From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 1 10:00:40 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 07:00:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Conference on Albanian Language Message-ID: <20011201150040.99255.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> In 2002 twenty years will have passed since the greatest Polish albanologist, professor Waclaw Cimochowski, died. To commemorate his linguistic achievement the Department of the Slavic and Balkanic Languages of the Institute of the Slavic Philology, at Nicholas Coeprnicus Univewrsity will organize a conference an the problems Waclaw Cimochowski dealt with. The conference subjects are: - Diachrony and synchrony of the Albanian language, - Paleobalkanic linguistics, - Etymologies Other Balkanic subjects may also be considered. The conference will be hels in Torun, 17-18 may 2002. The languages of the conference are: English, French, German and Albanian. Other information will be sent at the beginning of 2002 to those who will submit the title of the paper before the end of 2001. Irena Sawicka Institute of Slavonic Languages, Nicholas Copernicus University Ul. Fosa Staromiejska 3 87-100 Torun, Poland tel.:+(48 56) 6113525 fax.:+(48 56) 6226659 --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From foticici at yahoo.com Sat Dec 1 12:14:01 2001 From: foticici at yahoo.com (Fatmir Cici) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 09:14:01 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Re: Mirela Tushi: 'Shqipėria, rrėnjė greke?' In-Reply-To: <20011201060112.BAEB28C1E@alb-net.com> Message-ID: <20011201171401.58277.qmail@web9208.mail.yahoo.com> Mesazhi i Mirel?s ?sht? m? se aktual p?r t? debatuar, megjith?se konsiderimi i Shqip?ris? si pjes? p?rb?r?se e Greqis?, n? gjuh?, histori dhe identitet komb?tar, nuk ?sht? di?ka e re. P?rkundrazi, kjo teori i ka rr?nj?t aq t? thella sa edhe ?nd?rra e rilindasve shqiptar? p?r nj? Shqip?ri t? m?vet?suar nga Turqia. Ishin shqiptar?, nga ata q? jan? pjes? e nd?rgjegjjes son? komb?tare si Thimi Mitko etj, ata q? besonin se k?ta popuj jan? v?llez?r. Edhe t? gjith? ata q? besonin teorin? pellazgjike, si Kristoforidhi etj. pa dashje e ndihmonin k?t? teori. Si rrjedhoj? origjina e p?rbashk?t sillte dhe iden? p?r tu bashkuar me grek?t, kurth n? t? cilin ran? shum? intelektual? shqiptar? dhe sidomos numra t? konsideruesh?m ortodoks?sh shqiptar?, madje edhe k?tu n? ShBA. Fan Noli, i cili ishte p?r nj? bashkim t? Shqip?ris? me Greqin?, iu kund?rvu k?saj filozofie duke theksuar bashkimin n? diversitet dhe jo n? shkrirje t? dy kulturave t? cilat jan? krejt t? ndryshme. Mitko zhvilloi nj? teori gjuh?sore q? sot quhet 'folk etymology', duke krahasuar me vesh fjal? nga t? dy gjuhet, gj? me t? cil?n po merren dhe disa adoleshent? t? neonacionalizmit shqiptar sot. P.sh. 'Afrodhiti' ?sht? 'Af?rdita' dhe 'Zeusi' na qenka 'Zoti', e t? tjera gjepura si k?to q? pin? un? vet?m n? Ballkan. P?r shqiptar?t 'ne jemi m? t? lasht? se grek?t', nd?rsa p?r filogrek?t shqiptar? 'jemi t? nj? gjaku'. Teorin? e pafajshme t? gjuh?sis? amatore t? Mitkos e kulminoi si ideologji politike peshkop Evllogji Kurilla, nj? kor?ar i cili kur u fron?zua n? Kor?? si Mitropolit n? vitin 1937 tha: '?far? do t? ishte bota pa ty, o Hellas!' Profesor Kurilla e formuloi bot?kuptimin e tij deledhi n? shum? shkrime dhe libra sidomos n? vepr?n trilogjike 'Alvanikai meletai' (Studime shqiptare) n? greqisht (Kurilla krenohej q? nuk botoi asnj? faqe n? shqip). Etimologjin? e fjal?s 'shqiptar' ai e k?rren nga fjala 'skiptron'. Kurilla predikonte se ashtu si hegjemon?t dhe patrik?t q? mbajn? skept?r si simbol t? pushtetit dhe trim?ris? k?shtu em?rtohet dhe populli trim i shqiptar?ve. K?to jan? rr?fime t? bukura t'i d?gjosh por shkenc?risht nuk e kap?rcejn? cakun e p?rrallave. Mbas vdekjes s? Kurill?s (1961) pasoi nj? heshtje mbi k?t? tem?, p?rderisa Enver Hoxha e kishte konsideruar si 'reaksionare' teorin? e origjin?s s? p?rbashk?t dhe n? qoft? se do t? thuhej di?ka kjo nuk mund t? ndodhte n? Shqip?ri. Kur n? bibliografin? greke u shfaq studjuesi arvanitas Aristidh Kolja ??shtja u infektua edhe m? keq. Kolja ishte arvanitas dhe fjala e Kurill?s 'Alvanos' u z?vend?sua n? vepr?n tij me termin 'Arvanitis', gj? q? megjith? gjuh?n direkte t? trilogjis? s? Koljes (edhe ky botoi tre libra mbi k?t? tem? dhe shum? shkrime t? tjera)e p?shtjellonte gjith? filozofin? e tij. Pa qen? gjuh?tar edhe Kolja iu p?rvesh gjuh?sis? amatore dhe t? qenurit e tij amator ?sht? shkaku q? ai nuk ekziston n? asnj? bibliografi t? studimeve shqiptaro-greke jasht? Shqip?ris?. N? fakt edhe n? Shqip?rin? postkomuniste ai u ?mua p?r ato veti q? vlente, dhe Kolja vleu shum? p?r vendin ton?, por jo p?r tem?n e origjin?s s? p?rbashk?t. Edhe librat e tij u p?rkthyen n? shqip nga njer?z qe e njihnin dhe a admironin por jo nga sht?pi botuese t? njohura. I ndjeri Aristidh t? cilin e humb?m vitin e kaluar (vdiq nga leu?emia dhe jo i helmuar nga grek?t, si? p?r?arten disa supershqiptar? t? fshehur n? strukat e internetit),ishte mbrojt?s i profilit t? Shqip?ris? n? Greqi, kur pararend?si e tij Kurilla ishte nj? ku?ed?r antishqiptare, por n? teorin? e origjin?s s? p?rbashk?t jan? pothuaj identik?, po t'i gjykosh nga veprat e shkrura, gj? q? sipas sistemit akademik amerikan ?sht? dhe e vetmja e drejt? q? kemi p?r t? folur p?r ta. Me vdekjen e Koljes nuk besoj se dikush tjet?r do t? merret me k?to uj?ra sepse nuk duhet t? jet? koincidenc? e historis? q? autor?t q? kan? l?vruar k?to studime kan? qen? t? zhytur n? politik? dhe kan? shkruar n?n presione personale, si Kurilla dhe Kolja, apo kolektive, si intelektual?t shqiptar? t? periudh?s s? Rilindjes. Gjith? kjo mesele ka nj? m?sim p?r ne, brezin q? ngrihet me nj? frym? tjet?r. Q? t? reagoj? dikush n? 'National Geographic' p?r nj? g?njesht?r q? ?sht? shkruar atje, nuk mund ta b?j? me llafe dhe me patriotizma. Un? mendoj se n? qoft? se nuk jemi n? gjendje t'iu mbushim mendjen t? huajve, sepse k?rkohet nj? kuvendim akademik dhe jo shk?mbim replikash, le t? p?rpiqemi t? pyesim veten se cil?t jemi dhe ?far? mund t? b?jm? n? at? fush? ku jemi kopetent?, n? qoft? se jemi. Dhe kjo nuk ?sht? kaq e leht? dhe do shum? pun?, studime dhe debat. Sinqerisht e fal?nderoj Mirel?n p?r shkasin q? na dha t? debatojm? mbi k?t? tem?. Fatmir Cici > > Miredita te gjitheve, > > Ne revisten "National Geographic", versioni francez, > pashe te botuar nje > artikull per Shqiperine. Qe ne kopertine ishte > shkruar " Albanie: des > racines grecques" (Shqiperia: rrenje greke) dhe > autorja trajtonte e mbronte > nje teze te tille ne shkrimin e saj. Nuk mund ta > kaperdij kete. Do ju > lutesha atyre qe dijne frengjisht ta lexojne kete > artikull dhe nese kane > mundesi te reagojne. Une personalisht nuk i perkas > fushes se historise apo > arkeologjise, keshtu qe nuk mund ti pergjigjem me > argumenta kesaj shpifjeje, > di vetem qe greket gjate gjithe historise kane > dashur te asimilojne popullin > shqiptar me te gjitha format, dhe me se fundi ate qe > po bejne me refugjatet > shqiptare, qe u nderrojne emrin e fene. > > Me respekt > > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 1 15:42:13 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 12:42:13 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Shekulli - nga RTSH Message-ID: <20011201204213.41750.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Kryetari i PS-s? shpjegon marr?dh?niet me kryeministrin Meta pas kthimit nga Santo Domingo Nano: Ilir, ndahu nga Angjeli "Nuk kam ndonj? kart? n? xhep p?r prapasken? apo komplot p?r Met?n" TIRANE - Kryetari i Partis? Socialiste, Fatos Nano, i b?ri thirrje edhe nj? her? dje kryeministrit Meta t? largoj? Angjel?t nga qeveria. Nano, i cili ndodhej n? emisionin "Dritare" t? gazetares s? njohur Rudina Xhunga n? TVSH, tha se nuk kishte nd?rmend t? k?rkonte dor?heqjen e Met?s nga posti i Kryeministrit, por t? sh?ronte PS-n? nga fenomenet negative q? ai i ka p?rmendur me koh?. Cili ?sht? komenti juaj p?r deklaratat e kryeministrit Meta, pas mbledhjes s? kryesis?? Nuk do t'u hyj vog?lsirave, n?se un? isha n? krye t? detyr?s gjat? mbledhjes s? kryesis? apo jo. Mbledhja e kryesis? u thirr nga un? me autoritetin q? m? jep statuti, p?r t'u zhvilluar me nj? rend dite t? programuar, n? t? cilin u p?rfshi n? m?nyr? arbitrare, pa u diskutuar si ??shtje q? duhet p?rfshir? n? rendin e dit?s, i famshmi dokument p?r mbledhjen e KPD-s?, me firm?n e 73 an?tar?ve t? saj n? dat?n 3 dhjetor, p?r vot?besimin e kryesis?. N? k?t? koh?, un?, sipas statutit, kisha deleguar drejtimin e mbledhjes tek sekretari i p?rgjithsh?m, i cili z?vend?son kryetarin n? t? gjitha rastet kur ai nuk ?sht? fizikisht i pranish?m p?r t? p?rfaq?suar kryetarin e PS-s? dhe Fatos Nanon, q? ishte n? takimin prezantues t? klubit politik t? Ballkanit pran? Komisionit Evropian dhe administrat?s ose organizmave t? Paktit t? Stabilitetit n? Bruksel. E b?ra k?t? detyr? nj?koh?sisht me deklarat?n q? paska b?r? Meta n? Tiran?. N? njohurit? e mia dhjet?vje?are, stili letrar i njohur m? ting?llon shum? i gjat? p?r stilin e Met?s dhe m? duket si linguistik? e Edi Ram?s. Problemi ?sht? q? un? vazhdoj t? pres me t? nj?jt?n qet?si, me t? cil?n u p?rgjigja nga Brukseli Ilirit, p?rgjigje t? p?rgjegjshme dhe serioze p?r problemet jasht?zakonisht serioze q? kam ngritur n? forumet e partis? e q? kam interpretuar n? publik, p?r shkak t? analizave komb?tare q? po kryhen n? PS, p?r m?nyr?n e administrimit t? pushtetit nga ekipi aktual i drejtuar nga Meta, p?r bashk?jetes?n e fenomeneve t? abuzivizmit t? klientelizmit, t? korrupsionit, t? trafikut t? votave dhe t? parave, t? trafikut t? votave t? zgjedh?sve dhe t? parave t? taksapaguesve shqiptar? nga dyshja Meta-Angjeli. Nuk po d?gjoj ende ndonj? p?rgjigje politikisht t? pjekur dhe angazhuese p?r t? kap?rcyer kriz?n aktuale. Un? kam deklaruar q? nuk hezitoj t'i formuloj edhe juridikisht k?to akuza publike me funksonin e kryetarit t? PS-s?. Un? jam i detyruar t? marr p?rsip?r interpretimin politik dhe penal t? fakteve, q? m? vijn? n? tryez?n e pun?s s? kryetarit t? PS-s? jo vet?m nga qytetar? dhe punonj?s t? admnistrat?s, por edhe nga an?tar? t? PS-s? p?r fenomene t? keqadministrimit t? pushtetit. Por kam k?rkuar nj?koh?sisht q? institucionet e pavarura t? shtetit ligjor, q? nga Prokuroria deri te Presidenti i Republik?s, t? mbajn? nj? q?ndrim t? p?rgjegjsh?m kushtetues. Un? jam m?suar t? vihem edhe n? rolin e t? akuzuarit nga Berisha dhe i kam kthyer gjyqet, ku na kan? akuzuar, n? tribuna akuzash, t? cilat jan? t? v?rtetuara nga koha, ashtu si? v?rtetoi koha pafaj?sin? time p?rball? burgosjes politike, q? jan? kthyer n? instrumente t? afirmimit politik e elektoral t? PS-s?, n? mandatin e dyt?. Un? nuk i jam shmangur asnj?her? ballafaqimit me p?rfaq?suesit e bler? apo t? pabler? n? detyr? apo n? sh?rbim interesash private politike t? drejt?sis?. Un? nuk do t? hezitoja t? vazhdoja k?t? komunikim publik me p?rfaq?suesit e institucioneve t? shtetit t? s? drejt?s, edhe n? procese publike. Por pres nga Ilir Meta t? p?rgjigjet qart?, n?se do t? ndahet nga fenomeni "Angjeli" apo do t? vazhdoj? t? identifikohet me t?. Ju jeni shprehur se do ta ?oni edhe n? drejt?si, por ende n? prokurori nuk ka asnj? dosje p?r ministrin e Financave. Akuzat tuaja do t? mbeten teorike dhe nuk do t? shkojn? n? Prokurori? Mos jan? shantazh? Un? nuk kam ndonj? arsye t? laj ndonj? hesap personal me ish-kolegun tim t? Fakultetit Ekonomik, Angjeli, nj? njeri q? un? e kam mb?shtetur me v?mendjen time profesionale dhe politike p?r t? b?r? karrier? natyrisht t? ndershme dhe ligjore edhe n? radh?t e PS-s? dhe t? qeveris? s? saj. Problemi ?sht? q? un? nuk mund t? lejoj, n? detyr?n e kryetarit t? PS-s?, q? ministrat t'i mbrojn? prind?rit p?rball? partis?. Kam respekt p?r prind?rit e Angjelit, si? kam respekt p?r prind?rit e mi. Jam rritur me pleqt? e mi, duke vler?suar edhe pleqt? e Angjelit n? koh?n q? isha i lir?. N? koh?n q? un? humba n?n?n, m? 1995, Angjeli m? shkruante n? burg gj?ra t? ndryshme, t? ?uditshme. N? arkivin tim t? letrave t? burgut ekziston nj? let?r e Angjelit, ku thot? se jam gati t? t? sh?rbej deri n? vdekje p?r idealet q? ndajm? s? bashku, n? nj? koh? q?, kur hynte e dilte n? sht?pin? time, i k?rkonte Fatos Pustin?s q? ai p?rmendi si nd?rtues, t? n?nshkruante kalimin e nj? cope trualli ku Angjeli ka b?r? vil?n n? t? cil?n jeton me gruan dhe me f?mij?t, pa para, nga pron?sia e k?tij, q? ?sht? sip?rmarr?s i nd?rtimit, q? ?sht? kunati im, n? p?rdorim falas dhe n? pron?si falas p?r Angjelin. Angjeli n? at? koh? ka mbledhur parat? e dynjas? duke k?rkuar sponsorizime se po b?n vil?n e Nanos. Nuk besoj se kan? prind?rit e Angjelit apo brezi i t? vuajturve dhe i sakrificave t? luft?s dhe t? rind?rtimit t? Shqip?ris? p?rgjegj?si p?r korrupsionin e Angjelit apo p?r fshehjen e titujve t? pron?sis?, q? vijn? nga nj? abuzim me pushtetin, me emra q? nuk kan? t? b?jn? me prind?rit e Angjelit, por, laraska apo p?llumba qofshin, k?to jan? fakte t? hipotekuara, t? cilat e p?rs?ris, Prokuroria duhet t'i hetoj? dhe, n?se Angjeli do t? vazhdoj? t? b?j? shantazh, un? nuk i kam m? asnj? borxh Angjelit dhe un? nuk po k?rkoj t? paguaj? asnj? nga borxhet, q? m? ka mua Angjeli. Ky nuk ?sht? nj? reagim personal, por ?sht? nj? reagim politik dhe institucional, por Angjeli duhet t? nd?rpres? shantazhin ndaj Kryeministrit t? Republik?s s? Shqip?ris?, q? ?sht? Ilir Meta i Partis? Socialsite. Edhe "Anjeli" ?sht? shum? i kujdessh?m n? marr?dh?niet e tij me kryeministrat. Angjeli ?sht? shum? m? i vjet?r e me p?rvoj? se sa "Anjeli". K?shtu q? Angjeli duhet t? pushoj? spekulimin me emrin e me simpatin? e kryeministrit Ilir Meta, se nuk ?sht? pron? private e tij, por e PS-s? dhe duhet me t? nj?jt?n krenari fodulle t? qart?soj? n? organet e drejt?sis?, e cila duhet t? hetoj?, faktet e interpretuara p?r shkak t? detyr?s edhe n? procese publike nga Angjeli me titujt e pron?sis? dhe favoret e tjera q? vijn? nga detyra e Angjelit, q? i g?zojn? nj? num?r ?udit?risht i madh Angjel?sh n? zonat m? t? privilegjuara t? Shqip?ris? p?r sip?rmarrje dhe pasurim t? shpejt?. Cila do t? ishte zgjidhja e kriz?s s? p?rgjithshme? Un? nuk besoj se do t? kthehemi tek analizat marksiste t? gj?rave. Nuk besoj se ka ndonj? xhung?l apo ndonj? pyll ku, prapa drur?ve, nuk shikohet bashk?sia. Nuk besoj se ?sht? ky kaos apo err?sir?. Nuk besoj se ndonj? zgjidhje magjike do t? vinte nga nj? takim privat apo personal n? Tiran?, Berat apo nuk e di se ku midis meje dhe Met?s, meje apo P?llumbit apo Met?s me Berish?s. Un? do t? shkoj t? b?j detyr?n n? Berat dhe Meta n? detyr? ?sht? gjithashtu, meqen?se ka dhe disa ministra nga Berati n? qeveri. Ne n? partin? ton? jemi. Zgjidhjet jan? n? tryez? t? hedhura. Pra, duhen goditur tani, nuk ?sht? von?, fenomenet dhe s?mundjet q? tentojn? t? majisen dhe t? p?rs?risin kriz?n e regjimit t? Berish?s n? vitin 2001-2005. ?sht? fjala p?r krahinariz?m. Un? kam shum? respekt p?r skraparlinjt?, por nuk besoj se ministri m? i mir? nga Skrapari ?sht? ministri m? i mir? i Drejt?sis?. Nuk mendoj se administratori m? i shk?lqyer i reformave t? privatizimit ?sht? djaloshi Mu? Mu?i, q? nisi nj? karrier? graduale kur isha un? kryeminist?r, si drejtor drejtorie, n? Ministrin? e Pun?s kur ishte Angjeli dhe tani duket si minist?r i parafabrikuar p?r t? gjitha koh?t. Nuk besoj se vazhdohet t? qeveriset me Angjel?t e patundsh?m me kthetrat e tyre n? bushetin e shtetit dhe nuk besoj se mund t? zgjidhet kriza, pa i hapur s?rish rrug? rregullave t? p?rzgjedhjes s? titullar?ve politik? dhe funksionar?ve t? lart? t? administrat?s mbi baz?n e meritokracis?. Mendoni se dor?heqja e Met?s do t? sjell? zgjidhjen e kriz?s? Un? jam edhe sot para publikut p?r t? ritheksuar se nuk kam ndonj? kart? t? xhep p?r prapasken? apo komplot p?r t? hequr Met?n. I kam th?n? dikur Ilirit, mikut tim politik, t? vendoste t? zgjidhte mes varianteve italisht, greqisht dhe serbisht Meta-Majko apo Majko-Meta. Dhe nuk jam k?tu p?r t? hequr "Meta" gjysm?n nga qeverisja, por jam p?r t? mos lejuar vargun me njer?z t? tjer? t? p?rgjegjsh?m, ku un? shpresoj t? rendis veten dhe kryeministrin Meta, ndarjen e Partis? Socialiste m? dysh. Marr? me shkurtime nga TVSH --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From Gazhebo at aol.com Sat Dec 1 16:02:13 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 16:02:13 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] EU, Albania to start talks on pact in 2002 - Prodi Message-ID: EU, Albania to start talks on pact in 2002 - Prodi By Linda Spahia TIRANA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Thursday it planned to start negotiations on an association and stabilisation agreement with Albania early next year, but told the Balkan country it needed a stable government. European Commission President Romano Prodi said Tirana had made progress towards meeting standards for such a pact, which was offered to Albania along with Macedonia in 1999 as a reward for coping with the refugee crisis sparked by the Kosovo war. The EU's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is designed to foster commercial and political ties and is seen as a stepping stone towards membership of the 15-nation bloc. In the Balkan region, it has been signed by Croatia and Macedonia. "I will be happy to tell your prime minister that the Commission has proposed to start the negotiations," Prodi said. Prodi, who heads the Union's executive arm, said he hoped EU ministers would approve the decision by December and that talks would start next March. "This is a real big change (for Albania)," he told reporters. Prodi, who as Italy's premier helped stop anarchy in Albania in 1997, also said the Socialist government of Prime Minister Ilir Meta needed to be stable and strengthen its institutions if it wanted closer ties with the 15-nation bloc. Prodi, who during the visit was awarded an honorary degree by Tirana University for his contribution in stopping the violence four years ago, pointed out the need for internal stability. "I made a recommendation for the political stability of Albania because this long-term process needs a stable government and needs a real long-term cooperation," he said. "If Albania has stability it can make miracles." Albania was plunged into anarchy in 1997 by the collapse of fraudulent pyramid schemes in which most of the population had invested their savings. A multinational peace force led by Italy was installed for several months to restore order. The country has been peaceful since 1998 but its political scene remains potentially turbulent. Prodi praised Albania for what he said was its moderate role in the Balkans, especially during this year's conflict in Macedonia, and urged continued cooperation with its neighbours. From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 1 16:34:00 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 13:34:00 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] AIDS spreading in Eastern Europe Message-ID: <20011201213400.35222.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/12/01/aids.day/index.html --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 1 21:40:12 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 18:40:12 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Funding of Milosevic's Crimes - NYT Message-ID: <20011202024012.90468.qmail@web11505.mail.yahoo.com> The New York Times December 1, 2001, Saturday, Late Edition - Final Section A; Page 4; Column 5; Foreign Desk Milosevic Accused of Secret Use of Funds Reuters THE HAGUE, Nov. 30 Slobodan Milosevic secretly financed Serbian military operations in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990's through Greek and Cypriot bank accounts, according to documents from the United Nations war crimes court that were obtained by Reuters today. Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at the tribunal, will call on the banks to provide evidence of the accounts said to have been used by Mr. Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president. He is to stand trial next year, charged with genocide in Bosnia and crimes against humanity in all three conflicts. "Significant documentation will be produced by those banks that will assist in identifying the system of covert funding used by the accused and specific transactions that took place," prosecutors said in applying for the three Milosevic indictments to be heard in a single trial. The documents did not name any banks, and prosecutors declined comment on the matter. Both Greece and Cyprus have categorically denied that they were knowingly conduits for illicit Serbian funds. A previous Bank of Greece investigation failed to find any funds deposited by Mr. Milosevic in Greece, while other searches in Cyprus, Switzerland and London also failed to turn up any of his assets. Yugoslavia was under strong economic sanctions during the Milosevic era. Since Mr. Milosevic was ousted last year, the reformist government that replaced him has been trying to trace funds it believes he transferred abroad. http://www.nytimes.com --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From Gjkastrati at excite.com Sun Dec 2 08:58:03 2001 From: Gjkastrati at excite.com (Gjergj Kastrati) Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 13:58:03 GMT Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Article from the The Spectator.co.uk Message-ID: <200112021358.fB2Dw3V32058@www.spectator.co.uk> Visit The Spectator.co.uk at http://www.spectator.co.uk GREEK PARANOIA One can forgive a certain bafflement on the part of the Greeks on discovering 12 British plane-spotters at Kalamata airbase. It is hard to explain why a grown man should want to put on an anorak, pack some Marmite sandwiches and a vacuum flask of tea, and press his nose to a wire-mesh fence in the hope of taking down the registration numbers of a group of undistinguished helicopters. More puzzling still, to the Greek mind, is why he or she should choose to do this amid the incomparable natural beauty of Greece. Is she not the mother of our European civilisation? What price the Parthenon? It must seem incredible that 12 rational people should prefer to camp outside an airbase than go to the beaches or to the tavernas. And yet that is what they did, because they share a harmless English eccentricity; and the Greek treatment of the Peloponnese Twelve has been shocking. As this magazine goes to press, the plane-spotters face another ten days in jail, having been held already for three weeks without charge. Even if we were still locked in a Cold War with the Soviet Union, and the 12 nerds had been caught outside some airbase in Moscow, it is hard to imagine that the Russian authorities would have behaved so sadistically or so moronically. The Greeks are not only our Nato allies but are also fellow-citizens of the European Union; and yet they have a history of paranoid treatment of blameless British civilians. When parts of Saddam Hussein?s proposed ?supergun? were seized by Greek customs officials 11 years ago, the authorities held on to a British lorry driver long after it should have become obvious that he was an innocent party. In 1977 an earlier batch of English plane-spotters was seized and imprisoned for six months. Not even bird-spotters are safe in Greece: several have run into trouble after being caught with binoculars and notebooks! , gazing suspiciously skywards. Like Britain, Greece is a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights, and yet the fate of the prisoners has been worse than that of some foreign-aid workers captured by the Taleban. The only woman, Mrs Lesley Coppin, a grandmother of 51, has been held in the notoriously violent women?s jail in Athens, where she shares a dormitory with 14 others. The male prisoners describe their conditions as ?filthy?, and sleep on thin mattresses on concrete. One Greek foreign office source has had the grace to admit that ?this is a straight case of modern reality being usurped by the implementation of an antiquated legal system?. As is so often the case with incompetent legal systems, over-reaction towards the innocent is combined with dismal under-reaction towards real criminals. Contrast the Greek crackdown on the 12 English plane-spotters with the handling of the terrorist group N17. Over the last 25 years this Marxist-Leninist group has been responsible for more than 100 shootings, bombings, stabbings and knee-cappings in which 23 people have been killed. These now include the British military attach? in Athens, Brigadier Stephen Saunders, who was gunned down by two motorcyclists as he drove to work in his Rover in June 2000. No one has been arrested in connection with his murder; and, more amazing still, no member of N17 has ever been brought to justice. On the day of Brig. Saunders?s assassination, R. James Woolsey jnr, a former director of the CIA, said: ?I believe there are people within the Greek government who know some members of November 17.? In view of the utter failure to catch his kill! ers, that claim seems ever more plausible. Athens is now considered by British diplomats to be one of the most dangerous postings in the world ? an astonishing achievement for a member of the European Union. It is possible ? and this is the real tragedy ? that there is no contradiction between the Greek bullying of British plane-spotters and Greek supineness towards the N17 terrorists who kill British and American diplomats. Both are characteristic of the general Greek touchiness about the role of America, and of Britain, America?s closest ally. In common with other small European nations, the Greeks have been offended in the past few weeks by the Anglo-American alliance riding roughshod, as they see it, over European sensibilities, and making a mockery of the so-called ?European Security and Defence Identity?. The Greeks also feel that they have had their manhood insulted by having to co-operate with a fellow Nato member, Turkey, their traditional enemy. The Greeks must grow up, fast. Why is it that the US Air Force feels able to set up a dedicated plane-spotters? area outside its base at Lakenheath, Suffolk, while the Greeks jail anybody who so much looks its docile old jets in the eye? It is a question of confidence. If Greece wants to be taken seriously, militarily as well as on human rights, it should free the Peloponnese Twelve. It is time for Jack Straw and the Foreign Office to achieve a result without delay. To that end, Britain should now threaten a boycott of the 2004 Olympics in Athens ? if only on the grounds of inadequate security. (c)2001 The Spectator.co.uk From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Dec 2 13:01:15 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2001 10:01:15 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: CfP: Western Perception of East-European Identities, 13-17.2.2002, Alburquerque Message-ID: <20011202180115.19315.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Dora Panayotova" Subject: [balkans] CfP: Western Perception of East-European Identities, 13-17.2.2002, Alburquerque Date: Thu, 29 Nov 2001 20:08:39 Size: 4503 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Dec 4 07:41:39 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 04:41:39 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] The Daily Telegraph Message-ID: <20011204124139.55774.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON) December 04, 2001, Tuesday Pg. 02 Release our people now, Greeks told By Neil Tweedie, Paul Anast and Ambrose Evans-Pritchard BODY: BRITAIN finally lost patience with Greece yesterday over the treatment of 12 British plane spotters accused of espionage, calling for their immediate release unless evidence was produced. In the Government's most forthright statement yet, Denis MacShane, the junior Foreign Office minister, said: "We're convinced there's no evidence of any crime that would be recognised as such in any other European Union country. We are very, very angry. "Plane spotting must be one of the most eccentric hobbies known to mankind but it is not an indication of ill-will or a threat to Greek national security. "Having had the worst days of their lives in a freezing cold Greek cell on concrete floors, they should now be on their way home for Christmas. If they have evidence, get it in front of a court tomorrow." But the Britons' lawyer, Yannis Zacharias, said a hearing to decide the party's fate, scheduled for tomorrow, might be postponed. He said the panel of three judges might meet privately this week but the Greek authorities had not guaranteed to inform him of the date. A Greek daily newspaper, Eleftheros, said there was a crisis in relations between London and Athens. It accused Britain of trying to damage Greek tourism and harm preparations for the 2004 Olympics. The Britons were arrested with two Dutchmen on Nov 8 during a visit to an airbase at Kalamata. They deny taking pictures in restricted areas and say serial numbers taken down at various locations were freely available in aircraft directories. Concern has focused on Lesley Coppin, 51, the only woman in the party, who is held in a women's prison near Athens. Mrs Coppin, a grandmother, whose husband, Paul, organised the trip through his company, Touchdown Tours, suffered an asthma attack last week after being forced to spend a night in a spartan holding cell. Yesterday, Peter Norris, one of the 12, spoke to The Daily Telegraph from prison. "This whole thing is wacko," he said. "Paul Coppin is now being accused of links to the Turks simply because he visited bases there earlier this year. The trip was totally above board, but the Greeks are paranoid about anything like that." Mr Norris, 52, from Uxbridge, west London, said: "We are all fine, but we don't get our hopes up any more. We'll believe we're out when we're out. The only real torture in here is Greek television, which I wouldn't wish on anyone." Meanwhile in Brussels, the Greek government was accused of violating Article 6 of the European Treaties which guarantees defendants the right to a fair trial in public within a reasonable period. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From endril at rocketmail.com Tue Dec 4 14:29:27 2001 From: endril at rocketmail.com (Endri Leno) Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 11:29:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] All title and intellectual In-Reply-To: <200112041538.fB4FcmX10525@relay-1.ziplink.net> Message-ID: <20011204192927.29248.qmail@web14608.mail.yahoo.com> THIS E-MAIL HAS A VIRUS: DO NOT OPEN IT. --- vanchristo wrote: > This EULA grants you no rights to use such content. > All rights not expressly granted are reserved by > Microsoft. > > > > 5. DUAL-MEDIA SOFTWARE. You may receive the SOFTWARE > PRODUCT in more than one medium. Regardless of the > type or size of medium you receive, you may use only > one medium that is appropriate for your single > computer. You may not use or install the other > medium on another computer. You may not loan, rent, > lease, lend or otherwise transfer the other medium > to another user, except as part of the permanent > transfer (as provided above) of the SOFTWARE PRODUCT. > ATTACHMENT part 2 application/octet-stream name=content.com > ATTACHMENT part 3 image/gif name=DIAMONDS.GIF __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 5 08:40:34 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 05:40:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Daily Mail Message-ID: <20011205134034.76028.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> DAILY MAIL (London) December 5, 2001 DON'T LEAVE ME ROSS BENSON THE cruel iniquity of the Greek legal system has reduced Lesley Coppin to desperation. It has also pushed her to the edge of a nervous breakdown. Of that I am in no doubt. It is a month now since this 51-year-old grandmother and 11 other innocent British planespotters were arrested and accused of spying. She has been handcuffed and strip-searched. She is now incarcerated in the notorious Korydallos prison in Athens where she is made to sleep in a bare cell with 18 other inmates including prostitutes and murderers. Yet she bravely kept going, telling herself over and over her ordeal would soon be at an end. It isn't. It is getting worse. And yesterday, when her mother-in-law went to visit her in jail, her resolve collapsed. She grabbed hold of Jean Butt and shouted, begged, beseeched: 'Please don't leave me, please, please.' When Jean came out through the steel doorways of the prison she was shocked. And like the daughter-in-law she had just left, she was crying her heart out. 'It's truly awful,' she said, as she collapsed into the arms of her daughter Lynda. 'The poor, poor woman. She is in a terrible state. She wouldn't let me go when it was time for me to leave. She hung on to me like a little child, crying and pleading for me not to go. 'In the end I had no alternative but to push her away and that broke my heart. Lesley is a strong woman, but she told me she cannot go on. I am sure she is coming to the end.' So am I. So is the British consul, Donald Holder, who accompanied Jean to the prison and saw the state Lesley is in. He said afterwards: 'If the prison officials think it is necessary she will be moved to a psychiatric hospital.' That terrible development is a distinct possibility. When I saw Lesley in prison a week ago she told me that she was close to a breakdown. It is tragically clear that she is a lot nearer to one now. She is a woman who always took pride in her appearance. Not anymore. Her hair is unwashed and she is allowed no make-up. She has suffered one severe asthma attack brought on by the stress of the situation. The food is so atrocious that some days she is unable to eat anything. She has lost so much weight her clothes hang off her like rags and when she embraced her mother-in-law a ring flew off her finger. 'Keep it for me,' she said, pressing it into Jean's hand. 'If you don't, someone here will steal it.' Her wedding ring also slipped off her finger. Jean offered to take that into her safekeeping, too. Lesley refused. She only married Jean's son, Paul Coppin, in February. 'She is determined to hang on to the bitter end,' Jean said. There is still no end in sight, however, to this absurd miscarriage of justice which has left 12 innocent British holidaymakers rotting in two of the roughest, meanest prisons even this backward country can offer. The men, at least, have each other for company. Lesley has no one. Jean said: 'She is in with Albanians, Romanians, Nigerians and gypsies.' They are her only company for the 16 hours they spend locked in their cell each day and none of them speak English. Their lavatory is a hole in the concrete floor with only a flimsy, filthy curtain for privacy. The prison authorities, anxious to deflect the obvious and accurate criticism that they are violating Mrs Coppin's most basic human rights, did offer to move her into a two-woman cell. LESLEY refused. That was partly because she thought she was about to be released. But it was also common sense. Korydallos is a very dangerous place. Assault is commonplace and five years ago a foreign prisoner was first hanged then burnt by other inmates. And as this well-spoken lady from Suffolk explained to me, she had quickly learnt the one thing you do not do there is arouse the violent anger of the other inmates by appearing to be benefiting from favouritism. It is a policy that so far has kept her out of trouble. What was acceptable in the short term has become intolerable as the days pass into weeks, however, and she is being ground down by the harsh routine of life in a Greek prison. Her day begins with wake-up at 7.30. The evening meal is served at 7.30. In between she has to scrub the floors and clear away the slops. Then for a couple of hours she is allowed to join her fellow prisoners in the exercise yard. What is really corroding Lesley's will to survive, however, is the uncertainty that surrounds this case, which is undoubtedly being conducted in violation of European laws governing human rights. The public prosecutor was expected to deliver his report on Monday to the three judges who will make the decision whether to bring the 12 planespotters to court on charges of espionage. He has not yet completed his task. That means it will almost certainly be several days before it gets to the judges and several days after that before they complete their deliberations. 'These delays are eating away at her,' Jean said. 'She is terrified that she is never going to get out of that horrible place. I am very, very worried.' I share her concern. We all must. It is a truly monstrous way to treat an innocent middle-aged woman who came to Greece to look at a few obsolete aeroplanes and enjoy a belated honeymoon with her husband. =========== DAILY MAIL (London) December 5, 2001 MAIL'S CAMPAIGN FOR BRITON'S FREEDOM SPARKS PHENOMENAL RESPONSE THE Greek government yesterday felt the full weight of the Daily Mail's campaign to free the Planespotter 12. We delivered a postbag of more than 10,000 signed coupons, printed e-mails and faxes to the Greek Ambassador in London, Alexandros Sandis, demanding the group's immediate release. The correspondence from readers had to be transported to the embassy in Holland Park, West London, in four Royal Mail sacks, each bearing the campaign logo. A staff member took delivery of the sacks but our request to meet the ambassador in person was politely but firmly declined. 'He's too busy,' said a spokesman. As the paper pleas continued to flood into our office yesterday, it was clear the ambassador could expect more such deliveries as long as his government and courts remain intransigent on the issue. The thousands of readers clamouring for the planespotters' freedom made their points succinctly and forcefully in the e-mails and faxes. A reader from Dursley, Gloucestershire, spoke for many when he wrote: 'I am appalled at the conditions in which the planespotters are being held whilst investigations are being carried out. Please add my weight to the calls for them to be charged or released immediately.' A man from Uxbridge, Middlesex, pointed out: 'These people are not just anonymous planespotters - they are someone's mother, someone's father, someone's friend. 'They've got worried and anxious families at home - and that is where they should be.' Another wrote: 'I and the majority of the British electorate are disgusted by Tony Blair's reaction to the Greeks' treatment of British citizens. 'He should immediately declare that Greece is now regarded as a foreign destination unsafe for tourists. 'The loss of umpteen millions of pounds of British tourists' money should bring them to their senses.' Readers who support the campaign can still register their protest by completing the coupon opposite. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From mehollim at hotmail.com Wed Dec 5 15:53:05 2001 From: mehollim at hotmail.com (Mimoza Meholli) Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2001 15:53:05 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Analysis / Is it too late for Arafat to save himself? Message-ID: >From: "Jim Satterwhite" >Wednesday, December 05, 2001 > Ha'aretz > > >Analysis / Is it too late for Arafat to save himself? > >By Bradley Burston, Ha'aretz Correspondent > > > > >Yasser Arafat Monday faced the most severe challenge to date to his rule in >the history of the Palestinian Authority, amid signs that unprecedented >U.S. >and Israeli pressure to crack down hard and fast on Islamic militants was >finally registering on the Palestinian leader - perhaps too late. > >A weekend tidal wave of suicide terror that killed more than two dozen >people and wounded hundreds in blast after blast in Israeli cities spurred >a >profound reassessment in Washington of the extent to which Arafat was >making >good on pledges - rooted in the 1993 Oslo peace accords that created the >PA - to curb terror attacks that, administration officials fear, could fan >the brushfire Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a full-scale war. > >But with the militant, superbly organized Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas >a potent force among grass-roots Palestinians, Arafat has been reluctant to >respond in the past to calls to round up and jail suspected terrorists and >their commanders. Arafat is especially loath to move against Hamas, whose >well-armed, well-trained gunmen have in the past trained their weapons on >PA >police seeking to detain them. > >Now, however, Arafat may have no choice. If he is to keep at bay mounting >voices within Israel calling for his political head, the wily Palestine >Liberation Organization chief must now take action against Hamas and its >junior partner in fundamentalist militancy, the Islamic Jihad. In short >order, he will also face calls to seize members of the radical Popular >Front >for the Liberation of Palestine, which rocked Israel with the October >assassination of cabinet minister Rehavam Ze'evi. Past efforts to move >against militants have been met with gunfire from the highly trained, >well-equipped groups. > >Perhaps most dicey, from the standpoint of a destabilizing domestic >backlash, will be demands to act against the Tanzim, the house militia of >Arafat's own Fatah PLO wing and the assault rifle-brandishing spearhead of >the 14 month-long Palestinian uprising. > >Arafat, long a master of tightrope balancing between potentially hostile >platforms, has come under mounting pressure even from his own military men >to opt for decisive action against militants, whose activities, PA >officials >now believe, threaten the continued existence of the authority itself. > >"You can hear in the remarks of Arafat's commanders the words of men who >understand that there is a substantive threat to their rule, that >everything >could just be lost," says Ha'aretzcommentator Danny Rubinstein. "The threat >to Arafat's rule is not only external, it is also internal. If Arafat's >rule >does not prove that it holds the 'full monopoly over the client base,' >others may come to the fore. There are militias operating, and there are >coalitions of various organizations and what are essentially private >armies. >In this reality, (West Bank PA secret service chief) Jibril Rajoub, >together >with other forces, is an army. And if this is true, there may be no ruling >entity." > >Arafat can little afford to ignore the Israeli demands for a crack-down, >not >least because the stern words emanating from Jerusalem have taken on an >ominous sounding-board in statements Sunday by Bush administration >officials, headed by the customarily judicious secretary of state, Colin >Powell. > >Rubinstein said that after Arafat sat with Powell's special envoy, retired >Marine General Anthony Zinni last week, and pledged strong efforts to >foster >a cease-fire, the terrorist attacks by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad >constituted "a spitting in Arafat's face, nearly a declaration of rebellion >against him. This is quite clear now to the entire Palestinian leadership - >either you're in charge, or you're not." > >Powell's own impatience was much in evidence this week. "It is a moment of >truth, Mr. Arafat," Powell said, telling CBS's "Face the Nation" program of >a telephone conversation with the PA leader. "The deadline ought to be now. >Stop now," he said. "Use all of your legitimate power but more than that, >use the power of your position as leader of the Palestinian people to bring >this kind of... violence to an end." > >Going on the apparent offensive, Arafat's Gaza security chief announced a >state of emergency, curbing movement of Palestinians and restricting the >rights of Palestinians to carry firearms to PA security personnel only. >Also >banned were the holding of demonstrations without a license, and use of >mosques as a base "for political propaganda against the national goals." > >In night sweeps, masked PA police were photographed seizing some of a total >of 100 suspected Islamic militants taken into custody. Palestinian security >forces also placed Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin under house >arrest. Palestinian cabinet ministers said the speed of the round-up was >unprecedented. Explaining the campaign to the Palestinian public, >Palestinian Planning Minister and senior peace negotiator Nabil Shaath told >Voice of Palestine Radio: > >"These attacks on Israeli civilians have pushed us into a corner. We live >in >a world that is busy with the war against Afghanistan and international >terror, and we have to keep trying to be part of the international >community >and not be isolated.". > >But Israeli officials said later they found the PA arrests suspect - both >in >their telegeneity and in the absence of resistance by suspects and militant >sympathizers. Moreover, they noted, Hamas members were later observed armed >and firing into the air at the funeral of a gunman who killed an Israeli >motorist in Gaza early Sunday. "Resistance and holy war will not stop," >hundreds of Hamas supporters chanted during the burial ceremony. > >As opposed to past crises, this time Arafat will be unable to institute a >cosmetic crack-down to salve U.S. ire, Rubinstein concludes. "Arafat will >need more than mere cosmetics. Zinni is on site now, he will be the one who >sees, he will talks to both sides, he will be the one who decides, and he >will be the one who reports back." > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp From mentor at alb-net.com Wed Dec 5 07:32:04 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 07:32:04 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [Kcc-News] Kosova: Election Thoughts (by Veton Surroi) Message-ID: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> READ & DISTRIBUTE FURTHER <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News Network: http://www.alb-net.