Kosovo crisis: Hollywood gets involved?

Oh yes, all those 'failing' stars - Sean Connery, Sharon Stone, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks... I mean I can understand why the pro independence posters would never want any of these low profile stars highlighting their cause

I really hope that these stories are true. The support for Kosovo independence against all international laws is an absolute disgrace - it's about time for the other side to be put forward.

It's too long since 1999 to expect people to link the two issues and think that Kosovo 'deserves' to be taken.

They know that the Kosovo 'issue' was settled in 1999 (so we were told) and they have seen images of, and heard from, the new Serbian leaders, tennis players, actors, musicians... everyone can see that Serbia belongs in Europe. That its people are desperate to move on and have much to offer, especially the vibrant youth.

When all the demonising has passed, how and why would the 'international community' (World Series of nations) suddenly say that they support ripping away 15% of Serbian territory? Why? It's so clearly wrong, illegal and immoral.

Why denigrate the intelligence and individual right to protest of actors and artists? Not all of them are as thick as the nouveaux celebs.

Some very high ranking politicians such as Miliband, Sarkozy-Bruni etc. are worrying light in the gravitas department; so why should we assume that these high profile stars know any less?

Besides which, all of the stars who jumped lazily onto the bandwagon in 1999 without reading any background were all just following spoon-fed populist views.

Celebrities such as Clooney, Stone and Connery have shown courage and knowledge to stand out on their own like this. Good for them and what a great tribute to Milo Radulovic.

Well this is great news!

Connery is wrong. Scotland and Kosovo can not be compared. Scotland is Scottish land, it Scottish kingdom until 300 years ago while Kosovo was never Albanian. Unlike Albanians, Scotts would have the right to reclaim what is theirs. It is not conquest, like in Albanian case.

And it is understandable why the actors got involved - State Department has become the purveyor of fiction and their line of work is threatened.

U.S. was better off when an actor led it. Perhaps it is high time to send out State Department clowns and get professional actors instead.

Perhaps Burns
was the first to jump out fearing competition.

albanians can have eliza dushku , Serbs will take Hollywoods most powerful people! CCCC

(re-printed from yesterdays article)
Maybe some Albanian-America star could come out in support of Kosovo independence.

I've re-written some lyrics that the great Albanian-American star Vanilla Ice could sing to his hit tune. Enjoy!

"Yo Thaci let's kick it

Ice ice baby (x2)
All right stop collaborating and listen
Ice is back with my brand new nation
Kosova grabs a hold of me tightly
free from the serbian daily and nightly
Will it be free yo I don't know
Turn off the electric and I'll UDI yo
To the extreme I rock a church like a vandal
Light up an AK and wax a serb like a candle
Dance go rush to the Nis bus that booms
I'm killing your baba like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope dealer
Anything less than the best is a felony
Love it or leave it serbs better sell up
You better hit the road 'cos your kids can't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the red flag while Ceku revolves it

CHORUS
Ice ice baby vanillla (x4)"

Just knowing that this group of people pay attention beyond what movies pay is a great news.De Niro`s spent some time is Serbia and loves Serbian people as Sharon Stone grow up with Serbian kids and had hard time with media frenzy agains Serbia.
I can only guess that Georges new movies are going to be fighting bad muslim terrorist in albania.

And the funny thing is that actors have more sway than polotitions do in the US. Good for Serbia. You may here a comment from Jim Balushi soon defending the Albanians. They may make a movie on how the pro Albanian side created this mess in the first place.

to be honest, I didn´t think to hear something like that from some stars from the theatre-screens...

if they really intend to do that, they have my respect.

as for vanilla ice...

If I was an Albanian, I´d rather mention Belushi, instead of that rapper...

but, mentioning him, shows the level of those who are writing here...

perhaps they do not even know Belushi, a really good actor, by the way.

but anyway, bottomline is:

Bravo Mrs. Stone, Mr. Clooney, Mr. Connery and Mr. Gere!
you are on the side of the law, of justice and truth.
you can be proud of that.

Sorry B92, but this kind of news its "diletantism" at its best.
To quote some serbian blogs, like: "http://byzantinesacredart.com/blog/2008/01/hollywood-support-grows.html" as genuine news it only lowers your credibility, otherwise prove my comment wrong by supplying the source of your news.

I remember how sympathetic Richard Gere was toward K-Albanians during the war.

"is it only a childhood friendship of some of these actors that motivated them to use their power as well known actors to influence and prevent a nation to get a long waited and well deserved independence???
SHAME..."

Long and awaited and deserved land theft? Ya right you gotta be kidding. To reward who? Terrorists?

BTW: Yo Jack your song cracked me up!

We'll just have to wait and see.
(kate, 23 January 2008 18:46)

looks like someone is already backpeddling. can't say i'm surprised, kate, since you've always seemed eager to stir the pot and muddle information but now it appears that you've been duped by your own propaganda machine. hope you enjoy it because we albanians are having a field day. :)

SHAME ON HOLLYWOOD STARS.
Did you ever think of millions of people that have experienced war and masacres of thousands of albanians by serbs. No,you cant imagine because you stars don't even know what real life is,all you know about is MONEY. I am confused...is it only a childhood friendship of some of these actors that motivated them to use their power as well known actors to influence and prevent a nation to get a long waited and well deserved independence???
SHAME...

Reading the comments, I'm led to believe that if these Hollywood actors and actresses came out in support of Kosovo's independence, the same Albanians would be tripping over their own words of praise and admiration for all of them, saying they were always "talented", "smart", and whatever else characterizes the predictable groupthink. But no, they said something that hinted at being less than enthusiastic about Kosovo's independence, and suddenly they are irrelevant has-been actors who are bored with nothing to do.

Groupthink is a funny thing around here.

In reply to miri's comment.

The source is Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Sean Connery has spoken out. Why don't you believe it?

The fact that it's not in the main news yet, just confirms media bias.

In their previous posts, the Albanians have accused George and Sharon being paid to support Serbia.
I seriously doubt that these people need the money, but what are they going to say now?

The others are broke too? Gee Serbian money is going to get a lot of Hollywood Stars out of the red.

Get real, these people have taken a genuine interest in finding the truth instead of swallowing all the rubbish that is being shoved down their throats every day by the media.

Speaking against Kosovo independence is certainly NOT because they expect a payment. Could it be they have access to credible facts where the rest of American population don't and therefore don't buy the Albanian propaganda?

War against Serbia produced strong Serbia and smart Serbian kids.
can k-albs say the same,of course not.
Who can forget DeNiro seating with Djokovic family in NY-then they are
Jelena jankovic,
Ana Ivanovic,
Pedja Stojakovic,
Marko Jaric,
Nenad Krstic,
Darko Milicic,
Sasha Pavlovic,
Vlada Radmanovic,
Sasha Vujacic,
And albanians have..?????????
No wonder Hollywood is one sided.

Guys, I have an idea.

Why don’t we finance a movie where all the Hollywood stars listed here could play?
Let’s call it “Serbia wins all”.
Gere can play Tadic, DeNiro can be Kostunica and Stone can play Mira Markovic.
The plot of the movie is simple, in the end Serbia wins and Serbia rules the world.
Anything to keep Kate and Jovan happy.
Well, Julia Gorin can direct the movie.
And yes, Jovan can contribute to the plot of the movie (well, with his broad knowledge of Albanian history I cannot think of anybody better suited for the job).
In that way, everybody is happy.
Kosovo declares independence (in reality) and the rest can relate their reality to the movie.

- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has not published any news of the sort. Do a search on their website.

- The news has only been posted in the Serbian sites, or referred by various blogs to Serbian sites, some of which on the other hand refer to the nonexistent Frankfurter Daily News. I will beleive it when I read about the protest of these Hollywood stars in any reputable news outlet, and when I read exact quotes from any of these actors. What we hear so far is only hearsay. For example when I'll read news like this, I will beleive it:
http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9904/29/showbuzz/#story5
http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9905b&L=makedon&P=570

- Robert De Niro's daughter is not called Drina, but Drena. Furthermore, she's not his biological daughter, but his adopted daughter, so naturally she was not named by him. She is the daughter of Diahnna Abbott, and was adopted by R DeNiro when he married his mother in 1976.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0210584/bio

- By spreading such disinformation, B92 and the rest of the Serbian media, are only demonstrating their own unprofessionalism.

