectual elite of Kosovo and gave birth to the situation we see today.

Thanks for bringing up that issue, and though I condemn such horrific actions done by some Albanians on March, 2004, as an Isralite with slight Ballkan Origins, doesn't qualify me to take blame on that issue.

Thank you,

Isaac,

Dear Mike and Isaac

Reading both your comments has once again stirred some very sore points and for this I commend you both.

I think that what we have in Kosovo today is one singular problem but with many sides to it. I think that if you take out the extremist, criminal and other negative elements from both sides of the "Kosovo argument", you are left with two peoples who very genuinely feel a sense of fear and of betrayal.

The Serbs have been responsible for some pretty serious crimes in the region, thanks a great deal to dear old "now dead" Milosevic. This being the case, many Albanian / Kosovar / Muslims, what ever the CNN and other media wish to call them, have also been responsible for violating, to extreme, the human rights of Serbs and their own people - in response to the KLA!

Today the difference is that the Serbs feel betrayed by the constant misrepresentation and lack of will to understand their legitimate arguments regarding their rights to Kosovo. On the other side, the Kosovar Muslims feel betrayed by the shifting goalposts that have been planted since Clinton became the patron saint there after the "illegal" bombing campaign of 1999.

Anyway, at the end of the day the truth is that the new problems are only now beginning to unfold and until we find people in the Kosovo argument like you two, who can sit down and intelligently discuss a mutual future in Kosovo, regardless of what we think of each other, then violence is clearly on the map of the future of Kosovo because those extremists that I mentioned earlier will fill any void just as the process of osmosis works to move a stronger solution in the place of a weaker one.

By the way Isaac, I did not miss the part about you being an Israelite and as a Serb I am proud of the fact that the Serbs were responsible for saving the lives of a great many Jews during the Second World War, from the hands of both the Gestapo and the Ustashi. Shalom!

David Ivanovic

Thank you Isaac for responding to my comments. You've clarified some things and made good points as well. I try to play fair on both sides of this highly sensitive topic, and was gladened to see that you do as well. The issue of military demilitarization really boils down to trust, as David points out, and I agree that one side cannot demilitarize while the other remains strong. Thank you both for your intelligent input!

"Entire region would be better off with effective police and no military force whatever".
I agree.
And I have to add that world would be better place too, if US had only effective police and no military whatever.

I find it odd that Mr. Ambassador is asking two of the countries that underwent aggression to forfeit their right to a defense force while Serbia, their aggressor, remains armed and is building a new military base – the largest in the Balkans – in the Presheva Valley, which borders Kosovo.

Should I remind Mr. Montgomery that Serbia has not forfeited its right to Kosovo and if given the chance, it plainly says that it will try to gain it back militarily in the future. Like the Jewish people of Israel, Kosovo cannot afford another war virtually defenseless. We were extremely lucky and thankful to have NATO in our side in 1999, but as the wars in Bosnia, Darfur and earlier ones in Kosovo prove, it’s always a better idea to be able to defend yourself then be thankful to the geopolitical situation of the day.

Sure some Kosovo Protection Corps members have problems, but you cannot project those problems to the whole army. The events you refer to date from years ago. Since then KPC has grown up into a serious force willing to live up to the expectations of the people of Kosova. Few news items, for example, mention the fact that when NATO and UNMIK Police failed to stop the 2004 riots, it was KPC that stepped in and through the respect that it has with the population persuaded them to go home. KPC has never posed a threat to minorities in Kosovo, and all of them are represented according to their population proportions. Serbs are underrepresented but that’s because their leaders discourage them from taking any steps that would bring the future state of Kosovo closer to reality. KPC has offered to protect Serb religious sites but has been rejected by Serb church leaders. In civilian construction it has done wonderful work helping with infrastructure along with NATO in Serb and Albanian villages alike.

Disbanding KPC will not take the power away from its individual members to do harm. That would only make it harder to control them by sending them underground. I would expect a US diplomat to have learned from the outcome of the disbanding of the Iraqi army.

Mr. Ambassador, thank you for attempting to answer the discrepancy between your views and the views and policies of the US government on Kosovo, as personified in the US Mission in Pristina. However, I found the answer unsatisfying. From what I understand, where you are matters more than you wish to acknowledge. Could it be that living in Belgrade in the midst of society that is overtly antagonistic on Kosovo and its chance to succeed has warped your perspective on this issue?