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr2/bcr2_20011128_4_eng.txt Kosovo: Election Thoughts What matters most about the elections is that for the first time in Kosovar history, the arena for solving their problems will be a parliament that they elected themselves. By Veton Surroi in Pristina (BCR No. 300, 28-Nov-01) It is election day in Kosovo and I am walking the streets with a German - a connoisseur of voting from Colombia to Bulgaria. I feel imbued with a sort of pride that is so rare in Kosovo. It is just like an election day in a German Lutheran Land, where people combine three activities on Sunday election days: going to church, casting their ballots and family get-togethers. Kosovo's free, democratic elections, the second since the 1999 conflict ended, show just how capable the people and their parties are of developing democracy. They set an example not only for Albanians, bearing in mind the defects in the elections in Albania and Macedonia, but the region as a whole. None of its neighbours managed to organise better elections. The voting is over and all eyes are on the figures. The turnout was lower than last year's local elections. The drop of 10 per cent draws attention to two contradictory trends among the electorate. First, we have more voters (a figure likely to increase with every election due to the growing number of children reaching the age of 18). On the other hand, fewer people in every poll feel it is worth going to the polls. Still, with its 63 per cent turnout, Kosovo still beats many Western democracies with far more experience of free polls. And the figures also show Kosovo is starting to see a process of consolidation among the parties. The biggest block comprises the main Albanian parties, the Democratic League of Kosovo, LDK, the Democratic Party, PDK, and the Alliance for the Kosovo's Future, AAK. Then there's the powerful Serbian block, followed by one which includes the minority groups of Bosnians, Roma, Hashkali and Turks. And finally, there is the block of tiny Albanian parties. The voters have clearly decided to make some checks and balances in Kosovo's political life. The LDK, which won by a big margin in the previous elections, appears to have lost 10 per cent of its supporters. If many votes in previous elections supposedly went to the LDK due to the inactivity of other parties and the arrogance of their leaders, the LDK seems likely to have forfeited some of that support due to its own inactivity and arrogance. The PDK vote remained static, defying hopes for an increase in support owing to the high profile of their presidential candidate, Flora Brovina. It all suggests PDK backing peaked in the local elections. The AAK enjoyed a growth in support thanks to its hard work. But it needs a two-fold increase to overtake the PDK. The votes that went to the block of big parties won a total of 79 per cent of the seats in the parliament. This is no surprise, as most people voted for those leaders whose posters were on display in every street. On the other hand, the relatively high number of votes going to the block of little parties shows many electors do not trust the big party leaders. One novelty in these elections is Serb participation. The Povratak coalition will be the third political force in parliament with 21 seats. This fundamentally alters Kosovo's political life. The Serbs will have a ministerial post as will other minority representatives. Like it or not, the big Albanian parties will have to form a coalition with the Serbs. If not, the LDK will have to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition and elect Ibrahim Rugova as president. So much of Kosovo's future politics will depend on the election of the president whose duties under the constitutional framework will include presenting awards and delivering an annual report. Based on Kosovo's decade-long experience of Rugova, he is certainly skilled in delivering awards. Whether he can fulfil the other conditions for presidency is less clear. The second question is whether he can get votes for the post from a range of parties. This would be the first step towards consensus politics in Kosovo. The LDK should only gain support for the election of its candidate as president if it agrees to form a government of experts. The second stage of this consensus should be agreement on the new administration's priorities. If Rugova wins the post of president, he will have to resign from LDK, opening the way for the creation of a genuinely multi-party democracy. It will help redefine the LDK as a party rather than a movement. This would have an impact of the other parties, too, which tend to lack a clear political profile. Other points also need to be considered. Will the Albanians want an efficient government and what will they want it for. An administration that merely repeats slogans about independence will achieve little. It won't do much to solve problems over pensions, the electric corporation, conditions for investment, the economy and agriculture; and will be locked in permanent conflict with the international community. The second point involves the Serbs. Their participation in the parliament means they will have a new opportunity to resolve their problems - but this means recognising Kosovo's territorial integrity and its institutions. If the Serbs try to block the work of parliament, the assembly and government will not help them either. The third point concerns relations between the Albanians and UNMIK. The constitutional framework has created an extraordinary situation in which the latter has the power to annul any Kosovo government initiative. The new government will need to agree with UNMIK on the country's basic priorities over the next three years. Kosovo's new parliament faces innumerable troublesome issues. What matters most is the fact that for the first time in our history the arena for solving these issues will be a parliament that we elected ourselves. The fact that this assembly will not have the authority to take many decisions is a consequence of the stage of history we are in. We are at the ABC stage of democracy. Like all pupils who need to learn more, our parliament and the institutions springing from it will be our special schools. Veton Surroi is publisher of Koha Ditore. ________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list visit: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/kcc-news From xagolli at stumail.sjcsf.edu Wed Dec 5 12:50:02 2001 From: xagolli at stumail.sjcsf.edu (Xhuliana Agolli) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 10:50:02 -0700 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Pak humor te hidhur Message-ID: <000801c17db5$44b63930$7828a8c0@sjcsf.edu> Taken without permission from the Onion's "Our Dumb Century: A 100 Years of Headlines from America's Finest News Source" ISBN 0-609-80461-8 $16 The Onion Tuesday, November 9, 1948 War-Weary Jews Establish Homeland Between Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt ------- "In Israel, Our People Will Finally Have Safety and Peace," Says Ben-Gurion -------- Jordan Welcomes New Neighbors with Celbratory Gunfire, Rock Throwing Jerusalem, Israel--After more than 2,000 years of wandering and persecution, including six million deaths at the hand of Nazi Germany, the Jewish people finally established a homeland Monday, a place of safety and peace nestled between Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt. "No longer will the Jewish race live in a constant state of fear and endagerment, its very existence threatened at every turn by hostile outsiders," said David Ben-Gurion, the new nation's first prime minister, addressing a jubiland crowd of Zionists at Jerusalem's Western Wall. "Here in Israel, we are safe, far away from those who seek to destroy us." For two millennia, the Jewish people have wandered without a home, facing an endless series of hostile enemies. With the establishment of a soverign Jewish state in the Middle East, Israeli officials believe this 2,000-year ordeal has at last come to an end. "Israel is the land of milk and honey," Ben-Gurion said. "Here there will be no pogroms, no midnight visits from Cossacks, no Nuremberg Laws. The only gunfire we shall hear is that which lingers in our minds from troubled times long past." Ben-Gurion said he looks forward to years of harmony and cooperation with Israel's neighboring states. "Jordan seems extremely happy to have us as a new neighbor," he said. "Last night, from my window, I could hear great explosions coming from the Gaza Strip. How wonderful of the Palestinian peoples there to celebrate our arrival with fireworks." In his official greeting to Israel yesterday, Egypt's King Farouk issued the following statement: "Egypt does not and will not ever recognize the so-called state of Israel's right to exist. Israel is a land built on Jewish lies and the spilled blood of countless Arabs. Until the territory called Israel is returned to is rightful Palestinian owners, Egypt will have no choice but to consider itself at war with the Jewish people." As a token of its good will, Syria presented Israel with a burning Israeli flag, with an attached note that read, "May you be swiftly driven into the sea and drowned." In the months leading up to Monday's formal declaration of Israeli statehood, hundreds of thousands of Hocaust survivors from around the world have flocked to Israel, where they will finally find a safe haven from anti-Semitism. "This is a dream come true," said Holocaust survivor Zadie Dubrovnik, 59, who left her native Lithuania for Israel last week. "In this place, we will build a refuge of peace, far away from those who hate us." Ben-Gurion said that with no need to defend itself from enemies, Israel will be free to spend billions of dollars on domestic development that other nations would be forced to devote to a defense budget. Military expenditures are expected to account for just two percent of the country's overall budget, as Israel will be a place of peace, not war. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From xagolli at stumail.sjcsf.edu Wed Dec 5 14:13:24 2001 From: xagolli at stumail.sjcsf.edu (Xhuliana Agolli) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 12:13:24 -0700 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] (no subject) Message-ID: <000901c17dc0$e97e35c0$7828a8c0@sjcsf.edu> December 5, 2001 FOREIGN AFFAIRS The Intifada Is Over By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN More Op-Ed Columns Join a Discussion on Thomas L. Friedman's Columns he Palestinian Intifada II is finished. It ended with last weekend's spasm of suicide bombings against Israeli kids - a signal that the Palestinian national movement was being taken over by bin Ladenism, which is the nihilistic pursuit of murderous violence against civilians, without any political program and outside of any political context. If there is anything left of the Palestinian national movement for independence, it better act now to rescue itself. Otherwise it's headed for the same dark cave as Osama bin Laden. How so? Actually, I thought Intifada II was idiotic from the start. Why? Context. It came in the face of the most far-reaching U.S. and Israeli offers ever for a Palestinian state. While those offers of more than 90 percent of the West Bank, Gaza and part of East Jerusalem may not have been sufficient for Palestinians, they were a serious opening bid. The right response was a Palestinian overture to the Israeli people to persuade them to give up 100 percent - not murderous violence. That's still true. Two weeks ago a Gallup Poll showed nearly 60 percent of Israelis favoring a Palestinian state - a remarkable figure after a year of violence. Also, President Bush just publicly endorsed the idea of a Palestinian state. In other words, it's not as if Palestinians' aspirations were being ignored and their only alternative was violence. The Israeli silent majority and the world's silent majority were both poised for a serious deal, and had Prime Minister Ariel Sharon spurned a Palestinian peace bid he would have been swept aside. But instead, Palestinians offered a suicide package. It leads to only one conclusion: that the priority of the Palestinians is not achieving an independent state. Their priority, apparently, is to kill Jews and get revenge for Israel's assassination of a Hamas leader whose only claim to fame was organizing previous suicide bombings - a regular Thomas Jefferson. So Intifada II, which was supposedly an uprising to prompt Israel to give Palestinians 100 percent of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, has morphed into Bin Laden II, a Palestinian attempt to eliminate 100 percent of Israel. There are authentic Arab and Muslim voices who understand how self-destructive this is. Take The Jordan Times, which said in its editorial Monday: "There is mounting sympathy worldwide, even solid support for the Palestinians' legitimate fight for independence and freedom. . . . But resorting to suicide attacks that have mainly targeted civilians has been harmful to the cause itself." Arab leaders know this too, but they won't speak the truth to the Palestinians. Sad. Because if it is impossible anymore for Arab-Muslim leaders to distinguish between Palestinian resistance directed at military targets and tied to a specific peace proposal, and terrorism designed to kill kids, without regard to a peace plan or political alternatives, then over time no moral discourse will be possible between America and the Arabs. You can already see the cleavage starting, with the White House's unqualified defense of Israel's retaliation. Mr. Sharon is right to send the Arabs and the world the message that Israel is going to do whatever it takes to defend itself. But he would make a huge error - huge - if he eliminated Yasir Arafat. That is a job for Palestinians. Israel should not take ownership of their misfortune, and Mr. Arafat and his leadership are their misfortune. They need to face up to that. Mr. Sharon's job is to dispel any fantasies they have about eliminating Israel and to make clear that if Palestinians adopt a different leadership, with a different approach, Israel will offer them a fair and dignified peace. Egypt and Saudi Arabia, which keep telling America that Israel is the problem, need to help now too - by giving Palestinians support and cover for a fair compromise. America just told Israel publicly that it must end settlements, end the occupation and accept a Palestinian state to end the conflict. When will Egypt and Saudi Arabia tell the Palestinians publicly that their game is up and they have to accept a Jewish state and end the conflict? (When will they tell themselves?) Because if they won't, if they only blame Israel and sit by while the Palestinian national movement is hijacked by Hamas and Islamic Jihad - which want no end of the conflict except when all Jews are gone - then America too will retreat and simply adopt the view that Israel's occupation is a matter of self-defense, and may the stronger nation win. December 5, 2001 The Making of a Suicide Attacker Are Palestinians Human? By Sam Bahour and Leila Bahour As Israeli warplanes pounded Palestinian cities, Israel's media spin- doctor, Benjamin Netanyahu, was being interviewed on the Fox News Channel where he likened Arafat to Osama bin Laden and accused him of having "suicide kindergarten camps for kids to prepare the next generation of suicide bombers" (Dec. 3, 2001). It is exactly this type of hogwash that leads to innocent Palestinian and Israeli lives being lost to desperation. Mr. Netanyahu should be incarcerated for inciting ethnic violence and hatred. Regarding the Palestinian children living in the Occupied Territories, if there is any hatred toward Israelis brewing in their eyes, it is not being taught to them by any parent, school, church or mosque. These feelings, if exist, come out of the incidents that occur daily in their lives (Israeli F-16 planes circling above their homes and dropping missiles which kill a parent, uncle, aunt, cousin, or school mate, their schools being closed, their inability to play in their yards, etc.). What Israel has been and continues to create is a generation of Palestinian children suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a direct result of the Israeli occupation. Unfortunately, the world has turned a blind eye to the atrocities conducted by Israel and somehow has turned the Palestinian child into an aggressor only worthy of death. Listening to the mini-army of Israeli media spin personalities, one is led to ask if Palestinians are really human. For 15 months now, Israel's well-defined whirlwind media effort has been preciously focused on promoting its insidious campaign to dehumanize the Palestinian people. Assuming Palestinians are no different than any other people (they have two arms, two legs and all major organs), we then should take a step back from the nightly news and media spin and understand why any Palestinian would commit suicide, let alone take innocent Israeli lives with his own. Since Palestinians are human, the sciences apply to them just as it does to the rest of humanity. Edwin Shneidman, a clinical psychologist who is a leading authority on suicide, and who is sometimes called the Father of modern Suicidology, has described the ten characteristics of suicide in his book "Definition of Suicide" (1985). 1. The common stimulus in suicide is "unendurable psychological pain". 2. The common stress in suicide is "frustrated psychological needs". 3. The common purpose of suicide is "to seek a solution". 4. The common goal of suicide is "cessation of consciousness". 5. The common emotion in suicide is "hopelessness- helplessness". 6. The common internal attitude toward suicide is "ambivalence". 7. The common cognitive state in suicide is "constriction". 8. The common interpersonal act in suicide is "communication of intention". 9. The common action in suicide is "egression" (a way out). 10. The common consistency in suicide is with "life-long coping patterns". If these are the findings of science, then why is it that the investigative reporters of the world do not enter the lives of these bombers to see if they fit the profile of a suicidal person? Why the immediate acceptance of the Israeli spin machine that Palestinians, in some twisted logic, take happiness in killing themselves and others. Worse yet, why do some try to understand the bombings in terms of being part of some orchestrated media campaign that can be turned on or off at will? As we look at the research on suicide and try to understand the mind of the suicidal individual, the picture should become clearer as to how these characteristics apply to a Palestinian suicide attacker. Dr. Shneidman states in his article "At The Point Of No Return" in Psychology Today (1987, p.56), "Suicide, I have learned is not a bizarre and incomprehensible act of self destruction. Rather, suicidal people use a particular logic, style of thinking that brings them to the conclusion that death is the only solution to their problems. This style can be readily seen, and there are steps we can take to stop suicide, if we know where to look". Although this research applies to suicidal individuals and not necessarily suicide bombers which take additional innocent lives with their act, through studying the ten characteristics of the suicidal individual, it certainly seems they apply even more so to the suicidal bomber. These individuals seek to escape overwhelming emotional pain. Shneidman terms this "metapain" (hurt and pain on top of hurt and pain). So, from where does this hurt and pain come? If only the answer were as simple as the question. Living under Israeli occupation for years with basic human rights stripped away and collective punishment the norm would be the best one sentence answer that could be offered at this time. Another quote that seems to apply from Shneidman (1985) is, "There are many pointless deaths but never a needless suicide". Every suicide seems logical to the individual who commits it. In a suicidal individual's mind, suicide is the only way out of an unbearable situation. A person can only cry so long with nobody listening before his options become constricted and suicide seems to him the only answer. In working with the "typical" suicidal individual, the first step is listening and trying to understand the pain, frustration and hopelessness/helplessness that he is feeling. "Hopelessness" and "helplessness" exactly describe the feelings of the Palestinian people living under occupation. It seems nobody wants to hear the reality of the situation but at the same time everyone seems so willing to label and then be in astonishment when one of these horrendous acts is committed. It is past time to look at the reality and begin to provide other viable options to the Palestinian people. A simple start to begin with would be giving them their dignity and right to existence without occupation. Suicide bombers are never ever justified in their actions but those who want to try to understand may understand their motivation. To reach a logical conclusion of why these horrific events take place, one must scratch below the surface that the sustained Israeli occupation has made thicker and thicker with every passing year since 1967. Further complicating matters, Israel has been successful in allowing the passive observer to the conflict equate the actions and mindset of the occupied with those of the occupier. This equality is unfair, illogical and unscientific. We must separate between those who carry out deplorable suicide attacks, those innocent victims of the attacks and those that politically plan, fund, and recruit for the attacks. The overwhelming majority of those who carry out the attacks are no more than normal young men, either born into Israeli occupation or still imprisoned by many years of it. They are victims of Israeli policies of dehumanization and continued military occupation. They lack any means of military resistance while facing a world-class military machine. As one of my readers of a past article stated, "[If only the media would cover] who they were, what their lives were like, who and what were left behind -- it would be a whole different story about public perception of the problem in Israel and Occupied Territories." The innocent Israeli lives, especially those of the children, which such attacks so abruptly end, are only to be mourned by Israelis and Palestinians alike. Their memories should serve as an eternal burden to all sides that without an end to the occupation there are no winners or losers, only more mourners on both sides. As for those political entities that breed in the desperation that occupation has created, they take innocent Israeli lives by exploiting Palestinians in despair while simultaneously stripping their own people of any political agenda, or even legitimate armed resistance agenda, for ending occupation. They thrive on disruption and chaos with a clear political goal of complicating any chance for a negotiated solution. These entities perfectly fit Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's strategy of ending the potential for a negotiated peace. Sharon continues to give them, non-stop, since his election to office, ripe grounds to operate from--economic despair, closures, assassinations, etc. Those that facilitate such attacks could not have asked for a better Israeli leader, one that has given them a never ending seven day grace period to kill more Israelis. The US has joined the Israeli media chorus in demanding Arafat to do more to stop the suicide bombings. Arafat only wishes he had the power to stop the suicide attacks. He does not, for he cannot end occupation. Israel, and only Israel, can stop the suicide attacks by giving back Palestinians their freedom, dignity and a reason to live by ending 34 years of their brutal military occupation and 54 years of suffering. To the person who thinks in absolute terms, this may seem like Israel would be giving in to a suicide bomber. On the contrary, to the rational, intelligent human being who knows that the world does not operate on historical or religious slogans, but rather "reality", this would be looking at the underlying problem rather than adopting a simplistic "Band-Aid" approach defined by Israel. If Israel refuses to accept its historic responsibility to end its terrorizing of the Palestinians, then, sadly, it should not question why science applies to the Palestinian people. As Palestinians and Israelis continue to bury and weep for their innocent victims, Palestinians and Israelis alike, the world would be well advised to remove its head from the sand. CP Sam Bahour, MBA, and Leila Bahour, M.S.Ed., L.P.C., are Palestinian-Americans and brother and sister. Sam is a businessman living in the besieged Palestinian City of Al-Bireh in the West Bank and frequently writes on Palestinian affairs. He may be reached at sbahour at palnet.com. Leila Bahour is a Counselor at a Psychological Outpatient Counseling Practice in the US who has worked in the psychological field for eleven years. She spent a considerable amount of time dedicated to the research of suicide during her pursuit of her Master's degree and has treated suicidal individuals daily in her work over the years. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: spacer.gif Type: image/gif Size: 45 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: new_relatedArticles.gif Type: image/gif Size: 668 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: new_readerOpinions.gif Type: image/gif Size: 709 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: t.gif Type: image/gif Size: 199 bytes Desc: not available URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 5 22:49:43 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2001 19:49:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Interfax news Message-ID: <20011206034943.43470.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> December 5, 2001, Wednesday Russia welcomes broad cooperation with Greece Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1059 gmt 5 Dec 01 Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax Moscow, 5 December: The development of comprehensive cooperation with Greece meets Russia's interests, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko told journalists today. Russia and Greece are expanding "cooperation in pressing issues of current international politics, where the two countries' positions are traditionally close or coincide", Yakovenko said. Moscow and Athens "have a foundation for continuing the coordination of joint efforts in the Balkans, including stabilization of the situation in Macedonia", he said. In the UN, the two countries maintain close contacts in relation to a Cypriot settlement. "A tendency for growth has become clear" in bilateral trade, Yakovenko said. Trade turnover reached 1.22bn dollars in 2000, up from 892m dollars in 1999, he said. "Implementation of an agreement for Russian gas supplies to Greece ensures stability and long-term prospects for Russia-Greece ties," he said. "Operation of a Russia-built gas pipeline began in January 1997 in Greece," he recalled. The economic importance has grown for "a currently drafted project, with the participation of Russia and Greece, for construction of the Burgas-Alexandropolis oil pipeline for pumping oil from Novorossiysk to Europe," he said. "Implementation of these large joint projects meets the long-term interests of both Russia and Greece, promotes their closer economic cooperation and creates a basis for a new fuel and energy infrastructure in the Balkans," he said. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 07:33:01 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 04:33:01 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: [balkans] Query: Clans in nothern Albania and Kosova Message-ID: <20011206123301.96226.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Please, reply directly. ======== From: "hilde kjostvedt" Hi! I am a student of social anthropology in Norway, currently working in Kosova. I wonder if anybody knows of someone who has written anything on the clans of Kosova and Northern Albania? Of the big families like Berisha, Gashi, Krashniqi, Dukagjini and others? Thank you in advance Hilde G. Kj?stvedt Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT _______________________________________________ Balkan Academic News Post Messages to: balkans at yahoogroups.com Contact Owner at: fbieber at yahoo.com Subscribe: balkans-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: balkans-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com Homepage: http://www.seep.ceu.hu/balkans/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 17:13:26 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 14:13:26 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Korrieri Message-ID: <20011206221326.83643.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> KPD, triumfon Nano Ka pak rendesi nese mbledhja e djeshme u mbyll me kompromis apo me shpresen se lufta mori fund. Pas izolimit 3 muajor, Nano rikthehet si njeriu me i fuqishem ne PS. Hoqi 3 ministrat qe donte dhe i deklaroi atyre se tallej. Anulloi mbledhjen e Kongresit dhe replikoi me gjithe anetaret e KPD, duke i vene epitete ne sy te miliona shqiptareve Kush fitoi ne mbledhjen e fundit te KPD dhe kush doli me i fituar nga shou i gjate tre ditor i socialisteve, Nano apo Meta? E veshtire t'i japesh pergjigje nje pyetjeje te tille, nisur vetem nga punimet e mbledhjes se forumit me te larte socialist. Transformimi i pakuptueshem i Kryetarit ne seancen e fundit, qe pritej te ishte edhe me e tensionuara, shakate me anetaret e KPD, qe ndryshe nga 30 ore me rradhe mbledhje solli clirimin e panelit drejtues, ne finishin e mbledhjes maratone te socialisteve. Por jashte analizes se zhvillimeve te KPD dhe jashte pergjigjes se veshtire se kush triumfoi ne betejen me te ashper te PS ne keto 10 vjet, mund te thuhet se i fituari me i madh politik i 2 muajve te fundit padyshim eshte Fatos Nano. Pak rendesi ka se Nano u detyrua te perballet per tre dite me akuza qe askush deri me sot nuk kishte guxuar t'ja bente; pak rendesi ka nese kongresi i jashtezakonshem qe pritej nga te gjithe u anullua me kompromis apo nga frika e ndarjes se partise; pak rendesi ka nese Nano nuk realizoi dot largimin e Metes megjithe konsensusin e disa lobeve jo pa rendesi jashte Shqiperise; pak rendesi ka nese nje telefonate prej nje kancelerie te rendesishme nderkombetare ka trokitur ne celularin e Nanos ne oret e vona para seances se fundit per t'i dhene paralajmerimin qe duhet te terhiqet. Ka rendesi vetem fakti qe dy muaj pas fillimit te fushates se tij, Nano ka rifituar ate qe e kishte humbur ne KPD e 20 Gushtit te ketij viti. Te qenit nje nder njerezit me te fuqishem te PS, ose njeriu pa konsensusin e te cilit, askush nuk mund te marre vendimet e rendesishme ne partine socialiste. Eshte fare e qarte per te gjithe se dy muaj me pare, Nano e kishte humbur gjithe sharmin e tij ne parti. I forcuar nga sukseset ne qeveri dhe nga votimi referendar per Kryeminister, duke pasur edhe Nanon kunder, Meta mori ne parti gjithe fuqite e njeshit. I humbur dhe i braktisur madje edhe nga njerezit e tij, Fatos Nano mbeti dukshem ne minorance ne organet drejtuese. Mjaftoi nje KPD e dyte ne fillim te tetorit, ku pothuajse te gjitha kandidaturat e Nanos per sekretare humben ndjeshem, qe lideri socialist te mbetej njeriu me me pak peshe ne drejtimin e larte te partise. Njeriu qe mbante karrigen e numrit nje, por qe nuk ndihej dhe qe nuk ishte realisht i tille, ja arriti ta rifitoje fuqine e tij vetem fale nje turi disa javor ne bazen e partise dhe duke shfrytezuar mbeshtetjen e mediave. Dje ne mbremje, kur analistet e gazetave jane ulur per te bere bilancin e mbledhjes tre ditore te KPD, kane arritur se paku te nenvizojne disa nga arritjet e Nanos. Se pari ai ja arriti te largoje nga qeveria tre ministrat Angjelin, Mucin dhe Finon qe me se shumti i ka sulmuar dy muajt e fundit. Bashke me ta u largua edhe Ministri i Bujqesise Duka, pika e kompromisit te Nanos me Meten per krijimin e qeverise ne fillim te shtatorit. Se dyti, Nano i provokoi Metes nje krize ne qeverisje. Pas mbylljes se mbledhjes pa ndonje kompromis te afishuar, veshtire qe nje figure serioze e Partise ose shoqerise civile te pranoje te ulet ne karriget bosh te Mucit, Angjelit apo Finos, pa kompromisin e Nanos. Secili qe do te marre ne dore portofolin e lire, do ta kuptoje se do te jete vetem, nje loje e tekave te liderit te PS. Ai do ta kete te pamundur qe te ndermarre reforma serioze, kur e di qe per cdo hatermbetje mund te behet tabele e sulmeve te Nanos ne te gjithe Shqiperine, duke mos i lene shteg tjeter vec doreheqjes. Se treti, Nano e mbylli dje fjalen e tij ne fund te seances se paradites, duke kerkuar hapur dhe qarte koken e Metes. Ne kete menyre, ai la te kuptohet se mund ta kerkoje nje gje te tille ne momentin e pare qe do ta ndjeje se ka mundesi ta beje, ose ne momentin e pare qe Meta do te ndermarre ndonje veprim qe s'do t'i pelqeje me atij. Se katerti, Nano i kompleksoi anetaret e KPD dhe i bindi ata se nuk ka frike votimin apo kongresin. Ai i ndryshoi planet e tyre, duke ju rrezuar jo vetem votimin per votbesimin e qeverise, por edhe cdo tentative per te mbledhur kongresin. Se pesti, Nano i bindi mbeshtetesit e tij te pakte, per qe veshtire se mund te mbeten te tille, se ai eshte ende njeriu me i forte ne PS dhe se veshtire qe pas kesaj, vendimet e saj te merren pa konsensusin e Kryetarit. Ai e deshmoi me shume se kurre kete, kur i deklaroi tre ministrave te larguar: Une nuk e kisha seriozisht, por ju dhate doreheqjen. Me te gjitha keto bashke, Nano ka dale dje nga salla e Pallatit te Kongreseve si triumfator. I bindur se pas kesaj, telefoni i tij do te tingelloje me shume se kurre per te marre konsensusin per gjithe hapat vendimtare qe PS duhet te ndermarre ne ditet e ardhshme. Por duke lene njekohesisht te kuptohet se per te shkuar deri ne deren e Presidences se Republikes, duhet kaluar fillimisht nga dera e Nanos. "Korrieri"Korrieri, 12/06/2001 --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 17:27:24 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 14:27:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Putin in Greece - various sources Message-ID: <20011206222724.85922.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> RusData Dialine - Russian Press Digest December 6, 2001 Thursday Gas and oranges Elena Yakovleva Izvestia, p. 2 Today Putin, accompanied by experts, sets for Greece Today Vladimir Putin departs on a visit to Greece. Among the accompanying experts are such outstanding figures as the "Gazprom" head Alexey Miller, "Lucoil" head Vagit Alecperov, representatives of "Rosoboronexport" and Vneshekonombank. The two countries' leaders will discuss the general issues, and delegations will focus on one of the most comical problems, relating to gas trade. The visit will be rather long today Putin meets his Greek counterpart Konstantinos Stephanopulos and tomorrow is to give a speech at the Athens University and receive yet another honorary degree. On Saturday the Russian President will visit places of historical and religious interest, - Salonika, Aphon, St. Panteleymon's monastery. The main issue on the visit's economic agenda is building of a pipeline that would allow transporting Caspian petroleum via Bulgaria and Greece to Western Europe. This route is considered better than that through Georgia and Turkey. The Greek part, in turn, asks for gas supply privileges. The Greek Deputy Foreign Minister expressed hope, that during the Putin's visit the parts would agree on restoring Greek-Soviet bilateral trade agreements, according to which Russia received not money, but Greek goods in exchange for gas. These barter agreements, signed back in 1987, stipulate that 70% of the revenue Russia receives from selling gas to Greece are to be used for purchasing Greek goods. The Greek official complained, that the "Gazprom" management, headed by Alexey Miller, underestimates the barter agreements. In exchange for Russian gas Greece offers oranges, other foodstuffs, cosmetics and medicines. Russia considers barter agreements to be an anachronism. In the first two quarters of 2001 Greece has paid $ 397 million for Russian gas. Its price, "denominated" in oranges, would probably be lower. ==== Russian president tells Greek MPs: Russian democracy is growing stronger Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1648 gmt 6 Dec 01 Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax Athens, 6 December: Over the centuries, Russia "has always supported the people of Greece and Greek statehood," Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a speech he delivered in the Greek parliament on Thursday. Modern Russia "not only absorbed these traditions, but intends to develop them in the most positive manner," he said. Thanking his hosts for the warm welcome the Russian delegation received in Greece, Putin stressed that it is "a special honour" for him to speak in the Greek parliament. Russia is perhaps more aware than any other country in the world of the "great contribution that the Greek nation made to civilization". He recalled that "the principles of democracy have flourished" in Greece since ancient times. Russian parliamentarianism emerged only at the beginning of the last century, and the new Russian parliamentarianism is only ten years old, Putin said. These were years of "difficult economic and social changes", to which the Russian parliament made a considerable contribution, he said. Democratic reforms in Russia are being conducted "on the basis of laws", the Russian president said, pointing out that "the democratic institutions in Russia are growing stronger". Putin said Russia firmly intends to create "stable democratic institutions and ensure stable growth on the basis of a market economy". === No political problems between Russia and Greece - presidents agree Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1454 gmt 6 Dec 01 Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax Athens, 6 December: Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Konstandinos Stefanopoulos of Greece said there are no political problems in relations between the two countries. "Today, when Russia and Greece are not divided by ideological problems, the geopolitical foundations of today's relations are starting to play their due role," Putin told a news conference in Athens on Thursday. "We have common views on many international events," the Russian president said. He said that the president of Greece had given him a collection of the works of Plato. The philosopher said that true friendship is only possible between close people, and these words can be rightfully said about Russia and Greece, Putin remarked. The Russian president said that Russian-Greek trade turnover has increased by 40 per cent over the past year and a number of possible areas of cooperation have emerged. Among the areas of Russian-Greek cooperation, Putin named energy, high technologies, and the creation of transport infrastructures. Putin said that Russian enterprises are ready to take part in the processes of liberalization of the Greek energy industry. The Russian president said he hopes that when Greece chairs the EU in 2003, the development of Russian-Greek relations "will receive a new impetus". The Greek president said that "political relations between the two countries are at a very high level, and there are no political problems between Russia and Greece." === Russia, Greece sign six bilateral agreements ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1414 gmt 6 Dec 01 Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Athens, 6 December: Six bilateral documents have been signed after the talks which the Russian and Greek presidents, Vladimir Putin and Konstandinos Stefanopoulos, held in Athens today. The key document deals with the two countries' cooperation in various fields of the fuel-and-energy sector. The other documents include a programme of Russian-Greek cultural and scientific cooperation for 2002-2004, and an agreement between the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry and the Greek Ministry of Public Order on cooperation in fighting crime. Besides, agreements were concluded on air traffic and on merchant navigation, and an agreement on the setting up of cultural centres of the two countries in Moscow and Athens and on conditions of their functioning. ===== Russian president talks of Balkan peace and sales of arms to Greece Russia TV, Moscow, in Russian 1400 gmt 6 Dec 01 Text of report by Russia TV on 6 December Presenter The Russian president is already in a meeting with Greek MPs. As he left the residence of President Konstandinos Stefanopoulos, Putin was able to share impressions of his talks with journalists. We have another correspondent, Andrey Rumyantsev, working in Athens. Andrey, we know the president has already spoken to the press. What did they say? Correspondent Hello, Anna. Yes, a news conference ended about 20 minutes ago and Vladimir Putin has already set off for parliament. The two presidents shared their impressions of the talks. As everyone expected, both Vladimir Putin and Konstandinos Stefanopoulos said that the views of Russia and Greece on most international issues are either close or identical. Incidentally, the Greek president gave Vladimir Putin a translation of Plato's Republic today and, as Vladimir Putin told the news conference - and this is a quotation from Plato - real friendship can only bind together people who are already close and, similarly, Vladimir Putin believes that real friendship binds Russia and Greece, two countries that are close to one another. The talks covered quite a lot of issues from military and technical cooperation to the situation in the most dangerous regions of the world, and above all in the Balkans because Greece is one of the countries that is a haven of stability in the Balkans. Here is what Vladimir Putin had to say about the situation in the region: Putin Any peace is better than war but, in my view, it could have been better. It would have been better if the international community had shown greater firmness, toughness and consistency in standing up to the individuals and groups that attempt to solve political problems with weapons. Presenter Andrey, we know that Greece is the only NATO country to buy Russian weapons. Was military and technical cooperation discussed at the talks and what was said about it? Correspondent Yes, the two presidents said they had talked about this, although it wasn't the main topic. Even before his talks with the Greek president, Vladimir Putin said in an interview for Greek journalists that the topic was more likely to be discussed later on by experts. At present, Greece spends around 10 per cent of its military budget on purchasing weapons from Russia. Incidentally, we don't yet know whether this practice will continue. Vladimir Putin said that, no matter what, Russia would always be a reliable partner for Greece in this sphere. Putin, to Greek translation Our relations with Greece in the military and technical sphere really are developing. I have to say, however, that in the overall volume of weapons purchases, Russia has what is a very modest place. But we should say that we don't lay claim to any particularly exclusive role on the Greek arms market. We only hope and are relying on the fact - when there are tenders or preliminary research in arms procurement and Russian manufacturers have access to those tenders - that conditions for them will be no worse than for the other participants in such competitions. ==== Russia's Putin urges international community to tighten grip on extremists Russian Public TV (ORT), Moscow, in Russian 1500 gmt 6 Dec 01 The international community must show greater firmness, toughness and consistency in standing up to those who try to solve political problems with weapons, President Putin has told a news conference in Athens. He expressed concern over the situation in the Middle East and urged those responsible for stabilizing it to "neutralize extremist groupings and individuals". The following is an excerpt from report broadcast by Russian Public TV on 6 December: Presenter Russian President Vladimir Putin today began an official visit to Greece. He held talks in Athens with Greek President Konstandinos Stefanopoulos. Addressing a joint news conference after the talks, Vladimir Putin spoke against the revision of borders in the Balkans and in favour of settling the Cyprus problem through a dialogue... Correspondent After the talks have ended and a whole set of agreements have been signed - ranging from the agreement on air traffic to the agreement on cooperation in the fuel-and-energy sector - Vladimir Putin and his Greek counterpart, Stefanopoulos, answered journalists' questions. They dealt not only with bilateral relations but also with world events. Putin Now that we are no longer separated by considerations of ideological nature, geopolitical fundamentals of our cooperation begin to play a befitting role. Precisely this lies in the basis of our cooperation and this determines their development trends. This is precisely why our views on many problems of world developments coincide, and I really do agree with Mr President on that score. Question from an unidentified journalist It has been said here that the two countries' stands on the Balkan issue are close to each other or they even coincide. To what extent do you think you are satisfied with the current developments in the Balkans, and what do you think the main ways are towards settling the situation in the region? Putin Any peace is better than war, and the fact that no gunfire is now heard there is good news, but, in my view, it could have been better. It would have been better if the international community had shown greater firmness, toughness and consistency in standing up to the individuals and groups that attempt to solve political problems with weapons. Some people have not yet got rid of this desire. And, most importantly, we must be doing our best to ensure that all the decisions taken within the framework of the United Nations, including the 1244 resolution, are implemented. Question from an unidentified correspondent Here is a question for Mr Putin. What is your assessment of the escalation of violence in the Middle East and, particularly, the latest attack on Palestine? Putin We are very much concerned over the situation in the Middle East. Despite the efforts taken by the international community, unfortunately, attempts to work out procedures that would make the warring sides sit at the negotiating table have so far been fruitless. We are convinced that responsible people, those who assumed responsibility for the situation in the Middle East - on both sides - must do everything they can to neutralize extremist groupings and individuals... --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 17:30:05 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 14:30:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Washington Times Message-ID: <20011206223005.82355.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> The Washington Times December 06, 2001, Thursday, Final Edition PART A; WORLD; GREECE; Pg. A12 Adoption of English proposed; many irked; Computer tongue vies with culture Andrew Borowiec; THE WASHINGTON TIMES ATHENS BODY: ATHENS - A proposal to adopt English as a second official language has split Greece into two warring camps, aroused national passions and exposed a weakness in the country's educational system. "Never," said Vyron Polydoras of the opposition New Democracy Party, who said, "Language is the most definitive factor and characteristic of our ethnic identity." Critics of the proposal claim that while English might be "the language of computers," the Greek language represents ancient Hellenic culture, "political, economic, athletic, philosophical and possible Christian heritage." Yet the suggestion was made in good faith and for very practical reasons by Anna Diamantopoulou, the Greek member of the European Commission, the executive body of the European Union. Citing the perpetual EU wrangle over the cost of translation into 11 languages - and more than 20 after the union's planned enlargement - she stated that English was the most widely used international language and Greece and the rest of the EU should face it - the sooner the better. "It is hard to imagine simultaneous translation into 20 or 22 languages," she said. "The question is likely to come up soon, and everyone is avoiding it. I have to say that Greece should get in early and make English its second official language." Answering those critics who invoke the loss of cultural heritage and national identity, Mrs. Diamantopoulou said, "I don't think Greeks have anything to lose by learning to speak English as well as Greek." While the governing Social Penhellenic Movement (Pasok) was split on the issue, the Greek press picked up the debate with gusto. Statistics released during the past week showed that the inadequacy of foreign language courses in state schools has led to the creation of 11,000 private language institutes, teaching 1 million children. Ninety percent of the children in those schools study English while the remainder take up French, German and Italian. According to EU figures, Greek and French state schools begin teaching a foreign language in the fourth year of education, compared with the first grade in Austria and Luxembourg. The Panhellenic Association of Language Schools in Athens said that 14 percent of Greek parents believe foreign language education should start at the age of 6. The ensuing debate in the Greek media showed that in modern Greece, English is essential to most careers and its knowledge enhances the chances of employment. "Those who travel around the world know that nobody speaks Greek besides the Greeks," said Vassilis Zarboulas, an Athens teacher. "In the new millennium, the English language is the language of communication, science and commerce." A sobering note to Mrs. Diamantopoulou's proposal was voiced by the conservative Athens daily Kathimerini. "Implementation of her proposal would generate some very real consequences," the newspaper wrote. "One of these is that official state documents would have to be translated into English. Moreover, any citizen would have the right to request the use of English in transactions and relations with the public sector." The EU has been struggling with the linguistic problem for some time, particularly since the departure of Jacques Delors from the presidency of the European Commission ended the supremacy of the French language. So far, efforts to curtail the number of "acceptable" languages has met stiff opposition from member states. Proposals included a plan to limit "official" EU languages to English, French, German and Italian. It was defeated, with Greece being one of the most vocal opponents. The debate on the teaching of foreign languages has revealed other flaws in the Greek educational system. According to the highly critical Kathimerini article, the system is plagued by "hasty laws, ill-prepared programs, overemphasis on exams and lack of funding." Moreover, wrote the newspaper, Greece is last in the EU as far as new educational technology is concerned. "The ratio of pupils to computers presents a dismal picture, with one computer to 183 primary school pupils and 43 secondary school pupils." --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 17:37:20 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 14:37:20 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Washington Times Message-ID: <20011206223720.24672.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> DAILY MAIL (London) December 6, 2001 ORDEAL OF THE PLANESPOTTERS TO DRAG ON FOR ANOTHER WEEK FROM LUCIE MORRIS AND BETH HALE IN ATHENS A DECISION on whether to free the 12 British planespotters accused of spying in Greece will not be made for 'at least' another week, it emerged last night. The major setback came as the British Government admitted it was powerless to help and could only leave the fate of the 11 men and one woman to the Greek authorities. As outrage grew over the group's plight, it emerged that the Daily Mail's call for readers to boycott Greek goods has started to bite, with a leading supermarket chain saying sales of some of the most popular Greek food have suffered. The planespotters could be jailed for up to 20 years if found guilty of spying at a military airbase. Relatives returning to Britain from two emotional days visiting the prisoners yesterday warned that several were 'struggling to cope' with their ordeal, which has involved being strip-searched and at times being fed only bread and water. They criticised Foreign Secretary Jack Straw and the British Consul in Athens after they told the families they could do no more to help free the Britons. Mr Straw said he understood the anger but his hands were tied. 'They are subject, whether we like it or not, to Greek law,' he said. 'The thing which I know is profoundly frustrating, and I under-stand the anger which has been shown by the relatives, is that we cannot order the independent judiciary of Greece to make a decision as we would wish.' Donald Holder, the British Government's representative in Athens, also admitted that there was little more that he could do and he could not confirm that the prisoners would be home by Christmas. 'My main concern is their welfare,' he told families in a heated meeting before they left Athens. 