Oooo, speaking of sour grapes, how about the Serb propaganda machine?

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

http://www.clooneystudio.com/

Sorry B92, but this kind of news its "diletantism" at its best.
To quote some serbian blogs, like: "[link]" as genuine news it only lowers your credibility, otherwise prove my comment wrong by supplying the source of your news.

I remember how sympathetic Richard Gere was toward K-Albanians during the war.
(miri, 21 January 2008 17:12)

Many Greek newspapers are writing the same.
Take a look to BBC news' comments to see what people to all over the world think about kosovo's indepedence.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4116&edition=2&ttl=20080121182111

We'll be here again next year,kosovars asking for indepedence and the rest of the world telling them they'll have to wait a little bit longer.

Jack wrote (under the guise of some sort of creativity):

“…To the extreme I rock a church like a vandal
Light up an AK and wax a serb like a candle
Dance go rush to the Nis bus that booms
I'm killing your baba like a poisonous mushroom …

“Love it or leave it serbs better sell up
You better hit the road 'cos your kids can't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the red flag while Ceku revolves it.”

This is appalling hate speech and if the same were written about Albanians there would be an outrage.

Why has this been allowed on this forum? I can only hope that it is as an expose of the low level mentality which exists from some posters.

Which Hollywood Gossip Blog were these statements taken from?

It really shows how actors political credibility is a joke. Only in California can you get an action hero from the movies (Arnie) lead your state!

The world is much bigger than Hollywood (LA). Time to update the world map with Kosova in it!

I want to organise a protest in Hollywood against the drugging and wild partying of young women...but I don't think that would gain as much support.

The people in Hollywood care much more about regions in the world that they can't even put a finger on in a map than their own children.

my dear albanian friend Mark...

do you really think your declarations are worth anything? I mean...if only the US and UK and pehaps France "recognize" you... what does that change?

don´t forget, times are changing, and you are losing ground, my dear.

now it´s only 4 members in the UNSC supporting your socalled "independence"... and 11 (!) against!

nothing is written in stone, my friend.

and Serbia will prevail. you are just too much of a fanatic to realize it yet.

and even when your cards are getting worse, you still sing the tune of your cheap yellow-press... amazing!

Mighty little crowd

According to writings that have appeared online, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro will support Serbian territorial integrity. The later one spent his student days wandering around the Serbian village of Sumadija, where he spent, according to his own words, memorable days, socialising with Serbian farmers. De Niro named his daughter Drina, after Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andric`s novel "Bridge on Drina River".

In response to Bob Petrovich, comment no. 10.

Connery was not comparing Scotland to Kosovo. That is the whole point. He was saying that Scotland has much more right to be independent than Kosovo. He is backing Serbia. I'm a Scot also and I am also backing Serbia against Kosovo independence.

Love it Jack. Nothing far from the truth. Eliza is hot but a B list star if that. Mark like I said. More people listen to Hollywoods words than our own president. They have more sway on americans then the gov does.

Serbs talking about land theft.

Hah, this is good!

What's better though is that in less than a month, independence will be announced and recognized...and Sharon Stone will have her name inscribed in the losers list, which briefs as followes:

Russia, Serbia, Congo, Sharon Stone, George Clooney, Tajung.....who else?

I wonder if Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan will jump in the bandwagon.

I don't know if you can hear it, but in the background there is a wild laughter and cheer from Albanians all over the world.

Someone needs to contact these actors reps, and distribute some relevant information regarding Kosovo. George Clooney mentioned, the Serbs have a weak lobby and needs to hear their side. Serbian Americans, we can talk until we're blue in face about Kosovo, but if we don't help these actors how will they think we care?

They need to know how the Serbs have been treated the last 9yrs in Kosovo, under the 'watchful' eye of the UN. Sending them info about how your family and mine were kicked out 300yrs ago is irrelevant right now; they're interested in the law and the current situation. There's enough injustice currently for these actors to push 'for' Serbia. Greek Americans need to join as well. Spread the word to your Greek American friends.

Kar Leshi: "Who cares for Hollivood even if it is true.Tom Hanks and company. Hollivood bebes are for Kosova's Independence. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Jenifer Lopez.....That is what counts."

Kar Leshi - did you know that half the population is female and they actually have a vote nowadays? So I don't believe that 'bebes' ratio really counts except to teenage boys who can't yet vote.

Not that I believe that any one of these women would speak out in favour of independence anyway. Except their own.

I guess the hollywood crowd was out on vacation during the 1990's cleansing of Kosovar Albanians... guess they also missed the thousands that were murdered and dumped in mass graves by the crazed Milosevic and his folowers. If any nation deserves independence Kosovo does and I hope they get it!

Hoho..Koha Ditore (Prishtina newspaper) has got the great report today, wich says that they spoke to Stan Rosenfild, agent of Geroge Clooney, and he made it clear that Clooney never ever mention Kosova/o.
You now Hollywood is part of USA! Washington decides, not Hollywood.

OK ladies and beloved gentlems
Since independe is a non-resistant case ,and I do dare to say Kosovo wll get its long waited independece whatever the hippis say ,face it 95% are albanians living there ,so theres no chance it will happen otherwise coz 95% of ppl have the right to choose for themselves and let me thank god hollywood hippis dont have dont have influence on politics ,thank GOD

Nicole kidman ,bianca jagger vanessa readgrave were in kosova after the war and have seen what serbs can do...
The question is Nicole and georges are good friends:will we have une bataille rangée a t hollywood? nicole fighting with sharon? etc etc
paparrazzi will adore these pictures of then battling for or against kosova!

Don't be stupid,clooney is not living in kosova,sharon neither,we are living in kosova and we want independance,that's what matter :our determination to be independant!

Julia Gorin, and the serbian hired PR firm failed miserably with such a stupid blog. Julia Gorin is being paid heavily by the Serbian authorities, and to come up with such a claim that Clooney is going to protest, was just an excuse for the money she is getting paid by the serbs.
Serbs should be wise and sue her for this ill thought propaganda, and ask her for the money back, the money that serbian tax payers are paying through their nose.
I have read her blogs, and articles. She makes some comments that is not even funny, and on the top of it she gets paid. Isn't that something.
If Serbian politicians invested in her for PR, they are pathetic. She is the lowest class propaganda machine, that needs a new tranny, and engine too, i suggest for her to be junked, because she is not worth it for tax deductible donation.

right Neutra, even if it means spreading lies you can achieve getting the word out. Even though it's a lie, hey, you still got the word out.

the world has seen the Serbian side when you launched four wars against your neighbors. Thanks very much.

anything more to say?

Oh dear oh dear. This has gone way too far.

"Ice ice baby vanilla (x4)"

noooooo!!! one time is more than enough :))
the original version of that has to be the worst song in the history of popular music, but this is pretty good :)

I wonder if any of these hollywood stars have any idea where Kosovo is as far as their support to non independence it's just a waste of time just like the bilboards around serbia, Cherchil, Rosevelt, and who else ?

"4 of February is the date proposed by the British foreign minister."- Ilir

That's how pathetic the situation is, you can't even proclaim your "own" independence... I actually heard the date was February the 4th as well......2011.
*yawn*

KS: "Next time make a better parody"

I wasn't parodying, I was paraphrasing. I wouldn't even attempt to parody rap because so much of it is offensive.

Ana - I hope you're right about De Niro, because he also strikes me as an intelligent man who can think for himself. That's the point, all of these actors share free thought and intellect, and maybe they will have an impact.

After all, Generation X (or is it Y now?) are more likely to listen to Hollywood than some crusty politician.

As for the comments from some posters about not watching films because the actors are against independence - if the same criteria stood in 1999 nobody against the bombing would have watched any films ever again.

A crisis of West's own making Neil Clark | December 24, 2007
POWERFUL Western nations make threats to Serbia. Serbia, backed by Russia, ignores the ultimatums. A war ensues. That was the scenario in the summer of 1914, when the world plunged into the war to end all wars. Nearly a century on, the situation is uncannily similar.