Respectfully yours
Ari

I usually don't agree with you. But, you make several points of strength. One, that it's inevitable that Kosovo will get some sort of conditional independence. If that must be the case, then they must be rendered militarily inept. Otherwise, their territorial aspirations will only increase. In reagards to Bosnia, I agree that all sides should have been forced to disarm and this 'get out of my country' rhetoric would not be so inflammatory. I would love nothing more than to see the Balkans as a de-militarized zone. See what you can do when you become the next Sec. of Defense.

De-militarizing Kosovo without de-militarizing Serbia it will simply not work. In fact, a workable solution would be to de-militarize the entire Ballkans. But would Serbia go along with it. I doubt. Serbia has a horrible record when it comes to respecting the minority rights. If the west wants to avoid another bombing of that aerea, they ought to allow Kosovo Albanians to establish a fully functional Army. That is the only way Serbia will not in the future violate the territorial integrity of Kosovo if it were to be recognized as an indipendent state. Other than that, Serbians are known to be brave, especially attacking unarmed such as we saw in the Kosovo conflict of 1999.
In Adittion, in order to avoid future conflicts, the northern part of Kosovo, should be traded with Presevo valley. Like that Serbs that do not want to live in an indipendent Kosovo can Join Serbia, and as well Albanians who don't want to live in Serbia can join Kosovo.

Thanks B92

First, let me respond to Issac. You say, "Serbia has a horrible record when it comes to respecting the minority rights." Where are you getting this information from? It was just reported last week in B92 that respect for minority rights in Vojvodina was an exemplary model for the whole of Eastern Europe. Not only that, Presevo Albanians have been given all but decentralized self-rule in their region, which was negotiated by Belgrade and the local officials. True, Serbia has not had the greatest track record in the last 15 years, but neither has any of its neighbors - including Albanians (no Albanian on this site has yet explained March 2004). Plus, you say that Serbia needs to demiliarize while Kosovo retains a strong army. Sorry, that's not going to work. No one in the Balkans wants an armed group of KLA/KPC fighters running across international borders stirring up separatist agitation.

As far as Montgomery's article is concerned, I think he's right on target. The KPC needs a complete overhaul, bordering on complete demilitarization, with a near total confiscation of weapons of the entire region. It's time the West stops looking at the region in Black and White, and assumes that if the Serbs were bad, the Albanians, by default, have to be good. If the key powers that have been determining the fate of the Balkans for the last 15 years were really serious about stability and economic and social growth, the civic and political institutions need to be built up. No EU official wants to see an independent Kosovo become an economic parasite with an unchecked paramilitary organization that simply changed its initials.

First, I would like to thank Mike for responding to my comment. It appears that you have missunderstood the concept of my comment, dear Mike. Kososo and Serbia ought to be de-militarized by all means if it's done on the bases of fairness. However, you can't expect Kosovo Albanians to throw down their weapons while Serbia, known to be the agressor to hold on to theirs.
The kosovo lands have changed their ownership several times for the last two thousand years. I am not going to reiterate Serbian or Albanian heroic battles on this land, because they truly don't matter at this point. The present statistics indicate two million Albanians and two hundred thousand Serbs. That represents Albanian majority in any civilized democratic thinking. If you think that the will of majority, can simply be ignored because Serbia claims to have owned those lands in the past, then, you are out of touch with the modern democratic thinking. Kosovo and Serbia should be de-militarized because of their decade long track records, which clearly show violation of human rights on both sides. However, if that's not possible, both should have functional armies, and become full members of Nato. The nationalistic armed groups in Kosovo, or Serbia can be controled by EU or nato only if they are legitimized. If it's left for Serbia to control those groups, we remember very well how they did it 1998/99. I do however agree with you about the progress in minority rights in Vojvodina. Though that's a wonderful news, it can't be compared with the complexity of the situation in Southern Serbia. Therefore, it's in Serbia's interest to improve its minority right's record in Southern Serbia. As I mentioned above, there are two hundred thousand Serbs in Kosovo, and an equal number of Albanians in Southern Serbia. "Serbians in Kosovo, should be treated like Albanians in Presevo valley." Because one undeniable fact can't be simply ignored. Both of these etnicities have been leaving in these lands for centuries. "None of them have come from Mars as far as I remember."
I also agree with you about the March tragedy of 2004. That is a historic setback for Kosovo, UNMIK, and Albanians who perpetrated those crimes. But we've seen similiar setbacks before,as the one on the day Milloshevic fired the entire intelectual elite of Kosovo and gave birth to the situation we see today.