'We can help get extra access. But there are more things that we can't do.' The planespotters were arrested for taking notes of military aircraft during a display at Kalamata airbase on November 8. But it emerged yesterday that the prosecutor's file has not yet been presented to the three presiding judges, who may not meet to begin reading the case until the start of next week. That means a decision on whether to free the 12 is unlikely until at least Wednesday. There were particular fears for the mental health of Lesley Coppin, 51, lorry driver Garry Fagan, 30, and retired printer Michael Keane, 57. Mrs Coppin was said to be 'close to breaking point' alone in a women's jail. In a heart -wrenching letter to his parents, Mr Fagan, from Kegworth, Leicester-shire, has written: 'I am so fed up at the moment not knowing whether we are going to be charged or released. 'I am so scared to be in a foreign jail and I just wish it was over so I can come back home where I belong.' His uncle, Patrick Fagan, 53, travelled with 11 other relatives this week to visit the prisoners in the jail, two hours' drive from Athens. After being allowed access to see his nephew for a second time on Tuesday with the other families flown out by Easyjet and the Daily Mail, he said: 'I don't know if he is going to be able to take much more. It is all so cruel.' Sue Keane, 52, who travelled to Greece from Dartford in Kent, emerged in tears after visiting her husband Michael, who has suffered two mental breakdowns in the past. 'He is in a very bad way,' she said. 'While some of the prisoners are able to see the light side at times in a way to get through it, Mike has plunged into depression.' Speaking from prison, Mrs Coppin's 45-year- old husband Paul, the director of Touchdown Tours which organised the trip, said all the Britons were feeling 'very dejected'. 'To be honest we are all feeling very down but I am keeping a close eye on Garry and Michael, who are finding things particularly difficult. 'I have not been able to speak to Lesley, which is agony for me. I just want her to know I love her.' Additional reporting: JONATHAN IRWIN --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 6 17:45:20 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 14:45:20 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NYT - A Nation Challenged - The Victims Message-ID: <20011206224520.85506.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> New York Times: December 6, 2001 A NATION CHALLENGED: THE VICTIMS; SIMON DEDVUKAJ Son of Albanian Tradition Simon Dedvukaj, his seven brothers and sisters agree, was the good son. When his siblings had questions about Albanian history, he was the encyclopedia they turned to. As a 13-year-old he sat for hours with his grandfather learning about all things Albanian, while his brothers played pool downstairs. Although he was born and raised in New York, he remained close to Albania and its traditions. "He was Old World in many ways," said his brother-in-law, Joey Vukaj. "Take the way he honored guests. If a visitor was at Simon's house, even for six hours, Simon would stand the whole time." "But," Mr. Vukaj continued, "he was New World in the way he honored children." Mr. Dedvukaj, 26, who supervised maintenance workers at the World Trade Center, skimped on himself to take his nieces and nephews to McDonald's and to buy them lavish Christmas presents. "He dressed very mediocre so he could spend his money on other people," Mr. Vukaj said. "He'd spend just $30 on sneakers for himself and then he'd spend $200 on sneakers for his nieces and nephews." Two years ago, Mr. Vukaj and his wife, Donna, Mr. Dedvukaj's oldest sister, went to a cousin's wedding in Albania. "There was this gorgeous girl there," Mr. Vukaj said. "When we went home we told Simon, 'We met the girl for you.' " Mr. Dedvukaj soon went to Albania to meet her, and it was love at first sight. And soon his wife-to-be, Elizabeth, moved to the United States. They would have celebrated their first anniversary this past October. "She was brought to a new world," said Nik Dedvukaj, Simon's brother. "And then she was hit by something like this. It's crazy." --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From kruja at fas.harvard.edu Fri Dec 7 15:31:43 2001 From: kruja at fas.harvard.edu (eriola) Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2001 15:31:43 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] DOMI the Albanian (fwd) Message-ID: The Toronto Sun December 7, 2001 Friday, Final Edition Sports; Pg. 87 DOMI'S PLAY HAS IMPACT MIKE ULMER NEW YORK SEGH_BODYBODY: In every sporting contest, there is a moment that can be fully appreciated only by the people who play the game. Last night, the Maple Leafs beat the New York Rangers 6-3 and while the shinny story angles would choke an elephant, the moment that mattered most wouldn't make the highlight reel on a night with one game. "Definitely, the big play of the night," Leafs general manager/coach Pat Quinn said. "No question," Gary Roberts said. "That's what got us going." Lost in a night of story lines: * Roberts, goalless since Oct. 30, and unhappy over ice time, scoring three. * Mats Sundin, matched head-to-head with Eric Lindros. Sundin had a goal and two assists to answer the critics who surface whenever the Leafs captain fa! ils to dominate. * Quinn changing up his lines during the second period to win his 500th game behind the bench. The game, however, came down to one little play. Eight minutes into the second period, with the Leafs down 2-0 and looking every bit as listless as they did in falling 1-0 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Tie Domi grabbed a loose puck in the Rangers zone. Domi, of course, has made his playing time an issue lately. He had two shifts during the first period, but here he was, with Roberts, chugging toward the net. "I just got a little bit of space," Domi said. "Everyone has been telling me to shoot. Fortunately for us, the puck hit Gary Roberts' stick on the heel and went in." The effect of that goal would overcome the Rangers' two-goal lead. Its residual impact would make the Rangers' game-tying goal early in the third period a mere annoyance. Now how can that be? How can a fourth-liner, valued for his fists, turn around a team, not with a hit, but with a! tight spin and a shot on goal t hat didn't even go in? Because it was Tie Domi. It mattered more because it was the Leafs' senior tough guy supplying an adrenalin jolt that only a 5-foot-8 pug-faced son of Albania can deliver. The truth is, for all the talk about his role as a fighter, Domi matters most to the Leafs when he does something with his hands that doesn't involve the word pummel. If Alyn McCauley or Garry Valk or Dmitry Yushkevich or Wade Belak makes the same play, the impact is markedly different. There is no understanding human dynamics. It just matters more that Tie Domi made the play. Quinn, wise to Domi's effect, promptly popped him on the first line and the little man, his ego and ambition heightened, turned in solid shift after solid shift. The rest of the Leafs simply followed the leader. "He's an intense guy, a great c! ompetitor," Sundin said, struggl ing for an explanation of what he feels and knows but can't quite quantify. "He's not going to get 30 or 40 goals. It's a spark when you see him score." And nearly as great a spark as when his shot hits Roberts' stick and ignites the lumber in Roberts' hands. "I couldn't agree more," Roberts said. "Every time he's on the ice, he's trying to create something. When you're on the ice you know where he's going to be, behind the net." RANGERS HAD NO ANSWER The rest of the game, for the Leafs, was a lark. The Rangers, playing their fourth game in seven nights, had no answer for the Roberts goal. Nor did Lindros, who registered one puny shot and a single hit in what was for him a night spent with the cloak of invisibility. Roberts scored again to tie the game 2-2 and before the second intermission, Shayne Corson's first goal in 13 games lifted the Leafs into a 3-2 lead. A Vladimir Malakhov goal was the Rangers' last gasp. The ! Leafs' No. 1 line delivered, fir st on Sundin's 14th goal and then, on a lovely saucer pass from Sundin to Hoglund, who finally broke a lousy streak that saw him score just once in 13 games. Then, for a nice clincher, Roberts' third of the night. All because of a silly little play by a fourth-line forward who never has scored more than 11 goals in his career. This must be the way these games are played by human beings. From register at washingtonpost.com Sat Dec 8 23:18:13 2001 From: register at washingtonpost.com (register at washingtonpost.com) Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2001 23:18:13 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] A washingtonpost.com article from Gjergj_Kastrati@excite.com Message-ID: <200112090418.XAA09552@sane2.washingtonpost.com> You have been sent this message from Gjergj_Kastrati at excite.com as a courtesy of the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com). To view the entire article, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11584-2001Dec7.html CIApathy By Bob Krueger The attacks of Sept. 11 revealed one of the most devastating failures of a national intelligence agency in U.S. history. Americans may legitimately ask: Was the failure an aberration, or did it result from a pattern of negligence and apathy on the part of the CIA regarding Osama bin Laden? Regrettably, my experience as a U.S. ambassador in an embassy that received a specific threat that it would be blown up by followers of bin Laden suggests to me that until September the CIA refused to take such warnings seriously enough. I sat quietly on my outrage for a long time. But the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York convinced me that my silence was probably a disservice to my country. I tell this story now in hopes of advancing a solution. At 10:35 a.m. on Aug. 7, 1998, two U.S. embassies in East Africa -- one in Kenya, the other in Tanzania -- were almost simultaneously car bombed by terrorists inspired by bin Laden. Immediately, all U.S. embassies worldwide were placed on alert. And within 48 hours, our embassy in Botswana, a near neighbor to Kenya and Tanzania, was given continuous protection by Botswana army troops who encircled the embassy. Even so, over the next few weeks, embassy employees repeatedly observed what seemed to be unusual surveillance of our compound in Gaborone, the capital. An embassy clerical employee walking to work noticed a man in Arab dress photographing the embassy from a nearby pedestrian overpass, using a camera with a powerful lens. A car with bearded occupants who appeared to be Arabs, and who were taking pictures with a video camera, was seen slowly driving by. Its license plates, the police later determined, had been stolen in South Africa. Some days later, the occupants of another car, who were also photographing the embassy, were caught by a local security company after a high-speed chase and found to be carrying passports from an Islamic country. They explained to police that they were simply taking pictures of local landmarks to show back home. And on two successive weekends, people in long robes were seen strolling by the embassy -- also stopping to take pictures. As far as I knew, no one before had ever thought the homely, Spartan cement chancery had the architectural distinction or aesthetic appeal to be photographed by foreign visitors to Botswana's capital. Andthe members of Botswana's small Muslim community -- not to mention foreign tourists -- never choose to stroll along the hot, treeless and shopless street that passes in front of the embassy. We promptly reported such unusual occurrences to Washington. Still,my staff and I found it hard to believe we might be subject to attack. After all, our embassy building was well set back from the street, surrounded by walls and gates, and now guarded by armed Botswana soldiers. The threat level substantially increased, however, in mid-December 1998. A U.S. military attache stationed in a nearby country was warned by that nation's intelligence service: A consistently reliable informant had reported that terrorists associated with bin Laden planned to blow up our embassy within two months. The informant identified the two ringleaders of the alleged plot, who had been working in Botswana under Egyptian passports for more than a year and had previously worked in Albania. Their employer was a large construction firm headquartered in Kuwait, with offices and operations in many other Arab or Muslim countries. U.S. intelligence sources discovered that the Albanian office of this firm had the same telephone number as a Muslim "charity" known to be a front organization that raised money to support Islamic extremist groups. Within three days of receiving this information, I met privately with the highest members of the Botswana government. Not 48 hours later the number of troops guarding the embassy was increased; an armored personnel carrier with mounted cannon was stationed near the embassy gate; and two adjacent streets were blocked to all through traffic. The Botswana government made but one request. Lacking electronic equipment to tap telephones, it asked that the U.S. government send a team to monitor the suspects' calls. I replied that such assistance should be no problem. But it was. The date by which the attack was to occur grew near, yet the CIA had taken no action on our urgent requests. Unable even to get replies to our cables, I flew to Washington and called upon several assistant secretaries and various security-related offices in the executive branch to urge immediate action. Roughly two months later -- well after the final date given by the informant for the attack -- a retired CIA officer and a technician arrived in Gaborone. After several days of investigation, the officer reported that the telephone numbers called by the suspects did not show up on CIA computers as being suspicious and that he therefore considered the threat to be unfounded. Neither the officer nor the technician spoke the language of the suspects. Nor did they make recordings for later translation. Nevertheless, I accepted the officer's conclusions, since spying was his profession, not mine. No terrorist attack against the embassy occurred. Perhaps the initial report was wrong. Or perhaps the presence of Botswana troops and the police questioning of suspicious photographers discouraged an attack. One thing is sure: If an attack was intended, it was a quick response not from the CIA, but from a small African country that prevented it and protected American lives. When I served in the House and Senate, years before heading to Botswana, I had no direct dealings with the CIA or other intelligence-gathering agencies. And as an ambassador, my contacts with them were few. Nevertheless, I heard frequent complaints at the State Department of the CIA's arrogance toward those conducting our foreign policy, so my experience in Botswana didn't come as a complete surprise. During my visit to Washington to urge action, I called upon a former colleague, a senior senator, to ask his advice on how to proceed. His response? "Bob, the CIA hardly pays any attention to us over here in the Senate." Members of the House and Senate select committees on intelligence all have many other duties and neither the time nor the mechanism for effective oversight. My pleadings for meaningful technical assistance had gone unanswered, just as then-Ambassador Prudence Bushnell's requests for better protection for her embassy in Kenya had been ignored in 1998. In Nairobi, the consequences of that failure were deadly, as was the disastrous intelligence gap that became evident in this country three months ago. All of these incidents have convinced me of the need for much stronger outside oversight of our intelligence agencies. One hates to suggest forming yet another committee in Washington. But well-known events during the past several decades, as well as countless actions that have never been made public, indicate that a different pattern of oversight is required if Americans are to receive the protective intelligence they deserve. Although a President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board has existed since 1956, its distinguished and knowledgeable members have many other responsibilities. Moreover, the board reports only to the executive, not to the legislative branch. Both branches need to apply greater scrutiny. A new 12-member, full-time committee charged with oversight of our intelligence operations, domestic and foreign, made up of people not currently in government,might be an answer. Itsmembers could be chosen by the president and House and Senate leaders, with equal numbers from each party. The committee should be fully staffed, and should report regularly to the president and congressional leaders. Members and staff should undergo the same background checks as CIA officers and should, on a need-to-know basis, have full access to CIA information. Our intelligence operations have at times exhibited great strengths. But their recent lapses have cost many lives and caused much grief. They require not an overhaul but high standards of accountability and performance, which are the least that we in a democracy have the right to expect. Bob Krueger was a member of the House, and later the Senate, from Texas. He was U.S. ambassador to Burundi and, from 1996 to 1999, to Botswana. He now advises domestic and international firms. From kruja at fas.harvard.edu Sun Dec 9 19:18:55 2001 From: kruja at fas.harvard.edu (eriola) Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 19:18:55 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Sad story from Kosova (fwd) Message-ID: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/343/focus/In_Kosovo_dying_by_the_Code_+.shtml From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Dec 9 23:07:37 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 20:07:37 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] KOHA JONE - 10.12.2001 Message-ID: <20011210040737.96344.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Beratasit, te gjithe me emra te huaj Berat - Te nderrosh emrin eshte gjeja me e zakonshme qe ndodh sot. Ne qytetin e Beratit bashkiaket cdo dite perballen me deshiren qe mbaron me fjalet: "Dua ta nderroj emrin nga shqiptar ne te huaj!". Kerkesa te shumta mberrijne cdo dite ne zyrat e gjendjes civile prane bashkise, nga shume e shume njerez qe duan te emigrojne ne shtetin fqinj. Nje veprim i tille ndodh sa here qe ne Bashkine e Beratit do te organizohet mbledhja e Keshillit Bashkiak. Vendosja e emrave ose mbiemrave te ndryshem brenda nje kohe 10-vjecare nga zyra e gjendjes civile te paraqitur prane keshillit bashkiak kap shifren 10 mije veta, ku 70 per qind e emrave te nderruar jane pershtatur emrave ortodokse per t'iu pershtatur kushteve dhe rrethanave ne vendin fqinj. Keshilltaret e bashkise dhe pse kane miratuar me lehtesi nderrimet e emrave te personave kane shprehur shqetesimin e tyre per fluksin e madh te njerezve qe duan kaq shume te bejne nje gje te tille. Juliana Mema, juriste prane prefektures, tha per "KJ" se fluksi i ndryshimit te emrave po con ne humbjen e origjinalitetit etimonologjik te gjuhes shqipe, ku shume emra te lashte i kane rezistuar kohrave. Madje ky veprim vlen te lihet fushe veprimi dhe duke e bere me te veshtire identifikimin e personave te kerkuar nga organet e drejtesise. Ndaj ketij fenomeni ka reaguar shefi i kultures prane bashkise Kadri Kuka, duke thene se nderrimi i emrave per cdo lloj arsyeje ekonomike, fetare per ne eshte nje humbje, jo vetem identiteti te individit. Njerezit, jo se deshirojne nderrimin e emrave te kombesise, por jane te detyruar per shkaqet ekonomike. Nga pikepamja e konventave nderkombetare dhe te kartes se te drejtave te njeriut te Helsinkit 1972 nuk motivohet asnje lloj nderrimi te emrave. Preferenca per te nderruar emrat per gjithcka mbetet nje shqetesim shume i madh qe gati-gati eshte kthyer ne epidemi per qarkun e Beratit. D.Xhelili --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Dec 10 07:38:05 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 04:38:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] EU aid on Macedonia, Albania criticized Message-ID: <20011210123805.92812.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Financial Times (London) December 10, 2001, Monday London Edition 1 EUROPE; Pg. 6 Reports blast failure of EU aid programme for Macedonia By JUDY DEMPSEY BRUSSELS BODY: The European Commission's aid programmes to Macedonia and Albania lack clear strategies, are bogged down in bureaucratic delays and infighting, and compete instead of co-operate with other international financial institutions, independent reports warn. The two reports were drawn up by independent French and Italian consultants* and carried out on behalf of EuropeAid, which was set up by Chris Patten, commissioner for external affairs, this year to speed disbursement of aid and develop a long-term strategy. So far, said the reports, it has had little impact. The reports show that since 1991 the Euros 1.5bn (Pounds 940m) worth of Commission aid allocated to Macedonia and Albania has failed to build up civil society institutions or tackle corruption. Goals have been too ambitious and too fragmented. In the case of Macedonia, which received nearly Euros 500m over the past decade and which only a few months ago pulled back from civil war, the Commission failed to tackle two crucial areas required for stability. It ignored the need to establish institutions that would bring different ethnic groups together. "This could have made a large contribution to enhancing social cohesion and reducing ethnic tension," said the report. It also failed to tackle the corruption rampant in the administration, or address poor pay and the politicisation of the public administration. "The EC's approach was overly formalist, concentrating on the legal framework at the expense of implementation," argued the reports, "There was no clear agenda for reform." The Commission's performance in Albania comes in for much criticism too. One of the poorest countries in Europe, with an annual per capita GDP of Dollars 1,100, Albania received Euros 1bn of aid between 1991-2000. Yet there was little attempt to work jointly with donors on sector-wide programmes. "Competition between the EC and the World Bank is a significant problem," said the reports. "In part, this reflects different strategic priorities, with the World Bank focusing on poverty while the EC prioritises EU integration." These two aims "are not necessarily incompatible", said the reports. But they have led to conflict, "reflecting the desire to gain influence on key areas such as agriculture, justice and budgeting". The Commission delegation on the ground "directly contributed to financial and contractual irregularities combined with lack of transparency". In the case of the road sector, six out of seven contracts were awarded to contractors whose bids were not the lowest. "In a number of cases, the subsequent performance of the contractors was seriously deficient," adds the report. Only 58 per cent of the amounts allocated between 1991 and 2000 had been contracted and only 34 per cent disbursed. Mr Patten has often acknowledged shortcomings in aid distribution, and has begun implementing an overhaul of the system. * Investment Development Consultancy, France. Development Strategies, Italy. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From KBejko at MFS.com Mon Dec 10 10:56:26 2001 From: KBejko at MFS.com (Bejko, Kreshnik) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 10:56:26 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Pat Buchanan:What's your faith? Message-ID: <0555B6986D9BD411843B00E00900000418B316@perseus.mfs.com> This appeared at the today's edition of the Russian daily Pravda. With the ouster of the Taliban and eradication of the al-Qaida in Afghanistan, Islamic extremism has sustained a crushing defeat. But what continues to unsettle Americans is that film of Arab and Islamic people, wildly cheering the barbaric atrocities of Sept. 11. Is a war of civilizations coming? Clearly, not a few in the Islamic world and the West so believe, and ardently desire. And, with the War Party cawing for an attack on Iraq, with Sharon unleashed after the atrocities in Jerusalem and Haifa, with the U.S. press calling for a reappraisal of our ties to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, a clash of civilizations has moved from the possible to the probable. President Bush, however, seems instinctively aware such a war would be a disaster. For no matter how many deaths or defeats we inflict, we cannot kill Islam as we did Nazism, fascism, Japanese militarism and Soviet Bolshevism. Islam has survived for nearly 1,600 years; it is the predominant faith in 57 countries; it is indestructible. Astonishingly, 63 years ago, when Islam lay dormant under the heel of Western empires, a famous Catholic writer predicted Islam would rise again. Wrote Hillaire Belloc: "It has always seemed to me ... probable, that there would be a resurrection of Islam and that our sons or our grandsons would see the renewal of that tremendous struggle between the Christian culture and what has been for more than a thousand years its greatest opponent." Islam was a Christian heresy, Belloc believed, whose strength lay in its "insistence on personal immortality, the Unity and Infinite Majesty of God, on his Justice and Mercy [and] ... its insistence on the equality of human souls in the sight of their Creator." While The Prophet "gave to our Lord the highest reverence, and the Mother of God was ever for him the first of womankind," he rejected the Incarnation. Mohammed "taught that our Lord was the greatest of all Prophets, but still only a prophet, a man like other men." Belloc believed Islam to be a "Reformation" movement with parallels to "the Protestant Reformers ? on Images, the Mass and Celibacy." When Christians were illiterate, Islam spread "for 700 years, until it had mastered the Balkans and the Hungarian plain, and all but occupied Western Europe itself," almost destroying Christendom "through its early material and intellectual superiority." Three heroes saved the West. In 732, at Poitiers, Charles Martel, the Hammer of the Franks, stopped Islam's invasion in France. In 1571, the Christian fleets of Don Juan of Austria, an illegitimate son of Charles V, destroyed the Mohammedan armada in an epic battle immortalized in Chesterton's "The Ballad of Lepanto." And Polish Catholic King John Sobieski stopped the Turks at Vienna "on a date that ought to be famous in history, September 11, 1683." One of history's great questions is why the Islamic world collapsed. A century before Yorktown, Constantinople was superior in arms. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Islamic world was not only superseded by the West, it fell backward ? in technology, industry, communications, arms and governance. The Ottoman Empire became "the sick man of Europe." Colonization by the West followed. In the 20th century, only at Gallipoli ? the 1915 battle that cost its architect, First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill, his post ? can one recall an Islamic victory over a Western army. But if a clash of civilizations is coming, how stands the balance of power? In wealth and might, the West is supreme ? though wealth did not prevent the collapse of the Western empires and did not prevent the collapse of the Soviet empire. Rome was mighty, and early Christianity pathetically weak. Yet, Christianity triumphed. If belief is decisive, Islam is militant, Christianity milquetoast. In population, Islam is exploding, the West dying. Islamic warriors are willing to suffer defeat and death, the West recoils at casualties. They are full of grievance; we, full of guilt. Where Islam prevails, it asserts a right to impose its dogma, while the West preaches equality. Islam is assertive, the West apologetic ? about its crusaders, conquerors and empires. Don't count Islam out. It is the fastest growing faith in Europe and has surpassed Catholicism worldwide. And as Christianity expires in the West and the churches empty out, the mosques are going up. To defeat a faith, you need a faith. What is ours? Individualism, democracy, pluralism, la dolce vita? Can they overcome a fighting faith, 16 centuries old, and rising again? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick J. Buchanan was twice a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination and the Reform Party?s candidate in 2000. Now a commentator and columnist, he served three presidents in the White House, was a founding panelist of three national televison shows, and is the author of six books. His current position is chairman of The American Cause. His newest book, Death of the West, will be published in January. From KBejko at MFS.com Mon Dec 10 12:13:35 2001 From: KBejko at MFS.com (Bejko, Kreshnik) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 12:13:35 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Regarding the article I forwarded Message-ID: <0555B6986D9BD411843B00E00900000418B317@perseus.mfs.com> Since what mr.Buchanan said is quite controvertial it would be best if I made it clear what the true value of that article was. I think most of the content is garbage (Buchanan is a biggot of the worst kind) but I liked how well he put the present thinking of the foreign affairs establishment in the US, an estabishment intent(I beleive) on creating a conflict between Islam and the West. In population, Islam is exploding, the West dying. Islamic warriors are willing to suffer defeat and death, the West recoils at casualties. They are full of grievance; we, full of guilt. Where Islam prevails, it asserts a right to impose its dogma, while the West preaches equality. Islam is assertive, the West apologetic ? about its crusaders, conquerors and empires. From zabeli at gmx.de Mon Dec 10 18:31:35 2001 From: zabeli at gmx.de (zabeli at gmx.de) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 00:31:35 +0100 (MET) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] 'Clash of Civilizations' in Kosova References: <0555B6986D9BD411843B00E00900000418B319@perseus.mfs.com> Message-ID: <8186.1008027095@www21.gmx.net> without doubting on the story below or in any way justifiying the cruel and criminal act described in the article below, I just wanted to write down the whole mentioned Article 31 which was quoted incorrectly by Ms. Eleanor Beardsley from the Boston Globe: Book Three - Marriage Article 31: The Cut Ribbon (wollen fringes attached to belt worn by the women on the mounatins of Mirdit?) If a wife does not conduct herself properly toward her husband, the Kanun gives him the right to cut a ribbon from her belt or a lock of her hair, and to leave her. The marriage remains in force, and neither the man nor the woman may marry again. If the woman is reprimanded and freinds appeal for reconciliation, the man may take her back. For two acts, a woman may be shot in the back, and for one act her ribbon may be cut and she may be left: a) for adultery b) for betrayal of hospitality For these two acts of infidelity, the husband kills his wife, without requiring protection or a truce and without incurring a blood feud, since the parents of his killed wife received the price of her blood, gave him a cartridge, and guaranted her conduct. For theft or robbery, the husband leaves his wife, but he has no right to insult his wife in any other way [i.e. to abuse her physically]. The wife who is left, in leaving her husband's house, has no right to take anything with her except the clothes she is wearing. Her other clothes are lost to her, since the money her husband paid for her remains to her parents. If the woman who has been left still has a nursing child, her husband, although he has left the marriage bed, is obliged to find her a place near his own house, to give her the child, and to provide her with clothes, shoes, and food. from 'The Code of Lek? Dugagjini' Albanian Text Collected and Arranged by Shtjef?n Gje?ov Gjonlekaj Publishing Company, New York, 1989, page 40/42 Translated by Leonard Fox best regards, shyq zabeli > > > > The Boston Globe, December 09, 2001 > In Kosovo, dying by ?the Code? > > http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/343/focus/In_Kosovo_dying_by_the_Code_ > +.sh > tml > > WORLD > > > > Despite progress in the republic?s fledgling democracy, women still > have an > uphill struggle for equal treatment > > By Eleanor Beardsley, 12/9/2001 > > KOSOVO, Yugoslavia - Haxhere?s grave is clearly visible on the side > of the > hill overlooking her tiny village in eastern Kosovo. The fresh mound of > earth stands out among the tiny cemetery?s more weathered, grassy > plots. > > The cemetery appears the perfect resting place from a life of toil in > the > surrounding fields. But its tranquil air is disturbingly out of place > for a > 20-year-old woman who had celebrated her wedding only hours before > dying in > an ??honor killing.?? > > Haxhere?s story is a stark reminder that democracy has yet to reach > everyone > in this far-flung corner of the Balkans, even though progress is being > made. > > > Tomorrow, the members of Kosovo?s first postwar democratically > elected > government will be sworn into office in Pristina. Since the NATO > bombing > forced Slobodan Milosevic?s army to leave Kosovo in June 1999, the > province > has been under the administration of the United Nations. Although > technically still a part of Serbia, the largest of Yugoslavia?s two > remaining republics, Kosovo will be governed by its own autonomous > structures. > > Of the 120 seats in Kosovo?s newly elected general assembly, 34 will > go to > women - a higher female representation than in most Western > democracies. And > in January Kosovo will join the European Union in adopting the euro as > its > official currency. Yet despite this flurry of progress, traditions die > hard > here, especially where women are concerned. > > On Oct. 7, Haxhere married a young man from a neighboring village. Like > all > ethnic Albanian weddings, the entire family and many of the village?s > 300 > residents gathered at the bride?s house for a day of feasting and > festivities. Afterward, Haxhere went home with her new husband, ready > to > become part of his family and work in his home, as is the custom. > > But she would never have the chance to fulfill that role. Only a few > hours > into their wedding night, her new husband discovered there was no blood > on > the marital sheets. Thus, he believed Haxhere was not a virgin. Like > faulty > goods, he returned her to her family. > > After she was brought back home, an argument ensued between Haxhere, > her > mother, and her older brother, who had become head of the family after > his > father died. For the 28-year-old, the shame of this discovery was too > great > to bear. He asked his mother to leave the room. To restore his > family?s > honor he shot his sister seven times in the chest. > > An ancient code dictated the way Albanians lived in this region for > centuries. It is called the Code of Leke Dukagjini, known here as > ??the > Code.?? Article 31 of the Code states that if your wife does not > come to you > on your wedding day ??as she should be,?? you have the right to > kill her. > > Leke Dukagjini was a 15th-century feudal ruler in northern Albania. His > Code > includes specific life instructions on everything from inheritance and > marriage to how to conduct a blood feud. Although the Code is not legal > today, some say it is still practiced in parts of Kosovo. > > In the police station in Gjilane, the biggest town in eastern Kosovo, > officer Remzi Azemi says he stumbled upon Haxhere?s murder by chance. > ??Someone mentioned a young girl who had been married on a Sunday > and buried > on a Monday. Naturally I found this very strange,?? he says. Like > all Kosovo > Albanians, Azemi knew about the Code, but he never imagined that it was > still in practice. > > So he went to investigate. His first step was to find Haxhere?s > husband. He > brought along one of the international police officers working with > Kosovo?s > police force, and a translator, 20-year-old Manushaqe Ibrahimi. > > ??When we went to Haxhere?s husband and asked him if he knew what > had > happened, he was laughing,?? Ibrahimi says. ??He said it > wasn?t his problem > if Haxhere was now dead because he had nothing to do with her anymore. > ... > He said that according to `our custom,? she had to go home.?? > > Azemi and Ibrahimi then went to question the family. ??Haxhere?s > mother said > her death was a suicide, but you could tell she knew it wasn?t,?? > says > Ibrahimi. ??... On the other hand, Haxhere?s brother ... kept > telling us > that his sister died a natural death.?? > > Azemi obtained a court order to exhume the body and arrested the > brother. > When Azemi questioned him in jail, the brother confessed. ??He said > to me, > `If you don?t tell anybody else, I?ll tell you what > happened,??? says Azemi. > ??And then he said he killed his sister because it was very bad for > his > family that she was not a virgin. That he had to do it. > > ??When I asked him how he knew she wasn?t a virgin, he said > because her > husband had told him. > > ??When I asked him why he believed the husband over his own sister, > he said, > `Why are you saying that to me now?? Like he had never thought of > believing > his sister until it was too late.?? > > ??Machismo is at the root of all political problems in the > Balkans,?? says > Whit Mason, a writer with the International Crisis Group, a prominent > political think tank on the region. > > ??Especially the idea of honor,?? he says. ??And when > you?re putting your > energies into abstract notions instead of concrete things, it is > obviously > self-destructive. You see it over and over here.?? > > According to Flora Macula, a Kosovo Albanian who works with a women?s > non- > > governmental organization in Pristina, Kosovo society is in a state of > confusion, particularly with regard to the role of women. > > ??During the last 10 years the Albanian family has become very > strong > because it was the only institution that could support and protect > us,?? > says Macula. > > ??Traditionally, the woman?s role is to take care of the house > and family > and to have children,?? she says. ??But now there is this > infusion of > capital and opportunity, and often the young daughter who speaks > English and > has a job with an international organization is the principal > breadwinner of > the family. ... Everything is moving so fast now that society cannot > catch > up. And rural areas are left even farther behind.?? > > Honor killings such as Haxhere?s show the harsh reality that exists > for many > Kosovar women - especially in rural areas. Since Haxhere?s death, > another > young girl living in the west of Kosovo was shot and killed by her > brother > for bringing shame on the family by moving in with her boyfriend. > > On the other end of the moral spectrum, hundreds of women (some from > Kosovo > but most from Moldova and Ukraine) find themselves the victims of > illegal > trafficking and prostitution rings that operate brothels throughout the > province. > > The international community is trying to increase opportunities for > women in > Kosovo. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the > pan-European body responsible for organizing November?s election of > Kosovo?s > first government, required that one-third of the candidates running for > the > general assembly be women. Although this resulted in a strong > representation > of women in the new assembly, it remains to be seen whether their > presence > will make a difference in the lives of women in Kosovo. > > ??Many people think that domestic violence is hidden under the > surface > here,?? says Jim Cooper, an American police officer helping to > train > Kosovo?s fledgling police force. ??It?s not that it?s hidden, > it?s just > approved of.?? As an investigator with the newly formed Domestic > Violence > Unit, Cooper works on the front lines, where change runs head-on into > tradition. > > ??In the old traditions it was simply OK for a husband to > discipline his > wife. We are trying to make it clear to men that the old ways will no > longer > be tolerated.?? > > But according to Cooper, the police receive little support from > Kosovo?s > court system in prosecuting domestic violence cases. ??Some of the > attitudes > of local judges in Kosovo concerning victims of domestic violence and > sexual > abuse are basically medieval,?? he says. > > Still, Renata Winter, an international judge sitting on Kosovo?s > Mitrovica > District Court, does not believe all traditions in Kosovo should > necessarily > be scrapped. She holds that parts of the Code could provide the key to > bringing Kosovo society into the 21st century on familiar terms. > > ??The Code of Leke Dukagjini is really the only law that has been > consistently respected here from the beginning until now,?? says > Winter. > ??It was created to stop the proliferation of unlawful killing, and > when it > comes to truces, mediation, and the settlement of disputes, it is > extremely > clear and detailed.?? > > >From Haxhere?s grave, young girls can be seen playing in a yard > below. Their > laughter floats up in the breeze. Watching them, one wonders which > traditions will shape their futures. Will it be the Code of Leke > Dukagjini > or new traditions started tomorrow by 34 women in Pristina? > > > ***Alb-Club*** > ____________________________________________________ > Alb-Club mailing list: Alb-Club at alb-net.com > http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/alb-club > -- GMX - Die Kommunikationsplattform im Internet. http://www.gmx.net From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Dec 10 21:54:34 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 18:54:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Gazeta Shqiptare Message-ID: <20011211025434.77022.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Faqja 12/13 - SPECIALEmydate = new Date();myday = mydate.getDay();mymonth = mydate.getMonth();myweekday= mydate.getDate();weekday= myweekday;myyear= mydate.getYear();year = myyear;if(myday == 0) day = " E Diele, " else if(myday == 1) day = " E Hene, "else if(myday == 2) day = " E Marte, " else if(myday == 3) day = " E Merkure, " else if(myday == 4) day = " E Enjte, "else if(myday == 5) day = " E Premte, "else if(myday == 6) day = " E Shtune, "if(mymonth == 0) month = "Janar "else if(mymonth ==1) month = "Shkurt "else if(mymonth ==2) month = "Mars "else if(mymonth ==3) month = "Prill "else if(mymonth ==4) month = "Maj "else if(mymonth ==5) month = "Qershor "else if(mymonth ==6) month = "Korrik "else if(mymonth ==7) month = "Gusht "else if(mymonth ==8) month = "Shtator "else if(mymonth ==9) month = "Tetor "else if(mymonth ==10) month = "Nentor "else if(mymonth ==11) month = "Dhjetor"document.write(" "+ month);document.write(myweekday+", " + year +""); Dhjetor10, 2001 HISTORIA Esht? nj? der? n? sht?pin? e Rakajve ne Sheper t? Zagoris? pas s? cil?s shtrihen qindra metra tunnel ku fshihej Ali Pash? TepelenaMisteri i tunelit ku fshihej Ali Pash? Tepelena --------------------------------- Alma Bici Zagoria e Gjirokastr?s, ka qen? nd?r "streh?zat" m? t? r?nd?sishme t? Ali Pash? Tepelen?s p?r shum? koh? kur ndiqej nga forcat osmane, por dhe gjat? sundimit t? tij n? Janin?. Kjo nuk ?sht? krejt e panjohur, por pse zgjodhi pik?risht fshatrat e k?saj krahine dhe si kan? rrjedhur ngjarjet? Ku fshehej realisht Ali Pasha n? k?t? krahin? dhe kush ishin pikat mbrojt?se t? tij? Cilat jan? faktet q? v?rtetojn? k?to l?vizje t? Ali Pash?s? Ja ?far? m?sohet n? konak?t zagorit?: Zgjedhja e k?saj krahine nuk ishte rast?si. Pozita e saj gjeografike (krahin? e thell?, e ndodhur mes malesh) b?ri q? Aliu t? ndihej i sigurt e Iimbrojtur n? t?, n? koh?n q? ndiqej nga Turqia, por edhe m? von?. Ai ?sht? strehuar n? disa fshatra t? saj e pik?risht: n? Nivan, Nd?ran, Hoshtev?, por m? gjat? ndenji n? Sheper dhe madje ka shkuar disa her? aty. Zagoria ka qen? n?n var?sin? e Tepelen?s. Vet? Hankua, n?na e Aliut, ka gjetur shpesh mbrojtje n? Zagorie, fshatrat e s? cil?s si dhe t? krahin?s s? Pogonit, i mbrojti si nj? burr? trim, pas vdekjes s? burrit t? saj. P?r q?ndrimin burr?ror q? mbajti, zagorit?t i "detyroheshin" ta mbronin at? vet? dhe t? birin e saj, Aliun. Nj? tjet?r arsye t? fort? p?rb?nin miq?sit? e p?rjetshme q? Aliu kishte lidhur me shum? familje zagorite, por ve?an?risht me familjen Rakaj n? Sheper dhe Papa Gjonin, priftin e Nd?ranit. Miq?sia e Aliut me familjen e Lole Rakos n? Sheper, daton qysh para se ai t? gradohej Pasha i Janin?s. Lole Rakua shkoi kurbetlli n? Stamboll, ku punonte furxhi n? sarajet e Sulltanit. Po aty iu krijua mund?sia t? njihej me shum? njer?z t? r?nd?sish?m, p?rfshir? edhe Ali Pash?n. Nga letrat e dikurshme n? muze dhe nga historit? e trash?guara n? breza, tregohet se nj? miq?si e p?rjetshme u lidh mes tyre. Miq?sia e Ali Pash?s me Papa Gjonin e Nd?ranit arrinte n? kufijt? e nj? lidhje "bab?