I am a conservative republican and typically ask hollywood to stay out of politics. Mr. Connery actually raises a valid point though. What the English did to the the Scots and Irish is by far worse than the supposed crimes the albs claim against the serbs. If such a precedent for Kosovo is made on such claims, the Ireland should stand united, Catholic, Celtic, and Free! 26+6 = 1

Sarah M: It seems as though you have a very one-sided view of events. But whatever your thoughts on this, the international community signed an agreement with Serbia at the end of the war in 1999.

Within that agreement it states quite clearly that Kosovo remains part of Serbia. It goes against all international laws to now, 10 years later, force the province away.

All I see in the internet are some serbian sites quoting Clooney on something that we don't know if he said or not.For all interested in this 'issue' check www.clooneystudio.com(probably they will update us with info from the man himself).... by the way Koha Ditore in today edition has published an email from Clooney's agent , Stan Rosenfield where he demants that he gave any conference on the issue or that authorized anybody to speak on his name.

Before you all jump to all conclusions ,this "News" is not true..IT'S A FAKE..PEOPLE...!!!

This is from the offical George Clooney webpage :

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

http://www.clooneystudio.com/

So don't get to hasty as soon as you read a news form a BLOG...

I am sorry to disappoint you all..
(To B92,Please confirm first the news before you publish,it
gives a bad name to a such great info station..

Pan,

Typical! The attitudes of the K-Albanian posters here are a perfect illustration of the expression "sour grapes". If the same actors had called for independence for Kosovo, we'd never hear the end of it from the same people.
Whether these actors have influence or not is irrelevant. The fact that they are saying these things means that the Serbian message is getting out there and is being listened to.

The tide is turning.

All I see in the internet are some serbian sites quoting Clooney on something that we don't know if he said or not.For all interested in this 'issue' check [link](probably they will update us with info from the man himself).... by the way Koha Ditore in today edition has published an email from Clooney's agent , Stan Rosenfield where he demants that he gave any conference on the issue or that authorized anybody to speak on his name.
(Suzana, 22 January 2008 13:50)

suzana,
it's pure desperation that's set in w/some people. next thing they'll be telling us is that slobo is still alive and has changed his mind regarding kosove and is willing to now grant them "republic" status. tell me, do some serbs here on b92 harkin back to those days in the late 80's when albanians wanted only a republic status and consider them the "good ole'" days? :)

From 2millions people 95% are albanian and it`s their right to decide for their future.Is not true that George Clooney is aganist the indepedence of Kosova,his manager declared this for a newspeaper in Kosova.

I spoke today with the Stan Rosenfield, who is Clooney's press sectretary, and he told me that nothing like that is George Clooney aware of. If you guys like I can post his phone number and ask for yourself. I also have his e-mail adress.
He first responded to my e-mail and after that I did call him and he clarified for me that that statement never happened, and Clooney has nothing to do with it, otherwords they deny such a fabrication.

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

it means all of this "hoollywood against kosova's independence" shit is just one of those serbians cheap attempts for propaganda

"Source: Tanjug"

So much for credibility of this article!

Tanjug reports, quoting media abroad, that the stars intend to organize a protest against Kosovo's independence "at the heart of the world's film industry, in Hollywood, as early as next month."

by then we will be independent..maybe even in the EU..haha

A lot of these people are/were supporters of Clinton & Al Gorce. I believe this shows the hypocrisy of people in Hollywood. The only reason I believe the majority of them are supporting Serbia in this case is because they oppose Bush administration policies.

Oh, good grief, Jack was just being ironic wasn't he? Don't I feel stupid! Sorry.

Bottom line is ....in which country does Kosovo fall in..? And there it will stay!!!

Everyone, check this OFFICIAL website to find out that Clooney never really made those statements, nor did he authorize anyone to make them on his behalf.
http://www.clooneystudio.com/

Bah. He almost lost one of his biggest fans there, had those comments been true :P.

well, i haven't seen this "news" anywhere else to date other then here. hollywood is hollywood. they are an interesting group of characters to say the least but when it comes to politics, a lot of what they say is taken w/a grain of salt.
i suppose they need something to do while the writers are on strike.

You can tell that the Hollywood writers are in strike...!
Do you want some real news?
4 of February is the date proposed by the British foreign minister.
Do I need to say what date I mean?
Also the head of parliament of Kosovo did confirm the news.
Is really laughable to see the Serbs propaganda hoping to some kind of miracle from some guy in Hollywood who is most likely to never been in Washington, never mind Kosovo.
I say the strike need to end know. The actors fill useless. It really hurts to see this guys being made fool’s of themselves. Than again now I know the hard job that the writers have and I believe they should get a pay rise.

Kosovo is Hollywood! bunch of dreamers there!

I’ve never questioned the Serbs ability at making “white” seem “black” and vice verse; their church waiving the flag.
But I never thought I would see the same flag being passed from this church to some second class but nevertheless Hollywood stars.
I just hope that actors like Pacino, Roberts, Nicholson, De Niro, Williams, Hoffman, Washington, Crow and the likes, will not fall into the same trap. Not that it would make any difference to the independence of Kosovo; I would just have to deprive myself from watching real good acting.

the more i look into this article, the more it begins to smell. many of you are familiar w/the rantings of julia gorin. here's an article she wrote where she really tells us what she thinks of richard gere & his politics.
i find it hard to believe his done an about face.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/julia/gorin111006.php3

Hollywood's political activist, that might favor Serbs, are just misguided attention seekers. Ladies and gentlemen, this issue concerns the right of self-determination for over two milion Kosovars which with the universal support it has except for 2 insignificant regimes.This issue is too important to have actors and not real leaders making the tough decisions. I recommend they stick to their day jobs because this is for real and not an act.

I just can not understand all the hatred you can feel in some of the comments posted...

To the person who wrote that he hopes that Hoffman, Pacino, etc will not join the Clooney/Stone group I can say that he will have to deprive (and I quote him) himself from De Niro's movies because he joined the Clooney group...

Which brings me to the question: is it possible that the political views of the actors are going to make you watch or not their movies?

If this is the case, it is so sad...

with all respect: how comes that almost everybody believes it without checking the source?? Ok, it might be true, but I would be a little bit more suspicious about media information in general. Ever heard about propaganda?? The quoted newspaper from Frankfurt is not the famous FAZ... it's VESTI, a Serbian publication. And watching Clooney on RTS, could anybody understand what he was talking about?? The footage was muted! Well, it might be true, but let's check it. However, face it: they speak more french, english and german in Kosovo than serbian... Nobody is glad about that, but it's like that.

the mere number of angry comments of the albanian posters here shows how hard this seems to be for you.
and those movie-stars are important indeed for the public opinion.

don´t worry, it will be good for the Albanians in Kosovo to have autonomy, since NATO offers you less than that...

hold on Shqipe... i've heard that us albanians have JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAM on our side man!! and al pacino was spotted going to Drina cafe on arthur avenue in the bronx..we got support now too!!

Thanks God that Shvarceneger and Van Dame are staying aside of this.

Gere can play Tadic, DeNiro can be Kostunica and Stone can play Mira Markovic

blero,
i think that's a great idea so long as nobody tries to get her to put out that cigarette of "charge her w/smoking." lol ;)

this whole story is a farce. the lies are already beginning to come apart.

Typical! The attitudes of the K-Albanian posters here are a perfect illustration of the expression "sour grapes". If the same actors had called for independence for Kosovo, we'd never hear the end of it from the same people.
Whether these actors have influence or not is irrelevant. The fact that they are saying these things means that the Serbian message is getting out there and is being listened to.

The tide is turning.
(Tom O'Donoghue, 22 January 2008 17:50)

i beg to differ, thomas.
it absolutely does have to do w/the content. especially when the main player in the article denies making the remarks. ever heard of journalist integrity? that's exactly why this "news" was not printed anywhere reputable.

If the Hollywood community does get involved, I would say...better late than never! I find it appalling that they are waiting to know the outcome of negotiations before organizing a protest. What good will they do, if they wait for the outcome instead of demonstrating their support prior to a conclusive ratification? These celebrities ought to learn a bit more about the historical implications behind Kosovo's independence, before starting up a storm in Hollywood over affections for a few childhood friends!