Thanks for bringing up that issue, and though I condemn such horrific actions done by some Albanians on March, 2004, as an Isralite with slight Ballkan Origins, doesn't qualify me to take blame on that issue.

Thank you,

Isaac,

Dear Mike and Isaac

Reading both your comments has once again stirred some very sore points and for this I commend you both.

I think that what we have in Kosovo today is one singular problem but with many sides to it. I think that if you take out the extremist, criminal and other negative elements from both sides of the "Kosovo argument", you are left with two peoples who very genuinely feel a sense of fear and of betrayal.

The Serbs have been responsible for some pretty serious crimes in the region, thanks a great deal to dear old "now dead" Milosevic. This being the case, many Albanian / Kosovar / Muslims, what ever the CNN and other media wish to call them, have also been responsible for violating, to extreme, the human rights of Serbs and their own people - in response to the KLA!

Today the difference is that the Serbs feel betrayed by the constant misrepresentation and lack of will to understand their legitimate arguments regarding their rights to Kosovo. On the other side, the Kosovar Muslims feel betrayed by the shifting goalposts that have been planted since Clinton became the patron saint there after the "illegal" bombing campaign of 1999.

Anyway, at the end of the day the truth is that the new problems are only now beginning to unfold and until we find people in the Kosovo argument like you two, who can sit down and intelligently discuss a mutual future in Kosovo, regardless of what we think of each other, then violence is clearly on the map of the future of Kosovo because those extremists that I mentioned earlier will fill any void just as the process of osmosis works to move a stronger solution in the place of a weaker one.

By the way Isaac, I did not miss the part about you being an Israelite and as a Serb I am proud of the fact that the Serbs were responsible for saving the lives of a great many Jews during the Second World War, from the hands of both the Gestapo and the Ustashi. Shalom!

David Ivanovic

Thank you Isaac for responding to my comments. You've clarified some things and made good points as well. I try to play fair on both sides of this highly sensitive topic, and was gladened to see that you do as well. The issue of military demilitarization really boils down to trust, as David points out, and I agree that one side cannot demilitarize while the other remains strong. Thank you both for your intelligent input!

"Entire region would be better off with effective police and no military force whatever".
I agree.
And I have to add that world would be better place too, if US had only effective police and no military whatever.

I find it odd that Mr. Ambassador is asking two of the countries that underwent aggression to forfeit their right to a defense force while Serbia, their aggressor, remains armed and is building a new military base – the largest in the Balkans – in the Presheva Valley, which borders Kosovo.

Should I remind Mr. Montgomery that Serbia has not forfeited its right to Kosovo and if given the chance, it plainly says that it will try to gain it back militarily in the future. Like the Jewish people of Israel, Kosovo cannot afford another war virtually defenseless. We were extremely lucky and thankful to have NATO in our side in 1999, but as the wars in Bosnia, Darfur and earlier ones in Kosovo prove, it’s always a better idea to be able to defend yourself then be thankful to the geopolitical situation of the day.

Sure some Kosovo Protection Corps members have problems, but you cannot project those problems to the whole army. The events you refer to date from years ago. Since then KPC has grown up into a serious force willing to live up to the expectations of the people of Kosova. Few news items, for example, mention the fact that when NATO and UNMIK Police failed to stop the 2004 riots, it was KPC that stepped in and through the respect that it has with the population persuaded them to go home. KPC has never posed a threat to minorities in Kosovo, and all of them are represented according to their population proportions. Serbs are underrepresented but that’s because their leaders discourage them from taking any steps that would bring the future state of Kosovo closer to reality. KPC has offered to protect Serb religious sites but has been rejected by Serb church leaders. In civilian construction it has done wonderful work helping with infrastructure along with NATO in Serb and Albanian villages alike.

Disbanding KPC will not take the power away from its individual members to do harm. That would only make it harder to control them by sending them underground. I would expect a US diplomat to have learned from the outcome of the disbanding of the Iraqi army.

Mr. Ambassador, thank you for attempting to answer the discrepancy between your views and the views and policies of the US government on Kosovo, as personified in the US Mission in Pristina. However, I found the answer unsatisfying. From what I understand, where you are matters more than you wish to acknowledge. Could it be that living in Belgrade in the midst of society that is overtly antagonistic on Kosovo and its chance to succeed has warped your perspective on this issue?

Respectfully yours
Ari