-bir". N? nj? let?r t? dat?s 6 Qershor 1971 q? avokati Vasil Levani i shkruante m?suesit t? merituar zagorit Lame Capi, nd?r t? tjera tregohet si u lidh kjo miq?si: "Kur ndodhej n? arrati, Ali Pasha u kap nga Pashai i Beratit Kurt Pasha. Ky i fundit e ?oi n? Manastirin e Nivanit. T? nes?rmen Kurt Pasha thirri parin? e vendit midis t? cil?ve dhe prift?rinjt? e fshatrave m? t? m?dhenj t? krahin?s. Cfar? i b?het nj? armiku? -I pyeti, pa u treguar se b?hej fjal? p?r Aliun. T? gjith? ishin me mendimin: zure gjarprin shtypi kok?n, nd?rsa Papa Gjoni u ngrit dhe foli ve? k?to fjal?: "Mos prish oxhak, mos t? t? prishin oxhak". Kurt Pash?s i b?n? p?rshtypje t? ve?ant? k?to pak fjal? me shum? kuptim dhe si rrjedhoj? ia fali jet?n Aliut. Aliu e m?soi ?do gj? q? ishte th?n? n? at? kuvend dhe qysh at?her? u miq?sua shum? me Papa Gjonin, t? cilin e th?rriste bab?. Papa Gjoni kishte kaq shum? influenc? mbi t? sa edhe persona t? d?nuar me vdekje prej Aliut, faleshin me nd?rhyrjen e tij." P?r k?to miq?si jan? ngritur qindra goj?dh?na e k?ng? q? k?ndohen ende n? krahin?? Ku strehohej Ali Pasha? Sht?pia e Lole Rakos ishte vendi kryesor ku strehohej Ali Pasha. Ai e nd?rtoi krejt t? re sht?pin? e Rakajve, me tri kate. "Kjo sht?pi ishte mbi gjith? t? tjerat. Ngjante si pallat. Nuk kishte nj? tjet?r t? till? n? gjith? krahin?n e Zagories-tregojn? m? t? mocmit. Mbi port?n me hark kishte nj? kat ku rrinin rojet e Aliut". Pik?risht n? oborrin e k?saj sht?pie fillonte hyrja e tunelit t? famsh?m q? t? vjetrit e quajn? siolla e n?ndheshme e Ali Pash?s. Ai u nd?rtua me k?rkes?n e Aliut, p?r t'i sh?rbyer si mas? mbrojtje n? rast rreziku. Tuneli i n?ndhesh?m kishte dy dalje: drejt lindjes dhe jugut. Dalja e par? t? nxirrte n? malin e Dh?mbelit, n? vendin e quajtur Kondisma e Malit. Dalja tjet?r t? nxirrte n? vendin e quajtur prej vendasve: kumbullat e Dudajve. Faktet tregojn? duksh?m se Aliu shkoi n? Sheper p?r t? siguruar veten dhe se cdo gj? ishte e planifikuar qart?. N? rast rreziku, p?rmes tunelit ai mund t? largohej drejt jugut a lindjes. "Fshati jeton me legjend?n" -thoshin shpesh njer?zit q? vizitonin Zagorien, pasi dukej ?udi q? Aliu t? nd?rtonte nj? tunel t? till? n? nj? fshat t? asaj krahine aq t? thell?. Por ekzistenca e tunelit nuk ka qen? legjend?, madje para se hyrja e tij t? binte plot?sisht, njer?zit e fshatit kan? hyr? brenda tij. Pleqt? tregojn? se tuneli ishte qindra metra i gjat?. Ishte nd?rtuar me shum? mjesht?ri e kishte p?rgjat? tij disa kthina t? brend?shme n? t? cilat mund t? orientohej mir? vec dikush q? i njihte sakt?sisht. Ishin djem t? rinj nga fisi i Rakajve ata q? punuan disa muaj p?r nd?rtimin e k?saj siolle t? n?ndheshme, t? nd?rtuar me kube e mure. Ali Pasha i ndiqte vet? punimet p?r t? qen? i sigurt se cdo gj? shkonte mir?. Tuneli ekziston ende, por hyrja e tij ka r?n? krejt?sisht, duke b?r? t? pamundur futjen n? t?. Banor?t e fshatit Sheper e madje t? gjith? krahin?s, tregojn? se me tunelin lidhen mij?ra goj?dh?na e ngrihen shum? mistere p?rreth tij. K?ta banor? e ruajn? me fanatiz?m cdo informacion q? lidhet me tunelin 200 vjecar, q? konsiderohet madje si vend i shenjt?. Askush nuk di t? thot? sakt?sisht se sa i vlefsh?m ka qen? tuneli p?r Ali Pash?n, pasi jan? n? mes 200 vjet?t e mbushura me qindra mij?ra ngjarje, mbivendosje faktesh, ata njer?z nuk jan? m?. Hyrja e tunelit u shemb nj? mbr?mje N?ntori t? vitit 1939. Kishte filluar t? r?nohej nga pak vazhdimisht, pasi n? var?si t? situatave historike, v?mendja ndaj tij u zbeh, nd?rkaq vitet e vjet?ronin n? heshtje? Me shembjen e hyrjes, u shtua misteri i sioll?s s? n?ndheshme, cdo gj? mbeti brenda tij dhe ashtu do t? ngelet p?rjet?sisht. * * * Nj? tjet?r pik? e fort? mbrojtjeje p?r Ali Pash?n n? raste rreziku real, ka qen? edhe "Kalivja e Gjonajve" n? malin e Rapavic?s. Kalivja e cila kishte nj? shpell? t? madhe me fungji, ndodhej shum? af?r stanit t? fisit Gjonaj. Shpella ishte p?rgatitur m? s? miri p?r banim emergjence. Vendi n? t? cil?n ndodhej ishte "strategjik". Prej tij kundrohej m? s? miri gjith? zona p?rreth. Si p?r ilustrim, pleqt? tregojn? se n? nj? rast, nd?rsa Ali Pasha ndiqej nga kodhasha turke e rendte p?r t'u futur n? shpell?n e sip?rp?rmendur, I duhej ende pak rrug? p?r n? shpell?, por koh? nuk kishte, ndaj u ndal tek stani I Gjonajve. N? moment, Dede Gjoni, nj?ri nga pjestar?t e familjes Gjoni, mik I Aliut, I ndodhur n? stan, e fshehu Aliun n? zgavr?n e nj? lisi shekullor aty pran? dhe rreth tij lidhi qent? e stanit. Ndjek?sit turk q? nuk kishin qen? shum? larg Aliut, dyshuan se ai ishte ndalur aty, ndaj e rrethuan stanin. Ky rrethim zgjati disa dit?, por Dede Gjoni, duke u cuar ushqim qen?ve q? kishte lidhur rreth lisit, I shpinte ushqim edhe Aliut. K?shtu I shp?toi jet?n. Qysh at?her?, pran? Kalives s? Gjonajve u vendos nj? gur I madh n? shenj? nderimi. Ai gur ?sht? aty edhe sot. P?r mir?njohje, pasi u b? Vezir I Janin?s, Aliu I nd?rtoi Dede Gjonit sht?pin? q? ekziston ende, si dhe I dhuroi nj? kope me 300 dhen, secili me k?mbor?. Ali Pasha ?sht? strehuar gjithashtu n? malin e Cajupit, n? malet e Topov?s, n? pyllin e Lliarit, n? Manastirin e Nivanit, etj. Nga bari I malit t? Cajupit furnizohej n? mas? t? konsiderueshme dhe kavaleria e Ali Pash?s n? Tepelen?. * * * Ali Pasha ka shkuar shum? her? n? Zagorie e madje ka q?ndruar gjat?, shpesh her? s?bashku me njer?zit e tij m? t? besuar. Prej andej drejtonte dhe operacione t? r?nd?sishme. Kjo faktohet edhe nga letra q? Ali Pasha i ka d?rguar djalit t? tij nga Sheperi i Zagories 190 vjet m? pare, m? 2 tetor 1809, botuar p?r her? t? par? n? gazet?n Atllantis t? Ne? York-ut n? vitin 1912. B?het fjal? p?r periudh?n kur Aliu kishte filluar p?rpjekjet p?r marrjen e Beratit: "I p?rmallcim dhe i nderuar biri im Vezir Veli Pasha. At?risht dhe me mall t? p?rqafoj. E mora t? dashur?n time kart?n t?nde dhe i kuptova sa q? m? shkruajte. M? k?rkon t? t? tregoj haberet e Beratit dhe jan? k?to q? pasojn?: Pata nisur p?r Berat Hajro Jask?n dhe Alush Vrionin dhe vajte s? pari. Pas tyre vajti dhe Metja dhe Agua dhe Ymer Vrioni dhe t? gjith? cahadar?t e mi. Edhe pasi shkel?m pran? Beratit, dualln? Agallar?t dhe I muarn? brenda dhe e zun? qytetin dhe t? gjith? viset dhe ay Ibrahim Pasha u mbyll brenda n? kala pa mundur t? mbaj? as dy konak? q? ishin p?rjashta port?s s? kalas?. Po I dogji dhe hyri brenda duke mbyllur port?n e saj dhe duke hedhur dit?n nga dy-tri topa dhe kumbara. Rremet kordh?tar?sh brenda nuk duket fare as ndonj? fuqi: ja jan? treqind dy teqe jo jo. T? mbylluri brenda jan? Feiz Doku, Zyliftari I tija dhe t? tjer? dhjet? beratas, Mete Age Vlora, Sulejman be Konica, mecollar?t, I biri I Gavo Jaces dhe Beqir Kazoni dhe nja 50 tosk? lab?r. Ushtria jon? p?rjashta u mbluadh e shumt? lart nga 15000 shqiptare dhe geg?2, atyre q? po ven? akoma u thon? nuk lipsemi, shkoni nd? sht?pit? tuaja. Nde viset q? kemi zen? jan? t? ndar? k?shtu: tan?, Hariqi dhe Bedua me Cakadar?t jan? nd? ata qaf? tek pat b?r? ai (Ibrahimi)kalan? dhe e prishi. Atje e po b?jn? Tabje ustallar?t q? t? vem? n? topat gjylet kumbarate t? cilat kan? tri dit? q? I kan? nisur, p?r dy-tri dit? mbaronen?. Nd? qytetet posht? ?sht? Ymer Vrioni me shum? ushtar? temen?: kan? z?n? t? gjitha sht?pit? dhe vendet. N? Gorric? jan? cam?rit n? Vellobezhde ?sht? Agua edhe Metua n? Kozare dhe n? t? tjera fshat?ra atje ?sht? edhe asqeri I Kruetanit Kapllan Pash? me Xheladin begun dhe me Hasan Beratin. Me Murat Celepias ?sht? Cene Myhtari edhe tjet?r asqer; edhe t? gjith? asqallar?t Beratas. Muhamet Age Hasnadari,Hasan Zahjallari, Ibrahim Zahjallari, Zenua I Durmish Ag?s, Esat Beu edhe t? tjer? shum? prej brenda dhe jasht? Beratit gjer 70 veta. Nes?r pasnes?r ?sht? k?tu edhe Beqir Tepermani. Gjer k?tu ka ardhur puna. T? shohim se qysh do t? b?het m? tej edhe do t? t? shkruaj. K?t? po t? thom biri im. Gjerm? tani ka vatur shum? mir? puna: m? mir? nuk volitet dot. Vet?m se c't? mir? kam q? jam I vet?m dhe plak dhe s'ju kam juve djemt? e mi t'I b?ni k?to. S'I shihni e t? g?zoheni. T? g?zoheni edhe u. Edhe nuk? kam c't? b?j tjet?r p?rvecse t'ju them Per?ndia ju b?ft? q? ta kuptoni vet? t? mir?n tuaj. Edhe t? d?gjoni k?shillat e mia at?sore edhe nga Per?ndia qofsh sh?ndosh? dhe fatbardh?. Vjesht? e mesme 3 1908 Sheper ALI PASHA (myhyri turqisht) ?sht? kjo letra q? Aliu ia d?rgoi t? birit nga Sheperi I Zagories n? p?rgjigje t? letr?s s? tij, I cili I pat k?rkuar lajme nga Berati. Aliu I kishte larguar f?mij?t p?r t'I patur t? sigurt. Letra n? fjal? ruan vlera historike t? padiskutueshme dhe mbase po kaq vlera n? stilin e p?rdorur nga Ali Pasha. Kjo let?r fakton q?ndrimin e Aliut n? Sheper, nga ku koordinonte l?vizjet p?r marrjen p?rfundimtare t? Beratit. N? shenj? mir?njohjeje p?r mikpritjen dhe mbrojtjen q? I ofroi Zagoria, Ali Pasha nd?rtoi ur?n q? lidh Hoshtev?n me Lliarin e Zhein, nj? ur? me tri harqe q? lidh Nivanin me Nd?ranin, Manastirin e Nivanit si dhe shum? nd?rtesa n? fshatrat Nd?ran, Zhej, Sheper, Doshnic? etj. Njer?zit q? jetuan n? ato vite, kan? marr? me vete po aq t? fshehta sa dhe ruan brenda saj siolla e n?ndheshme, kalivja e Gjonajve e cdo vend tjet?r q? ka siguruar mbrojtje p?r Ali Pash?n. Ato t? fshehta rrijn? strukur tashm? n?p?r konak?t zagorit? e p?rcillen k?shtu brez pas brezi si p?r t? plot?suar e "lezetuar" historin? e librave, faktet e shkruara, t? v?rtet?n? --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From KBejko at MFS.com Tue Dec 11 16:57:12 2001 From: KBejko at MFS.com (Bejko, Kreshnik) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 16:57:12 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Quote of the day Message-ID: <0555B6986D9BD411843B00E00900000418B31E@perseus.mfs.com> http://www.ekathimerini.com/news/content.asp?id=86905 "Ethnic Greeks[in Albania] and, more generally, the Orthodox element helps put a brake on Albanian nationalism and promotes genuine cooperation between the two countries." From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 00:21:51 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 21:21:51 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Gazeta Shqiptare Message-ID: <20011212052151.65471.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Faqja 12/13 - SPECIALEmydate = new Date();myday = mydate.getDay();mymonth = mydate.getMonth();myweekday= mydate.getDate();weekday= myweekday;myyear= mydate.getYear();year = myyear;if(myday == 0) day = " E Diele, " else if(myday == 1) day = " E Hene, "else if(myday == 2) day = " E Marte, " else if(myday == 3) day = " E Merkure, " else if(myday == 4) day = " E Enjte, "else if(myday == 5) day = " E Premte, "else if(myday == 6) day = " E Shtune, "if(mymonth == 0) month = "Janar "else if(mymonth ==1) month = "Shkurt "else if(mymonth ==2) month = "Mars "else if(mymonth ==3) month = "Prill "else if(mymonth ==4) month = "Maj "else if(mymonth ==5) month = "Qershor "else if(mymonth ==6) month = "Korrik "else if(mymonth ==7) month = "Gusht "else if(mymonth ==8) month = "Shtator "else if(mymonth ==9) month = "Tetor "else if(mymonth ==10) month = "Nentor "else if(mymonth ==11) month = "Dhjetor"document.write(" "+ month);document.write(myweekday+", " + year +""); Dhjetor11, 2001 HISTORIA Ardhja n? Tiran? e historianit kroat dhe zhdukja e mistershme e dokumentave origjinale t? shkruara n? pergamen?, ku ruheshin fakte t? historis? s? mesjet?s shqiptareSi u zhduk?n pergamen?t e historianit Shuflay --------------------------------- Nga Zagrebi dr. Musa AHMETI Pas dor?shkrimit t? dram?s s? I. K. Sakcinskit, Arkivin e HAZU-t, ruhet edhe nj? dor?shkrim i historiajnit me fam? nd?rkomb?tare Ferdo Shishiqit. Mendojm?, se deri me tashi ky ?sht? dor?shkrimi m? i kompletuar, p?r heroin komb?tar shqip?tar, Gjergj Kastriotin Skenderbeun, i shkruar nga nj? autor kroat. Dor?shkrimi p?rb?het nga dy pjes?, p?rka?tsisht kat?r t?rsi. Pjesa e par? ruhet n? signatur?n: XIII/ B 47; nd?rsa pjes? e dyt?, ruhet n? signatur?n: XIII/ B/ 775. Shkenc?tari i njohur kroat, p?r monografin? e tij n? dor?shkrim, ka shfryt?zuar burime t? shumta t? botuara, por edhe t? pa botuara si dhe ka konsultuar nj? literatur? jasht?zakonisht t? gj?r?. Nuk ?sht? shum? e qart? se si ka mbetur pa botuar nj? dor?shkrim i till?, me vlera t? jasht?zakonshme shkencore. Pjesa e par?, ka gjithsej 63 faqe. Dimensionet jan?: 21 x 34 cm. Faqet nuk jan? t? paginuara. Autori n? k?t? pjes? analizon situat?n politke, ekonomike, shoq?rore dhe kulturore t? Ballkanit n? p?rgjith?si, e t? Shqip?rsis? n? ve?anti, sidomos, periudh?n paraturke. Pjesa e dyt? ka 24 faqe, dimensionet jan? t? nj?jta me pjes?n e par?. F. Shishiqi n? k?t? pjes? t? monografis? s? tij, shqyrton n? m?nyr? kritike rinin? e Skenderbeut, q?ndrimin e tij pran? Oborrit mbret?ror n? Stamboll, lidhjet e tija t? ngushta me vendlindjen dhe betej?n e Nishit! Ndoshta ?sht? biograf?t e par? t? Sk?nderbeut, q? hedh iden? se Skenderbeu nuk q?ndroi koh? t? gjat? pran? Sulltanit dhe se kishte lidhje shum? t? ngushta me Shqip?rin?, p?rkat?sisht, ishte Sanxhakbe i Dibr?s! Pjesa e tret? edor?shkrimit, p?rb?het nga 137 faqe, ka dimensione: 16.5 x 20.5 cm. ?sht? e shkruar me shkrim t? ngjeshur. Anash n? margina t? faqeve, jan? sh?nuar referencat, por n? m?nyr? t? shkurtuar. N? k?t? pjes?, auotri shqyrton gjith? jet?n e Skenderbeut, deri n? vdekje. N? 8 faqet e fundit, i b?n nj? p?rshkrim t? ve?ant? Shqip?ris? pas Skenderbegiane, veqan?risht luft?rave t? p?rgjakshme t? Kruj?s dhe Shkodr?s. Pjesa e kat?rt, p?rb?het nga 21 faqe. K?tu F. Shishiq, ka sh?nuar me pedant?ri dhe sakt?si, gjith? literatur?n e shfryt?zuar, dokumentat dhe burimet. Si shtojc? /aneks/ sjell? edhe 17 dokumneta t? panjohura deri tashi nga periudha Skenderbegiane. Dokumentat jan? t? p?rkthyer n? gjuh?n kroate, por ?donj?ri, posht?, n? t? majt?, e ka t? sh?nuar vendodhjen e sakt?, t? origjinalit. N? Arkivin e HAZU-t, ruhen edhe disa dor?shkrime t? tjera, t? cilat i pregadisim tashi koh?ve t? fundit p?r botim. Pos t? tjer?ve, aty ruhen edhe nj? dor?shkrim p?r Skenderbeun nga Franjo Ra?ki, prej 27 faqesh; nj? tjet?r nga T. Smi?iklasi, prej 52 faqesh, etj. Botimi i k?tyre dor?shkrimeve, qoft? si monografi t? ve?anta ose si t?rsi, do t? begatonte me burime t? dor?s s? par?, mjaft serioze, periudh?n e Skenderbeut. Thesare t? ?muara, p?r kultur?n dhe historin? shqiptare, ruhen edhe n? fondin e dor?shkrimeve, n? Arkivin Historik Shtet?ror Kroat, n? Zagreb. Dor?shkrimet jan? t? fushave t? ndryshme. P?r disa nga k?to dor?shkrime me sakt?si p?rcaktohet viti i shkrimit t? tyre dhe autori, por, p?r fat t? keq, p?r pjes?n d?rrmuese nuk mund t? themi nj? gj? t? till?. E ve?anta e k?tyre dor?shkrimeve ?sht?, se t? gjitha jan? n? gjendje t? shk?lqyer; i kan? shp?tuar "dh?mbit" t? koh?s. Deri me tashi, askush nga studiuesit, qoft? korat, qoft? shqipatr? apo edhe i huaj, nuk kan? b?r? nj? studim apo botim t? ve?ant? p?r k?to dor?shkrime. K?tu ruhen tekste t? nj? volumi jasht?zakonisht t? gj?r?, psh. histori t? gjata, por edhe nga ato m? t? shkurta q? jan? p?rmbledhese; ka p?rmbledhej k?ng?sh poullore, aty nga fundi i shekullit t? XVIII-t?, q? nuk kan? autor, pastaj p?rkthime t? pjes?shme, t? kronikave dhe dor?shkrimeve q? tashm? jan? t? zhdukura; fragmente librash t? rrall?, etj. I till? ?sht? dor?shkrimi q? mban titullin: "Pisma od Szlavnog Naroda Szlavinzkoga na diku Ungarzke i Arvanezke Gospode iz Kronika od Mudrih vam zibrane kak szlide". Ky dor?shkrim nuk ka sh?nuar vitin dhe autorin. Por nga titulli dhe p?rmbajtja, kuptojm? se ?sht? fjala, p?r nj? p?rshkrim t? nj? dor?shkrimi shum? m? t? vjet?r, q? i kushtohej Gjergj Kastriotit - Skenderbeut. Gjurm?t e kronik?s p?r t? cil?n b?het fjal?, nuk gjenden askund! Ky dor?shkrim, mbahet si kopje e b?r? nga shekulli i XVII-t?. Dor?shkrimi nuk ?sht? i paginuar. N?nt? [9] faqet e fundit i kushtohen Gjergj Kastriotit - Skenderbeut. Edhe pas shum? konsultimesh t? b?ra me koleg kroat, specilaist? t? paleografis? dhe diplomatik?s, nuk kemi arritur t? p?rcaktojm? vitin dhe autorin e k?tij dor?shkrimi. N? t? nj?jtin fond, ruhet edhe dor?shkrimi me titull: "Notizie e stemata delle famiglie Albanesi. Miscellanea". Edhe ky dor?shkrim, ?sht? kopje nga nj? dor?shkrim m? i vjet?r. Kopja mund t? datohet n? fillim t? shekullit t? XVII-t?. Gjithsejt ka 298 flet?. Paginimi ?sht? vet?m recto. P?r Skenderbeun dhe stem?n e tij, b?het fjal? n? faqet 23-97. Fillimisht p?rshkruhet origjina e Kastriot?ve, q? ?sht? shum? e ngjashme me Historin? e M. Barletit, pastaj jipet nj? trung genealogjik si dhe n? fund stema tashm? e njohur e Skenderbeut nga dor?shkrimi i P. R. Vitezoviqit! T? dh?nat p?r dor?shkrimet tjera, do t? botohen s? shpejti n? nj? studim t? ve?ant? monografik. Pos k?tyre dor?shkrimeve, n? fondin e dor?shkrimve t? Milan Shufflay-it, n? nj? kuti t? ve?ant?, ruhen p?rshkrime t? dokumentave origjinale p?r Skenderbeun, nga disa arkiva e biblioteka t? Evrop?s. Gjithsejt jan? 289 dokumenta, rerspektivisht 453 faqe. Asnj?ri nga k?to dokuneta deri me sot nuk ?sht? i botuar! Dokumentat jan? n? gjuh?n latine dhe spanjole. K?saj kutije i mungojn? dokumentat, t? cilat M. Shufflay, i kishte huazuar Jovan Radoniqit, e ky i fundit i kishte botuar n? monografin? e tij kushtuar Skenderbeut me titull: "?ura? Kastriot Skenderbeg i Arbania u XV veku". Milan Shufflay, kishte p?rshkruar m? shum? se dy t? tretat e volumit "Acta Albaniae..." t? cilin planifikonte t'ia kushtonte Skenderbeut. Rreth k?tij volumi ?sht? shkruar e debatuar shum?, por asnj?her nuk ?sht? studiuar me themel l?nda arkivore q? t? nxirreshin p?rfundime pre?ize. Pas nj? stduimi disa vje?ar t? jet?s dhe vep?rs s? M Shufflay-it, pohojm? me p?rgjegj?si se volumi i tret? i "Acta Albaniae...", asnj?hr? nuk ?sht? shkruar, dmth. as dokumentat q? kan? t? b?jn? me Skenderbeun nuk jan? t? botuara. Nuk q?ndron fare pohimi i deritanish?m, se volumin e tret? e ka konfiskuar policia serbe! N? t? v?rtet, policia nuk kishte si t? konfiskonte k?t? volum, kur ai, ende nuk ishte shkruar. Policia ka konfiskuar, dokumenta t? shumta origjinale, nj? pjes? e madhe tyre ishte e shkruar n? pergamen?, q? Milan Shufflay, mori me vete, gjat? q?ndrimit t? tij? n? Shqip?ri. K?to dokumenta kan? humbur pa gjurm?! Shum? dor?shkrime t? pabotuar ruhen edhe n? Bibliotek?n Komb?tare Univerzitare t? Zagrebit ?sht? fondi i librit t? rrall? /Trezori/ i Bibliotek?s Komb?tare Universitare n? Zagreb, q? ruan m? shum? se dhjet? dor?shkrime mbi jet?n dhe vepr?n e Skenderbeut. N? k?t? fond, pos shkrimeve t? tjera, ruhen edhe disa krijme letrare, si drama, tragjedi, poema, poezi, etj. T? gjitha k?to dor?shkrime jan? t? inventarizuara dhe pa v?sht?rsi mund t? shfryt?zohen nga studiuesit. Kryesisht jan? t? shkruara n? gjuh?n latine dhe kroate, por ka edhe n? gjuh?n hungareze, gjermane dhe italijane. Dor?shkrim me vler? t? ve?ant? ?sht? ai i Gjuro Feriqit, me titull: "Georgi Scanderbegi duella cum Alia Scythico ac Persis..." i cili ruhet n? signatur?n: R. 3424 [Signatura e m?parshme: SM. 32. A. 17]. Dor?shkimi ?sht? nga fundi i shek. t? XVIII-t?. Ka gjithsejt 19 flet?. ?sht? i shkruar n? gjuh?n latine, por nga vet? autori, pra n? autograf, ?sht? i p?rkthyer edhe n? gjuh?n kroate. Ky dor?shkrim ?sht? nj? poem? e gjat? prej 740 vargjesh. Autori ka shfryt?zuar si burim Historin? e Barletit dhe at? A. K. Mioshiqit. Signatura R. 3617, ruan nj? varinat t? panjohur deri tashi t? "Razgovora ugodnoga naroda slovinskoga", me auotr Andria Ka?iq - Mioshiqin. Dor?shkrimi ?sht? n? autograf. Autori i ?sht? rikthyer disa her?, ngase n? margina t? flet?ve, ka sh?nime t? shumta, burimesh, citimesh dhe emra autor?sh e tituj librash q? autori ka shfrt?zura p?r t? shkruar vepr?n e tij. Dor?shkrimi p?r Skenderbeun me titull: "Szedam piszam /od Jure Castioticha/" ?sht? e sh?nuar n? f. 16 -41a. Si duket, ky dor?shkim, ka qen? themel p?r t? shkruar vepr?n e tij t? njohur Ka?iq-Mioshiqi, e cila ?sht? p?rkthyer edhe n? gjuh?n shqipe, por n? nj? varinat q? rr?nj?sisht ndryshon nga ky dor?shkrim, i cili ka nj? vler? t? madhe, nga n? vete ruan: ide, debate dhe nj? formulim t? posaq?m p?r figur?n psikologjike t? Skenderbeut, q? n? tekstin e botuar nuk e gjejm?. N? vazhdim, n? signatur?n: R. 4046, ruhet dor?shkrimi n? autograf i dramaturgut t? njohur kroat me origjin? gjermane, Matija Juro Shporerit, me titull: "Juro Kastrioti?. Xaloigra u 5 uskazah". Shporeri tekstin e ka p?rfunduar n? vitin 1839. Teksti ka 13 faqe, format i madh t? shkruara me shkrim t? im?t dhe shum? t? ngjeshur. ?sht? e njohur se Shporeri ka shkruar m? von? nj? tragjedi p?r Skenderbeun dhe nj? tjet?r p? mbret?resh?n Teut?. Ky dor?shkrim, si duket ?sht? pararend?s p?r t? dy tragjedit e m?vonshme. ?sht? i shkruar n? gjuh?n kroate dhe lexohet leht?. Dor?shkrimet tjera, do t? botohen s? shpejti s? bashku me ato t? Arkivit, si monografi e ve?ant?. Dor?shkrime, por edhe dokumneta t? ndryshme, p?r Skenderbeun, ruhen edhe n? Arkvinin e Zar?s, Senjit, Sinjit, Splitit dhe Dubrovnikut, Pazinit, Krizhevcit, Trogirit, Karlovcit, etj. Nj? l?nd? e ?muar ruhet edhe n? disa arkiva kishtare. Studimet sistematike q? b?h?n n? k?t? drejtim, shpresojm? se do t? japin rezultate t? pritura, t? cilat do t? hedhin nj? drit? t? re p?r figur?n madhore t? Skenderbeut, mardh?njet e tija me kroat?t, e ve?an?rishti me Raguz?n /Dubrovnikun/. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 00:56:27 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 21:56:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Zeri i Popullit - 11.12.2001 Durres Message-ID: <20011212055627.55964.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Ndryshimi mekanik i emrave n? Qeveri pa konsensus politik dhe pa p?rfaq?sim real t? PS nuk zgjidh kriz?n Nga Fatos Nano Ju falenderoj p?r mir?kuptimin dhe mb?shtetjen p?r Partin? Socialiste dhe p?r mua. Jam k?tu sot p?r t?ju rikonfirmuar q? un? e dua PS-n? po kaq sa ju; PS-n? n? pushtet, t? fort?, t? qart?, t? vendosur, efikase dhe p?r t? nd?rtuar, ashtu si deri tani, nj? shtet n? sh?rbim t? qytetar?ve. K?tu, n? Durr?s, k?to pohime kan? vler? t? jasht?zakonshme politike sepse, me k?t? organizat? militante dhe atdhedash?se si socialist?t e Durr?sit, ne kemi pasur nj? proces politik dhe ngjitje, q? u kan? sh?rbyer fitoreve tona n? pushtetin vendor dhe p?rfaq?simit t? denj?, nga njer?z t? denj? t? Durr?sit n? pushtetin legjislativ q?ndror, si dhe rivendosjes s? normalitetit, rregullit dhe dinamik?s s? rritjes ekonomike dhe shoq?rore n? qytetin port m? t? r?nd?sish?m t? vendit. Pra, un? dua t?ju shpreh, n? em?r t? PSSH-s?, vler?simin e merituar p?r suksesin elektoral n? zgjedhjet e fundit parlamentare, duke kombinuar drejt vlerat p?rfaq?suese t? socialist?ve t? Durr?sit me vlerat p?rfaq?suese t? shoq?ris? civile n? Durr?s. Pra, dua t?ju p?rg?zoj, duke ju njohur merit?n e aft?sis? p?r t? p?rzgjedhur p?rfaq?sues t? denj? t? Durr?sit n? pushtetin legjislativ t? vendit q? nga Bardhyl Agasi deri tek Agron Duka. Ne po analizojm? jo thjesht hart?n ton? elektorale dhe administrimin e saj, por dhe p?rfaq?simin ton? n? pushtet, ecurin? ton? si forc? qeveris?se n? fillim t? mandatit t? dyt?; si dhe disa fenomene,q ? tashm?, jan? b?r? publike-p?r karakterin e tyre kritik, t? cilat, n?se lihen t? trashen, rrezikojn? jo vet?m Partin? Socialiste, jo vet?m institucionet demokratike, q? ringrit?m n? k?mb? pas kriz?s q? shkaktoi regjimi aventurier i Berish?s, por dhe t? ardhmen e ekonomis?, demokracis? dhe Shqip?ris? n? Evrop?. E thash? dhe n? fillim, un? jam k?tu jo p?r t? mbrojtur veten dhe aspak p?r t? akuzuar, apo fyer, apo denigruar, ulur apo lyer me balt? shok?t e mi, shok?t q? ju keni zgjedhur t?ju p?rfaq?sojn? k?tu, n? Durr?s, dhe n? shkall? komb?tare, n? qeverisje. Pra, un? nuk kam ardhur n? Durr?s, as sot, as here t? tjera, p?r t? sjell? shqet?simet e mia personale apo p?r t? eksportuar, n? gjirin tuaj, sherret e Tiran?s, n? qend?r. Un? kam ardhur t? interpretoj, bashk? me ju, disa rezultate t? analizave politike q? po b?n Partia n? t? gjtih? vendin, t? cilat flasin p?r nevoj?n e administrimit m? t? mir? t? pushtetit, qeverisjes, p?rq?ndrimit m? t? mir? t? energjive dhe potencialeve tona tek prioritetet, p?r t? cilat u votuam dhe kemi marr? mandatin n? fillim t? mij?vje?arit t? ri; si dhe p?r t? sh?ruar, n? m?nyr? vendimtare, shoq?rin? dhe institucionet e shtetit shqiptar nga disa s?mundje t? vjetra, infektive, ngjit?se, t? cilat, kur lihen t? trashen, sjellin kaos, rr?muj? dhe shkat?rrim, si?-solli regjimi i Berish?s n? vitet 1996-1997. P?r k?to ??shtje debati i socialist?ve, brenda tyre ka dal? dhe n ?publik. Dhe nuk ka 70 dit?, si? thot? Bardhi (Bardhyl Agasi, sh?nim i Red), q? ky debat ka marr? zjarr. Ky debat ?sht? po kaq i vjet?r sa politika dhe shoq?ria njer?zore; ky debat ?sht? po kaq i vjet?r salufta jon? n? opozit? kund?r regjimit t? Berish?s; ky debat ?sht? po kaq i vjet?r sa p?rpjekjet e vet? socialist?ve progresist? dhe forcave t? tjera t? spektrit evropianist n? Shqip?ri, n? k?to 10 vjet, p?r t?i dh?n? fund tranzicionit dhe p?r t? nd?rtuar institucione t? q?ndrueshme t? shtetit ligjor dhe t?e konomis? s? tregut. Ky debat ka vler? t? jasht?zakonshme k?tu, n? Durr?s, sepse, n?p?rmjet Durr?sit, merr jet? ekonomia e vendit; dhe, n?p?rmjet Durr?sit, sip?rmarrja vend?se nxjerr fytyr?n e v?rtet? t? aft?sive konkurruese t? shqiptar?ve n? Evrop?n moderne, ku duam t? integrohemi. Jan? kristalizuar, si? shfaqet dhe k?tu, dy q?ndrime ndaj k?tyre problemeve: q?ndrimi zgjidh?s dhe q?ndrimi pajtues me fenomenet kritike, q? s?duhen l?n? t? trashen. Un? e kuptoj, fare mir?, shokun ton?, Bardhi. Por Bardhi i takon asaj kategorie njer?zish, q?, duke dashur atdheun, e do dhe partin? n? pushtet. Kurse un? i p?rkas asaj kategorie njer?zish, q? nuk mund t? pajtohen me abuzimet me pushtetin p?r hir t? dashuris? p?r atdheun. Prandaj meq? ka aty dhe pyetje, n?se kjo q? po b?n Fatos Nano, (duartrokitje) - ju falenderoj p?r v?mendjen, me t? cil?n vazhdoni t? m? ndiqni - i sh?rben Sali Berish?s, shovinist?ve greke, armiqve serbe apo, nuk e di, ?far? planeti tjet?r, un? i p?rgjigjem: kjo i sh?rben ruajtjes s? past?r t? Partis? Socialiste; ruajtjes s? besimit t? saj tek zgjedh?sit; ruajtjes dhe konsolidimit t? p?rvoj?s dhe arritjeve tona politike dhe shtetnd?rtuese; ruajtjes s? solidaritetit parimor dhe t? ndersh?m midis nesh, jo vet?m n? udh?heqje, por n? raportet e udh?heq?sve me zgjedh?sit dhe me forumet zgjedh?se t? partis?. Bardhi i takon asaj kategorie t? ndershme, t? pranishme n? radh?t tona, q? k?rkojn? t? pajtojn? p?rfaq?suesit e debatit kritik. Por un? vazhdoj t? ngul k?mb? dhe sot, para jush, t? pajtohemi, p?r hir t? unitetit dhe solidaritetit, pa zgjidhur problemet, apo t? k?rkojm? q? secili t? rrjeshtohet qart?, me p?rgjigje dhe prova konkrete, n? luft?n kund?r korrupsionit, abuzimit me detyr?n, abuzimit me financat publike, abuzimit me shok?t dhe miqt? n? kurriz t? elektoratit, q? na ka zgjedhur; si dhe t? pozicionohet qart? n? detyr?n p?r t? qeverisur n? m?nyr? transparente dhe p?r t? dh?n? llogari p?rball? zgjedh?sve n? parti dhe zgjedh?sve n? shoq?ri. Prandaj, po u rikujtoj t? gjith? shok?ve, me t? nj?jtin angazhim politik dhe kredo politike, me t? cil?n siguruam transformimin e madh t? s? majt?s shqiptare, duke krijuar k?t? Parti Socialiste, q? tashm? ?sht? an?tare me t? drejta t? plota e Internacionales. Ne jemi n? angazhim politik dhe transparenc?, me t? cil?t luftuam regjimin e Berish?s dhe fenomenet abuzive, q? shkat?rruan partin? e par? demokratike n? Shqip?ri, ish-partia e Berish?s; me t? nj?jtin angazhim politik, me t? cilin i rezistuam regjimit gjysm?diktorial t? Saliut, me kurriz?t dhe burgjet tona; dhe soll?m at? votim, plebishitar, t? dy t? tretave t? shqiptar?ve, n? fund t? kriz?s t? ?97-?s, t? gatuar nga regjimi i Berish?ve mb?shtetjen ton? - un? vazhdoj edhe sot t? k?rkoj nga socialist?t, n? Durr?s dhe n? mbar? Shqip?rin?, t? nj?jtin angazhim, p?rgjegj?si dhe investim politik p?r ta ruajtur ecurin? e sh?ndetshme, solidaritetin q? na ka sjell? n? rivotim p?r t? qeverisur vendin, si dhe angazhimet tona p?r t? luftuar t? keqen me mjete politike, institucionale t? shtetit ligjor dhe jo p?r t? p?rdorur pushtetin p?r t? likujduar nj?ri-tjetrin. Vet?m k?shtu-vazhdoj t? jem i bindur - realizimi i angazhimeve tona parimore dhe programore p?rball? zgjedh?sve dhe opinionit shqiptar dhe nd?rkomb?tar do t? garantohet, duke na rikonfirmuar kredibilitetin dhe forc?n ton? elektorale dhe transformuese t? vendit n? drejtim t? integrimit euro-atlantik. Un? po i kujtoj Bardhit dhe gjith? shok?ve t? mij se procesi i korrigjimit, p?rmir?simit, veprimit dhe aft?sis? son? politike dhe qeveris?se nuk nisi 70 dit? m? par?, as sot. Pra, nuk nisi me takimet e kryetarit n? baz?, prandaj dhe as mbaroi dot n? mbledhjen e KPD-s?, para 3 dit?sh, apo me mbledhjen e kryesis?, mbr?m?. Un? do t?i kujtoj Bardhit, q? ka qen? n? krahun tim, q? nga themelimi i Partis? Socialiste, se n? 1997-?n, un? mund t? kisha zgjedhur edhe pozicionin komod t? Presidentit t? Republik?s, p?r t? cilin me akuzojn? se po b?j gjith? k?t? "zallamahi" sot; por i k?rkova partis? son? t? marr detyr?n e kryeministrit, si detyr?n m? t? v?shtir? pas kriz?s, sepse vet?m shpatullat dhe luspat e kurrizit t? Fatos Nanos mund t? mbanin pesh?n e ?rr?njosjes s? piramidave dhe t? krimit nga shteti dhe nga shoq?ria, t? kultivuar nga Berisha. Prandaj un? kam t? drejt? sot t? rikujtoj q? n? koh?n kur un? b?ja burgun e Berish?s dhe ju rriheshit, n? koh?n kur un? shkulja piramidat dhe bandat e Berish?s, Ilir Meta dhe Monika hanin dhe pinin me njer?zit e Berish?s - q? nga Bashkim Gazidede dhe Ylli Rakipi- dhe luanin me t? nj?jt?n m?nyr? t? pandershme me letrat e kryetarit nga burgu, si? luajn? sot me investimin dhe autoritetin politik t? Fatos Nanos p?r t? vazhduar t? mbajn? partin? n? drejtim t? proceseve evropianizuese t? vendit. Un? i kam dal? borxhit shokut ton?, Ilir Meta. Dhe Ilir Meta ka pasur suksese reale dhe t? merituara, jo personale, por n? ekip, n? drejtim t? Qeveris? socialiste dhe t? koalicionit "Aleanca p?r Shtetin" n? 24 muajt e fundit, p?r sa koh? ka komunikuar past?r, n? m?nyr? t? q?ndureshme, institucionale dhe statutore me kryetarin e partis? dhe forumet drejtuese t? saj. Q? n? momentin kur Ilir Meta, n? prag t? mbylljes s? fushat?s zgjedhore parlamentare t? vitit n? vazhdim, q? m? 22 qershor, nd?rpreu marr?dh?niet dhe komunikimin me institucionin e kryetarit t? partis? dhe u l?shua si viktim? e stafeve dhe e njer?zve t? bot?s s? kontraband?s dhe t? krimit, q? ka rrethuar kryeministrin, familjen e tij; dhe tashm? rrezikojn? t? pushtojn? nivele t? larta t? administrat?s shtet?rore, Ilir Meta ?sht? b?r? problemi ky? i konfliktit dhe kriz?s q? kalon aktualisht qeverisja jon?. Un? vazhdoj t? shpresoj - i b?ra thirrje dhe mbr?m? - q? Iliri nuk ?sht? njollosur dhe prandaj ?sht? i aft? dhe ka kurajon politike dhe ligjore t? largoj? hijet dhe njer?zit e korruptuar dhe t? p?rzier me krimin e organizuar ekonomik apo shoq?ror nga zyrat e tij. N? qoft? se n? Tiran? ka fenomenin politik "Mirin e Xhikes", q? karakterizon korrupsionin e qeveritar?ve, n? Durr?s ka "G?zimin e Kasht?s", q? karakterizon korrupsionin politik dhe ekonomik t? qeveritar?ve. N? qoft? se pjesa q?ndrore e vendit, ku pushojn? qeveritar?t, q? ?sht? pron? publike, i jepet mikut t? familjes Meta-Kryemadhi, G?zim Kasht?s, dhe troje t? tjera, prona, licensa favorizuese u jepen Hasan?ve n? Plazhin e Durr?sit, kjo nuk dallon dot nga veprimet q? kan? b?r? qeveritar?t e Berish?s dhe administrator?t e pushtetit demokrat n? Durr?s n? 4-5 vitet e sundimit t? tyre. Gjat? gjith? mandatit t? par? qeveris?s, ne, socialist?t, krijuam nj? besim popullor. Dhe prandaj u rivotuam, se jemi n? nd?rtim dhe zhvillim t? shtetit, q ?u sh?rben qytetar?ve, dhe jo pushtetit abuziv personal, q? spekulon me detyr?n, me autoritetin shtet?ror dhe me financat publike p?r pasurim t? paligjsh?m Ky proces i p?rmir?simit t? vet?vetes ?sht? nj? proces politik, i cili, t? dashur shok?, i dashur Bardhi gjithashtu, un? nuk kam rreshtur ta nxis? dhe ta ndaj? me forumet dhe me udh?heqjen e partis? gjat? gjith? veprimtaris? dhe jet?s sime politike 10 vje?are si kryetar i saj. Faktet tashm?, jan? riaktivizuar n? memorjen ton? politike t? p?rbashk?t. Kur u t?rhoqa nga detyra aktive e kryetarit t? Partis? Socialiste, me 20 janar 1999, un? kam folur p?r t? nj?jtin fenomen, q? rrezikonte t? na ndante dhe t? na "sharronte" deg?n elektorale, mbi t? cil?n ishim ngritur gjat? k?saj dekade. Pra, ka dy q?ndrime, dy morale dhe dy koncepte ose mentalitete t? p?rdorimit t? pushteitt. P?r m?nyr?n abuzive, q? e sheh pushtetin si mjet pasurimi t? shpejt? t? individ?ve, q? mandatohen p?r t? qeverisur, dhe p?r m?nyr?n, mentalitetin dhe praktik?n q?, n?n kontrollin e partis?, pushteti p?rdoret n? m?nyr? ligjore p?r t?u v?n? n? sh?rbim t? qytetar?ve, pa dallim krahine, lidhjesh farefisnore, p?rkat?sie fetare apo kapitali ekonomik. Si kryetar i Partis? Socialiste, un? vazhdoj t? jem i motivuar p?r luft?n e p?rbashk?t ndaj fenomeneve korruptive dhe t? abuzimit me pushtetin, sepse ky ?sht? shqet?simi juaj kryesor. K?t? shpreh dhe mb?shtetja juaj p?r l?vizjen politike t? kryetarit t? Partis? Socialiste. K?t? shpreh dhe mb?shtetja e opinionit publik p?r q?ndrimet e p?rgjegjshme, q? po mban pjesa qeveris?se e Partis? Socialiste dhe jo pjesa e qeveritar?ve t? Partis? Socialiste. Pas mbledhjes s? fundit t? Komitetit t? P?rgjithsh?m Drejtues- q? ishte e nevojshme, por q? nuk ishte e domosdoshme (mbledhja e fundit t? KPD-s? u fut si "pyk?" n? procesin e analizave tona) dhe mir?seerdhi p?r t?i dh?n? gjith? partis? dhe opinionit publik mesazhin e luft?s parimore, q? po zhvillohet brenda nesh. U ngjall shpresa se PSSH-ja do t? riniste e vendosur dhe solidare, procesin e vet?pastrimit, pra t? katarsisit t? qeverisjes, realiteteve dhe mentaliteteve, q? ushqejn? abuzimin me pushtetin. Esht? kjo luft? parimore, ky solidaritet ndaj s? keqes, q? na ka mbajtur n? majat e suksesit k?to 10 vjet jet? politike, dhe q? na mban akoma si busull? politike t? shumic?s d?rmuese t? elektoratit shqiptar p?r ta ?uar Shqip?rin? drejt Bashkimit Evropian. Por un? nuk mund t? hesht, kur ministra aktuale e Jashtme, kolegia jon?, Arta Dade, q? erdhi ashtu si Natasha Pa?o, me fustan basme, n? vitin 1991, n? Partin? Socialiste, dhe sot abuzon me detyr?n e p?rfaq?simit t? Partis? Socialiste n? bordin e kryediplomates s? Shqip?ris? p?r t? mashtruar opinionin publik t? brendsh?m dhe opinionin nd?rkomb?tar se e keqja dhe zjarrv?n?si Shqip?ris? qenka, jo m? Sali Berisha, por Fatos Nano; se Komisoini Evropian nuk paska asnj? v?rejtje p?r ecurin? dhe p?rmbushjen e detyrimeve t? Shqip?ris? n? procesin e Asociim Stabilizimit raporti m? i fundit i ekspert?ve joqeveritar? t? Komisionit Evropian, i hartuar dhe i dor?zuar pran? komisionerit t? jasht?m t? BE-s?, Kris Paten, n? shtator 1999, stigmatizon t? nj?jtat fenomene, me t? cilat ne po ndeshemi dhe po shfaqim nj? angazhim t? p?rgjegjsh?m politik p?r t? zhbllokuar ritmet dhe procesin e ecuris? son? t? mbar? drejt Bashkimit Evropian, stigmatizon fenomenin e llafeve, fjalimeve, propagand?s dhe nj? pun? thjesht p?r hartim projektesh legjislative, q? afrojn? dhe standartizojn? Shqip?rin? me BE-n? dhe munges?n e funksionimit t? institucioneve, administrat?s dhe rezultateve konkrete, q? e ?ojn? Shqip?rin? n? nivele praktike, t? ndjeshme dhe nga qytetar?t, t? af?rta dhe t? ngjajshme me standartet e shtetit ligjor dhe ekonomis? s? tregut n? vendet e 15-shes evropiane. N? qoft? se ne do t? themi "mbyllni goj?n dhe mos na nxirrni t? palarat n? pazar!"; n? qoft? se ne do t? rreshtim angazhimin politik kund?r korrupsionit dhe abuzimit me pushtetin tek qeverisja dhe qeveritar?t tan? tani, at?here ky nuk ?sht? nj? q?ndrim parimor, ky nuk mund t? jet? nj? q?ndrim kund?r interesave t? atdheut; ky nuk ?sht? nj? q?ndrim kuknd?r integrimit t? vendit n? Evrop?, por ky ?sht? nj? alarm i p?rgjegjsh?m politik, n?koh?n e duhur, q? t? pastrohet p?rfundimisht terreni nga njer?zit, me mentalitete dhe interesa korruptive t? s? kaluar?s, q? pengojn? integrimin dhe ecjen e shpejt? t? Shqip?ris? drejt Komunitetit t? vendeve moderne t? Evrop?s s? Bashkuar. Shoku Bardhi dhe shok? t? tjer? t? kryesis? shqyrtuan n? m?nyr? jasht?zakonisht formale propozimet e kryeministrit p?r p?rmir?simet n? qeveri, mbr?m?, n? kryesi. Nd?rsa un?, Perto Ko?i, Makbule ?e?o, Arben Malaj, Limoz Dizdari ringrit?m shqet?simin q? kompozimi i qeveris? nuk mund t? jet? nj? ??shtje personale e kryeministrit Ilir Meta. Nj? ekip qeveris?s nuk mund t? vazhdoj? t? jet? nj? grup shok?sh dhe njer?zish q? i lidh nj? solidaritet p?r t? mbyllur problemet, p?r t? fshehur m?katet dhe p?r t? mos b?r? operacionet e duhura, q? sh?ndoshin qeverisjen ton? dhe rikonfirmojn? kredibilitetin ton? politik, qeveris?s p?rball? zgjedh?sve. E ritheksoj, n? qoft? se Anastas Angjeli vazhdon t? mbetet nj? personazh qeveris?s, jasht?zakonisht kritik, n? vemendjen e pubblikut mbar? komb?tar shqiptar, jo vet?m socialist, dhe largohet nga qeveria me spektaklet e dor?heqjes n? form? proteste ndaj Fatos Nanos, n? nj? koh? q?, 8 or? m? par?, t? diel?n n? mbr?mje ja k?rkoi Ilir Meta k?t? p?r t? shp?tuar imazhin dhe kredibilitetin e tij. - Un? e p?rg?zoj Ilir Met?n, q? ia k?rkoi k?t? gj? - at?her? un? vazhdoj t? pyes ju dhe opinionin publik: "P?rse Ilir Meta k?rkon t?i v?r? kapakun e teneqes - nuk m? mungon respekti p?r profesionist?t dhe nuk po fyej Gjergj Teneqexhiun, q? propozoi Ilir Meta p?r minist?r t? Financave - por nuk mund t? mbahet "kazani" q? zien, i abuzimit me financat publike, me nj? kapak teneqeje, me nj? njeri q? ?sht? profesionist i mir?, por q? nuk ka asnj? mandat politik, asnj? p?rgjegj?si politike, p?rve?se t? ket? b?r? karrier?, duke arritur sekretar i p?rgjithsh?m i ministris? s? Financave, duke i sh?rbyer ish-ministrit Angjeli. N?se qeverisja jon? do t? vazhdoj? t? karakterizohet nga angazhimi programor p?r t? q?n? transparent? dhe p?r t? dh?n? llogari se si e p?rdorim pushtetin dhe kontributet fiskale t? taksapaguesve shqiptar?, q? mblidhen tek buxheti i financave publike, at?her? ministria e Financave ?sht? struktura ky? e ekzekutivit, q? duhet t? b?het transparente dhe t?u jap? p?rgjigje socialist?ve dhe opinionit publik p?r administrimin e buxhetit, fondit rezerv? t? qeveris?, si dhe t? investimeve dhe donacioneve q? kan? hyr? n? buxhet p?r shkak t? privatizimeve t? disa pasurive themelore komb?tare q? nga AMC-ja deri tek ?imentot - e deri tek financimet e huaja, mb?shtetje buxhetore p?r qeverin? e Republik?s s? Shqip?rs?; q? nga k?sti 640 milion? dollar?, n? vitin 1998, t? qeveris? Nano, deri n? 600 milion? dollar? t? tjer?, pas kriz?s s? Kosov?s, p?r qeverin? Majko. Dhe, n? qoft? se, i dashur Bardhi, ty, formalisht, k?to t? duken si kritika vet?m 70-ditore, un? po t? kujtoj t? gjitha mbledhjet dhe forumet p?rfaq?suese t? Partis? Socialiste, jo vet?m "parlamentet" e vogla, jasht?zakonisht t? r?nd?sisme p?r demokracin? direkte n? PS, n? k?shillat zonal? dhe organizatat, por kam kryesi, KPD, aktive me konferenca komb?tare, kongrese gjithashtu, n? t? cilat un? kam vazhduar t? ngr? t? nj?jtat probleme me t? nj?jtin angazhim parimor dhe me t? nj?jtin solidaritet me mas?n e gjer? t? an?tar?sis? socialiste dhe t? zgjedh?sve tan?. P?r fat t? keq, Ilir Meta erdhi n? mbledhjen e kryesis?, mbr?m?, me logjik?n e numratorit t? goglave: ik?n kat?r vet?, po sjell? kat?r vet?. Dhe kryesia detyrohej t? "arnonte" nj? qeveri q? nuk e "shqepi" as kryetari dhe as partia. Iliri synonte, mbr?m?, thjesht, dhe t? z?vend?sonte, me ?do kusht, ministrat dor?heq?s, pa dh?n? ende asnj? garanci p?r korrigjimin e veprimit qeveris?s n? luft? ndaj fenomeneve negative, q? rrezikojn? partin?, elektoratin e saj dhe Shqip?rin?; e cila, n?se nuk largohet nga grupi i vendeve problematike p?r trafiqe, brenda vitit 2003, rrezikon t? p?rfundoj? n?n embargon e aleat?ve euroatlantike, q? asistojn? Shqip?rin? p?r t?u evropianizuar. Dhe kjo p?rb?n edhe angazhimin edhe rrezikun kryesor t? mandatit ton? t? dyt? politiko-qeveris?s. O realizojm?, ose d?shtojm? bashk? me t?! Kryeministri duhet t? kishte m?suar tashm? nga p?rvoja e mandatit ton? t? par? qeveris?s, (t? gjith? kemi gabuar nga pak), por mua m? b?het zemra mal, kur asnj? nga koleg?t e mi, q?, si num?ror? topi) u rreshtuan n? mbledhjen e fundit t? KPD-s? p?r t? akuzuar Fatos Nanon, nuk p?rmendej asnj? akuz? p?r abuzim t? Fatos Nanos n? detyr?n e kryeministrit p?r 14 muaj q? drejtoi qeverin? shqiptare n? koh?n m? t? v?shtir?. Pra, kryeministri duhej t? kishte m?suar nga p?rvoja jon? se thjesht ndryshimi mekanik i emrave pa nj? konsensus politik dhe pa nj? terren p?rfaq?simi real t? PS-s? n? qeveri, nuk p?rb?n zgjidhje t? krizave, kontradiktave, dhe nj? terren konkret p?r zhdukjen e s?mundjeve dhe fenomeneve negative. Reduktimi, nga ana e kryeministrit, i zgjidhjes s? kriz?s midis forumeve q?ndrore dhe institucioneve t? partis?, me ndryshime emrash brenda llojit, (do ta shpjegoj se jan? brenda llojit), me mban shum? aktiv dhe kritik shqet?simin dhe bindjen se ai, jo vet?m nuk paska d?shir? t? b?het pjes? e zgjidhjes, por po mbetet pjesa ky?e e problemit p?r t?u zgjidhur. U largua Bashkim Fino nga ministria e Pun?ve Publike dhe Turizmit. Esht? hera e dyt? q? Bashkim Fino largohet nga Qeveria i p?rfolur p?r korrupsion. Hera e par?, ishte n? krahun tim, z?vend?skryeminist?r dhe minist?r i Pushtetit Lokal, pasi drejtoi me devocion, p?rgjegj?si politike dhe atdhetare qeverin? 3-mujore t? Pajtimit Komb?tar, menj?her? pasi ra shteti-mars-qershor 1997. Edhe at?her? u p?rfol?n Arben Malaj, Bashkim Fino dhe vet? Fatos Nano p?r korrupsion, me t? vetmen arsye, sepse Fatos Nano dhe qeveria q? ai drejtonte i k?rkuan n? m?nyr? zyrtare dhe vullnetare Bank?s Bot?rore t? p?rfshinte Shqip?rin? dhe Qeverin? e saj n? studimin dhe programin e luft?s kund?r korrupsionit me mjete institucionale dhe me asistenc?n e Bank?s Bot?rore. Gjith?ka filloi me studimin dhe evidentimin e faktit q? Shqip?ria radhitej, menj?her? pas r?nies s? regjimit t? Berish?s n? vendet me nivel korrupsion social, ekonomik dhe administrativ m? t? lart? n? bot?. Nga brenda Partis?, t? nj?jt?t njer?z q? sulmuan Fatos Nanon n? KPD-n? e fundit, nis?n at?her? akuz?n q? Fatos Nano dhe Qeveria e tij jan? flamurtar? t? korrupsionit. Motra dhe v?llez?r, un? s?po b?j t? nj?jt?n gj? sot. Aq m? pak po marr hak apo revansh ndaj asaj q? i ndodhi qeveris? q? un? kryesova nga PS-ja. Sepse un? u largova bashk? me ekipin tim qeveris?s, bashk? me arb?n Malajn dhe Bashkim Finon t? p?rfolur p?r korrupsion, n? momentin q? dikush duhej t? mbante p?rgjegj?si pas ngjarjeve tragjike t? 14 shtatorit. Kjo periudh? i dha mang?si PS-s? t? reflektonte dhe t? b?hej m? e pjekur dhe m? e matur n? administrimin e qeveris? s? saj dhe n? vler?simin e shok?ve, q? marrin p?rgjegj?si qeveris?se. Kjo periudh? i dha mund?si edhe Arben Malajt, q? kryeministri, edhe mbr?m?, e p?rfoli p?r korrupsion, sepse nuk i p?lqen q? n? ministrin? e Financave t? b?het transparenca totale p?r p?rdorimin e buxhetit dhe fondit rezerv? t? qeveris?; q? t? rishfaqej, si? ?sht?, nj? njeri profesionist dhe politikan i past?r dhe i votuar n? syt? e opinionit publik, t? partis? dhe n? drejtim t? grupit parlamentar socialist. Kjo periudh? i dha mund?si Bashkim Finos t? pastronte imazhin e tij t? p?rdhosur m? kot n? periudh?n 1997-1998 dhe t? rikthehej si minist?r i Qeveris? Majko dhe Meta. Por, n?se, p?r her? t? dyt? n? m?nyr? t? p?rs?ritur, i nj?jti personazh, (dhe un? nuk jam k?tu p?r t? th?n? ?miku im? apo ?armiku im, Bashkim Fino) I nj?jti pjestar drejtues n? kryesi apo udh?heq?s i PS-s?, vihet n? fokusin e kritikave dhe t? shqet?simit t? opinionit publik p?r abuzim n? detyr? dhe b?het fjal? p?r njeriun, q?, duke drejtuar, brenda 70 dit?ve, i dashur Bardhi, ministrin? e Pun?ve Publike e Turizmit, ku funksionon dhe p?rgatitet rendi i dit?s dhe vendimmarrja e mbledhjes s? KRRTSH-s?, ku, brenda 90 minutash, kalohen 26 akte t? r?nd?sishme, q? shkojn?, kryesisht, n? dobi t? kush?rinjve apo t? familjeve t? ministrave si Angjeli. ?Shk?mbi i P?llumbave? ?sht? nj? projekt i kaluar nga Bashkim Fino dhe Ilir Meta n? favor t? Anastas Angjelit dhe ?sht? b?r? pas nj? inspektimi me skaf t? ?Sk?mbit t? P?llumbave? nga Meta dhe Angjeli, pa asnj?ri tjet?r, vet?m nga rojet e tyre, at?her? nuk ?sht? m? faji i PS-s?, as i Fatos Nanos, q? Bashkim Fino detyrohet t? jap? dor?heqjen, t? largohet nga ekipi yn? qeveris?s. Esht? momenti m? i mir? q? Bashkim Fino dhe drejtues si Bashkim Fino t?i dor?zohen partis?, jo me sharje, por me t? gjith? transparenc?n e duhur politike, q? jo vet?m rikuperon imazhin e tyre, por ruan kredibilitetin politik, qeveris?s dhe elektoral t? partis?, si dhe riintegron ata n? ekipet tona de n? transparenc?n e komunitetit ton? me zgjedh?sit. Un? dua t? pyes, meqen?se avokati Braho ?sht?, n? m?nyr? t? p?rs?ritur, i afishuar si sulmues-skifter, shpif?s (kujdes, zoti Braho, se je dhe jurist) i kryetarit Nano sa her? q? kryetari Nano godet korrupsionin dhe abuzimin me pushtetin. Perandoria juaj ekonomike ?sht? n? syt? e durrsak?ve q? nga licensat dhe tenderat, jo vet?m n? Maminas deri tek pallatet dhe trojet, q? megjith?se pa leje, qarkullojn? para t? pista t? drog?s dhe krimit. (Braho: ?Ju jeni shpif?si!) Zoti Braho, ju jeni n? v?mendje t? partis? dhe opinionit publik dhe nuk mund ta kap?rceni k?t? situat?, duke u b?r? avokat i kryeministrit n? Durr?s apo duke k?rkuar q? kryeministri t? b?het avokati juaj n? Tiran?. (Braho: ?Pse nuk i keni th?n? k?to n? KPD, por u larguat? Un? kam qen? avokati juaj kur nuk t? afrohej njeri?). Un? jam i detyruar ta shtroj dhe ta mbroj n? t? gjitha institucionet e shtetit ligjor dhe t? partis? q? na ka zgjedhur! (Duartrokitje). Un? kam respekt p?r rakin? e Skraparit, por jo p?r shp?rdorimet e skraparllinjve. E kam ftuar avokatin Braho, ashtu si dhe kryeministrin Meta, q? t? bashk?punojm? p?r t? luftuar k?to fenomene dhe jo t? p?rdorim autoritetin e pushtetit ekzekutiv p?r t? mbuluar trafiqet dhe abuzimin me financat publike. E ftova shokun ton? Ilir edhe mbr?m? t? heq? dor? nga filozofia e nj? qeverie t? gozhd?s dhe t? patkoit p?r t? nd?rtuar s? bashku qeverisjen e socialist?ve dhe progresist?ve, q? realizojn? shtet n? sh?rbim t? qytetar?ve dhe ritme t? rritjes ekonomike dhe shoq?rore, t? barabarta p?r t? gjith? dhe jo duke diskredituar qytetar?t dhe bizneset. Si p?rgjigje, si? e ndoq?t, mora rokad?n e Angjelit me ish-vart?sin e tij. Prandaj un? jam k?tu, n? Durr?s, p?r t?ju ritheksuar se propozimet e djeshme t? Ilir Met?s, i miraton apo jo Meidani, jan? n? v?mendjen e grupit parlamentar socialist, si zgjidhje t? mang?ta q? nuk garantojn? zhvillimin maksimal t? p?rgjegj?sive politike nga e partis? drejtuese t? mazhoranc?s socialiste, pra, nuk garantojn? vazhdimin me sukses t? mandatit ton? qeveris?s deri n? fund. Askush nuk na garanton dot se Gjergj Teneqexhiu nuk ?sht? pjes? e skem?s Angjelo-Metiste t? abuzimit me financat publike. Prandaj kriz?n e kemi s?rish midis nesh p?r zgjidhje. Besoj se dhe n? emrin tuaj, un?, si kryetar i partis?, nuk mund t? pranoj m? t? vazhdojn? n? detyr?n e shefit t? qeveris? njer?zit q? abuzojn? me detyr?n e qeveritarit p?r q?llime ngut?sisht private dhe ilegjitime. Un? nuk mund t? pres q? Arta Dade t? marr? dhe sht?pin? e tret?, pasi ka marr? 50 milion? lek? kredi p?r sht?pin? e nj?rit djal?, 25 milion? p?r sht?pin? e djalit tjet?r dhe nj? sht?pi n? banes?n e Diplomat?ve, q? administrohet nga kryeministri, p?rball? ish-ATSH-s?. Pra, t? presim t? marr? dhe nj? sht?pi tjet?r q? t? mbroj? kryeministrin dhe t? shaj? kryetarin e partis? tek i huaji i par? q? i vjen n? der? apo tek i huaji i dyt? q? i shkon n? der?! Un? mund t? pranoj? m? q? nj? minist?r, si Ndre Legisi, t? vazhdoj? t? b?j? parad? dosjesh k?rc?nuese p?r t? korruptuarit dhe shkel?sit e ligjit, kur abuzimi dhe krimi ekonomik p?r shkak t? shp?rdorimit t? detyr?s, ?sht? ulur k?mb?kryq dhe asnj? dosje nuk ka mb?rritur n? Prokurorin? e Shtetit. Un?, pra, nuk po k?rkoj qeverin? e Fatos Nanos, por forcimin e qeverisjes s? PS-s?, q? sot m? shum? se kurr? ndjehet e rrezikuar nga pap?rgjegjshm?ria dhe mungesa e vullnetit p?r t? bashk?punuar p?r transparenc?n e shok?ve tan? n? qeveri. Grupi yn? parlamentar i ka t? gjitha shanset t? ushtroj? p?rgjegj?sit? kushtetuese t? nj? institucioni t? republike parlamentare si Shqip?ria. Deputet?t tan? kan? shansin t? b?hen pjes? e zgjidhjes s? kontradiktave midis institucionit t? kryetarit t? partis? dhe atij t? kryeministrit, ose t? lejojn? rrezikun e degradimit t? pushtetit dhe t? mandatit ton? t? dyt? qeveris?s. Pra, ne si legjislator? dhe politikan? p?rfundimisht t? ndajm? qart? p?rgjegj?sin? e mandatit me nevoj?n p?r rehatin personal t? disa individ?ve, duke zgjedhur mes radh?ve pran? kryeministrit favoret q? njeh statusi i deputetit apo rreshtimin progresist n? t? mir? t? Partis? dhe t? ardhmes europiane t? Shqip?ris?. Un? mbetem i motivuar dhe i bindur q? p?rmir?simi i qeverisjes ?sht? aksioni yn? politik, organizativ dhe qeveris?s prioritar. Un? do t? vazhdoj t? ushtroj t? gjitha p?rgjegj?sit? statutore dhe poitike q? m? takojn?, n? bashk?veprimin me ju, me zgjedh?sit n? parti dhe me elektoratin progresist socialist q? ky aksion t? p?rfundoj? me sukses, jo n? dobi t? Sali Berish?s, por n? dobi t? PS-s? n? pushtet dhe t? Shqip?ris? n? Evrop?. Ky proces katarsisi i qeverisjes ?sht? ai q? garanton stabilitetin n? parti dhe n? institucionet shtet?rore; dhe jo mbyllja e problemeve dhe moszgjidhja e tyre p?r hir t? q?ndrimit t? nj? grupi njer?zish n? qeveri. Shqet?simi im dhe i ministrave tan? progresist? n? shumic? nuk ?sht? ndryshimi i emrave apo z?vend?simi i ca shok?ve t? Ilir Met?s me ca shok? t? Fatos Nanos n? Qeveri, por ?sht? eleminimi dhe bllokimi i t? gjith? fenomeneve negative, q? na rrezikojn? edhe t? ardhmen ton? politike, elektorale e Shqip?ris? n? Evrop?, pra, stabilitetin e qeverisjes dhe ecurin? e reformave tona q? na b?jn? evropiane n? sht?pin? ton?. Un? kam besim se PS Durr?s do t? vazhdoj? t? jet? n? k?t? nivel p?rgjegj?sish politike dhe qeveris?se dhe do t?i uroja edhe drejtuesve aktual? t? partis? t? ecin n? gjurm?t e drejtuesve t? m?parsh?m. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 09:03:27 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 06:03:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Interesting Ruling by ECHR Message-ID: <20011212140327.4818.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> ECHR: Greece violated right to fair hearing and protection of property of Turks in case of 1933 expropriation 933 6.12.2001 Press release issued by the Registrar http://www.echr.coe.int/Eng/Press/2001/Dec/6Dec2001judsepress.htm Judgment (in French) http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/Hudoc2doc2/HFJUD/200112/yagtzilar%20-%2041727jv.ch b2%2006122001f.doc CHAMBER JUDGMENTS CONCERNING GREECE, ITALY AND PORTUGAL The European Court of Human Rights has today notified in writing the following 41 Chamber judgments, none of which is final [fn1]: SECTION 1 (1) Yagtzilar and others v. Greece (application no. 41727/98) Violation Article 6 & Article 1 Protocol No. 1 The ten applicants, all Turkish nationals, are former owners of an olive plantation in Chalkidiki, Northern Greece, which was taken over by Greece in 1925 in order to accommodate refugees from Asia Minor. Expropriation of the plantation was declared in 1933 and the procedure to allocate compensation began in December 1933. The Greek courts rejected several times the Government?s submission that the applicants? compensation claim was out of time. However, on 17 July 1995 the Court of Appeal found that their claim had been out of time since at least 1971. The proceedings ended on 15 July 1997 with a judgment from the Court of Cassation confirming the Court of Appeal judgment. The applicants received no compensation. They complained about the excessive length of the proceedings, which lasted over 63 years, of which the European Court of Human Rights could take into account [fn2] nine years and 16 days. They also maintained that, by deciding that their right to compensation was out of time, the Greek courts deprived them of their right to access to a court and of their right to property. Before the European Court of Human Rights, they claim 31,849,244,217 Greek drachmas (GRD) plus GRD 33,896,889,841 in interest for pecuniary damage and GRD 157,754,000 for costs and expenses. The Court noted, among other things, that the Greek courts decided that the claim for compensation was out of time at an advanced stage of the proceedings, which the applicants had pursued diligently and in good faith. The Court also found that the Greek Government had not explained in a convincing manner why the applicants had received no compensation. The Court held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 6 (right to a fair hearing) of the European Convention on Human Rights, both concerning the right of access to a court and the length of the proceedings. The Court also held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 (protection of property) of the Convention and reserved the application of Article 41 (just satisfaction) to a later date. (The judgment is available only in French.) --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 09:06:23 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 06:06:23 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Freedom of Religion in Greece Message-ID: <20011212140623.17770.