I will join them in Hollywood and offer my own insight. In my opinion Kosovo belongs to Serbia, but the Serbs have done little to repent for the crimes committed in their own name. Perhaps Serbia needs to work within to improve it's self-image to the world.

Every chance for the public to hear the Serbian side of the story is a positive. Whether it'd be politicians, NGO's, worldwide celebs.. Just another way of spreading the word, and reach more voice.

Mark - We all add new things as stories unfold. It's called being flexible and doesn't show any lack of continuation of basic thought.

Mark - We all add new things as stories unfold. It's called being flexible and doesn't show any lack of continuation of basic thought.
(kate, 23 January 2008 23:49)

I'm afraid not, Kate. Responsible people add their opinion to legitimate stories or offer up to engage others in a debate. They don't attempt to run away from it after they've preached so eagerly from their soapbox. In other words, you were so hell-bent & excited over this story that you couldn't help yourself and sadly, for you, you weren't able to delete it. Your posts always seem to lean towards the nationalistic point-of-view. Tell me...are you a big Nikolic supporter?

Bravo Jack! You should do it for a living.

Kate, I found it silly and amusing. Next time make a better parody, changing a few words doesn't make it hilarious.

Serb Camp, keep praying, maybe Brat Pitt will come to your side as well?

Bravo Mrs. Stone, Mr. Clooney, Mr. Connery and Mr. Gere!
you are on the side of the law, of justice and truth.
you can be proud of that.
(Jovan, 21 January 2008 20:53)

you can save this article and frame it. sometime next month we'll see how valuable it is to you.
you mention law, truth & justice. tell me something...is it against international law to wage ethnic cleansing?
the rope you're holding on to is, at this point, held together by a string and we all see that it's about to come undone. i hope mr nikolic has a net ready for you.

james blunt will tell them what he has seen,in kosova.
As forsean connery,he is for the independance of scotland and for kosovo independance too!
Sharon and georges will be just ridiculous.

opposing kosovo will not bring them chance and success.

Who cares for Hollivood even if it is true.Tom Hanks and company. Hollivood bebes are for Kosova's Independence. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Jenifer Lopez.....That is what counts.

Cloney, what about Darfur!?!? It´s too late to have an opinon about a problem who is solved long time ago, thanks to general Clark & Co.

I thougt Gere was in Tibet and meditating, sooo hypocrit!

Have a nice day, wheather serb, albanian or scientologist!

Incredible!!!
Now comes some actors "Hollywood Stars" that wants to protest or to be involved in something that really they do not know nothing about!!! is not shame for them to say something must be there in that KOSOVO? Really is ridicoulus how somebody can protest or support something that has not a clu about.
I would say to these actors: Please do your job as actors, do not start now rising nervs of people that are safering for centuries to have freedom and rights and to get the problem solved. Do not rise the blood presure of people who very easely can enter in conflict and thousands can be killed if any conflict will be provoked. They have to use the FAME to help people to get the problem solved and to get peace, not to give political opinions.
What these actors are trying to do now is the same if I organise a protest against Sarkozys (French PM) marriage.
NO SENSE AT ALL!!!

George Clooney may or may not be against Kosovo's independence, but I am pretty sure that Sean ("Agent 007") Connery is against Kosovo breaking away from Serbia. Connery is a prominent member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). In 1999, when NATO dropped its cluster bombs on Yugoslavia, Alex Salmon, the leader of the SNP, was very much against the NATO intervention. Needless to say, Tony "now Roman Catholic" Blair was quite unhappy that Salmon sided with the enemy.

George Clooney may or may not be against Kosovo's independence, but I am pretty sure that Sean ("Agent 007") Connery is against Kosovo breaking away from Serbia. Connery is a prominent member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). In 1999, when NATO dropped its cluster bombs on Yugoslavia, Alex Salmon, the leader of the SNP, was very much against the NATO intervention. Needless to say, Tony "now Roman Catholic" Blair was quite unhappy that Salmon sided with the enemy.
(Marco, Amsterdam, 22 January 2008 21:46)

god bless the scottish people and their single malt scotch but kosove is not scotland and if they feel the need to go it alone...more power to them. regardless of what you decide to do, don't get us in the middle of it.

That was really a nice try though...The orchestration, hidding of the source, distribution through the blogs etc....Ultra nationalist serbian propaganda machine at work....Let's see if tomorrow Sean Conney will say that he never made any declaration about Kosovo too.
I feel sorry for B92 that was dragged into this.....You are not alone though. It could happend to anybody. It happend to Dan Rather and CBS! It happend to Newsweek!To AP and Reuters too!

to sharpie,
and your are backing england against sciland's independance?

Who knows about Clooney? But I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be true because of his friendship with Milo Radulovic.

In fact the support for Serbia by any of the actors being listed wouldn't surprise me at all.

Unfortunately, if it does go ahead, it will probably be diluted into some sort of general protest. But I hope not.

Robert De Niro undoubtedly has a close link with many Serbs, as does Sharon Stone. Sean Connery, as someone already pointed out, is an avid SNP and Alex Salmond supporter, therefore it is likely that he was against the bombing and is against independence.

There is a very strong pro-Albanian lobby in the States (Dole, McCain, the list goes on) but very few voices heard in favour of Serbia. So it's hardly surprising that people are seizing this as an opportunity to have the 'other side' put forward.

The very valid arguments against independence are just being buried by the various governments, US and UK included. That is pushing the issue into the spotlight all the more because it makes people suspicious.

The site ClooneyStudio.com is NOT official, and who knows what contact with Clooney's publicist they actually have? Nothing on any unofficial blog or site can be taken at face value. He may have just told them to stop pestering him and they have misinterpreted his comments. He would officially issue the 'rumours are false' comment if it was really true.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Love it Jack. Nothing far from the truth. Eliza is hot but a B list star if that. Mark like I said. More people listen to Hollywoods words than our own president. They have more sway on americans then the gov does.
(D, 21 January 2008 19:49)

more people listen to hollywood celebs? the only time they listen is when they watching them "in character" on tv or at the movies. when actors espouse their views on world politics, the vast majority of people could care less.
they'll read the tabloids while in line at the market but they will not think about it afterwards.
when i see this being covered by cnn or the bbc, then i'll give it more credibilty. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that it's not true but i still think nothing will come of it.
while most hollywood types dislike bush, the vast majority love the clintons.
i hate to put out what little glimmer of hope some of you have enjoyed reading this so called news but i wouldn't put all my eggs in this basket.

those names you mentioned are a pipe dream. no major media outlet has reported this story whatsoever like so many other bougus stories that somehow manage to find their way only to certain serbian sites.
let's see how legit this is when a news agencies with worldwide credentials see fit to report it.
until then you can proclaim to "have a dream" like that of the late, great martin luther king.

"... Clooney Studio - as with all other George Clooney sites - is unofficial."

Either way, I'm not counting on Hollywood to change the stance of the White House. But if it turns out to be true, then it's nice of them because they will make the general public more aware of the issue.

You know what I find crazier though?

It's that news about a bunch of outdated actors gets three times more replies than when world leaders discuss this matter.

As if Sharon Stone's words hold more weight than Bush or Putin or Sarkozy.

This thing shows that people around here are more interested in how this tournament turns out rather than the fate of actual people.

well now...what kind of agency is that Tanjug anyway?!?!Do they really think we are that stupid and we will buy some silly news like this??In Hollywood they dont know is Kosovo part of Kazahstan or new kind of toothpaste...letalone to intervene...Sharon Stone,Tom Hanks...yeah right...I feel sorry for the people in Serbia who will believe in this nonsense...

bla bla bla they dont have anything else two doo...

We call on our readers to post links to articles they wish to alert other posters to, rather than copy/paste their entire content here.

Thank you,

B92

(re-printed from yesterdays article)
Maybe some Albanian-America star could come out in support of Kosovo independence.

I've re-written some lyrics that the great Albanian-American star Vanilla Ice could sing to his hit tune. Enjoy!