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> GREECE: URGENT CASE AGAINST EVANGELICALS > URGENT CASE AGAIST EVANGELICALS > > <<<< >>>> > GREEK EVANGELICAL ALLIANCE > > URGENT NEWS RELEASE Athens 30/11/01 > > Greek Government Attacks Again Evangelical believers in Amaliada Dear friends and fellow believers > The Greek Evangelical Alliance calls for help. > > Although it is inconceivable and incomprehensible in the end of the year 2001 peaceful and law -abiding citizens face persecution because of their desire to worship God in an evangelical church. > > 14 Pentecostal believers are accused of proselytizing and worshiping God without a legal government permit. > (If you need more information will provide you with a report from layer V. Tsirbas) > > Greece has been condemned for the above law numerous times in the courts of > Europe and has had to pay heavy fines. Recent court cases before the European Court of Human Rights have confirmed the need for the Greek government to grant greater freedoms > to religious minorities. The dictatorial laws of 1363/38 and 1672/39 must > be abolish . > > Greece, the state which gave birth to Democracy, should not tolerate laws like the above which clearly oppress the religious freedom of its people. We would like you to call the > international community to protest the Greek government is actions, which of course are not representing the convictions and spirit of the overwhelming majority of the Greek people. Enclosed are the faxes and e mail addresses of the ministries where we feel that letters of protest like the following sample should be sent. > The Coordinating Committee of the Greek Evangelical Alliance. > > The President > Dr. Ananias Kabakas > > The General Secretary > Dr. Rev. Argyrios Petrou To the Prime minister of Greece e mail: mail at primeminister.gr Fax: 0030 1 3238129 Minister of Justice e mail: minjust1 at otenet.gr fax: 0030 1 7758742 Minister of Education and Religion email: edu_ref at ypepth.gr fax: 0030 1 3233 787 Sample letter Dear * * * *, You know very well that the laws 1363/38 and 1672/39 created by dictator John Metaxas are a source of expense and hassle for the Greek authorities. Greece has been condemned and fined by the European Court of Human Rights because of these laws. The European Union has demanded the repeal of these laws. Domestic court cases continue to be fought regularly over whether a religious minority group has the correct license to be a House of Prayer. These result in wasted time and money for all concerned. We are writing to urge you to repeal these laws. They discriminate against religious minorities and they hamper religious freedom. The Greek Constitution guarantees religious liberty, yet these laws are allowed to continue in spite of the fact that they are unconstitutional. If the laws are not repealed, the court cases will also continue, the authorities will continue to lose, and thus they will continue to be embarrassed in the international community. Such a harasement of being called to court, damages the reputation of religious minorities, wastes their time and money, and continues to foster division and suspicion within Greek society. This is unfair and unconstitutional. We will be watching with interest another court case, this one to take place in Amaliada of Peloponnisos on December 4th where several Evangelical believers will be facing charges of proselytizing, one of them even of his own wife and mother. Obviously we expect that the believers will be declared innocent of any charges, as has happened in similar cases. However, this will not satisfy the international community. It is essential that the Greek government signal its intention of repealing these laws, dating from dictatorial times, which clearly infringe on international human rights laws. Be assured of our respect for Greece. It is this respect which leads us to wonder why these infamous laws have not been repealed already. We look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, * * * * * * * --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 09:19:02 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 06:19:02 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] British Press Message-ID: <20011212141902.73406.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Daily Star December 12, 2001 NEWS; Pg. 23 GREEKS PUT JET SECRETS ON THE NET. . . by JERRY LAWTON GREEK military chiefs holding 12 British plane-spotters for alleged spying are advertising their nuclear fighter jets worldwide over the internet. The astonishing website lifts the lid on detailed specifications of their most advanced aircraft. Punters who log on can buy 24 Mirage F-1 fighters. The Greek Embassy site states the jets are in "full operational condition". The French-built single-seater planes can carry nuclear weapons. The website says: "Information concerning the detailed condition of the aircraft and their engines - including flight hours and maintenance data - will be available to those interested." Last night relatives of the dozen Brits who face 20 years in jail for spying on air force jets were stunned by the ad. A member of plane-spotter Mike Bursell's worried family said: "How can they get away with such hypocrisy?" Mike, 47, from Swanland in Hull, East Yorks, has been languishing in a Greek jail for 35 days after he and 11 other plane-spotters were arrested at a military base. But the Greek Embassy's Washington bureau website - discovered by the Daily Star - blows their air force's deepest secrets. As well as advertising the jets, it reveals Greeks plans to buy 60 new fighters and upgrade their air defences. A senior British military source said: "They are revealing the very secrets they are apparently seeking to protect." Judges deciding whether to prosecute the plane-spotters put off their decision for at least another day. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 09:20:14 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 06:20:14 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NYT Message-ID: <20011212142014.77215.qmail@web11504.mail.yahoo.com> The New York Times December 12, 2001, Wednesday, Late Edition - Final Section A; Page 12; Column 5; Foreign Desk World Briefing Europe: France: Trial On Leak Of Nato Plans Agence France-Presse A French army major went on trial on charges of handing over NATO bombing plans to Serbia during the buildup to the 1999 war in Kosovo. Maj. Pierre-Henri Bunel is being tried at a special military court in Paris and faces a maximum 15-year prison sentence if convicted. Major Bunel, who was attached to NATO headquarters in Brussels, is accused of meeting with a Serbian agent in 1998 and handing over information about planned NATO targets. He said in court that he "had no intention of harming either NATO or France" and that he was acting on orders received in an anonymous telephone call from a military authority as part of efforts to convince Serbia that NATO would carry out threats to bomb if Serbia's abuse of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo did not stop. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 10:48:09 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 07:48:09 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] ILLYRIA - December 2001 Message-ID: <20011212154809.93368.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Mr. Tenet???s Trojan Horse by Gary Q. Kokalari With the events of September 11th, we have witnessed the greatest intelligence failure in history since the Greeks sent the Trojan horse to rescue Helen of Troy. Ironically, a "Greek" presided over the CIA on one of the darkest days in American history. In 1997, George Tenet, who presents himself as a Greek American, was nominated by President Clinton to be CIA Director. As required, his nomination had to be ratified by Congress. On April 27, 1997, I wrote to Senator Richard Shelby, then Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, requesting that the Committee require Mr. Tenet to disclose any relationships he may have with Greek radicals or organizations that support the concept of a "Northern Epirus". I also warned that a destabilized Albania had significant ramifications for U.S. strategic interests, and that political instability in Albania could lead to armed conflict in Kosova. I copied George Tenet on my letter to Senator Shelby and also sent a separate letter to Tenet in which I wrote, "It is my understanding that you represent yourself as a Greek American. It is also my understanding that your father was born in the Albanian village of Qeparo and that your mother was born in Himara, Albania. If this information is correct, it would indicate that there may be some confusion about your ethnic heritage due to the fact that the inhabitants of this area of Albania are ethnic Albanians???.. Your comment on this matter will be greatly appreciated." Not surprisingly, Mr. Tenet did not respond to my letter. Many Albanians would like to know if there is any truth to the speculation about Tenet???s ethnic origin, and due to his reticence to comment, anyone who can shed light on this matter is encouraged to come forward. After sending letters to Senator Shelby and Mr. Tenet, I had the opportunity to discuss this issue with the staff of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Following a cursory investigation of the matter, in the end, Albania???s affairs were not deemed important enough to alter the judgment of the Committee. Unfortunately, my ultimate objective of blocking Tenet???s nomination was unsuccessful. In March 2000, I wrote to Senator Shelby once again. But this time it was to protest a comment made by Mr. Tenet during a December 1999 speech at the annual conference of the Hellenic Medical Society of New York. Mr. Tenet???s speech included a reference to his mother???s migration from Albania as follows: "My mother escaped from Northern Epirus on a British submarine a step ahead of the communist takeover and the closing of the border, never to see her family again." I explained to Senator Shelby that the term "Northern Epirus" is used exclusively by Greek radicals to describe what is in fact southern Albania, and that these radicals have as their common objective the annexation of southern Albania by Greece. I also informed him that the term "Northern Epirus" is not recognized by Albanians, Albania or for that matter, any other country. I expressed my outrage that Mr. Tenet, while a standing Director of the CIA, would behave so irresponsibly in using the highly inflammatory term "Northern Epirus" to describe Albania. By so doing he has acted in a belligerent manner toward Albania, insulted Albanians throughout the world and embraced the dangerous ambitions of Greek provocateurs. If we assume just for the sake of conversation that there is some truth about Mr. Tenet???s Albanian origins, it would appear that we have a factually challenged CIA director with respect to his own ethnic identity and the existence of a sovereign country named Albania. If this is the case, we should not be surprised by the astonishing intelligence failure that led to the tragic events of September 11th. Given his roots in the Clinton administration and the events of September 11th, why hasn???t Tenet been fired from his job as CIA director? Perhaps we can find a clue in Faik Konitza???s book "Albania: The Rock Garden of Southern Europe" in which he writes on the Albanian character and states: "It is important to know that the greatest insult in Albania is to call a man i-pabese, that is to say, disloyal. By contrast, it is interesting to note that in modern Greece, the grossest insult is to call a person illiterate and unintelligent: the ideal of Albania???s southern neighbors is cleverness instead of character." Despite his glaring deficiencies in intelligence gathering, Tenet???s ability to hang on to his post may have something to do with the classic "Greek cleverness" referred to by Konitza. Tenet quickly moved to develop a warm working relationship with George W. Bush. In fact, several days after the attacks, the President visited CIA headquarters and in a show of support threw his arm around Tenet. But perhaps Tenet???s most cunning maneuver was to curry favor with the Bush family by naming the CIA headquarters building after George W???s father, ex-CIA Director and former President George H.W. Bush. The bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993, and the subsequent bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the U.S.S. Cole in Yemen should have been sufficient to convince Mr. Tenet that Binladin and al Qaeda were deadly serious about their intentions to inflict damage upon America. And just one day before their most recent attacks, according to the The New York Times, intelligence officials intercepted a September 10th telephone call between Binladin and his mother when he told her, "something big is coming - you???re going to hear big news and you???re not going to hear from me for a while." What was Mr. Tenet waiting for - an engraved invitation to Binladin???s next terrorist attack? I remember what a beautiful day it was on September 11th when I arrived at my office in Manhattan shortly after 8:00 AM. Tragically, in less than an hour, that beautiful Tuesday would be violently interrupted by terrorists using modern day Trojan horses, this time in the form of airplanes laden with jet fuel, that would reshape the magnificent Manhattan skyline and all of our lives forever. It shouldn???t have happened. We should have known. But it did happen, and it happened on George Tenet???s watch. If Mr. Tenet was a man of character, he would resign. And if he doesn???t, he should be fired. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From Gjergj_Kastrati at excite.com Wed Dec 12 17:42:48 2001 From: Gjergj_Kastrati at excite.com (Gjergj_Kastrati at excite.com) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 04:12:48 +0530 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] The Times of India Online Message-ID: TOIonline While surfing I found this click that made me tick at The Times of India online. This site offers us complete Access to the World of News and Information.I thought you too might wanna check it out! Check This Out!!! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 22:19:17 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 19:19:17 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: [balkans] Report: Macedonia's Name: Why the Dispute Matters and How to Resolve It (ICG) Message-ID: <20011213031917.11380.qmail@web11504.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Florian Bieber Subject: [balkans] Report: Macedonia's Name: Why the Dispute Matters and How to Resolve It (ICG) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2001 20:59:44 +0100 Size: 25362 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 12 23:25:27 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 20:25:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Various News by MPA Message-ID: <20011213042527.88507.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> Macedonian Press Agency 12 December 2001 [09] GREEKS LIVING ABROAD STAND BY "OMONIA" The speech of the representative of the youth organization "Omonia", Eleonora Kokavessi, at the 4th World SAE, was especially touching. With words that touched the hearts of all the participants she referred to the desire in the hearts of Greeks of North ern Ipiros, to salvage and turn over their Greek heritage to their children. On behalf of "Omonia" Mrs. Kokavessi appealed to Greeks living abroad to set up a committee and concentrate funds for the support of the suffering, so that they do not abandon their forefathers lands. She also asked for the support of the request to inst itute the position of an official SAE member, who will represent the Greeks of Albania. At the same time, a SAE association office in Ioannina, to deal with issues of the Greek National Minority in Albania, as well as research on the legal aspect of the I piros issue, so that proposals can be promoted to International Organizations. The response of the participants was direct. With the urging of the Coordinator of N&S America, Mr. Christos Tomaras, who has in the past personally supported Hellenism in the neighboring country, by financial means, concentrating $20,000. [10] GR. NIOTIS: NATIONAL HELLENISM ABROAD FUND IS A CHALLENGE The President of the Special Standing Interparty Committee for Greeks Living Abroad of the Greek Parliament, Grigoris Niotis, presented the newly founded National Fund for Hellenism Abroad (ETO), as a challenge to the survival of SAE itself, as an instit ution of authority, range and productive programmes, responding to the modern image and needs of Hellenism abroad. During the session on the ETO, in the framework of the 4th World SAE, Mr. Niotis stressed that as a non-profit and non-governmental organization, the ETO is the main lever to ensure the autonomy and financial self-reliance of SAE and the Greek living abr oad community worldwide. He also underlined that there will be support from the state, while when mentioning the "ingredients" that ensure the successful course of the ETO, he stated that these are the mobilization of Hellenism abroad, with their registering as aiding members, t he professional presentation, special marketing and special promotion network of the ETO, as well as the ability to attract sponsors in Greece and Cyprus, as well as from abroad. [11] BUSH-SIMITIS MEETING IN JANUARY Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is expected to travel to the United States in early January to meet with US President George Bush at the White House. The US side suggested the visit to take place on January 9-10 but the Greek government has not responded yet. Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas stated that the date of Mr. Simitis' visit has not been finalized yet and it will be decided via the diplomatic route. He said that the agenda of the meeting will be decided via the diplomatic route as well, adding that it will cover all issues and mainly will be discussed issues that concern the international community and bilateral relations. [12] MOST OF THE WOMEN TRAFFICKING VICTIMS ARE FOREIGNERS Most of the women trafficking victims (60%) are foreigners without a residence permit and often are young women 12-15 years old. During the past year, 300.000 women from eastern and central Europe were led to prostitution in western Europe. The above were stated by Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis in a meeting-discussion on the Illegal Trafficking and Trade of Women that was held by the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace in cooperation with the US Consulate in Thessaloniki and the Center for Democracy in the Balkans, with the participation of European Parliament representatives and non governmental organizations from Pristina and Skopje. Mr. Paschalidis stated that the problem needs to be faced at an international level, while a coordination is necessary at police and legislation level. The US consul general in Thessaloniki stated that it is a global problem and needs the same mobilization that was necessary to deal with the illegal trafficking of weapons and drugs. [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS [16] KARAMANLIS-KOSTUNICA MEETING IN BELGRADE A meeting took place in Belgrade between the President of New Democracy, Kostas Karamanlis, and the President of Yugoslavia, Voislav Kostunica, in the framework of the European People's Party initiative for the democratization of the western Balkans whic h Mr. Karamanlis heads. The leader of the Opposition will then go to Kossovo where he will meet with Ibraim Rugova and the Head of UNMIK, Hans Heceroup, as well as representatives of the Serb community. Mr. Karamanlis, will also visit the Greek Brigade in stationed in Kossovo P olie. Yesterday, Mr. Karamanlis visited Skopje, where he had consecutive meetings with the President of FYROM, Boris Trajkovski, and the Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, the President of the Democratic Party of Albania (DPA), Arben Jaferi and the leader of t he Socialdemocrat Union (SDSM), Branco Chervenovski. Tomorrow Mr. Karamanlis will go to Brussels to participate in the enlarged summit meeting of the EPP, where he will inform the participants on the results of his meeting. [17] PAPANTONIOU-MAIKO SATISFIED WITH GREEK-ALBANIAN RELATIONS A bilateral military agreement, of a mainly technical character, was signed by Ministers of Defense of Albania and Greece, Panteli Maiko and Giannos Papantoniou, during the Greek Minister's visit to Tirana. The agreement foresees, among other things, the organization of seminars, the provision of military materials and the coordination of technical issues for the reconstruction of the military base of Durresi with funding from the Ministry of National Defen se. The agreement also foresees the healthcare of a larger number of patients in Greek military hospitals, which will reach 30 people a year. Mr. Papantoniou met with the Prime Minister, Ilir Meta, and the President of Albania, Rejep Mejdani. In a joint press conference, the two Ministers expresses their satisfaction with the good point Greek-Albanian relations have reached. [18] VIOLENCE TARGETING THE ETHNIC GREEK MINORITY IN ALBANIA Greek Euro-deputy Christos Zacharakis, elected with the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy, accused the Albanian authorities of violent behavior targeting the ethnic Greek minority in Himara referring to the demolition of "unlicensed" hous es that belonged to members of the minority. Mr. Zacharakis stressed that the actions against the ethnic Greek minority were ordered by the Albanian mayor of Himara, adding that his election was not recognized as legal by the observers of the Council of Europe. He called on the Euro-Parliament to t ake under consideration these events in view of the preparations for the negotiations aimed at the signing of a Stability and Cooperation Pact between the EU and Albania. [20] APPEAL BY KARAMANLIS TO THE EU TO HELP YUGOSLAVIA Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, after the meeting he had with Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Vojslav Kostunica in Belgrade, issued an appeal to the European Union to assist Yugoslavia, while he called on the Greek government to undertake a more active policy in the Balkans. Mr. Karamanlis stated that in his meeting with Mr. Kostunica they agreed on the basic principles that promote peace and stability in the region namely, no border changes, no new states, and respect of human and minority rights. He said that it is clear that the reconstruction of the Balkans and the consolidation of stability in the region cannot take place without Yugoslavia. [21] KARAMANLIS: THE STABILITY IN THE REGION DEPENDS ON KOSOVO'S PRESENT AND FUTURE Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis visited the "Alexander the Great" army camp in Kosovo, where the Greek Brigade is based, underlining the important role it plays for peace and stability in the region, while at th e same time it also upgrades Greece's role. Mr. Karamanlis underlined that stability in the region depends on Kosovo's present and future, stressing that prudence and moderation must prevail. The New Democracy leader reiterated that there must be no changes in the borders, adding that living conditions must be at a satisfactory level for every citizen, while he stressed that the human and minority rights must be respected. He also said that t he moderate presence of Mr. Rugova will be a catalyst toward this direction. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 13 16:45:57 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 13:45:57 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] London Free Press Message-ID: <20011213214557.48040.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> London Free Press December 13, 2001 Thursday, Final Edition Opinion Pages; Pg. A6; Vox Pop TEEN IMMIGRANTS GRAPPLE WITH DEFINING THEIR IDENTITY OLTA DANI, FREELANCE WRITER Is it possible for me to combine the world I left with the one in which I am living now in terms of views and expectations? I don't know, but I hope I will one of these days. When I first came to Canada, I was 19 years old and, by teen standards here, I soon should have been a person working at a part-time job, having a group of friends with whom to hang out, possibly a boyfriend and going out to clubs every weekend. However, I was someone who had just stepped onto what seemed like another planet, knowing nothing about it except what I had seen in movies and having no idea how difficult it would be to meet everyone's expectations. Now I am 21 years old and things haven't changed much. How could they, when I still haven't found a way to reconcile the expectations of my parents and family with those of my few friends, while reflecting some of mine? It seems neither my family nor friends are able to take the first step toward the other, so I am caught in the middle, trying to make both sides happy, while attempting to make myself happy. In doing so, however, I fear I have lost something, a part of my identity. It was so easy when I was in my home country, Albania, where most of my friends had the same expectations as I did to fulfil and we had so much in common with each other. Teens, or even young people who are immigrants, have a hard time living a "normal" life. Sometimes I think we live two different lives -- one that includes our parents and family members and the other the one we experience with the friends we have made. This may sound crazy or even hypocritical, but at the end of the day we have found out that it is very difficult for some of us not to be caught in the middle. In the past two years, I have struggled to make the two worlds meet, but every attempt has turned into a lie to my parents or having to see fragile friendships cut off. It is nearly impossible to maintain friendships without going to parties or out on weekends or trying to date when there are so few excuses for going out in the evening without raising suspicions. And even on those "happy-as-can-be" occasions, when I got the chance to go out to clubs or on a date, there was always a voice in the back of my head reminding me that what I was experiencing wouldn't last without a lie. That voice was the one I had taken with me since my childhood, which now battles with the one of the person I am trying to become. >From the many discussions between me and other immigrant teens and twentysomethings, it seems one of the most common things we have is the battle between who we were brought up to be and the people that we are trying to become since we came to the "new world." NOTES: Vox Pop provides readers with an opportunity to comment on topical subjects. Olta Dani is a London resident. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From skochi at paytronixsystems.com Thu Dec 13 19:56:10 2001 From: skochi at paytronixsystems.com (Stefan Kochi) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 19:56:10 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NAAC: New Year 2002 Dinner Invitation | Dec 30, 2001 | Pier 4 | B oston Message-ID: <447D31239D76124CA63429E55806285C0150BFBE@MI8NYCMAIL08.Mi8.com> Kujtese qe, bashke me dhuratat e stines, te beni rezervimet per darken e Vitit te Ri 2002 ne Boston! Nje pjese e vendeve jane rezervuar per studentet! Mos harroni te ftoni dhe miqte qe do t'ju vine per vizite ... Stefan National Albanian American Council The Massachusetts Chapter of The National Albanian American Council cordially invites you to CELEBRATE THE NEW YEAR 2002 TOGETHER Sunday, December 30, 2001 Seven PM to Midnight Anthony's Pier 4 140 Northern Avenue Boston, Massachusetts The reception will include hors d'oeuvres, dinner, great singers, humor, beautiful music, dancing, and more. Admission is: $85 per person $50 for students $35 for children 12 and under Space is limited so please RSVP by December 23d at: Artan Simeqi at: (617) 389-5754, email: asimeqi at ccs.neu.edu Make checks payable to: NAAC New Year 2002 Mail checks to: PO Box 1384 Boston, MA 02104 All proceeds to be donated to the National Albanian American Council Keshilli Kombetar Shqiptaro Amerikan Dega e Masacusetit e Keshillit Kombetar Shqiptaro Amerikan ju fton te: FESTOJMe Se BASHKU VITIN E RI 2002 E Diel, 30 Dhjetor, 2001 7 PM deri ne mesnate Anthony's Pier 4 140 Northern Avenue Boston, Massachusetts Mbremja do te perfshije koktej, darke, kengetare te njohur, humor, muzike, vallezim dhe argetim te pasur Biletat kushtojne: $85 person madhor $50 studentet $35 femijet nen 12 vjec Vendet jane te kufizuara; ju lutemi RSVP deri ne 23 dhjetor ne kete adrese: Artan Simeqi: (617) 389-5754, email: asimeqi at ccs.neu.edu Cekun shkruajeni per: NAAC New Year 2002 Adresa e dergimit te Cekut: PO Box 1384 Boston, MA 02104 Te gjitha perfitimet e darkes do t'i dhurohen Keshillit Kombetar Shqiptaro Amerikan -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 13 23:13:32 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 20:13:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] An Albanian Young Student in Need Message-ID: <20011214041332.1506.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> From Denis Kalenja wrote: > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Thu, 6 Dec 2001 22:01:58 EST > From: MARTINGRITS at aol.com > Subject: Need Suggestions and Assistance for an > Albanian student > > Hello, > I teach 8th grade Social Studies in Montgomery, > New York (Orange > County), located about l-2 hours northwest of New > York City. Our Middle > School has a newly enrolled Albanian student. He is > 13 years old and unable > to write the English alphabet accurately. He is a > likeable, respectful young > man, who watches very closely as I teach the > lessons, but is unable to > understand what I am saying. He is unable to read > any of the 8th grade > textbooks he has been given. His days are filled > with discouragement and no > successes. He lives with his father, who speaks no > English, and with his > uncle, who speaks limited English and works 6 nights > weekly. Therefore, > there is no family member who can teach this student > how to read and write > English. I have asked my school's administrative > district office if they > will hire someone (perhaps a retired elementary > school teacher) to teach this > student the basics of our language and help him > learn to read and write. The > boy is very motivated to learn. Our district says > there is not funding > available for this need. Thus the young man sits, > frustrated and frequently > embarrassed, often discouraged that he doesn't > really understand what is > going on. Some of the teacher have given him a > failing grade. I have kept > him in an ungraded status as I know his barrier is > solely the English > language. When quiz or test papers are given out, > he writes answers in > Albanian, which, of course, I cannot read. > Occasionally, I sit with him and > show him simple objects, i.e. cup, pen, paper, dime. > I say the word then > write it on paper and ask him to write the word 3 > times. He has been very > proud to have someone spend a little time and has > responded enthusiastically. > He is eager for someone to take time/make time/ > find someone somewhere????? > to meet with him and teach him English. My Middle > School Principal has given > permission for this student to be taken out of his > classes in school if I can > find someone who will > sit and help the student. I asked the Uncle if > there is anyone they know who > would help? There is not. I called the Newburgh, > New York Literacy Council. > They replied that they only assist individuals age > 18 and over. I called > St. Mary's College, in our area, but have been > unsuccessful in my attempts to > find someone who will help this > boy learn to read and write. Do you have any > suggestions, names, or contacts > to assist me? The boy knows I am looking for > someone to come into the school > and teach him English. He is well liked by other > students, as he is a very > pleasant young man. But I have seen him so > frustrated that he has cried in > class. My heart goes out for his needs. Can you > help?? > > Hopeful of > Someone Somewhere! > Ms. Heather > Martin > E-Mail: > MARTINGRITS at AOL.com > > ***Alb-Club*** > ____________________________________________________ > Alb-Club mailing list: Alb-Club at alb-net.com > http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/alb-club __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From KBejko at MFS.com Fri Dec 14 10:34:06 2001 From: KBejko at MFS.com (Bejko, Kreshnik) Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 10:34:06 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] This made it to WSJ Message-ID: <0555B6986D9BD411843B00E00900000418B327@perseus.mfs.com> Hate-Me Crimes ' Hate Me' Crimes By Mark Steyn, a columnist for Britain's Daily Telegraph and Canada's National Post. Having successfully introduced the novel legal concept of the "hate crime," progressive opinion has now taken it to dizzying new heights: the hate-me crime. In a traditional hate crime, you beat someone up not just for his fake Rolex but because you hate him on the basis of his race, creed or color. With the new hate-me crime, you beat someone up because you hate him on the basis of his race, creed or color -- and hey, that's cool, he's OK with it, so feel free to take another swing. The other day, Robert Fisk, of the British newspaper The Independent, was set upon by a gang of Afghans. Mr. Fisk has had decades of experience in the Muslim world and is a widely acknowledged expert on the subject. That's to say, since Sept. 11, he's got pretty much everything wrong. (Sample Fisk headlines: "Bush Is Walking Into a Trap," "It Could Become More Costly Than Vietnam," "How Can The U.S. Bomb This Tragic People?") You can understand why Mr. Fisk has been in low spirits of late: The much-feared "Arab street" is as seething and turbulent as a leafy cul-de-sac in Westchester County; and poor old Afghanistan's reputation as the humbler of empires has gone south since Mullah Omar contracted out homeland defense to a bunch of Saudi, Paki, Brit and Californian losers. But last weekend the people finally roused themselves -- and beat up Fisky! His car broke down just a stone's throw (as it turned out) from the Pakistani border and a crowd gathered. To the evident surprise of the man known to his readers as "the champion of the oppressed," the oppressed decided to take on the champ. They lunged for his wallet and began lobbing rocks. Yet even as the rubble bounced off his skull, Mr. Fisk was shrewd enough to look for the "root causes": "Young men broke my glasses, began smashing stones into my face and head. I couldn't see for the blood pouring down my forehead and swamping my eyes. And even then, I understood. I couldn't blame them for what they were doing. In fact, if I were the Afghan refugees of Kila Abdullah, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border, I would have done just the same to Robert Fisk. Or any other Westerner I could find." It's not their fault, he insisted, their "brutality is entirely the product of others" -- i.e., George Bush, Tony Blair, Donald Rumsfeld, you. And in a flash, the gloom of recent weeks lifted and Mr. Fisk turned in the heady, exhilarating columnar equivalent of a Sally Field acceptance speech: you hate me, you really hate me! You'd have to have a heart of stone not to weep with laughter. Even as a mob is trying to kill him, he absolves them of all responsibility. It's "entirely" America's fault. Noam Chomsky, eat your heart out. Any old Ivy League professor can give droning speeches about America's "silent genocide"; any European Union minister can swan off to U.N. gabfests in Durban to apologize to Robert Mugabe for Western civilization. But, at a stroke, Mr. Fisk has dramatically raised the bar for standards of Western self-loathing. By way of contrast, consider another Afghan story his paper carried: a call by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others for "a full inquiry" into whether or not U.S. forces in Afghanistan are guilty of torture. Torture? My God, what are our boys up to? Well, it seems "very disturbing" "threats" were made to a member of the Taliban and captured on videotape. The offending party was the CIA team of Mike Spann and his comrade, known only as "Dave." They were at the Qala-i-Jangai prison, interrogating the celebrated Marin County Taliban, born John Yoko Ashram Fonda Country Joe And The Fish Walker Lindh but now going under the name Mustapha Jihad. Mike and Dave seem to have been doing a good cop/bad cop routine on the "poor fellow," with Mike quietly pointing out that "there were several hundred other Muslims killed" at the World Trade Center and Dave stomping around in the background using the f-word a lot and muttering that Little Johnny must "decide if he wants to live or die." Had the Marinated Muslim spent less time in the madrassa mastering the ways of his adopted people (how to brandish your AK-47 without getting it snagged in your floor-length beard) and more time watching American pop culture, he would have recognized the Mike/Dave scene from "There's Something About Mary." But Kenneth Roth of Human Rights Watch thinks Dave's "threat" would, under international law, be considered torture. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words are illegal and constitute cruel and unusual punishment. We can't bring Mike Spann before a war crimes tribunal because unfortunately Tali-Boy's fellow prisoners rose up and beat, kicked and bit the CIA man to death before booby-trapping his body with grenades. But British SAS commandos managed to rescue Dave and he could certainly be prosecuted by an international court. If the U.S. refused to extradite, Dave could be tried in absentia. Perhaps he could even be bitten to death in absentia. These two stories usefully clarify the peculiar pathology of the antiwar left. On the one hand, we need international investigations if Americans are insufficiently decorous in their questioning. On the other, it's perfectly justifiable for disaffected Muslims to target Western civilians purely on the basis of their ethnic identity. On the one hand, we can't do anything right. On the other, they can't do anything wrong. The Fisk Doctrine, taken to its logical conclusion, absolves of responsibility not just the perpetrators of Sept. 11 but also Taliban supporters who attacked several of Mr. Fisk's fellow journalists in Afghanistan, all of whom, alas, died before being able to file a final column explaining why their murderers are blameless. In recent weeks, some of us have found it hard to suppress the occasional titter at President Bush's attempts at Islamic outreach. But it testifies, if nothing else, to Mr. Bush's humanity: He believes the third-graders at the Sword of the Infidel-Slayer Elementary School in Kandahar are at heart no different from those in Crawford, Texas. He may be na?ve about this: It could be that, even if he sat down to read "'Twas The Night Before Ramadan" to a bunch of six-year-olds in Yasser's toxic classrooms in Ramallah, the little tykes would think it sucked compared to Suicide Bombing 101. But at least, whenever he talks about anyone, Texans or Tajiks, Afghans or Australians, the old right-wing Big Oil stooge accords them fundamental dignity as human individuals. By comparison, every argument the enlightened antiwar progressives make has at its core the proposition that these people are primitives: They are no more culpable for tearing you apart than a pack of hyenas would be. As Mr. Fisk sees it, the mob who mugged him and robbed him were "truly innocent of any crime except being the victim of the world." Not true. They had a choice, and to deny that they had a choice is to dehumanize them far more than Pentagon euphemisms about "collateral damage" do. Before the scenes of shaven Afghans cheering their liberation disheartened the peaceniks, you could go to most any college town and see signs saying "Stop your racist war!" As they no longer seem to need the placards, I was wondering if we warmongers could borrow them. Because the intellectual assault being waged by the extreme left is explicitly racist. To old-school imperialists, these excitable Pashtun types were the "lesser breeds without the law" (Kipling). To self-loathing multiculturalists, they still are. Or, rather, they're still "without the law" but now they're the "superior breeds" -- their moral integrity confirmed by their resistance to such concepts as individual responsibility. Rousseau's "noble savage" was savage because of his isolation from the West; the Chomsky-Fisk-Said "noble savage" is savage precisely because of the West, which you've got to admit is a dandy improvement, if only in terms of heightening the delicious masochistic frisson. If I were, say, Abdullah Abdullah, the new Afghan foreign minister, I'd be getting a bit sick of the exquisite condescension of Western liberals. From 1886 to 1973, Afghanistan was one of the more peaceful corners of the planet -- at least when compared to, oh, Germany, Italy, France, Poland, Russia, Japan and China. There's no reason why it can't be again. The Bonn talks went well. The new cabinet includes a woman. The interim government starts next week. And the only Yankee war crime to get steamed up about is the robust vocabulary of one agent: "Hey, hey, CIA/How many naughty words did you use today?" It must all be very disheartening for the massed ranks of Western doom-mongers. But, c'mon, don't beat yourself up over it. As Robert Fisk well knows, there's plenty of Afghans who'll do it for you. From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Dec 14 21:40:38 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 18:40:38 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Refusing to investigate Milosevic's accounts - Financial Times Message-ID: <20011215024038.60830.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Financial Times (London) December 14, 2001, Friday London Edition 1 EUROPE; Pg. 14 Spotters put Greek justice on the spot: Kerin Hope on red faces in Athens as UK and Dutch aircraft fans are accused of spying - ahead of an EU summit: By KERIN HOPE With its white facade and airy interior, the courthouse in the southern Greek town of Kalamata was designed with high standards of justice in mind. But grimy windows and gaping holes in the lobby ceiling - home to a family of pigeons - suggest a different reality. The bizarre case of the 12 British and two Dutch "planespotters" arrested on November 8 for spying, after touring a Greek air force base at Kalamata on its annual open day, is an extreme example of how a cultural misunderstanding can derail the system. The British hobby involving sensibly attired grown-ups meticulously recording the serial numbers and other details of trains and planes can be puzzling even to their compatriots. But the case also highlights a broad gap separating Greek judicial practice from the rest of the EU. While Greece has made steady progress towards economic convergence with its partners, winning entry to the eurozone, it has lagged behind in modernising the institutions of civil society. The Kalamata authorities' handling of the planespotters' case has deeply embarrassed the Socialist government. Instead of dismissing the case for lack of evidence, as experts predicted, the local prosecutor insisted on pressing criminal charges. There are hopes that the planespotters will be freed today on bail of Dr5m (Pounds 9,100, Euros 14,700) each, after three local judges overruled the prosecutor and reduced the spying charges, which carry a maximum 20-year jail sentence, to a minor offence - collecting information illegally. But the judges did not back their decision with a legal argument, fuelling speculation that they had responded to political pressure. Amid intense diplomatic lobbying by the UK and the Netherlands, the Greek government was anxious to see the planespotters freed ahead of this weekend's EU summit. Richard Howitt, a UK member of the European parliament who campaigned for the planespotters' released, said: "Next year when they return for the trial I'm confident the charges will collapse and they'll be acquitted. But the case has raised serious human rights issues that still have to be tackled." Greece's justice system is generally recognised as being in poor shape. The planespotters spent almost five weeks in jail, but their experience was not unusual. Suspected criminals may be held for up to a year before being formally charged. The justice ministry is expected to intervene to speed the trial. Otherwise it could be held up for two or three years by a backlog of minor cases. Vassilis Markis, chairman of the Greek prosecutors' association, says: "The system is being overwhelmed by the huge number of cases flooding the prosecutors' offices and the courts." Yet the problems go beyond logistics. When he discussed the planespotters' case with his UK and Dutch counterparts, George Papandreou, the foreign minister, made a point of stressing the judiciary's independence. But like most Greek institutions, the judiciary is highly politicised, with appointments of senior judges requiring cabinet approval. Critics say a judge or magistrate who clashes with an influential politician or businessman may suddenly be overloaded with cases or transferred at short notice to a remote provincial town. Nikos Konstantopoulos, a prominent Athens lawyer and leader of the small Left Coalition party, says the system is plagued by "mechanisms of control, interference and influence-wielding, as well as corruption". Greece has recently improved co-operation with its EU partners on the extradition of criminals, diplomats say. But prosecutors, investigating magistrates and judges still assert their independence in ways that are at odds with European practice. The Greek judiciary has proved reluctant, for example, to respond to requests from Carla del Ponte, the UN special prosecutor for war crimes, to investigate accounts held at Greek banks that may have been used by cronies of Slobodan Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president, for laundering money. One appeal court judge publicly rejected a request from the UN tribunal, saying: "Greek judges should refuse to become detectives for Mrs Del Ponte." The details of more than 200 accounts allegedly linked with the Milosevic regime arrived in Greece last August, but it was only last week that a council of judges ruled in favour of lifting bank secrecy regulations, according to justice ministry officials. A senior adviser at the ministry says: "We have a particular problem over the UN war crimes tribunal. There is a streak of nationalism in the judiciary that becomes more pronounced when asked to co-operate with international authorities." --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Dec 14 22:00:48 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 19:00:48 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] The Independent Message-ID: <20011215030048.52513.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> The Independent (London) December 15, 2001, Saturday First Edition; NEWS; Pg. 9 BRITONS FREED AFTER ORDEAL IN GREEK JAIL Steve Boggan And Paul Wood In Athens Peter Norris, left, is released on bail Aris Messinis/AP; Paul; Coppin, centre, surrounded by journalists outside the police station in; Nafplion, Greece yesterday Vangelis Bougiotis/AP BODY: THE BRITISH plane spotters freed from prison in Greece after a five week "spying" ordeal spoke last night of their "ridiculous" arrests and their relief that the threat of a 20 year jail sentence had been lifted from them. After negotiating a mountain of red tape before their release and a media scrum as they walked out into the sunshine, the 11 men and one woman were whisked to Athens on a bus commandeered by a British national newspaper in preparation for a return to their families today. All the spotters remained on pounds 9,000 bail after having their felony spying charges reduced to misdemeanours and they had been advised to keep their comments guarded. But they still spoke of being angry and astonished that they had even been arrested in the first place. Peter Norris, of Uxbridge, west London, described the party's disbelief when they were first arrested at an airfield in Kalamata on 8 November. Speaking from the Daily Mail's bus, Mr Norris said: "It's fantastic to be out. I just can't wait to get home for Christmas. But we should never have been in that situation in the first place. Our arrest at Kalamata airfield was simply ridiculous. That was the third one we had been to that day, and we had permission to visit them all." The prisoners' release was as surreal as their imprisonment, with each having to fill in 12 or more forms. The men had been due to emerge from Nafplion prison at 8am local time, but it was not until 1pm that the first two, Paul Coppin and Wayne Groves, were freed. Then, as it appeared the situation could become no more farcical, the prison staff stopped work between 2pm and 3.30pm for a siesta. As Mr Norris put it: "There were times when I wondered when this day was coming and what a long day it has been. It has been an unbelievable few weeks and I still cannot believe we were arrested. The whole thing has been ridiculous. Now all I want to do is get home and get back to my family." By 4pm British time the 12 Britons and two Dutch spotters had been freed from prison. The Britons are: Paul Coppin, 57, and his wife Lesley, 51, of Mildenhall, Suffolk, Peter Norris, 52, of Uxbridge, west London, Antoni Adamiak, 37, of London; Andrew Jenkins, 32, of York; Wayne Groves, 38, of Tamworth; Michael Bursell, 47, of Swanland, near Hull; Michael Keane, 57, of Dartford, Kent; Steven Rush, 38, from Caterham, Surrey; Christopher Wilson, 46, who lives close to Gatwick Airport; Graham Arnold, 38, from Ottershaw, Surrey; and Garry Fagan, 30, from Kegworth, Leicestershire. Mr Coppin, who organised the trip with his wife, was understood to have been contracted to speak to the Daily Mail, but he said: "It's quite interesting to see a different side of Greece than a prison cell. We are all very happy to be out." Mr Groves said: "I'm pleased to be out of course but overall we're not very happy because we've got to come back here. In the end we will get justice." Describing the moments before their arrest, Mr Norris added: "At each airfield we visited that day ... we were told not to take any pictures, so we left our cameras in the van. We didn't take any pictures at all. At about 4.50pm, we were walking out and a guy stopped us and said You're under arrest.' We asked what for, and he said, For taking pictures of aircraft'. "We thought he was crazy - our cameras were in the van. But they led us away and it began to get very strange." Mr Norris, who works for a freight forwarding company, said his worst moment was at the first court appearance when the judge told them they would be charged with espionage. "None of us imagined it would ever get that far," he said. "The judge would see the evidence and let us go. We imagined being back home the next day. Then he told us he was looking at a serious form of spying and my heart just sank. Suddenly we were going back to prison. "In jail we were not singled out for any special favours but the other inmates were fine and we had no problems from them. It was just the thought of being in jail and not knowing what was going to happen from one day to the next. There was never any good news from the courts. We were worried whether we would get bail because we did not have a Greece address. I had never been in prison before and I can tell you, they look a lot better from the outside." Mr Norris's wife, Perdita, said she and their five grown-up children had begun to fear the worst. "Peter and I really thought he might be jailed as a spy," she said. "Everything had seemed so ridiculous that we reached the position where we thought anything was possible. "We're all just delighted he's coming home. Now we can look forward to Christmas." The planespotters still face misdemeanour charges of spying, which carry a maximum sentence of five years. But by abandoning the felony prosecution the Greek court recognise that they were not spies but holidaymakers pursuing a hobby, albeit one completely unknown in Greece. Defence lawyers are confident that once the case comes to court, the evidence against them will melt away. The original allegation that the 12 had taken illegal photographs was shown to be untrue when their film was developed and was shown to have nothing more secret on it than pictures of the Athens military museum. The case against the planespotters now rests on notebooks seized from some members of the group in which are written down military aircraft tail numbers. The planespotters say these are available in aircraft publications sold quite openly in Greece and throughout Europe. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Dec 14 22:16:58 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 19:16:58 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Trainspotting in Albania...The Times Message-ID: <20011215031658.90687.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> The Times (London) December 14, 2001, Friday Features Spot the difference Ben Macintyre The British enjoy the thrill of taking photographs of foreign military planes and noting down their numbers. The Greeks think those who do so are either spies or mad. Ben Macintyre in Athens reports on the cultural differences that divide the two countries, while Penny Wark talks Everyone has a bad holiday story, about the inedible food, the truculent natives, the hotel like a prison, the peculiar companions. But Lesley Coppin's story goes one worse: her accommodation was a prison and the past month abroad has been spent in the company of a woman who diced up her husband and buried him under an onion patch. In early November, Mrs Coppin set off with her second husband Paul for a relaxing week in Greece, part belated honey-moon, part hobby tour: while her planespotting spouse and his friends visited the military airfields that are their passion, she planned to read a few books on the minibus, and then spend the last days of the holiday touring ancient Greek ruins. Today Mrs Coppin, 51, was finally hoping to leave Korydallos high-security prison, one of the nastiest jails in Europe, after five weeks behind bars on charges of military espionage for looking -or in her case not looking -at elderly Greek aircraft. Mrs Coppin had planned to explore the Acropolis; instead she found herself sharing a fetid cell with 13 women and facing a possible prison sentence of 20 years. The decision this week by Greek judges to reduce the charges and allow the Coppins to be released on bail, along with ten other planespotting Britons and two Dutchmen, has brought to an end one of most bizarre international legal disputes of modern times, but it has left Mrs Coppin, a grandmother who works as the deputy manager of Domino's Pizza in Mildenhall, Suffolk, with the sort of holiday memories that nightmares are made of. Perhaps the cruellest irony is that she, unlike her husband, is very bored by military aircraft and does not know an AH49 from a B52. The incarceration of the planespotters has driven the Daily Mail into an anti Greek frenzy, prompted questions in Parliament, diplomatic representations by the Foreign Office and Prime Minister, and enraged comparisons between the Greek Government and the Taleban; it has angered and confused many Greeks, provoked resentment within the Greek military establishment, exacerbated tensions between Greece and Turkey and brought relations between Athens and London to their lowest ebb for years; it has cast a light into the strange world of the planespotter, and another into the paranoid mind of Greek military officialdom; it has spawned some familiar jokes and some pompous newspaper columns. But above all, the incident has revealed the unbridgeable cultural gulf between two exotic European species: the average British planespotter and the typical Greek military policeman. European commissions, parliaments, courts and currencies may seek to bring Europeans closer, but these two creatures simply do not inhabit the same psychological universe -which is why Mrs Coppin ended up in a dank cell with prostitutes and murderers. Mr Coppin runs a travel company, Touchdown Tours, specialising in excursions to airshows, military installations and, most importantly, to foreign airfields in order to spot military jets. Planespotters deem themselves a more glamorous version of trainspotters -if such a distinction is possible -but the object of the hobby is much the same: see an aircraft, note down its identification number and, if possible, take a photograph; then spend hours in arcane conversation with other planespotters, over Thermos and sandwiches, often in the rain. This uniquely British pastime follows a grand tradition of eccentricity: it is not complicated, physically dangerous or athletic. In the minds of most people it is merely harmless, pointless, and mind-crushingly boring. But to its most enthusiastic practitioners it verges on compulsion, and of all the myriad varieties of planespotters, the most obsessive are the "militaries", who spot military planes. Not for them the humdrum pleasures of a Heathrow passenger jet; they long for the forbidden thrill of a Mirage glimpsed across barbed wire on a cold East European runway, the smell of military jet fuel in the morning, the challenge of getting around the guards to jot down that elusive tail number. These men -and they are almost all male -are the uber-nerds of planespotting, anoraks with attitude for whom no military plane is too dull or obscure, no airfield out of bounds. Mr Coppin knew what he was up against in Greece, and his account of a similar planespotting visit to the country last year now reads like pure irony. "I would warn that spotting in Greece is still not particularly liked by the authorities and without our contacts in the Greek Ministry of Defence, which helped on a number of occasions, the trip might have been a little longer than anticipated." Mr Coppin even appears to have relished the risks. On his website he eagerly records a visit to an F104 storage area at Araxos last year: "This was our closest call with the security forces during the whole trip, so care is definitely needed here." On November 8, the 14 tourists, having paid Pounds 650 for the week-long trip, arrived at the military airbase in Kalamata in the Peloponnese. Mrs Coppin stayed in the minibus, doing a crossword puzzle, while the others trooped off to see what they could see. By this point, the spotters had already visited airbases at Tanagra, Andravida and Araxos, and Mrs Coppin was bored stiff. Greek officials say the group had been repeatedly warned that its activities were suspicious and told not to take photographs; it had been detained, cautioned and released once already. But the "militaries" laughed in the face of danger: this, after all, was the annual feast of Saint Michael, patron saint of fighter pilots, when the Greek Air Force traditionally (if cautiously) opens its doors to visitors. "We had an invitation to attend the open day at Kalamata that was signed by a Greek Air Force brigadier. We left the cameras in the minibuses as we were told," Mr Coppin says. Within minutes the entire group, including the hapless Mrs Coppin, were rounded up, marched off to a Greek military police station and accused of espionage or, more exactly, "walking suspiciously" through a military area. The British tabloid press immediately leapt to the defence of the "Kalamata 12", insisting that innocent, if somewhat quirky, Britons were being cruelly used by barbaric foreigners. From the Greek perspective, matters looked rather different. Photographic equipment, whether used or not, near military installations is suspicious, but, in the wake of September 11, Kalamata airbase, the home of the Greek Air Force academy, was on the highest security alert. Despite repeated warnings, the group persisted in its quest for sensitive aircraft serial numbers. If a group of foreigners had been noticed lurking around the perimeter of a British military airbase armed with binoculars, notebooks and telephoto-lenses in the wake of the terrorist attacks, the British police might also have taken an interest; at least one sincerely hopes they would have. Spies have been known to use spotters as cover before, and during the Cold War spies pretending to be trainspotters gathered useful military information in Albania. There is also one other crucial factor: Britain has roughly 10,000 planespotters; Greece has precisely none. In Britain people who hang around airbases spotting military planes are benign, Bovril-drinking eccentrics; in Greece they are spies. What the Greek authorities subsequently discovered redoubled their suspicions. Inside the planespotters' luggage was a shortband radio scanner, used for eavesdropping on conversations between pilots and ground control. Their notebooks were full of the serial numbers of army helicopters operating out of Megara, a high-security base near Athens that is off-limits to civilians. During interviews with police, Mr Coppin neglected to mention that the group had been to Megara; more importantly, he failed to mention that earlier this year he had toured airbases in Turkey, which has not always had the most cordial relations with Greece, as a guest of the Turkish military. Nothing could have looked more dodgy in Greek eyes, and Mr Coppin's excuse that he had been in similar contact with the Greek military did nothing to dampen suspicions. Greece is gearing up to host the Olympic Games in 2004 and issues of security are high on the national agenda. Moreover, the country has just taken delivery of a secret new aircraft: an adapted Embraer jet, modified to carry an airborne early-warning system. According to some reports, the Greek authorities believe the group took photographs of the new plane. Another factor contributing to Greek sensitivity may be the fact that it has already supplied two of its aged Huey helicopters to neighbouring Macedonia, which is facing deep internal conflict with ethnic Albanians. The arrested planespotters insisted that the radio scanner had not been used. Mr Coppin said he had not told the authorities (or his lawyer) about going to Megara because the top-secret airbase had not been on the original itinerary. He said they had simply seen planes as they were driving along the road, and got out of the minibus with their binoculars and notebooks and got spotting. The unconvinced Greek authorities called in the prosecutors, and Mrs Coppin was bundled off to Korydallos prison while the men were incarcerated in Nafplion. On November 12 they were charged with espionage, the ponderous Greek legal system lumbered into action and Britain erupted in self-righteous fury. Planespotting is pursued by relatively few Britons, but bashing foreigners who arrest Brits is a sport the whole nation can enjoy. The Daily Mail began a campaign to force the release of the Kalamata 12 -and may be negotiating to pay some of their bail as a publicity stunt -to the point where the Greek Embassy is getting thousands of e-mails and letters, and sales of Greek products are falling. Edward Heathcoat Amory invoked Palmerston, recalling for Mail readers the occasion when the then Foreign Secretary sent a naval squadron to blockade the Greek coast in defence of a lone British citizen. The Spectator issued a ferocious harangue against the "sadistic and moronic" actions of the Greek authorities, insisting that the Taleban treated their foreign prisoners better and demanding a boycott of the Olympic Games. Baron Lamont of Lerwick fulminated about the dangers of European-style justice, and Boris Johnson MP declared the judges, in a region famed for its olives, to be the pits: "Are these Greek judges just a few olives short of a picnic?" he demanded. "I am not a spy. All I want to do is go home," Mrs Coppin wailed from her cell, as Britain's media enjoyed the pungent tang of taramasalata jokes and planespotting witticisms: Greek meets Geek was irresistible, but here, too, was an opportunity to bring other sins into account. Why were a few harmless enthusiasts being persecuted in the name of anti-terrorism, when Greece has so signally failed to tackle the November 17 Marxist-Leninist terrorist group, despite a string of horrific attacks, including the still-unsolved murder 18 months ago of Brigadier Stephen Saunders, the British military attache? Others pointed out that Britain could have precious little interest in spying on the tatty and outdated Air Force deployed by Greece, a fellow member of Nato. If the serial numbers of the 35-year-old Huey helicopters were so secret, why were they painted in large white letters on the side of each aircraft? And if Megara is such a sensitive site, why is it visible from a busy road, and how come it has been used as the location for a popular Greek television drama series about fighter pilots? Almost all Greek military serial numbers are available in defence manuals and aircraft directories anyway, and if Britain had really wanted to spy on a Greek military base, the job could have been done far more easily by satellite than with a bunch of ill-dressed tourists in a minibus in broad daylight. "Planespotting must be one of the most eccentric hobbies known to mankind, but it is not an indication of ill-will or a threat to Greek national security," insists Denis MacShane, the junior Foreign Office minister. Some in Greece responded angrily to the British barrage, with one Greek newspaper claiming that Britain was deliberately trying to undermine the tourist trade (2.5 million Britons visit Greece annually) ahead of the Olympic Games. There was, clearly, grandstanding on the Greek side, too, most particularly from the Kalamata investigating magistrate, Panayiotis Poulious, who seized his 15 minutes of international fame with both hands. The Greek Government was plainly embarrassed, particularly after the personal intervention of Tony Blair, but rightly pointed out that the Greek judiciary is independent and politicians may not interfere with the law, however slow and misguided that law may appear. The reaction of most Greeks, however, was simply one of bafflement: not at the scale of British fury, but at the depths of British peculiarity. John Nikiteas, the lawyer representing the Kalamata 12, put it simply: "This hobby is completely unknown to the Greeks, and it is very strange for us to understand the attraction." Indeed it is not easy to explain to a patriotic Greek why one might come to this cradle of civilisation not to admire or explore, nor even to sunbathe, but to stand by an airfield jotting down the numbers of identical planes. As we waited for Mrs Coppin to be released today outside the prison, I tried to convince my taxi driver, Michalis Mitropoulos, that in Britain there really are people who live for the thrill of photographing a foreign military plane of no importance, even in defiance of the law. He made no attempt to hide his incredulity and then, after a few moments of reflection, declared: "There are only two places for such people: prison, or hospital." Planespotters are widely regarded in Britain as amusing entertainment, but ultimately pretty silly; the idiotic actions of the Kalamata 12 have done little to shift that perception. Greece is widely regarded as a fine holiday destination, but a place of slow and uncertain justice; the events of the past month have also done little to change that view. The only person to emerge blameless from the saga is Mrs Coppin, whose cultural priorities are unimpeachable, and who wanted only to see the remnants of the glory that was Greece. Mrs Coppin's holiday from hell is finally coming to an end: her bills are huge (although they no longer face criminal charges, the accused must each stump up Pounds 9,000 bail), she does not feel well, the souvenirs are lamentable and her memories of Greek architecture extend no further than the inside of Korydallos prison. The Kalamata 12 will spend Christmas at home, but may have to return to face misdemeanour charges, which would probably carry a suspended sentence. In the wake of the imbroglio, Greek and Briton remain deeply confused and suspicious about each other's customs and peculiarities, but two thing are certain: Mrs Coppin will be going elsewhere for her holidays next year, and planespotting won't catch on in Greece any time soon. 2 cover story --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 15 09:30:32 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 06:30:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] CfA: M.A and PhD Sabanci University Message-ID: <20011215143032.87679.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Florian Bieber Subject: [balkans] CfA: M.A and PhD Sabanci University Date: Fri, 14 Dec 2001 14:13:44 +0100 Size: 13808 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 15 21:53:42 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 18:53:42 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: [balkans] CfA: East European History position, Indiana University, Bloomington, In. Message-ID: <20011216025342.19546.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: "Bucur-Deckard, Maria" (by way of Florian Bieber ) Subject: [balkans] CfA: East European History position, Indiana University, Bloomington, In. Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 11:19:35 +0100 Size: 6531 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 15 21:59:44 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 18:59:44 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Appeal for Minority Rights in Greece Message-ID: <20011216025944.99168.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> From: Greek Helsinki Monitor Date: Sun Dec 9, 2001 11:34 pm Subject: Appeal for Minority Rights in Greece APPEAL FOR MINORITY RIGHTS IN GREECE 10 December 2001 (International Human Rights Day) We call upon Greece to ratify, without any declaration or reservation, the Council of Europe's Framework Convention on National Minorities (FCNM), and to recognize the presence on its territory of minorities, according to the prevailing international standards, as specified inter alia in ? General Comment by the UN Human Rights Committee on Article 27 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights - ICCPR (1994), ? Recommendations VIII (1990) and XXIV (1999) of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination - CERD ? Article 3 of the Framework Convention on National Minorities - FCNM ? Articles 32-34 of the OSCE Copenhagen Document and in compliance with the recommendations to Greece made in 2000 or 2001 by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). We also ask upon Greece, in public schools attended by a significant number of children with a non-Greek mother tongue whose families are citizens or residents of Greece, to provide classes on the mother language and culture of these children. Moreover, to adapt their curriculum so that children at the same schools with Greek as a mother tongue become familiar with the cultures of their classmates with a non-Greek mother tongue. [The texts mentioned in the appeal follow] Political Organizations - Members of Greek Parliament Stephanos Manos (the Liberals) George Psaharopoulos (the Liberals) Renovative Modernist Movement of the Left (AEKA) Civil Society Organizations Evropaiki Ekfrasi (European Expression) Minority Rights Group-Greece (MRG-G) Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM) [Follows a separate related statement by the Greek Section of Amnesty International] --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 10 December 2001 APPEAL FOR RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENT The Greek Section of Amnesty International, as a contribution to the promotion of international human rights instruments, urges the Greek State to ratify without reservation the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities. Kostis Papaioannou Chair, Amnesty International Greek Section --------------------------------------------------- COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION General Recommendation VIII concerning the interpretation and application of article 1, paragraphs 1 and 4, of the Convention (thirty?eighth session, 1990) The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Having considered reports from States parties concerning information about the ways in which individuals are identified as being members of a particular racial or ethnic groups or groups, Is of the opinion that such identification shall, if no justification exists to the contrary, be based upon self?identification by the individual concerned. General Recommendation XXIV concerning article 1 of the Convention (fifty-fifth session, 1999) 1. The Committee stresses that, according to the definition given in article 1, paragraph 1, of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention relates to all persons who belong to different races, national or ethnic groups or to indigenous peoples. If the Committee is to secure the proper consideration of the periodic reports of States parties, it is essential that States parties provide as far as possible the Committee with information on the presence within their territory of such groups. 2. It appears from the periodic reports submitted to the Committee under article 9 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and from other information received by the Committee, that a number of States parties recognize the presence on their territory of some national or ethnic groups or indigenous peoples, while disregarding others. Certain criteria should be uniformly applied to all groups, in particular the number of persons concerned, and their being of a race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin different from the majority or from other groups within the population. 3. Some States parties fail to collect data on the ethnic or national origin of their citizens or of other persons living on their territory, but decide at their own discretion which groups constitute ethnic groups or indigenous peoples that are to be recognized and treated as such. The Committee believes that there is an international standard concerning the specific rights of people belonging to such groups, together with generally recognized norms concerning equal rights for all and non?discrimination, including those incorporated in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. At the same time, the Committee draws to the attention of States parties that the application of different criteria in order to determine ethnic groups or indigenous peoples, leading to the recognition of some and refusal to recognize others, may give rise to differing treatment for various groups within a country's population. 4. The Committee recalls general recommendation IV, which it adopted at its eighth session in 1973, and paragraph 8 of the general guidelines regarding the form and contents of reports to be submitted by States parties under article 9, paragraph 1, of the Convention (CERD/C/70/Rev.3), inviting States parties to endeavour to include in their periodic reports relevant information on the demographic composition of their population, in the light of the provisions of article 1 of the Convention, that is, as appropriate, information on race, colour, descent and national or ethnic origin. --------------------------------------------------- UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE Fiftieth session, 1994 General Comment 23: The rights of minorities (Article 27 of the ICCPR) 1. Article 27 of the Covenant provides that, in those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to these minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with the other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practise their own religion, or to use their own language. The Committee observes that this article establishes and recognizes a right which is conferred on individuals belonging to minority groups and which is distinct from, and additional to, all the other rights which, as individuals in common with everyone else, they are already entitled to enjoy under the Covenant. 2. In some communications submitted to the Committee under the Optional Protocol, the right protected under article 27 has been confused with the right of peoples to self-determination proclaimed in article 1 of the Covenant. Further, in reports submitted by States parties under article 40 of the Covenant, the obligations placed upon States parties under article 27 have sometimes been confused with their duty under article 2.1 to ensure the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed under the Covenant without discrimination and also with equality before the law and equal protection of the law under article 26. 3.1. The Covenant draws a distinction between the right to self-determination and the rights protected under article 27. The former is expressed to be a right belonging to peoples and is dealt with in a separate part (Part I) of the Covenant. Self-determination is not a right cognizable under the Optional Protocol. Article 27, on the other hand, relates to rights conferred on individuals as such and is included, like the articles relating to other personal rights conferred on individuals, in Part III of the Covenant and is cognizable under the Optional Protocol. 1/ 3.2. The enjoyment of the rights to which article 27 relates does not prejudice the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a State party. At the same time, one or other aspect of the rights of individuals protected under that article - for example, to enjoy a particular culture - may consist in a way of life which is closely associated with territory and use of its resources. 2/ This may particularly be true of members of indigenous communities constituting a minority. 4. The Covenant also distinguishes the rights protected under article 27 from the guarantees under articles 2.1 and 26. The entitlement, under article 2.1, to enjoy the rights under the Covenant without discrimination applies to all individuals within the territory or under the jurisdiction of the State whether or not those persons belong to a minority. In addition, there is a distinct right provided under article 26 for equality before the law, equal protection of the law, and non-discrimination in respect of rights granted and obligations imposed by the States. It governs the exercise of all rights, whether protected under the Covenant or not, which the State party confers by law on individuals within its territory or under its jurisdiction, irrespective of whether they belong to the minorities specified in article 27 or not. 3/ Some States parties who claim that they do not discriminate on grounds of ethnicity, language or religion, wrongly contend, on that basis alone, that they have no minorities. 5.1. The terms used in article 27 indicate that the persons designed to be protected are those who belong to a group and who share in common a culture, a religion and/or a language. Those terms also indicate that the individuals designed to be protected need not be citizens of the State party. In this regard, the obligations deriving from article 2.1 are also relevant, since a State party is required under that article to ensure that the rights protected under the Covenant are available to all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, except rights which are expressly made to apply to citizens, for example, political rights under article 25. A State party may not, therefore, restrict the rights under article 27 to its citizens alone. 5.2. Article 27 confers rights on persons belonging to minorities which "exist" in a State party. Given the nature and scope of the rights envisaged under that article, it is not relevant to determine the degree of permanence that the term "exist" connotes. Those rights simply are that individuals belonging to those minorities should not be denied the right, in community with members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to practise their religion and speak their language. Just as they need not be nationals or citizens, they need not be permanent residents. Thus, migrant workers or even visitors in a State party constituting such minorities are entitled not to be denied the exercise of those rights. As any other individual in the territory of the State party, they would, also for this purpose, have the general rights, for example, to freedom of association, of assembly, and of expression. The existence of an ethnic, religious or linguistic minority in a given State party does not depend upon a decision by that State party but requires to be established by objective criteria. 5.3. The right of individuals belonging to a linguistic minority to use their language among themselves, in private or in public, is distinct from other language rights protected under the Covenant. In particular, it should be distinguished from the general right to freedom of expression protected under article 19. The latter right is available to all persons, irrespective of whether they belong to minorities or not. Further, the right protected under article 27 should be distinguished from the particular right which article 14.3 (f) of the Covenant confers on accused persons to interpretation where they cannot understand or speak the language used in the courts. Article 14.3 (f) does not, in any other circumstances, confer on accused persons the right to use or speak the language of their choice in court proceedings. 4/ 6.1. Although article 27 is expressed in negative terms, that article, nevertheless, does recognize the existence of a "right" and requires that it shall not be denied. Consequently, a State party is under an obligation to ensure that the existence and the exercise of this right are protected against their denial or violation. Positive measures of protection are, therefore, required not only against the acts of the State party itself, whether through its legislative, judicial or administrative authorities, but also against the acts of other persons within the State party. 6.2. Although the rights protected under article 27 are individual rights, they depend in turn on the ability of the minority group to maintain its culture, language or religion. Accordingly, positive measures by States may also be necessary to protect the identity of a minority and the rights of its members to enjoy and develop their culture and language and to practise their religion, in community with the other members of the group. In this connection, it has to be observed that such positive measures must respect the provisions of articles 2.1 and 26 of the Covenant both as regards the treatment between different minorities and the treatment between the persons belonging to them and the remaining part of the population. However, as long as those measures are aimed at correcting conditions which prevent or impair the enjoyment of the rights guaranteed under article 27, they may constitute a legitimate differentiation under the Covenant, provided that they are based on reasonable and objective criteria. 7. With regard to the exercise of the cultural rights protected under article 27, the Committee observes that culture manifests itself in many forms, including a particular way of life associated with the use of land resources, especially in the case of indigenous peoples. That right may include such traditional activities as fishing or hunting and the right to live in reserves protected by law. 5/ The enjoyment of those rights may require positive legal measures of protection and measures to ensure the effective participation of members of minority communities in decisions which affect them. 8. The Committee observes that none of the rights protected under article 27 of the Covenant may be legitimately exercised in a manner or to an extent inconsistent with the other provisions of the Covenant. 9. The Committee concludes that article 27 relates to rights whose protection imposes specific obligations on States parties. The protection of these rights is directed towards ensuring the survival and continued development of the cultural, religious and social identity of the minorities concerned, thus enriching the fabric of society as a whole. Accordingly, the Committee observes that these rights must be protected as such and should not be confused with other personal rights conferred on one and all under the Covenant. States parties, therefore, have an obligation to ensure that the exercise of these rights is fully protected and they should indicate in their reports the measures they have adopted to this end. Notes 1/ See Official Records of the General Assembly, Thirty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/39/40), annex VI, General Comment No. 12 (21) (article 1), also issued in document CCPR/C/21/Rev.1; ibid., Forty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 40, (A/45/40), vol. II, annex IX, sect. A, Communication No. 167/1984 (Bernard Ominayak, Chief of the Lubicon Lake Band v. Canada), views adopted on 26 March 1990. 2/ See ibid., Forty-third Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/43/40), annex VII, sect. G, Communication No. 197/1985 (Kitok v. Sweden), views adopted on 27 July 1988. 3/ See ibid., Forty-second Session, Supplement No. 40 (A/42/40), annex VIII, sect. D, Communication No. 182/1984 (F.H. Zwaan-de Vries v. the Netherlands), views adopted on 9 April 1987; ibid., sect. C, Communication No. 180/1984 (L.G. Danning v. the Netherlands), views adopted on 9 April 1987. 4/ See ibid., Forty-fifth Session, Supplement No. 40, (A/45/40), vol. II, annex X, sect. A, Communication No. 220/1987 (T.K. v. France), decision of 8 November 1989; ibid., sect. B, Communication No. 222/1987 (M.K. v. France), decision of 8 November 1989. 5/ See notes 1 and 2 above, Communication No. 167/1984 (Bernard Ominayak, Chief of the Lubicon Lake Band v. Canada), views adopted on 26 March 1990, and Communication No. 197/1985 (Kitok v. Sweden), views adopted on 27 July 1988. --------------------------------------------------- FRAMEWORK CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL MINORITIES ??? Article 3 1. Every person belonging to a national minority shall have the right freely to choose to be treated or not to be treated as such and no disadvantage shall result from this choice or from the exercise of the rights which are connected to that choice. 2. Persons belonging to national minorities may exercise the rights and enjoy the freedoms flowing from the principles enshrined in the present framework Convention individually as well as in community with others. --------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCE ON THE HUMAN DIMENSION OF THE CSCE (Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe - now OSCE) Document of the Copenhagen Meeting (5 June- 29 July 1990) ?????? 32) To belong to a national minority is a matter of a person's individual choice and no disadvantage may arise from the exercise of such choice. Persons belonging to national minorities have the right freely to express, preserve and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic or religious identity and to maintain and develop their culture in all its aspects, free of any attempts at assimilation against their will. In particular, they have the right (32.1) - to use freely their mother tongue in private as well as in public; (32.2) - to establish and maintain their own educational, cultural and religious institutions, organizations or associations, which can seek voluntary financial and other contributions as well as public assistance, in conformity with national legislation; (32.3) - to profess and practise their religion, including the acquisition, possession and use of religious materials, and to conduct religious educational activities in their mother tongue; (32.4) - to establish and maintain unimpeded contacts among themselves within their country as well as contacts across frontiers with citizens of other States with whom they share a common ethnic or national origin, cultural heritage or religious beliefs; (32.5) - to disseminate, have access to and exchange information in their mother tongue; (32.6) - to establish and maintain organizations or associations within their country and to participate in international non-governmental organizations. Persons belonging to national minorities can exercise and enjoy their rights individually as well as in community with other members of their group. No disadvantage may arise for a person belonging to a national minority on account of the exercise or non-exercise of any such rights. (33) The participating States will protect the ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity of national minorities on their territory and create conditions for the promotion of that identity. They will take the necessary measures to that effect after due consultations, including contacts with organizations or associations of such minorities, in accordance with the decision-making procedures of each State. Any such measures will be in conformity with the principles of equality and non-discrimination with respect to the other citizens of the participating State concerned. (34) The participating States will endeavour to ensure that persons belonging to national minorities, notwithstanding the need to learn the official language or languages of the State concerned, have adequate opportunities for instruction of their mother tongue or in their mother tongue, as well as, wherever possible and necessary, for its use before public authorities, in conformity with applicable national legislation. In the context of the teaching of history and culture in educational establishments, they will also take account of the history and culture of national minorities. --------------------------------------------------- COMMITTEE ON THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION Concluding Observations on Greece (22/03/2001) ??????. C. Concerns and recommendations 12. While noting that the report of the State party refers to the "Muslim minority of Western Thrace", and within this to Turkish, Pomak and Roma groups, and not to other ethnic groups in the country, the Committee draws the attention of the State party to its General Recommendations VIII (38) on the right of each person to self-identification and XXIV (55) concerning article 1 of the Convention in this regard. --------------------------------------------------- EUROPEAN COMMISSION AGAINST RACISM AND INTOLERANCE Second Report on Greece (Adopted on 10 December 1999) ????. 1. ? In 1997, Greece also signed the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities; however, ratification of this instrument still requires certain legislative and other amendments in order to bring Greek legislation in line with the commitments under the Convention. ECRI urges the authorities to finalise this process as rapidly as possible and to ratify the Convention. 24. ECRI encourages the authorities to ensure that all [minority] groups in Greece effectively enjoy the right to freedom of association and to freedom of expression, in accordance with international legal standards. 30. ?Greece has in recent years been experiencing major changes in migration patterns. In the last decade in particular, it has become increasingly a country of immigration? These developments, taken together with the presence of a significant Roma/Gypsy population, cast doubt on the continuing validity of the traditional view of Greece - that is as a country with only one, relatively small and self-contained minority recognised as such. It remains the case that there are continuing concerns regarding the Muslim minority in Western Thrace which is mostly of Turkish origin. The reality is, however, that there are now other important minority groups which are significant in size and which experience distinctive, long-term problems and needs. --------------------------------------------------- PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE (14 Greek Members of Parliament participate) Recommendation 1492 (2000)[1]: Rights of national minorities Text (http://stars.coe.int/ta/ta01/EREC1492.HTM) adopted by the on 23 January 2001 without any negative votes (http://stars.coe.int/ta/ta01/EREC1492.HTM) ????. 12. The Assembly therefore recommends that the Committee of Ministers: ????. iv. ask [Andorra, Belgium, France, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey] to sign and/or ratify as soon as possible and without reservations and declarations the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, and ask those which have already ratified it to implement it and to revoke their reservations and declarations; --------------------------------------------------- ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND CO-OPERATION IN EUROPE HIGH COMMISSIONER ON NATIONAL MINORITIES Statement on National Minorities in Greece (23 August 1999) In the last few weeks, a number of requests have reached me to give my opinion on the ongoing discussion in Greece regarding the question of national minorities. In that light I should like to make the following comments. On 28 June 1990, the then Government of Greece, led by Mr. Constantine Mitsotakis, together with the governments of the other states participating in the OSCE , agreed to the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the OSCE. The Copenhagen Document commits governments i.a. to provide persons belonging to national minorities the right freely to express, preserve and develop (individually as well as in community with other members of their group) their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity and to maintain and develop their culture in all its aspects, to profess and practice their religion, and to establish and maintain organizations or associations. The discussion in Greece during the last few weeks on the subject of national minorities gives me the impression that there is a certain confusion about the commitments contained in the Copenhagen Document. Some comments give the impression that the recognition in the Copenhagen Document of the right of persons belonging to national minorities freely to express, preserve and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity is tantamount to recognizing the right of self-determination of persons belonging to national minorities. In reality, however, these are two completely different concepts. The right of self-determination relates to the status of territory. In this relation paragraph 38 of the Copenhagen Document makes it clear that none of the commitments mentioned in the Copenhagen Document may be interpreted as implying any right to engage in any activity or any action in contravention of the principle of territorial integrity of States. This means for instance that a State with a population which has predominantly the same ethnicity as that of an ethnic minority in another State will never be able to refer to the commitments contained in the Copenhagen Document as a justification for territorial claims against the State which has such a minority living on its territory. The Copenhagen Document makes it clear that the principle of respect for territorial integrity prevails. Similarly, an ethnic minority will not be able to interpret the commitments of the Copenhagen Document as a justification for efforts to secede. In other words: the right of persons belonging to national minorities to express, preserve and develop their identity is to be exercised within the existing boundaries of the State. Paragraph 35 of the Copenhagen Document does refer to the formula of territorial autonomy "as one of the possible means" to create conditions for promotion of the identity of persons belonging to national minorities. However, territorial autonomy is mentioned as an option, not as a right or an obligation. A second misunderstanding is that in order to acquire or enjoy the rights mentioned in the Copenhagen Document a minority will have to be formally recognized by the State. The Copenhagen Document makes it clear that this is not necessary. Paragraph 31 states: "persons belonging to national minorities have the right to exercise fully and effectively their human rights and fundamental freedoms without any discrimination and in full equality before the law." The same principles of non-discrimination and equality before the law apply pursuant to Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. However, when an association of persons belonging to a national minority wants to acquire legal personality for purposes of enjoying one of their enumerated rights, Greek law obliges them to be registered. But the requirements for registration cannot be different from those for associations not composed of persons belonging to national minorities. To require otherwise would constitute a violation of the principle of non-discrimination. Nor can registration be refused because of the mere fact that it is an association of persons belonging to a national minority; this would be a violation of the commitments of the Copenhagen Document as well as a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Article 12 of the Greek Constitution regarding the freedom of association. On the other hand, Article 105 of the Greek Civil Code opens a possibility to dissolve any association with aims different from those laid down in its memorandum of association or if its object (or actions) proves to be contrary to the law. Finally, there seems to be confusion about the relationship between the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923 and the Copenhagen Document. The Treaty of Lausanne (Article 45) deals with the religious rights of the "Muslim minority" in Greece. But that does not mean that the Copenhagen Document has no relevance for persons belonging to the Muslim minority in Greece. Within the wider religious group, there are smaller groups with an ethnic or linguistic identity of their own, such as Turks, Roma and Pomaks to which the provisions of the Copenhagen Document do apply. Max van der Stoel OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 15 23:09:44 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 20:09:44 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Council of Europe Albania's Report on Minorities Message-ID: <20011216040944.26304.qmail@web11505.mail.yahoo.com> http://www.humanrights.coe.int/Minorities/Eng/FrameworkConvention/StateReports/2001/albania/Albania.htm#greek%20national --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From kbejko at hotmail.com Mon Dec 17 02:28:09 2001 From: kbejko at hotmail.com (Kreshnik Bejko) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 02:28:09 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Another Canadian article Message-ID: The Ottawa Citizen , December 16, 2001 Bin Laden?s Balkan Connections Dateline: Skopje, Macedonia By Scott Taylor With the swift collapse of the Taliban regime, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan has been reduced to an Osama bin Laden manhunt cum mop-up of the Al-Qaeda network. As U.S. jets pound the cave entrances around Tora Bora, Special Forces teams are closing in on the last redoubts of Taliban fanatics. Following the quick success in Afghanistan, President George Bush has already warned Americans to prepare for a "wider war" aimed at punishing those nations which "harbour terrorism." Although there was no proven link between Iraq and the anthrax scare, in recent speeches Bush has repeatedly singled out Saddam Hussein as "an enemy of the U.S." Similar ominous threats have been levelled at the governments of Sudan, Libya, Syria and the leaders of Palestinian extremist groups. While it is believed that Saudi-born Osama bin Laden remains surrounded in Afghanistan, U.S. Intelligence agencies cannot be sure of his exact whereabouts. What is known is that his extensive Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation still has operating cells around the world. As the U.S. dragnet is cast ever wider, it can only be a matter of time before the counter-terrorist effort revisits the Balkans. Over the past decade, Mujahadeen fighters - and in particular, bin Laden?s followers - have practised their brutal brand of terror in Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo and are currently believed to be participating in Macedonia?s civil unrest. On 20 November, while the Taliban was still offering organised resistance and extremists from around the world were volunteering to join their ranks, Pakistani police apprehended five of these Muslim "fighters" carrying Macedonian passports at the Afghan border. For Macedonian Intelligence officials, these arrests were only further proof that Mujahadeen formed the veteran core of the ethnic Albanian guerrilla army known as the UCK. Since March of this year, the UCK have mounted a very successful military offensive against Macedonian security forces. By the time that a shaky peace plan was brokered in September, the UCK controlled nearly 30 per cent of Macedonian territory. Originally inexperienced and ill-equipped to fight a guerrilla war, the Macedonian security forces have maintained since the outbreak of hostilities that up to 120 Mujahadeen were active in the UCK ranks. Nikola, a senior director with Macedonian Intelligence, confirmed that following the 11 September terrorist attacks, his agency has "supplied a substantive dossier to the CIA," outlining bin Laden?s Balkan activities. The information forwarded to the CIA included eyewitness accounts offered by Macedonian civilians who had been held hostage by Mujahadeen, along with incriminating photographs and videos, which security forces captured from the UCK-Albanian guerrillas. Macedonian Minister of Interior Ljubo Boskovski is anxious for his police forces to return into the areas presently controlled by the Albanian guerrillas in order to uncover additional evidence. Since 13 November, Macedonian security forces have been conducting an exhumation at a mass grave outside the ethnic Albanian village of Trebos. To date, the police have unearthed the bodies of six Macedonians, from a total of 21 civilians who have disappeared following UCK attacks. Intelligence officer Nikola believes it was Mujahadeen fighters who perpetrated the Trebos massacre "because of the manner in which the bodies were cut up and scattered." Nikola also suspects that Mujahadeen fanatics perpetrated a brutal ambush against security forces last April. In this incident, eight policemen were shot outside the village of Vejce, their bodies viciously dismembered to provide the victors with grisly trophies. The Macedonian authorities are not the only ones to affix the blame for the Vejce ambush on the Mujahadeen. During the summer offensive around Tetovo, Albanian guerrillas eagerly admitted they had gained combat experience in previous conflicts. Twenty-three-year old Commander "Jimmy" claimed he was a veteran of Chechnya and Kosovo, while "Snake" Arifaq bragged of service in Bosnia and displayed a scar he received during the fighting in Croatia. Both of these Albanians acknowledged the involvement of Arab/Afghan "volunteers" in training members of the UCK. As for the Vejce incident, Commander Jimmy said such an atrocity could "only have been committed by the Foreigners [Mujahadeen serving in the UCK] because Albanians do not cut up bodies." Once the UCK insurrection began in March, the Macedonian government hastily acquired a fleet of six Ukrainian helicopter gunships to provide their troops with tactical air support. "Shortly after that, our pilots reported being tracked by sophisticated [U.S.-made] Stinger [anti-aircraft] missiles," said Nikola. "It is the information [of Macedonian Intelligence] that the UCK received these Stingers from their Mujahadeen connections in Afghanistan." American advisors and covert military aid have also contributed to the UCK?s combat effectiveness, but since 11 September the Macedonians have noted a shift in U.S. foreign policy. "The CIA have been much more receptive to our reports about the Al-Qaeda," said Nikola. "Particularly after they discovered that one of the suicide hijackers had been active in both Kosovo and Macedonia." Given their common goal of neutralising Albanian terrorists, Macedonian police have been working closely with their Yugoslavian counterparts. More importantly, as part of the U.S.-led global initiative to combat terror, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been reinstated to the ranks of Interpol - after a ten-year banishment. As a result, Intelligence Officers from the Yugoslavian Army have been able to supply their international colleagues with a wealth of information outlining Mujahadeen activity in Bosnia and Kosovo. Yugoslav Intelligence believes that at least 50 of the 150 Mujahadeen that fought in Kosovo are still active members of the UCK. Even without this Yugoslav co-operation, Interpol was already tracking the Al-Qaeda?s Balkan activities. On 23 October this year, Interpol released a preliminary report outlining bin Laden?s personal links to the Albanian Mafia. In this report, Interpol alleges that a senior Al-Qaeda lieutenant had been the commander of an elite UCK unit in Kosovo during the fighting in 1999. While U.S. President Bill Clinton?s regime was the driving force to garner NATO support for the UCK, numerous media reports clearly show that the CIA were well aware of bin Laden?s Albanian links prior to NATO?s commitment in Kosovo. On 17 January 1999 the international press was filled with news of an alleged massacre of 45 Albanian Kosovars in the village of Racak. Clinton seized upon this particular incident (later disproved, by UN pathologists, to have been an Albanian hoax) to proclaim that the West could no longer overlook "Serbian atrocities." With Clinton?s statement, NATO was irrevocably launched on the path towards its confrontation with Yugoslavia. Although lost in the U.S. media hype, Greek media outlets that same day were detailing the Taliban?s widespread entry into Albania at the invitation of ex-President Sali Berisa and former head of Intelligence Bashkim Gazidede. According to The Tribune, an Athens daily newspaper, Albanian security official Fatos Klozi confirmed that "bin Laden was one of those who had organised and sent groups to fight in Kosovo. There were Egyptians, Saudis, Algerians, Tunisians, Sudanese and Kuwaitis from different organisations among the [UCK] mercenaries." Ten days later, on 27 January 1999, the Arab-language news service Al Hayat reported that an Albanian commander in Kosovo, code-named "Monia," was directly connected to Osama bin Laden. The Al Hayat piece also proudly proclaimed that "at least 100 Muslim Mujahadeen" were serving with Monia?s force in Kosovo. The Washington Post reported in August 1998 that the CIA were not only aware of bin Laden?s association with the Albanian regime, but that U.S. operatives had been "prominent" in the arrest of four Al-Qaeda agents in Tirana. At that time, U.S. State Department officials even speculated that the bombings of their embassies in Kenya and Tanzania might have been bin Laden?s revenge for the Tirana arrests. The Al-Qaeda suspects detained by the CIA in Albania had been operating the Islamic Revival Foundation, "a charitable organisation that official sources say provided a useful cover for the [suspects] efforts on behalf of bin Laden," reported the Post. In February 1998, the U.S. State Department had removed the UCK from their list of terrorist organisations. However later that same year, the CIA and their Albanian SHIK intelligence counterparts co-operated to successfully shut down a Mujahadeen Jihad cell operating in conjunction with the Albanians inside Kosovo. Some of the most revealing links surfaced in December 1998 when Al-Qaeda agent Claude Sheik Abdel-Kader was arrested in Tirana for the murder of his Albanian translator. During his trial, Abdel-Kader confessed to being a senior commander in bin Laden?s network, and claimed he had recruited a force of some 300 Mujahadeen to fight in Kosovo. European media covering the trial reported Abdul-Kader?s revelation that Osama bin Laden - although a wanted terrorist - travelled freely to Tirana in 1994 and 1998 to meet with senior Albanian officials. Abdel-Kader also confessed that when the Albanian regime of Sali Berisa collapsed into anarchy in 1997, state armouries and government offices were looted. Many of the 10,000 heavy weapons and 100,000 passports that went missing conveniently fell into the hands of the Al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden - stripped of his Saudi citizenship in 1994 - is alleged to have retained the Bosnian passport he was issued in Vienna in 1993. The granting of official travel documents to bin Laden was first reported 24 September 1999 by Dani, a Bosnian Muslim weekly newspaper. The rationale behind bestowing citizenship on a wanted terrorist was that Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic had been thankful for the Mujahadeen?s contribution in his quest for a Balkan "fundamentalist Islamic Republic." It was also reported by Dani that Al-Qaeda terrorist Mehrez Aodouni had been arrested in Istanbul while carrying a Bosnian passport. Like bin Laden, his citizenship had been granted "because he was a member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Army." Canadian soldiers serving with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) were among the first to report the presence of Mujahadeen in the ranks of the Bosnian Muslims as early as 1992. The Asian Wall Street Journal reported that, in 1993, bin Laden had appointed Al Zawahiri, the Al-Qaeda?s second-in-command, to direct all his operations in the Balkans. While no exact numbers exist, it is estimated that between 1500 and 3500 Arab volunteers participated in the Bosnian civil war. Their main area of operation was in the region of Zenica, with most Mujahadeen serving in the 7th Brigade of General Sakib Mahmuljin?s 3rd Corps, nicknamed "the Guerrillas." Identified by red and green "Rambo" bandannas emblazoned with the crest "our road is Jihad," this unit earned a reputation for criminal brutality. On 27 June 1993, the Sunday Times reported that even Bosnian Muslim officers had reservations about the Mujahadeen volunteers. Colonel Stjepan Siber, then-Deputy Commander of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Army, admitted to the Times that "It was a mistake to let [the Mujahadeen] in here. They commit most of the atrocities and work against the interests of the Muslim people. They have been killing, looting and stealing." According to reports, it was the Mujahadeen who were serving with General Nasir Oric in the Muslim enclave of Srebrenica who committed some of the most barbaric atrocities of the war. Beheadings of Serbian civilians were commonplace, and in some villages the Mujahadeen would dynamite homes with the inhabitants trapped inside. No attempt was made to hide such atrocities. In fact, General Oric would often address media at the site of the massacres. On one such occasion, while standing in front of Mujahadeen brandishing human head trophies, Oric pointed to a flaming ruin and proudly said to reporters, "We blew those Serbs to the moon." Alija Izetbegovic was also proud to display the fighting prowess of his Mujahadeen volunteers. Following a successful attack against Serbian positions around Vozuce on 10 September 1995, the Bosnian President held a televised medal presentation parade. The Mujahadeen had provided the vanguard of the assault force, and were awarded 11 decorations for valour, including the Golden Crescent, Bosnia?s highest honour. Yugoslav Intelligence estimates that over 1500 Bosnian citizenships were granted to Mujahadeen/Al-Qaeda fighters following the Dayton Peace Accord in 1995. Most of those soldiers are believed to have settled in the Zenica region. According to Miroslav Lazanski, author of the new book Osama bin Laden Against America, Al-Qaeda still maintain two operational bases in Bosnia. One of these contains only the best fighters and was commanded by an Algerian, Abu Al Mali. Following the 11 September attacks, FBI and CIA agents uncovered evidence that two of the suicide hijackers had originated from this Bosnian camp. Abu Mali was subsequently arrested while travelling in Istanbul on a Bosnian passport. It is evident from recent events that the U.S. military is also well aware of the continued Mujahadeen presence in the Balkans. General Myers visited NATO troops stationed in Bosnia in late November to warn them against a possible Al-Qaeda retaliation attack. In addition, on 4 December, the White House added two Albanian terrorist groups operating in Macedonia and Kosovo to their list of outlawed organisations. President George Bush?s campaign against bin Laden?s terrorists would appear to have come full circle to confront the Clinton administration?s dubious Balkan legacy. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Dec 17 08:22:58 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 05:22:58 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: [balkans] Query: Sociolgy Textbooks in Albanian Message-ID: <20011217132258.75475.qmail@web11504.mail.yahoo.com> In case someone has information, pls respond to the sender. ==== From: Lynne Christine Alice Dear colleagues I am seeking advice on the availability of sociology textbooks in Albanian, either translations of works originally published elsewhere or the work of sociologists in the region. In particular, my colleagues and I seek texts in the following subject areas, which are suitable for undergraduates: Social research methods Social change/social movements Sociological theory Deviance and social regulation Political sociology _________________ Dr Lynne Christine Alice Civic Education Project Visiting Faculty Fellow Universiteti i Prishtin?s, Fakulteti Filozofik, s39 Sheshi N?na Tereze 5, Prishtin?, Kosov?. Tel. ++ 377 44 201 712 Email: lynnealice at ipko.org ________________ Yahoo! Groups SponsorADVERTISEMENT _______________________________________________ Balkan Academic News Post Messages to: balkans at yahoogroups.com Contact Owner at: fbieber at yahoo.com Subscribe: balkans-subscribe at yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe: balkans-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com Homepage: http://www.seep.ceu.hu/balkans/ Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From kompjuteristi at hotmail.com Tue Dec 18 08:01:07 2001 From: kompjuteristi at hotmail.com (Krenari XP ®) Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 13:01:07 +0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [news]: check this out...it's a good stuff Message-ID: >>> > > All, >>> > > >>> > > I normally do NOT pass these types of messages on, but in looking >>>when >>>I >>> > > did >>> > > this I found the results very, very interesting - and a little >>>scary. >>> > > >>> > > It only takes a couple of minutes and I think you will find it >>> > > interesting.... >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > Dalai Lama Personality Test- very interesting.... >>> > > >>> > > This is fun and rather revealing. >>> > > >>> > > Dalai Lama Personality Test >>> > > The Dalai Lama said read it to see if it works for you. >>> > > PERSONALITY TEST. >>> > > >>> > > Very interesting. Just 4 questions and the answers will surprise >>>you. >>> > > Do not cheat by looking up the answers. The mind is like a >>>parachute, >>>it >>> > > works best when it is opened. This is fun to do, but you have to >>>follow >>> > > the instructions very closely. Do not cheat. >>> > > >>> > > MAKE A WISH BEFORE BEGINNING THE TEST!! >>> > > A Warning! Answer the questions as you go along. >>> > > >>> > > There are only four questions and if you see them all before >>>finishing, >>> > > you will not have honest results. >>> > > >>> > > Go down slowly and do each exercise as you scroll down. >>> > > Don't look ahead. Get pencil and paper to write your answers as you >>>go >>> > > along. You will need it at the end. This is an honest questionnaire >>> >which >>> > > will tell you a lot about your true self. >>> > > >>> > > 1) Put the following 5 animals in the order of your preference. >>> > > a. Cow >>> > > b. Tiger >>> > > c. Sheep >>> > > d. Horse >>> > > e. Pig >>> > > >>> > > 2) Write one word that describes each one of the following: >>> > > Dog >>> > > Cat >>> > > Rat >>> > > Coffee >>> > > Sea >>> > > >>> > > 3) Think of someone (who also knows you and is important to you) >>>that >>> >>> >you >>> > > can relate to the following colors (do not repeat your answer twice. >>> >Name >>> > > just >>> > > one person for each color.) >>> > > Yellow >>> > > Orange >>> > > Red >>> > > White >>> > > Green >>> > > >>> > > 4) Finally, write down your favorite number and your favorite day >>>of >>> >the >>> > > week. >>> > > >>> > > >>> > > Wish for something you REALLY WANT. >>> > > >>> > > Look at the interpretations below: (but first before continuing, >>>repeat >>> > > your >>> > > wish.) >>> > > >>> > > Question # 1: >>> > > This will define your priorities in your life. >>> > > Cow Signifies CAREER >>> > > Tiger Signifies PRIDE >>> > > Sheep Signifies LOVE >>> > > Horse Signifies FAMILY >>> > > Pig Signifies MONEY >>> > > >>> > > Question # 2: >>> > > Your description of dog implies YOUR OWN PERSONALITY. >>> > > Your description of cat implies the personality of your partner. >>> > > Your description of rat implies the personality of your enemies. >>> > > Your description of coffee is how you interpret SEX. >>> > > Your description of the Sea implies your own life. >>> > > >>> > > Question # 3: >>> > > Yellow: Someone you will never forget >>> > > Orange: Someone you consider your true friend. >>> > > Red: Someone that you really love >>> > > White: Your twin soul >>> > > Green: Someone that you will remember for the rest of your life >>> > > >>> > > Question # 4: >>> > > You have to send this message to as many persons as your favorite >>>number >>> > > and >>> > > your wish will come true on the day that you put. >>> > > >>> > > This is what the Dalai Lama has said about the Millennium -- just >>>take >>> >>> >few >>> > > seconds to read it and think. >>> > > >>> > > Do not put away this message, the mantra will come out from your >>>hands >>> >>> >in >>> > > the next 96 hours. You will have a very pleasant surprise. This is >>> >true, >>> > > even if you are not superstitious. >>> > > >>> > > Please do this. It is fascinating. >>> > > >>> > > SEND THIS E-MAIL MANTRA TO AT LEAST FIVE PERSONS >>> > > AND LIFE WILL IMPROVE >>> > > 0-4 persons: Your life will improve slightly >>> > > 5-9 persons: Your life will improve to your liking >>> > > 9-14 persons: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next three >>>weeks >>> > > 15 or more persons: Your life will improve drastically and all that >>>you >>> > > have >>> > > always dreamed will. >>> > > >>> _________________________________________________________________ Join the world?s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the news at coolbrenjeri.com mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a message to news-request at coolbrenjeri.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the body. From kbejko at hotmail.com Wed Dec 19 03:16:01 2001 From: kbejko at hotmail.com (Kreshnik Bejko) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 03:16:01 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Their god was defeated Message-ID: Charles Krauthammer for TIME magazine ONLY IN THEIR DREAMS December 17, 2001 Posted: 12:30 p.m. EST (1730 GMT) The West has not fought a serious religious war in 350 years. America is too young to have fought any. Our first reaction, therefore, to the declaration of holy war made upon us on Sept. 11 was to be appalled, impressed and intimidated. Appalled by the primitivism, impressed by the implacability, intimidated by the fanaticism. Intimidation was pervasive during the initial hand-wringing period. What have we done to inspire such rage? What can we do? Sure, we can strike back, but will that not just make the enemy even more angry and determined and fanatical? How can you defeat an enemy who thinks he's on a mission from God? How? A hundred days and one war later, we know the answer: B-52s, for starters. We were from the beginning a little too impressed. There were endless warnings that making war on a Muslim nation would succeed only in recruiting more enraged volunteers for bin Laden, with a flood of fierce mujahedin going to Afghanistan to confront the infidel. Western experts warned that the seething "Arab street" would rise up against us. Look around. The Arab street is deathly quiet. The mobs, exultant on Sept. 11 and braying for American blood, have gone home. There are no recruits headed to Afghanistan to fight the infidel. The old recruits, battered and beaten and terrified, are desperately trying to sneak their way out of Afghanistan. The reason is simple. We won. Crushingly. Astonishingly. Destroying a regime 7,000 miles away, landlocked and almost inaccessible, in nine weeks. The logic of victory often eludes the secular West. We have a hard time figuring out an enemy who speaks in religious terms. He seems indestructible. Cut him down, and 10 more will rise in his place. How can you destroy an idea? This gave rise to the initial soul searching, the magazine covers plaintively asking WHY DO THEY HATE US? The feeling that we might be responsible for the hatred directed against us suggested that we should perhaps seek to assuage and placate. But there is no assuaging those who see your very existence as a denial of the faith and an affront to God. There is no placating those who offer you the choice of conversion or death. There is only war and victory. Mullah Omar and bin Laden are animated by a vision. They really do believe--or perhaps did believe--that their destiny was to unite all the Muslim lands from the Pyrenees to the Philippines and re-establish the original caliphate of a millennium ago. Omar took the sacred robe, attributed to Muhammad and locked away for more than 60 years, and triumphantly donned it in public as if to declare his succession to the Prophet's earthly rule. (Osama harbored similar fantasies about himself, although he fed Omar's, as a form of flattery and enticement.) Such visions are not new. Omar's and Osama's are just as expansive, just as eschatological, and yet no more crazy than Hitler's dream of the Thousand-Year Reich or Napoleon's of dominion over all Europe. The Taliban and al-Qaeda, like Nazi Germany and revolutionary France, represent not just political parties or power seekers; they also represent movements. And a movement carries with it an idea, an ideology, a vision for the future. That is where the mad dreamers are vulnerable: the dream can be defeated by reality. What was left of Nazi ideology with Hitler buried in the rubble of Berlin? What was left of Bonapartism with Napoleon rotting in St. Helena? What was left of Fascism, an idea that swept Europe and entranced a generation, with Mussolini's body hanging upside down, strung up by partisans in 1945? What is left of the great caliphate today? It is a ruin. Caliph Omar is in hiding; Caliph Osama, on the run. This is not to say that Islamic fundamentalism is dead. But it has suffered a grievous blow. Its great appeal was not just its revival of a glorious past but also the promise that it was the wave of the future, the inexorable tide that would sweep through not just Arabia but all Islam--and one day the world. That is why Afghanistan is such a turning point. It marks the first great reversal of fortune for radical Islam. For two decades it tasted one victory after another: the Beirut bombings of 1983 that chased America out of Lebanon; "Black Hawk Down" that chased America out of Somalia; the first Afghan war that chased the Soviet Union out of Afghanistan--and led to the collapse of a superpower, no less. These were heady victories, as were the wounds inflicted with impunity on the other superpower: the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, the 1998 destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa, the 2000 attack on the U.S.S. Cole. The limp and feckless American reaction to these acts of war--a token cruise missile here, a showy indictment there, empty threats everywhere--only reinforced the radical Islamic conviction that America was a paper tiger, fat and decadent, leader of a civilization grown weak and cowardly and ripe for defeat. For the fundamentalist, success has deep religious significance. The logic of the holy warrior is this: My God is great and omnipotent. I am a warrior for God. Therefore victory is mine. What then happens to the syllogism if he is defeated? To understand, we must enter the mind of primitive fundamentalism. Or, shall we say, re-enter. Our Western biblical texts speak of a time 3,000 years ago when victory in battle was seen as the victory not only of one people over another but also of one god over another. Triumph over the "hosts of Egypt" was of theological importance: it was living proof of the living God--and the powerlessness and thus the falsity of the defeated god. The secular West no longer thinks in those terms. But radical Islam does. Which is why the Osama tape, reveling in the success of Sept. 11, is such an orgy of religious triumphalism: so many dead, so much fame, so much joy, so many new recruits--God is great. By the same token, with the total collapse of the Taliban, everything has changed. Omar has lost his robe. The Arab street is silent. The joy is gone. And recruitment? The Pakistani mullahs who after Sept. 11 had urged hapless young men to join the Taliban in fighting America and now have to answer to bereaved parents are facing ostracism and disgrace. Al-Qaeda agents roaming the madrasahs of Pakistan and the poorer neighborhoods of the Arab world will have a much harder sell. The syllogism of invincibility that sustained Islamic fanaticism is shattered. We have just witnessed something new in the modern world: the rollback of Islamic fundamentalism. We have just witnessed the first overthrow of a radical Islamic regime, indeed, the destruction of radical Islam's home base. Yesterday the base was Afghanistan. Today it is a few caves and a few hidden cells throughout the world. Al-Qaeda controls no state, no sovereign territory. It is an outlaw on the run. Rollback is, of course, a cold war term. For decades our approach to Islamic terrorism was like our approach to communism: containment. Do not invade its territory, but keep it, as Clinton liked to say of Saddam, "in a box." We tried containing al-Qaeda with a few pinprick bombings and an attack on a pharmaceutical factory in Sudan. These were nothing but an evasion, a looking the other way. Sept. 11 proved the folly of that approach. President Bush therefore announced a radically new doctrine. We would no longer contain. We would attack, advance and destroy any government harboring terrorists. Afghanistan is now the signal example. Just as the Reagan doctrine reversed containment and marked the beginning of the end of the Soviet empire, the Bush doctrine marks the beginning of the rollback of the Islamic terror empire. Of course, the turning of the tide is not the end of the war. This is the invasion of Normandy; we must still enter Berlin. The terrorists still have part of their infrastructure. They still have their sleeper cells. They can still, if they acquire weapons of mass destruction, inflict unimaginable damage and death. Which is why eradicating the other centers of terrorism is so urgent. We can now, however, carry on with a confidence we did not have before Afghanistan. Confidence that even religious fanaticism can be defeated, that despite its bravado, it carries no mandate from heaven. The psychological effect of our stunning victory in Afghanistan is already evident. We see the beginning of self-reflection in the Arab press, asking what Arab jihadists are doing exporting their problems to places like Afghanistan and the West; wondering why the Arab world uniquely has not developed a single real democracy; and asking, most fundamentally, how a great religion like Islam could have harbored a malignant strain that would rejoice in the death of 3,000 innocents. It is the kind of questioning that Europeans engaged in after World War II (asking how Fascism and Nazism could have been bred in the bosom of European Christianity) but that was sadly lacking in the Islamic world. Until now. It is beginning now not because our propaganda is good. Not because al-Jazeera changed its anti-American tune. Not because a wave of remorse spontaneously erupted in places like Saudi Arabia. But because, with our B-52s, our special forces, our smart bombs, our daisy cutters--our power and our will--we scattered the enemy. What the secular West fails to understand is that in fighting religious fanaticism the issue--for the fanatic--is not grievance but ascendancy. What must be decided is not who is right and wrong--one can never appease the grievances of the religious fanatic--but whose God is greater. After Afghanistan there can be no doubt. In the land of jihad, the fall of the Taliban and the flight of al-Qaeda are testimony to the god that failed. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From albboschurch at juno.com Wed Dec 19 05:58:13 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (albboschurch at juno.com) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 05:58:13 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Albanian Student in Upstate New York Message-ID: <20011219.062843.-365325.5.albboschurch@juno.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: "Tasim Tasimi" To: "Albanian Orthodox Church" Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2001 23:54:30 -0500 Subject: Albanian Student in New York Dear Friend, I received an e-mail from the Albanian Orthodox Church of Boston with your message attached about a young Albanian student newly enrolled in your school district. Enthusiastically, I could hardly wait to return a message as soon as possible. To begin, I am an ESL teacher in the city of Waterbury, CT. I teach children that come from all different parts of the world, mostly from Albania and Kosova. I, too am Albanian, am fluent in Albanian and totally understand your frustration and his also. This student needs a crash course of ESL if possible. If your school district has no such means, than I suggest you ask your pricipal for a sheltered version of the content subjects. Everything should be modified for him, such as tests and quizzes. By the way, it is against the law to fail a student based on the fact that he cannot speak the language, this is discrimination. Please be careful to see that this student needs time and patience. I am sure that his math skills are superior to other students. Second Language Acquisiton takes 5 to 7 years to have cognitive academic language skills. I suggest strongly that the team of 8th graders that are working with this student give him Incompletes for the first 3 marking periods and then give him a chance in the 4th marking period. It is very unfair to fail him. The internet has many websites that deal with ESL students of many grade levels. Maybe the content teachers can find lessons that will accommodate this student in the classroom. He will go through many language stages, the first being the silent period and then single word, phrases and then sentences. I work with elementary school children and realize that you must have time and patience for success, but believe me you will be thrilled to see how fast and how far these children will succeed. Please reply. Donika Tasimi ESL Teacher Waterbury Public Schools e-mail address prespa at snet.net -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Dec 19 07:57:10 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2001 04:57:10 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Ligjet ne Shqiperi - Koha Jone Message-ID: <20011219125710.64330.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Zoti Ahrens, a perfshiheni ju ne ceshtjet e brendshme te Shqiperise? Nuk ka dyshim qe te gjithe ambasadoret ne Tirane preferojne te thone se nuk perzihen e nuk nderhyjne ne punet e brendshme te partive e te Shqiperise. A thua se ata jane diku lart, na shohin nga ekrani i televizorit e nuk bejne asnje shenje pohimi ose mohimi per veprimet e krereve tane. Nderkohe zonja Doris Pack, jo per here te pare, si te jete "zeri i se vertetes" jep porosi nga Brukseli se si duhet sjelle e c'duhet bere...Jo rralle fjalet e tyre, dmth perfaqesuesve te Evropes e SHBA-se, pavaresisht nga pesha e niveli i tyre ne vendet e tyre, ketu, ne Shqiperi, deshifrohen si fjalet e Zeusit. Pra, jo per here te pare, deklarimet e zonjes Doris Pack, ketu perkthehen sipas oreksit nga pozita e opozita e askush nuk guxon t'i vere ne dyshim. Shqiperia zyrtare, pozite-opozite, vetshfaqet kesisoj nen nivelin e nje kolonie te veteshpallur. Pra, "po s'bete kete a ate, nuk do te futeni ne Evrope", ose, po s'derguat kete a ate ambasador, "SHBA nuk ju pranon si partner", te gjitha keto mendesi, ne fund te fundit, deshmojne se Shqiperia nuk ka as minimumin e sovranitetit. Por, me i cuditshem, duket qendrimi i kreut te OSBE-se ne Tirane, zotit Ahrens. Te gjitha ligjet themelore, madje qe nga Kushtetuta e deri te ligji per RTSH publik, qe nga kodi zgjedhor e deri te ai doganor (te cilat, si askurkund, jane miratuar shpejt e shpejt, per disa ore e per disa dite) jane bere nen asistencen, drejtimin e monitorimin e plote te OSBE-se se Tiranes. Te gjitha keto ligje themelore, shume shpejt, kane treguar defekte. Disa prej tyre, shpejt, jane korrigjuar. Kushtetuta eshte e veshtire, te ndreqet, po edhe kodi zgjedhor, megjithe anomalite e renda qe tregoi ne zgjedhjet e kaluara, tregoi se ka mangesi jo te vogla. Por OSBE e zoti Ahrens jo vetem qe nuk ndjejne asnje pergjegjesi, por, perkundrazi, ata vazhdojne te japin keshilla, udhezime e deklarime (qe u ngjajne urdhrave) se po bete keshtu, do te kete zgjedhje te parakohshme e po pati zgjedhje te parakohshme do te kete destabilitet e po pati destabilitet, Shqiperia do te mbetet jashte Evropes...Kjo eshte logjika qe buron nga perfaqesuesit e larte diplomatike te Tiranes. Lexoni, p.sh. keto dy deklarime te diteve te fundit te zotit Ahrens: "Ngjarjet ne PS, i kemi ndjekur si te gjithe shqiptaret nga ekrani i televizionit. Ne si OSBE nuk duhet te perfshihemi ne keto probleme te brendshme. Jemi ketu per te ndihmuar Shqiperine ne zhvillimin institucional, preferojme te bisedojme per institute, jo per persona. E thene kjo, ngjarjet ndoshta mund te krijojne probleme, qe mund te cojne edhe ne zgjedhje te parakohshme vitin tjeter. E theksoj, duke iu pergjigjur pyetjes suaj, se eshte e rendesishme qe nje lume akuzash qe u thane aty, duhet te merren ne konsiderate. Do te prisja qe autoritet shqiptare te merrnin drejtimin e kesaj ceshtjeje. Ajo qe nuk do te dehirohej, jane zgjedhjet e parakohshme, qe Shqiperia te mos kete zgjedhje pa mbarim dhe te mos harxhoje per to, pse ato para shume mire mund te perdoren per energjine elektrike, qe mungon". "Detyra e Prezences se OSBE-se ne Shqiperi eshte qe te beje te zhvillohen institucionet shqiptare dhe ta beje Shqiperine te pershtatshme per t'u perfshire ne komunitetin evropian. Cdo gje qe ka mundesine qe te zhvilloje kete qellim, do te shikohet si shume e mire per ne. Por une mendoj se-mund te jem pak konservator- ne kete menyre nuk eshte e mire per Shqiperine. Per kete eshte e nevojshme qe Shqiperia eshte nje vend i stabilizuar dhe ka nje qeveri qe mund te veproje si duhet te veproje nje qeveri. Ne e kemi permendur disa here ne te shkuaren qe ne kete vend ka pasur shume konflikte politike.Por, megjithate keto jane metoda te brendshme te partise". Pa bere komentet e ketyre citimeve, duam te pyesim zotin Ahrens, shume miqesisht: A jane keto deklarime ne perputhje me nje perfaqesues te OSBE-se ne nje vend sovran dhe a ka lidhje, domosdo, stabiliteti e destabiliteti i nje vendi me zgjedhjet e parakohshme? --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From mentor at alb-net.com Thu Dec 20 00:05:46 2001 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 00:05:46 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [Kcc-News] Albin Kurti Freed. 203 left to go. Message-ID: >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> READ & DISTRIBUTE FURTHER <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News Network: http://www.alb-net.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSOCIATION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS (A-PAL) www.khao.org/appkosova.htm A-PAL STATEMENT December 08, 2001 December 7, one Albanian detainee, Albin Kurti, was released from Nis prison and is now home in Prishtina. On arriving in Kosova, he stated that it was wrong for him to be released and 203 others to remain behind. Since the UNMIK/Covic transfer document was signed in November, 2001, only three Albanians have been released. There has been no news on the process for the transfer to UNMIK's jurisdiction of the remaining 203 prisoners, nor any date given for this process to take place as the group faces its third holiday season in Serb prison. In October, 2000, President Kostunica stated that the prisoners would be released as soon as possible. 203 are still waiting. As we witnessed in the past, once pressure on the Serb leaders got too intense, towards taking action on the prisoner issue, one "high profile case" was released. For example: Flora Brovina, the 143-Member Gjakova group, and now Albin Kurti. International observers should not be lulled into thinking that now that Mr. Kurti is free, that action towards the others will soon follow. We must keep the pressure constant. Therefore, we URGE all our readers to continue their efforts at making leaders aware that appropriate enactment of the November agreement has not yet occurred. And it is imperative that it does. For the sake of lives and for the sake of stability. Sincerely, A-PAL Team. JOIN OUR EMAIL ACTION. IT'S EASY. ONLY TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES PER WEEK. EMAIL-ACTION: RELEASE THE PRISONERS NOW! T? LIROHEN MENJ?HER? T? BURGOSURIT! LASST JETZT DIE GEFANGENEN FREI! ODMAH OSLOBODITE ZATVORENIKE! http://www.dbein.bndlg.de/APP/ Following Articles: * ICRC : ICRC Accompanies a detainee from a Serbian jail * REUTERS LIMITED : Serbia frees Kosovo Albanian student leader -- ICRC PRESS RELEASE Pristina, 07.12.2001 ICRC ACCOMPANIES A DETAINEE FROM A SERBIAN JAIL Tonight, the ICRC accompanied to Kosovo one person released by the authorities in Serbia. Albin Kurti from Prishtin?/Pristina was released from Nis prison. To date 1834 detainees have been released of whom 1675 were accompanied back home by the ICRC. During the detention visits the ICRC delegates have exchanged more than 34,318 Red Cross Messages between the detainees and their family members. 203 detainees will continue to be visited by the ICRC until their final release by the authorities. Further info contact Nada Doumani, ICRC Mission, + 377 44 115 036 (Translated in Albanian) KUMTES? NGA KNKK Prishtin?, 07.12.2001 -- Serbia frees Kosovo Albanian student leader PRISTINA, Yugoslavia, Dec. 7 - Serbia released a prominent Kosovo Albanian student activist on Friday who had been in jail since NATO's 1999 war on Yugoslavia. Taken to the Serbian heartlands as Slobodan Milosevic's Yugoslav forces retreated from the mainly Albanian province, Albin Kurti was sentenced to 15 years in prison for terrorism. While most Kosovo Albanian prisoners had already been freed from Serbian jails after the ousting of Milosevic as Yugoslav president 14 months ago, Western nations and human rights bodies have been pressing for Kurti and others to be released too. The reformist authorities in Belgrade are still determined not to give in to the demands of some ethnic Albanians for complete independence for Kosovo. Kurti, in his mid-20s, was greeted by around 100 friends and family members when he arrived late in the evening in Pristina, capital of Kosovo, which is now under U.N.-led administration. Sporting a short prison haircut, Kurti said he did not know why he had been freed nor why it had taken so long: "I don't know why I stayed in prison for such a long time," he said. The crowd, including many others who had seen the inside of Serbian jails, cheered and applauded him. "This is a miracle," said his uncle, Skender Kurti. A spokeswoman for the International Red Cross (ICRC), Vjosa Osmani, said in Pristina that Kurti had been released from prison in the central Serbian town of Pozarevac. Serbian officials were not available for comment. Kurti was arrested in Kosovo during the air strikes NATO launched in an effort to force Milosevic to stop what it said was Serbian oppression of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. Like hundreds of other Albanian detainees, he was taken to Serbia proper when Yugoslav forces withdrew from the province. A district court in southern Serbia sentenced him in March last year to 15 years in jail for terrorism. Kurti was leader of the Independent Union of Albanian Students, which was set up in Pristina after Belgrade stripped Kosovo of the autonomy it had enjoyed during the Communist era in federal Yugoslavia and imposed direct rule in 1989. He also organised student demonstrations in Kosovo. Some Kosovo Albanians are still held in Serbian jails. Kurti said the international community was not doing enough for them. Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited ________________________________________________ To unsubscribe from this list visit: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/kcc-news From Heljo at mediaone.net Thu Dec 20 12:36:13 2001 From: Heljo at mediaone.net (Sejfi Protopapa) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 12:36:13 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] messages sent 2-3 days ago infected with virus Message-ID: <001001c1897c$f95790a0$0f043c18@ne.mediaone.net> A few days ago my computer was infected with a virus and automatically sent out messages containing text that did not make any sense. If you have not opened them please delete them as I did not send them. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Sejfi Protopapa From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 20 22:32:54 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 19:32:54 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Dokumente per debatin ne PS - Korrieri Message-ID: <20011221033254.33573.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Promemoria e perkrahesve te Nanos Promemoria e perkrahesve te Nanos Zotit Ilir Meta, Kryeminister Ne, Deputete te Kuvendit te Shqiperise * Duke shprehur dhe nje here vendosmerine dhe pergjegjesine politike per realizimin me sukses te mandatit te fituar ne zgjedhjet e veres 2001 deri ne zgjedhjet ardhshme te vitit 2005; * Duke shprehur angazhimin dhe pergjegjesine politike per te kontribuar ne plotesimin e te gjithe parametrave dhe kritereve qe garantojne realizimin e suksesshem te fillimit ne kohe te negociatave per firmosjen e Marreveshjes se Asociim-Stabilizimit me Bashkimin Europian; * Duke qene te vendosur per te vazhduar luften kunder korrupsionit, kontrabandes dhe trafiqeve, me te vetmi synim, permiresimin e vazhdueshem te parametrave qe garantojne qeverisjen e mire dhe stabilitetin politik te qendrueshem e afatgjate; * Duke pritur nje reflektim te thelle nga Ju lidhur me rikompozimin e nje qeverie mbi bazat e kritereve, te merites e kontributit politik, profesionalizmit dhe integritetit moral qe synon njekohesisht gjetjen e zgjidhjeve afatgjata e te qendrueshme dhe per krijimin e nje klime bashkepunimi pozite-opozite, me synim fillimi e nje jete parlamentare normale konform rekomandimeve te ODHIR-it; Kerkojme: * Te tregoni maturine dhe pergjegjesine politike, duke kerkuar terheqjen e dekreteve te Presidentit per emerimi e kater ministrave per te mos lejuar thellimin e krizes permes perdorimit te shumices relative brenda Grupit Parlametar; * Te mos bini prehe e perdorimit te shumices relative qe zbeh mbeshtetjen politike ndaj qeverise sone dhe vetem e shtyn krizen, duke rritur cdo dite permasat e saj; * Te reflektoni me pergjegjesi politike per te shmangur thellimin e krizes qe pemes gjenerimit te krizave te reja do te mund te shoqerohej me destabilitet politik; * Te tregoni pergjegjesine maksimale poitike per te mos e cuar vendin ne krize institucionale; * Te vendosni interesat e vendit mbi interesat dhe ambiciet personale me synimin e mire te permiresimit te qeverisjes sone, permes rikompozimit te qeverise qe ju drejtoni Ju me konsensus maksimal brenda partiak dhe te partive qe bejne pjese ne koalicionin qeverises per te rivendosur besimin per fillimin e korrigjimit te deformimeve qe kane pervijuar krizen aktuale. Zoti Kryeminister Ju veme ne dijeni se ne rast se Ju nuk do te reflektoni ne drejtimin e duhur, Ne me maturi dhe pergjegjesi te larte politike nuk do te behemi pjese e vendimmarrjeve vetem me baze shumicen relative te mazhorances. Alternativa qe ne ofrojme eshte rishikimi i struktures se qeverise qe Ju kryesoni per ta bere efikase dhe koherente me prioritetet tona politiko-qeverisese dhe perfshirja ne kabinetin qeveritar e perfaqesuesve te shquar politike qe duhet te bejne transparencen e nevojshme ne krye te dikastereve per sensibilitetet e njohura politike dhe publike. Ne e quajme te domosdoshme qe Ju te angazhoheni politikisht, gjithashtu per korrigjimin e te gjitha emerimeve te papershtatshme ne funksione kyce te administrates se larte shteterore dhe te deformimeve ne zbatimin e ligjit te Sherbimit Civil. Tirane 19.12.2001 ==== Deklarata e perkrahesve te Kryeministrit Meta Deklarata e perkrahesve te Kryeministrit Meta Grupi Parlamentar i Partise Socialiste te Shqiperise, i mbledhur me date 20.12.2001 per te shqyrtuar dhe vendosur qendrimin politik ne lidhje me dekretet e Presidentit te Republikes per lirim dhe emerim ministrash, pas nje debati te gjate, konstruktiv dhe te argumentuar, vendosi me shumice votash te adoptoje si qendrim politik votimin pro dekreteve te Presidentit te Republikes, ne perputhje dhe me rezoluten e miratuar nga KPD ne mbledhjen e tij te fundit dhe vendimin e kryesise se PSSH per te mbeshtetur propozimet e Kryeministrit Ilir Meta per emerimin e ministrave te rinj. Per te respektuar mendimin kunder te disa deputeteve, anetare te Grupit Parlamentar te PSSH, ne mbledhje u propozua dhe u vendos si zgjidhje: a. Votimi per dekretet e Presidentit b. Hartimi i ligjit organik per organizimin dhe funksionimin e Keshillit te Ministrave brenda muajit mars 2002 c. Hartimi dhe miratimi i ligjit "Per krijimin e komisioneve hetimore parlamentare" Ky vendim, i marre me dy te tretat e votave te deputeteve, ne perputhje me statutin e PSSH dhe rregulloren e Grupit Parlamentar u shpall ne fund te mbledhjes nga kryetari i Grupit Parlamentar socialist, Arben Malaj, qendrim politik i Grupit Parlamentar te PSSH, i detyrueshem te zbatohej nga te gjithe. Megjithate disa deputete socialiste, duke mos marre pjese ne seancen plenare te Kuvendit, nuk respektuan vendimin politik, bene te pamundur mbajtjen e seances dhe votimin e dekreteve te Presidentit. Grupi Parlamentar i PSSH, ne keto kushte, analizoi kete fakt dhe mos pranine e disa deputeteve ne seance e konsideroi nje qendrim qe nuk perputhet me normat dhe rregullat e funksionimit te strukturave te Partise Socialiste. Ne zbatim te prioriteteve politiko-qeverisese te PSSH dhe per te permbushur detyrimet ndaj elektoratit dhe vendit eshte e domosdoshme te shmangen emocionet dhe qendrimet qe nuk i kontribuojne stabilitetit te vendit, forcimit te institucioneve dhe realizimit te angazhimeve te marra per integrimin e Shqiperise ne strukturat euroatlantike. Duke qene te bindur se keto interesa jane ato qe na bashkojne te gjitheve, kemi besim se deputetet qe nuk moren pjese ne seancen plenare per votimin e dekreteve te Presidentit do te shfaqen ne lartesine e pergjegjesive kushtetuese te te zgjedhurve nga populli, te votuar si perfaqesues te Partise Socialiste te Shqiperise. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Dec 20 22:54:06 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 19:54:06 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Kriza e verber - Pirro Misha - Korrieri Message-ID: <20011221035406.35797.