"Yo Thaci let's kick it

Ice ice baby (x2)
All right stop collaborating and listen
Ice is back with my brand new nation
Kosova grabs a hold of me tightly
free from the serbian daily and nightly
Will it be free yo I don't know
Turn off the electric and I'll UDI yo
To the extreme I rock a church like a vandal
Light up an AK and wax a serb like a candle
Dance go rush to the Nis bus that booms
I'm killing your baba like a poisonous mushroom
Deadly when I play a dope dealer
Anything less than the best is a felony
Love it or leave it serbs better sell up
You better hit the road 'cos your kids can't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the red flag while Ceku revolves it

CHORUS
Ice ice baby vanillla (x4)"

SHAME ON HOLLYWOOD STARS.
Did you ever think of millions of people that have experienced war and masacres of thousands of albanians by serbs. No,you cant imagine because you stars don't even know what real life is,all you know about is MONEY. I am confused...is it only a childhood friendship of some of these actors that motivated them to use their power as well known actors to influence and prevent a nation to get a long waited and well deserved independence???
SHAME...

"Source: Tanjug"

So much for credibility of this article!

I want to organise a protest in Hollywood against the drugging and wild partying of young women...but I don't think that would gain as much support.

The people in Hollywood care much more about regions in the world that they can't even put a finger on in a map than their own children.

Tanjug reports, quoting media abroad, that the stars intend to organize a protest against Kosovo's independence "at the heart of the world's film industry, in Hollywood, as early as next month."

by then we will be independent..maybe even in the EU..haha

Sorry B92, but this kind of news its "diletantism" at its best.
To quote some serbian blogs, like: "http://byzantinesacredart.com/blog/2008/01/hollywood-support-grows.html" as genuine news it only lowers your credibility, otherwise prove my comment wrong by supplying the source of your news.

I remember how sympathetic Richard Gere was toward K-Albanians during the war.

Oh dear oh dear. This has gone way too far.

well, i haven't seen this "news" anywhere else to date other then here. hollywood is hollywood. they are an interesting group of characters to say the least but when it comes to politics, a lot of what they say is taken w/a grain of salt.
i suppose they need something to do while the writers are on strike.

You can tell that the Hollywood writers are in strike...!
Do you want some real news?
4 of February is the date proposed by the British foreign minister.
Do I need to say what date I mean?
Also the head of parliament of Kosovo did confirm the news.
Is really laughable to see the Serbs propaganda hoping to some kind of miracle from some guy in Hollywood who is most likely to never been in Washington, never mind Kosovo.
I say the strike need to end know. The actors fill useless. It really hurts to see this guys being made fool’s of themselves. Than again now I know the hard job that the writers have and I believe they should get a pay rise.

I’ve never questioned the Serbs ability at making “white” seem “black” and vice verse; their church waiving the flag.
But I never thought I would see the same flag being passed from this church to some second class but nevertheless Hollywood stars.
I just hope that actors like Pacino, Roberts, Nicholson, De Niro, Williams, Hoffman, Washington, Crow and the likes, will not fall into the same trap. Not that it would make any difference to the independence of Kosovo; I would just have to deprive myself from watching real good acting.

Bravo Mrs. Stone, Mr. Clooney, Mr. Connery and Mr. Gere!
you are on the side of the law, of justice and truth.
you can be proud of that.
(Jovan, 21 January 2008 20:53)

you can save this article and frame it. sometime next month we'll see how valuable it is to you.
you mention law, truth & justice. tell me something...is it against international law to wage ethnic cleansing?
the rope you're holding on to is, at this point, held together by a string and we all see that it's about to come undone. i hope mr nikolic has a net ready for you.

Serbs talking about land theft.

Hah, this is good!

What's better though is that in less than a month, independence will be announced and recognized...and Sharon Stone will have her name inscribed in the losers list, which briefs as followes:

Russia, Serbia, Congo, Sharon Stone, George Clooney, Tajung.....who else?

I wonder if Britney Spears or Lindsay Lohan will jump in the bandwagon.

I don't know if you can hear it, but in the background there is a wild laughter and cheer from Albanians all over the world.

From 2millions people 95% are albanian and it`s their right to decide for their future.Is not true that George Clooney is aganist the indepedence of Kosova,his manager declared this for a newspeaper in Kosova.

Well this is great news!

Jack wrote (under the guise of some sort of creativity):

“…To the extreme I rock a church like a vandal
Light up an AK and wax a serb like a candle
Dance go rush to the Nis bus that booms
I'm killing your baba like a poisonous mushroom …

“Love it or leave it serbs better sell up
You better hit the road 'cos your kids can't play
If there was a problem yo I'll solve it
Check out the red flag while Ceku revolves it.”

This is appalling hate speech and if the same were written about Albanians there would be an outrage.

Why has this been allowed on this forum? I can only hope that it is as an expose of the low level mentality which exists from some posters.

I wonder if any of these hollywood stars have any idea where Kosovo is as far as their support to non independence it's just a waste of time just like the bilboards around serbia, Cherchil, Rosevelt, and who else ?

Kate, I found it silly and amusing. Next time make a better parody, changing a few words doesn't make it hilarious.

Serb Camp, keep praying, maybe Brat Pitt will come to your side as well?

james blunt will tell them what he has seen,in kosova.
As forsean connery,he is for the independance of scotland and for kosovo independance too!
Sharon and georges will be just ridiculous.

opposing kosovo will not bring them chance and success.

Who cares for Hollivood even if it is true.Tom Hanks and company. Hollivood bebes are for Kosova's Independence. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Jenifer Lopez.....That is what counts.

I guess the hollywood crowd was out on vacation during the 1990's cleansing of Kosovar Albanians... guess they also missed the thousands that were murdered and dumped in mass graves by the crazed Milosevic and his folowers. If any nation deserves independence Kosovo does and I hope they get it!

Connery is wrong. Scotland and Kosovo can not be compared. Scotland is Scottish land, it Scottish kingdom until 300 years ago while Kosovo was never Albanian. Unlike Albanians, Scotts would have the right to reclaim what is theirs. It is not conquest, like in Albanian case.

And it is understandable why the actors got involved - State Department has become the purveyor of fiction and their line of work is threatened.

U.S. was better off when an actor led it. Perhaps it is high time to send out State Department clowns and get professional actors instead.

Perhaps Burns
was the first to jump out fearing competition.

bla bla bla they dont have anything else two doo...

Hollywood's political activist, that might favor Serbs, are just misguided attention seekers. Ladies and gentlemen, this issue concerns the right of self-determination for over two milion Kosovars which with the universal support it has except for 2 insignificant regimes.This issue is too important to have actors and not real leaders making the tough decisions. I recommend they stick to their day jobs because this is for real and not an act.

George Clooney may or may not be against Kosovo's independence, but I am pretty sure that Sean ("Agent 007") Connery is against Kosovo breaking away from Serbia. Connery is a prominent member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). In 1999, when NATO dropped its cluster bombs on Yugoslavia, Alex Salmon, the leader of the SNP, was very much against the NATO intervention. Needless to say, Tony "now Roman Catholic" Blair was quite unhappy that Salmon sided with the enemy.
(Marco, Amsterdam, 22 January 2008 21:46)

god bless the scottish people and their single malt scotch but kosove is not scotland and if they feel the need to go it alone...more power to them. regardless of what you decide to do, don't get us in the middle of it.

Which Hollywood Gossip Blog were these statements taken from?

It really shows how actors political credibility is a joke. Only in California can you get an action hero from the movies (Arnie) lead your state!

The world is much bigger than Hollywood (LA). Time to update the world map with Kosova in it!

In response to Bob Petrovich, comment no. 10.

Connery was not comparing Scotland to Kosovo. That is the whole point. He was saying that Scotland has much more right to be independent than Kosovo. He is backing Serbia. I'm a Scot also and I am also backing Serbia against Kosovo independence.

albanians can have eliza dushku , Serbs will take Hollywoods most powerful people! CCCC

"Ice ice baby vanilla (x4)"

noooooo!!! one time is more than enough :))
the original version of that has to be the worst song in the history of popular music, but this is pretty good :)

those names you mentioned are a pipe dream. no major media outlet has reported this story whatsoever like so many other bougus stories that somehow manage to find their way only to certain serbian sites.
let's see how legit this is when a news agencies with worldwide credentials see fit to report it.
until then you can proclaim to "have a dream" like that of the late, great martin luther king.

Guys, I have an idea.

Why don’t we finance a movie where all the Hollywood stars listed here could play?
Let’s call it “Serbia wins all”.
Gere can play Tadic, DeNiro can be Kostunica and Stone can play Mira Markovic.
The plot of the movie is simple, in the end Serbia wins and Serbia rules the world.
Anything to keep Kate and Jovan happy.
Well, Julia Gorin can direct the movie.
And yes, Jovan can contribute to the plot of the movie (well, with his broad knowledge of Albanian history I cannot think of anybody better suited for the job).
In that way, everybody is happy.
Kosovo declares independence (in reality) and the rest can relate their reality to the movie.

the mere number of angry comments of the albanian posters here shows how hard this seems to be for you.
and those movie-stars are important indeed for the public opinion.

don´t worry, it will be good for the Albanians in Kosovo to have autonomy, since NATO offers you less than that...

OK ladies and beloved gentlems
Since independe is a non-resistant case ,and I do dare to say Kosovo wll get its long waited independece whatever the hippis say ,face it 95% are albanians living there ,so theres no chance it will happen otherwise coz 95% of ppl have the right to choose for themselves and let me thank god hollywood hippis dont have dont have influence on politics ,thank GOD

I spoke today with the Stan Rosenfield, who is Clooney's press sectretary, and he told me that nothing like that is George Clooney aware of. If you guys like I can post his phone number and ask for yourself. I also have his e-mail adress.
He first responded to my e-mail and after that I did call him and he clarified for me that that statement never happened, and Clooney has nothing to do with it, otherwords they deny such a fabrication.

Julia Gorin, and the serbian hired PR firm failed miserably with such a stupid blog. Julia Gorin is being paid heavily by the Serbian authorities, and to come up with such a claim that Clooney is going to protest, was just an excuse for the money she is getting paid by the serbs.
Serbs should be wise and sue her for this ill thought propaganda, and ask her for the money back, the money that serbian tax payers are paying through their nose.
I have read her blogs, and articles. She makes some comments that is not even funny, and on the top of it she gets paid. Isn't that something.
If Serbian politicians invested in her for PR, they are pathetic. She is the lowest class propaganda machine, that needs a new tranny, and engine too, i suggest for her to be junked, because she is not worth it for tax deductible donation.

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

it means all of this "hoollywood against kosova's independence" shit is just one of those serbians cheap attempts for propaganda

to sharpie,
and your are backing england against sciland's independance?

We'll just have to wait and see.
(kate, 23 January 2008 18:46)

looks like someone is already backpeddling. can't say i'm surprised, kate, since you've always seemed eager to stir the pot and muddle information but now it appears that you've been duped by your own propaganda machine. hope you enjoy it because we albanians are having a field day. :)

right Neutra, even if it means spreading lies you can achieve getting the word out. Even though it's a lie, hey, you still got the word out.

the world has seen the Serbian side when you launched four wars against your neighbors. Thanks very much.

anything more to say?

Oh yes, all those 'failing' stars - Sean Connery, Sharon Stone, George Clooney, Richard Gere, Tom Hanks... I mean I can understand why the pro independence posters would never want any of these low profile stars highlighting their cause

I really hope that these stories are true. The support for Kosovo independence against all international laws is an absolute disgrace - it's about time for the other side to be put forward.

It's too long since 1999 to expect people to link the two issues and think that Kosovo 'deserves' to be taken.

They know that the Kosovo 'issue' was settled in 1999 (so we were told) and they have seen images of, and heard from, the new Serbian leaders, tennis players, actors, musicians... everyone can see that Serbia belongs in Europe. That its people are desperate to move on and have much to offer, especially the vibrant youth.

When all the demonising has passed, how and why would the 'international community' (World Series of nations) suddenly say that they support ripping away 15% of Serbian territory? Why? It's so clearly wrong, illegal and immoral.

Why denigrate the intelligence and individual right to protest of actors and artists? Not all of them are as thick as the nouveaux celebs.

Some very high ranking politicians such as Miliband, Sarkozy-Bruni etc. are worrying light in the gravitas department; so why should we assume that these high profile stars know any less?

Besides which, all of the stars who jumped lazily onto the bandwagon in 1999 without reading any background were all just following spoon-fed populist views.

Celebrities such as Clooney, Stone and Connery have shown courage and knowledge to stand out on their own like this. Good for them and what a great tribute to Milo Radulovic.

Sorry B92, but this kind of news its "diletantism" at its best.
To quote some serbian blogs, like: "[link]" as genuine news it only lowers your credibility, otherwise prove my comment wrong by supplying the source of your news.

I remember how sympathetic Richard Gere was toward K-Albanians during the war.
(miri, 21 January 2008 17:12)

Many Greek newspapers are writing the same.
Take a look to BBC news' comments to see what people to all over the world think about kosovo's indepedence.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=4116&edition=2&ttl=20080121182111

We'll be here again next year,kosovars asking for indepedence and the rest of the world telling them they'll have to wait a little bit longer.

A lot of these people are/were supporters of Clinton & Al Gorce. I believe this shows the hypocrisy of people in Hollywood. The only reason I believe the majority of them are supporting Serbia in this case is because they oppose Bush administration policies.

the more i look into this article, the more it begins to smell. many of you are familiar w/the rantings of julia gorin. here's an article she wrote where she really tells us what she thinks of richard gere & his politics.
i find it hard to believe his done an about face.

http://www.jewishworldreview.com/julia/gorin111006.php3

- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung has not published any news of the sort. Do a search on their website.

- The news has only been posted in the Serbian sites, or referred by various blogs to Serbian sites, some of which on the other hand refer to the nonexistent Frankfurter Daily News. I will beleive it when I read about the protest of these Hollywood stars in any reputable news outlet, and when I read exact quotes from any of these actors. What we hear so far is only hearsay. For example when I'll read news like this, I will beleive it:
http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/News/9904/29/showbuzz/#story5
http://listserv.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9905b&L=makedon&P=570

- Robert De Niro's daughter is not called Drina, but Drena. Furthermore, she's not his biological daughter, but his adopted daughter, so naturally she was not named by him. She is the daughter of Diahnna Abbott, and was adopted by R DeNiro when he married his mother in 1976.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0210584/bio

- By spreading such disinformation, B92 and the rest of the Serbian media, are only demonstrating their own unprofessionalism.

Nicole kidman ,bianca jagger vanessa readgrave were in kosova after the war and have seen what serbs can do...
The question is Nicole and georges are good friends:will we have une bataille rangée a t hollywood? nicole fighting with sharon? etc etc
paparrazzi will adore these pictures of then battling for or against kosova!

Don't be stupid,clooney is not living in kosova,sharon neither,we are living in kosova and we want independance,that's what matter :our determination to be independant!

All I see in the internet are some serbian sites quoting Clooney on something that we don't know if he said or not.For all interested in this 'issue' check [link](probably they will update us with info from the man himself).... by the way Koha Ditore in today edition has published an email from Clooney's agent , Stan Rosenfield where he demants that he gave any conference on the issue or that authorized anybody to speak on his name.
(Suzana, 22 January 2008 13:50)

suzana,
it's pure desperation that's set in w/some people. next thing they'll be telling us is that slobo is still alive and has changed his mind regarding kosove and is willing to now grant them "republic" status. tell me, do some serbs here on b92 harkin back to those days in the late 80's when albanians wanted only a republic status and consider them the "good ole'" days? :)

Typical! The attitudes of the K-Albanian posters here are a perfect illustration of the expression "sour grapes". If the same actors had called for independence for Kosovo, we'd never hear the end of it from the same people.
Whether these actors have influence or not is irrelevant. The fact that they are saying these things means that the Serbian message is getting out there and is being listened to.

The tide is turning.
(Tom O'Donoghue, 22 January 2008 17:50)

i beg to differ, thomas.
it absolutely does have to do w/the content. especially when the main player in the article denies making the remarks. ever heard of journalist integrity? that's exactly why this "news" was not printed anywhere reputable.

Who knows about Clooney? But I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be true because of his friendship with Milo Radulovic.

In fact the support for Serbia by any of the actors being listed wouldn't surprise me at all.

Unfortunately, if it does go ahead, it will probably be diluted into some sort of general protest. But I hope not.

Robert De Niro undoubtedly has a close link with many Serbs, as does Sharon Stone. Sean Connery, as someone already pointed out, is an avid SNP and Alex Salmond supporter, therefore it is likely that he was against the bombing and is against independence.

There is a very strong pro-Albanian lobby in the States (Dole, McCain, the list goes on) but very few voices heard in favour of Serbia. So it's hardly surprising that people are seizing this as an opportunity to have the 'other side' put forward.

The very valid arguments against independence are just being buried by the various governments, US and UK included. That is pushing the issue into the spotlight all the more because it makes people suspicious.

The site ClooneyStudio.com is NOT official, and who knows what contact with Clooney's publicist they actually have? Nothing on any unofficial blog or site can be taken at face value. He may have just told them to stop pestering him and they have misinterpreted his comments. He would officially issue the 'rumours are false' comment if it was really true.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Mark - We all add new things as stories unfold. It's called being flexible and doesn't show any lack of continuation of basic thought.
(kate, 23 January 2008 23:49)

I'm afraid not, Kate. Responsible people add their opinion to legitimate stories or offer up to engage others in a debate. They don't attempt to run away from it after they've preached so eagerly from their soapbox. In other words, you were so hell-bent & excited over this story that you couldn't help yourself and sadly, for you, you weren't able to delete it. Your posts always seem to lean towards the nationalistic point-of-view. Tell me...are you a big Nikolic supporter?

In reply to miri's comment.

The source is Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

Sean Connery has spoken out. Why don't you believe it?

The fact that it's not in the main news yet, just confirms media bias.

Bravo Jack! You should do it for a living.

Just knowing that this group of people pay attention beyond what movies pay is a great news.De Niro`s spent some time is Serbia and loves Serbian people as Sharon Stone grow up with Serbian kids and had hard time with media frenzy agains Serbia.
I can only guess that Georges new movies are going to be fighting bad muslim terrorist in albania.

Love it Jack. Nothing far from the truth. Eliza is hot but a B list star if that. Mark like I said. More people listen to Hollywoods words than our own president. They have more sway on americans then the gov does.

Love it Jack. Nothing far from the truth. Eliza is hot but a B list star if that. Mark like I said. More people listen to Hollywoods words than our own president. They have more sway on americans then the gov does.
(D, 21 January 2008 19:49)

more people listen to hollywood celebs? the only time they listen is when they watching them "in character" on tv or at the movies. when actors espouse their views on world politics, the vast majority of people could care less.
they'll read the tabloids while in line at the market but they will not think about it afterwards.
when i see this being covered by cnn or the bbc, then i'll give it more credibilty. don't get me wrong, i'm not saying that it's not true but i still think nothing will come of it.
while most hollywood types dislike bush, the vast majority love the clintons.
i hate to put out what little glimmer of hope some of you have enjoyed reading this so called news but i wouldn't put all my eggs in this basket.

Oh, good grief, Jack was just being ironic wasn't he? Don't I feel stupid! Sorry.

Kosovo is Hollywood! bunch of dreamers there!

I just can not understand all the hatred you can feel in some of the comments posted...

To the person who wrote that he hopes that Hoffman, Pacino, etc will not join the Clooney/Stone group I can say that he will have to deprive (and I quote him) himself from De Niro's movies because he joined the Clooney group...

Which brings me to the question: is it possible that the political views of the actors are going to make you watch or not their movies?

If this is the case, it is so sad...

I am a conservative republican and typically ask hollywood to stay out of politics. Mr. Connery actually raises a valid point though. What the English did to the the Scots and Irish is by far worse than the supposed crimes the albs claim against the serbs. If such a precedent for Kosovo is made on such claims, the Ireland should stand united, Catholic, Celtic, and Free! 26+6 = 1

Bottom line is ....in which country does Kosovo fall in..? And there it will stay!!!

Mighty little crowd

According to writings that have appeared online, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Michael Douglas and Robert De Niro will support Serbian territorial integrity. The later one spent his student days wandering around the Serbian village of Sumadija, where he spent, according to his own words, memorable days, socialising with Serbian farmers. De Niro named his daughter Drina, after Nobel Prize winner Ivo Andric`s novel "Bridge on Drina River".

with all respect: how comes that almost everybody believes it without checking the source?? Ok, it might be true, but I would be a little bit more suspicious about media information in general. Ever heard about propaganda?? The quoted newspaper from Frankfurt is not the famous FAZ... it's VESTI, a Serbian publication. And watching Clooney on RTS, could anybody understand what he was talking about?? The footage was muted! Well, it might be true, but let's check it. However, face it: they speak more french, english and german in Kosovo than serbian... Nobody is glad about that, but it's like that.

Hoho..Koha Ditore (Prishtina newspaper) has got the great report today, wich says that they spoke to Stan Rosenfild, agent of Geroge Clooney, and he made it clear that Clooney never ever mention Kosova/o.
You now Hollywood is part of USA! Washington decides, not Hollywood.

Cloney, what about Darfur!?!? It´s too late to have an opinon about a problem who is solved long time ago, thanks to general Clark & Co.

I thougt Gere was in Tibet and meditating, sooo hypocrit!

Have a nice day, wheather serb, albanian or scientologist!

hold on Shqipe... i've heard that us albanians have JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAM on our side man!! and al pacino was spotted going to Drina cafe on arthur avenue in the bronx..we got support now too!!

Incredible!!!
Now comes some actors "Hollywood Stars" that wants to protest or to be involved in something that really they do not know nothing about!!! is not shame for them to say something must be there in that KOSOVO? Really is ridicoulus how somebody can protest or support something that has not a clu about.
I would say to these actors: Please do your job as actors, do not start now rising nervs of people that are safering for centuries to have freedom and rights and to get the problem solved. Do not rise the blood presure of people who very easely can enter in conflict and thousands can be killed if any conflict will be provoked. They have to use the FAME to help people to get the problem solved and to get peace, not to give political opinions.
What these actors are trying to do now is the same if I organise a protest against Sarkozys (French PM) marriage.
NO SENSE AT ALL!!!

Thanks God that Shvarceneger and Van Dame are staying aside of this.

Gere can play Tadic, DeNiro can be Kostunica and Stone can play Mira Markovic

blero,
i think that's a great idea so long as nobody tries to get her to put out that cigarette of "charge her w/smoking." lol ;)

this whole story is a farce. the lies are already beginning to come apart.

Oooo, speaking of sour grapes, how about the Serb propaganda machine?

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

http://www.clooneystudio.com/

Everyone, check this OFFICIAL website to find out that Clooney never really made those statements, nor did he authorize anyone to make them on his behalf.
http://www.clooneystudio.com/

Bah. He almost lost one of his biggest fans there, had those comments been true :P.

You know what I find crazier though?

It's that news about a bunch of outdated actors gets three times more replies than when world leaders discuss this matter.

As if Sharon Stone's words hold more weight than Bush or Putin or Sarkozy.

This thing shows that people around here are more interested in how this tournament turns out rather than the fate of actual people.

That was really a nice try though...The orchestration, hidding of the source, distribution through the blogs etc....Ultra nationalist serbian propaganda machine at work....Let's see if tomorrow Sean Conney will say that he never made any declaration about Kosovo too.
I feel sorry for B92 that was dragged into this.....You are not alone though. It could happend to anybody. It happend to Dan Rather and CBS! It happend to Newsweek!To AP and Reuters too!

well now...what kind of agency is that Tanjug anyway?!?!Do they really think we are that stupid and we will buy some silly news like this??In Hollywood they dont know is Kosovo part of Kazahstan or new kind of toothpaste...letalone to intervene...Sharon Stone,Tom Hanks...yeah right...I feel sorry for the people in Serbia who will believe in this nonsense...

And the funny thing is that actors have more sway than polotitions do in the US. Good for Serbia. You may here a comment from Jim Balushi soon defending the Albanians. They may make a movie on how the pro Albanian side created this mess in the first place.

"is it only a childhood friendship of some of these actors that motivated them to use their power as well known actors to influence and prevent a nation to get a long waited and well deserved independence???
SHAME..."

Long and awaited and deserved land theft? Ya right you gotta be kidding. To reward who? Terrorists?

BTW: Yo Jack your song cracked me up!

to be honest, I didn´t think to hear something like that from some stars from the theatre-screens...

if they really intend to do that, they have my respect.

as for vanilla ice...

If I was an Albanian, I´d rather mention Belushi, instead of that rapper...

but, mentioning him, shows the level of those who are writing here...

perhaps they do not even know Belushi, a really good actor, by the way.

but anyway, bottomline is:

Bravo Mrs. Stone, Mr. Clooney, Mr. Connery and Mr. Gere!
you are on the side of the law, of justice and truth.
you can be proud of that.

In their previous posts, the Albanians have accused George and Sharon being paid to support Serbia.
I seriously doubt that these people need the money, but what are they going to say now?

The others are broke too? Gee Serbian money is going to get a lot of Hollywood Stars out of the red.

Get real, these people have taken a genuine interest in finding the truth instead of swallowing all the rubbish that is being shoved down their throats every day by the media.

Speaking against Kosovo independence is certainly NOT because they expect a payment. Could it be they have access to credible facts where the rest of American population don't and therefore don't buy the Albanian propaganda?

"4 of February is the date proposed by the British foreign minister."- Ilir

That's how pathetic the situation is, you can't even proclaim your "own" independence... I actually heard the date was February the 4th as well......2011.
*yawn*

Someone needs to contact these actors reps, and distribute some relevant information regarding Kosovo. George Clooney mentioned, the Serbs have a weak lobby and needs to hear their side. Serbian Americans, we can talk until we're blue in face about Kosovo, but if we don't help these actors how will they think we care?

They need to know how the Serbs have been treated the last 9yrs in Kosovo, under the 'watchful' eye of the UN. Sending them info about how your family and mine were kicked out 300yrs ago is irrelevant right now; they're interested in the law and the current situation. There's enough injustice currently for these actors to push 'for' Serbia. Greek Americans need to join as well. Spread the word to your Greek American friends.

KS: "Next time make a better parody"

I wasn't parodying, I was paraphrasing. I wouldn't even attempt to parody rap because so much of it is offensive.

Ana - I hope you're right about De Niro, because he also strikes me as an intelligent man who can think for himself. That's the point, all of these actors share free thought and intellect, and maybe they will have an impact.

After all, Generation X (or is it Y now?) are more likely to listen to Hollywood than some crusty politician.

As for the comments from some posters about not watching films because the actors are against independence - if the same criteria stood in 1999 nobody against the bombing would have watched any films ever again.

my dear albanian friend Mark...

do you really think your declarations are worth anything? I mean...if only the US and UK and pehaps France "recognize" you... what does that change?

don´t forget, times are changing, and you are losing ground, my dear.

now it´s only 4 members in the UNSC supporting your socalled "independence"... and 11 (!) against!

nothing is written in stone, my friend.

and Serbia will prevail. you are just too much of a fanatic to realize it yet.

and even when your cards are getting worse, you still sing the tune of your cheap yellow-press... amazing!

Kar Leshi: "Who cares for Hollivood even if it is true.Tom Hanks and company. Hollivood bebes are for Kosova's Independence. Nicole Kidman, Sandra Bullock, Jenifer Lopez.....That is what counts."

Kar Leshi - did you know that half the population is female and they actually have a vote nowadays? So I don't believe that 'bebes' ratio really counts except to teenage boys who can't yet vote.

Not that I believe that any one of these women would speak out in favour of independence anyway. Except their own.

A crisis of West's own making Neil Clark | December 24, 2007
POWERFUL Western nations make threats to Serbia. Serbia, backed by Russia, ignores the ultimatums. A war ensues. That was the scenario in the summer of 1914, when the world plunged into the war to end all wars. Nearly a century on, the situation is uncannily similar.

War against Serbia produced strong Serbia and smart Serbian kids.
can k-albs say the same,of course not.
Who can forget DeNiro seating with Djokovic family in NY-then they are
Jelena jankovic,
Ana Ivanovic,
Pedja Stojakovic,
Marko Jaric,
Nenad Krstic,
Darko Milicic,
Sasha Pavlovic,
Vlada Radmanovic,
Sasha Vujacic,
And albanians have..?????????
No wonder Hollywood is one sided.

Reading the comments, I'm led to believe that if these Hollywood actors and actresses came out in support of Kosovo's independence, the same Albanians would be tripping over their own words of praise and admiration for all of them, saying they were always "talented", "smart", and whatever else characterizes the predictable groupthink. But no, they said something that hinted at being less than enthusiastic about Kosovo's independence, and suddenly they are irrelevant has-been actors who are bored with nothing to do.

Groupthink is a funny thing around here.

We call on our readers to post links to articles they wish to alert other posters to, rather than copy/paste their entire content here.

Thank you,

B92

Sarah M: It seems as though you have a very one-sided view of events. But whatever your thoughts on this, the international community signed an agreement with Serbia at the end of the war in 1999.

Within that agreement it states quite clearly that Kosovo remains part of Serbia. It goes against all international laws to now, 10 years later, force the province away.

All I see in the internet are some serbian sites quoting Clooney on something that we don't know if he said or not.For all interested in this 'issue' check www.clooneystudio.com(probably they will update us with info from the man himself).... by the way Koha Ditore in today edition has published an email from Clooney's agent , Stan Rosenfield where he demants that he gave any conference on the issue or that authorized anybody to speak on his name.

Before you all jump to all conclusions ,this "News" is not true..IT'S A FAKE..PEOPLE...!!!

This is from the offical George Clooney webpage :

George Clooney Kosovo independence rumours: FALSE (see Jan. 20 news) George Clooney's publicist, Stan Rosenfield, today confirmed to ClooneyStudio.com that George "neither made those statements nor did he authorize anyone to make it on his behalf."

http://www.clooneystudio.com/

So don't get to hasty as soon as you read a news form a BLOG...

I am sorry to disappoint you all..
(To B92,Please confirm first the news before you publish,it
gives a bad name to a such great info station..

Pan,

Typical! The attitudes of the K-Albanian posters here are a perfect illustration of the expression "sour grapes". If the same actors had called for independence for Kosovo, we'd never hear the end of it from the same people.
Whether these actors have influence or not is irrelevant. The fact that they are saying these things means that the Serbian message is getting out there and is being listened to.

The tide is turning.

George Clooney may or may not be against Kosovo's independence, but I am pretty sure that Sean ("Agent 007") Connery is against Kosovo breaking away from Serbia. Connery is a prominent member of the Scottish National Party (SNP). In 1999, when NATO dropped its cluster bombs on Yugoslavia, Alex Salmon, the leader of the SNP, was very much against the NATO intervention. Needless to say, Tony "now Roman Catholic" Blair was quite unhappy that Salmon sided with the enemy.

If the Hollywood community does get involved, I would say...better late than never! I find it appalling that they are waiting to know the outcome of negotiations before organizing a protest. What good will they do, if they wait for the outcome instead of demonstrating their support prior to a conclusive ratification? These celebrities ought to learn a bit more about the historical implications behind Kosovo's independence, before starting up a storm in Hollywood over affections for a few childhood friends!

I will join them in Hollywood and offer my own insight. In my opinion Kosovo belongs to Serbia, but the Serbs have done little to repent for the crimes committed in their own name. Perhaps Serbia needs to work within to improve it's self-image to the world.

"... Clooney Studio - as with all other George Clooney sites - is unofficial."

Either way, I'm not counting on Hollywood to change the stance of the White House. But if it turns out to be true, then it's nice of them because they will make the general public more aware of the issue.

Every chance for the public to hear the Serbian side of the story is a positive. Whether it'd be politicians, NGO's, worldwide celebs.. Just another way of spreading the word, and reach more voice.

Mark - We all add new things as stories unfold. It's called being flexible and doesn't show any lack of continuation of basic thought.