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Refleksione rreth nje krize te verber Refleksione rreth nje krize te verber Nga PIRO MISHA/ kriza dhe konteksti- Jane shume ata sot qe mendojne se mjaft nga protagonistet e politikes shqiptare, me shfaqjet e tyre te perseritura te papergjegjshmerise e te konfliktualitetit, jane bere nje pengese serioze per zhvillimin normal te ketij vendi. Nje shembull per kete eshte dhe kriza e re qe po duket ne horizont, pikerisht kur gjeja e fundit per te cilen ka nevoje ky vend eshte nje krize e re institucionale, nje destabilizim i ri, krijimi serish i nje klime pasigurie. Pasojat, tani per tani, askush s'mund t'i parashikoje, por disa syresh jane te qarta qe te tani. Dy marreveshje te rendesishme me institucionet nderkombetare qe duheshin te nenshkruheshin keto dite, u shtyne per nje afat te papercaktuar. Fatkeqesisht, ne politiken shqiptare prej vitesh ka shume papergjegjshmeri. * * * Kujtoni mbledhjen e fundit te KPD te PS, paraden e gjate te partiakeve qe moren fjalen, kujtoni se si ligjeronin per krimin e korrupsionin, grindeshin, shaheshin, fajesonin, akuzonin, benin retorike, genjenin, nxeheshin apo benin sikur nxeheshin, shfajesoheshin, hidhnin e prisnin batuta, buzeqeshnin te vetkenaqur. Tek i degjoja keta protagoniste te politikes shqiptare qe nga 1991 e ketej, me vete mendova: Shqiperia vendi qe keta kane qeverisur per vite te tera si kryeministra, zvkryeministra, ministra, deputete, prijes partie e turmash, vazhdon te jete nje nder vendet me te varfer e te prapambetur, ajo vazhdon te jete e coroditur, prej saj jane ende te shumte ata qe duan te ikin! Atehere faji i kujt eshte? Dhjete vjet pas renies se komunizmit Shqiperia vazhdon te tregohet me gisht si nje rast i vecante, nje vend i kriminalizuar, ku llumi ben shpesh ende ligjin? Faji i kujt eshte? Dhe nderkohe sheh se si ata, partiaket, duken te bindur se s'kane asnje faj. Per ta fajin e ka gjithnje tjetri, kundershtari politik i radhes, ndoshta dhe ca gjykates e police te korruptuar, dhe sigurisht (por kjo s'thuhet dot para televizionit) edhe vet populli, qe s'eshte ne lartesine e ndritur te tyre...Dhe ne gjithe kete maskarade te trishtuar te papergjegjshmerise, tek ndjen hidhesine e cgenjimit, duke kujtuar se si ndonje prej tyre te ka thene menjane: "Ky vend s'behet!", ndjen tundimin te mbyllesh televizionin qe te mos i shohesh me ato fytyra...Por s'mundesh...Atehere....! * * * Shfaqja e fundit e politikes shqiptare ka, gjithesesi, meriten qe beri te qarte se disa ceshtje me te cilat ky vend po perballet prej vitesh, s'mund te shperfillen dot me gjate. Sepse eshte fakt qe, pavaresisht nga karakteri i theksuar populist, kundertheniet e shumta te levizjes politike te kryetarit te PS, dhe dyshimit se ne themel te gjithe kesaj historie qendrojne motive te tjera nga ato te deklaruarat, nje pjese e madhe e problemeve qe ngre Nano perbejne shqetesime reale. Ne te vertete, fushata e Nanos, e aq me teper mbledhja e KPD te PS beri te qarte se tashme majisja e disa problemeve ka arritur nje mase te tille kritike, sa qe po qe se ato s'perballen shpejt, me efikasitet e, c'eshte me e rendesishmja, ne menyre bindese, rrezikojne te kthehen ne faktore te rende destabilizues. Eshte fjala per probleme qe njihen prej kohe. Ceshtja eshte a ekziston vertet vullneti per t'i luftuar! Sepse edhe vete Nano ne fushaten e tij morale vertet ngre probleme, por ne fakt s'ofron asnje zgjidhje reale. Nderkohe, njerezit shtrojne nje pyetje, qe shpreh nje shqetesim: c'do te ndodhe me tej? Eshte pyetja me e natyrshme qe te lind tek sheh life theater te socialisteve, c'do te ndodhe me tej! Shumekush qe ndjek fushaten e Nanos, qe shqetesohet per pasojat e rrezikshme destabilizuese qe mbart ne vetevete konflikti, e per pasojat e tij per imazhin e vendit, shtron pyetjen: A ka Fatos Nano nje ide te qarte politike se ku do te arrije, a eshte ai i pergjegjshem per koston e mundshme te krizes? Sepse ne nje shikim te pare duket sikur kemi te bejme me nje perceptim tipik ballkanik te politikes, pra me nje konfrontim ballazi, inatcor, pa shtigje kompromisi, ku qellimi i vetem mbetet poshterimi dhe mposhtja e kundershtarit. A eshte vertet keshtu? E verteta eshte se ajo cka po ndodh ne PS eshte dicka thuajse unikale: Kryetari i partise qeverisese, i ndodhur ne minorance brenda strukturave drejtuese te partise, ndermerr nje fushate ne baze kunder qeverise dhe strukturave drejtuese te partise se tij, duke kercenuar te shkaktoje jo vetem krize qeveritare, por madje zgjedhje te reja parlamentare, vetem dy muaj pasi partia e tij ka fituar shumicen ne parlament! Mjetet qe perdor jane pak a shume po ato qe perdori dic me shume se dy vjet me pare per te rrezuar qeverine Majko. Nano eshte nje nga politikanet me komplekse me shume kunderthenie, jo ralle ai e ka treguar veten se eshte nje nder politikanet me qytetare e me liberale, cka, fatkeqesisht, jo ralle shnderohet ne sjellje te papergjegjshme prej libertini. Ne se PS mbetet partia me demokracine me te madhe te brendshme, s'ka dyshim se merite per kete ka dhe Nano. Por, ne te njejten kohe, ai eshte dhe politikani i paparashikueshem, per te cilin politika here here eshte si nje loje pokeri. Ndaj dhe pyetja, a ka Nano nje ide te qarte se ku do te dale, eshte me se e natyrshme per kedo qe njeh protagonistin e krizes. Por, c'eshte e verteta, kur flasim per papergjegjshmeri, s'do te ishte aspak e drejte ta lidhnim kete vetem me emrin e Nanos. Papergjegjshmeria, mjerisht, eshte tipar i jo pak prej politikaneve te tranzicionit shqiptar, madje gjate ketyre dhjete vjeteve kemi qene jo ralle deshmitare te nje papergjegjshmerie kolektive, e cila ne ndonje rast, si ne 1997, shkoi deri ne marrezi kolektive. Te perfshire ne rrethin vicioz te halleve, frustrimeve e grindjeve na ka ndodhur shpesh te humbasim ndjenjen e perspektives. Mjafton te shfletosh, psh, gazetat shqiptare te ketyre muajve te fundit. Pas asaj qe ndodhi ne Nju Jork me 11 shtator, i gjithe shtypi boteror merret me temen e madhe, debaton, diskuton, ndergjegjeson njerezit se dicka e madhe po nderron ne bote. Kesaj teme i kushtohen faqet e para, lajmet e para ne emisionet e lajmeve te cdo vendi, gjithcka tjeter zbehet, vendoset ne nje tjeter prespektive. Shikoni gazetat tona! Lajmet per luften kunder terrorizmit degdisen pergjithesisht diku aty nga fundi, sepse faqet e para i ze cicemisja e papergjegjshme e sherreve tona te pafundme, ku pas tymnajes se fjaleve te medha, s'eshte aspak e veshtire te dallosh jo ralle cinizmin e verberine meskine te ca politikaneve qe luhaten mes aventurizmit tipik ballkanik e delireve te provinces. Kaq e veshtire qenka te kuptohet se s'eshte fjala thjeshte per nje shfaqje qe ndodh mijera kilometra larg! Se nje vend i vogel si yni, me problemet qe ka, pre i perhershem edhe i konjukturave nderkombetare, duhet te jete nder me te vemendeshit per ate cka po ndodh sot ne bote! Se situata e re e krijuar e ben urgjente diskutimin e efekteve te mundshem, te masave qe duhen marre per te shmangur a minimizuar faktoret e riskut, per te ruajtur stabilitetin, per te shkulur rrenjet qe ka hedhur tashme tek ne krimi transnacional, qofte edhe me ligje emergjence e, mbi te gjitha, per te permiresuar imazhin negativ qe kemi kudo ne bote, cka tashme eshte kthyer ne nje faktor teper te rrezikshem penalizimi me pasoja afatgjata! Kaq e veshtire qenka te kuptohet se ne kete kontekst shumecka tjeter duhet lene menjane, e aq me teper nje konflikt i cili, duke mos lene shtigje per zgjidhje politike, rrezikon te dale jashte kontrollit te institucioneve dhe rrezikon destabilizimin e vendit! Kaq e veshtire qenka te kuptohet se bota sot s'do destabilizim, se ajo s'na e ka ngene te merret sot me ne! Le te bejme pyetjen me te thjeshte. Shume permendin si ta pa te keq zgjedhjet e reja. T'i leme per nje cast diskutimet teorike dhe te shtrojme pyetjen: a jemi te sigurte se komuniteti nderkombetar eshte i gatshem te paguaje pafundesisht koston e krizave tona te njepasnjeshme, te dergoje serish qindra vezhgues e delegacione pas delegacionesh per te zgjidhur sherret tona? Perndryshe, a jemi ne gjendje te zhvillojme zgjedhje pa nje prani nderkombetare? Pervoja e zgjedhjeve te fundit tregon qe jo. Jane pyetje fare te thjeshta per ceshtje qe, per pasojat qe mund te kene, behen teper shqetesuese. Ishim nje vend tragjik, po behemi qesharak. Sigurisht, s'dua te krijoj asnje keqkuptim. Stabiliteti s'eshte e s'mund te behet nje qellim ne vetevete. Ne emer te stabilitetit s'mund te mbyllen syte perpara nje sere problemesh te renda, qe ne thelb jane po aq destabilizues. Por, stabiliteti perben nje nder parakushtet, ashtu si dhe zhvillimi ekonomik, pa te cilet s'mund te perceptohet asnje zhvillim e aq me pak demokracia. Historia s'njeh asnje vend qe te jete demokratik pa stabilitet e pa nje zhvillim te caktuar ekonomik. Cdo diskutim per nje demokraci abstrakte, apo qe, per me teper, kunderve demokracine me stabilitetin, ne mos keqkuptim eshte demagogji. * * * S'ka pak dite qe "Zeri i Popullit", gazete e PS, pra e partise qeverisese, ankohej e indinjohej ne kryeartikullin e saj per faktin qe prefekti i Korces, i cili, me c'kuptohej nga leximi, paskesh qene akuzuar nga kjo gazete per nuk e di c'shperdorime ne detyre, e paskesh hedhur gazeten ne gjyq. Kryeartikulli, c'eshte e verteta, shkonte mjaft me larg, tek shkruante: "Eshte bere mode qe zyrtare te ndryshem, nga prefekti deri ne police qe vjedhin rrugeve, te lajne veten me gjyqe te parablera ne ca gjykata lokale ku nga qytetaret- prej vitesh- fjala "drejtesi" kuptohet denjesisht si "pazar"." Cdo njeriu qe lexon nje artikull te tille do t'i lindte vetiu pyetja: Kujt i ankohet kjo gazete, qe eshte zedhenesia e partise qe mban pushtetin prej me se kater vjetesh, madje jo vetem qeverine, por dhe KLD, dhe shumicen ne parlament, qe ka vendosur njerezit e vet deri dhe ne krye te Lidhjes se Shkrimtareve? Sigurisht, kuptohet qe artikulli duhet lexuar brenda kontekstit te konfliktit aktual brenda PS. Dhe per te qene te drejte duhet thene se kemi te bejme me nje konfuzion corodites qe, per fat te keq, s'e gjen vetem ne kete kryeartikull, qe e vecova fare rastesisht, as vetem tek gazeta e PS. Kur degjon gjykime te ketij lloji, te lind natyrshem pyetja: Ku u dashka te drejtohet nje qytetar, vec gjykates, ne rast se dikush, kushdo qofte, pra qofte edhe gazete partiake apo e pavarur, e akuzon! Ne cdo vend normal e vetmja instance qe mbron qytetarin (dhe ne nje rast te tille edhe nje prefekt, minister, kryetar partie, apo dhe kryeminister eshte thjeshte nje qytetar) eshte gjykata. Keto jane rregullat elementare te nje shoqerie ku qytetari, pra individi, eshte gjeja me e shenjte. Ekziston pra, mendoj, nje keqkuptim i madh, fatkeqesisht i perhapur, kur mendohet qe nje gazete mund te te akuzoka per c'ti teket, per nje mije e nje te zeza, dhe kur i akuzuari i drejtohet deres se gjyqit, atehere menjehere leshohet britma se qenka cenuar e drejta e shtypit. Jo, gazetari eshte nje pale si cdo qytetar tjeter dhe duhet te pergjigjet per ate qe shkruan. Pra, qe te kthehemi tek ceshtja e ketij prefekti, c'duhet te beje ky njeri, te heshte dhe te pranoje ne bindje e kokeulur gjykimin e vendimin e te plotefuqishmes gazete! Lirija e shtypit dhe e shprehjes i sherben nje shoqerie demokratike per te krijuar ato ekuilibra qe e bejne pushtetin te pergjigjshem e te kontrolluar. Padyshim qe shoqeria duhet te kete mekanizmat qe ta mbroje gazetarin nga prepotenca e pushtetit (dhe jo vetem pushteti i politikes, por dhe ai i parase), por, mbi te gjitha ajo duhet te kete mekanizmat qe i japin qytetarit mundesine te mbroje te drejtat e tij. Demokracia me shume se nje ideologji eshte nje sistem i tere rregullash, kontestimi i te cilave, pavaresisht nga perligjiet, eshte teper i rrezikshem. Ndaj, dhe kur ceshtje te tilla kalohen jashte rrugeve institucionale, aq me teper duke i kontestuar ato, kjo paraqet rrezik per cdo shoqeri, e aq me shume per nje shoqeri si jona, qe me shume veshtiresi po perpiqet te gjeje rrugen per te dale nga coroditja e plote e gjithe sistemit te vlerave. Por gjithcka behet edhe me shqetesuese kur burimi i coroditjes behet pikerisht partia qe supozohet te drejtoje vendin. Sepse, ne fakt, kundertheniet e editorialit te siperpermendur jane vete kundertheniet e forta qe po reflekton aktualisht ne jeten publike shqiptare PS-ja, e kapluar ne nje konflikt, qe ne nje vend normal do te ishte thjeshte nje lufte per pushtet nga ato qe gjen rendom ne politike, qe mbeten ne periferi te vemendjes se opinionit, por qe tek ne per vete trajtat qe po merr, format qe perdor, e aq me shume per brishtesine e institucioneve, behet teper shqetesues. * * * Ne cdo vend normal te kesaj bote moria e akuzave te ndersjellta qe po degjojme keto dite do te conte sakaq ne nje mori ceshtjesh penale. Por prokurori yne i pergjithshem na siguron se, pavaresisht nga deklaratat bombastike, askush, madje as kryetari Nano e as Angjeli, qe u betuan e sterbetuan per kete, deri me sot s'ka bere asnje padi. Nje situate e tille eshte teper shqetesuese e rrenuese per vete themelet ku mbahet cdo shoqeri. Mjafton te degjosh prokurorin e pergjithshem qe te kuptosh se sa e ngaterruar dhe e rrezikshme eshte situata. Ka se paku dhjete vjet qe korrupsioni perben nje nder plaget me serioze qe brejne trupin e shoqerise shqiptare dhe sidomos moralin publik, duke qene sa pasoje aq dhe shkaktar i krizes se besimit qe vazhdon te na karakterizoje. Ne perceptimin publik prej kohe ekziston mendimi se shumica e politikaneve dhe nepunesve jane te korruptuar, se madje segmente te tere te politikes bashkejetojne me krimin, me mosligjin! Sigurisht, ketu del vetiu pyetja: Mos valle qeveritaret, nepunesit, doganieret, shefat e policise, gjykatesit, partiaket na qenkan ca qenie te vecanta qe kane lindur te korruptuar, te prishur! Pergjigja e kesaj pyetje do te kerkonte analiza sociale e kulturore per faktoret e traditat qe ushqejne korrupsionin, por tani per tani le te mjaftohemi duke shtruar pyetjen qe na intereson: A mund te luftohet korrupsioni ne Shqiperi? S'jam aq naiv sa te thoja, a mund te zhduket korrupsioni: korrupsion ne permasa te ndryshme ka kudo. Aq me teper ne vende te varfer. Ndaj ceshtja shtrohet: a ekziston vertet vullneti, mendesia dhe mekanizmat per te luftuar korrupsionin? E verteta eshte se ekzistojne shume pyetje shqetesuese, te cilat duke qarkulluar prej kohe pa marre asnjehere nje pergjigje te pranueshme, kane perhapur nje klime mosbesimi e skepticizmi ndaj gjithe politikes dhe administrates, aq sa nganjehere te krijohet pershtypja sikur gjithe shoqeria jone qenka e kalbezuar pa shprese sherimi. Sepse, ne fund te fundit, njerezit bejne pyetje fare te thjeshta: Te gjithe, ata qe jane ne pushtet e ata qe jane ne opozite bertasin, akuzojne e betohen per ndershmerine e tyre, iu betohen ambasadoreve dhe delegacioneve te huaj per vendosmerine e tyre per te luftuar krimin dhe korrupsionin, shpallin ligje te perseritura per deklarim pasurish e nderkohe tregojne me gisht tjetrin, ja ku eshte djalli! Une jam engjelli! Dhe serish s'ndodh asgje. Njerezit pyesin: Mire, e kuptojme qe te gjithe s'kapen dot, por si eshte e mundur qe ne tere keta vjet nuk u denua as edhe nje zyrtar i larte per abuzim posti? Sigurisht, ketu askush nuk perfill rastet e manovrave politike, kur akuza nxirret si nje shpate per te ndeshkuar te pabindurin, apo kundershtarin, qofte edhe brenda kampit tend. Pse mbyllen historite edhe kur ato bejne skandal? Pse, edhe kur ndodh qe dikush kapet me presh ne duar, kur nje drejtor doganash, ta zeme behet i pambrojtshem, prape e shumta qe i ndodh eshte pushimi nga puna. Pse edhe kur ne nje mbledhje te partise qeverisese, ne sy te te gjitheve, behen akuza teper konkrete, prokuria s'leviz! A s'paska prokuroria jone te drejten dhe detyren e nismes ligjore per krime te renda, qe rrezikojne seriozisht stabilitetin e vendit? Korrupsioni dhe abuzimi me pushtetin luftohet vetem ne nje menyre, duke ndeshkuar e futur ne burg te korruptuarin, por dhe korruptuesin. Kete na e tregon pervoja e botes. Shteti e lufton kete te keqe kur tregon se ka vullnetin ta ndeshkoje, ndeshkim qe duhet bere jo thjeshte sepse dikush pervetesoi parate publike, por edhe sepse kontribuoi per prishjen e moralit publik! Pse s'preket dot askush! C'e sjell kete ngerc? Njerezit shpesh pyesin: Sa kohe qe PS dhe partite e tjera te koalicionit ne pushtet ishin ne opozite, s'rreshtnin se akuzuari korrupsionin e qeveritareve te Berishes e Meksit, pasurimin e militanteve ne rruge te pandershme, bashkejetesen me krimin nepermjet nje procesi privatizimi te dyshimte, e keshtu me radhe. Atehere, pse me te ardhur ne pushtet gjithe fjalet dhe akuzat e bertitura ne dhjetera mitingje, te shkruara ne qindra artikuj e letra derguar komunitetit nderkombetar, ku denoncohej ky korrupsion, u harruan! Ne se gjithe ato histori qe shpalleshin me kembengulje per korruspionin e ministrave, bordeve te privatizimit, bashkiakeve, Kompanise Shqiponja e kontrabandes se naftes paskeshin qene thjeshte sajime e propagande, atehere le t'i kerkohet falje shqiptareve, duke iu thene: na falni vellezer, me dashje pa dashje iu genjyem! Ne se gjithe ato qe u thane per piramidat u shfryne si nje flluske sapuni, atehere duhet kerkuar falje, dhe te hiqet sa me shpejt ai njeri i ngarkuar te merret me ceshtjen e parave te piramidave, qe belbezon gjera pa kuptim, qe vetem sa rrisin skepticizimin e njerezve ne gjithcka. Ne te vertete eshte krijuar pershtypja sikur ekziston nje marreveshje e heshtur qe perfshin transversalisht gjithe partite, thelbi i se ciles eshte pak a shume ky: sa kohe qe jemi ne politike themi c'themi s'ka shume zarar, i ka keto politika, fjalet i merr era shpejt, por mos guxo te me prekesh, qe as une te mos te prek! Kujtoni vete kercenimet e bera nga disa ish drejtues te PD-se, se do te flisnin po te prekeshin! Cilat qenkan keto te fshehta qe ata mbajne me vete! Kjo eshte dhe nje nga aresyet pse akuzat qe PD-ja perserit prej vitesh behen jo bindese per shumekend, qe pret qe kjo parti te jete e afte te godase me pare korrupsionin e djeshem e te sotem te dale prej saj. Kur nje e keqe pranohet thuajse si dicka normale, kjo eshte shenje qe gjerat kane vajtur ne nje pike kritike. Shihni, psh, bashkejetesen mes bizneseve dhe politikes ne dy fushatat e fundit zgjedhore! Te gjithe vune re se patem nje rritje mjaft te ndjeshme te burimeve financiare qe partite kryesore perdoren per zgjedhjet. Sigurisht, e keqja s'eshte tek bashkepunimi ne vetvete, por tek mungesa e plote e transparences. Ceshtja behet shqetesuese pikerisht sepse s'ekziston asnje informacion publik per burimin e parave qe financojne fushatat, cka le shtegun e hapur qe politika e poltikanet te mbeten peng e interesave te caktuara ekonomike. Pse thuajse askush s'e ngre kete ceshtje? Pse s'e ngre z.Nano? Ose, le te marrim median! Askush s'e di se nga vjen financimi i nje pjese te saj. Alarmi duhet te ishte dhene qe kur ne hetimin e grupit Dudlla-Berballa doli qe nder planet e tyre ishte pikerisht hapja e nje gazete dhe e nje televizioni. Ishte nje kembane alarmi, qe askush s'donte ta degjonte. Aq me teper behet kjo shqetesuese per fuqine qe ka fituar media ne lojen politike, apo rastet jo te pakta kur ndjehet se si ajo perdoret si mjet shantazhi! Shpesh duket sikur historia e korrupsionit ne Shqiperi eshte bere si ajo perralla e rrobave te mbretit lakuriq: te gjithe e shohin, te gjithe e dine, por bejne sikur s'e shohin! A mos beson vertet njeri se na qenka kaq e veshtire ta marresh vesh, ne nje vend te vogel si Shqiperia, se si nje drejtues partie, nje minister a ish minister, qe i hyri politikes me nje biciklete kineze e fanelle leshi, tani jeton ne nje apartament qe kushton te pakten 100.000 $, e vec tij ka dhe nje shtepi ne plazh, nje makine te shtrenjte e ben nje jete e udhetime, qe ne cdo vend normal do te kerkonin se paku disa shpjegime! A mos qenka vertet e pamundur qe te veresh kur nje personazh publik jeton shume pertej mundesive qe i jep rroga dhe te ardhurat e tjera te ligjshme! Per te permendur vetem gjerat me te thjeshta. A s'eshte absurde te degjosh prokurorin e pergjithshem te na tregoje per zyrtare e police qe mbakan ne sirtare dosjet e krimit per te bere me to shantazhe! Kur qenka keshtu pse s'arestohen? Kush e paska mbulur per vite te tera ceshtjen Kadriovsi? Pyetjet sot ne Shqiperi jane shume konkrete dhe ato kerkojne pergjigje e pergjegjesi konkrete. * * * Por, s'duhet harruar, dhe ana tjeter e medaljes, jo me pak e rrezikshme. U mesuam tanime prej vitesh te shohim te ngrihet nje pluhur gjithnje e me i dendur akuzash e kunderakuzash, duke hedhur dyshimin tek gjithkush e tek gjithcka: akuzojne partite, akuzojne politikanet, akuzojne gazetaret e pronaret-biznesmene te medias, te gjithe akuzojne dhe pas kesaj mjegulle te dendur qytetari i shkrete e ka te pamundur te marre vesh se c'eshte e c'nuk eshte e vertete, ndaj beson se gjithcka eshte e prishur pa shprese, se e vetmja rruge shpetimi nga kjo ngecje e pashprese eshte ose te behesh edhe ti vete "i shkathet sic e kerkon koha", ose te marresh rruget e te ikesh. Dhe para kesaj shfaqjeje shumevjecare papergjegjshmerie ti e pyet veten: A s'paska njeri qe te kuptoje se c'dem kolosal po i behet ketij vendi me kete mjegullnaje masakruese hamendjesh, shpifjesh, akuzash qe kane hapur nje psikoze te semure dyshimi qe, ne te vertete, e bejne te pamundur luften kunder korrupsionit dhe abuzimit, duke sjelle ate qe mund ta quajme inflacion te skandalit? Kur degjon e lexon perdite akuza per dy tre skandale ditore qe ne cdo vend normal do te kishin cuar ne burg nja nje duzine njerezish, ne mos do te shkaktonin varg doreheqjesh, atehere pyet, pse behet kjo? C'po luhet keshtu, cilet jane aktoret, ne se ka, te gjithe kesaj loje cinike e amorale! A eshte fjala thjeshte per papergjegjshmeri? Sepse logjika e nje vendi normal te thote qe ne se dikush akuzon dike, aq me teper nje protagonist qendror te jetes se vendit si kriminel, vrases, mafioz, hajdut, kontrabandist, trafikant atehere edhe ne shtetin me te fundit te Afrikes ekzistojne vetem dy rruge: ose i akuzuari, ose akuzuesi duhet te pergjigjen para ligjit, njeri per krim, tjetri per shpifje, e cila ne situata te caktuara, per demin qe sjell, eshte krim po aq i rende. Atehere, pyes, a s'paska njeri pergjegjesi per kete loje masakruese qe s'i le njeriut asnje mundesi te besoje se ekziston edhe specia e politikanit te ndershem, e nepunesit, gjykatesit te ndershem, qe skuqen e revoltohen kur ua perbaltin emrin, ndaj dhe kerkojne te mbrohen? Nje shoqeri qe beson vetem tek e keqja eshte krejtesisht e paralizuar, ajo riprodhon vetem te keqen dhe s'ka te arthme. S'ka pak dite (me 29 nentor) qe ne Poloni parlamenti i hoqi imunitetin nenkryetarit te tij, z.Andrzej Lepper, udheheqes i partise fshatare, nje parti radikale populiste me 53 vende ne parlament, qe ben pjese ne koalicionin qeverises. Shkaku i heqjes se imunitetit ishin nje sere akuzash qe z.Lepper u kishte bere disa politikaneve, nder ta edhe ministrit te jashtem, per korrupsion, gjate nje fushate populiste ne baze, ku ai kishte dale me flamurin e mbrojtesit te interesave te njerezve te varfer. Sigurisht, si ne cdo vend ku ekziston shteti ligjor, ceshtja u kalua sakaq ne gjyq dhe z.Lepper iu hoq imuniteti qe te mund te pergjigjet per akuzat e tij si cdo qytetar tjeter. (The Economist, 15 Dhjetor 2001). Por gazetat, duke nisur nga ato te PS dhe PD na thone e drejtesia qenka ajo me e korruptuara, atehere, ne se e besojme kete gjykim dhe s'ka aresye pse te mos e besojme derisa na e thote edhe gazeta e forces qe prej me se kater vjetesh ka pushtetin, ceshtja duket vertet e komplikuar. Por, nderkohe, mund te pyetet: kujt i sherben kjo qaravitje e vazhdueshme! Ne se gjyqesori ka probleme kaq te medha dhe sherimi i tij qenka kyci i zgjidhjes se problemeve, atehere pse s'merremi seriozisht me te! Nje semundje e rende perligj edhe masat radikale! S'ka vend ne bote pa korrupsion e pa krim, ajo cka ndryshon eshte pikerisht ambjenti qe i rrethon. Kur ne nje shoqeri behet e veshtire te dallosh te miren nga e keqja, te ligjshmen nga e paligjshmia, te moralshmen nga e pamoralshmia, atehere eshte realisht e pamundur te luftohet krimi e korrupsioni. Dhe natyrshem ketu del ceshtja e institucioneve? * * * Dihej qe per shqiptaret kalimi nga komunizmi ne nje sistem tjeter do te ishte me i veshtire se per cilindo vend tjeter ish komunist. Historia e Shqiperise paskomuniste eshte ndoshta deshmia me e mire se si trashegimia historike, niveli i zhvillimit ekonomik, kultura politike kushtezojne aftesine e nje vendi per te adaptuar modelin demokratik e per te ngritur institucionet baze te tij. Ne fakt ne na mungonin shume nga parakushtet e nje shoqerie demokratike, duke filluar qe mungesa e nje shtrese te mesme, e deri tek mungesa e nje tradite borgjeze apo dhe qytetare. Shembja e komunizmit, vec pasojave te renda qe la pas ky i fundit, nxorri ne siperfaqe edhe mjaft prej problemeve, dilemave, medyshjeve e tensioneve qe shoqerise shqiptare i qe dashur te perballonte edhe para ardhjes se komunizmit ne pushtet. Por, megjithate, ne 1991 u hodh nje hap teper i rendesishem. Ishin te gjitha shanset qe, vertet ngadale, por ne menyre te sigurte, te hynim me ne fund ne rrugen e perparimit, modernizmit dhe qyteterimit. Per kete qellim shqiptareve iu duhej bere e qarte se rrezimi i komunizmit dhe dalja nga izolimi ishin vetem nje hap, sado qe i rendesishem, ne drejtimin e duhur, por se kjo s'do te thoshte se ishte kapercyer si me magji ai hendek teper i madh, i krijuar nder shekuj, qe na ndante nga pjesa tjeter e Europes. Atyre iu duhej thene se kapitalizmi s'eshte nje parajse, por nje sistem ku paraja fitohet me djerse, por ku shperblehet me mire puna dhe zotesia, ku konkurenca eshte po aq e rendesishme sa dhe bashkepunimi. Se institucionet demokratike s'jane thjeshte ca zyra te rrethuara me roje, nga ku dalin urdhera e favore, por nje sere rregullash, qe sherbejne per te organizuar jeten e perbashket ne nje shoqeri njerezish te lire, rregulla qe jane te detyrueshme per te gjithe e mbi te cilat s'del dot kerrkush, ndaj dhe ne ndryshim nga rregjimi i meparshem, tash e tutje do te sundonte ligji dhe jo me individet apo partite. Se c'ndodhi ne te vertete, e dime te gjithe. Per shqiptaret kapitalizmi dhe ekonomia e tregut u kthyen shpejt ne nje loje pa shume rregulla, ku fitonte me i shkathti, shpesh njerez pa skrupuj e batkacinj, ku madje dhe ato rregulla qe shpalleshin shpejt shkeleshin, ku pasurimi i shpejte perligjte shperfilljen e ligjeve, ku vete pjesemarrja ne politike u perceptua, me se shumti, si rruga me e shkurter per t'u pasuruar, ku polarizimi ekstrem qe po ndodhte ne shoqerine tejet te varfer kryesisht fshatare shqiptare u quajt dicka normale, ku modeli i suksesit qe iu reklamua shqiptareve per vite me radhe ishte ai i nje Vehbi Alimuce, qe s'duhet harruar, si nje shtet brenda shtetit, shperndante edhe dekorata. Lirija u keqkuptua, duke e marre per anarki. Eshte fakt qe demokracia e papervoje shqiptare e humbi shpejt idealizimin e vet, duke u shnderruar ne nje gare te pamoralshme pasurimi apo pushteti, ku ne emer te demokracise u nxiten disa prej veseve me te keqija te trasheguara. Ne shoqerine e brishte shqiptare, te tronditur nga ndryshimet teper te shpejta dhe radikale, relativizimi i vet konceptit te ligjit, te te mires dhe te keqes, shartimi kaotik i ideve dhe praktikave, solli anarkine dhe nje krize te rende te sistemit te vlerave, si dhe nje shkermoqje graduale te autoritetit te shtetit. Pjelle e ketij deformimi ishte kriza e piramidave dhe drama qe ato sollen. Pjelle e tij eshte kriminalizimi i segmenteve te rendesishem te shoqerise dhe bashkejetesa e tyre me politiken. Rezultat i gjithe kesaj eshte simbioza e nje pjese te administrates qendrore e lokale, zyrtareve te partive me nje shtrese te sapokrijuar pasanikesh te rinj arrogante, vulgare e pa skrupuj, qe nderkohe qe ia kane nevojen politikes, nga ana tjeter, kur e shohin te udhes, tregojne dhembet, te gatshem te sfidojne edhe vete shtetin. Deformimi per te cilin flas eshte thuajse i prekshem. Mjafton te shohesh Tiranen. Pse Tirana, brenda pak kohe, u be qyteti me numurin me te madh per fryme ne Europe te kafeneve, lojerave te fatit, bingove, bilardove? Pse pikerisht keto simbole te limontise, te mosperfilljes se ligjit, te pasurimit te shpejte u bene ne Shqiperi simbole te kapitalizmit? Ne fakt mjafton te mendosh shperfytyrimin e rremujshem qe ndodhi ne qytetet tona, qe vetiu te te shkoje ne mendje pyetja: pse ndodhi e gjithe kjo? Pse u shnderruan ato ne ca pazare te medha orientale, ku ne vend te parqeve mbine rremujshem kioskat, pasqyre e coroditjes dramatike te mendjes se shqiptareve. Shumecka mund te shihet si nje kalvar i detyrueshem ku donim s'donim duhej kaluar. Nje harac qe duhej t'i paguanim te kaluares sone. Por jo gjithcka. Por, po ta vazhdosh ca me tej arsyetimin, ai te con vetiu tek pyetja: Fundja te gjitha keto s'ndodhen brenda nje nate, as rane nga qielli! Tirana nuk degradoi brenda nje nate ne nje nder qytetet me te shemtuara, me te pista, me kaotike te Europes. A s'kishte gjate gjithe kesaj kohe nje qeveri, nje kryeminister, president, ministra, nje bashki, polici, nje opozite? Pse e lejuan ata kete gjendje qe s'e gjen ne asnje vend tjeter, qe komprometoi rende vet konceptin e shtetit dhe te bashkejeteses ne nje hapesire demokratike? Padyshim qe pergjegjesia e atyre qe moren persiper te drejtojne kete vend eshte e madhe, pavaresisht se do te ishte iluzore ta zbraznim gjithe pergjegjesite vetem tek ata. Mund te thuhet se e gjithe kjo tani eshte histori. Po, por fatkeqesisht, nje histori se ciles ende s'po i shihet fundi. Ne mes te Tiranes vazhdojne te ekzistojne dy simbolet qe misherojne udhekryqin shqiptar. Dhe simbolet jane gjithnje te rendesishem. Absurd, i frikshem me zbrazetine e tij te rrenuar ngrihet piedestali i ish statujes gjigande te Enver Hoxhes. Jo larg qe aty, nje tjeter simbol, kesaj here i keqkuptimit shqiptar per kapitalizmin, gropa e pagezuar me emrin e aventurierit kosovaro-zvicerian Hajdin Sejdia, krijues i piramides se pare ne Shqiperi. Kane kaluar me se dhjete vjet dhe ato jane po aty...! * * * Ne vend te perfundimit Nje diplomat i huaj ne Tirane me tregonte se si e kishte patur shume te veshtire t'ia mbushte mendjen shoferit te tij shqiptar se ne vendin nga ku ai vinte ishte e paperceptueshme qe makina e nje ministri te ecte rrugeve te qytetit me sirena policie, duke mos respektuar asnje rregull te qarkullimit rrugor. Shume shqiptare e kane vertet te veshtire ta kuptojne se si posti zyrtar mund te mos perdoret per perfitime, ndere e per ta perjashtuar veten nga nje sere rregullash e ligjesh. Shikoni aeroportin e Rinasit, pika e pare e kontaktit per cdo te huaj qe vjen ne Shqiperi, realisht nje turp, vitrina me e keqe qe mund t'i krijoje vetes nje vend! Pse s'ndryshon gjendja aty, cka mund te behet fare lehte. Aresyet jane sigurisht shume. Po a s'eshte nje nder to edhe fakti qe prej vitesh asnje zyrtar apo partiak s'kalon andej nga kalojne vdektaret e tjere, qe te shohe katrahuren e turpshme me te cilen perballet cdo i huaj qe vjen. Ne c'vend te botes demokratike na eshte marre ky model qe perjashton cdo partiak (edhe ata te opozites) e zyrtar, madje edhe te nivelit te mesem, nga paraqitja ne kontrollin e pasaportave dhe nga kontrolli doganor! Rruga jone drejt nje shteti ligjor eshte, fatkeqesisht, ende e gjate. Shume gjera duhen ndryshuar dhe sa me shpejt. S'kemi me kohe per te humbur. Le te mos e genjejme me veten me perralla, por le te fillojme ta pyesim veten seriozisht pse vazhdojme te mbetemi, dhe tani ne fillim te mijevjecarit te trete, me se dhjete vjet nga renia e komunizmit dhe 90 vjet pas pavaresise, vendi me i prapambetur dhe me problematik ne Europe? Sigurisht, ne nje gje Nano ka te drejte, klasa politike shqiptare ka nevoje te beje nje katharsis. Ne te vertete mbare shoqeria shqiptare ka nevoje per nje katharsis, cka do te thote, para se gjithash, qe si kolektivizmi i imponuar i diktatures, ashtu dhe anarkia e paskomunizmit te zevendesohen, me se fundi, me ndergjegjesimin social, qe respektimi i ligjit te kthehet ne nje nevoje te jeteses se perbashket. Nderkohe, nje tjeter perfundim qe duhet nxjerre nga gjithe kjo histori eshte qe fjalet s'mjaftojne me. Disa gjera jane bere te padurueshme. Kushdo qe qeveris kete vend duhet te tregoje me vepra bindese se e ka seriozisht luften kunder nje sere dukurish, duke filluar nga trafiqet deri tek korrupsioni. Qofte edhe duke kaluar sa me shpejt nje pakete ligjesh emergjence, sic propozoi Berisha ne kuvendin e fundit. Eshte, po ashtu, koha qe per ceshtje qe perbejne interes kombetar, e gjithe klasa politike duhet te bashkepunoje. Lufta kunder krimit dhe korrupsionit duhet te perbeje gurin e proves per cdo politikan. Semundja ka hyre vertet thelle, po ajo ende mund te luftohet. Dhe njerezit, ne fund te fundit, s'kerkojne mrekullira. Ata duan vetem te shohin me se fundi qe qe nga fjalet po kalohet ne vepra. Katharsisi, nderkohe, duhet te filloje me analizen serioze te deformimeve qe i jane bere institucionit themelor te demokracise, duke nxjerre pergjegjesite per te gjithe ata qe kane guxuar te prekin voten, qe nga pranevera e vitit 1996 e deri ne zgjedhjet e 2001. Kjo eshte nje domosdoshmeri. Pa rehabilituar institucionin e zgjedhjeve, s'do dalim dot kurre nga rrethi vicioz i dyshimeve shkaterruese. Shoqeria shqiptare ka nevoje per nje levizje sheruese, korrigjuese, qe te godase deformimet e ndodhura. Dhe eshte e natyrshme qe lufte duhet te filloje pikerisht nga qeverisja, nga korrupsioni dhe abuzimet qe behen se pari ne nivelet e larta, sepse ekzistenca e tyre i ben te kota perpjekjet per te sheruar semundjet nga te cilat vuan aktualisht nje pjese jo e vogel e shoqerise shqiptare. Por kjo s'do te thote qe ne emer te luftes kunder abuzimeve, te kerkosh deformime te reja, si vazhdimin e nje sistemi partitokracie. Ne cdo vend demokratik partite s'jane vec nje hallke ndermjetese mes qytetarit dhe institucioneve perfaqsuese, dhe aspak zevendesues te tyre. Ne fakt dukuria e partitokracise, pra fakti qe partite kane nje vend shume te shproporcionuar ne hapesiren publike, eshte nje dukuri qe po shoqeron gjithe tranzicionin shqiptar, duke e bere edhe me te veshtire funksionimin e institucioneve te tjere, madje edhe duke sjelle deformimin e shume syresh, duke nisur qe nga institucioni baze i demokracise, ai i zgjedhjeve. A ka vend tjeter ne bote ku te te mbije ne sy thuajse per nate ne televizion kryetari i nje partie qe ka apo jo 2% te votave! * * * Po, le te kthehemi tek pyetja: c'pasoja do kete vendi nga levizja e nisur prej Nanos? E perseris, ajo e ka padyshim nje vlere, qe sot e tutje do shperfillja e metejshme e problemeve do te jete me e veshtire. Por nderkohe, projekti politik i Nanos ka nje sere problemesh serioze, qe te bejne te trembesh per pasojat qe mund te kete. Sepse vertet qe Nano kritikon, godet qeverine, evidenton, madje amplifikon te metat, manovron mjeshterisht me emocionet e frustrimet e njerezve, por c'alternative reale ofron ai per zgjidhjen e problemeve. Dhe ne se ai s'arrin te paraqese shpejt nje projekt politik te qarte, gjithe levizja e tij ka per t'u cvleftesuar shpejt dhe prej saj s'do mbetet vecse efekti destabilizues. Sepse levizjet qe behen zedhenese te pakenaqesive, vertet fitojne popullaritet, kane aftesi te medha mobilizuese te turmave, por ne se s'kthehen shpejt ne nje projekt te qarte politik, kane brenda vetes faren e rrezikut qe te mbeten peng e inercise se krijuar, sic ndodh rendom me levizjet populiste. Rreziku eshte qe dalngadale eshte turma ajo qe drejton. Fakti eshte qe Nano po i mbyll gjithnje e me shume shtigjet e kompromisit. E nisi duke shpallur kanditaturen per president, cka tani duket e pamundur. Nderkohe qe po behet gjithnje e me e veshtire te kuptosh se c'kerkon vertet ai. Fillimisht kerkoi koken e tre ministrave, e realizoi. Ne nje fare menyre arriti te tregoje se s'mund te shperfillet. I ndjere me i forte, tani kuptohet se kerkon koken e vete Metes. Ja u hoq Meta! Kush eshte alternativa qe ofron Nano? Ketu ai eshte krejt i paqarte. Sepse, eshte vertet e veshtire te dallosh, tej retorikes, ndonje projekt politik. Ne parlamentin e tanishem, sido qe t'i besh llogarite Nano s'ka asnje mundesi te kete shumicen, nderkohe qe duket se ka aftesine bllokuese te pakices qe ai kontrollon. Atehere mbetet vetem logjika e krizes parlamentare dhe e zgjedhjeve te reja dhe ndarja me dysh e PS-se. Kjo e fundit, ne fakt, do te ishte dicka me se e natyrshme. Faktori kryesor qe siguronte unitetin disi artificial te kesaj partie ishte se pari trysnia e kercenimit te faktorit Berisha. Me ta ndjere veten me te sigurte psikologjikisht eshte e natyrshme qe militantet e kesaj partie dote shfaqnin korrentet e mendesite e ndryshme qe perbejne kete parti, pasardhese e partise qe sundoi Shqiperine me dore te hekurt per gati gjysem shekulli. Por ndarja e PS do te thote zgjedhje te parakoheshme. C'fiton Nano prej tyre? Por, para se te shkojme aty, ta zeme per nje cast se ndodh cudia dhe Nano arrin te siguroje shumicen e nevojshme per te krijuar qeverine sipas konceptit te tij. C'do te ofroje ai? Pikepyetjet dalin qe kur sheh grupin e pasuesve kryesore te Nanos, protagoniste te njohur te politikes se vendit, mjaft syresh qe e kane qeverisur ate ne caste te ndryshme si zvkryeministra, ministra, deputete, qe nga 1991 e ketej, disa prej tyre te sterperfolur jo shume kohe me pare, per korrupsion. Mjaft prej tyre nderkohe s'te krijojne asnje bindje per meritokracine per te cilen ka qejf te flase Nano. Atehere, pse une si qytetar u dashka t'iu besokam tani atyre, thjeshte sepse paskan ngritur flamurin e luftes kunder korrupsionit! A ka ndonje garanci qe me t'u bere ministra edhe ata s'do te behen pre e lehte e lojes paralizuese te akuzave. Qe dhe vete turmat partiake s'do t'iu kthehen kunder! Per me teper c'garanci japin ata se do te jene me bindes se ministrat e qeverise se tanishme ne luften kunder korrupsionit? Ne pasuesit e Nanos ka fare pak fytyra te reja! Me tej. Disa nga ata qe akuzon sot Nano jo shume kohe me pare ishin nder miqte e tij te afert. Lind pyetja: historia e tyre e abuzimit dhe korrupsionit, per te cilen i akuzon sot Nano, nisi vetem tani qe ata nderruan kamp? Vetem para pak muajsh E.Rama paraqitej prej tij si model i qeverisjes lokale... Shpejt a vone Nanos do t'i duhet te jape pergjigje per nje sere pyetjesh, duke nisur se pari nga pyetja: A s'ka nevoje edhe ai qe te behet bindes, per nje proces katharsisi, duke e filluar me dhenien e shpjegimeve te qarta publike per akuzat qe i behen! Varianti me i keq, sidoqofte, eshte ai i nje krize te zgjatur, qe do te sillte paralizen e qeverisjes. Vendi ndodhet para sfidave te medha, duke e nisur me fillimin e bisedimeve per asociimin me BE. Deshtimi ne kete objektiv do te kishte pasoja mjaft te renda jo thjeshte politike, por dhe sociale e ekonomike. Nje cgenjim i ri, nje rikredhje ne abisin e frikshem te humbjes se shpreses do te ishte vertet katastrofik. Vendi ka nevoje per pak shprese. Eshte me se paku amorale qe ne nje kohe kur se paku ne Tirane po ndodhin disa ndryshime pozitive, konkrete, te merresh vetem me thonjte e paprere te E.Rames. Per nje grime u duk sikur po ngjallej nje shkendije shprese, u duk sikur po ravijezoheshin disa shenja rimekembjeje, ne radhe te pare psikologjike. Dhe pozita nderkombetare e vendit eshte permiresuar. Shqiperia perceptohet sot pergjithesisht si nje faktor stabiliteti ne rajon. Dhe pikerisht kur, pavaresisht nga nje mije e nje probleme, shpresuam per nje fije shprese, si nje mallkim, u rishfaq hija paralajmeruese e krizes. Gjeja e fundit qe na duhet sot eshte nje krize e verber. --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctionsfor all of your holiday gifts! -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From dritan at albnet.net Thu Dec 27 09:37:16 2001 From: dritan at albnet.net (Dritan) Date: Thu, 27 Dec 2001 15:37:16 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Duke ju falenderuar per pjesmarrjen. Message-ID: <200112271437.fBREbGl17362@ns2.adanet.com.al> Me respekt Per Shoqaten Ndihme Mjeksore Nderkombetare (A.M.I) Antare te komisionit : Pergjegjes i rikonstruksionit Niko Mata Natali Mane Cyril Pouzolles From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Dec 29 10:31:12 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 29 Dec 2001 07:31:12 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Koha Jone Message-ID: <20011229153112.31166.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Greket, atentat marinareve shqiptare Shpresa Dine Sarande - Kur ne 8 dhjetor te ketij viti, media greke dha lajmin se nga shperthimi i nje ule gazi ne anijen "Violeta" ne Korfuz vdiq nje shqiptar dhe nje tjeter u plagos, te gjithe menduan se fatkeqeve u kishte ndodhur nje aksident. Por ne fakt nuk ka ndodhur keshtu. Niazi Demko, i mbijetuari i asaj tragjedie, deklaron gati pas nje muaji se gjithcka ka qene nje atentat me eksploziv i manipuluar ne menyre qe pronari te merrte demshperblim. E per fat te keq, dy shqiptaret mbeten viktima. Aqif Buzi mbeti i vdekur, ndersa vet Niaziu mori disa demtime. Jo vetem media, por edhe policia greke u manupuluan per te thene se aty kishte shperthyer nje ul gazi,por ne fakt ne anije nuk ka pasur fare te tille. Ne kete menyre, Demko zbulon fijet e nje skandali te ri qe ka te beje me rracizmin grek ndaj shqiptareve. Deshimtari i vetem Niazi Demko tregon: Niazi Demko erdhi ne Sarande nga spitali i Korfuzit pas 3 ditesh mjekimesh aty. E gjetem ne shtepine e tij nen kujdesin e vazhdueshem te se shoqes se vet. Njeri i qete, edhe pse me plage pjeserisht ne trup dhe me sume ne kemben e majte. Ishte ende i tronditur por me ciltersi u shpreh: Shyqyr zotit qe shpetova gjalle, edhe per faktin qe te them ato qe me jane grumbulluar ne shpirt. E them me plot gojen, na vrane, sepse isha vete dhe per kete nuk ma ndryshon dot mendjen askush. Dhe me e keqja, shteti yne nuk beri asnje perpjekje te dije se kush ishte e verteta mbi ate ngjarje makabre. Te mos kete pasur kohe valle? Apo nuk deshi. Faktikisht mua deri tani nuk me ka ardhur askush nga autoritetet kompetente te vendit apo edhe me lart nga Ministria e Rendit ndoshta dhe nga Ministria e Jashtme dhe te mesojne mire se si na ndodhi, apo te bejne edhe ata ekspertizen e tyre. Mos ndoshta valle e kane lene per te ardhur dhe interesuar kur une te jem sheruar nga plaget? Nuk mund ta kuptoj kete "pergjumje" me dashje te shtetit. Kemi 10 vjet qe punojme ne keto anije dhe kemi bere nje pune te zeze te detyruar, sa per t'u ushqyer, kur i thone nje fjale. Po nje gje duhet te dini se kemi qene edhe ne dikur ushtarake, madje kuadro, une oficer marine dhe i miri Aqif nenkryetar dege dhe kemi sherbyer me nder dhe pergjegjesi ne detyren tone. Dhe te flakemi keshtu, nuk mund ta kuptoj. Ngjarja "Ate dite te shtune une, Aqifi dhe pjestaret e tjere te ekuipazhit po punonim tek anija "Camelia" per ta pasur ate gati ne cdo drejtim se prisnim kontroll nga Ministria e Marines se Greqise, e cila do te jepte firmen per te vazhduar me tej kjo anije aktivitetin e vet. Rreth ores 19.30, me oren greke, bashke me Aqifin shkuam tek anija "Violeta", se shoku im aty flinte, ndersa une flija tek "Mimoza", por ate nate shkova per shoqeri. Pasi beme pak muhabet e pime nga nje cigare, une i thashe se do te dilja pak per te mbaruar nje porosi qe kisha, atehere Aqifi me tha se ne se do te kthehesha rreth ores 21.30-22.15 (gjithmone sipas ores greke) me sill edhe mua 4 sufllaqe per te ngrene darke. Nga ora 21.00, 21.15 me merr ne telefon dhe me thote qe eja se jam ne nje lokal bashke me 3 shoke. Qendruam atje deri ne oren 23.00 dhe u kthyem ne anije. Ai u kthye me shpejt se kishte bicikleten ndersa mua me shoqeri nje shok me makinen e vet deri afer anijes. Aqifi kishte vene edhe dushin per t'u lare. Pime cigare, beme dhe muhabet, duke pare edhe televizor. Nderkohe ai shkoi ne kabinen e tij dhe u vesh me rrobat qe rrinte zakonisht ne anije, me tuta sporti, mori mjetet dhe shkoi per t'u lare. Mua, duke pare televizor, me kishte zene gjumi ne divan. Rreth gjysme ore me vone u zgjova nga nje shperthim i fuqishem. Cohem dhe u tmerrova kur pashe se gjithshka ne sallonin e anijes ishte shkaterruar ndersa Aqifi ndodhej i shtrire 1 m larg kembeve te mia pa jete. I fola sa i fola por pashe qe ai kishte mbaruar. I ishte prere dora e majte, barkun komplet e kishte te hapur dhe i kishin dale jashte gjithe organet e brendshme, ndersa pjesen e majte te fytyres e kishte shume te demtuar aq sa nuk njihej fare. Pas kesaj pashe qe banaku kishte marre flake. U perpoqa me nje bluze, qe e gjeta aty, per ta shuarsadopak ate dhe dola mbrapa anijes per t'u folur shokeve qe flinin tek anijet e tjera. Nuk me degjuan. U ktheva perseri ne anije, ku zjarri kish filluar te rritej. Gjeta fiksen e anijes dhe e fika ate dhe ashtu i plagosur sic isha e me nje zhurme ne vesh, shkova tek shoket per te kerkuar ndihme. Ata erdhen menjehere dhe njekohesisht njoftuan edhe organet kompetente te portit. Kur erdhen ata erdhi edhe ambulanca dhe mua me cuan ne spital. Isha plagosur ne krahun e majte, kembe, ne sy dhe veshet nga shperthimi me benin shume zhurme. Madje nga vizita mjekesore me thane se me ishte care timpani i veshit te majte dhe veshin tjeter te demtuar per shkallen e degjimit. Nuk e kuptoj pse ne spital te Korfuzit me trajtuan me nje indiference te dukshme dhe jo me nje terapi intensive ashtu sic e kisha te nevojshme. Vizitat mjekesore nuk m'u bene te plota dhe se nga spitali me nxorren si me force. Dhe kur mjekja ligjore e Korfuzit kerkoi llogari per terapine e cunguar qe me ishte bere mjeku i spitalit si per inat erdhi dhe me hoqi serumet me force. Nga spitali per te traget ika me makine te policise se portit. Nga ana e kapitenerise greke u moren masa dhe me derguan edhe nje ushtar per te me ruajtur sipas rregullave qe ata kane per gjithe marinaret. Madje ushtari kur vuri re qendrimin e mjekut kirurg te spitalit nuk iku per asnje moment nga dhoma ime per te mos u krijuar ndonje problem. Nje numer gazetaresh dhe kameramanesh erdhen ne spital per te kontakutar me mua, por asnje nuk u lejua ne asnje moment. Vazhdimisht merresha ne pyetje nga punonjes te sigurimit te portit dhe ata me hidhnin versione se gjoja shperthimi kishte ndodhur nga ulat e gazit. Kundershtova me force dhe argumentova bindshem se ai shperthim nuk ishte nga ula gazi, pasi ne anije, ne radhe te pare, nuk kishte ul gazi te instaluar. Edhe dy te vogla kafeje qe ishin ne anije jane edhe sot atje te pashperthyera. Tjetra, u thashe atyre, ai ishte nje shperthim aq i fuqishem sa te jepte te kuptoje se ishte shperthim eksplozivi dhe se demtimet ishin te tilla qe ne sallonin 25 m te gjate, 5 m te gjere dhe 3 m te larte u shkaterrua gjithcka, dyer, dritare, xhama, madje edhe pjesa e siperme e kuvertes, qe perdorej ne vere per te dale pasagjeret, qe ishte me duralumin ishte shkeputur komplet dhe kishte pesuar zhvendosje. Pra bindshem them se ishte eksploziv shume i fuqishem dhe ndoshta edhe nga ai qe perdoret tashme nga istet. Vec qe nje gje eshte e sigurt, u thashe atyre qe me merrnin ne pyetje, qe nga e tere kjo i fituar del vetem pronari yne dhe askush tjeter. Se sipas rregullave qe kane ata dhe me sa di une pronari i ka anijet te siguruara dhe sipas disa ligjeve nderkombetare siguracionin e perfiton kur anija ka demtime te medha dhe kur ka dhe viktima atehere behet edhe me i besueshem versioni qe anija eshte e prishur. Dhe cudia tjeter, qe prape le hije dyshimi mbi te, eshte se ai, pra pronari, ende deri me sot nuk eshte takuar as me shoket e tjere te ekuipazhit, pa le me me mua jo e jo, por madje as te pyese per shendetin tim. Edhe kur me pyesnin nga punonjesit e sigurimit te limanit shpesh here me thoshnin: Pse trembet pronari juaj qe te vije ne Korfuz. E une u pergjigjesha: Une nuk e di pse trembet. Kete kerkojeni juve. Edhe ekspertiza ne konkluzionin e saj te fundit ishte se nuk kishte rrjedhje gazi dhe se shperthimi i fuqishem ishte si rrjedhoje e eksplozivit te vendosur ne anije. Kush eshte pronari i anijes "Violeta" "Pronariyne Athanasios Jerondaqis eshte nga Athina por aktivitetin e tij privat e ushtron ne Korfuz. Ka 3 anija, "Camelia", "Mimoza" dhe "Violeta", te cilat i perdor me intervale duke bere linjen Korfuz-Sarande. Ndersa ne periudhen e veres anija Violeta, qe qe edhe protagonistja e ketij incidenti, perdorej per linjen Korfuz-Himare. Ishte anije me probleme teknike dhe si e tille kishte rreth 2 muaj e gjysme qe qe pezulluar nga puna. Keto kohe punonte vetem "Camelia" me linje te perditshme. Por pronari yne ka edhe nje anije tjeter me emrin "Nanti" qe e ka per linje te brendshme Korfuz-Igumenice. Dhe qe ketu duket diskriminimi yne. Paga jone eshte qesharake. Une si kryemekanik i anijes marr 115 mije dhrahmi, kapiteni 130 mije dhrahmi dhe marinari, kete page merrte edhe Aqifi 90 mije dhrahmi. Ndersa koleget tane greke qe punojne ne linjen Korfuz-Igumenice me kete pronar marrin pesefishin e rroges sone duke perfituar edhe shperblimet gjate festave, sigurimin shoqeror, lejet e zakonshme, perfitime keto qe nuk mund te behen fjale edhe per neve. Me thane keto dite sikur pronari jone i "mire" ka menduar qe familjes se Aqifit si demshperblim t'i lidhe nje rroge mujore per 1 vit, qe do te thote t'i jape 1 milion e 100 mije dhrahmi. Dhe kaq eshte detyrimi i tij per nje jete te humbur. Sa qesharake. Edhe ne kete rast te perulur ne. Para 3-4 muajsh kur do te ankoroheshim me anijen "Mimoza", nga koha e keqe u shkeput dera e mbrapme e anijes dhe bie ne uje nje motor i nje pasagjeri grek. Polumbari e nxorri ate dhe e cuam edhe per ta riparuar ne Greqi. Por greku i shkoi pronarit tone ne zyre dhe i kerkoi demshperblim duke i thene se, "me ke krijuar shqetesime psikologjike". Pronari atehere i dha atij 2 milion e 300 mije dhrahmi. Ndersa per Aqifin, qe sic tregojne edhe faktet bindese e vrau ne krye te detyres, per te fituar sikuracionin e majme ne kembim te jetes se tij, jep per bamiresi. Sa qesharake, ky pronar qe shperblen mire nje shtetasin e vet per anen psikologjike te shkaktuar per nje motor, shperblen habitshem, madje te paperfillshme fare, familjen e nje marinari qe prej punes se tij ka fituar shume e shume, kerkon ta shperbleje me nje shume teper teper qesharake. A duhet te behet sehirxhi shteti yne per shperfillje te tilla qe u behen shtetasve te vet? Pronari Jerondaqis licensen per aktivitetin e tij te tragetit per linjen Sarande-Korfuz-Sarande e ka marre ne ministrine e transporteve ne vendin tone. Atehere si askush nuk i ka kerkuar llogari ketij personi, qofte edhe nga punonjes te kapitenerise ne Sarande, qe ai levizte pa bere kontratat e punes per ne? Neglizhenca e tyre dhe moskujdesja jone deri ne fund beri ate qe sot net e jemi te pasiguruar dhe pa kontrate pune. Dhe kur kerkova nje avokat grek per te ndjekur ceshtjen, sidomos per shokun tim, qe kur nuk do ta harroj, me thane qe kete ceshtje nuk e ndiqni dot ketu se nuk perfitoni gje pasi anijet punojne linje shqiptare dhe atje do ta zgjidhni cdo gje. Anijet jane me flamur honduras dhe nuk kane lidhje me shtetin grek. Atje pronari paguan thjesht detyrimet portuale, taksat portuale, ndersa detyrimet e tjera duhet t'ia kerkoje shteti shqiptar ku ai ka marre edhe licensen. Nuk mund ta kuptoj kurre kete lloj mosinteresimi te shtetit tone per shtetasit e vet qe kane marre rruget e emigracionit jo per pasuri por per buken e gojes. Edhe pse i semure nuk ndjeva lodhje qe u rrefeva sepse nje dite duhej te merrej vesh se si punojne dhe tratohen emigrantet, sidomos ne Greqi". --------------------------------- Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online at Yahoo! Greetings. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed