From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 1 13:27:09 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 18:27:09 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Milosevic under guard Message-ID: Milosevic under guard Milosevic has been placed under 24-hour guard by the new Serb government February 1, 2001 Web posted at: 1734 GMT BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been placed under 24-hour police surveillance by the Serbia's new government. Serbia's new interior minister Dusan Mihajlovic, asked on Thursday if he had carried out the threat he made before taking office to put Milosevic under watch, said: "You can take it that it's been done." Mihajlovic, appointed last week as part of Serbia's new government, had promised to take the measure because Milosevic is wanted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal and is also, he said, being investigated by local justice authorities. Many reformist Serbian and Yugoslav leaders have said Milosevic should not be transferred to the U.N. tribunal in The Hague, which has indicted him on Kosovo war crimes charges. They accuse the tribunal of anti-Serb bias and say Milosevic should stand trial in a domestic court on charges of vote-rigging and corruption. Milosevic is widely believed to be still living in the former official presidential residence in Belgrade's exclusive Dedinje suburb. Mihajlovic said Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, who took office in October after a mass uprising forced Milosevic from power, had allowed his predecessor to remain in the residence. "Kostunica did not want to move in and he left it for Milosevic to use. That is their arrangement," Mihajlovic said. He said the building was being guarded by the Yugoslav army as it was federal government property and a special police unit was responsible for protecting Milosevic himself. The guard on Milosevic comes days after Zoran Djindjic, Serbia's new prime minister, sacked Rade Markovic, the state security chief and a key ally of Milosevic. Djindic is among those who have pledged to hold Milosevic accountable for past crimes. "We shall not organise a witch hunt, but we won't let the members of the former regime hold on to the assets they plundered from the people," Djindjic said. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From kulufi at hotmail.com Thu Feb 1 13:36:05 2001 From: kulufi at hotmail.com (Oltion Gjura) Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 13:36:05 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Per Valentine's Day Party... Message-ID: Kjo eshte per Valentine's Day Party. Hello All, Sic e keni marre vesh ne do organizojme nje party per Valentine's Day. U Vendos qe do behet me date 10 Shkurt. I bie dite e Shtune ne oren 6pm. Vendi eshte ne Revere keshtu qe shumica e North Shore do ta kene afer. Besoj se do te rrime deri nga ora 12 midnight. Parking ka plot. Sherbimi urban eshte afer fare tek stacioni i Revere me Blue Line. VIP Pass nuk pranohet ;) LOL. Hyrja do te jete $15 per te gjithe dhe duhet te jeni 17+ vjec. Shpresojme qe shumica e rinise te vijne te shoqeruar me partnere qe ta mbajme njecike lart shpirtin e Shen Valentinit. Do te kemi edhe nje kohe qe te behen kerkesa per kenge te ndryshme. Musika do te jete: Techno, House, D&B, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggea, dhe contemporary POP music, dhe gjithashtu edhe Shqipetare. Eshte shume afer dhe e lehte per te ardhur. > > > Nuk ka nevoje qe te vini te shoqeruar. Se shume po pyesin nese duhet te kesh partner apo jo. 1908 Shirley Ave. Revere, MA 02151 --- Eshte shume afer me rrugen e plazhit ne Revere. Public Transportation: Merrni Blue Line deri ne Revere Beach station. Sapo dilni nga stacioni merrni djathtas vendi do te jete djathtas. Shpresoj t'ju shohim te gjitheve atje. Do dergoj edhe email tjeter me vone per reminder. Olti _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From albania at netzero.net Thu Feb 1 06:36:43 2001 From: albania at netzero.net (Nikoll A Mirakaj) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 06:36:43 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} Albania Condemns Attack on Macedonian Policeman Message-ID: <007f01c08c44$13260f20$095ef6d1@albania> Albania Condemns Attack on Macedonian Policeman TIRANA, Feb 1, 2001 -- (Reuters) Albania condemned on Wednesday an attack in which a Macedonian policeman was killed, calling it a dangerous provocation for the stability of neighboring Macedonia. The Albanian Foreign Ministry's reaction came a day after Macedonian police said they had arrested four ethnic Albanians over the attack in western Macedonia. "The Albanian Foreign Ministry condemns these acts and their authors who aim to damage the constructive climate between the political and inter-ethnic sides in Macedonia," it said. "We consider them a serious provocation for the stability of this country...We reconfirm the will and commitment of the Albanian government to the stability of Macedonia and encourage and support its government's efforts to consolidate a society based on democratic principles and multi-ethnic co-existence." The Macedonian policeman was killed on January 22 when two grenades were fired at a police station in the Macedonian village of Tearce, which is populated mostly by ethnic Albanians. Macedonia's ethnic Albanians comprise one-third of the population. (C)2001 Copyright Reuters Limited -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 1 16:09:28 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 21:09:28 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO acts on Albanian extremists ???? Message-ID: NATO acts on Albanian extremists French peacekeepers in action in the flashpoint town of Mitrovica February 1, 2001 Web posted at: 1453 GMT BRUSSELS, Belgium (Reuters) -- NATO has announced it is to take action to prevent any attempted link-up of extremist groups seeking a Greater Albania. It said it plans to decrease the size of the buffer zone on the border between Kosovo and Serbia that is being used as a safe haven by ethnic Albanian paramilitaries. The move is an effort to curb renewed violence in Kosovo, Serbia and Macedonia, a NATO official said. NATO commanders are negotiating with Yugoslavia on possible changes to the buffer zone, he added. ANALYSIS Mitrovica: 'Kosovo in microcosm' The Yugoslav government, on good terms with NATO allies after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, says security in Serbia's Presevo Valley is hampered by the five-kilometre (three-mile) strip along the border of Kosovo where its forces may not go. The NATO announcement came as French peacekeepers clashed with stone-throwing Kosovo-Albanian protesters in a fresh bout of violence in the flashpoint town of Mitrovica. It was the fourth day of violence in the ethnically divided town in which at least 20 soldiers have been wounded -- one critically -- and dozens of civilians have been hurt. The French troops fired percussion grenades to try to disperse the crowd of about 300 mainly young protesters in Mitrovica where trouble has flared repeatedly since Kosovo came under international control in June 1999. The protesters had gathered at the southern end of the main bridge over the Ibar River, which divides Mitrovica into Albanian and Serb-dominated sections. They were told to leave by Italian peacekeepers. They then marched to another bridge and threw some rocks at a checkpoint of French soldiers from the NATO-led KFOR multi-national peacekeeping force. The soldiers responded by firing percussion grenades, also known as stun grenades, which make a booming sound intended to scatter crowds in panic. There is also the self-proclaimed but unconfirmed emergence of a "Liberation Army of the Albanians" in Macedonia. Police in ethnically-mixed Macedonia this week arrested four Albanians for a January 22 grenade attack in which a Macedonian policeman was killed. A Macedonian spokesman said these "extreme radical individuals are not part of an organised terrorist group, but we have unconfirmed information that they are former KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) fighters." The past week has also seen a sharp flare-up of violence in the Presevo Valley buffer zone. The buffer zone was imposed on Belgrade in an agreement at the end of NATO's 78-day bombing campaign in 1999, both to separate Serb troops from incoming NATO peacekeepers and to reassure Kosovo Albanians returning to their villages. Ethnic Albanian protestors clash with KFOR troops Reformist Serbian leaders want NATO to agree to eradicate or radically narrow the strip to one or two km (a mile or less), to permit Serbian security forces to deal with the paramilitary threat, since "we are no longer enemies." "They are making proposals, and they do want changes, and we'll talk about it," the NATO official said. Many of the communities in the Presevo Valley have overwhelmingly ethnic Albanian populations whose numbers, NATO says, ought to be better reflected in local administration, police and key institutions. The paramilitaries of the Presevo "liberation army," also thought to be mainly former KLA fighters numbering up to 700, say the 70,000 Albanians need their armed protection. The NATO official said intensification of KFOR's border security in the past two months had made it "much harder for the extremists to operate with impunity." Last Friday, about 300 of the Presevo fighters paraded before around 1,000 spectators on the outskirts of Dobrosin, a village they control which is practically within hailing distance of a major U.S. Army checkpoint. Serbian authorities this week reported that the paramilitaries were fortifying their positions, particularly in the village of Veliki Trnovac, which they also control. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 1 13:18:41 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 19:18:41 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: KosovaLive, 30 January 2001 Message-ID: <3A79A881.1792C67@bndlg.de> KosovaLive, 30 January 2001 http://www.kosovalive.com/english/30_01_2001_1-am.htm News Edition - January 30 THIRTEEN ALBANIANS INJURED IN CLASHES WITH KFOR Mitrovica, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) Thirteen Albanians were injured in clashes with French KFOR forces in Mitrovica Tuesday afternoon, according to Albanian sources at the hospital in Mitrovica that accepts Albanian patients. Meanwhile, the situation remains tense in the aftermath to the Serb grenade attack and the Albanian reprisal against Serb rail passengers earlier on Monday. Dr. Shaban Mecini and Sergeant Isak Berisha, who were questioned at the hospital, stated that 13 individuals required medical assistance. Two of the injured were reported to be seriously wounded. KosovaLive journalists witnessed three vehicles and a KFOR truck ablaze in front of the Maison De France, the French KFOR headquarters. Meanwhile, UNMIK's spokesman in Mitrovica, Michael Keats, was notified that two KFOR armored vehicles had been set on fire. About 1,000 Albanians had gathered at the central bridge of the Iber river to protest against Monday's incidents in Mitrovica, KFOR sources reported. At the same time, about 500 Serbs gathered on the other side of the bridge. KFOR troops then used tear gas to disperse the protesters. According to Keats, KFOR used shock-bombs in addition to tear gas. KosovaLive journalists reported that during clashes with KFOR and UNMIK police, protesters set fire to a total of five UNMIK vehicles. "The situation is very tense," Captain Vervecken of the Belgian KFOR stated. (hm/lb) REXHEPI: "FEBRUARY 13 IS REPEATING" Mitrovica, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) Mitrovica's former Albanian leader, Bajram Rexhepi, told KosovaLive Tuesday that after Monday's incidents within the divided city, last years day of February 13 is repeating when 13 Albanian were killed in Northern Mitrovica. Rexhepi blames the indolence of the French KFOR and the international community for the matter. "I would say that the scenario of last year's crimes committed in February are repeating. The situation in Mitrovica is quite tense. All this happened in the presence of KFOR, who did not react in an adequate way," Rexhepi, also president of Mtrovica's Democratic Party said. Rexhepi who was also the leader of Albanians in Mitrovica, added that the international community did not react on the warnings of the Albanian concerning the serious situation. " It is about time that the international community finish their obligations referring to the 1244 U.N. resolution," he stated. (hm) SERB ENFORCEMENTS INCREASE IN PRESHEVA VALLEY Prishtina, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) Serb police and military presence has increased in the Presheva Valley, whereas freedom of movement for inhabitants of the area has been curtailed, Albanian sources in the region stated Tuesday. "Even though there is no shooting from either side, Serb forces continue to install reinforcements in close range of the Ground Safety Zone, near the positions of the Liberation Army of Presheva, Medvedja and Bujanoc (UCPMB)," Jonuz Musliu, president of the Political Council of PMB, told KosovaLive. According to Musliu, the movement of the Albanian residents in the villages of Presheva has been greatly restricted, following the positioning of Serb checkpoints along the roads in the villages of Corotic, Rainc and Rahovic. The president of the Bujanoc branch of the Party for Democratic Action, Ismet Sadiku, told KosovaLive Tuesday that additional Serb forces are now in place throughout the whole region of the PBM. "However, the movement of the residents of Bujanoc, according to Sadiku, is symbolic especially in the villages of Ternoc and Lucan," he added. (m.shefkiu) SERB PRISONER ESCAPES FROM MITROVICA HOSPITAL Mitrovica, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) A Serb prisoner escaped from Mitrovica hospital Monday evening, UNMIK police spokesman in Mitrovica, Bikal Raj Bahak, informed Tuesday. The fugitive, according to the spokesman, was arrested on Jan. 25 for throwing a grenade on a caf?. Mr.Bikal said that UNMIK police searched the hospital and neighborhood. Investigations concerning the case are ongoing. (hm) PROTESTS IN RAHOVEC DUE TO "RIDICULOUS" CONVICTION OF MATIC; DISTRUST TOWARD INTERNATIONAL JUDGES Rahovec, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) One day after the announcement that Prizren's District Court had sentenced Sava Matic to two years imprisonment, hundreds of secondary school students of Xhelal Hajda-Toni marched in the streets of the town to express their discontent over the "ridiculous" conviction, as some of the protesters declared. The students were later joined by residents of Rahovec and other nearby villages. Some of marchers declared that Sava Matic and his brother Nenad Matic, who was imprisoned last year and later escaped from the Mitrovica prison, used to be seen along the streets of Rahovec, armed and behaving brutally toward other citizens. The protesters expressed their anger and their distrust of the international judges, alleging that Matic was a criminal under suspicion of participating in a number of massacres, such as Bellacerka where 64 people were killed; the massacre of 90 people in Celina; and, the massacre of Krusha e Madhe, where more than 200 people were killed or are missing. The sub council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms in Rahovec alleged that the two-year prison sentence was fixed and planned by the international judges. (xhk) ONLY SEVEN PEOPLE IN FERIZAJ HAVE THE RIGHT OF COMPENSATION OF LOSSES FROM WORLD WAR II Ferizaj, Jan. 30 (KosovaLive) The number of Ferizaj people that have requested compensation for losses during the Nazism period of the Second World War, from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reached 35. However, only seven of them fulfill the conditions for receiving the compensation, the IOM office notified Tuesday. "Those who have served as objects for medical experiments will receive a compensation of 15,000 DM. Others who were in the concentration camps or had carried out enforceable physical work will receive 2,000 DM of compensation," Gazmend Rexhepi, IOM project assistant said Tuesday. The German Government compiled a program last year, which was approved by Bundestag, in order to help "persons from the other part of the world" who are not Jewish, but were victims of Nazism. The program includes persons violently deported to concentration camps in Germany, and specifically those who served as objects for medical experimenting. The German Government has chosen IOM as an implementing partner. However, the program of loss compensation includes only living persons or inheritors of the ones that have died after Feb. 16, 1999. Sources at the IOM suggest the criteria had evidently reduced the number of people who suffered losses during the Nazism period of World War II. (mb) Tuesday's Press Review Bota Sot writes about the comparative analysis of the dispositions of the general resolutions of the United Nations assembly. >From the dispositions mentioned in the 1244/1999 Resolution and its other dispositions, we learn that a jumble of a contradictive nature was formed - a unique institutional hybrid, a UN "protectorate" with a force of an unlimited action, in order to prepare Kosova for "an autonomy and self-government in Yugoslav frameworks" which is incompatible with the willpower of the population of Kosova emphasized in the Referendum executed in 1991. Fatmir Fehmiu writes a proposal on the political aspect: a) The political factor of Kosova should join and urgently draft a pro-memoria joined with a declaration, through which it would argue and demand from the UN the inexistence of the Serb sovereignty over Kosova, since it was done with an illegitimate and illegal act; b) Alongside with drafting the pro-memoria, an international conference should be held on Kosova, since it is an obligation that derives from the Rambuillet Agreement. In the constitutional aspect, the first alternative that Fehmiu writes about, is the one for the unification of political factors of Kosova, and that urgently be defined that the final status of Kosova should be sought in the withdrawal of the suspension of the constitution of the Republic of Kosova by the Assembly, since it hasn't lost the power, and from this ground, announce the general elections for the Assembly of Kosova. After the establishment of the Assembly of Kosova, it should be decided immediately, based on the Constitution of Kosova, on changes of the Constitution or on drafting a new constitution, which would be based on the framework of the expressed willpower of the people, materialized through the constitution, while respecting the static and the nature of the constitution of the Republic of Kosova. In this way the state tradition of Kosova would be preserved, dispositions considered to be outdated would be eliminated and new norms would be incorporated in agreement with the UN and EU acts, brought out recently. More clearly, the element-conditions of the Independent International Commission for an independent Kosova would be included here, first guaranteeing of the protection of human rights and ethnic groups as a collectivity, and the requests of the international community about "forceful inviolability of the borders", even the facts that UNMIK has brought out. The second alternative is if the UN representatives in Kosova (UNMIK) do not accept the first alternative, then these acts are to be undertaken: a) The political factor of Kosova is to form a group of experts who would draft a provisional Constitution of Kosova which would have the static and the nature of the existing Constitution of Kosova, since it is a product and part of the judicial-constitutional consciousness of the population of Kosova, and to offer for adoption to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary (UNMIK), or b) That the political factor of Kosova forms a group of experts in order to draft special acts of a constitutional character for each institution separately, just like UNMIK has acted with the judicial, fiscal and administrative institutions. In fact acts for the Assembly of Kosova, President of Kosova and the Government of Kosova and other eventual institutions of Kosova, will be drafted. Skelzen Maliqi publisher and chief of correspondence of radio "Free Europe" in Prishtina, in his column in Koha Ditore writes that he is surprised that some Serb intellectuals and politicians, that pretend to be liberals and democrats, while they see things from the blind side of the eye, and fail to see things in front of them, but they think that they can see far. Rada Trajkovic said that Serbs and Albanian in any way couldn't live together anymore. The message is: we must separate by all means. When Rada Trajkovic and some Serb extreme leaders say this, this does not surprise me at all, says Maliqi. The way they deal with their policies, they did not leave space for reconciliation with Albanians. Have we heard from their side a phrase of regret for what Serbs did in the past in Kosova while they were all in power? Did they regret the apartheid, crimes and atrocities committed? Weren't Kosovar Serbs the ones that even in the collapse of the Yugoslav elections, and also in Serbia's elections when Milosevic was not in power anymore, the only elected body that massively voted for their Nazi, publicly declared war criminal? A few days ago we read that Aleksa Djilas, son of the famous dissident, Ph.D. from the Harvard University, was complaining about the injustice of the internationals chasing only Serbs and seeking only Milosevic's and not Tudjman's, Izetbegovic's and Hashim Thaci's head, because according to him they committed similar crimes as Milosevic toward the Serb population. Maybe it is better that the so praised "Democratic Serbia" is loosing credibility these days, while refusing to hand out Milosevic to the Hague Tribunal. In fact, he is not the only one to be blamed. There are a lot of guilty people and there is space for as we argued before, for denouncing collective guilt. This does not mean that every Serb took part in crimes and that there are no innocent people that confronted the crimes. But, it is the fact that the de-nazification of Serbia hasn't started yet. Blerim Shala, publisher editor-in-chief and of Zeri, writes in today's newspaper that ceasefires in the Balkans, during the last ten years of successive wars and conflicts, of which practically only Slovenian and Croatian wars gained a long-term political epilogue, have managed to maintain only thanks to the winter. Presheva Valley is not an exception, too, although circumstances in Serbia and in the region have changed comparing to spring of 1991, when the first war, the one in Croatia, started. Thus, despite the considerable presence of NATO troops in the region, starting from Bosnia, through Kosova, Albania, Macedonia and all the way to Greece, it is notable that the risk of the renewal of the conflicts has not yet been averted. The reasons can be found in the further existence of consequences of the war in the region. It is obvious that dilemmas in Western countries about redesigning of Balkans in order to clear up and stabilize this part of Europe are still present. The repetition of the stance of the sovereignty of the state (FRY), that in fact does not exist, it is not political matter. On the contrary, this resembles with the logic of an ostrich poking his head in the sand, in order to avoid the real problems. It has been stated earlier that now is the chance for the Western world to have creative and active politics and Serbia cannot pretend any longer to "solve" problems in the region thanks to the military advantage. Time is running out, spring is coming, and people are loosing their nerves in the Presheva Valley. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981062586/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 1 12:59:08 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 18:59:08 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development / Excuse me, Kosova is at the brink...can we focus please (by Isa Blumi, NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #80, 31 Jan 2001) Message-ID: <3A79A3EC.BB239585@bndlg.de> Betreff: NYC-L digest, Vol 1 #80 - 2 msgs Datum: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 23:47:03 +0100 Von: Today's Topics: 1. Re: Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development (Isa Blumi) 2. Excuse me, Kosova is at the brink...can we focus please (Isa Blumi) Message: 1 Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:22:28 -0800 (PST) From: Isa Blumi Subject: Re: [NYC-L] Poem found in the back cover of UNDP Report on Albania's development --__--__-- Message: 2 Date: Wed, 31 Jan 2001 14:40:28 -0800 (PST) From: Isa Blumi To: nyc-l at alb-net.com Subject: [NYC-L] Excuse me, Kosova is at the brink...can we focus please I request that everyone reading this, take the time to actually understand what I am writing and read the entire message. Following my brief tirade, I will provide you with two articles, the first from AP reporting on the NPR (National Public Radio) story aired last week and the second, reporting the OSCE's response. (Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe one of the two pillars of the administrative body governing Kosova today). I wish to give you some background so when you do decide to take action, which any human being (Muslim, Catholic, Leftist, Serb, Albanian or Palestinian) will feel compelled to take, you can adequately address the pertinent issues at play. When I was working for Kosovapress during the war, we were trying to push the story of Serb attempts to destroy evidence of massive human rights abuses by shipping the bodies of its victims in Kosova to Serbia-proper for disposal. We had a witness report to us, from his hideout in Italy, how he drove a refrigerated truck on several occasions from a Serb military base outside Prishtina to a smelter inside Serbia. Despite the top-secret atmosphere he was compelled to investigate just what he was transporting and arranged for his friends to help him open the back of his truck and then flee Serbia (knowing full well his life was in danger). Inside he found the refrigerated truck packed with bodies, he surmised that he was taking these bodies to a smelter where the to bodies would be burned. That is before NATO bombing! Throughout the war I was pestering NATO, US military officials and journalists to watch for such activities, clearly the Serbs learned from Bosnia and recogn ized they needed to destroy evidence that could lead to their indictment. Sure enough, throughout the war, we were receiving reports of the burning of whole families inside homes, the detailed effort to avoid mass graves whenever possible, burying people (using Roma gravediggers) in individual graves (the international war crimes tribunal in the Hague does not count individual graves, that is why apologists for Serbia constantly site the Hague statistics which only counts bodies identified in mass graves.) There were also frequent "leaks" to the media thanks to the brave work of Kosovars and sympathetic elements inside NATO of mass graves discovered by satellite. That these graves were eventually emptied suggests the bodies were disposed of in some way. That was during the war. Again, during the Kumonova meetings to end hostilities I was screaming mad as I was receiving reports from inside Kosova that while Serb negotiators stalled at Kumanova (remember the talks would be delayed for many days) Serb teams worked night and day to empty as many mass graves as possible. We supposedly have video tape of one dump truck carrying bodies away from a site, I know people watched from neighboring hills and forests, witnesses are around who could testify, clearly there are some Serbs who want to talk. When we returned to Kosova, I immediately pressed journalists coming in to go to Trepca because we knew they were burning bodies there. The few journalists who attempted were turned back by first Serb paramilitaries who guarded the roads well after they were supposed to have left, and then by French troops. Eventually, with enough pressure, but about two to three weeks after the French (and Serbs) secured the area, a few journalists were allowed to visit some parts of the site. Of course they reported nothing conclusive. I asked the former head prosecutor of the tribunal, when she came to Pristhina after the war ended about what I had been trying to get journalists to report, she could not reveal what evidence the court was going to use against those indicated but added (and this was a clear sign to all of us that the court knew about these activities) that "destroying evidence is an admission of guilt." This leads us to today and what I think is a very brave gesture by a man with no real interest in helping Kosovars. A journalist for NPR, Montgomery is his name, has risked his life to travel in Serbia and interview those who actually participated in burning human bodies in Trepca. I know a bit about Montgomery and I know he does not love Kosovar Albanians, he did this because there is a story, a disgusting travesty which could potentially shake the foundations of the last two years. Of course, the OSCE and the UN are actively engaged in shutting this news out. Why? They have spent the last year and a half demonizing Kosovar Albanians, accusing them of conducting "ethnic cleansing in reverse" when they fully know that the overwhelming majority of the Serbs who were administrating Kosova for Belgrade, left with the Serb military. The international community, (remember China, France and Russia are actively against Kosova's independence for their own reasons) has worked towards delegitimizing Kosova's claims to independence, and the news of Serbs committing mass murder and then burning the bodies would be such a compelling argument for Kosovars to live independently from the Serb state that such information had to be repressed. I am bringing this issue to you today for one simple reason. This is a second chance for Kosova. Montgomery has risked his life to get the story out and now the OSCE is pulling out the stops to suppress it by saying French teams "looked at the mines." French forensic teams have an interest in not finding evidence people, it is scandalous that this international body would resort to such a level of cover up to deflect a potential earth-shaker. It is like the allies suppressing news of concentration camps during World War II. If the world got wind and were properly stimulated, this could get Kosova back on the agenda. Montgomery has given Kosova that second chance, a chance that neither Rugova, Thaci nor any other Kosovar has been able to give. We Kosovars lost the game because, as I warned almost two years ago, we are not fighting the PR war. Very few influential people wanted to listen to me back then, they were too important and had their own ambitions. Now most of them are finished, but Kosova is also a dead issue. Kosova's independence is not going to happen unless we take to the streets. This is our last chance. Those reading on the various lists did not get my point in the last message about the need to protest Serb nationalist gestures by two players in the NBA. Instead of getting together and writing letters of protest, contacting the media, etc., most elected to fight petty little battles about whether or not it was acceptable to be associated with Muslims or if we should be communicating in one language or another. That last task was easy compared to this one. You clearly did not catch on. Let me make this as clear as possible. IT IS UP TO ALL OF YOU IN THE WEST, IN YOUR COMFORTABLE DIGITALIZED WORLDS TO GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND MOBILIZE! DON'T LET A CNN-ARTICULATE MORALITY/WORLD VIEW KEEP YOU FROM FIGHTING FOR YOUR COUNTRY'S FREEDOM!! If you do not take advantage of this opportunity, this will be the last chance to lose. I purpose that all of us abandon the petty ego-trips, rally around the idea of Kosova being free, and get to the streets, set up daily protests in fro nt of the UN and Serb consulates in the US, Australia and Europe. How can there be people marching against the Turkish state after 85 years (The Armenian issue), kids throwing stones and dying in Palestine, people still fighting in Chechneya and tens of thousands protesting against Abortion rights and Kosovars cannot organize to demand their independence There should be a person standing in protest for every hostage still in Serb prisons, that makes more than a thousand, every day until they are free. How can Kostunica be allowed to travel with these people still in prisons, being auctioned off to the family with 50,000 DM!!???. Do not feel powerless. Look what several hundred anti-globalization protesters can do, look at the press they get when they get within fifty miles of Davos. And here are the Kosovars, content with being vilified as drug dealers and terrorists. This is your chance to do justice to the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of our ancestors who die d for their dignity over the centuries. If not for them, then for your own self interests. It is in your own self interest because what we have now is the utter lack of dignity, the world does not recognize our right to self-determination, to justice, to freedom and security. All that silly debate about one's faith and Albanian/Kosovar identity means nothing if you cannot stand up and defend honor and demand to have your fellow Kosovars' life treated equally as a Europeans. Are you content with the idea that Serbs or Russians can burn our bodies to hide the fact that they tortured and murdered us? Are you happy with being polluted to death, to be ignored and not permitted to travel? If we cannot mobilize public opinion about the fact that the great powers are trying to cover up the incineration of human bodies, after "WORLD GENOCIDE DAY" was just observed in Europe, then I swear, I will never take up the cause of Kosova again. I have spent too many days of my life fig hting this battle, often alone. I no longer want to go to conferences throughout Europe and be the only one fighting, arguing and ultimately screaming for Kosova. I have tarnished too much of my academic career with associations of being a "terrorist" and "radical" to continue this alone. People are already tired of me because to them, Kosova is finished, a done deal. I want to see this issue brought to the surface so I can go to Berlin, Florence and London and point to the newspapers, to the streets outside. ACT RESPONSIBLY FOR ONCE DAMNIT!!. DO THIS RIGHT!!! There are Jewish organizations that will have to support our fight just because of the nature of the crimes and the people who are covering it up, there are members in the US Senate and Congress who have supported our cause and will publicize this if you articulate the arguments for them, most of all, you have to get the press involved who will always want a good story. You get their attention by taking to the streets, and I do not mean some pathetic dozen kids carrying misspelled banners that lasts two hours, but thousands, every day. And for those of you in Kosova right now, there should be a day-long strike organized immediately. All those disgusted by what has happened, no matter if you are American, German, Kosovar Albanian or Serb, you should participate in protesting the burning of human bodies and then its cover up by the international community. The Kosovar newspapers and radio programs should universally call on a one-day strike, screw the OSCE sanctions, if you are intimidated by threats of your radio show being closed down, if you do not want to lose your job, then you just answered the question for the world, there is a price for your freedom, and a pretty low one at that. I am especially addressing all employees of NGOs, the OSCE and UNMIK. You should organize to not show up for work, close Kosova down!!!!? This is the opportunity, it has come from an unlikely source, the Serbs themselves. The men who burned human bodies for Serbia's political leaders felt disgusted by what they did and risked their lives talking to Montgomery, the least you could do is do this last, desperate act to save Kosova from itself. Do not wait for Thaci, Rugova or Haradinaj, they will not be there, Kouchner, Albright and Clinton are gone, it is up to everyone single one of you. Please, look at what the world should know about what happened and look at what the OSCE and UNMIK are trying to do to silence it. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, MOBILIZE! Friday, January 26 6:03 AM SGT Report: Serbs Burned Victims' Bodies VIENNA, Austria (AP) - Special forces loyal to former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic burned the bodies of hundreds of ethnic Albanians in a blast furnace before pulling out of Kosovo ahead of NATO troops, says a National Public Radio report airing Thursday. Men involved in the clandestine operation, which was intended to cover up atrocities that could lead to war crimes charges, said up to 1,500 bodies were burned at the Trepca lead refinery, the report says. That accounts for about half the Kosovo Albanians still missing more than a year and a half after Milosevic's forces pulled out of the province. The men, identified only by their first names, described how bodies were unearthed from freshly dug graves later identified by NATO satellites gathering evidence of possible Serb atrocities in Kosovo. Because they were too big to fit in the furnace, the bodies were first put in a grinder used for ore processing before being placed on the furnace conveyor belt, said one man involved in the operation. Milosevic is under indictment by the U.N. tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands, for alleged involvement in the Kosovo atrocities. Carla Del Ponte, the tribunal's senior prosecutor, failed in three days of talks that ended Thursday to convince the new Yugoslav leadership to agree to his extradition and trial. Milosevic pulled his forces out of Kosovo in mid-1999 in exchange for an end to months of NATO bombing, as part of a Kosovo peace treaty. Although the ethnic Albanian majority province formally remains part of Serbia, Yugoslavia's larger republic, it is run by the United Nations and a NATO-led peacekeeping force. A man identified only as Dusko, a member of Serbia's special forces, told NPR the campaign was an attempt to hide evidence of atrocities - whole villages destroyed and their inhabitants killed. ``I think our people understood that, sooner or later ... The Hague Tribunal might come into Kosovo,'' he was quoted as saying in the script, made available to The Associated Press. Others said the bodies - mostly men, but also including women and children - were transported at night in refrigerated vehicles to Trepca's Zvecan lead refinery just outside Kosovska Mitrovica, about 20 miles north of Pristina, Kosovo's capital. The blast furnaces ``burned at extremely high heat,'' said one of the drivers, identified as Branko. ``And that's where the bodies got destroyed.'' About 120 of the bodies disposed of this way came from Izbica, near Mitrovica, said the documentary. After the bodies were dug up, NATO spy satellites captured the rows of freshly opened graves and they became part of the tribunal's evidence against Milosevic. ``This was a horrible scene because there were so many - like a factory assembly line - but with bodies,'' Branko was quoted as saying of the mass burnings. ########################## Saturday, January 27 5:23 AM SGT Kosovo Mass Burnings Alleged By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's forces burned bodies of victims of Serbian atrocities in Kosovo in a campaign to destroy the evidence of crimes, the State Department said Friday. Information obtained by the U.S. government beginning in 1999 confirms there were massive killings ``and there were attempts to burn bodies and otherwise cover up evidence at places throughout Kosovo,'' spokesman Richard Boucher said. In a documentary aired Thursday that used interviews from men who said they were involved, Minnesota Public Radio and National Public Radio news reported up to 1,500 bodies were burned at a lead refinery in Trepca. That would account for about half of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo still missing more than a year and a half after Milosevic pulled out of the province under U.S. and NATO pressure. ``The information that we had and continue to have corroborates the broad outline of the campaign by Milosevic's forces to destroy evidence of their crimes,'' Boucher said. Asked specifically about Trepca, Boucher said, ``We knew that this was one of the places that we were concentrating on, where there was activity going on. But if we were actually able to say in our report, `They burned bodies at this site,' I don't know.'' Earlier, a spokeswoman for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said investigators had found no evidence that would substantiate the report that elite forces loyal to Milosevic burned the bodies in a blast furnace at Trepca. ``Our people have had a report of this, but they found no evidence to substantiate it,'' OSCE spokeswoman Claire Trevena said. Along with the United Nations and NATO, the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe plays a key role in running the Serbian province of Kosovo. Trevena said a French forensic team with sophisticated equipment that was called to search for remains of any bodies at Trepca found nothing there. Boucher said the United States, in May and June 1999, briefed the international war crimes tribunal for Yugoslavia in The Hague, The Netherlands, ``on the Serb campaign to destroy the evidence.'' Boucher added: ``It's a fact that we know of and that we've reported on in the past.'' On Thursday, the Bush administration said through Boucher that it was disappointed Yugoslavia did not work out an agreement with the chief U.N. war crimes prosecutor to put Milosevic on trial for war crimes. ``These things need to be worked out, and the obligation flows from the government to the tribunal,'' he said. Chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte rejected Yugoslavia's position. Still, she said in Belgrade she remains ``cautiously optimistic'' that Milosevic would be extradited to the Netherlands for trial on charges of involvement in atrocities by Serbian troops against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. He was indicted nearly two years ago, but like several other Serb leaders accused of war crimes in the Balkans, he has not faced trial. In 1999, senior French police officials in Kosovo said the furnace at Trepca stopped operating shortly after the start of the crackdown on Kosovo's ethnic Albanians in late March 1999 and remained unused after Milosevic's forces pulled out. Ashes at the site examined by the team also showed no traces that would back up the report, they said. In Thursday's radio report, the men, identified only by their first names, said bodies were unearthed from freshly dug graves that were identified by NATO satellites after the French study was done. At The Hague, Graham Blewitt, the U.N. tribunal's deputy prosecutor, said tribunal investigations at the Trepca mine ``couldn't confirm'' bodies had been disposed of by burning but suggested it was extremely difficult to arrive at a definite conclusion. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981062649/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 2 17:37:41 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2001 23:37:41 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: UNMIK Police UPDATE 010201 Message-ID: <3A7B36B5.D98AC69C@bndlg.de> Betreff: UNMIK Police UPDATE 010201 Datum: 1 Feb 2001 09:22:34 -0000 Von: andrzej at uncivpol.com An: wplarre at bndlg.de ****************************************** * UNITED NATIONS MISSION IN KOSOVO * * UNMIK Police MHQ, PRISTINA * * >> UNMIK Police PRESS UPDATE << * * 01. FEBRUARY, 2001 * * This update covers the 24-hour period * * concluded at midnight 31. Jan. 2001. * *----------------------------------------* * Prepared at 1100 hrs., 01. Feb. 2001 * * by A.M.GRAF * ****************************************** Major Highlights ================ Pristina Region : Shots fired during a fight between four unknown male persons. Gnjilane Region : Weapons cache found in a K-Serb house. Prizren Region : K-Albanians demonstrate against war crime verdict. Pec Region : Three Albanian males arrested for illegal weapon sale. Mitrovica Region: 21 KFOR soldiers reported to be injured in riots. PRISTINA Region =============== :: SHOOTING :: Pristina Town - 31/01 - 1930 hrs. During a fight between four unknown males one shot was fired. All suspects involved then fled the scene. A nearby house was slightly damaged. No injuries were reported. Evidence was recovered at the scene. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. GNJILANE Region =============== :: ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF WEAPONS :: Kamenica Town - 31/01 - 1600hrs. A joint search operation of a K-Serb house conducted by UNMIK Police and KFOR resulted in the seizure of two assault rifles, an automatic rifle with a grenade launcher, another rifle and a large amount of ammunition. A K-Serb KPS officer who is the owner of the house was suspended from duty pending an internal inquiry. ASSAULT * Vitina Town - 31/01 - 1255hrs. A K-Albanian male was arrested after slapping a KPS officer while being questioned. The suspect was reported to be mentally ill. No injuries were reported. * Gnjilane - 30/01 - 1430hrs. A K-Albanian male was arrested after assaulting a KPS officer who was trying to calm a domestic situation. No injuries were reported. UXO FOUND Kamenica Town - 31/01 -1430 hrs. Three K-Albanian children found a hand grenade in the back of a refugee building. KFOR EOD responded and disposed of the ordnance. No injuries were reported. PRIZREN Region ============== :: DEMONSTRATION :: Prizren Town- 31/01 - 1305/1430 hrs. A peaceful but unauthorized demonstration by approximately 60-70 persons concerning the war crimes verdict rendered 29/01 has taken place in front of Prizren District Court. Later the crowd proceeded to the UNMIK administration building. The demonstration ended around 1430 hrs; no incidents were reported. PEC Region ========== :: ILLEGAL WEAPON SALE :: Pec - 31/01 - 1900 hrs. UNMIK Police arrested three Albanian males and recovered a revolver after a tip off from members of the public regarding illegal arms sale. ARMED ROBBERY Dakovica Town - 30/01 - 1930 hrs. Two unknown armed and masked males robbed a K-Albanian male employee of a local pharmacy of cash and a mobile phone. No injuries were reported. SHOOTING Lozane Village, Pec - 30/01 - 2130 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported that whilst walking with his cousin, they heard sounds of automatic gunfire. A bullet hit his cousin causing minor injuries. Investigation continuing. MITROVICA Region ================ :: RIOT :: Mitrovica South - 31/01 - 1500 to 0700 hrs. A group of approximately 400 persons approached the Main Bridge and UNMIK headquarters and prepared to throw petrol bombs. When KFOR intervened the rioters threw hand grenades at the soldiers. A number of 21 KFOR personnel were reported to be injured during the riot; one of them seriously but not life-threatening. KFOR brought the situation under control. ATTEMPTED MURDER Mitrovica South - 31/01 - 2130 hrs. Two unknown male suspects driving a motor vehicle shot a Montenegro male who was driving his truck. The victim sustained serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital where his condition is presently listed as unstable. ASSAULT Mitrovica North - 27/01 - 1415 hrs. Two K-Albanian males were standing in front of their home when a van containing eight unknown male suspects stopped in front of the home, exited the vehicle and began to assault the victims. One of the victims sustained a minor head injury during the physical assault. ARSON * Vucitrn - 31/01 - 1300 hrs. Unknown person(s) set two K-Serb houses on fire. The local Fire Brigade responded. No injuries were reported. * Mitrovica South - 29/01 - 1800 hrs. A K-Albanian male reported that an unknown number of K-Serbian males set fire to his home. No injuries were reported. BORDER Police ============= PRISTINA AIRPORT ---------------- FALSE DOCUMENTS 30/01 - 1130 hrs. A K-Albanian attempted to exit Kosovo using a false Croatian passport and identity card. The documents were seized and exit denied. GENERAL JANKOVIC ---------------- STOLEN PASSPORT 30/01 - 1500 hrs. A K-Albanian male attempted to leave Kosovo using a Yugoslavian passport that was reported stolen. The document was seized and exit denied. VRBNICA ------- FORGED PASSPORT 30/01. Two K-Albanian males attempted to cross the border using false documents. The documents were seized. CAFA PRUSHIT ------------ ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSING 30/01. Three Albanians and one K-Albanian male were caught attempting to cross the border through the minefield. INCIDENT OVERVIEW 31. Jan. 2001 ========================================================= MURDER 0 SHOOTING/GUNFIRE 4 KIDNAPPING 0 BOMB THREATS 0 THREAT/INTIMIDATION 5 ILLEGAL WEAPONS 4 GRIEVOUS ASSAULT 1 UXO/MINE/GRENADE 2 SIMPLE ASSAULT 9 PEOPLE INJURED 0 RAPE 0 PEOPLE KILLED 0 ARSON 2 NEW MASS GRAVE SITE 0 EVICTION 0 MISSING PERSON 4 ROBBERY 1 DEAD BODIES 0 BURGLARY 13 TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS 17 THEFT 26 CURFEW VIOLATIONS 0 AUTO THEFT 7 ARRESTS 13 CRIMINAL DAMAGE 2 DETAINEES 383 LOOTING 0 UNMIK POLICE KOSOVO POLICE SERVICE ============================================= IN THEATRE 4537 PRISTINA 949 DEPLOYED 3555 GNJILANE 700 SPU 970 PRIZREN 451 IN TRAINING 6 PEC 382 MAIN HQ 295 MITROVICA 306 KPS 211 MHQ 19 IC 24 ACADEMY 576 PRISTINA 856 TOTAL 3383 PRIZREN 428 PEC 328 GNJILANE 443 MITROVICA 581 BORDER POLICE 250 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PRESS AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE UNMIK POLICE MHQ, PRISTINA, KOSOVO Phone +381-38-5046045071, Fax +381-38-5046045073 (Derek CHAPPELL, Dmitry KAPORTSEV) Phone +381-38-5046045032 (Andrzej STEPIEN, Andreas GRAF, Barry FLETCHER) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The information in this report is accurate to the extent of the information known at the time of it's writing. However, further investigations may result in changes to what previously have been reported. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981159248/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 2 17:48:06 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2001 23:48:06 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: KosovaLive, 2 February 2001 Message-ID: <3A7B3926.F3851B1F@bndlg.de> KosovaLive, 2 February 2001 http://www.kosovalive.com/english/latest.htm News Edition - February 2 KFOR ARRESTED TWO MORE ALBANIANS SUSPECTED OF BEING UCPMB MEMBERS Prishtina, Feb. 2 (KosovaLive) KFOR soldiers arrested two Albanians on Thursday as they tried to cross the Kosova-Serbia border illegally, said KFOR spokesman Steven Shappell on Friday. The men were stopped in the vicinity of the village of Karaqeva e Eperme. According to Shappell, the two individuals were under suspicion of being members of the Liberation Army for Presheva, Medvegje and Bujanoc (UCPMB). Shappell stated that, after their arrest, the men were taken to the prison at the American Camp Bondsteel near Ferizaj. The incident is under investigation. KFOR spokesman Richard Kussak told KosovaLive that a total of 75 Albanians have been arrested attempting to cross the Kosova-Serbia border illegally. They are being held in detention at Camp Bondsteel, while the investigations into their cases are still ongoing. (bf) ALBANIAN PARLAIMENT: CHANGES IN SERBIAN POWER HAVE NOT CHANGED STAND TOWARD KOSOVA Tirana, Feb. 02 (KosovaLive) The Albanian Parliament expressed great concern Thursday about the situation in Kosova. During a plenary session, representatives of the Commission for Foreign Policy of the Albanian Assembly stated that "the intransigent policy of Belgrade and its secret service is particularly evident in Mitrovica and the Presheva Valley, where massive displacements of Albanians are being seen. Many other issues that remain without answers, such as the release of prisoners and accounting for the 3,400 missing Albanians, make the situation even more difficult." The Commission for Foreign Policy also said that "there is reason for thinking that the change of government in Belgrade is not bringing the expected changes to the Serb stand toward Kosova. This declaration emphasizes that the U.N. must end the division of Mitrovica in accordance with the 1244 U.N. Resolution, which insures that the Kosovar Albanians return to their homes and remain free within their homes. "Military and paramilitary forces should be removed from the Presheva Valley immediately. This area should be under the observation of international human rights organizations, which should recognize the Albanians right of local governance, based on the standards for minorities, as the only way to peace." (ap) INSECURITY PUSHES FOREIGN INVESTORS AWAY, SAYS AMERICAN DIPLOMAT MARESCA Prishtina, Feb. 2 (KosovaLive) Kosova has excellent businessmen and good products, which could be sold outside of the region, but work is needed in this direction so that the products can be offered for sale, U.S. Ambassador John Maresca told KosovaLive during his five-day visit to Kosova. The former advisor for international corporations said that the aim of his visit was to get as close as possible to Kosovar businesspeople, in order to determine the possibilities for cooperating with foreign businesses. Ambassador Maresca said that he met with many Albanian businesspeople, as well as with representatives of foreign offices in Kosova and with UNMIK officials during his visit. "With each of the businessmen and others that I met, I was satisfied with their ideas," he said, adding that Kosova has a hard-working population and good leaders. According to the ambassador, an issue that most certainly needs a solution is the security issue. "It is important that we have security here, because news such as the news from Mitrovica drives away foreign investors," Maresca said. He added that Kosova is now facing many problems. "One of Kosova's main problems is the lack of widespread acceptance of the banking system in Kosova, which needs a lot of work. Moreover, a way must be found to foster cooperation between foreign and local public organizations. Above everything, there must the rule of law in Kosova, as the absence of law drives investors away from Kosova," Maresca said. (bf) THREE ALBANIANS INJURED BY AN EXPLOSION IN VITIA Prishtina, Feb. 2 (KosovaLive) Three Albanians were injured in an explosion in the town of Vitia Thursday, in a building abandoned by the Serbs, according to a statement by KFOR spokesman Steven Shappel on Friday. Shappel said that two women were injured and a young boy's ear drum was damaged by the noise from the explosiion. Shappel added that the injured were sent to the Vitia hospital for treatment. American KFOR soldiers arrested four people in relation to the incident, but it was reported that all four were released after a preliminary investigation. (bf) SUFFICIENT ELECTRICITY IS BEING PRODUCED BUT THE PROBLEM LIES IN DISTRIBUTION, SAYS KEK Prishtina, Feb. 2 (KosovaLive) Kosova Electrical Company authorities said on Friday that the electricity supply remains the same in Kosova. "Both power stations are working and 240 megawatts are being imported from Bulgaria. Another 35 megawatts of electricity are being produced at the power station of Ujemani. Load-shedding remains unchanged when the generators are overloaded by consumers' use of power, whereas load-shedding decreases with the decrease in overload," KEK's Director of Information Fadil Lepaja told KosovaLive. According to Lepaja, approximately 700 megawatts of electricity are available in Kosova at present, but the obstacle to distribution of the power lies with the damaged generators of the Kosova B power station. "Even if there is enough electricity, adequate distribution cannot take place until the generators are repaired," said Lapaja. (au) Friday's Press Review Western diplomatic circles told Zeri that after the visit of Kosova's Head Administrator Hans Haekkerup to the U.S. and his meetings with high U.S. officials, he was convinced that Kosova must hold the elections as soon as possible. On his return from the United States, Hekkerup had a diplomatic tour to Western European countries where the American rush was substituted with a tardiness and caution concerning the holding of the general elections. Therefore, if America suggested to Haekkerup that the elections should be held promptly, he received a message of caution and discomfort. The main reason for the discomfort of Western Europe, writes Zeri's publisher and editor-in-chief, Blerim Shala, relates to the conclusions that the forming of a strong administration of the Kosovars in all levels, will no doubt, clear the road toward Kosova's prompt independence. This makes Kosova's thoroughly meaningful democratization and the genuine administration exclude not only Serbia but also the West regarding Kosova's position on its final status. Another concern for the West is the present situation of Kostunica and the new Serb administration created after the incidents in October of last year. Therefore, some European capitals estimate that Kostunica's position should not be weakened or damaged in the coming months. The prompt holding of Kosova's general elections and Montenegro's eventual referendum for defining the Serb-Montenegro relations, are analyzed as serious blows perhaps irreparable for Kostunica who is often in Belgrade compared to Gorbachov in the 1988-1991 period of the Soviet Union, losing the state (Soviet Union) while trying to reform the central authority in Moscow. It is important to say, writes Shala, that this particular position of the main Western European countries, is in fact, in contradiction with the 1244 U.N. Security Council Resolution and the principles of the G8 (seven industrial countries + Russia), approved in Tokyo last year. According to the Tokyo principles and the 1244 U.N. Resolution, the creation of a democratic authority in Kosova cannot be conditioned by the regime in Belgrade and beside the notifying of Belgrade, UNMIK has no obligation in even consulting with Belgrade on the progress of the process, which does not address the issue of Kosova's final status. While the West hesitates to support June as the date for the general elections, the U.S., respectively its Ambassador to the U.N., Richard Holbrooke, gives signs that the issue of Kosova's final status must also be hurried up. Holbrooke was the first to initiate the idea of an international conference regarding Kosova's long-term status. Those who are acquainted with Holbrooke's unordinary diplomacy, say that beside other matters, the American Ambassador intended to remind the West that the Kosovar issue cannot be solved through the regime in Belgrade and that the matter cannot be left aside or ignored, as it is a source of constant tensions in the region. Koha Ditore, on the other hand, comments on what its editor-in-chief Baton Haxhiu calls "Clashes of the two illusions in Mitrovica." He writes that the international community cannot have two solutions for the same problem. Prison for the members of the Liberation Army of Presheva, Medvegje and Bujanoc (UCPMB) and tolerance for the Serb soldiers in Mitrovica. The Americans finish their job, whereas the French forces trick the political process. This is the worst message for the tense situation, the future and stability of the region. Therefore, the same solution is needed for both situations - demilitarization and inter-communication in the political process of the solution. But Presheva was neglected this time. What should be done regarding Mitrovica? Firstly what should be done is the forming of multinational troops for Mitrovica. This is the answer for the Albanians and Serbs in both sides of Mitrovica. It is a serious problem fighting two created realities on both sides of the Iber River and two other illusions created because of the institutional vacuum in Kosova since Kouchner left Kosova. The first Albanian illusion is the immediate departure of Serbs and the immediate control of Kosova by the Albanian majority in Mitrovica, while the second Serb illusion is to re-establish Serb authority in Kosova, meaning Serb police and army and the failure of peace mission. None can be achieved at the moment. Both illusions have the same common denominator against them - the 1244 U.N. Resolution. An idea for the solution of the problem in Northern Mitrovica should be found. All the Serbs in the Northern part of Mitrovica who are not from the North should go back to their houses in Serbia or within Kosova. All the Albanians and others that are from the North of Mitrovica and who are scattered within Kosova and abroad, should return to their homes, considers Haxhiu. We should start with an idea of tolerance and strategy for Mitrovica. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981162021/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Sat Feb 3 06:58:57 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2001 12:58:57 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} PRESS: Kosovar politician predicts promising future for region (The Hoya via U-WIRE, February 2, 2001) Message-ID: <3A7BF281.79DB09F4@bndlg.de> http://news.excite.com/news/uw/010202/politics-167 Kosovar politician predicts promising future for region Updated 12:00 PM ET February 2, 2001 By Aly Carpenter The Hoya Georgetown U. (U-WIRE) WASHINGTON -- Though the Serbian conflict in Kosovo is just over a year and a half in the past and anything but forgotten, Kosovar political leader Dr. Alush Gashi spoke of a potentially promising future for the region Wednesday morning in Georgetown University's Healy Hall. Once a self-described impartial, "innocent physician looking to help others," Gashi quickly became a political leader, serving as an adviser to the prominent Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and a member of the Prishtina-based Kosovo Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms. He played a fundamental role in working to end the genocide, war crimes and torture inflicted upon Kosovars by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's forces. A target to the Serbs because of its rich natural resources and wealth, as well as its 90 percent ethnic Albanian population, Kosovo is striving to be the next of the regions to gain independence from Serbian rule and earn the right to statehood, Gashi said. For almost 10 years, the region in the southwestern part of Yugoslavia has been a "divided society," segregated between Serbs and ethnic Albanians after Serbs closed down all media and separated schools by ethnicity. "It's going to be very hard, almost impossible, to force (normal interaction between the ethnic groups,)" Gashi said. He said he "believe(s) freedom and peace and justice in Kosovo" are crucial to the well-being of Europe and important to the world. Gashi said he remembers cheering for the NATO pilots bombing Serbian forces because they were the Kosovars' "only hope, coming from the free world," fighting for people they had never met, but fighting for the global goal of freedom. With Milosevic's forces out of the region, Kosovo is far from the level of autonomy it desires, he said. Establishing a self-governed democracy would help repay those people who risked their lives to rescue the Kosovars, Gashi said. If Kosovars invest for the next few decades in democratic institutions, he believes the nation would benefit for generations to come. Additionally, he said "it would be very good to bring investment (into Kosovo) and (with this economic investment) will come security" for the area. Despite their intense reluctance to release the area, Gashi said he did not "believe Serbs care for Kosovo," at least apart from their own economic interests. Furthermore, he said, "Serbs are not helping us at all." He then cited the fact that approximately 70 percent of Serbs living in Kosovo voted for Milosevic in the last election, further highlighting the need for a self-governed, undivided Kosovar nation. Much credit must be given to the Americans initiating NATO air strikes in 1999, Gashi said. Kosovars firmly acknowledge, "without American leadership, there is no trust among Albanians in Kosovo," for with or without reason, Kosovars as a general rule are very reluctant to trust others, he said. Americans gave Kosovars "hope that people cared" and followed through on promises of support and aid to the Kosovars. "They established our so-called democratic institutions," Gashi said. Even today, if they withdraw from the country he said he believes there will be war again. In a time of intrusive foreign policy and morally debatable international intervention, he said Americans made the ethically right, yet obvious decision, responding to the call of desperate need. In the aftermath of the Serbian presence in Kosovo, mass gravesites are still being found and innocent lives lost due to ethnic cleansing, and those lost fighting are painfully remembered, Gashi said. Gashi said that he is committed to Kosovo statehood, the safety of the ethnic Albanians and the return of refugees to Kosovo from surrounding areas. Although the war crimes and genocide of this region can never be revoked and the Kosovars' plight against ethnocentric murder cannot be forgotten, Gashi sees the future that lies before them, centered around their own autonomous region. Gashi's speech was sponsored by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. (C) 2001 The Hoya via U-WIRE ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981205252/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Sat Feb 3 18:39:55 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 18:39:55 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Kosovo Independence Debated Message-ID: <5d.6bd84f6.27adf0cb@aol.com> Kosovo Independence Debated By GEORGE GEDDA .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - Ibrahim Rugova, the leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians, said Friday that he and Secretary of State Colin Powell have an ``understanding in general'' that independence for Kosovo should be supported. But a State Department official that the independence issue never came up during Powell's meeting with Rugova. The department said the meeting focussed mainly on democratic development of the Yugoslav province. It said the United States continues to support a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for continued Yugoslav sovereignty over Kosovo. Following his State Department meeting, Rugova said, ``We did ask Secretary Powell for an early recognition of independence of Kosovo because we believe that recognition of independence will calm down the whole region.'' Asked for Powell's response, Rugova said, ``We have an understanding in general.'' Balkan issues dominated the State Department's agenda Friday, with the visits of Rugova, Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic and Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, sworn in Jan. 25. On Montenegro, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said Powell also supports a democratic Montenegro within a democratic Yugoslavia. He commented as Djukanovic conferred with State Department officials about parliamentary elections the Yugoslav republic plans to hold in April. The new parliament will decide whether to hold an independence referendum. Boucher said Powell did not meet with Djukanovic because of scheduling problems and because ``we don't want to get involved in people's elections.'' Powell's meeting with Djindjic covered the status of legal proceedings against former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. Djindjic said afterward he told Powell that Yugoslav authorities are preparing an indictment and the appointment of a prosecutor so Milosevic can be tried for alleged crimes committed against Serbs. According to Boucher's account of the meeting, Djindjic and Powell discussed the need for Yugoslavia to deal with these crimes in a way that does not preclude a trial of Milosevic by the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in The Netherlands. The tribunal indicted Milosevic in 1999 for abuses against Kosovo's ethnic Albanians. On the Net: State Department notes on Serbia: http://www.state.gov/www/background-notes/serbia-9908-bgn.html AP-NY-02-02-01 1659EST From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Feb 3 22:52:43 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 3 Feb 2001 19:52:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Gazeta Shqiptare, 4.2.2001 Message-ID: <20010204035243.30634.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> ZGJIDHNI ARKIVIN SIPAS MUAJVE Arkivi i Gazetes ----------- Prill Maj Qershor Korrik Gusht Shtator Tetor Nentor Dhjetor KERKONI NE ARKIV 4 Shkurt 2001 KULTURE "Sh?n Asti me krah? hapur t? ngrihet n? Durr?s" TIRANE Memoriali i Sh?n Astit duhet t? vendoset n? Durr?s, me pamje nga deti, p?r t'i th?n? njer?zimit se ai ishte martiri i par? i k?saj toke", ka th?n?, n? fundjav?, drejtori Moikom Zeqo. Dhe k?rkesa e tij nuk i ?sht? drejtuar eterit si zakonisht, por k?t? her? vet? Presidentit Meidani. Letr?n p?rcjell?se d?rguar Presidentit, drejtori i Muzeut e ka d?rguar n? em?r t? Institucionit t? tij. "Por bashk? me k?rkes?n e Muzeut, ka qen? edhe k?rkesa e kish?s katolike dhe asaj ortodokse t? Shqip?ris?", ka th?n? Zeqo. Biles, "ky propozimi i imi modest, mund t? realizohet me ndihm?n financiare qoft? t? kish?s katolike, qoft? t? kish?s ortodokse, ose t? shtetit shqiptar", kan? th?n? burimet e Muzeut, duke e cituar. Kush ?sht? Sh?n Asti? Sh?n Asti ?sht? nj? nga martir?t e par? t? Krisht?rimit, i cili ?sht? masakruar n? koh?n e perandorit romak Trajan n? vitin 101. Kjo ngjarje ka ndodhur plot 1900 vjet m? par? n? qytetin e Durr?sit. Emri i k?tij martiri ?sht? shum? i njohur dhe ?sht? i fiksuar n? emrat e t? gjith? martir?ve t? regjistruar t? kish?s romane t? per?ndimit, por edhe kish?s ortodokse t? Lindjes. Sipas t? dh?nave historike, kulti i Sh?n Astit e ka pasur qendr?n kryesore n? qytetin e Durr?sit. N? shekullin e XIII, n? afresket e Kish?s s? Rubikut ndodhet e afreskuar edhe figura e Sh?n Astit. P?r fatin e keq, ky imazh ?sht? fshir? nga tymnaja e kompleksit industrial t? qytetit t? Rubikut, por imazhi ?sht? kopjuar nga nj? famulltar gjerman, q? ka qen? k?tu n? fillim t? shekullit XX. Fabian Barcata ka b?r? nj? kopjim t? piktur?s dhe k?t? ia ka dh?n? At Vincenc Malaj, priftit shqiptar t? Malit t? Zi. Ky i fundit pak koh? para se t? vdiste e ka depozituar n? duart e Muzeut Komb?tar. Pse monument? "Do t? ishte n? nderin e Shqip?ris? dhe n? rrafsh bot?ror e evropian q? Ju, i nderuari zoti President, t? nd?rmerrni nism?n historike p?r nd?rtimin e nj? memoriali n? qytetin e Durr?sit, kushtuar Sh?n Astit", thuhet n? letr?n d?rguar Presidentit Meidani. N? Shqip?ri mungojn? monumente t? k?tij lloji dhe k?saj i shtohet edhe blasfemia disavje?are e shtetit ndaj besimit. Esht? kjo nj? arsye m? shum? q? synon t? tregoj? nd?rlidhjen e kombit shqiptar me qytet?rimin evropian. Arsyeja tjet?r ?sht? q? qyteti i Durr?sit ka t? nd?rthurrur n? shpin?n e tij, si pak qytete t? tjera historin? e vet? Shqip?ris?. Atje kan? qen? kolonist?t helen? q? e formuan, ilir?t, Bizanti (porti i tij m? i r?nd?sish?m i Per?ndimit), barbar?t, kryqtar?t, norman?t, serb?t dhe t? gjith? koh?n shqiptar?t. Monumenti, me konfigurimin e tij synon q? t? ket? nga t? gjith? element?t, me t? cilat ?sht? p?rballuar qyteti. Propozimi Propozimi i Monumentit t? Martirit t? Kish?s pothuaj ?sht? i dyti pas atij t? kapel?s s? Sk?nderbeut. Kuptohet, se edhe ky propozim ?sht? disi hipotetik dhe utopik p?r Presidenc?n shqiptare. N? morin? e problemeve, propozimi i Muzeut Komb?tar duket si nj? luks p?r estetik?n historike t? kombit. Dhe, kuptohet se edhe ky do t? arkivohet diku, p?r t'i l?n? vendin ??shtjeve m? emergjente, me t? cilat haset momentalisht trash?gimia historike n? p?rgjith?si. Sidoqoft?, n? kokat e njer?zve t? Muzeut ?sht? ideuar edhe m?nyra se si do t? q?ndroj? Sh?n Asti. Me duar t? hapura nga qielli, si p?r t? th?n? q? k?tu asgj? nuk mund t? b?het. __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Sun Feb 4 12:42:41 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 12:42:41 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] CfP: Europe 1000-2000, A Thousand Years of civitas, communitas et universitas. Budapest, 27.-29.4.2001 Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] CfP: Europe 1000-2000, A Thousand Years of civitas, communitas et universitas. Budapest, 27.-29.4.2001 Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 10:16:53 +0100 Size: 3081 URL: From wplarre at bndlg.de Sun Feb 4 05:33:18 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Sun, 04 Feb 2001 11:33:18 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: BBC/AP: Albanians remember Mitrovica killings / Kosovo Victims Remembered at Ceremony (February 3, 2001) Message-ID: <3A7D2FEE.13F51CC7@bndlg.de> http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1152000/1152148.stm Saturday, 3 February, 2001, 18:34 GMT Albanians remember Mitrovica killings Italian K-For troops distribute leaflets appealing for calm By Nicholas Wood in Mitrovica Up to 3,000 ethnic Albanians have been holding a candle-lit vigil in the divided Kosovan city of Mitrovica to mark the deaths of nine people killed in inter-ethnic violence one year ago. After one of the most violent weeks Mitrovica has seen in almost a year, the Nato-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo had feared the ceremony would degenerate into violent protest. Much of the violence has been focused on French troops, whom the protestors blame for failing to protect Albanians living in the Serb-dominated north of the city. But the head of the United Nations mission in Kosovo, Hans Haekkerup, and the commander of K-For, General Carlo Cabigiosu, had been lobbying local politicians hard to ensure the protests remained peaceful. There were 2,000 troops deployed for the occasion. They included over 200 soldiers from the US army who rarely leave their area of operations in south-eastern Kosovo. Ultimately the heavy military presence was not needed; the protestors melted away as quickly as they had arrived, leaving hundreds of candles lining doorways, pavements and roads. Further violence? This week's violence was sparked off by the killing of a 14-year old Albanian boy. Albanian leaders say there is a strong possibility of further violence unless action is taken to curb gangs of self-appointed security troops who roam the north of the city. The UN mission in Kosovo says it has devised a plan to tackle the problem - when it will be implemented is less clear. _______________________________________________________________________ http://news.excite.com/news/ap/010203/21/int-kosovo Kosovo Victims Remembered at Ceremony Updated 9:43 PM ET February 3, 2001 By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Yugoslavia (AP) - Thousands of ethnic Albanians held a vigil Saturday to commemorate nine people killed in clashes with Serbs a year ago. After four days of unrest, the gathering was marked by a lack of violence. Clutching lit candles, the crowd stood silently for about a half-hour to mark the first anniversary of the killings in the northern, predominantly Serb part of the industrial, ethnically divided city. While peacekeepers have sought to prevent ethnic clashes, violence has flared several times in recent months and again for four consecutive days this week. The violence involved mainly ethnic Albanian radicals seeking to storm a bridge leading into the predominantly Serbian quarter and French peacekeepers firing tear gas and stun grenades to stop them. The demonstrators met Saturday in the southern center of town in front of a French base, the scene of this week's clashes. Besides those in town, hundreds of peacekeepers were deployed in Kosovska Mitrovica to head off new violence, but they were not visible in an attempt not to provoke the crowd. There were no speeches. On Feb. 2, 2000 a rocket attack on a United Nations bus killed two Serb civilians, sparking some three weeks of unrest in which at least a dozen people were killed and many injured. "We are protesting today the killing ... which happened last year," said Bajram Rexhepi, a local Albanian leader. Rexhepi said he and other local officials consider themselves guarantors of an agreement with the peacekeepers concluded on Thursday to ensure that peace return to the tense city. The document called for more troops and U.N. and local police; the extension of a so-called confidence zone set up nearly a year ago on both sides of the main bridge separating the city's Serb and ethnic Albanian communities, and creating conditions for freedom of movement and the return of displaced families. Many ethnic Albanians in Kosovo distrust the French peacekeepers because they believe they are pro-Serb. "The French are keeping our town divided, but if there's a need I am going to fight in order to get it united," said 22-year-old Lulzim Ramadani. "The French should go back to France and leave the city to us." There is broad agreement among foreign and many Albanian officials that a pullout of French and other troops providing security in the town is unthinkable for a long time to come. Kosovska Mitrovica, located 25 miles from the capital, Pristina, remains the province's most tense town, more than 1 1/2 years after NATO ended its 78-day air war. The air campaign was launched to force former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to halt his crackdown on ethnic Albanians. Kosovo remains a province of Serbia, the larger of Yugoslavia's two republics. ?2001 AP All rights reserved ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981315058/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Feb 4 20:21:59 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 17:21:59 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] HRW on Greek Immigration Law Message-ID: <20010205012159.902.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH COMMENTS ON GREEK IMMIGRATION BILL 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor New York, NY 10118-3299 212-290-4700 212-736-1300 hrwnyc at h... Website:http://www.hrw.org 31 January 2001 RE: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH COMMENTS ON GREEK IMMIGRATION BILL Sent via fax Dear Member of Parliament: Human Rights Watch is writing in regard to the immigration bill currently under consideration by the Greek parliament. We recognize that the bill's intent is to improve upon past laws regarding the residence and employment of foreigners in Greece, and to meet the challenge of managing migration into the country. However, we are deeply concerned that provisions of the draft bill are in violation of Greece's international and regional human rights obligations. We are also concerned that the transitional provisions providing for a second "regularization process" for undocumented migrants may result in serious fundamental rights violations related to procedural guarantees and the detention of foreigners. Human Rights Watch includes in this letter a critique of key provisions of the draft bill and suggests amendments and changes to the draft that bring the bill into conformity with Greece's obligations under European and international law. ? Prohibition against discrimination. In its current form, the draft immigration bill does not include an anti-discrimination provision. We understand that prior drafts of the bill included provisions prohibiting discrimination against migrants on grounds of race or religion, and guaranteeing migrants legally residing in Greece equal treatment with Greek nationals in access to vocational training and the right to freedom of association. These provisions were deleted from the current draft. We urge that a provision guaranteeing non-discrimination with respect to the rights enumerated in the draft law be included in the final bill in conformity with the well-established international norm prohibiting discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, religion, and other status. The inclusion of an anti-discrimination provision also complies with Greece's obligations as a member of the European Union under Council of the European Union Directive 2000/43/EC (Race Directive) implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin. The directive, now part of the "acquis communautaire"-the body of law governing membership in the European Union-requires all member states to conform their legislation to implement the directive's anti-discrimination principles within three years. The directive prohibits direct and indirect discrimination in both the public and private sectors based on race or ethnic origin and applies to access to employment; vocational training and working conditions; membership in trade unions; social advantages; social security and health care; education; and to the provision of goods and services available to the public, including housing. The directive specifically includes third country nationals within its scope, notwithstanding a government's right to differential treatment based strictly on legal status. ? Article 1: Stateless Persons. Article 1 of the draft bill defines those persons to whom the law applies, including those without a nationality (stateless persons). Human Rights Watch strongly recommends that Article 1(a) be amended to state that "An alien is every person who does not hold the Greek nationality or a person that does not have a nationality (stateless), in accordance with the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons." ? Article 5: Entry of Refugees/Asylum Seekers. The draft bill requires that all persons seeking entry into Greece carry valid documentation, including a passport, other recognized travel document, and, where required, a visa. Article 5(5) provides for "exceptional cases" in which authorities at entry points may provide a visa upon authorization by the Minister of Public Order, but makes no specific reference to refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom are forced to leave their countries under urgent and extreme circumstances and are often unable to obtain travel documents prior to departure. For purposes of clarification, the article should state that persons with a well-founded fear of persecution if they are returned to their country of origin and those in need of international protection should be exempt from the requirement to provide such documentation. This exemption brings the draft bill into conformity with Article 31 of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees which prohibits the punishment of refugees for illegal entry into the country of asylum if the refugee travels directly from his or her country of origin and reports to the authorities in the country of destination without delay. The article should also contain specific reference to the fact that asylum seekers may lodge an application for asylum at any entry point (including in transit zones per Article 6 of the draft bill) as provided for in Presidential Decree 61/1991. Clarification regarding the rights of refugees and asylum seekers with respect to proper documentation and applying for asylum should also be incorporated at Article 7: Denial of Entry. Moreover, Human Rights Watch strongly recommends that Law 1975/1991 and Presidential Decree 61/1991 are reviewed and, if necessary, strengthened to comply in full with the 1951 Refugee Convention and relevant UNHCR guidelines. ? Article 19: Granting of Labor Permits. Human Rights Watch urges that work permits not be tied to a specific employer as required by the draft bill at Article 19(1). We have documented cases of serious abuse in labor sectors where such an exclusive relationship exists between employee and employer. For example, in November 2000, we interviewed numerous migrant women who worked as domestics in Greek households. Many women held a work permit that allowed them to work only for one employer. Yet many of these women had experienced severe abuse (e.g. physical and verbal abuse; restrictions on freedom of movement; labor rights violations, including nonpayment of wages, long hours, and poor working conditions) at the hands of their employers. The women did not feel that they could leave their jobs because they were authorized only to work for one employer and feared they would not be able to acquire documents to work for another. In many cases, the abusive employer had confiscated their documents, leaving them vulnerable to deportation as undocumented migrants. We therefore recommend that work permits be keyed to particular labor sectors where there is a documented need for migrant labor (e.g. domestics) thus allowing migrants to change employers if their work conditions are abusive. ? Article 28: Family Reunification. Article 28(1) of the draft bill requires that aliens must reside legally in Greece for two years before applying to have family members join them. Article 12(1) of the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers (1977)-to which Greece is a signatory-states that the waiting period required before family reunification may commence "shall not exceed twelve months." The October 2000 European Commission proposal for a Council Directive on Family Reunification also adopts the twelve month waiting period. We urge that the draft immigration bill adopt one-year as the maximum residency requirement for migrants wishing to exercise their right to family reunification. With respect to Article 28(2) of the draft bill, we also urge that the categories of family members eligible for family reunification with a third country national legally resident in Greece be expanded to cover a broader range of persons in order to ensure that family integrity is authentically preserved. To this end, we recommend that the draft bill be amended to state that a migrant's family members for the purposes of reunification include her/his spouse or partner in a relationship producing the effect of marriage, and that family members in the ascending line who are dependent financially and emotionally on the migrant be eligible for reunification. ? Chapter VIII-Employment in Entertainment Centres: Nexus with Trafficking. Chapter VIII of the bill, although couched in language related to "artists" and their employment in "entertainment centres", includes within its scope the employment of migrant women in bars, nightclubs, and other venues. This chapter, however, makes no mention at all of the increasingly serious problem of trafficking of women and children into Greece for forced prostitution and other forms of forced labor. In our view, the entire chapter should be reconstructed taking into particular consideration the phenomenon of trafficking. Trafficking in women for forced prostitution in Greece has increased sharply in recent years, yet Greece has no laws specifically criminalizing trafficking in persons. Trafficking primarily affects migrant women. Traffickers often deceive women about the conditions of the work they will do once they arrive in Greece, and in some cases club owners threaten migrant women with forced deportation and violence if they do not cooperate. While some women trafficked into Greece know that they will work in the sex industry, they do not know and cannot know that they will be forced into debt bondage and servitude. Human Rights Watch's November 2000 research mission to Greece uncovered serious trafficking abuses. We also discovered, however, that the absence of laws on trafficking, coupled with a profound lack of coordination among government law enforcement agencies, failed to provide trafficking victims with any consistent, effective protection from traffickers and their networks, which often include the very entertainment centers referred to in the draft bill. Human Rights Watch strongly recommends that Chapter VIII be rewritten to include explicit reference to anti-trafficking initiatives; provisions for the effective prosecution of migrant traffickers; and, in particular, special protective measures for trafficking victims, including witness protection for persons who agree to testify against traffickers, safe passage home to their country of origin if possible, the ability to apply for asylum, and the possibility of permission to stay in Greece for humanitarian reasons or victims of trafficking who have suffered the most severe forms of abuse at the hands of traffickers. The inclusion of such measures would indicate that Greece is in step with the December 2000 proposals by the European Commission to combat trafficking in human beings and the sexual exploitation of children; the November 2000 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Decision calling for enhanced efforts at the OSCE level to combat trafficking in human beings; and global efforts to address trafficking via the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and its Protocol on Trafficking in Human Beings. ? Article 39: Granting a Residence Permit. Article 39(4)(b) should make explicit reference to the provision in Greek law for temporary protection status for those in need of international protection. Relevant provisions of law 1975/1991 and Presidential Decree 61/1991 providing for temporary protection status will remain in force when the new immigration bill becomes law (see also general recommendation regarding review of refugee protection legislation in Greece under "Article 5" above). ? Article 41: Rights of Aliens. Article 41 states that "[a]liens legally residing in Greek territory enjoy fundamental human rights provided for by domestic law, international conventions, and general principles of law." Human Rights Watch strongly urges parliamentarians to recognize that most fundamental human rights, as articulated by the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) and guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), apply to "all persons" despite their nationality or legal status within a particular country. Thus, in conformity with Greece's international and regional obligations, it is critical to add language to this article acknowledging that all migrants-those legally resident and those with an irregular status-enjoy fundamental human rights guarantees which the Greek state is required to protect. These rights include, but are not limited to, the right to life; freedom from torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment; the prohibition against slavery and servitude; security of person; procedural guarantees; the prohibition against arbitrary detention; freedom of religion and expression; and the prohibition against discrimination. The free exercise of these rights and protection against basic human rights violations are essential for migrants in cases of police abuse, racist and xenophobic violence, and ill-treatment in detention. In cases where such abuses occur, any migrant-including undocumented migrants-should enjoy the full protection of the Greek state and have effective recourse in the criminal justice and judicial systems for abuses suffered. All too often, migrants attempting to bring claims before public authorities for human rights violations are detained as a matter of first course and deported at the state's earliest convenience without any consideration at all of their claims of abuse. ? Article 42: Access to Education. This provision requires that migrant children seeking to enter public school must provide documentation equivalent to that required for attendance by Greek nationals. Exceptions are made for refugee children, children of asylum seekers, and "those coming from areas where an irregular situation is prevalent." The requirement of valid documentation is an effective bar to school attendance for children of undocumented or irregular migrants. This provision is a direct violation of Greece's obligations under the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child which requires that states parties take measures to ensure that children are not discriminated against on the basis of the status of their parents (Article 2) and that states parties "make primary education compulsory and available free to all" (Article 28). Moreover, the exceptions noted above should be more precise and thus include child asylum seekers who are unaccompanied minors, children with special humanitarian status, and children under the temporary protection regime in accordance with Article 25(6) of Law 1975/1991. ? Article 46: Administrative Expulsion. There should be explicit reference in this provision to the situation of migrants who cannot be returned to their home countries due to on-going conflict, lack of diplomatic relations, and other obstacles to speedy return. This provision should include language to the effect that deportation orders for migrants who cannot be deported shall be suspended pending periodic review of conditions in the deportee's home country and the possibility of executing the deportation order in the future (see also section below at "Article 50" regarding alternatives to detention for migrants who cannot be deported). ? Article 48: Prohibitions Against Expulsion. This article should explicitly prohibit collective expulsions and state that each deportation order must be issued and reviewed individually in conformity with internationally recognized procedural guarantees. ? Article 50: Aliens' Detention Places. This provision should include language indicating that detention conditions for aliens must comply with international and regional standards for the treatment of detainees, including the U.N. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons Under Any Form of Detention, and the European Prison Rules. Human Rights Watch registers particular concern for those migrants held in detention who cannot return to their home countries due to conflict, lack of diplomatic relations, and other obstacles to speedy return. Their indefinite incarceration is a violation of the prohibition against arbitrary detention and it is incumbent on the Greek government to establish alternatives to arbitrary detention. The rights of aliens in detention should be posted in each detention facility in a variety of languages and should be explained to those detainees who cannot read. Moreover, it should be added that, in general, asylum seekers should not be detained. Asylum seekers should only be detained in exceptional circumstances, on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' Guidelines on Applicable Criteria and Standards Relating to the Detention of Asylum Seekers. It should also be stated that detained asylum seekers in Greece enjoy the right to contact UNHCR. ? Article 51: Unwanted Aliens. The Ministry of Public Order maintains a list of "unwanted aliens" who are presumptively denied legal entry or residence in Greece. The criteria for inclusion on the list are not published and not known. There also appears to be no official review process whereby a person whose name is included on the list can seek information regarding the criteria or challenge the inclusion of his or her name based on mistake or any other reason. When Human Rights Watch met with the Minister of Public Order in November 2000, he stated that any person aggrieved by the inclusion of his name on the list could simply write him a letter and he would look into it. The process surrounding establishment and maintenance of the Greek national list should be formalized and transparent. Thus, criteria for inclusion on the list and an official review process should be included in the bill. Moreover, the list should not be used to obstruct a person's right to seek asylum in conformity with Article 14(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which endorses the right of any individual to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution. Refusing entry to asylum seekers could exclude them from the international protection they need and may amount to a violation of the fundamental principle of nonrefoulement-the duty of states not to return any person to a country where their life or freedom is at risk. ? Article 53: Public Sector Sanctions. Article 53(1) of the draft bill states that public sector employees "are obliged not to afford their services to aliens unable to prove legal residence status in Greece" and levels disciplinary and criminal penalties against those who do provide such services. Hospitals, clinics and treatment facilities are exempt from this prohibition in cases where aliens require emergency treatment. However, "emergency treatment" is not defined and leaves open the possibility that persons in need of routine health care (e.g. pregnant women and children with serious conditions that could hinder development) that provides a critical preventive function or the maintenance of a potentially life-threatening condition may be denied such care based on their irregular status. Furthermore, Article 6(2) of the 1989 U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) requires that states parties "ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child." Article 24 of the CRC guarantees children access to "facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health" and mandates that governments "strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health services." Article 53 of the draft law should thus contain language guaranteeing that any restrictions on access to health care or medical treatment must be in conformity with the most basic of human rights guarantees-the right to life. It should also explicitly exempt all children from any restrictions on their access to health care and medical treatment. In addition, the article prohibits "legal persons of public law" from affording migrants their services. It is unclear precisely what legal actors are included in this category. This provision should explicitly provide that migrants (whatever their status) have equal access to the criminal justice system and criminal and civil courts for recourse for crimes committed against them and the right to lodge civil claims for labor rights violations (e.g. nonpayment of wages for work completed). Such claims should be heard in the courts or before administrative tribunals before an order of deportation is executed against an undocumented migrant. ? Article 56: Private Sector Sanctions. Although hospitals, clinics, and treatment facilities may provide emergency care to persons without valid documentation, Article 56(2) requires directors of hotels, resorts, clinics and treatment facilities, and "any other personnel in any way providing shelter to an alien" to inform the police if an alien is residing in their facilities. This reporting requirement could serve as a bar to persons in need of emergency shelter or specialized (i.e. life-saving) medical treatment and could result in threats to their safety and health. It also has serious implications for charitable, humanitarian and nongovernmental organizations that provide essential services (e.g. the provision of food and shelter) to the disadvantaged, including undocumented migrants. Private actors should not be enlisted by the state to act in a migration control capacity and this reporting requirement should be struck from the draft bill. ? Article 57: Carriers' Sanctions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and many nongovernmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have expressed concern that the imposition of sanctions on carriers for bringing in passengers without valid passports and visas has the effect of engaging private companies in the exercise of immigration control functions. Private transport companies in fear of heavy penalties are put in a position where they-not the state-are making determinations about the validity of passengers' documents. Personnel of carrier companies thus serve as proxies for border and passport control personnel without any obligations to protect human rights, or the benefit of any training or expertise in migration control or human rights and refugee protection. The carriers' sanctions regime thus has serious implications for the right of refugees to international protection and the right to seek asylum. As noted above, many asylum seekers flee their countries under extreme circumstances which compel them to travel without valid documents. Article 31 of the 1951 Refugee Convention recognizes that asylum seekers often will not possess valid travel documentation and prohibits the punishment of refugees for illegal entry into the country of asylum if the refugee travels directly from his or her country of origin and reports to the authorities in the country of destination without delay. Carriers' sanctions thus can serve as an effective bar to the right to leave one's country and to seek refuge from persecution in another country. Thus, Human Rights Watch strongly urges that Article 57 be omitted from the final version of the immigration bill. ? Chapter XV: Transitional Provisions. Human Rights Watch acknowledges that the transitional provisions (i.e. regularization process) of the draft law will provide an opportunity for some undocumented migrants now illegally residing in Greece to gain legal status. However, these provisions contain many requirements-for example, proof of continuous residence for two years up to November 15, 2000-that most irregular migrants currently in Greece will not be able to provide. Minister of the Interior Vasso Papandreou has stated publicly that those migrants who cannot meet the requirements of the regularization process "will simply have to leave." Human Rights Watch is concerned that the government's demand that migrants who cannot utilize the regularization process can simply depart Greece is not only unrealistic but may give rise to abuses in the government's future migration control efforts. In its 2000 World Report, Human Rights Watch reported that the Greek police routinely conducted discriminatory "sweeps" of areas where immigrants live and gather, detained large groups of foreigners-including those with valid residence permits and asylum seekers-and detained them in police stations or sports facilities for long periods of time. Undocumented migrants were summarily expelled from Greece. In a personal meeting in November 2000, we expressed our concerns to the Minister of Public Order regarding the indiscriminate targeting of foreigners and the procedural violations that characterized these sweeps (which, according to local nongovernmental organizations, continue). The Minister's responses were unsatisfactory. He admitted that the sweeps took place in precisely the manner as reported by nongovernmental organizations and that hundreds of Albanian migrants were expelled in a July 1999 "sweep." He failed to recognize the indiscriminate nature of the operations or the fact that collective expulsions violate individual procedural guarantees. Moreover, in December 2000, Human Rights Watch sent an urgent memorandum to the Greek government detailing the appalling conditions of detention for foreigners awaiting deportation in Greek police stations. Conditions of detention at the Alexandras Avenue detention facility for foreigners violated nearly every international and regional standard for the treatment of detainees. Human Rights Watch thus urges the Ministry of Public Order and the Ministry of the Interior to address the issue of irregular migration by strictly adhering to Greece's international and regional human rights obligations. In particular, we call for a halt to discriminatory police sweeps; the protection of procedural guarantees for those detained under the laws pertaining to aliens; the enhanced protection of asylum seekers and refugees; and adherence to basic minimum standards of treatment for foreign detainees, including the prohibition against arbitrary detention. Human Rights Watch will be monitoring the immigration bill as it proceeds to passage. We would be happy to discuss our concerns with you at your convenience. Sincerely, Holly Cartner Executive Director Europe and Central Asia Division __________________________________________________ Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From pulab at gusun.georgetown.edu Mon Feb 5 04:03:59 2001 From: pulab at gusun.georgetown.edu (Besnik Pula) Date: Mon, 05 Feb 2001 11:03:59 +0200 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Graduate Studies Course in Prishtina Message-ID: GRADUATE STUDIES COURSE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE Prishtina, Kosova, March 12-25, 2001 The Graduate Studies Course in Public Administration and Local Governance will be organized by the Albanian Political Science Association (ALPSA), Prishtina, Kosova. It will take place in Prishtina, Kosova, on March 12-25, 2001. The program will comprise of two courses: Theories and Practices of Public Administration, and Principles of Local Governance. It will accept 25 participants (university students, professionals and others) from Kosova and Albania. The language of instruction will be English. Both courses will be taught by renown international scholars in the pertinent fields. Objectives of the Course The main objective of the program is to promote contemporary scholarly approaches and professional studies and research in these specific fields of public administration among top students and young professionals; set the background for curricula development at the University of Prishtina; introduce new fields and methods of study; familiarize participants with contemporary western and Anglo-Saxon literature in these subjects; and contribute to young faculty development in Kosova. Successful realization of these objectives will be achieved through close co-operation with the departments and programs of social sciences of universities in Kosova; western resource persons who will teach in the graduate course, and the young Kosovar political scientists who will lead tutorials and seminars. How to apply To apply for participation at the Graduate Studies Course in Public Administration and Local Governance, please send the following information by e-mail to alpsa at alpsa.org (if you don?t have e-mail, please call 044 120 811): Name; Home address and contact information; Employer/Institutional affiliation and position; Highest degree earned, field, and location; CV; Brief statement (one paragraph) indicating reasons why you want to take the course. All participation costs are covered by ALPSA. The deadline for applications is March 1, 2001. For more information on ALPSA, please visit http://www.alpsa.org. From albania at netzero.net Mon Feb 5 06:50:44 2001 From: albania at netzero.net (Nikoll A Mirakaj) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 06:50:44 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} Albanian Teens Expelled From School for Wearing Islamic Scarves Message-ID: <003901c08f6a$b319ed20$f940f6d1@albania> Albanian Teens Expelled From School for Wearing Islamic Scarves TIRANA, Feb 2, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Three Albanian girls were expelled from the foreign language secondary school for wearing Islamic head coverings in class, the school principal said Friday. "Students must respect the rules of the school, which is secular and where religious accoutrements are banned," Prel Vata told AFP. "Outside the school, they are free to do what they want, but here it is not possible to do gymnastics in a headscarf or to refuse to attend certain courses for religious reasons," Vata added. He noted that all students had signed the school's statutes at the beginning of the year. "It is my religion. I believe in it, and the veil is a requirement for a good Muslim," said Miralda Gjoka, 17, a top English-language student and one of the three expelled. "I tried everything to get her to stop dressing that way," her father Xhevat said. He had traveled from northern Albania to try to convince his daughter to choose school over the scarf. "There are Koranic schools in Albania and everyone is free to enroll, but there are also public schools where the rules must be respected," said education ministry official Vaso Qano. More than 1,000 Albanians aged between 14 and 18 attend Koranic schools where their teachers are often Arabs or Kosovo Albanians. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From albboschurch at juno.com Fri Feb 2 05:26:31 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (albboschurch at juno.com) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 05:26:31 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Job Offering Message-ID: <20010202.054243.-370027.0.albboschurch@juno.com> Whole Systems International WSI an innovative provider of multi-media, medical education training materials for the pharmaceutical industry, seeks an organized and detail oriented person for ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT position. This position will interface with all departments in the areas of data entry, clerical work, and other general office responsibilities that support the daily business activities of the company. Applicant must be proficient in Word. Familiarity in Excel a plus. $10/hour for 20 hour hrs/week. WSI offers a flexible work schedule, competitive rate and pleasant work environment. If interested please contact: Human Resources Whole Systems Internatonal Two Newton Place 255 Washington Street Newton, MA 02458 email: hradmin at wholesys.com Fax: (617) 928-1585 no phone calls please From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Fri Feb 2 06:50:29 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 06:50:29 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] New Book: Bibliography on Ethnic Relations in Eastern Europe Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] New Book: Bibliography on Ethnic Relations in Eastern Europe Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 23:26:25 +0100 Size: 9779 URL: From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 2 16:05:25 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2001 22:05:25 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Turmoil in Tirana over Diplomatic Ties with Belgrade (AIM Tirana, January 18, 2001 published 31 JAN 2001) Message-ID: <3A7B2115.7D13E5D6@bndlg.de> http://www.aimpress.org/dyn/trae/archive/data/200101/10131-012-trae-tir.htm Copyright: All those wishing to use or publish the following text are welcome to do so, provided that they indicate the source and inform the AIM office in Paris which is interested to receive comments and reactions on the information it provides. AIM, 17 rue Rebeval, F-75019 Paris, France WED, 31 JAN 2001 21:44:26 GMT Turmoil in Tirana over Diplomatic Ties with Belgrade AIM Tirana, January 18, 2001 The Jan. 11 decision of the Yugoslav government to re-establish diplomatic relations with Albania, and the readiness the Albanian government expressed the same day to accept the initiative, announced by a spokesman of the Albanian Foreign Ministry, caused a veritable storm on the country's political stage. Belgrade has fulfilled Albania's number one condition: it made the first step, and it caused havoc among Albanian political parties. The largest opposition party -- the Democratic Party -- and its allies from the Union for Democracy bloc, immediately blasted the government for responding positively to Belgrade's initiative. The Democratic Party vice president and deputy speaker of the Albanian Parliament, Jozefina Topalli, called the Albanian government's decision rash and demanded that new conditions for re-establishing diplomatic ties be made: that all political prisoners from Kosovo held in Serbian prisons be released, that war reparations be paid for the damage done by the Serbian army in northern Albania during the war in Kosovo, that maps of mines laid down by Serbian army in certain parts of northern Albania be given to Albanian authorities, and so on. The allies of the Democratic Party, such as the Liberal Union, through its president and former foreign minister, Starova, branded the Albanian government's response as against national interests. Even the former foreign minister demanded that in addition to the problem of Kossovars held in Serbian prisons, other conditions be posed as well, such as the resolution of the problem of Kosovska Mitrovica, Presevo, and others. Particularly strong and surprising was the reaction of the chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Albanian Parliament, Godo, who enjoys majority support in Parliament. The same day the Albanian Foreign Ministry replied to Belgrade's proposal, he blasted it as an irresponsible move and open servility. He also called for additional conditions and requested that the Albanian Prime Minister explain this "irresponsible decision." The uproar on the Albanian political scene should have come as no surprise. Relations between Belgrade and Tirana, and particularly when it comes to Kosovo, have always been a bone of contention of Albanian politics. But the initiative for resuming diplomatic ties came at a rather inconvenient moment, because the campaign for parliamentary elections set for June was well under way and political competition is gaining momentum. In such conditions political parties, and particularly opposition groups, are doing their best to politically profit from the national question and -- more specifically -- from the question of Kosovo. It should be noted that not a single opposition party or leader spoke against re-establishing ties with the FRY in principle. It is very difficult for them to be against having diplomatic relations with a country in the region with which Albania had relations even at the apex of their ideological and political confrontation. This time the opposition's objections are linked to Kosovo. The decision to resume diplomatic relations has opened a new chapter in relations between official Tirana and Kosovo political parties as well, and put them under an additional strain. In one form or another, major Kosovo political parties have constantly urged Tirana to exert greater pressure on Belgrade, and the Jan. 11 decision of the Albanian government completely chilled Pristina. The very next day, Alush Gashi, foreign policy advisor to Ibrahim Rugova, said the decision of the Albanian government was "hasty." Speaking on the Voice of America he even said that Tirana should have waited for relations to be established between Pristina and Belgrade, and only then accept Serbia's offer. The Kosovo political parties and politicians, in fact, are well aware they cannot oppose the re-establishment of ties between the two states, which existed even during Kosovo's darkest times. Their concern, however, might have been prompted by fear that the Belgrade-Tirana relations could complicate and undermine Pristina's negotiating position in future international talks on Kosovo. On the other hand, the Kosovo political parties are gearing up for upcoming legislature elections that will be organized by UNMIK. Because of this, they are opposing any improvement in relations between Belgrade and Tirana in a bid to present themselves as the true protectors of Kosovo. Aware that this question is extremely sensitive, the Albanian government attempted to appease the Kosovo political parties by saying that its stance regarding Kosovo will not change. Thus, on Jan. 12, Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo was forced to make a statement on the issue at a press conference, not only because of the renewal of diplomatic ties, but also because senior officials in Belgrade, such as Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic, for example, recently claimed that they had received "signals from Tirana indicating that it will alter its position on Kosovo." The storm has not yet subsided, and official Tirana cannot disregard this firm opposition both in Tirana and in Pristina, when planning its future steps in relation to Belgrade. There is an extenuating circumstance to its actions, which is characteristic for all former communist countries which can hardly wait to join European structures. It involves the position of EU countries, the U.S., and other Western countries which supported the re-establishment of diplomatic ties between Yugoslavia and Albania. On Jan. 12, in an official announcement, the French Foreign Ministry praised the intention of Belgrade and Tirana to once again have diplomatic ties. The Zeri i Popullit newspaper, run by the ruling Socialist Party, carried on Jan. 13, a statement by American Ambassador to Tirana J. Limprecht who said, "I am happy to be able to convey statements issued by the White House and the State Department that it is our policy to encourage the peoples of the region to develop normal relations with Belgrade." The U. S. ambassador even had a special meeting with Foreign Policy Committee Chairman Godo, where he expressed his disagreement with Godo's opposition to upgrading diplomatic relations between Yugoslavia and Albania, and once more expressed his support for the initiative. There are signs that the government in Tirana, for the time being, has brushed off domestic criticism, but that the tensions will persist and that their possible future escalation should not be ruled out. Since the re-establishment of diplomatic relations will be a process, it will have far-reaching effects and will require gradual steps. Thus, it will continue to be a source of dispute both at home and in relations between Tirana and Pristina. All the noise and opposition to the recent diplomatic move are like a battle in which neither side is likely to win -- neither the political parties in Tirana, nor those in Pristina. But they will continue to fight anyway, hoping that, eventually, they might not come out empty-handed. Arian Leka (AIM) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981150885/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 2 17:03:30 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2001 23:03:30 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Press release on new ICG report "Religion in Kosovo" (31 January 2001) Message-ID: <3A7B2EB2.55C312EF@bndlg.de> Betreff: [balkanhr] Press release on new ICG report "Religion in Kosovo" Datum: Thu, 01 Feb 2001 21:57:48 +0200 Von: "Sascha Pichler" (by way of Greek Helsinki Monitor ) R?ckantwort: balkanhr-owner at yahoogroups.com press release RELIGION IN KOSOVO: BRIDGING THE DIVIDE Brussels, 31 January 2001: In the sharply divided communities of Kosovo, dialogue between religious leaders offers a way to reconciliation, but it needs the support and funding of the international community. Religion in Kosovo, a new report by the International Crisis Group, finds that contrary to common belief, religion has not been a direct cause of conflict in Kosovo. Islam played little part in the eight-year campaign of non-violent resistance to Serb rule by the ethnic Albanian community, and the Serb Orthodox Church, while supporting President Slobodan Milosevics nationalism at first, soon became critical of his violent tactics. While the report acknowledges the bitter social and political divisions in Kosovo, it says dialogue between some of Kosovos religious leaders has continued, and may provide limited possibilities for bridging that divide. ICG calls on the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to establish and fund a permanent Kosovo Interfaith Council. Of course the ruins of mosques, churches and monasteries still stand as reminders of the violence that erupted in Kosovo in the late 1990s. UNMIK should adequately fund the protection and reconstruction of religious monuments of all faiths on an equal basis. UNMIK is also urged to ensure public schooling in Kosovo remains secular. A handbook for children on comparative religion in both Albanian and Serbian would help foster greater understanding and tolerance between the ethnic communities. Religion in Kosovo is part of ICGs continuing analysis of Balkans issues, and is based on in-depth field research in Kosovo. It was prepared by analysts in Pristina and Brussels. For information: Katy Cronin at ICG Brussels, tel +32 2 502 90 38. kcronin at crisisweb.org The report is available on ICGs internet website www.crisisweb.org size=3> _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/showreport.cfm?reportid=226 Religion in Kosovo Download the report as a PDF file in A4 format http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/balkans/kosovo/reports/A400226_31012001.pdf EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report seeks to describe the current position of the three major religious communities in Kosovo. In part, it aims to clarify misconceptions about the involvement of religion in the Kosovo conflict. It also proposes some areas where religion might serve as a means to encourage reconciliation among the peoples of Kosovo. Three religions - Islam, Orthodoxy, and Catholicism, have long coexisted in Kosovo. A large majority of Kosovo Albanians consider themselves, at least nominally, to be Muslim. A minority, about 60,000, are Catholic. Most Kosovo Serbs, even those who are not active religious believers, consider Orthodoxy to be an important component of their national identity. Nevertheless, despite this essential division of religious activities along ethnic lines, it cannot be said that religion per se was an important contributing factor in the conflict between Serbs and Albanians. Kosovo Albanians do not define their national identity through religion, but through language and have a relatively relaxed approach towards the observance of the forms of the Islamic religion. Neither Islamic leaders nor Islamic theology played a significant role in either the eight-year campaign of non-violent resistance to the Serb occupation regime or the armed resistance of 1998-99. Islamic political and social fundamentalism, as that term is understood with respect to the Middle East, has very little resonance in Kosovo. The image of Kosovo Serbs and their monasteries, usually portrayed as suffering harassment and persecution by the Albanian majority population, formed a part of the nationalist propaganda that Milosevic and his supporters used to manipulate popular emotions. The Serbian Orthodox Church, however, was always divided over Milosevic. It initially supported him in large part to end what it saw as the victimisation of the Serb nation under Communism and to reverse the decline of the Serb presence in Kosovo. But Milosevic's Communist career made the Church uneasy, as did his use of violence. By the early 1990s, Patriarch Pavle was publicly criticising Milosevic although some other members of the Orthodox hierarchy continued to support him. After the 1999 war, Bishop Artemije, the head of the Orthodox Church in Kosovo, assumed the leadership of those Serbs willing to work with the International community there. During the war, Serb forces destroyed numerous Islamic facilities, including virtually all Islamic libraries and archives. After the war, Albanians replied by destroying scores of Orthodox churches. These acts of reciprocal vandalism seemed motivated on both sides more by the desire to eradicate the evidence of the other's presence in Kosovo than by religious fanaticism. The Serbian and Albanian religious communities have been more willing to talk to each other than other sectors of Kosovo society. As early as March 1999, before the NATO-led intervention, representatives appointed by the leaders of the three main religious communities in Kosovo (Islamic, Orthodox and Roman Catholic) held a joint meeting in Pristina that was convened by the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) to facilitate dialogue. The representatives expressed opposition to the misuse of religion for political reasons on all sides and called on all parties not to use religious symbols to promote violence or intolerance. They also expressed their determination to maintain direct contacts between the religious communities and to build channels of communication. An informal level of dialogue has continued on a regular basis between some members of the three main religious communities. These interfaith meetings still contain some risks for the participants, but they can be useful for facilitating a better climate of tolerance and understanding between the ethnic communities and might appropriately be the focus of greater international community support. RECOMMENDATIONS 1. UNMIK should immediately put a Kosovo Interfaith Council on a permanent footing. 2. The UNMIK Department for Culture should establish a program for protection, reconstruction and rehabilitation of all Kosovo religious monuments, of all faiths, on an equal basis, and with adequate funding. 3. UNMIK should immediately issue a regulation facilitating registration of religious communities as legal entities in order to resolve the communities' problems in recovering and maintaining property, financing reconstruction, and conducting relief efforts. 4. UNMIK should prepare a comparative handbook on religions for children's use, in Albanian and Serbian. 5. Public schooling for all communities in Kosovo should remain completely secular. Pristina/Brussels, 31 January 2001 Download the report as a PDF file in A4 format http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/balkans/kosovo/reports/A400226_31012001.pdf ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981152516/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Thu Feb 1 07:05:40 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2001 07:05:40 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Conference: Communication and Cooperation between Yugoslavia Successor States: Efforts and Constraints of Post-Ethnonationalism, 1-3.2.2001, Brown University Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] Conference: Communication and Cooperation between Yugoslavia Successor States: Efforts and Constraints of Post-Ethnonationalism, 1-3.2.2001, Brown University Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2001 23:12:26 +0100 Size: 3235 URL: From wplarre at bndlg.de Tue Feb 6 14:48:04 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 20:48:04 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: MILOSEVIC MEN GET TOP POLICE POSTS (part of IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 215) Message-ID: <3A8054F3.113B3707@bndlg.de> Betreff: IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 215 Datum: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 14:29:12 -0000 Von: Institute for War & Peace Reporting MILOSEVIC MEN GET TOP POLICE POSTS Controversial police chief appointments call into question the Serbian government's commitment to reform By Zeljko Cvijanovic in Belgrade Serbia's long-awaited clear out of police top brass has failed to sever links with the former regime of Slobodan Milosevic. A series of new secret police, RDB, and civil police appointments in the past two weeks has seen the return of several officials who served under the former president throughout the Balkan wars of the early 1990s and the recent Kosovo crisis. Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic hailed the changes as the first steps in the fight against organised crime. Many would disagree. The new appointments began in late January, Serbia's hated secret police chief Rade Markovic was finally replaced by Goran Petrovic, who was sacked from the RDB by Markovic in 1999. Zoran Mijatovic was then named as Petrovic's deputy. David Gajic, former RDB chief in Kosovo, and Milutin Popivoda, former chief of the Vojvodina RDB, also returned to senior posts. All of them have close links with Jovica Stanisic, the former RDB chief and Milosevic's right-hand man prior to the conflict in Kosovo. Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic praised Petrovic for his "considerable experience and years of service within the RDB [Serbian secret police]" and insisted that he had never been involved in any criminal activities. Stanisic was ousted in a "palace coup" in 1998 by Rade Markovic. A close associate of Milosevic's wife, Mirjana Markovic, and a member of her Yugoslav Left party, Markovic proceeded to purge the service of Stanisic loyalists, including Petrovic, who was dismissed in January 1999. Petrovic, at the time, was in charge of counter-espionage against the United States. For the past two years Petrovic, a law graduate, has worked as a legal consultant to a private company based in Belgrade. He was recommended for the job as RDB chief by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, a distant relation. An IWPR source claimed Kostunica was won over by Petrovic's unblemished RDB reputation, his education and determination to reform the secret police - something he has already begun to do. Within days of being appointed, he began to get rid of Markovic loyalists. Zoran Djindjic's motives for backing Petrovic's appointment may have more to do with the prime minister's close links to Stanisic. The former RDB chief was approached by opposition politicians two years ago and established close links with Djindjic. Stanisic together with several serving and former senior police officials subsequently helped Serbia's future prime minister to mastermind the overthrow of Milosevic last October. Djindjic, it appears, is now paying back his debt to those officials. These links to Stanisic and the former Milosevic regime do not bode well. The mysterious political assassinations, which plagued Serbia under the previous government date back to the Stanisic era. Likewise, the paramilitary forces alleged to have committed war crimes in Bosnia and Kosovo had been formed while he was in office. At the same time as the appointment of new RDB officials, Djindjic named General Sreten Lukic as the replacement for sacked deputy interior ministers Obrad Stevanovic and Vlastimir Djordjevic. Lukic will command the civil police forces. His appointment has provoked widespread criticism in the Serbian media and abroad. Lukic was commander of Serb police forces in Kosovo before and during the NATO air strikes. Units under his command have been widely accused of atrocities in the province. The Belgrade weekly Vreme has pointed out that Lukic's official biography omits his spell as Kosovo police chief. But in May 1999, the magazine claims, Milosevic promoted Lukic and awarded him a medal. And The Washington Post, quoting intelligence sources, linked Lukic to the mass killings in the Kosovo village of Racak. In an intercepted telephone conversation, the then Yugoslav deputy prime minister Nikola Sainovic ordered Lukic to send police back into the village to block access to international investigators, the paper claims. Dusan Mihajlovic dismissed the criticism, saying, "The fact that he commanded forces in Kosovo does not automatically imply he's been involved in any crime". The interior minister said a state commission would be investigating allegations levelled at former police officials - any found wanting would be removed. Sealed Hague indictments may well contain the names of some of these new police appointees rendering Serbia's full cooperation with the international war crimes tribunal next to impossible. Holly Cartner, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch's Europe and Central Asia division, said Lukic's appointment "raises serious doubts about the new Serbian government's commitment to police reform and to accountability for past abuses. "People who should be investigated for their role in war crimes and other serious abuses are instead being rewarded." Zeljko Cvijanovic is a regular IWPR contributor. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981495084/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From mehollim at hotmail.com Tue Feb 6 23:04:48 2001 From: mehollim at hotmail.com (Mimoza Meholli) Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 23:04:48 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Bujanovac Health Center Appeal Message-ID: Can you help? Know anyone who can? thanks mimoza >>From: "Vajat" >>To: >>Subject: Bujanovac Health Center Appeal- update on donations >>Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 12:28:25 +0100 >>X-Priority: 3 >>The Bujanovac Health Centre is the only medical institution >>(multiethnic policlinic with 220 workers and seven village >>infirmaries) in this municipality where for years excellent >>physicians have been trying to provide every possible medical >>assistance to the ill and the wounded in terrorist actions and road >>accidents (60 km of international highway Belgrade-Athens), >>frequently facing shortages of medical consumables, medicines and >>other necessary supplies. >>The municipality is located on the administrative boundary with >>Kosovo (45 km of border) and currently has 60.000 impoverished >>citizens, Albanians, Serbs and Roma, as well as a large number of >>internally displaced persons from Kosovo. Since the entire area >>around the town is frequently exposed to terrorist's attacks, there >>are often medical emergencies. It is also the first stop where Serb >>patients from Kosovo can get medical assistance. >>The Bujanovac Health Center at the moment takes care of 20 refugees >>from Bosnia, 124 refugees from Croatia (Krajina), 24 refugees that >>came from Krajina to Kosovo, and than from Kosovo to Bujanovac, >>4.108 internally displaced persons from Kosovo (608 in 5 collective >>camps and 3.500 in private accommodation). Medical services from >>this Health center also receive citizens of Kosovo (Gnjilane, >>Vitina, Kamenica and Novo Brdo). >> >>Health Center Crisis Task Force addresses this appeal to all >>humanitarian and charity organizations, individuals and >>institutions, to do what they can in order to urgently resolve at >>least one of the above problems. >> >>Coordinator of the Crisis Task Force and medical director of >>Bujanovac Health Center is Dr. Srdjan Tomic >>E-mail: DrTomich at PTT.Yu >>Mob. tel: 063/83-59-550, 017/61-017 Fax:017/641-315 >>BUJANOVAC HEALTH CENTER HUMANITARIAN AID ACCOUNT FOR MONEY DONATIONS >>- 44101-743-357 >> >>WHAT WE URGENTLY NEED: >> >>1. Since we don't have chirurgical department (all emergency we >>transport to Vranje, 30 km from Bujanovac), it is crucial for saving >>victim's lives to have well equipped emergency vehicles, ambulances >>(the existing field vehicles are old or out of order, without proper >>emergency equipment, constantly needing repair, in last ten years we >>didn't have funds for service and repair, or new vehicles). We are >>also facing minefields in the region (ground safety zone) and danger >>of those situations. >> >>2. Medical equipment: >> >>FOR LABORATORY: >>- spectrophotometer >>- water bath >>- microscope >>- distiller >>- colorimeter >>- blood elements counter >>- Centrifuge >>- sterilizer >>- drying apparatus >>- Magnetic stirrer >>- Chamber for counting erythrocytes and leucocytes >>- pipette >>- automatic pipettes (5, 10, 100 and 200 ml) >>- curvets (test tubes for centrifuge) >>- melangers for leucocytes >>- vestergrin - sedimentation pipettes >>- pipettes 0,1 ml >>- Erlenmeyer 1l >>- laboratory cups (beaker) >>- urine bottles >>- brushes for chemical laboratory apparatus >> >>SOME OF THE LABORATORY REAGENTS: >>- reagents for glucose >>- -//- For cholesterol >>- -//- for triglycerides >>- -//- for AST >>- -//- for ALT >>- -//- for direct bill Rubin >>- -//- for all bill Rubin >>- -//- for kreatinin >>- -//- for urea >>- -//- for alkaline phosphatase >>- -//- for urine acid >>- -//- for proteins >>- Gimza >>- Cedar oil >>- Carbofuksin >>- Methilen blue >>- Sulphosalicylic acid >>- Na sulphate (without water) >>- K, Na tartrat >>- picric acid >>- Glacial acetic acid >>- NH4OH (ammonium hydroxide) >>- Contrast X-Ray mean (barium) >>- X-Ray (roentgen) film >> >>GENERAL PRACTISE AND URGENT MEDICINE (EMERGENCY UNIT): >>- stethoscopes - 14 pieces >>- Tensiometers - 4 pieces >>- otoscopes - 4 pieces >>- ECG monitor portable - 1 piece >>- neurological hammer - 4 pieces >>- defibrillators - 2 pieces >>- big bottles with oxygen - 4 pieces >>- little bottles with oxygen and with Ambo balloons for emergency >>vehicles - 6 pieces >>- radio stations or mobile phones for Emergency vehicles >>- Reflectors - 4 pieces >>- tubus for cardiopulmonal reanimation >>- means for immobilization >>- sterilizer >>- drums for sterilized gauze >>- syringe for rinsing ears >>- instruments for small chirurgical interventions - 3 sets >>- stretchers >> >>DERMATOLOGY: >>- bottle for fluid azoth >>- elektrokauter >>- cosmetic magnifying glass >>- microscope >>- Wood lamp >>- laser (for therapy for old neglected wounds) >> >>OPHTHALMOLOGY: >>- ophthalmoscope >>- phocometer >>- sciascope >> >>MEDICINE OF WORK /WORKERS M./: >>- big bottles with oxygen and with Ambo balloons >>- needles for oscilometer - 5 pieces >>- ECG monitor >>- spirometar >> >>GYNAECOLOGY: >>- ultrasound >>- speculums >> >>PAEDIATRIC DEPARTMENT: >>- inhalators - 4 pieces >>- sterilizer >>- drums for sterilized gauze >>- gauges for blood pressure with children's cuffs - 4 pieces >>- ultrasound with probe (sonde) for following the development of baby's >>hips >>- Bottle with oxygen >> >>VACCINATION: >>- field equipment for medical stuff - 5 sets >>- refrigerants for vaccines - 4 pieces >>- container for refuse material >>- field vehicle >> >>X-RAY CABINET: >>- cassette - 18x24 - 2 pieces >>- Cassette - 24x30 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 15x40 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 35x35 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 30x40 - 2 -//- >>- follies - 18x24 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 24x30 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 15x40 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 35x35 - 2 -//- >>- -//- - 30x40 - 2 -//- >>- mechanical developer - 2 sets >> >>INTERNAL MEDICINE: >>- Bottle with oxygen >>- inhalator >>- aspirator >>- defibrillators >>- ECG monitor >> >>STOMATOLOGY: >>- sterilizer for dry sterization - 10 pieces >>- Heliomat - 5 pieces >>- cavitron (for ultrasound clearing teeth of tartar) - 5 pieces >>- turbines (Simens 4000 S) - 5 pieces >>- micro motors for stomatology chairs - 200 >>- dental mirrors - 200 >>- dental probe - 200 >>- dental tweezers - 200 >>- Six (sestica) - 200 >>- pliers for pulling out the teethes (up and down) - 10 sets each >>- lever for pulling out the teethes - 10 sets >>- polis motor >>- sander (peskier) >>- micro motor for tehnic K 10 - 4 pieces >>- ceramic owen >>- ivomat >>- pot for boiling civets - 2 pieces >>- silo mat (apparatus for Ag plumbs) - 3 pieces >> >>BASIC MONTHLY NEEDS FOR REMEDIES IN AMPOULES FOR BUJANOVAC HEALTH CENTRE: >>- Penicillin 800.000 - 6800 ampoules >>- -//- 400.000 - 1000 ampoules >>- -//- G 500.000 - 800 ampoules >>- Gentamicin 120 - 1330 ampoules >>- -//- 80 - 1100 ampoules >>- -//- 40 - 380 ampoules >>- -//- 20 - 300 ampoules >>- Lincohem 300 - 100 ampoules >>- -//- 600 - 200 ampoules >>- Nirypan 20 - 110 ampoules >>- -//- 40 - 200 ampoules >>- Streptomycin 1mg - 100 ampoules >>- Trodon 50 - 200 ampoules >>- -//- 100 - 150 ampoules >>- Diklofen - 450 ampoules >>- Baralgin M - 450 ampoules >>- Aminophylin 10 ml - 150 ampoules >>- Adrenalin - 50 ampoules >>- Bensedin - 500 ampoules >>- Dexason -250 ampoules >>- Dilacor - 50 ampoules >>- Glucose 37% - 150 ampoules >>- Klometol - 150 ampoules >>- Lasix - 250 ampoules >>- Methylergobrevin - 50 ampoules >>- B12 do 100 - 30 ampoules >>- B12 0d 500 - 50 ampoules >>- Phenobarbital - 5 ampoules >>- Verapamil - 30 ampoules >>- Bedoxin 50 - 250 ampoules >>- -//- 250 - 50 ampoules >>- Vitamin C - 250 ampoules >>- Phenergan 40 ampoules >>- Novalgetol - 50 ampoules >>- Longaceph 250 - 50 ampoules >>- -//- 1gr - 40 ampoules >>- Tolicar - 20 ampoules >>- Fedex - 50 ampoules >>- Klindamicin - 10 ampoules >>- Akineton - 5 ampoules >>- Haldol depot - 5 ampoules >>- Moditen depot - 5 ampoules >>- B1 of 100 - 50 ampoules >>- Tocopherol - 20 ampoules >>- Lutestrol - 40 ampoules >>- OHB 12 2500 - 30 ampoules >>- Ekstencillin 1,2mil. - 20 ampoules >>- -//- 600.000 - 20 ampoules >>- Aqua 2 ml - 3000 ampoules >>- -//- 5 ml - 3000 ampoules >>- Beviplex - 15 ampoules >>- Reglan - 10 ampoules >> >>EXPENDABLE (VERY FAST WASTING) SANITETIC MATERIAL >>- Alcohol 96% - 5l >>- -//- 70% - 30l >>- Sanitetic Cotton - 7 kg >>- Gauze sterile 1/4m - 90 pieces. >>- -//- 1/2m - 90 pieces >>- Binder 5x5 - 200 pieces. >>- -//- 8x5 - 200 pieces. >>- -//- 12x5 - 30 pieces >>- -//- 15x5 - 30 pieces >>- Gauze non sterile 90x100 5 pieces >>- Sol. Hydrogen 3% - 20 l >>- Sol. Acidy borici 3% - 20 l >>- Sol. Rivanol 1% - 5 l >>- Leucoplast 5x5 - 30 pieces. >>- Spray Byvacin - 10 pieces >>- Wooden spatulas - 1500 pieces >>- Sol Povidon-iodine - 5 l >>- Medical gasoline - 3 l >>- Film 18x24 - 2 boxes >>- -//- 24x30 - 2 -//- >>- -//- 30x40 - 2 -//- >>- -//- 15x40 - 2-//- >>- -//- 35x35 - 2-//- >>- Mechanic fixer - 2 sets >>- Mechanic developer - 2 sets >>- Gloves - 1100 pieces >>- Paper cotton - 3 kg >>- syringe 2 ml with needle - 3000 pieces >>- -//- 5 ml -//- - 6000 pieces >>- -//- 10 ml -//- - 3000 pieces >>- -//- 20 ml -//- - 1000 -//- >>- Needles 08x40 - 6000 pieces >>- -//- 045x16 - 1000 -//- >>- Lidocain 2%-adrenalin - 500 pieces >>- Suture set for wounds with needle - 110 pieces >>- Tetabulin - 500 pieces >> >>With all our respect and gratitude, >>Health Centre Bujanovac's staff and patients _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 6 23:37:06 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 20:37:06 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] LA Times on Athens Olimpics Message-ID: <20010207043706.71094.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> Los Angeles Times February 6, 2001, Tuesday, Home Edition SECTION: Sports; Part D; Page 1; Sports Desk SECURITY AT ATHENS 2004: GREEK MYTHOLOGY?; DANGER IS THERE--COUNTRY HAS A HISTORY OF PUTTING BLINDERS ON TO TERRORIST THREAT WAYNE MERRY, SPECIAL TO THE TIMES The Olympic Games have suffered badly from doping and money scandals. Most fans probably hope the worst is past. It isn't. The clock is ticking toward potential bloody disaster at the Athens Games in 2004, the worst since the massacre of Israeli athletes at the Munich Games in 1972. The International Olympic Committee is aware of the danger but wants to keep it out of the public eye, as it tried to do with drugs and corruption. There is a difference. Doping and kickbacks belittle the Games and erode public confidence in the IOC, but do not take human life. Terrorists do. Isn't terrorism a danger to every Olympics and doesn't every host country take the challenge very seriously and deal with it? Yes, until now. Most Americans are unaware that Greece has a serious domestic terrorism problem and, worse, a critical counter-terrorism problem. We should be aware, because our country is the main target of the terrorists. So far--repeat, so far--four U.S. officials are dead, more than 30 wounded in attacks intended to kill, and many more have been targeted. The U.S. taxpayer spends more money on embassy security in Athens than anywhere else on earth, more than in Beirut or Bogota. The main Greek terrorist group called 17 November is now in its 26th year of operation, employs a wide range of weapons and explosives and has recruited a younger generation of killers to ensure its future. It is considered one of the most successful violent political groups in the world. The terrorists profess an extreme leftist program similar to that of the Shining Path in Peru, but at heart are virulent nationalists. 17 November hates foreign influences of all kinds and has targeted Americans, Europeans and many Greeks in scores of attacks. What about Greek law enforcement? Sadly, "What about it?" is the right question. In a quarter-century, no terrorist has been arrested or even identified as a suspect. In their manifestoes, the terrorists have ordered the police to look the other way, and been obeyed. Witnesses known only to the police get threatening phone calls from the terrorists. Last year, both the State Department and a special congressional commission bluntly gave Greece a failing grade in fighting terrorism. And the Greek media? Much of the Athens press sympathizes with the terrorists. Hard to believe? After the brutal murder last June of Stephen Saunders, British defense attache, Scotland Yard sent a team of top investigators to Athens. They made progress, developing relevant wiretaps and other technical evidence. Greek police sources then leaked details of the British efforts to two local newspapers, which printed everything for the benefit of the killers. I worked on this issue for three years at the U.S. Embassy in Athens and am convinced the ultimate problem is political. It is no secret that the ruling PASOK party had active terrorist links in the past. Whether direct ties still exist, the government treats 17 November with benign neglect amounting to appeasement. Is terrorism a serious threat to the 2004 Olympic Games? Absolutely, both at home and abroad. Even if 17 November chooses not to attack the Games directly--bad for the Robin Hood image--it definitely views foreign sponsors of the Olympics as legitimate and attractive targets. Seven of the 10 largest IOC sponsors are American corporations, the "Great Satan" of the Greek extreme left. Even more ominous is the threat from international terrorist groups hungry for the global publicity offered by the Olympics. They can easily smuggle arms and killers through the notoriously permeable Greek borders. They also know Greek police do nothing against 17 November. When Greek leaders treat home-grown terrorist attacks as routine--and there were more than 100 politically motivated bombings last year--they practically invite the world's terrorists to exploit the 2004 Games. What needs to be done? First, the IOC should give the Greek government until the end of 2001 to wipe out 17 November--not more promises of arrests, but arrests. Second, the IOC must insist that other European Union governments with serious, modern police forces be directly involved in preparing for and protecting the 2004 Games. If, on Dec. 31, these conditions have not been satisfied, the Games should be moved. Seoul and Los Angeles have been mentioned as viable alternatives. Greeks understandably want the Summer Olympics held in Athens after an absence of more than a century. Fine, but the Games belong to the world, not just to Greece. If politicians in Athens cannot--or will not--fulfill their minimal obligations to fight terrorism and to protect the world's athletes and fans, they forfeit any legitimate claim to host the Olympics. The IOC will elect new top leadership this summer. It must act promptly and decisively to protect the 2004 Games. * Wayne Merry, a former State Department and Pentagon official, is senior associate at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices. http://auctions.yahoo.com/ From kulufi at hotmail.com Wed Feb 7 15:11:40 2001 From: kulufi at hotmail.com (Oltion Gjura) Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 15:11:40 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] <<< Reminder for Saint Valentine's Party - Feb. 10, 6pm-Midnight. >>>> Message-ID: Reminder for Saint Valentine's Party - Feb. 10, 6pm-Midnight. @ 1908 Shirley Ave. Revere, MA 02151 For more info read below. > >> >>> >>>> >>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>> Hello All, Sic e keni marre vesh ne do organizojme nje party per Valentine's Day. U Vendos qe do behet me date 10 Shkurt. I bie dite e Shtune ne oren 6pm. Vendi eshte ne Revere keshtu qe shumica e North Shore do ta kene afer. Besoj se do te rrime deri nga ora 12 midnight. Parking ka plot. Sherbimi urban eshte afer fare tek stacioni i Revere me Blue Line. VIP Pass nuk pranohet ;) LOL. Hyrja do te jete $15 per te gjithe dhe duhet te jeni 17+ vjec. Shpresojme qe shumica e rinise te vijne te shoqeruar me partnere qe ta mbajme njecike lart shpirtin e Shen Valentinit. Do te kemi edhe nje kohe qe te behen kerkesa per kenge te ndryshme. Musika do te jete: Techno, House, D&B, Hip Hop, R&B, Reggea, dhe contemporary POP music, dhe gjithashtu edhe Shqipetare. Eshte shume afer dhe e lehte per te ardhur. Nuk ka nevoje qe te vini te shoqeruar. Se shume po pyesin nese duhet te kesh partner apo jo. 1908 Shirley Ave. Revere, MA 02151 --- Eshte shume afer me rrugen e plazhit ne Revere. Public Transportation: Merrni Blue Line deri ne Revere Beach station. Sapo dilni nga stacioni merrni djathtas vendi do te jete djathtas. Shpresoj t'ju shohim te gjitheve atje. Do dergoj edhe email tjeter me vone per reminder. Olti >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >> > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From albboschurch at juno.com Wed Feb 7 15:33:27 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (Albanian Orthodox Church) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 15:33:27 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Job Offering Message-ID: <20010207.160748.3462.4.albboschurch@juno.com> Whole Systems International WSI an innovative provider of multi-media, medical education training materials for the pharmaceutical industry, seeks an organized and detail oriented person for ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT position. This position will interface with all departments in the areas of data entry, clerical work, and other general office responsibilities that support the daily business activities of the company. Applicant must be proficient in Word. Familiarity in Excel a plus. $10/hour for 20 hour hrs/week. WSI offers a flexible work schedule, competitive rate and pleasant work environment. If interested please contact: Human Resources Whole Systems Internatonal Two Newton Place 255 Washington Street Newton, MA 02458 email: hradmin at wholesys.com Fax: (617) 928-1585 no phone calls please --------- End forwarded message ---------- --------- End forwarded message ---------- From wplarre at bndlg.de Wed Feb 7 13:22:54 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Wed, 07 Feb 2001 19:22:54 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Arrest of Milosevic Predicted (AP, Feb. 7, 2001) Message-ID: <3A81927E.297BBE3F@bndlg.de> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010207/aponline090259_000.htm Arrest of Milosevic Predicted By Dusan Stojanovic Associated Press Writer Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2001; 9:02 a.m. EST BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Increasingly it seems less a case of whether Slobodan Milosevic will stand trial and more of when, where and for what. Less than four months after a brief popular revolt forced him to acknowledge electoral defeat and step down from office, Yugoslavia's new pro-democracy government appears close to taking action against the former president. Over the past week, he has been put under 24-hour police surveillance. His arraignment - and arrest - is expected by the end of this month. And faced with the possible loss of more than $100 million in financial aid from the United States, impoverished Yugoslavia is looking hard at extraditing Milosevic to stand trial at the U.N. war crimes tribunal at The Hague, Netherlands. The United States told Belgrade it must start cooperating with The Hague court by the end of March, or risk losing the vital financial aid. But most new Yugoslav leaders remain opposed to the idea of extradition, with some arguing that the law does not foresee delivering a citizen to a foreign court. In reality, the fear is that extradition would make a martyr out of Milosevic in the eyes of many Serbs who consider the court an anti-Serb instrument of the West, and who still fault the West for the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia that forced Milosevic to give up Kosovo. Still, with the former leader accused of a wide range of wrongdoing beyond his alleged involvement in Kosovo atrocities, the dilemma is not whether he should stand trial. The question is should he be tried at home or in The Hague, and should the charges be corruption, complicity in political assassinations and abductions during his 13-year tenure, or alleged atrocities in Kosovo. One solution being pushed in Belgrade is a trial within the country, but on all charges, including those raised by the U.N. tribunal and with tribunal input "Milosevic's place is in jail," says Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic. "It would be just for him to stand trial here because he committed all those crimes here." "Our prosecutor should accept The Hague's indictment, add the local charges, and trigger the proceedings in front of our courts," Zivkovic told The Associated Press. "The war crimes definitely existed ... and there is no dilemma who is responsible: Milosevic as the former supreme commander." During her visit to Belgrade last month, chief U.N. prosecutor Carla Del Ponte insisted The Hague tribunal has priority over local Yugoslav courts and that Milosevic must be extradited. New Yugoslav leaders insisted the country's constitution bans extradition of citizens. But Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic of Serbia, the dominant Yugoslav republic, suggests that Washington, previously a vehement supporter of Milosevic's extradition, is now amenable to compromise. On return from Washington on the weekend, Djindjic suggested that Secretary of State Colin Powell was sympathetic to arguments that Milosevic be tried in Serbia. "We want all those who committed crimes to be held responsible, we want them to answer before our institutions ... to give chance to our courts because they are competent," Djindjic said. "My impression is that we have secured an understanding in the State Department." Still, The Hague option remains. The Serb parliament next week is expected to appoint new prosecutors and judges, replacing those picked by Milosevic. A new law allowing cooperation with The Hague tribunal will be put in place. "The law will eliminate the obstacles for Yugoslavia's cooperation with The Hague tribunal," said Momcilo Grubac, the new justice minister. He, however, did not specify whether the law will allow extradition. In any case, Djindjic said during his visit to Washington last week that an investigation against Milosevic would start "within a few days" and the former leader will be put on trial "in two weeks." Zivkovic said that Milosevic, who lives in a government villa in Belgrade under military and police guard, was placed under 24-hour surveillance - not house arrest - "to prevent him from fleeing the country, even though I doubt any other country would accept him." "We also want to prevent possible adventurers from snatching Milosevic in order to pick up a $5 million reward," offered by the United States to those who help hand over Milosevic and other suspects to the war crimes tribunal, he said. Milosevic, meanwhile, appears oblivious, continuing a daily routine that includes visits to his Socialist Party headquarters in Belgrade and chairing party meetings. His shrunken camp of supporters remain defiant. "We will never recognize The Hague tribunal, the new Gestapo," says Milosevic lieutenant Branislav Ivkovic. "There can be no trial against the man who defended the country and its every citizen." But the new leadership sees it differently. "Milosevic must answer for the evils he had done," says Yugoslav Information Secretary Slobodan Orlic. "He has to be arrested and tried ... and that process has to start very soon." ? Copyright 2001 The Associated Press ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981582257/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 5 16:05:49 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 16:05:49 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Solana: U.S. Can Deploy Shield Message-ID: Solana: U.S. Can Deploy Shield By BARRY SCHWEID .c The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, said Monday the United States cannot be deterred from deploying a national missile defense despite misgivings among the allies and Russia. ``The United States has the right to deploy,'' Solana told reporters before meetings with Secretary of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice, the national security assistant to President Bush. But on an equally touchy issue, Europe's determination to create its own military corps to respond to crises, Solana was unyielding. He said the principle was established a decade ago when Bush's father was president and reaffirmed several times at summits in the Clinton years. ``We don't have to create a fuss about something that is not new,'' he said over breakfast in a hotel near the White House. Later, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said ``we just haven't reached full agreement within NATO and between NATO and the European Union on how some of these mechanisms should work.'' Boucher said Powell wanted to know whether the force would be a complement to NATO and whether the Europeans would pay for it. He said Powell wanted to make sure ``that we not try to duplicate the capabilities of NATO.'' The two troublesome issues were aired at a two-day conference in Munich, Germany, last weekend amid signs the United States and its allies were being driven apart. ``These are very manageable problems,'' Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., said after the Conference on Security Policy. ``We ought to relax and talk it through.'' Other observers were not so sanguine even though Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld offered to help the Europeans with a missile defense while the Bush administration proceeds with trying to erect a shield against what it says are potential threats from North Korea, Iran and Iraq. Russian President Vladimir Putin's national security assistant, Sergei B. Ivanov, said a vast missile defense program would undermine international stability and touch off an arms race, including one in outer space. Europeans also have been critical. Solana, taking a softer tone, said Monday the Europeans want to get involved in a dialogue with the Bush administration about the program. And, in a conciliatory gesture, the Spanish diplomat said the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which prohibited a national missile defense, was between the United States and the Soviet Union, not Europe, and was revised in 1974. ``It's not a Bible,'' he said. Indeed, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Bush ``intends to pursue that matter in consultation with our allies. He believes it's a very effective way to protect America and our allies.'' Powell indicated at his Senate confirmation hearing last month that the administration would approach Russia about changing the treaty to fit U.S. plans and would consider reducing the U.S. arsenal of offensive nuclear weapons. While acknowledging the United States has the authority to go ahead with an anti-missile defense, Solana said the program ``has consequences that go far beyond it.'' Urging more trans-Atlantic consultation, Solana, a former NATO secretary-general, said, ``We have to start talking and I hope whatever is done is beneficial to the alliance and to the stability of the world.'' Meanwhile, defending the European plan to establish a rapid reaction military force headed by a European commander, Solana said it would not threaten the unity of the NATO military alliance, ``I don't perceive any especially negative attitude'' from the Bush administration, he said, The force would help avert the sort of ``catastrophe'' that occurred in Bosnia, Solana said, and spare the United States getting involved in every crisis. Besides, he said, ``It is part of the strategic concept of NATO.'' Even so, at Munich, serious questions were raised about the U.S. and European plans. ``The question is, is the Atlantic relationship considered a safety net which puts a floor on the risks under which everyone is free to pursue his own national interests even at the expense of other allies?'' former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger asked. ``Or is it an organization that is jointly attempting to pursue common objectives?'' Boucher, on Monday, said reports that the United States and Europe were drawing apart were old hat. ``We seem to be in another period where people are writing that. And as with the last 50 years, we'll probably get through it with the strong and positive relationship that we continue to have with Europe,'' he said. From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 8 11:55:05 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 16:55:05 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Solana in Belgrade Message-ID: Protests greet Solana in Belgrade Demonstrators carry a blazing effigy of Javier Solana February 8, 2001 Web posted at: 1325 GMT BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- Protesters have jeered EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana as he arrived in Belgrade for his first visit since NATO bombed Yugoslavia. Up to 200 Serb demonstrators gathered outside the Federal Palace where Solana, the former head of NATO who oversaw the 1999 bombing campaign, and other European figures are holding talks with Belgrade's new administration. Talks are expected to centre on fighting in the Presevo Valley near Kosovo and the future of the Yugoslav federation. Nationalists shouted "child-killer" and called for Solana's arrest for NATO's air campaign in which U.S.-based Human Rights Watch group estimates 500 civilians died. Around 1,000 people had gathered outside government buildings and later the U.S. embassy on Wednesday night, also accusing Solana of being a "killer" and burning his effigy. Zivorad Igic, a leader of the Socialist party led by former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, said Solana should not be allowed to forget his role in the air war, when he was secretary-general of NATO. The Western alliance launched the bombing campaign to end alleged Serb repression of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. Milosevic's regime sentenced Solana, and 13 other Western leaders, in absentia last September to 20 years in prison each for the air strikes. But Serbia's new rulers have described the trial as a farce and have given no indication they plan to act upon the verdict. Solana is part of a high-level EU group, which includes Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh and European external affairs commissioner Chris Patten. They are visiting Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. Milosevic on agenda Other topics on the agenda are expected to include the fate of Milosevic -- indicted by a United Nations war crimes tribunal. Belgrade is under pressure to extradite Milosevic, and some of his senior officials, for trial in The Hague. The U.S. has given leaders a deadline of March 31 to co-operate with the tribunal or risk losing vital financial aid. But the new regime -- swept to power on a tide of popular support last October -- is concerned that handing over Milosevic would not go down well at home. Feelings against the West have remained high since the NATO bombing that forced Milosevic to pull his troops out of Kosovo. Reuters contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From albania at netzero.net Thu Feb 8 06:27:38 2001 From: albania at netzero.net (Nikoll A Mirakaj) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 06:27:38 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} Pope Calls on Albanians to Stay Home, Change Society Message-ID: <003501c091c2$f80f2940$b254f6d1@albania> Pope Calls on Albanians to Stay Home, Change Society TIRANA, Feb 6, 2001 -- (RFE/RL) Pope John Paul II told visiting Roman Catholic clerics from Albania in that "many Albanians...have preserved their faith, despite the harsh oppression" under Ottoman and Communist rule, AP reported on 3 February. The Pope called on the Albanian clergy "to prepare young people to build a better future in their own country, triumphing over the temptation of emigration and the illusion of easy success to be had abroad." He appealed to the priests to fight "against the grave evils that unfortunately affect your country, among them abortion, prostitution, drugs, the spirit of the vendetta, the exploitation of women, and violence." Copyright (c) 2001 RFE/RL -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 8 13:02:05 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 19:02:05 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: BBC/AFP: Kosovo rebels accept peace talks / Albanian Guerrillas Opt for Talks With Serbia (Feb 7/8, 2001 Message-ID: <3A82DF1D.9B98ADAF@bndlg.de> http://news6.thdo.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1159000/1159097.stm Wednesday, 7 February, 2001, 22:17 GMT Kosovo rebels accept peace talks Rebel clashes with Serb forces have intensified Ethnic Albanian militants in southern Serbia say they have accepted Belgrade's offer of peace talks to end increasing violence near the border with the Serbian province of Kosovo. But the rebels, who want UN-administered Kosovo to secede from Serbia, said the talks could only take place if an international mediator were involved. The ethnic Albanians have appointed a nine-member negotiating team but no date has been set for talks with the Serbian Government. Belgrade's peace plan was announced on Tuesday. It is aimed at ending fighting in the Presevo Valley in southern Serbia - a buffer zone between Kosovo and the rest of Serbia. The latest peace moves came as the Russian Defence Minister, Igor Sergeyev, was visiting Belgrade. He gave his backing to the peace efforts during talks with his Yugoslav counterpart Slobodan Krapovic and Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica. The ethnic Albanians are demanding that Albanian-inhabited areas of southern Serbia become part of Kosovo. Sovereignty dispute The rebel movement grew out of ethnic Albanian opposition to Serbian control in the buffer zone, which was created as part of the deal that ended Nato's 78-day bombing campaign in 1999. There are estimated to be up to 1,600 fighters in the rebel force, known as the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (UCPMB). According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, the government peace plan envisages a three-stage, internationally-monitored, process during which the rights of the ethnic Albanians will be improved to match international standards - but only once they give up their drive for independence. Marshal Sergeyev reiterated Russian support for keeping Kosovo as part of the Yugoslav Federation, saying it was important for the sake of long-term security in the Balkans. Shifting ties A BBC correspondent in Belgrade, Paul Anderson, says Marshal Sergeyev has been trying to cement the traditionally close ties between Russia and Yugoslavia. Relations between the two have drifted somewhat since Slobodan Milosevic was ousted from power in Belgrade. The two sides signed a military agreement revitalising co-operation between their armies, and they discussed the future of European security. Russia believes Nato's tendency to act unilaterally without the approval of the United Nations Security Council, as demonstrated during the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, is highly damaging to Europe's collective security interests. But Belgrade is not about to cosy up to Moscow, however much the Russians might wish it, our correspondent says. He says Yugoslavia now leans towards Western European political organisations and is not about to spoil its chances of integration by denouncing Europe's principal defence body. _______________________________________________________________________ http://centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=285202 Albanian Guerrillas Opt for Talks With Serbia MUHOVAC, Feb 8, 2001 -- (Agence France Presse) Ethnic Albanian rebel and political groups have agreed to start talks with Belgrade on ending more than a year of violence in southern Serbia but Wednesday appeared to have differing views on how to achieve it. Rebel leader Muhamet Xhemali said his guerrillas were ready to halt the fighting, but only after Serbian forces had quit the area and an "intervention force", preferably American, was deployed. Xhemali insisted that the peace talks -- agreed to by the Serbian government on Tuesday but for which no date has been fixed -- should focus on a "reunification" of a disputed five-kilometer (three-mile) security corridor in southern Serbia with the UN-run province of Kosovo. The rebels want Kosovo to eventually secede from Serbia. Xhemali, leader of a rebel group representing three Albanian-majority towns in the security zone, said he wanted the area to be run "under American control. That would be best." One of his field commanders known as Haxhiu said: "Even if we were in war for 10 years, one day we would have to negotiate. Why not do it now... with the mediation of the international community." "But we will not set down arms until the problem is solved," warned Haxhiu, commander of the Konculj area near Bujanovac, one of three key Albanian towns which gives its name to the Liberation army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (UCPMB). A member of its political wing, Tahir Dalipi, nevertheless expressed hope that a temporary, transitional solution, which would end the violence, could be found. "Respect of human rights are primary for the sovereignty of the state," he said. Dalipi said an intervention force like that of the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR inside Kosovo would help to ensure that. But a transitional accord would not be a good idea, insists Haxhiu. "If there is a transitional solution, the problems might appear again, there is a need for a definitive conclusion, but it also depends of the status of Kosovo," Haxhiu said. The rebel movement grew out of ethnic Albanian opposition to Serbian control in the security corridor, or buffer-zone, in southern Serbia imposed by NATO as part of the deal which ended the 1999 Kosovo war. Hadxiu insisted that the "basis for negotiations is the 1992 referendum." The referendum, conducted among Kosovo's Albanian majority, was never recognized either by Belgrade or the international community. It advocated attachment to Kosovo in the event of a change or borders in the former Yugoslavia. Based inside the buffer zone, which is off-limits to the Serbian military, except for lightly-armed police, the UCPMB has an estimated 1,000-1,600 fighters. The ethnic Albanian political and guerrilla leaders joined ranks after an accord reached on Monday in the town of Veliki Trnovac, aiming to define a joint strategy. Represented will be the UCPMB, its political wing the KPPMB, the United Democratic party of Albanians of Zeqirja Fazliu and the Party of Democratic action of the Presevo mayor Riza Halimi. The main political platform has been almost finished, with only minor details remaining to be defined, the UCPMB sources said. Belgrade on Tuesday agreed to peace talks after its forces were embroiled in some of the worst fighting with guerrillas in more than a year of conflict. "We should talk with those who can positively and negatively influence the situation in southern Serbia," said Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. "If the Albanian community considers terrorists their adequate representatives, then the talks are possible," he added. ((c) 2001 Agence France Presse) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981656129/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 8 13:02:58 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 19:02:58 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} PRESS: Kosovo's Albanians grow impatient (Financial Times, February 7 2001) Message-ID: <3A82DF52.41A609AC@bndlg.de> http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3QWAGEXIC&live=true&tagid=ZZZAFZAVA0C&subheading=europe Kosovo's Albanians grow impatient By Irena Guzelova in Belgrade Published: February 7 2001 21:44GMT | Last Updated: February 7 2001 21:58GMT Ruzhdi Feka hunched his shoulders against the biting wind and looked across the river that runs through the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica in Kosovo. "It's the same as last year, nothing's changed," he said, gesturing towards the barricaded bridge that crosses to the predominantly Serbian north of the town. A few hours later, several hundred young ethnic Albanians vented their frustrations on French peacekeepers, hurling Molotov cocktails, stones and pieces of wood at a cordon of soldiers preventing access to the bridge. The riots were the latest to hit Mitrovica, which has been one of the worst troublespots in the region. The town separates the mainly Serbian northern tip of Kosovo from the bulk of the province, which is predominantly Albanian. But the latest clashes marked a new level in the violence directed against Nato-led peacekeepers. Twenty soldiers were injured, underscoring the increasing impatience among many Albanians with what they perceive as the international community's slowness to grant them control over their own future. Eighteen months after Nato kicked Serbian troops out of Kosovo, new and potentially more explosive issues have risen to the fore to test the international community's resolve. "We are entering a much less certain situation. The coming year has potentially many more booby traps and difficulties than last year," said Bob Churcher, director of the International Crisis Group in the province's capital, Pristina. While Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic was in power, Kosovo's majority Albanian population and its international administrators were united in their distrust of Serbia. But democratic changes in Belgrade have ended Serbia's pariah status and opened the door to dialogue between the province's United Nations administrators and Serbian politicians. "Last year was a bit like the cold war. All the time Milosevic was in Belgrade and we were here things were a bit more stable," said Mr Churcher. Albanians are concerned that in its rush to prop up the new government in Belgrade, Kosovo will be sidelined. Many bilateral donors already plan to re-allocate funds to Serbia in 2002. The Albanians are eager to move quickly towards self-rule, and hold province-wide elections for a legislative assembly. Bajram Krasniqi, an ethnic Albanian lawyer, expressed a view held by many Albanians: "Elections are imperative. We need to take responsibility for our own future." He argued that, without power, Kosovo's moderate politicians, who won a landslide in October's municipal elections, could be sidelined by the criminal gangs running the province's smuggling rackets. The ethnic Albanian youths gathered around Mitrovica's bridge were more blunt: "This is our country, and the sooner the UN realises that, the better," said one. The issue of when to hold elections is rapidly becoming one of the most pressing on the agenda of the province's newly appointed administrator, Hans Haekkerup. His predecessor, Bernard Kouchner, warned that violence could surge unless elections are held this year. He urged leading powers to be "more precise with the future of Kosovo, otherwise you will get other attacks and murders and other reactions". Mr Kouchner maintained that voter registration, which the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe says will take six months to organise, should begin as soon as possible. But Mr Haekkerup takes a more cautious line. He wants to establish the assembly's powers before announcing an election date. "I want elections as soon as possible, but people have to know what they are voting for," he said in an interview. This could take months to decide and can only be finalised after discussions with Albanian and Serbian leaders, as well leading members of the UN. Mr Haekkerup must also draw up a document that avoids challenging Kosovo's final status, a topic that everyone but the Albanians wants to avoid. The UN resolution that ended the Kosovo conflict envisages "substantial autonomy" for the province, but leaves it a part of Yugoslavia. Striking a balance between Albanian and Serbian demands will present an added challenge. The two communities are deeply suspicious of each other and inter-ethnic violence remains high. Serbs south of Mitrovica live in enclaves under heavy guard from Albanian attack. They demand information about Serbs murdered since Nato troops took over the province. The ethnic Albanians call for the immediate release of their 670 countrymen arrested in Kosovo in the run-up to the 1999 war, who languish in Serbian prisons. They are not convinced that Belgrade has changed its policy towards their ethnic kin. That distrust has also made many reluctant to condemn the aspirations of separatist ethnic Albanian guerrillas who have intensified attacks on Serbian military in southern Serbia, along the border with Kosovo. ? Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2001 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981656130/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 8 13:17:48 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2001 19:17:48 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: CORRUPTION PLAGUES ALBANIAN JUDICIARY (part of IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 216, February 8, 2001) Message-ID: <3A82E2CC.258CFED3@bndlg.de> Betreff: IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 216 Datum: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 15:19:21 -0000 Von: Institute for War & Peace Reporting WELCOME TO IWPR'S BALKAN CRISIS REPORT, NO. 216, February 8, 2001 CORRUPTION PLAGUES ALBANIAN JUDICIARY The Albanians judicial system is struggling to root out corruption and incompetence By Llazar Semini in Tirana Ali Dima, a long-term political prisoner under Albania's old communist regime, stands outside the main entrance of the Tirana court building, just as he has done every day for the past three years. "What else can I do?" raged 67-year-old Ali. "This is the only hope I've got of regaining all the properties taken from me by the communists." Ali spent most of his life during communist rule either in prison or in internal exile in a remote village. The new authorities agreed to return his properties, but the judicial process is painfully slow and bureaucratic. "You know, sometimes I think it was better under communism," Ali reflected. "Then I had nothing. Now in theory I have much, but trying to get my hands on it makes life harder." At that point, a judge passed by, took Ali by the arm and steered him away for a coffee. Nothing unusual about that, it seems. Cafes are where much court business is transacted, often with money passing beneath the table from plaintiff to judge. "What do you expect when judges in this country are paid so little, "said an old lawyer. Inside the court building, people cluster at the doors of judges' offices, talking in loud, strident voices, creating a din which never would be permitted in a stately Western court. Officials blame this on a lack of courtrooms which obliges judges to hold trials in their offices, sometimes two at a time. The European Union has long promised to finance construction of a new district court building in Tirana where 46 judges now operate. Officials said that seven new trial courts would be added to the building this year with or without the EU money. "With such a ramshackle infrastructure it's not surprising that proceedings lack the necessary solemnity," said lawyer Dashamir Kore."But it must be said that things are much better now than in the days immediately after communism. Then the courts were in almost total chaos." In the years following the fall of communism, the whole judicial system - judges, prosecutors and lawyers - was held in low esteem by a public who were very much aware that bribes, not legal expertise, brought victory in court. Over the last decade or so, the KLD has dismissed scores of corrupt members of the judiciary and replaced them with a new generation of highly trained professionals. In 1997, a new magistrates school was opened, capable of training two dozen judges and prosecutors a year. Albania is one of the few former communist countries where such reform has happened. But according to the report of the powerful High Council of Justice, KLD, which nominates judges and prosecutors, "Courts, so strongly derided as inept and corrupt, still have many problems." Problems remain, largely because corruption is so endemic in society, argues Prosecutor General Arben Rakipi. "That explains why our prosecutors are frequently vulnerable to bribery and threats from criminals." Crime in post-communist Albania has risen alarmingly, reaching a peak in 1997 when the collapse of the notorious pyramid investment schemes took Europe's poorest country to the brink of total anarchy. Four years on, the situation is much improved. Many criminal rings have been crushed by the Albanian police working closely with the judiciary. Recently, two Albanians linked with an international drug-trafficking ring were arrested. In future, conditions for those working within the judiciary are expected to get better. Salaries will rise, infrastructure will improve and international assistance for the training of judges and prosecutors will increase. Everyone acknowledges that raising professional standards in the legal system will help it combat corruption. "It will take time and we are not pleased about that," said Kore. Many people cannot wait much longer, " If this goes on for many more years, I'll never be able to enjoy my properties, " said Ali. Llazar Semini is IWPR coordinator for Albania. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981660409/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Thu Feb 8 14:34:09 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 14:34:09 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [balkans] Query: Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia, Turks in Bulgaria Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] Query: Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia, Turks in Bulgaria Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 09:58:21 +0100 Size: 1930 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Feb 8 15:06:38 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 12:06:38 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Conference: The Future of the Ex-Yugoslav Area conference at Yale Message-ID: <20010208200638.28628.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> > Yale Center for International and Area Studies > The Council on European Studies > Conference on > > The Future of the Ex-Yugoslav Area > > Friday, 16 February 2001 > 211 Hall of Graduate Studies (320 York Street) > 2:00-4:30pm: The Weight of the Past > > The Yale Bookstore > 5:00-6:00pm: Book Promotion for the Slovenian author > Drago Jancar > > Saturday, 17 February 2001 > 211 Hall of Graduate Studies (320 York Street) > 9:30-11:30pm: Civil Society and Human Rights > 2:00-4:00pm: The International Community and > Ex-Yugoslavia > 4:30-6:30pm: Regional Integrations? > > Participants: > Teuta Arifi (University of Skopje, Macedonia) > Ivo Banac (Yale University) > Nenad Canak (League of Social Democrats of > Vojvodina, Novi Sad) > Ivan Zvonimir Cicak (columnist, Nacional, Zagreb, > Croatia) > Jovan Donev (Euro-Balkan Institute, Skopje, > Macedonia) > Zdravko Grebo (University of Sarajevo, Bosnia) > Viktor Ivancic (editor, Feral Tribune, Split, > Croatia) > Drago Jancar (author, Ljubljana, Slovenia) > Nata?a Kandic (Humanitarian Law Center, Belgrade, > Serbia) > Ivan Lovrenovic (columnist, Dani, Sarajevo, Bosnia) > Rusmir Mahmutcehajic(International Forum Bosnia, > Sarajevo, Bosnia) > Miodrag Perovic (founder, Monitor, Podgorica, > Montenegro) > Slavko Perovic(Liberal League of Montenegro, > Podgorica) > Sr?a Popovic (attorney, Greenwich, Connecticut) > Ranko Risojevic (National and University Library, > Banja Luka, Bosnia) > Veton Surroi (editor, Koha ditore, Prishtina, > Kosovo) > > Please call 203-432-3423/3213 for further information __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 8 18:32:10 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 18:32:10 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] OSCE Unhappy With Albanian Election Preparations Message-ID: <7d.10b187d0.27b4867a@aol.com> OSCE Unhappy With Albanian Election Preparations By Benet Koleka TIRANA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Thursday it was disappointed with preparations for Albania's general election due later this year. Gerard Stoudman, director of the OSCE election watchdog, the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), urged Albanian parties to stop playing "political games." "My conclusions are that the level of election preparations so far is disappointing," he told a news conference. "I would like to note that, since the last elections, most shortcomings highlighted have not been addressed nor have ODIHR recommendations been implemented yet." Albanian politics has been bitterly polarised since the country plunged into anarchy in 1997 after the collapse of fraudulent investment schemes wiped out the life savings of hundreds of thousands of the impoverished Balkan state's people. A Socialist-led coalition has governed the country since a snap general election in 1997. The opposition Democratic Party of former President Sali Berisha has boycotted parliament for most of the time since. Stoudman said the authorities should immediately start to update the voter register in a more transparent manner before the next election expected in May or June. Procedures for complaints to the Central Election Commission need to be clarified and the courts need a better understanding of their role than they had shown during last October's municipal elections, he added. International observers, including the ODIHR, concluded that the municipal elections were generally fair but there had been some irregularities. The ruling Socialists won a landslide victory across the country but the Democrats, alleging widespread fraud, refused to accept the results. Stoudman said failure to conduct proper elections would deter much-needed foreign investment. "The October elections were good. The parliamentary elections have to be better not only for the sake of democracy but for the signal that Albania is sending to the rest of Europe," he added. From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 8 18:34:00 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 18:34:00 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] EU Urges S.Serbia's Albanians to Put Down Weapons Message-ID: <40.73354b1.27b486e8@aol.com> EU Urges S.Serbia's Albanians to Put Down Weapons TIRANA, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The European Union's security chief Javier Solana on Thursday urged ethnic Albanians in Serbia's Presevo Valley to lay down their weapons, telling them "the time of violence is over." Solana, visiting Tirana for a few hours as part of a Balkan tour whose first stop was in Belgrade, was speaking a day after ethnic Albanian guerrillas rejected a plan for the demilitarisation of the Serbia's zone bordering on Kosovo. The guerrilla group, the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac, named after the three main towns in the area, said it would settle for nothing less than the Presevo Valley becoming part of ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo. "We hope that we will find a political solution. No other solution is possible. The time for violence is over," Solana told reporters in Tirana when asked if he had discussed the Presevo Valley situation with Yugoslavia's leaders. "Nothing can be resolved through weapons, that is part of the past. We have started a new page of our collective history in Europe and the time for violence is over. "Therefore, it has to be done through negotiations and those who still have weapons have to put them down," Solana said. Solana was NATO's secretary general during its campaign to drive the Yugoslav troops out of Kosovo to stop the ethnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians. The United Nations and NATO took control of the province in mid-1999. The Presevo guerrillas say they are battling Serb police persecution of the estimated 70,000 to 100,000 local ethnic Albanians. Serb authorities see the group as a collection of separatist terrorists. Western governments, anxious to bolster Serbia's reformist new leaders after the downfall of Slobodan Milosevic, have expressed sympathy and support for Belgrade's position and branded the guerrillas extremists. Both U.S. and European Union officials have praised the plan, which offered ethnic Albanians jobs in the local administration and the police, as a key step towards resolving the crisis. From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 8 18:41:57 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 18:41:57 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Macedonia, Greece Seek to Resolve Name Row Message-ID: Macedonia, Greece Seek to Resolve Name Row SKOPJE, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Macedonia and Greece are in intense talks to resolve a long-running dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav republic that has blocked cooperation for almost 10 years, officials said on Thursday. "We have agreed that a solution pleasing both sides should be finally reached so we can speed up bilateral cooperation," a Macedonian government spokesman told Reuters. He did not elaborate. The Macedonian daily Dnevnik quoted a high government official on Thursday as saying Greece had quietly offered a compromise -- that Skopje takes the name of Northern Macedonia in return for economic aid, abolition of visas for Macedonian citizens and strong support for faster EU integration. The government spokesman declined to comment on the report, but a government source told Reuters the proposal had been made. "It's real. It hasn't been proposed officially to the government but was made through mediators, in order to check Macedonia's readiness to negotiate," the source, who refused to be named, said. "The proposal is not final and could be changed." In Athens, the Greek Foreign Ministry said the two countries had not yet reached an agreement. "As part of the talks at the United Nations, there has been a wide spectrum of names that have been mentioned, but nothing has been agreed upon," a ministry spokesman said. Since Macedonia broke away from former Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece has objected to its use of the name Macedonia, which is also the name of Greece's northern region. In 1992 Macedonia agreed to join the United Nations under the name of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and it is often referred to as FYROM. Greece, dissatisfied, imposed an economic embargo on Macedonia, but lifted it in 1995 after the two reached an interim accord on normalisation of relations. Talks have since continued through special U.N. mediator Matthew Nimetz, who visited Macedonia last month. From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 8 18:53:09 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 18:53:09 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Olympic shot deflected-Athens rejects 'contemptible' questioning of 2004 security measures Message-ID: Olympic shot deflected Athens rejects 'contemptible' questioning of 2004 security measures Government circles consider that the latest round of articles and programs linking Greece's failure to suppress the November 17 terrorist organization with its ability to stage the 2004 Athens Olympics may be part of a plan actually to remove the Games from Athens, despite repeated denials by the International Olympic Committee. The government reacted sharply to a strongly-worded article by former U.S. Athens Embassy official Wayne Merry yesterday. Acting government spokesman Telemachos Hytiris called the article "contemptible" and Merry "an obviously failed" former embassy employee who "has undertaken to defame our country." Merry's article was full of unproven assertions, such as that the police were at the beck and call of terrorists, that the present socialist government used to have active links with terrorism and that "much of the Greek press sympathizes with the terrorists." He himself, when confronted, has admitted that his so-called evidence is hearsay. In apocalyptic tones, it warned that "the clock is ticking toward potential bloody disaster... the worst since Israeli athletes were massacred at the Munich Games in 1972." Successive governments' failure to arrest a single member of November 17, which has killed 22 people in 25 years of activity, have made security a thorny issue for the Athens organizers. Still, few such questions were raised when the Games were staged in Barcelona in 1992, while other supposedly "safe" venues, such as Munich and Atlanta, suffered deadly incidents. Officially, the government appears confident that the Games will not be taken away from Greece and considers people such as Merry either lone snipers or frontpersons in an effort by certain people and corporations to get a slice of the huge security operation planned for the Games, on which the state will spend at least $600 million. Government plans call for the deployment of 50,000 police and troops during the Games, and foreign experts have been invited. However, the pervading unease about Greece's problematic security image has led to officials and the press overreacting. Jacques Rogge, president of the IOC's Coordination Commission, was forced to explain yesterday that a note to Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki about his wish to discuss security arrangements during his visit next week was nothing out of the ordinary. Rogge's visit has also prompted Greek officials to revise their transport plans. His insistence that the Olympic complex in Maroussi be served by a second metro line, has led to a revival of plans to construct a line extension along Kifissias Avenue to the Olympic Stadium by 2004, at a cost of 150 billion drachmas. From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 8 18:56:14 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 18:56:14 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] FBI-style police force for the Balkans Message-ID: FBI-style police force for the Balkans Law enforcement cooperation in Southeast Europe under U.S. supervision to fight organized crime By Stavros Tzimas Kathimerini The countries of Southeastern Europe are moving toward the creation of a Balkan police force, along lines similar to EUROPOL, in order to combat transnational organized crime, which has been thriving since the collapse of Eastern bloc states. The entire process is unfolding within the framework of the American initiative known as "Seci," which is under the supervision of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). An Information Exchange Center already operates in Bucharest which will form the nucleus of law enforcement cooperation in Southeastern Europe. First phase In its first phase, the program provides for the exchange of information on criminal cases involving networks in two or more Balkan countries through the center in Bucharest, with the ultimate goal being joint police operations in cases where they are deemed necessary. The initiative was hailed by all the countries in the region, receiving political approval from Balkan prime ministers in Bucharest last year. They regard cooperation in combating organized crime as imperative, as it tends to undermine the economic and social development of the region and hinder reconstruction. In Greece, as in all other countries involved in the process, the initiative was ratified by Parliament. The program provides for the creation of additional branches of the central office in other Balkan capitals. Current conditions in the area make a compelling case for cooperation and joint law enforcement operations, as illegal activities have developed a multiethnic character and should be dealt with as such. Criminal networks Organized crime in countries like Bulgaria, Albania, Yugoslavia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Romania, Moldova, the Ukraine and others, has powerful organizations which in many cases have even coerced the upper echelons of governments, while their activities go beyond national borders. The case of the plutonium discovered in Thessaloniki last Tuesday (authorities found 500 metal plates containing three grams of the highly radioactive elements plutonium and americium buried in a forest) is the latest evidence of cooperation among criminal networks from countries of the former Soviet Union, Bulgaria and Greece in the trafficking of nuclear material. But when Greek law enforcement agencies had to conduct a joint investigation with the Bulgarian authorities into the case, they discovered that bureaucracy and other legal issues were hindering cooperation to such a degree that it was obstructing the exchange of valuable information. Not for the first time, it was demonstrated that criminal organizations are way ahead of authorities in the area of cooperation and joint operations. The latter have yet to prove that they can conduct large-scale joint operations, as they are still struggling to open lines of communication with each other. The countries of Southeastern Europe are infested with gangs and criminal networks not only from the former Soviet Union, but from Asia as well, which smuggle drugs, weapons, illegal immigrants, women and cigarettes to Western Europe. Clearly, unilateral action has small chances of success. Closer cooperation, which has the potential of flowering into the establishment of joint police units, is regarded as essential. At the Greek-Albanian border, for example, there is booming traffic in illegal immigrants, drugs and stolen cars by Greek-Albanian criminal rings. And one of the main reasons considered to have contributed to this increased criminal activity is the lack of cooperation between the authorities of the two neighboring countries. From kosova at JPS.NET Thu Feb 8 16:18:40 2001 From: kosova at JPS.NET (kosova at JPS.NET) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2001 13:18:40 -0800 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} Lajme: Rugova mund te jete nxituar per momentin... Message-ID: Rugova mund te jete nxituar per momentin, por nderkombetaret nuk kane te drejte ne periudhen afatgjate Isuf HAJRIZI (Uashington, 8 shkurt, 2001) Per javoren ZERI, Prishtine N? nj?r?n nga klas?t e m?simit n? Universitetin Xhorxhatoun n? kryeqytetin amerikan t? mar?tn rreth 100 pjes?mmar?s u qesh?n kur nj?ri nga diskutuesit si me ironi tha se Kofi Anan, Sekretari i P?rgjithsh?m n? Kombet e Bashkuara e kishte p?rg?zuar reportin e tij p?r pavar?sin? e "kusht?zuar" t? Kosov?s por nuk mund ta p?rfillte nj? raport t? till? sepse ai "nuk i p?rbahej rezolut?s 1244." Krahas k?saj Departmenti amerikan i shtetit e p?rg?nj?shtroi nj? deklarat? t? Ibrahim Rugov?s p?rmes agjensis? s? lajmeve Asoshijetit Pres, ku thuhet se n? takimin e tij t? dat?s 2 shkurt me Kolin Pouell "asnj?her? nuk ?sht? p?rmendur pavar?sia." Nj? burim anonim i qeveris? amerikane kishte insistuar n? faktin se Shtet e Bashkuara vazhdojn? ta mb?shtesin rezolut?n e K?shillit t? Sigurimit 1244, e cila parasheh ruajtjen e "sovranitetit t? Jugosllavis? mbi Kosov?n." Rugova kishte th?n? se midis tij dhe Sekretarit amerikan t? shtetit "n? p?rgjith?si eksistonte nj? mir?kuptim" se pavar?sia e Kosov?s duhej mb?shtetur. Rugova, duke dashur t? jet? optimist edhe mund t? ket? qen? i pakujdessh?m n? pasqyrimin e takimit midis delegacionit kosovar dhe shefit t? politik?s s? shtetit amerikan. Ose deklarata e tij edhe mund ta ket? humbur ngjyr?n e v?rtet? t? kuptimit n? p?rkthim, gj? q? ?sht? krejt e natyrshme. Edhe pse dikujt mund t?i b?j p?rshtypje se si ?sht? e mundur q? nj? udh?heq?s si Rugova t? tregohet aq goj?lir? sa q? ta keqinterpretoj? nj? takim q? kishte ndodhur vet?m pes? minuta m? par?, m? interesant ?sht? fakti se si qeveria amerikane nxiton q? disa ?aste m? von? ta p?rg?njershtroj? deklarat?n e Rugov?s. Kjo do t? thot? se pavar?sia e Kosov?s ende e frik?son qeverin? amerikane, e cila ende mendon se Kosova dhe Mali i Zi bashk? me Serbin? duhet t? mbeten pjes? t? RFJ-s? "demokratike." Mir?po diskutuesi n? Xhorxhtoun, i cili nuk ishte nj? student apo profesor i zakonsh?m por njeri me renome bot?rore mendimi i t? cilit ka pesh? nd?rkomb?tare, nuk e arsyeton nj? q?ndrim t? till? t? Pauellit dhe lider?ve si ai. Ri??rd Goldstone, ish kryeprokuror i Gjykat?s nd?rkomb?tare n? Hag? p?r krimet e luft?s n? Bosnj? dhe Ruand?, i jep p?rpar?si teoris? s? Rugov?s (edhe pse ai dhe k?mbimet e tij me Pouell nuk p?rmenden n? k?t? rast ) dhe t? tjer?ve q? mendojn? se duhet mb?shtetur pavar?sia si zgjidhja m? e mir? p?r Kosov?n. Goldsotne me nj? ekip t? tij t? p?rb?r? nga ekspert? nd?rkomb?tar? t? shum? shteteve t? bot?s ka qen? disa her? n? Kosov? gjat? vitit t? kaluar me inkurrajimin e vet Kofi Ananit p?r t? nxjerr konludime se si mund t? zgjidhet problemi afatgjat? i Kosov?s. Pas nj? studimi prej 12-muajsh, ekipi me emrin Komisioni i Pavarur Nd?rkomb?tar p?r Kosov?n nxjerr p?rfundimin se udh?heq?sit nd?rkomb?tar (si Pouell dhe Anan, edhe pse ata nuk zihet n? goj?) humbin koh?n kot duke u p?rpjekur q? t?i kursejn? mbeturinat e ish Jugosllavis? n? nj? krijes? me t? njejtin em?r. Logjika e nxerrjes s? nj? p?rfundimi t? till? nga ekipi Goldstone ?sht? e thjesht?. Po q? se komuniteti nd?rkomb?tar thirret n? platform?n e demokracis? si m?nyra e vetme p?r ta zgjidhur l?mshin ballkanik, at?her?, kush ka t? drejt? q? t?i pengoj? shqiptar?t q? ta shprehin vullnetin e tyre politik p?r t? jetuar n? nj? shtet t? pavarur? Natyrisht se Goldstone dhe ekspert?t e ekipit t? tij nuk propozojn? se ?do grupim etnik q? d?shiron t? shk?putet nga nj? shtet ka t? drejt? p?r nj? gj? t? till?. Ai parashtron disa kritere se kur ekziston nj? mund?si e till? p?r pavar?si dhe nj? nd?r kriteret kyqe jan? kufijt e definuar qart?, gj? q? Kosova i ka. Sa p?r arsyetimin e komunitetit nd?rkomb?tar se nj? Kosov? e pavarur do t?i bashkangjitej nj? "Shqip?rie t? madhe" dhe k?shtu do ta prishte balancin etnik duke shkaktuar konflikt n? Ballkan sipas "efektit domino," Goldstone thot? se kjo nuk q?ndron. Dhe ja se pse. Krijimi i institucioneve vet?qeveris?se n? Kosov? ka p?r q?llim nd?rtimin e nj? shteti t? pavarur q? do t? q?ndronte n? k?mb?t e veta dhe jo t? bashkohej me shtetin kaotik "am?." Bile sipas raportit ekziston synimi q? Kosova, jo Shqip?ria, t? shd?rrohet n? nj? epiqend?r t? historis? dhe kultur?s shqiptare n? Ballkan. Fakti se Maqedonia gradualisht po e kupton se mund t? ekzistoj? vet?m me integrimin e shqiptar?ve n? institucionet e veta, vazhdon raporti i gjykat?sit Goldstone, ?sht? garanci p?r shmangien e nj? konflikti n? k?t? ish republik? jugosllave. Bullgaria n? an?n tjet?r ?sht? nd?r shtetet m? konstruktive n? rajon, tha Goldstone, dhe nuk ka mund?si q? ajo t? p?rfshihej n? nj? luft? etnike, kurse Greqia dikur me nj? retorik? t? ashp?r po e braktis? politik?n e konfliktit p?r ta rik?thyer reputacionin e saj si partner konstruktiv n? Evrop?. Mir?po sipas raportit t? gjykat?sit Goldstone, Rugova (edhe pse ai nuk p?rmendet n? k?t? rast) dhe t? tjer?t q? mendojn? si ai se mbajtja e Kosov?s n?n nj? protektorat nd?rkomb?tar "p?rgjithmon?" do t? ishte zgjidhja m? e mir?, mund t? mos ken? t? drejt?. Sipas tij, prania nd?rkomb?tare n? Kosov? duhet t? jet? ndihmes? e krijimit dhe pavar?simit t? institucioneve t? saja, por jo m? q?llim q? t?i pengoi ato. K?tu Goldstone e ka fjal?n p?r UNMIK-un dhe "biblen" e Ananit, rezolut?n 1244, e cila supozohet se nuk e lejon pavar?sin? e Kosov?s, megjith?se adminsitrata e ish presidentit Klinton e ka theksuar faktin se rezoluta n? fjal? "askund nuk thot? se Kosova nuk ka t? drejt? pavar?sie." N? raportin e Komisionit t? gjykat?sit Goldstone, pavar?sia "me kusht" e Kosov?s do t? duhej t? realizohej p?rmes procesit t? integrimit t? Kosov?s, Serbis?, Malit t? Zi dhe Ballkanit n? p?rgjith?si n? Evrop?. Pra krahas nj? ekonomie t? lir? me kufij? t? hapur dhe jo si nj? "pavar?si e mbyllur e stilit t? shekullit 16." Duke paraqitur ndjenjat e popullit t? Kosov?s se bashk?jetesa n?n nj? kulm shtet?ror me Serbin? ?sht? e pamundur, Goldstone me t? drejt? insiston se ?do tentim i komunitetit nd?rkomb?tar p?r ta penguar pavar?sin? e Kosov?s ?sht? i destinuar t? deshtoj?. Ky shkrim mund te ribotohet me kusht qe te theksohet autori dhe javoren Zeri, Prishtine. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981676881/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From i_spaho at hotmail.com Fri Feb 9 04:21:55 2001 From: i_spaho at hotmail.com (irma spaho) Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 04:21:55 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Alarm...!!! Message-ID: HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: unknown sender Subject: no subject Date: no date Size: 19540 URL: From kruja at fas.harvard.edu Fri Feb 9 16:02:31 2001 From: kruja at fas.harvard.edu (Eriola Kruja) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 16:02:31 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Translations for the Kosovo Summer University (fwd) Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 17:44:20 +0100 From: Andrej Tibold To: osumi at yahoo.com, webmaster at albstudent.org, gjdollani at netscape.com, voltro75 at aol.com Subject: Translations for the Kosovo Summer University L.S. I?m Andrej Tibold a member of the Academic Training Association (ATA), a non-profit organisation based in Amsterdam. This organization organizes academic trainings in the areas of former Yugoslavia. This summer, a summer university will be held in Kosovo, Kosovo Summer University (KSU), for the Albanian students. For more info see www.academictraining.org. University lecturers from all over the world will be lecturing, their literature is mainly written in English. Two fellow-students and me, from the University of Amsterdam, are concerned with the Readers and Syllabi. Our task is to find translators to translate this literature from English into Albanian. We are still in an early stage, which means that at the moment we can?t give you any guarantees about the highness of the compensation. We are just interested if you are interested in co-operating/translating. It would also be of great help to us if you could give us any suggestions of where to find other translators and maybe students or student-organisations, which are willing to translate. I thank you for your attention and I hope to hear from you soon, Andrej Tibold _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 9 13:43:06 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 19:43:06 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} PRESS: Albanians cross forbidden bridge to mourn boy killed by Serbs (Independent, 9 February 2001) Message-ID: <3A843A3A.856ADF31@bndlg.de> http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Europe/2001-02/forbidden090201.shtml Albanians cross forbidden bridge to mourn boy killed by Serbs By Justin Huggler in Mitrovica 9 February 2001 All day they cross the river - crouched, fearful figures, walking through streets of razed houses - coming to pay their last respects. They gather in a silent caf? to add their names to the makeshift book of condolences, a notebook of ruled pages. Beside the book, a framed photograph of a serious, frowning boy. On the photograph, the words: "Gazmend Ibrahimi, 28 July 1985 - 29 January 2001." Gazmend was blown to pieces by a Serbian grenade - an Albanian murdered by Serbs in Kosovo more than a year after the war to stop the killing ended. Last week, a crowd of Albanians marked Gazmend's death with the worst riots Kosovo had seen in a year. As the mourners come to the the caf? they pass the sandbags of a checkpoint manned by troops from the international force in Kosovo (K-For). Mitrovica is still divided: razor wire runs along the banks of the river Ibar, and K-For soldiers patrol the bridges to keep the Serbs and Albanians apart. At the end of the war, thousands of Kosovo's Serbs retreated to the half of Mitrovica north of the river and now the division of the city is stark: Serbs in the north, Albanians in the south. Gazmend lived in one of the tiny pockets of Albanians who dared to stay in the north, in an area known as the Bosnian quarter. "Where else would we go?" said his father, Agim Ibrahimi, shocked with grief as he greets the steady stream of mourners crossing from the south. "Our home is here." That home is a tiny, single room, rebuilt in the shell of the family house which was burnt down by Serbian troops during the war. "We are five of us living here," he says - then stops, corrects himself. "No, we were five," he says. "Now there are only four of us." It is a dangerous place to live. Just walk two streets up, to where Gazmend died, says Mr Ibrahimi, and you are in the firing line of Serbs who want the last Albanians out of north Mitrovica. Many Albanians have fled south but Gazmend's family is too poor. Mr Ibrahimi has had no work since the UN forced the mine complex where he worked to shut because of the pollution it was causing. During the Nato bombing campaign, Gazmend and his family were among the thousands of refugees forced out of Kosovo by Serbian troops. They were ordered on to a bus at gunpoint and spent months in a refugee camp in Albania. "When the war ended, we thought we could come back to a normal life," Mr Ibrahimi said. Gazmend died in agony a few metres from the K-For checkpoint. Halil Jonuzi was one of the youths who was with him when he died. He has shrapnel wounds to his throat. "We were standing, talking among ourselves," he says. "Suddenly there was a grenade in front of our legs." He says the K-For troops did nothing to help. There were seven injured. Gazmend's 14-year-old brother, Armend, was among them. Mitrovica is in the sector of Kosovo controlled by French K-For troops and the Albanians complain that the French are pro-Serb. K-For spokesmen strenuously deny any bias. On the Albanian side of the main bridge, a crowd is growing restive. So deep is the mistrust of the French that the troops are replaced by Italians. On the Serbian side, French soldiers are drinking coffee in the Dolce Vita, a bar frequented by the "Bridge Watchers", self-appointed Serb vigilantes who check those crossing and order Albanians back. There is plenty of bonhomie. The customers in the Dolce Vita say they don't know who threw the grenade that killed Gazmend. One Bridge Watcher says he deplores the killing. "But we have 30,000 Serb refugees from Kosovo and the world only cares about the Albanians," he said. "Do you think the killing of the boy was the start of it? Two weeks ago, two Serbs were beaten up in that part of town." ? 2001 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/981767436/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From alb2001 at beld.net Sat Feb 10 03:17:06 2001 From: alb2001 at beld.net (ALBANIA 2001) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 03:17:06 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [2001ajs] FWD: Job Opportunity in Kosova with National Albanian American Council Message-ID: <200102100317.AA118227274@f155.beld.net> See announcement below regarding job opportunity in Kosova. DO NOT RESPOND TO ME!!! Respond to person listed at end of job description. ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: NAACDC at aol.com Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2001 17:35:38 EST JOB OPPORTUNITY With The National Albanian American Council The National Albanian American Council (NAAC) is looking for a dynamic and highly motivated person to head our "Hope Fellowships" Project in Kosova. Director for NAAC Office in Kosova NAAC is looking for a hard working, dedicated, and outgoing person for the position of Program Director in Kosova. Beginning in 2001, NAAC will offer job-training fellowships to emerging women leaders in Kosova. The Director must be fluent in English, have experience in working with and maintaining relationships with other NGO's and international organizations. The Director will be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the NAAC office in Prishtina and maintain simultaneous contact with our Washington, DC office. An undergraduate degree is required for this position. The salary for this position is commensurate with an applicant's experience. We will begin interviewing in March 2001 in Prishtina. The Director will start in May 2001. Please forward your resume to Ms. Aferdita Rakipi at NAACDC at aol.com or fax +(202) 416-1628 or you may send your resume to: NAAC, 2000 L Street, N.W., #200, Washington, DC, 20036. -- ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #72 Rruga Ismail Qemali, Pallati Fratari Tirana, Albania Telephone: 355-4-230700 Telephone: 355-038-21-63603 (Mark Kosmo -- Cell Phone) Telephone: 355-038-20-26031 (Diana Rodi -- Cell Phone) Fax: 355-4-230700 E-Mail: alb2001 at icc.al.eu.org ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #417 160 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02116 Telephone: 781-843-1056 Telephone: 617-262-6665 Fax: 617-262-2340 E-Mail: alb2001 at beld.net -- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/0/_/_/_/981793567/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: 2001ajs-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Feb 10 22:30:37 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 19:30:37 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Dokument i ilirishtes?? - Gazeta shqiptare Message-ID: <20010211033037.32054.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> KULTURE A jemi p?rpara gjurm?ve t? gjuh?s s? ilir?ve? TIRANE Para pak dit?sh duke punuar n? af?rsi t? sht?pis? s? tij , nj? banor i fshatit Selc? e Poshtme, n? rrethin e Pogradecit, n? nj? thell?si prej gati dy metrash , kishte gjetur dy pjes? guri t? punuara n? form? paralelopipedi t? rregullt, t? vendosur dhe puthitur mir? mbi njeri tjetrin. N? pamje t? par? ata t? jepnin p?rshtypjen e nj? pjese t? vetme, unike. Duke par? form?n gjeometrike t? punuar me kujdes t? tyre, fshatari i kishte nxjerr? ata me kujdes. Por, nd?rkoh? q? ai i kishte marr? n? duar, dy pjeset e gurit qen? ndar? nga nj?ra tjetra dhe fshatari kishte konstatuar se nj?ra pjes? e gurit kishte sh?rbyer si mbules? p?r tjetr?n. Br?nda nj?r?s pjes? t? gurit , ishte gdhendur e thelluar nje foleze n? form? kamareje me dimensione t? p?raf?rta 20 cm x 15 cm. Brenda k?saj kamareje ishin vendosur dhe ruajtur kat?r flet? dylli, t? cilat kishin p?raf?rsisht p?rmasat e folese ku ato q?ndronin. T? katra kishin ngjyr? kafe t? err?t dhe aroma e materialit (dyllit) ruhej ende. Dy prej flet?ve , njera n? t?r? sip?rfaqen e saj dhe tjetra gjer n? gjys?m , ishin t? mbushura me mbishkrime . Nd?rsa dy flet?t e tjera n? siperfaqen e tyre kan? nj? ser? shenjash dhe ravij?zimesh q? t? japin p?rshtypjen se jan? skica planimetrike t? nj? vendbanimi, fortifikimi , apo fushpamje e nje ambjenti kulti apo terreni mortor. Nga natyra e tyre , skicat t? krijojn? p?rshtypjen se jane naive dhe se duket se paraqesin pamjet vertikale t? nj? vendi. Pa marr? p?rsip?r rolin e specialistit t? k?saj fushe : Duke i par? me kujdes t? kat?r flet?t, ve?mas dy prej tyre , ato q? mbajn? t? shkruara me reliev mbisiperfaqesor nj? s?r? mesazhesh, krijohet p?rshtypja e dukshme se ato jane d?shmi e nj? prodhimi dhe krijimi antik, ndoshta e periudhes helenistike. T? gjitha germat me t? cilat ?sht? shkruar mesazhi i gjat? i paidentifikuar dhe anonim , duket se i takojne fondit te alfabetit pellazg apo atij te greqishtes s? lasht?. N? t? gjitha rreshtat, q? formojn? tekstin , nuk ka germa q? i takojne tipit dhe stilistikes se mevone bizantine apo cirilike. N? nj?r?n nga kat?r pllakat e dyllit, me g?rma m? t? m?dha nga dy pllakat e tjera , ?sht? sh?nuar nj? flet? e vetme q? n? pamje t? par? duket se lexohet "KACIPTAI". Por, ajo q? ?sht? m? e r?nd?sishme, duket se n? t?r? tekstin e shkruar t? flet?ve nuk ka fjal? apo shprehje q? ti takojne greqishtes s? lasht?. Nje element tjet?r q? duhet vleresuar, n? rradh?n e t? pa njohurve q? afron kjo enigme, n? forme mesazhi t? shkruar, ?sht? fakti tjet?r q? ato jan? gjetur n? nje vendbanim t? njohur ilir. G?rmimet arkeologjike kan? konfirmuar tanim? faktin q? Selca e Poshtme ka q?n? nj? qend?r e zhvilluar urbane dhe qytetare t? pakt?n, q? prej shekullit t? 3 para Krishtit. Mbi k?t? baz? nuk p?rjashtojm? q? brenda mesazheve t? shkruara , ende t? pazb?rthyera, t? ket? gjurm? t? ilirishtes , apo t? shqipes s? lasht?. Megjithat?, k?t? m? mir? se kushdo do ta thon? studjuesit serioze t? mbishkrimeve t? lashta apo t? kultur?s materiale t? k?tyre periudhave historike. T? kat?r flet?t e dyllit u vun? n? dispozicion t? Institutit Arkeologjik dhe specialist?ve t? saj p?r t? studjuar ato me kujdes dhe dh?n? vleresimet e tyre shkencore p?r enigm?n q? permbajn? shkrimet n? flet?t e dyllit, gjetur n? Selc?n e Poshtme. Le t? shpresojm? se profecia e Prof. Eqerem ?abeit se, " do t? jet? ndoshta kazma e arkeologut ajo q? do t? na dhuroj? mesazhet ende t? panjohura t? shqipes s? lasht? t? shkruar .....", do t? kthehet n? nj? realitet. Irakli KO?OLLARI Doktor i Shkencave n? fush?n e Historiografis? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Sun Feb 11 10:39:43 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 10:39:43 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Conference: Democracy, Human Rights and the Protection of Persons Belonging to Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Southeastern Europe, Bled, 23-25.2.2001 Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] Conference: Democracy, Human Rights and the Protection of Persons Belonging to Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Southeastern Europe, Bled, 23-25.2.2001 Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2001 16:49:57 +0100 Size: 46641 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Feb 11 10:45:10 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 07:45:10 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Minorities in Greece Message-ID: <20010211154510.66723.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> IFEX- News from the international freedom of expression community _________________________________________________________________ ACTION ALERT - GREECE 5 February 2001 Aromanian activist convicted for distributing EU leaflet on minority languages SOURCE: Greek Helsinki Monitor (GHM), Athens (GHM/IFEX) - GHM strongly condemns the conviction on 2 February 2001 of Sotiris Bletsas, a member of the Society for Aromanian (Vlach) Culture, to fifteen months in prison and a 500,000 drs. (app. US$1,400) fine for dissemination of false information (under Article 191 of the penal code). The charges were based on the fact that, in July 1995, he had distributed in an Aromanian festival a publication of the European Union's (EU) semi-official European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL - in which Bletsas was the Greek "observer"), which mentioned the minority languages in Greece (Aromanian, Arvanite, Macedonian, Pomak, Turkish) and in the other EU member states. His prosecution was triggered by charges pressed by conservative New Democracy Deputy Eugene Haitidis and, according to Bletsas, the prosecution's witnesses included the Aromanian mayor of Prosotsani (Northern Greece). The latter considered the reference to the Vlach language as a minority language defamatory to the Vlachs. Bletsas appealed the sentence and was set free pending the appeal. GHM considers the verdict obscurantist and a flagrant violation of freedom of expression. The organisation wonders why the Greek authorities have not prosecuted the authors of the publication, the EU and EBLUL, and/or those making it widely available in Greece, which include the EU delegation in Athens. BACKGROUND: Greece acknowledges the existence of only one religious minority, the "Muslims" of Thrace, and of their mother tongue, Turkish. Associations that reflect the existence of national minorities by using Macedonian or Turkish in their title have not been able to officially register, while members of the respective minorities have been prosecuted for making such claims. Moreover, as the vast majority of Aromanian or Arvanite (Albanian) speaking persons identify as Greeks, even references to these two languages as minority languages, let alone to the existence of respective linguistic minorities, have been repeatedly condemned, including by leaders of Aromanian or Arvanite associations. It may be characteristic that two newspapers ("Avghi" 3-2-01 and "Epohi" 4-2-01) and one organisation (the Network for Social and Political Rights, in "Avghi") who protested the verdict opted to mention that the EBLUL leaflet referred to Aromanian, Arvanite, Pomak and Turkish, thus silencing the reference to Macedonian (a third paper, "Eleftherotypia" 5-2-01 did not list the languages). Moreover, on 28 June 2000, an international seminar on "Greece and the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages," co-organised by the Council of Europe and the Greek Minority Groups Research Center (KEMO), was to be held in the amphitheater of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Participants included the (Greek) president of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and representatives of the Council of Europe and the EU-sponsored EBLUL. It was supposed to be the conclusion of a controversial series of semi-restricted seminars on Greece's minority languages. KEMO's membership includes many regular or occasional experts of the MFA. The Greek foreign minister had already sent his opening message. A week before the seminar, four of the most senior leaders of the opposition New Democracy party tabled a parliamentary question, protesting that the seminar "leads to presenting as minorities either non-existent groups or people who do not wish to be treated as minorities". Soon after, the Greek MFA withdrew the authorisation for the use of its amphitheater, thus leading to the seminar's cancellation. Although the official reason given was "technical", potential participants not informed of the cancellation who went to the Foreign Ministry saw that the amphitheater was empty, hence available: the next day, another seminar was indeed held there (on the new ECRI report on Greece). Greece and Turkey are the only Council of Europe countries that have prevented such a seminar from being held. However, from 8 to 10 December, the "First International Conference on the Vlach-Speaking Hellenism" was organised at the University of Macedonia in Salonica, by the "Union of Vlach Scholars" under the auspices of the Ministry of National Defense. It received a message from President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stefanopoulos, which stressed that "the Vlach-Speaking Greeks are an indivisible part of our ethnic entity and have contributed to the creation and development of the Greek State." The opening address was delivered by Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Send appeals to authorities: - condemning the verdict and the authorities' attitude as a violation of freedom of expression and an indication of acute intolerance towards minorities - asking for a condemnation of the verdict, a swift review of the trial and the quashing of the charges - asking that Greece abolish its intolerant policies towards minorities, acknowledge the presence of national and linguistic minorities, as well as sign and ratify the European Charter on Regional or Minority Languages, and ratify the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities it signed in 1997 APPEALS TO: George Papandreou Foreign Minister Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 81 433 E-mail: gpap at m... Dimitris Reppas Minister of Press and Information Athens, Greece Fax: +30 1 36 06 969 Professor Mihalis Stathopoulos Minister of Justice Athens, Greece Fax : +30 1 77 55 835 Romano Prodi President of EU Commission E-mail: sg-info at c... Please copy appeals to the source if possible. For further information, contact GHM at P.O. Box 60820, GR-15304 Glyka Nera, Greece, tel: +30 1 347 2259, fax: +30 1 601 8760, e-mail: office at g..., Internet: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of GHM. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit GHM. _________________________________________________________________ DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE 489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879 alerts e-mail: alerts at i... __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Feb 11 10:53:29 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 07:53:29 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Odyssey Nov-Dec. 2000 Message-ID: <20010211155329.39691.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Subject: Greece-Serbia: With Slobo To The End Odyssey November-December2000 With Slobo To The End http://www.odyssey.gr/templates/features.asp?issno='200005'&iss='2000'&categA=2&categB=0&ThemNo=2&window=November/December2000 As the Serbian regime fell, most of Greece seemed unaware, or even hostile, to the historic changes taking place in its erstwhile northern ally. Takis Michas The final days of the Milosevic regime in October were greeted throughout the democratic world with feelings of relief, if not euphoria. But there was one country in Europe where the events unfolding in Serbia did not seem to cause any feelings of joy. This country was Greece, a country that prides in calling itself "the cradle of democracy." It would not be an overstatement to say that the overwhelming majority of the political forces and the population of the country reacted to the events in Serbia with feelings of disenchantment, if not dismay. To the very end, it seemed that senior members of both the government and the opposition were going out of their way in their official statements to please Milosevic. That the country was not going to side with the Serbian opposition was made patently clear a couple of weeks before the elections. Otpor (Resistance), the Serb student opposition group, had the idea of organizing a public concert in Thessaloniki. "We believed," Slobodan Honem, a leading Otpor activist told me, "that a massively attended anti-Milosevic concert in Greece would send a strong message to the people of Serbia. Namely, that it is not only the Western powers that want the ouster of Milosevic, but also the people of a friendly country like Greece." But none of the major Greek music groups and artists that had distinguished themselves in anti-NATO events during the wars in Kosovo and Bosnia agreed to take part in the anti-Milosevic concert. And the few minor bands that agreed to participate were subjected to threats and harassment, aimed at discouraging their participation. The concert was supposed to take place in a state-owned concert hall that fell under the jurisdiction of the prefect of Thessaloniki, Kostas Papadopoulos. Two days before the event was to take place, Papadopoulos, a prominent member of the governing PASOK party, decided to ban the concert. He argued that it constituted an interference in the politics of another country. This was, however, the first time in recent history that Greek authorities had tried to prevent a political gathering from taking place. Countless public events linked to international politics have been staged in Greece, celebrating individuals such as the Palestinian Abu Nidal, the Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, Saddam Hussein, and more recently the Bosnian-Serb indicted war criminal Radovan Karadzic. Yet neither PASOK nor New Democracy-which together represent 90 percent of the Greek electorate-protested the action of the Thessaloniki prefect. The attempt to prevent an anti-Milosevic event in Greece was a sign of things to come. Both during and after September's historic elections in Yugoslavia, many prominent Greeks spared no effort in trying to legitimize the electoral results and offer support to the ousted dictator. The first such attempt was made by the "independent" election monitors that Milosevic had invited from Greece. They included Alexandros Lykourezos, a member of the New Democracy party who is also indicted war criminal Radco Mladic's lawyer, as well as Liana Kaneli, a communist deputy who according to press reports, spent time in Begrade during the war in Kosovo. The monitoring committee was led by Milosevic's old pal, former foreign minister Karolos Papoulias, who is the current chairman of the Greek parliament's foreign affairs committee. Upon returning from Belgrade, Papoulias stated that the election process in Yugoslavia had taken place smoothly and democratically. This assessment of the situation was immediately adopted by the Greek government and became its official mantra: "From the information at our disposal," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated, "the electoral procedure took place smoothly and without any cause to question the outcome of the results." The next day he reiterated this position adding, moreover, that the result that would eventually be announced would be fair: "We must all be calm and exhibit responsibilty and self-control," he said. "Just as the elections were conducted smoothly, the vote counting and the announcement of the results will be as well. The Yugoslav people have the final word which they expressed through their vote." If anybody had expected that the Yugoslav elections would provide the opportunity for the government of Costas Simitis to change its official stance and improve the tarnished- by-association-with-the-Belgrade regime image of Greece, this was a great disappointment. Greece, once again, had differentiated its policies from those of the Western democracies and the Serb Opposition. Both the West and the Serb Opposition had immediately pointed out the grave irregularities that had taken place during the elections. Indeed, the only country which seemed to share totally the Greek government's uncritical acceptance of the fairness of the election was Iraq. "The elections," Iraq's internal affairs minister Muhamed Zaman Abdel Razak said, "took place freely and without any pressures being exercised." Similar opinions were voiced by Russian ultranationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky. It's a Con In Belgrade, and in the rest of Yugoslavia, the opposition was busy denouncing the electoral fraud and organizing massive strikes and demonstrations aimed at toppling Milosevic and preventing him from holding a second round of elections. While the Serb people took by the hundreds of thousands to the streets in an outpouring of people power, the Greek government was publicly supporting the Serb oligarch's demands for a second round of elections. In an interview with Greek radio station "Flash", Greek foreign minister George Papandreou (who was under intense pressure from a virulently anti-Western Foreign Office establishment) advised the Serb opposition to succumb to Milosevic's pressure and take part in the elections. "Our advice, coming from our own experience," he said "is that abstention even under very harsh conditions, even under conditions which are not fully democratically controlled, is not the best solution." (Papandreou had, it should be pointed out, played a major role in encouraging the Serb opposition, and particularly the independent media in Serbia in the run up to the elections. See previous story). Greek defense minister Akis Tsochadzopoulos was less subtle. The election results, he said "pointed toward the path leading to a second round." Until the very last moment, sections of the Greek government were still seen as trying to convince the Opposition to participate in the second round of the elections. For its part, the Serb opposition immediately rejected the option. In a public statement N.Bakarec, an adviser to Vojislav Kostunica, dismissed the proposals: "We cannot accept a second round irrespective of what we get in return." Had the opposition followed such advice, Milosevic would still be in power today. It must be stressed at this point that the pro-Milosevic attitude of most of the Greek government was shared by the majority of the Greek political forces as well as by the majority of the population. Indicative of the attitude of the main opposition New Democracy Party were the statements by its honorary leader and former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis. "The policy of NATO and the US-which openly and provocatively intervened in the elections even as they followed an inexplicable policy towards Kosovo and Montenegro-essentially harmed the opposition," he said. In his statement he called for the "immediate lifting of the embargo" and "the abandonment of a policy of one sided-prosecution of war criminals." At the same time, Mitsotakis called on the Simitis goverment to differentiate itself from the West. "The role of Greece," he said "cannot be that of a rearguard in a wrong-headed policy ,which is rejected by the overwhelming majority of the Greek people and which can have direct negative repercussions in the country." Mitsotakis was right in at least one thing-his assessment of the support which Milosevic enjoyed among the overwhelming majority of the Greek population. According to a poll taken in Greece by the Athens radio station "Flash" during the huge Thursday afternoon demonstration that led to the toppling of Milosevic, 65 percent of the respondents said that his fall was a sinister plot engineered by the West and the US. Only 30 percent of the respondents hailed the event as a victory for democracy and popular sovereignty. In December 1994, during one of his frequent visits to Greece, Slobodan Milosevic proposed that Greece and his country should team up and form a confederation. Andreas Papandreou, at the time Greece's prime minister, called the proposal "interesting" but the matter was put to rest. Surely Milosevic must feel sorry today that he did not pursue the matter further. Had his plan for a Greek-Serb federation materialized, he may have won the elections in his country. The majority of Greeks would have voted for him at any rate. ------------- Odyssey November-December2000 http://www.odyssey.gr/templates/features.asp?issno='200005'&iss='2000'&categA=2&categB=0&ThemNo=1&window=November/December2000 A Little Help from One's Friends Michael Howard Greece's behind-the-scenes support for the Serbian opposition, and its actions in Belgrade during the crucial days of Milosevic's ouster, has done much to restore its diplomatic credibility with the West. Michael Howard The largely peaceful removal of Slobodan Milosevic from power in Belgrade will go down as one of the brighter moments in the turbulent history of the region. In the first of two articles, Odyssey explains how Greece turned its back on its old "friend" and supported the democratic opposition forces in Serbia. But, as Takis Michas argues, many in Greece were hostile to the historic changes taking place in its erstwhile ally to the north. "What we are doing today is making history," declared the new president of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica, in front of Belgrade city hall on the night of October 5. Before him stood a jubilant crowd who had just taken part in the remarkably peaceful ouster of Slobodan Milosevic. "This was not Washington or Moscow," Kostunica told the crowd. "We did it for ourselves." Albeit with a little help from their friends. Many factors caused the downfall of Slobodan Milosevic, not least a hubristic miscalculation of his ability to keep his opponents divided. The United States and European Union countries made no secret of their financial support and political encouragement for the democratic opposition in Serbia. But during the run up to the Yugoslav presidential elections on September 24, and the tense period that followed, the behind-the scenes-role played by two Greeks-foreign minister George Papandreou and his special Balkans envoy Alex Rondos-proved critical. As a result, and despite the domestic tensions caused by what some termed "high-risk meddling" in the politics of a neighboring country, many commentators believe Greece stands to gain major international dividends-most importantly, a promotion from its status as a member of Europe's awkward squad. "Greece seems to be tired of being a Balkan country in the European Union and is asserting itself as a European country in the Balkans," said Gary Dempsey, a foreign policy analyst at the Cato Institute in Washington. Blood Brothers Greeks often speak of their special bond with Serbs. For the government, it also can be a burden. Last year, Athens' reliability as a NATO partner was put into question by its lukewarm support for the assault on Yugoslavia. Greeks mounted many protests against the bombing campaign, which was seen as unjustified aggression against a fellow Orthodox country. Greece's political and media establishment were largely pro-Milosevic. Greek businessmen, meanwhile, were busy building dubious links with their pro-regime Serbian counterparts. The large volume of aid donated by Greeks during the bombing confirmed, or so the state-run Serbian media said, "the traditional friendship between the two nations." But that relationship had soured. Last April, Greece hosted a major meeting of Milosevic's opponents. Alex Rondos, who addressed the gathering, had been attacked in the Greek media, and by pro-Milosevic elements in the Greek parliament, for showing open government support of the Serbian opposition. Others, however, saw the meeting as the first clear signs of a break from the Greek tolerance of Milosevic during the gruesome unraveling of Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav foreign minister Zivadin Jovanovic launched a fierce attack on Athens. He berated the Greek government for meeting Serbian opposition figures while, at the same time, refusing to invite Yugoslav delegations to international conferences in Greece. He said Athens was under "NATO influence" and demanded that the Greek government do "much more in order to have the sanctions against Yugoslavia lifted." "Jovanovic's statement was breathtaking," said a Yugoslav diplomat in Athens who is close to Kostunica. "It showed how out of touch with reality Belgrade was. How could it realistically expect Greece, a NATO and EU member, to go against those organizations in order to support a regime that was so clearly in decline?" Yugoslav officials, he said, were unable to accept the fact that Athens could find NATO and the EU "more important than its friendship with Milosevic." Prime Minister Costas Simitis was reported to be furious with Jovanovic's statement. He responded by describing the Milosevic government as a major headache in the region. Belgrade Gets Petty On September 5, a day before Papandreou was due to make an official visit to Serbia to convey the EU's concerns about the forthcoming elections, Belgrade barred a scheduled Athens-New York Olympic Airways flight from crossing Yugoslav airspace. The aircraft, with Simitis and his delegation on board heading to the UN Millennium Summit, diverted over Italy. Relations between Athens and Belgrade were at a low. The Greek foreign minister and his aide arrived in the Yugoslav capital 10 days before the elections. Papandreou appealed to the Yugoslav authorities to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful ballot. According to the official Serbian media, bilateral relations and the regional situation were at the forefront of the talks. During his tour, however, Papandreou met candidate Kostunica and activists from the Otpor (Resistance) student movement. This provoked further friction between Athens and Belgrade. Kostunica, the minister said, "clearly saw the future of Yugoslavia in Europe." Four Otpor activists invited to a reception at the Greek embassy in Belgrade were arrested by plain clothes Serbian police as they arrived. Only after Papandreou personally telephoned Milosevic were they released from custody. The incident sent important and encouraging signals to the Serbian opposition. "For the majority of Serbs, Greece's support of Serbia amounted to support for the Milosevic regime," Milan Protic, the mayor of Belgrade, said. "There was a tremendous difference in the politics of the present Greek government compared to the previous ones. George Papandreou supported actively the democratic changes which the Serb opposition was demanding." The harassed independent media in Serbia also took heart. Sasa Mircovic, vice president of the B92 radio and TV station told Odyssey, "George Papandreou was the only Greek politician who supported the independent media in Belgrade when we were facing the repression of the Milosevic regime. Others showed no interest in the fate of the independent media. They did not want to know what was really happening in our country." Revolution Time The heady week in October that preceded Milosevic's downfall was one of confusion and tension. Kostunica was claiming an outright victory in the first round of elections on September 24. The Yugoslav authorities insisted that he had fallen short of the 50 percent needed to win the presidency outright and that a second ballot would have to take place. The opposition-and the majority of the international community-cried foul. They demanded that either a Kostunica victory be declared or an independently monitored recount be held. Opposition groups were busy organizing a massive demonstration ("Serbia comes to Belgrade") against Milosevic on the streets of the Yugoslav capital for October 5. Meanwhile, the Russians, apparently stalling for time until they could get a grasp on the situation, had invited Kostunica and Milosevic to Moscow for talks the next day. Kostunica faced a dilemma: whether to go to Moscow and sit at a table with Milosevic (whom he'd never met), or authorize the massive street demonstration-with all the uncertainties that would throw up. It was clear that the law professor, who had emerged as Milosevic's unlikely nemesis, needed some advice. There were few foreigners of any rank in town, and fewer still that Kostunica felt he could trust. Rondos, who Papandreou had sent to Belgrade on October 1, appeared the ideal choice. "We knew there was a quiet and discreet role we could play," Rondos told Odyssey. "We had their trust and I went to see if there was anything we could do." "There was a slight sense of slight desperation," he recalled. "No one was sure how the army or the police would act." So, for two days of "hard policy and tactics," Rondos played a guiding role with Kostunica. "Suddenly, we all hit the right pitch. Kostunica was raising the problems, Papandreou was doing the political thinking, and I was interpreting between the two." Rondos also proved a vital link for Kostunica with key figures in Europe and the US. "I was in touch with counterparts in other countries. Given the nature of the crisis you needed very quick communications to let Washington and others know what was happening, but also to say 'don't push too much on this,' and advise them on how to respond to certain things." The events surrounding the fateful day of October 5 are still shrouded in myth. But some sources have said that it was Rondos who persuaded Kostunica to ignore Russia's invitation to talks in Moscow and make what was, with hindsight, the crucial decision to give the go-ahead to the rally. Whatever the truth, it was clear that the center of gravity in the Yugoslav capital had begun to shift. Role Playing On October 7, George Papandreou became the first Western minister to be welcomed by the new president. Greece, he said, intended to play a full role in Serbia's rehabilitation with Europe and the West. "Greece has always said it can play a role," Rondos said. "To use its comparative advantage of its knowledge on the ground to help inform and shape in a constructive way what is happening. Finally, we can have a good clean relationship with Serbia without being embarrassed about it. There had to be a change in Belgrade. Milosevic created a bloody traffic jam, and we had to get him out in such a way as to open up the system and thus the whole region." Yet many in Greece remain unconvinced by Papandreou's vision of a brave, new, democratic, Balkans. Papandreou and Rondos have come under fire for taking unnecessary risks with Greek foreign policy, and for side-stepping Greece's admittedly often inept diplomatic corps. And the apparent dissonance between what Papandreou and Rondos were trying to achieve and the residual support for Milosevic in Greece means the jury is still out on the sustainability of the country's progress towards the international mainstream. Michael Howard _______________________________________ Panayote Elias Dimitras Spokesperson Greek Helsinki Monitor e-mail: panayote at greekhelsinki.gr Internet Addresses: Balkan Human Rights Web Pages: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr The Balkan Human Rights List: http://www.egroups.com/group/balkanhr The Greek Human Rights List: http://www.egroups.com/group/greekhr Dikaiomatika! [monthly human rights review in Greek]: http://www.egroups.com/group/dikaiomatika Alternative Information Network (AIM) - Athens [articles in Greek]: http://www.egroups.com/group/aimgreek Mail Address: P.O. Box 60820 GR-15304 Glyka Nera, Greece __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From Gazhebo at aol.com Sun Feb 11 11:17:11 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 11:17:11 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Turkey Angered by Greek Accusations of Genocide Message-ID: <54.fe0d6f4.27b81507@aol.com> Turkey Angered by Greek Accusations of Genocide By Claudia Parsons ANKARA, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Turkey has complained to Athens about the passing of a decree accusing Turks of genocide against Greeks in the early 1920s, but Greece said the issue was historical and should have no bearing on current good relations. The decree, accusing Turks of the massacre of Orthodox Greeks in Anatolia during Turkey's War of Independence, was voted on by the Greek parliament two years ago. It has now been signed by ministers and is to go to the president for signing. Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said he hoped it would not be signed. "Nobody with the slightest bit of sense could ever take these claims seriously," he told reporters in Ankara. "It is a historical fact known to all how much the Greeks used oppression and cruelty during their invasion of Anatolia." Turkey's Foreign Ministry had summoned the Greek ambassador to discuss the issue on Friday. But Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis said the timing of the final stages of the decree's passage -- at a time of improvement in traditionally strained bilateral relations -- was coincidence. "It is a clearly historical issue, completely unrelated to bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey," he said. "I don't believe this will affect our good relations." Greece and Turkey nurture territorial disputes over several Aegean islands and are bitterly divided over Cyprus -- and such issues still have the potential to be an irritant in relations. "BIZARRE THING" Asked if Turkey planned to take action, Ecevit said: "It is nothing to be taken seriously. Probably some sensible people in Greece will take this bizarre thing off the agenda." A Turkish diplomatic source added: "It's absurd, it's not a serious thing -- except that it is serious in the sense that it doesn't befit the climate of relations, or the climate which we're trying to create in relations." The decree proposes to make September 14 a day of commemoration for the alleged genocide of Greeks in 1922. Before World War One over a million Greeks lived in Anatolia, which they call Asia Minor, while many Muslims lived in Greece, which for several centuries until 1829 was part of the Ottoman empire. Most Greeks were driven out of Anatolia during and after Turkey's War of Independence, which culminated in 1922. Each side accuses the other of atrocities as Orthodox Greeks fled, pursued by Muslim Turks. Relations between the two NATO allies have thawed since major earthquakes in both countries in 1999 which sparked mutual outpourings of sympathy and aid. Last month, Turkey was enraged when France passed a law recognising claims that around 1.5 million Armenians were massacred in eastern Anatolia in 1915. Turkey rejects claims of genocide, saying far fewer people died and both sides suffered casualties in partisan fighting as the Ottoman empire collapsed. From Gazhebo at aol.com Sun Feb 11 11:18:54 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 11:18:54 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO Chief Backs Belgrade Plan for South Serbia Message-ID: <5f.10c233cc.27b8156e@aol.com> NATO Chief Backs Belgrade Plan for South Serbia BRUSSELS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - NATO Secretary-General George Robertson on Friday praised a Serbian leader's plan to end the conflict between Belgrade's forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in southern Serbia. The plan, devised by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebosja Covic, envisages demilitarisation of the Presevo Valley region and measures to improve the local economy and minority rights. "The Covic plan is an important signal of the Belgrade authorities' desire for a balanced and peaceful settlement of the problems in southern Serbia," Robertson said in a statement. "I welcome the initiative and the desire that it represents of developing southern Serbia into a prosperous, multi-ethnic community based on principles of democracy and human rights." Robertson said NATO-led peacekeeping forces in neighbouring Kosovo would study the plan carefully. The ethnic Albanians of the Presevo Valley want to join their territory to Kosovo, but the Western powers oppose any changes in Serbia's borders. Guerrillas in Presevo say they are battling Serb police persecution of the estimated 70,000 to 100,000 local ethnic Albanians. Serb authorities see the group as a collection of separatist terrorists. NATO has been negotiating with Belgrade on possible changes to a five km (three-mile) Kosovo-Serbia buffer zone being used as a safe haven by ethnic Albanian guerrillas. In his statement, Robertson urged the ethnic Albanian groups to renounce violence. He also appealed to the Serbian security forces to continue to show restraint. On Thursday, a high-level European Union delegation which included Robertson's predecessor, Javier Solana, discussed the Covic plan with the new democratic administration in Belgrade. The EU also strongly backs the plan. From deti at ont.com Sun Feb 11 21:48:55 2001 From: deti at ont.com (etel) Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2001 20:48:55 -0600 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Caring about women! Message-ID: <3.0.3.32.20010211204855.006f63f0@mail.ont.com> Hello to everyone! There is an organization called Women for women, which has created a program that sponsors women in countries like Africa, India, Kosova, Bosnia-Hercegovina. They are now expanding in other countries of the world too. The purpose of the organization is to give help, and hope to women around the world, who have suffered as a result of war, violence, abuse against them. The program matches you with a women in need, and all you need to do is send them 25 bucks a month, and also a letter. The 25 dollars go directly to the center that the organization has in the specific country this woman lives, monitored by people who then give it directly to the woman you are sponsoring. This way you create a six-months correspondence with this women, writing back and forth, giving her moral support as well as 25 dollar financial support. We all know that living abroad, as an immigrant, or student who goes to school and works two jobs in order to make it, is hard. Most of us are living a safe and relatively easy life in comparison with many of these women are. Women in african countries are very much dependent on man, they have no financial indipendence which forces them to either give in to prostituion or marry a man they don't want to marry. They live in total poverty, they have no dignity, no power to rebel against the abuse against them. I heard the story of a 9-year-old in India who was asked by a 45-year-old man to have sex with him. She refused and the price she had to pay was acid in her face. That's right...he sneaked into her house at night, and threw acid in her face as a sign of punishment for her rejection. Another 9-year-old was forced into prostitution and forced to have sex with as many as 15 man per night. She was bit and raped repeatedely. And, we all know how many women have been raped in Kosova during the war, and the hard conditions they live in right now. Those of us who can and care, let us do something for this women. 25 dollars per month, and also a leter correspondence for 6 months. It's worth caring. I can survive with 25 dollars less for six months...that can make a difference in somebody else's life. I have the chance of working and earning a living....most of these women dont. For those of you interested here is the website that gives you all the information: www.womenforwomen.org Sincerely, Ethel Haxhiaj Etel H. From wplarre at bndlg.de Mon Feb 12 14:12:37 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 20:12:37 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Serbs Offer Peace Plan in Attempt to End Albanian Rebellion (New York Times, February 12, 2001) Message-ID: <3A8835A5.B9BD5A7D@bndlg.de> http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/12/world/12YUGO.html?pagewanted=all February 12, 2001 Serbs Offer Peace Plan in Attempt to End Albanian Rebellion By CARLOTTA GALL BELGRADE, Serbia, Feb. 10 - Hoping to end an ethnic Albanian insurgency that is gaining momentum along the border with Kosovo, Serbia's new government has put together a peace plan that rules out annexation or autonomy but would demilitarize the area and grant Albanians civil rights stripped away under Slobodan Milosevic. The plan has already received support from Western diplomats who know that the alternative is allowing the Serbs to use force against the insurgents - the exact reverse of 1999, when NATO went to war for the Albanians against the Serbs over Kosovo. "We have to give it a shot," said one Western diplomat of the Serbian government's latest plan. "But I don't know if it will really work. In the end, there is going to have to be some use of force on the Serbian side." Nebojsa Covic, vice president of Serbia's new democratic government and author of the plan, is traveling to Brussels this week to seek support from NATO officials. Mr. Covic is hoping that international pressure will coax Albanian political leaders, including those with ties to the armed rebels, into negotiations within days. The Serbian government urgently needs to solve the spreading conflict in the region of southern Serbia known as the Presevo Valley, Mr. Covic said in an interview today. Armed Albanians now control the three-mile wide buffer zone established along Serbia's boundary with Kosovo after the 1999 war and hold positions within a mile of the town of Bujanovac and Serbia's main highway to the south. Under an agreement reached with NATO to end the Kosovo war, only lightly armed Serbian police are allowed in the buffer zone. The NATO- led peacekeeping force in Kosovo is not permitted in the zone, and has found it impossible to seal the porous boundary with Kosovo to prevent arms and men from crossing. Mr. Covic said the conflict threatens to spread further among the 100,000 ethnic Albanians in southern Serbia or even into neighboring Macedonia, where Albanians dominate the western regions. Serbian police and the Yugoslav Army have been impatient to take action, he said, adding that the situation has lent political ammunition to Mr. Milosevic and nationalist opponents of the new government. "The government cannot afford to wrangle with this problem endlessly," Mr. Covic said. The population wants to see improvements in their living standards, not more war, he said, adding: "We do not have months for dialogue. We have days, maybe a few weeks." His peace plan, which was approved unanimously last week by the governments of both Serbia and Yugoslavia, is an attempt to right the many injustices that the Albanians suffered under Mr. Milosevic. It rules out annexation or autonomy for the majority Albanian-populated areas, but offers ethnic Albanians full representation in government and police structures and the judiciary in their communities and representation in the Serbian government. The Albanian parties boycotted elections in December for the Serbian Parliament, and so have no parliamentary representation or representatives in government at the moment. The plan outlines a phased demilitarization of the entire region, indicating a withdrawal of Yugoslav Army and police forces from the area, and introduction of joint police patrols consisting of one Albanian and one Serb. Mr. Covic said he would even consider unilateral withdrawal of Serbian forces, if "someone could guarantee that the Albanians will not take advantage of it." His plan would also offer an amnesty for members of the rebel army, and economic development of the region with international aid. Members of the rebel force, which is known as the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac, have rejected the plan, but not the idea of talks. Yet the real concern now is that the Albanians, in particular the rebel movement, will not sign up. "There are at least three distinct groups with different views, and different factions within," an American diplomat said of the insurgents. "Whether they can come to a negotiated agreement I don't know." Since they seized control of the buffer zone last November, the rebels have grown in numbers and stature. They are starting to receive substantial funds from Kosovo and from the Albanian diaspora allowing them to boost their numbers and their weapons supplies, according to one senior official in the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo. Members of the Yugoslav Army complain that the Albanians have grown more full of themselves in the last months, a member of the European Union monitoring team in the area said. The longer the militants can operate freely in the no-man's land of the buffer zone, the more powerful and confident they will become, he said. Mr. Covic said he did not doubt that the Albanians would negotiate, but his concern was whether they would agree to something now. "They might not do it now," he said. "We are approaching the moment when the international community will have to say it is enough." Mr. Covic hopes to persuade NATO representatives also to allow the Serbs to gradually abolish the buffer zone. His plan envisages demilitarization of the zone, village by village, with local police - including Albanian police - returning on patrol. One of the real tests will be if Serbs from Kosovo can travel unhindered through the region. At the moment, they face checkpoints run by armed Albanians. Mr. Covic is relying on the NATO-led peacekeepers, and in particular on the Americans, who have the greatest influence with the Albanians, to put pressure on them. But those officials say that, in the end, if the Serbian authorities want to re-establish control, they may have to use force and make arrests. "The goal is to prevent the use of force," said the Western diplomat who discussed Mr. Covic's plan. "But if in the end this zone has to be normalized, normalized so that it is not in the control of people with weapons; if in a few months Serbs cannot go through, then that needs to come to an end. Then we have to see that the absolute minimum of force is used." Mr. Covic, who has won respect from diplomats for his determination to find a peaceful solution, said the situation is coming to a head. "We have not exhausted every possibility to solve this peacefully," he said, "but the truth is also that the moment when we'll be forced to take that decision is approaching." Copyright 2001 The New York Times Company ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982014615/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Feb 12 19:20:23 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 16:20:23 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] The Independent, 12.02.2001 Message-ID: <20010213002023.1012.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> The Independent (London) February 13, 2001, Tuesday First Edition; FOREIGN NEWS; Pg. 14 ATHENS AND ANKARA AT ODDS OVER GENOCIDE Robert Fisk Middle East Correspondent A HOLOCAUST memorial "war" is sweeping the eastern Mediterranean. No sooner has Turkey begun to take its economic revenge upon France for acknowledging the Armenian Holocaust of 1915 - in which up to 1.5 million Christian Armenians were massacred by Ottoman Turks - than Greece has decreed a "Genocide Day" to commemorate the bloody destruction of the Greek community in eastern Turkey by the forces of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1922. Not to be outdone, Ankara's city council is itself now taking political action against the French government by announcing plans to erect a "genocide" monument to the one and a half million Algerians killed in the 1954-62 war of independence against France. What started as a Franco-Turkish dispute over a slaughter during the First World War - the Armenian demands partly inspired by Jewish Holocaust memorials commemorating the killing of 6 million Jews during the Second World War - thus now embraces long-buried Greek anger over the mass killing of Greek civilians in Smyrna and the brutal anti-colonial conflict that almost tore France apart only four decades ago. Earlier this month, Turkey announced the cancellation of offers to build a motorway across the bay of Izmit by the French companies Bouygues et Campenon Bernard SGE in retaliation for the promulgation by President Jacques Chirac of the law on the Armenian genocide. Both companies operate with Turkish consortiums and were bidding for a tunnel or bridge over the bay costing $ 1bn (pounds 700m). Referring to the Armenian genocide as "a fraud", Ankara had already cancelled a $ 200m contract with the French electronics defence company Thales to modernise the navigation system on 80 F-16 fighter jets - a contract that may now go to the one country that has always condemned those who deny the Jewish Holocaust: Israel. The Armenian president, Robert Kocharyan, who met President Chirac in Paris yesterday, called for the world to recognise the Armenian genocide, in an interview with Le Figaro. Greece's own demand for a Genocide Day is certain further to infuriate the Turks. The Ministry of Culture in Athens has decided that 14 September will be set aside to commemorate the killing of tens of thousands of Greeks on the Turkish mainland; the date marks the day on which Turkish forces under Ataturk, the founder of the modern-day Turkish state, finally captured the Greek city of Smyrna (now Izmir). In 1994, the Greek parliament had named 19 May as its "Pontios Day of Genocide" to mark the flight of Greek citizens from the shores of the Black Sea between 1916 and 1924. The eminent Greek historian Angelos Elefantis has expressed his shock at the use of the word "genocide" in relation to the Smyrna massacres, hitherto referred to in Greek history books as "the great catastrophe". In fact, it was Greece that provoked the disaster when its army, encouraged by the British, attacked central Turkey after the 1914-18 war. In a brilliant counter-offensive, Ataturk broke the Greek supply lines and swept the Greeks back to Smyrna. British, French and American ships rescued thousands of Greeks and Armenians as the Turks raped and pillaged Smyrna, although many Allied naval officers refused to help. At least a million Greeks were driven back to their homeland - an equal number of Turks were evicted from their homes in Greece and sent back to Turkey - in one of the first acts of mass "ethnic cleansing" of the 20th century. Mr Elefantis says the Greek parliament is acting "like an idiot". No Turkish writer has dared to say the same of his own government. Having never previously expressed its horror at the Algerian death toll - and without any apparent demarche to the present-day Algerian government - the Islamist mayor of Ankara, Melih Gokcek, has announced a memorial will be put up close to the French embassy recalling "the atrocities committed by France in Algeria". An exhibition of photographs of massacres committed by French troops will be opened in council offices. Mr Gokcek also plans to rename the Avenue Charles de Gaulle in Ankara, as well as roads named after Strasbourg and Paris. The daily newspaper Hurriyet said: "Chirac's signature has destroyed our friendship." One of the few journalists to urge restraint, writing in the daily Sabah, insisted that Turkey must find "more constructive ways of breaking the circle of hostility which is overwhelming the country". But Turkey still maintains - against all the evidence of witnesses and historians - that the Armenian Holocaust was "a pretence". A recent statement by the Turkish Community in Britain, acknowledges that Armenians - with other Ottoman citizens - "endured great suffering", but says only that an uprising by Ottoman Armenians who joined Tsarist forces "led to the relocation sic of the Armenians ... to other provinces away from the zone of conflict". During this "relocation", tens of thousands of civilian men were slaughtered and their families sent into the Syrian desert to be raped and starved to death. GRAPHIC: Greek soldiers in Smyna (Izmir) before its destruction, top right, by Turkish forces in 1922. Greece is planning a Genocide Day to commemorate the fall of the city, a move that Turkey is likely to find as offensive as; French recognition of the Armenian Holocaust, prompting Ankara to condemn atrocities by the French in Algeria, right __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Feb 12 19:27:25 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 16:27:25 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] "Cibane" te tjere ne token shqiptare Message-ID: <20010213002725.63618.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Ne Gjirokaster; Version origjinal i "Gjenerali i Ushtris? s? Vdekur" GJIROKASTER,12 shkurt/ATSH-E.Serjani/.- Iniciativa e Shoqat?s greke p?r t? r?n?t n? luft?n italo-greke n? vitin 1940 ne Shqiperi, ka sjelle nj? version origjinal t? episodeve p?rshkruara me mjesht?ri artistike nga shkrimtari Ismail Kadare n? romanin, "Gjenerali i Ushtris? s? vdekur". Nga java e kaluar n? qytetin e Gjirokast?res n? nj? fush? basketbolli n? af?rsi t? shkoll?s s? mesme "Siri Shapllo", kan? nisur g?rmimet p?r ?varosjen e eshtrave t? ushtar?ve grek? t? r?n? n? luftimet e zhvilluara n? territorin shqiptar mes ushtris? italiane dhe asaj greke gjat? luft?s s? Dyt? Bot?rore. Deri tani pun?tor?t q? kan? nisur g?rmimet kan? ?varrosur eshtrat e tete ushtar?ve grek?. Sipas At Nikolles, prift ortodoks n? kish?n e Kryeengj?ve e cila ndodhet pran? vendit t? g?rmimit, shoqata greke deri tani ka vepruar sipas dokumentacionit t? siguruar n? Ministrin? e Mbrojtjes s? Greqis? p?r vendndodhjen e sakt? dhe identitetet e k?tyre ushtar?ve t? r?n? n? luft?n italo-greke. Sipas tij, pas ?'varrimit eshtrat e ushtar?ve varrosen n? nj? varrez? n? af?rsi t? fshatit Bulara n Dropullin e Sip?rm ku ndodhen varret e rreth 130 ushtar?ve grek? t? r?n? n? k?t? luft?. /Ani/f.n/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 12 22:16:21 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 22:16:21 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bush Aide Meets Serbian Orthodox Bishop From Kosovo Message-ID: <2d.75e71c1.27ba0105@aol.com> Bush Aide Meets Serbian Orthodox Bishop From Kosovo WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - A moderate Serbian Orthodox bishop from Kosovo met a U.S. official at the White House on Monday to discuss events in the province, the scene of ethnic cleansing against its Albanian population two years ago. A U.S. official who asked not to be named said the bishop, Artemije Radosavljevic, had met U.S. deputy national security adviser Stephen Hadley. "The bishop was here to consult with new members of the administration," said the U.S. official. "They discussed the situation in Kosovo and developments over the last few months." Although theoretically part of Serbia, Kosovo effectively became a U.N. protectorate after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombed Yugoslavia in 1999, forcing the Serb-led Yugoslav army and Serbian security police from the province. Washington has sought to enlist the bishop in its effort to build a multiethnic society in Kosovo following the bombing, which aimed to stop ethnic cleansing of Kosovo's Albanians by forces led by former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. Fearing retribution by Kosovo Albanians for past Serb persecution, more than 150,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians fled Kosovo for Serbia after NATO-led troops and the United Nations took control of the province in June 1999. Bitter hostility continues to rage between Kosovo's Serb minority and Albanian majority populations in many parts of the province, with regular acts of violence against one community prompting retaliation by the other. From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 13 08:36:27 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 05:36:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Restaurime ne Gjirokaster Message-ID: <20010213133627.37151.qmail@web11505.mail.yahoo.com> 13 Shkurt 2001 KULTURE "Kabilat?t" do t? restaurohen nga italian?t TIRANE Nj? shkoll? italiane restaurimi do t? realizoj? meremetimin e sht?pis? karakteristike t? Kabilat?ve. "Ka qen? nj? k?rkes? e Shkoll?s s? restaurimit t? Bolonj?s p?r t? b?r? punime n? nj? ambient n? qytetin e Gjirokastr?s, ka th?n? drejtori i Monumenteve, Shkreli. Ne kemi menduar p?r sht?pin? e Kabilat?ve, q? ka t? gjith? element?t karakteristik? t? nd?rtes?s s? qytetit dhe q? ?sht? aktualisht n? nj? rrezik shkat?rrimi". Sht?pia e Kabilat?ve ?sht? duke u prishur si simotrat e saj, referuar historian?ve. Duhen t? pakt?n 600 milion? lek? p?r ta restauruar, shum?, q? n? konditat e Institutit ?sht? pothuaj e pamundur. "Esht? nj? nga sht?pit? m? t? ve?anta n? Gjirokast?r, sepse n? ambientet e saj mund t? shikosh t? gjitha element?t e nj? sht?pie tradite", kan? th?n? specialist?t e Monumenteve. Bashk?veprimi me shkoll?n ka vler? t? dyfisht?. Arsyeja ?sht? se i jepet nj? ambient i jasht?zakonsh?m p?r nga vlerat, k?saj shkolle p?r ta restauruar, nd?rkoh? kryhet edhe restaurimi i k?tij ambienti. Sht?pia ndodhet posht? kalas? s? qytetit dhe ajo ka pasur ambientet kryesore t? sht?pis? t? gdh?ndura, ka pasur nj? vitrazh (piktur? n? xham) interesant dhe po ashtu edhe element?t kryesor? arkitektonik?, q? e p?rb?jn? sht?pin? gjirokastrite. Por, kalimi i viteve dhe restaurimi i dob?t i ambienteve t? saj n? vitet paraardh?se, ka b?r? q? sht?pia t? k?rc?nohet seriozisht k?t? fillimshekulli. Nj? preventiv q? ka b?r? institucioni e llogarit nd?rtes?n, q? t? kushtoj? disa qindra milion?, nj? shif?r q? ?sht? hipotetike p?r Institucionin. Kjo i ka b?r? Monumentet p?r t? gjetur nj? zgjidhje oportune. Sht?pia do t? jet? p?rkoh?sisht rezidenc? shkencore e shkoll?s s? Bolonj?s, e cila do t? restauroj?, n? bashk?punim me restaurator?t shqiptar? (kontrolluar prej tyre), t? gjith? element?ve t? k?rc?nuara t? nd?rtes?s. Shkolla restauruese e Bolonj?s ?sht? nj?ra prej institucioneve m? interesant? n? Itali, n? k?t? fush?, me nj? tradit? t? spikatur n? restaurime t? shkall?s s? v?shtir?sis? s? lart?. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 13 19:49:55 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 19:49:55 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Milosevic Extradition Seen Possible Message-ID: <4b.7692d37.27bb3033@aol.com> Milosevic Extradition Seen Possible By KATARINA KRATOVAC .c The Associated Press BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - A law now in the works would provide for extraditing suspects - like Slobodan Milosevic - for trial by the U.N. war crimes tribunal, Yugoslavia's president said Tuesday. In a further tightening of the vise around the former Yugoslav president, a key Milosevic associate was arrested and another was reported to have fled the country. Milosevic has been indicted by the U.N. war crimes tribunal for alleged atrocities in Kosovo, and the Netherlands-based tribunal has asked that he be extradited to face trial. Despite the new law, which would remove the ban on extradition of Yugoslav citizens, President Vojislav Kostunica suggested he remained opposed to Milosevic's immediate extradition. ``The law will take up the question of extradition but that will not be its most important part, nor will extradition solve everything,'' Kostunica said. Kostunica has said the first priority is for Milosevic to be tried at home for misdeeds during his 13 years in power. ``Justice is better achieved when leaders of a country ... are held responsible by their own people,'' he said. Still the new law opens the way for possibly delivering Milosevic to The Hague once he has been tried in Serbia on charges that could range from corruption to war crimes. Kostunica associates noted the new law would be ready within five months. The law also appears to answer U.S. concerns. The United States has urged Kostunica's administration to cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal and gave them until March 31 to make good on the issue or risk losing financial aid worth around $100 million. Kostunica said cooperation did not necessarily mean extradition. ``Nowhere has it been specified what exactly is supposed to happen by March 31 - what is important is that cooperation starts,'' Kostunica said. ``The process must begin and there should be no preconditions, neither by Europe nor Washington.'' Also Tuesday, the parliament of Serbia, the main Yugoslav republic, adopted a law stripping former Serbian presidents of their dozens of bodyguards, leaving them with only one protector. Milosevic was Serbia's president until becoming Yugoslav president in 1997, yet the law does not immediately make him more vulnerable, since he still has federal protection. Socialist and Radical party legislators allied with Milosevic denounced the move. ``It is the preparation for what will happen to Milosevic,'' said Tomislav Nikolic, a Radical deputy. ``Kidnapping, arrest will be the result of the new law.'' Dragoljub Milanovic, former director of the state-run television, was detained Tuesday on suspicion of failing to protect 16 of his employees who died when NATO bombs hit the Yugoslav TV headquarters in April 1999. The victims' families have demanded Milanovic be charged with murder, claiming he wanted his employees to die so he could use their deaths to heat up the propaganda war against NATO. Milanovic went on a hunger strike to protest his detention and denounced his arrest as ``national shame.'' Banker Miodrag Zezevic - suspected of embezzling $75 million - was reported by local media to have fled the country to Hungary. Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested evidence indicated he had left but could offer no details. From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 13 22:59:32 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 19:59:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Camet dhe te drejtat e njeriut Message-ID: <20010214035932.88022.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> "Te drejtat europiane jane te njejta edhe per shqiptaret edhe per greket" TIRANE-Ligji i luftes eshte pengesa kryesore, qe nuk i lejon shqiptaret te gezojne pronat e tyre ne Greqi. Avokati i Popullit Emir Dobjani eshte shprehur se Greqia nuk u krijon mundesine reale, shqiptareve t'i gezojne pronat e tyre ne Greqi, pasi paraqet si pengese ekzistencen e ligjit te luftes me Shqiperine. Keshtu eshte shprehur Dobjani dje persa i perket ankeses se bere nga camet ne nje takim te zhvilluar me nje grup pune te nivelit te larte per Migracionin te Bashkimit Evropian te kryesuar nga z.Sjorgen, Drejtor i Pergjithshem ne Ministrine e Jashtme te Suedise. "Ceshtja came duhet trajtuar ne kuadrin e zbatimit te Konventes Evropiane per te drejtat e njeriut, nenshkruese e se ciles eshte edhe Greqia", ka vijuar me tej ai. Persa u perket standardeve te te drejtave te njeriut, Dobjani ka thene se ato jane te njejta per te gjithe qytetaret evropiane sikunder jane edhe shqiptaret pavaresisht nga vendbanimi. "Ne si institucion duhet te ngrihemi edhe mbi politikat qeveritare te te dy shteteve kur eshte ceshtja per mbrojtjen e te drejtave te njeriut", u ka thene Dobjani zyrtareve te larte te Bashkimit Evropian. Ceshtja came ka kohe qe ka mberritur ne zyrat e Avokatit te Popullit, por ky i fundit eshte shprehur here pas here se juridiksioni i institucionit qe ai perfaqeson nuk i kalon kufijte e Shqiperise. Gjithsesi, dje Dobjani ka hedhur hapin e pare drejt sensibilizimit te institucioneve nderkombetare. Camet ne ankesen e tyre kane kerkuar pervecse te rifitojne te drejten e te qenit shtetas greke t'u rikthehen edhe te gjithe pronat, qe ata kane pasur ne Greqi. Nderkohe, Dobjani ka permendur para Grupit te Punes veprimtarine e kryer nga institucioni i tij. Zyra e tij deri tani ka perfunduar rreth 600 ankesa ose me sakte gati 70 per qind te numrit te pergjithshem te depozituar deri tani prane Avokatit te Popullit. Afersisht 150 ankesa jane perfunduar ne favor te qytetareve qe jane ankuar.Ndersa Sjorgen pasi ka shprehur impresionet e tij lidhur me punen e bere deri tani nga Zyra e Avokatit te Popullit i ka kerkuar ketij te fundit disa mendime se ku duhet te perqendrohej me mire puna e grupit per uljen dhe parandalimin e trafikut te qenieve njerezore. Dobjani eshte shprehur se prioritet i kesaj pune duhet te jene tre drejtime: trajnimi i burimeve njerezore, permiresimi i legjislacionit, si dhe ruajtja me e mire e kufirit. KOHA JONE __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 13 23:01:25 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 20:01:25 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Lajme nga kodervorret ilire te Kamenices Message-ID: <20010214040125.1230.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Identifikohet nje lekure kafshe e ngjyrosur; i takonte shekullit VII-VI p.e.s TIRANE, 13 Shkurt/ATSH-Klotilda Bi?aku/.- Nje lekure kafshe e ngjyrosur, e cila daton shekullin e VII-VI para eres se re eshte zbuluar ne shtator te vitit te kaluar ne Shqiperi. Frederik Stamata, shef i laboratorit te konservimit prane Institutit te Kultures Popullore tha per ATSH-ne se "ditet e fundit mbi baze te analizave laboratorike eshte konkluduar mbi moshen e hershme te kesaj lekure te zbuluar ne Tumat e Kamenices, nderkohe qe ngjyra e saj eshte percaktuar e kuqja". Tumat ilire te Kamenices,18 km larg qytetit te Korces, me diamet?r 34 metra i p?rkasin periudh?s s? hekurit para er?s son? dhe konsiderohen si nd?r monumentet m? t? m?dha n? vend. Ato perbehen nga nj? num?r i madh varresh si dhe nga kultura materiale si objekte qeramike, bronxi, en? funerale, zbukurime p?r femra, vegla pune etj. Tumat jan? varreza antike t? dysta, t? shtrira n? tok? si dhe me pllaka t? nd?rtuara n? forma monumentale dhe jan? interesante per sa i takon materialit te pasur arkeologjik qe posedojne. /f.n/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 13 23:06:43 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 20:06:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Milosevic's money trail Message-ID: <20010214040643.29620.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> The Times (London) February 13, 2001, Tuesday The Milosevic money trail John Reynolds John Reynolds on the task of tracing a dictator's assets THE lot of a City litigator can involve many innovative causes of action but litigating a claim based on genocide is one of the more unusual. Last year a group of Kosovan Albanians now in the US brought an action against the former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and other key figures. The claim, filed in the US Federal Court in the District of Massachusetts, alleges that senior Yugoslav officials engaged in crimes of genocide, war crimes and other violations of international humanitarian law in Kosovo through an organised conspiracy to achieve an ethnically pure Serbia. The service of the proceedings on Milosevic was unusual. At first attempt, the papers were returned marked "Not known at this address". The truth was "This address not known" - the dictator's former home - was now a crater, having been destroyed in a cruise missile attack. An additional factor is that Milosevic remains in Serbia and retains a certain position. Indeed, in November he was re-elected leader of the Serbian Socialist Party. It is typical for litigation against a head of state to take place once the individual concerned is out of power. There are a number of reasons for this. First, it is only once the individual has left office that there is likely to be the political will or individual motivation to bring an action. Secondly, after a change of regime, former supporters are more inclined to share information and evidence. And finally, if the individual has left his home country as well as office, he will need access to money, making assets easier to identify and freeze. Milosevic was President when the clients brought their action; in October he was ousted. Meanwhile, Augusto Pinochet faces the prospect of criminal and civil action in Chile - previously regarded as a safe haven. The security that each of these former leaders derives from his home country is significant. In the case of Pinochet, there is still strong popular support, which may yet influence the criminal investigation. For Milosevic, the future is uncertain. While he may be leader of the party, that may not be enough to ensure protection either in the short or the long term (particularly in light of December's election results). He is subject to an international arrest warrant and the political pressure from outside the country to hand him over to the UN authorities is stronger now that he is no longer head of state. While it may go against the norm to be bringing proceedings against a former head of state who retains certain power in his home country, the circumstances of Milosevic do not add undue complexity to this case in the way that Pinochet's presence and status in Chile may affect investigations there. The current proceedings are not in Milosevic's home country and, once judgment is obtained, it is unlikely that enforcement would be sought there. Likewise, assets likely to be of interest to the claimants are not in Yugoslavia. Despite the unusual aspects of this case, the post-judgment legal arguments and weaponry which may be deployed are little different from those in many commercial asset-tracing exercises; in fact, the notoriety of the defendant may make some aspects easier. The major task is usually identifying assets. The investigation techniques will be the same as those in any commercial case; in this case the task is made easier because the identity and whereabouts of many of Milosevic's assets are known to Western authorities. Also, while in many commercial asset-tracing cases the authorities in the offshore jurisdictions take a neutral stance, this position may change if the assets are shown to be those of an indicted war criminal. In any case, the tracing and enforcement procedures and case law in most of the offshore jurisdictions are well developed and possible counter-arguments can be addressed. The author is head of litigation at McDermott, Will & Emery. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From alb2001 at beld.net Wed Feb 14 03:26:16 2001 From: alb2001 at beld.net (ALBANIA 2001) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 03:26:16 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [2001ajs] Albania Business Education Message-ID: <200102140326.AA54264036@f155.beld.net> Some of you, or someone you know, might find this interesting. You can check the Federal Register for more information. Again, please do not respond to me on this e-mail ? I am just forwarding to provide information. Mark > SCOPE: The State Department is inviting grant applications to develop > and strengthen university-level business management education in > Albania. The project will support the development of instructional > materials and faculty training in business with emphasis on business > management, business law and ethics, corporate governance, accounting, > organizational management, finance, banking, and alternative conflict > resolution in business. > > DEADLINE: April 20. > > FUNDS: The Bureau anticipates awarding one or two grants for a total > of up to $188,300. Awards to organizations with less than four years > experience in conducting international exchanges are limited to > $60,000. > > . -- ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #72 Rruga Ismail Qemali, Pallati Fratari Tirana, Albania Telephone: 355-4-230700 Telephone: 355-038-21-63603 (Mark Kosmo -- Cell Phone) Telephone: 355-038-20-26031 (Diana Rodi -- Cell Phone) Fax: 355-4-230700 E-Mail: alb2001 at icc.al.eu.org ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #417 160 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02116 Telephone: 781-843-1056 Telephone: 617-262-6665 Fax: 617-262-2340 E-Mail: alb2001 at beld.net -- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/0/_/_/_/982139077/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: 2001ajs-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Mon Feb 12 14:16:41 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 20:16:41 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Nano Meets Kostunica in Athens (AIM Tirana, February 1, 2001 published 12 FEB 2001) Message-ID: <3A883699.6169577A@bndlg.de> http://www.aimpress.org/dyn/trae/archive/data/200102/10212-001-trae-tir.htm Copyright: All those wishing to use or publish the following text are welcome to do so, provided that they indicate the source and inform the AIM office in Paris which is interested to receive comments and reactions on the information it provides. AIM, 17 rue Rebeval, F-75019 Paris, France MON, 12 FEB 2001 01:30:14 GMT Nano Meets Kostunica in Athens AIM Tirana, February 1, 2001 The news published on front pages of the two biggest dailies in Tirana that the President of the Socialist Party of Albania, former prime minister Nano and Yugoslav President Kostunica met on January 16 in Athens caused numerous reactions in the Albanian capital. What was the purpose of this practically clandestine meeting? Why is Nano becoming a protagonist of another meeting with Serbian leaders like in 1997 when he met with Milosevic on the island of Crete in Greece? What was the topic of the talks? These were the questions that were immediately raised in Tirana, and the secrecy was intensified by the fact that this bombastic piece of news was carried only by the correspondent of German Radio Deutche Welle from Athens. The questions and the doubts, however, lasted only for a few hours. At noon on January 27, at a press conference, the spokesman of former prime minister Nano denied that there had been a meeting. Rejecting "speculations of the press", the spokesman declared that the President of the Socialist Party had not been in Athens, but in Ankara for official talks. Two days had gone by and when it seemed that this event was about to be forgotten, another surprise came that deserved to be the topic of a few comic shows on TV in Tirana. In one of them, shots of the Socialists' leader were repeated several times in which at the same place, in the same tone and with the same solemnity he denied what he had declared just a day before. This time, according to the spokesman, Nano and Kostunica had met in the afternoon on January 16, the meeting lasted 35 minutes and it took place in a luxurious hotel downtown Athens. Instead to pacify them, making the meeting public enraged almost unanimously all political factors in Tirana. President of the parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs, Sabri Godo, who is a representative of a small opposition party and who has always called for cautiousness in normalisation of relations between Tirana and Belgrade, was among the first to condemn this act. The opposition Democratic Party also declared itself against the secrecy of the meeting and its location. Leader of the opposition Berisha declared that he had no prejudice about a dialogue with Kostunica, but that he was against the secrecy with which the meeting of Nano and Kostunica had been organised. Criticism addressed to Nano arrived also from the opposed faction of his own party. Servet Pellumbi, former vice-president of the Socialists estimated this meeting as another mistake of Nano and stressed that he had not represented the Socialist Party there, but only his own self. The whole press in Tirana and Pristina unanimously joined them in criticism. "Both meetings - the one of Nano with Kostunica in Athens, and the one with Milosevic in Crete were organised and took place under supervision of Greek politics which is known for its inclination and sentiment towards Serbia", oppositionist Rilindja demokratike commented. "Unprecedented lack of publicity and yet another Nano's case of irresponsibility", underlined the biggest daily in Tirana, Shekulli. On the other hand, the respected (authoritative newspaper in Pristina Koha ditore, in its editorial titled "Why this secret meeting in Athens", highly critically pointed out: "Having met with Kostunica, Nano has underestimated legal institutions of his country. He acted like a man with the flaw of the omnipotent and once more left Kosovo the taste of the notorious meeting in Crete". These sharp reactions to the meeting of Nano with Kostunica on January 16 are not caused so much by the fact that the head of Albanian majority party has met the head of a state which was just a short time ago considered to be the enemy of Tirana. Nowadays all those who are significant in politics in Albania have confirmed the stand that they are in favour of normalisation of relations with Yugoslavia. Indeed the debate is not centred on what was the topic of the talks in Grand Bretagne Hotel in Athens, but on the way the meeting had been organised, and especially on its unnecessary secrecy. Now it is clear that the first attempt of an Albanian politician to meet Kostunica (if the courtesy handshake in Skopje between Meidani and Kostunica is disregarded) was planned to be kept secret. Perhaps there had been a previous pact between the two parties, Nano on the one and Kostunica on the other hand, to have confidential talks. Nano might have asked for that, because, as a weekly in Tirana wrote: "He has become the greatest and the only loser in this story". But, Nano is pretending exactly the opposite. In an interview given after the meeting, he confirmed that he was not at all disturbed by the accusations of folklore patriots. "I belong to the race of voted-in politicians who know how to assume responsibility in decisive moments", he said. And according to Nano, the time when he met Kostunica was such a moment. Albania and Yugoslavia were in the process of establishing diplomatic relations. "We ought to do everything possible in order to make them more than just a formal act", said Nano. Several hours after Nano had met Kostunica, information was published on re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Tirana and Belgrade. AIM Tirana Andi BUSHATI ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982153631/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Tue Feb 13 15:28:18 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 21:28:18 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Tirana: the Balkans Syndrome - a Political Syndrome (AIM Tirana, February 1, 2001 published 12 FEB 2001) Message-ID: <3A8998E2.372135B5@bndlg.de> http://www.aimpress.org/dyn/trae/archive/data/200102/10212-003-trae-tir.htm Copyright: All those wishing to use or publish the following text are welcome to do so, provided that they indicate the source and inform the AIM office in Paris which is interested to receive comments and reactions on the information it provides. AIM, 17 rue Rebeval, F-75019 Paris, France MON, 12 FEB 2001 22:21:34 GMT Tirana: the Balkans Syndrome - a Political Syndrome Albania and the Problem of Depleted Uranium AIM Tirana, February 1, 2001 The Balkans Syndrome, which in January unleashed debates and replies in governmental, military, diplomatic and media circles in Western capitals and states, which had sent peacekeepers to Bosnia and Kosovo, was received with total indifference in Albania. This is so true that throughout January, despite the wide publicity the Balkans Syndrome was receiving in the international media, this topic did not appear one single time in the Albanian printed and electronic media. At first sight, it seemed that the fact that Kosovo was the geographic centre of the Balkans Syndrome, would provoke a great concern of the Albanian public. The more so as after the signing of Dayton Accords, Albania also sent its unit of peace-keepers to Bosnia within the international SFOR forces. Also, the scientific community and the public opinion are in full agreement over the indifferent stand on the Balkans Syndrome. Naturally, like all other European Governments, irrespective of its silence, the Albanian Government put together and sent expert groups to the zones in the north of Albania adjacent to the western Kosovo border, along the belt which is claimed to have the highest radiation concentrations as a result of the use of ammunition with depleted uranium. The Italian soldiers are also stationed there, as part of KFOR forces. A team of the Public Health Institute and another from the Institute of Nuclear Physics have conducted a detailed inspection of the border zones with Kosovo, its population, flora and fauna and presented their findings on January 23. The team of Albanian scientists recorded values of alpha, beta and gama radiation below the treshold level which are not dangerous for the local population there. They also stated that the situation regarding blood and skin diseases, newborns with congenital deformities and neoplasm, show the same parameters as during the three years before the Kosovo war. According to the experts of the Albanian Defence Ministry, medical examinations on the Albanian soldiers who served in the peace forces in Bosnia showed that their stay there had no negative effects on their health. One of the most renowned Albanian experts in the field of nuclear physics and the former Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Professor Skender Koja, who reviewed the issue of the Balkans Syndrome for an Albanian magazine on January 10, came to the conclusion that from the scientific point of view this was a false alarm because comparisons with medical statistics showed that the incidence of leukaemia of 3-4 persons per 100,000 inhabitants was the approximate number of leukaemia cases that appeared with the international military personnel in Bosnia and Kosovo, because in the previous five years, thanks to the rotation system, around 300 thousand persons had served there. On the problem of the Balkans Syndrome, the Albanian political parties in Tirana and Pristina have also taken a unified stand. The statement by the President of the Kosovo Democratic Union, Ibrahim Rugova, made on January 5, who said that the dust raised by the Balkans Syndrome was actually aimed at forcing the peace forces to leave Kosovo, was received with much publicity. Actually, from the very beginning the problem of depleted uranium was for a number of reasons received with mistrust by the political parties in Albania, both those in the government majority as well as those in the opposition, right and left, small and large alike. The fact that the problem of the Balkans Syndrome has been raised mostly by those circles and political forces such as communists, anti-Atlantic, pacifists, etc. in some Western-European countries which were against the NATO military intervention in Kosovo, was received in Tirana with much suspicion. The enthusiasm of the official Belgrade, which used the Balkans Syndrome to condemn the danger posed by NATO and to repeat the charges for the so called NATO aggression against Serbia, has increased even more the conviction of Tirana that this is another act of political abuse. According to Albanian assessments, the objective is to show that NATO intervention in Kosovo in spring 1999 was totally pointless, to rehabilitate Milosevic's criminal policy in Kosovo and to exert international pressure on the KFOR to leave Kosovo. The Albanian political circles are especially mistrustful about the resurfacing of the problem of the Balkans Syndrome at the beginning of the term of the new US President, George Bush, which coincides with certain efforts on the part of the new Yugoslav leadership and President Kostunica, as well as some FRY allies, to prevail upon the US military corps to pull out from Kosovo. Tirana acknowledges that there is reason for various Governments to be concerned over the health of their soldiers who served in Bosnia and Kosovo, but with some anger also emphasises that the same high degree of concern was not expressed, if at all, over the possible effects of depleted uranium on the health of two million Kosovars who are still living there. In this context, it is generally, almost unanimously, believed in the political, state and public circles in Tirana that the question of the Balkans Syndrome is just a political abuse of a phenomenon that is the matter to be studied by scientists, physicists and doctors. In a release of its Foreign Ministry of January 11, the Albanian Government stated that the Balkans Syndrome is a cover-up rather than a reality, and that the whole problem has been blown out of all proportion by political innuendoes the aim of which is to put the blame on NATO. In this respect, the Albanian Government reiterated its stand for the continued presence and activity of NATO in Kosovo and other parts of the Balkans. Naturally, there can be a degree of biased politicisation in the Albanian labelling of the Balkans Syndrome as a political syndrome. The fact that this is all linked with Kosovo cannot rule out such a possibility. But, Tirana feels reassured by the fact that the official reports of NATO, World Health Organisation and US Defence Ministry reject every possibility of a real threat of depleted uranium. Finally, the vital importance of Kosovo for Albanians on both sides of the border urges them to minimise all kinds of risks, the more so when it concerns a still unconfirmed risk such as the Balkans Syndrome. AIM Tirana Arian LEKA ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! 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Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Tue Feb 13 15:38:58 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 21:38:58 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Text: University in FYR Macedonia to Offer Curriculum in Albanian (OSCE, US Dept of State, 12 Feb 2001) Message-ID: <3A899B62.5A9017CD@bndlg.de> Betreff: Text: University in FYR Macedonia to Offer Curriculum in Albanian Datum: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 21:45:14 -0500 Von: US Dept of State Listserv Manager An: WF-EUROPE at LISTS.STATE.GOV Text: University in FYR Macedonia to Offer Curriculum in Albanian (OSCE release: New university project unveiled in Tetovo) (610) The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced that construction has begun on a private university in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia that will offer a curriculum in the Albanian language. The South East Europe University is expected to be ready to open this October. "The country's significant Albanian minority has long called for the creation of an institution of higher education which could offer curriculum in Albanian," according to an OSCE press release, which noted that the Law on Education adopted last July provided the legal framework for the establishment of such an institution. Courses will also be offered in Macedonian and other European languages. Max van der Stoel, OSCE high commissioner on national minorities and chairman of the International Board of the University, "has concentrated on this project as a means of improving inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia," the release said. Following is the text of the press release: (begin text) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe The Hague 12 February, 2001 NEW UNIVERSITY PROJECT UNVEILED IN TETOVO, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA THE HAGUE, 12 February 2001 -- On 11 February an official ceremony took place in Tetovo to mark the beginning of construction on a new private institution of higher education in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Curriculum at the so-called "South East Europe" University will be in Albanian. Courses will also be offered in Macedonian and other European languages. The University will include faculties of law, business administration, public administration, communication, and computer studies, and teacher training. It should be ready to open its doors on 1 October 2001. The creation of the University has been a contentious issue in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The country's significant Albanian minority has long called for the creation of an institution of higher education which could offer curriculum in Albanian. The legal framework for the establishment of such an institution became possible with the adoption of a new Law on Education on 25 July 2000. It allows for the use of the Albanian language and other languages in private institutions of higher education. The unveiling ceremony on 11 February was attended by members of the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (including the Foreign Minister and Minister of Education), representatives of the country's Albanian community, the mayor of Tetovo, members of the national and international boards of the institution, and representatives of the diplomatic corps. The ceremony was addressed by the Prime Minister, Ljubco Georgievski, the Chairman of the national board of the University, Zamir Dika, the future director of the University, Alajdin Abazi, and the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities (and Chairman of the International Board of the University), Max van der Stoel. Mr. Van der Stoel, has concentrated on this project as a means of improving inter-ethnic relations in Macedonia. Together with international experts, he offered advice on the compatibility of the Law on Education with international standards. Under his guidance, a business plan was developed for the University. In November 2000 an International Foundation was created, under his auspices, to plan and oversee the creation of the University. Funding for the University is being provided by international donors including individual OSCE States and the European Union. For more information contact Mr. Walter Kemp, tel (3170) 312 55 06, fax (3170) 363 59 10, email wkemp at hcnm.org (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982153894/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Tue Feb 13 15:39:45 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 21:39:45 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Text: OSCE Appeals for Constructive Cooperation in Albania (OSCE, US Dept of State, 12 Feb 2001) Message-ID: <3A899B91.BFA0B47C@bndlg.de> Betreff: Text: OSCE Appeals for Constructive Cooperation in Albania Datum: Mon, 12 Feb 2001 21:45:13 -0500 Von: US Dept of State Listserv Manager An: WF-EUROPE at LISTS.STATE.GOV Text: OSCE Appeals for Constructive Cooperation in Albania Elections (Geoana warns against political polarization in Albania) (430) Mircea Geoana, chairman-in-office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), is urging political forces in Albania to contribute to the success of the June parliamentary elections, which he says could "mark yet another milestone in Albania's democratic development." "The process of democratic elections must not be held hostage to political polarization," said Geoana, who is also Romania's foreign minister. Disputes among political parties are hampering preparations for the elections, according to an OSCE press release. Following is the text of the press release: (begin text) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Tirana, Albania 12 February, 2001 OSCE APPEALS FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CO-OPERATION IN ALBANIA ELECTIONS TIRANA, 12 February 2001 -- The Chairman-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana, today issued an urgent appeal to all political forces in Albania to contribute to the success of the upcoming parliamentary elections. "The June parliamentary elections could mark yet another milestone in Albania's democratic development. It is of the utmost importance that this opportunity will not be missed," said the Chairman-in-Office. "I appeal to all political forces in the country to contribute to the success of these elections in a constructive spirit. The process of democratic elections must not be held hostage to political polarization." On a visit to Albania today, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office met with, among others, the President of Albania, Rexhep Meidani, the Prime Minister Ilir Meta, the Foreign Minister Paskal Milo, as well as leaders of political parties. The main issue in his discussions was the preparations for the parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for the month of June this year. The preparations are being hampered by disagreements between the political parties on a number of issues. "I am confident that Albania will be able to continue on its path towards democracy and prosperity," stated Minister Geoana. He added that Albania already is playing an important role in achieving stability in South Eastern Europe by strengthening its ties to other countries in the region and participating in many regional initiatives. "The OSCE has witnessed much of this process from the inside, since the establishment of its Presence in Albania in 1997. The OSCE stands ready to assist Albania in the future as well, in close co-operation with the Albanian Government and institutions." (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982153895/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From albania at netzero.net Wed Feb 14 06:50:37 2001 From: albania at netzero.net (Nikoll A Mirakaj) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 06:50:37 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} Macedonia, Yugoslavia to Settle Border Questions Without Kosovars Message-ID: <008901c0967c$59a0dec0$9942f6d1@albania> Macedonia, Yugoslavia to Settle Border Questions Without Kosovars SKOPJE, Feb 13, 2001 -- (RFE/RL) Foreign Minister Srdjan Kerim said in Skopje on 11 February that his government and the new Yugoslav authorities have nearly completed work on defining their common border, dpa reported. He added that he expects the final document to be ready for signing at the 22 February Balkan summit in Skopje. Speaking to reporters, he refused to comment on reports that Kosovar leaders wanted to be included in the talks. Kerim added: "I do not know what relevant political factors from Kosovo could take part in talks on the border, because that issue is settled between Macedonia and Yugoslavia, according to international norms." Copyright (c) 2001 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio FreeEurope/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From wplarre at bndlg.de Tue Feb 13 15:34:58 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2001 21:34:58 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Yugoslavia Tightens Checks on Montenegro, Kosovo (Reuters, Feb 13, 2001) Message-ID: <3A899A72.C717FBB4@bndlg.de> http://centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=288469 Yugoslavia Tightens Checks on Montenegro, Kosovo BELGRADE, Feb 13, 2001 -- (Reuters) Yugoslavia set up customs checkpoints on Monday along Serbia's administrative borders with Montenegro and Kosovo in a bid to clamp down on illegal trade. Six customs checkpoints were being set up with Kosovo and four with Montenegro, a customs spokeswoman said. "The aim of setting up these checkpoints is to prevent any illegal entry of goods and to apply valid customs laws to goods entering the territory covered by the Yugoslav Customs Office," Customs Office spokeswoman Marina Nikolic told Reuters. Montenegro, which has been pulling away from its bigger partner Serbia in the Yugoslav federation, has its separate customs rules and Kosovo has been under de-facto international administration since June 1999, at the end of a NATO air war. The authorities of ousted president Slobodan Milosevic had set up police checkpoints to prevent smuggling from Kosovo and Montenegro but Nikolic said these were not regular customs posts in line with lawful procedure. "They (the old police checkpoints) used internal, ad hoc regulations. Now we will apply customs rules implemented at all other customs points," Nikolic said. Goods headed for the UN administration and NATO-led troops in Kosovo -- UNMIK and KFOR - will be exempt from customs if necessary documents are provided, such as an authorization of the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, the Office said. Serbian goods headed for Montenegro and Kosovo will also be checked to determine their true origin, the office said. Milosevic's checkpoints had been temporarily closed by the new reformist government after it took over in October. Montenegro's Trade Minister Ramo Bralic was quoted by Montenegrin media as saying on Monday that restoring checkpoints between Serbia and Montenegro was a political decision reminiscent of the former authorities' behavior. He said customs offices, public revenue offices, market and financial inspections could have stopped any illegal trade. Serbia and Montenegro have not had proper trading and financial ties since November when the smaller republic ditched the dinar, keeping the German mark as the only legal tender. The two republics have not coordinated their economic policies since 1999. (C)2001 Copyright Reuters Limited ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982153891/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Wed Feb 14 15:20:50 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 21:20:50 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Kostunica wants revision of Kosova peace agreements (RFE/RL, 14 Feb 2001) Message-ID: <3A8AE8A2.28D8A227@bndlg.de> http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/480fa8736b88bbc3c12564f6004c8ad5/7f734b2f13f39af5c12569f3005c11ed?OpenDocument Source: Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty Date: 14 Feb 2001 Kostunica wants revision of Kosova peace agreements Speaking at a Belgrade press conference on 13 February, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica again called for a revision of the 1999 Kumanovo agreements that ended the Kosova conflict and established a demilitarized zone on southwest Serbia's border with Kosova (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 6 February 2001). He said that "if NATO and KFOR are still reluctant about abolishing the buffer zone, we can narrow [the zone in Serbia] and extend it across the boundary into Kosovo and have joint patrols there by KFOR and our army," Reuters reported. He added that Yugoslav officers could be stationed at the U.S. Camp Bondsteel base in Kosova. Kostunica apparently did not mention how he would deal with the ethnic Albanians, who do not trust Belgrade and its security forces. It was in their interest that the zone was set up in the first place. In December, Predrag Simic, who is Kostunica's foreign policy adviser, wrote two articles in the weekly "NIN" in which he outlined plans for how Belgrade could re-establish its authority in Kosova with the cooperation of the international community. PM NATO SKEPTICAL OF KOSTUNICA'S PROPOSAL In Brussels, unnamed NATO officials told Reuters on 13 February that it is "highly unlikely" that the Atlantic alliance will agree to joint patrols with the Yugoslav military. The sources noted that there is no mention of joint patrols in their copies of Belgrade's proposed plan for easing tensions in the Presevo valley (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 February 2001). In Prishtina, unnamed KFOR sources said that they fear that Belgrade will use any changes in the Kumanovo agreements and the status of the zone to launch a fresh crackdown on local ethnic Albanians (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 13 February 2001). Albanian leaders in Kosova have repeatedly made it clear that any return of Serbian forces to the province is unacceptable following the repression and ethnic cleansing of 1998-1999. PM KOSTUNICA RULES OUT TALKS WITH ALBANIAN 'TERRORISTS' The Yugoslav president also said at his Belgrade press conference on 13 February that "we are not going to have talks [or] negotiations with terrorists," in an apparent reference to the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac (UCPMB), Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 February 2001). He argued that the guerrillas were wrong to take up arms "when everything has changed in this country, in the region." The fighters therefore cannot be regarded as "legitimate" representatives of the local Albanians, he added (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 13 February 2001). Kostunica nonetheless held open the possibility of talks involving the UCPMB's "political representatives - as has been done in Northern Ireland," by which he presumably meant Sinn Fein's role as a stand-in for the IRA. PM ? 2000 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982182691/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Thu Feb 15 08:42:31 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 08:42:31 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Barbara Jelavich Book Prize (S.E.E. history) Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieber at smartnet.ba Subject: [balkans] Barbara Jelavich Book Prize (S.E.E. history) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 22:54:47 +0100 Size: 4236 URL: From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 15 11:24:21 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 17:24:21 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: NATO to Consider Serb Role in Tense Buffer Zone (Reuters, February 15, 2001) Message-ID: <3A8C02B5.8A407593@bndlg.de> http://news.excite.com/news/r/010215/07/international-nato-yugoslavia-dc NATO to Consider Serb Role in Tense Buffer Zone Updated 7:04 AM ET February 15, 2001 BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO told Serbia on Thursday it was prepared to consider changes to the buffer zone on Kosovo's eastern border, which is being used as a safe haven by ethnic Albanian separatist rebels. Alliance Secretary General George Robertson said there should be no ultimatum issued to the separatists and no attempt to resolve the problem through violence or "so-called anti-terrorist operations." Robertson said NATO strongly welcomed Serbia plan's to pacify the Presevo Valley, although some parts posed questions that would need further study. He called on Belgrade to withdraw the Yugoslav Army's Pristina Corps from the region to lessen tensions among ethnic Albanian civilians and he urged the Serb authorities to put other confidence building measures into effect without delay. Serbian deputy premier Nebojsa Covic. who with Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, presented the Serb plan to NATO, said it would be carried out with "moderation, patience and no ultimatums, but quickly enough because we don't have time" to risk Presevo igniting a wider conflict. ? 2001 Reuters Limited ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! 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Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Thu Feb 15 11:26:58 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 17:26:58 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: Eliminating security zone in southern Serbia would be "premature" - NATO (AFP, February 15, 2001) Message-ID: <3A8C0352.8029265@bndlg.de> http://sg.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/afp/article.html?s=singapore/headlines/010215/world/afp/Eliminating_security_zone_in_southern_Serbia_would_be__premature__-_NATO.html Thursday, February 15 10:22 PM SGT Eliminating security zone in southern Serbia would be "premature" - NATO BRUSSELS, Feb 15 (AFP) - Eliminating a security zone separating Kosovo from the rest of southern Serbia would be "premature" at this point, NATO chief George Robertson said Thursday after meeting here with Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic. Covic came to NATO headquarters with Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic to present alliance ambassadors with Belgrade's plan for a negotiated settlement to the nearly year-long conflict against separatist rebels in southern Serbia. "There is no longer a need for such wide ground safety zone as a buffer zone," Covic told reporters, "because there are no hostilities between military or the police of Yugoslavia and KFOR," the NATO-led multinational peacekeeping force in the area. Up to 1,600 gunmen from the self-proclaimed Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac (UCPMB) have dug into a demilitarised buffer zone on the border between Serbia and Kosovo, declared off limits to Serbian troops and Kosovo's NATO-led peacekeepers (KFOR). The rebels and local Albanian politicians are calling for the Presevo Valley to be grafted on to UN-administered Kosovo. Robertson said NATO was "prepared to consider such changes" to the buffer zone, but only "if it will not create a vacuum or lead to new fighting. Premature changes... carry the risk of only making matters worse." Covic and Svilanovic were in Brussels as peace talks between Belgrade and southern Serbia's breakaway ethnic Albanian community appeared distant after a leading Albanian politician refused to negotiate without rebel fighters, condemned by Belgrade as "terrorists". The peace plan Covic and Svilanovic presented here was drafted by Belgrade's reformist authorities to end the long conflict between Serbian security forces and guerrillas demanding that the mainly ethnic Albanian region be grafted onto Kosovo. But a day after Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica ruled out even talking to the rebels' political wing, Riza Halimi, mayor of Presevo -- the largest Albanian community in the south -- said he would not join talks unless the rebels were allowed in too. He also objected to a clause in the Serbian peace plan threatening "anti-terrorist" actions in the region if the talks, which call for progressive demilitarisation, fail. Covic said here: "We don't have time. We must prevent possible conflicts of wider proportion. We must stop any extremism...However for the sake of the people who live in the region it is necessary to do all this gradually and without any haste." Robertson said Covic's peace plan contained "constructive proposals" that were "an encouraging basis for negociation." "We today call upon the ethnic Albanian community in southern Serbia to begin...a dialogue with Belgrade to build together a balanced long term settlement," he said, adding that NATO saw the plan "as a beginning. These proposals must not be seen as an ultimatum." The NATO chief said the alliance would "maintain a robust stance against those who use violence to promote their political objectives. "We consider it intolerable that there are armed extremists using the ground safety zone to launch attacks and to seek to provoke counter-reaction." Covic and Svilanovic were to meet later Thursday with the European Union's Political and Security Committee and have a working dinner with Javier Solana, EU high representative for security and foreign policy. Copyright ? 2000 AFP ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982255469/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 15 13:05:43 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 18:05:43 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Don't ignore Greek terrorism Message-ID: The Christian Science Monitor February 14, 2001, Wednesday OPINION; Pg. 11 Don't ignore Greek terrorism E. Wayne Merry WASHINGTON The United States labored 10 years to bring about the recent trial in the Pan Am bombing case. US officials worked overtime to arrest the suspects now on trial in New York for bombing two US embassies in Africa in 1998. And serious efforts are under way to find the culprits in attacks on US targets in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. But there's a gap in this pattern. We should devote similar attention to the longest series of unsolved anti-American terrorist attacks in the world - those in Athens. This problem will assume critical urgency with the approach of the 2004 summer Olympics scheduled for Athens. The first attack, a brutal murder, took place more than 25 years ago, and the left/nationalist group called "November 17" has remained active ever since. Under a banner of opposing liberal democracy, capitalism, and foreigners, the group has tried to kill more than a hundred Americans. Sadly, five US Embassy officials are dead. The toll is so low only because for years the US has spent more taxpayer dollars for diplomatic security in Greece than anywhere else in the world, money badly needed to protect other posts. In part because the US Embassy is a forbidding fortress, the terrorists have shifted their murderous attentions, killing British and Turkish diplomats and bombing the German and Dutch embassies. They have also killed or wounded prominent Greeks and attacked numerous businesses, many of them American. By the grim standards of modern terrorism, November 17 is a modest threat. It should have been put out of business long ago. But it has recruited new, younger assassins and greatly expanded its range of weapons and explosives. Its success has encouraged copycat activities, with more than 100 bombings in Athens just last year by a plethora of groups. The problem is Greek government passivity. Despite scores of attacks - many with eyewitnesses - there have been no arrests. No suspects have even been identified. Many Western countries have faced radical leftists, but only Greek law enforcement has zero accomplishments. Few Greeks believe police failure is an accident. Repeatedly, key information about investigations is leaked to the tabloid newspapers. Last fall, six months of hard work by some of Scotland Yard's best investigators - sent to Greece after the murder of the British defense attache in June - was exposed in two Athens dailies. The information could come only from inside the "elite" counterterrorist forces. Time and again, witnesses who have given police "secret" testimony have received threatening phone calls or seen their cars firebombed by way of warning. Why should anyone help the police when they can expect their identity to be in terrorist hands in short order? Washington bends over backwards not to antagonize friendly governments, but last year gave Greece failing grades in the security field three times. In May the State Department's annual report on global terrorism specified Colombia and Greece as the two most problematic countries. In June, a bipartisan National Commission on Terrorism identified 146 anti-American terrorist attacks in Greece (all unsolved) over 25 years and recommended Greece and Pakistan be subject to legal sanctions for failure to cooperate. In December the Federal Aviation Administration gave Greece a failing grade in aviation security standards, not related to November 17 but symptomatic of the overall security problem. Then, on Feb. 7 CIA Director George Tenet told a Senate committee of "a major vulnerability" of the 2004 Olympics scheduled for Athens, saying Greek authorities "need to take this terrorist threat far more seriously than it's been taken in the past." During three years in the US Embassy in Athens, I learned the hard way why official cooperation with Greek security authorities has so far accomplished nothing. A top Greek law-enforcement official told me his agency intended to "wait out" the terrorists, hoping they would give up and retire. A political-level official of the Foreign Ministry bluntly told me Greece has nothing to fear from Washington because his ministry exercises more influence on Capitol Hill than does the State Department. Last year, a senior editor of the most respected daily paper in Athens dismissed November 17 as an American problem, not a Greek one. The official approach is to belittle the problem abroad to protect the important tourism industry rather than enforce the law at home. The Bush administration must treat anti-American attacks in Greece as no different from terrorism elsewhere. To start, it should tell Greek leaders it could not certify Athens as safe for American athletes and fans during the 2004 Olympics if November 17 is not destroyed. The danger of the national humiliation that would follow an American boycott should convince Athens at last that terrorism requires action rather than rhetoric. Greek authorities can deal with this problem if they want to, and Washington should make certain they do. E. Wayne Merry, a former State Department and Pentagon official, is a senior associate at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 15 13:07:47 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 18:07:47 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Safe haven for criminals Message-ID: >The Independent (London) > > >February 15, 2001, Thursday > >First Edition; NEWS; Pg. 16 > >MILOSEVIC AND HIS HENCHMEN LIE LOW TO ESCAPE JUSTICE; > YUGOSLAVIA A HUNDRED DAYS AFTER VOJISLAV KOSTUNICA'S >VELVET REVOLUTION, SERBIAN CAPITAL REMAINS A PLACE OF >REFUGE FOR INDICTED WAR CRIMINALS > >Justin Huggler In Belgrade > > > > >DRAGAN JAKSIC is nobody special - just a professional >driver. But one night two weeks ago, when Mr Jaksic >was sitting at the wheel of his Audi on the elegant >Proleterskih Brigada street in Belgrade, somebody >walked up to his car and shot him through each hand, >at point blank range. > >It was a professional hit, and the gunman could easily >have killed Mr Jaksic, if he had been ordered to. > >In the ornate building opposite, Mr Jaksic's >passenger, Goran Petrovic, was meeting Zoran Djindjic, >the Prime Minister of Serbia and the most powerful man >in the democratic alliance that now governs >Yugoslavia. > >Three days earlier, Mr Petrovic had been appointed the >new head of Yugoslavia's intelligence service, feared >and loathed under Slobodan Milosevic, and one of the >last bastions of power to fall to Mr Djindic's >coalition. > >As Mr Jaksic writhed in agony, blood pouring from the >hands with which he makes his living, the message was >clear. Someone was warning the new government not to >pry too closely into the murky dealings that went on >under Mr Milosevic's rule, letting the new authorities >know the gangs can still strike in the heart of the >new Yugoslavia. Someone was telling the new >authorities that they hadn't gone away. > >Today is the hundredth day since the democratic >alliance led by Vojislav Kostunica took over the >government of Yugoslavia. But Belgrade hasn't given up >her secrets yet. In the past 10 years, there were more >than 900 mysterious murders. Nobody knows who killed >the journalist Slavko Curuvija, shot dead in the first >days of the 1999 Nato bombing campaign. Or what >happened to Ivan Stambolic, the former president who >disappeared before last year's elections, and hasn't >been seen since. > >Who ordered the killing of the warlord Arkan is not >clear. And not all the names have emerged from the >massive network of smuggling and organised crime that >flourished under Mr Milosevic. Most of the grisly cast >of Mr Milosevic's years are still here. Belgrade is >still the war criminal's favourite address, and the >city is a map of murderers, ethnic cleansers and >gangsters. > >Take a stroll through any of the more fashionable >residential quarters and, if you are lucky, you might >spot one of them - but they are furtive creatures. > >Slowly, remorselessly, we are told, the net is closing >in on the war criminals. On Monday, the international >war crimes tribunal is to open an office in Belgrade. >This week, the new government is clearing Mr >Milosevic's placemen out of the judiciary to open the >way for prosecutions in Serbia. > >The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, is >rumoured to have said there are 16 indictees in Serbia >- how many of those are publicly indicted, and how >many named in sealed indictments, is unclear. Indicted >Bosnian Serbs may be hiding here. > >Among the expensive villas on Dedinje hill, the king >of the war criminals lives undisturbed in his old >lair: Mr Milosevic, indicted for genocide and war >crimes in Kosovo, is still in the presidential palace. >His private house, nearby at 11 Uzicka street, stands >empty. The new President, Mr Kostunica, has not >evicted him from the palace, and some in the new >government are beginning to mutter discontentedly at >that. > >Inside, one of the bodyguards says, Mr Milosevic has >fallen out with his wife, Mira Markovic. > >Wander across town to the expensive neighbourhood of >Banovo Brdo, and you stumble on 129 Blagoje Parovica, >a big villa with mirrored windows, and a >thuggish-looking plainclothes bodyguard at each door. >Inside, it is believed, lurks Ratko Mladic, the >Bosnian Serb general who wrote his name across Bosnia >in blood. > >He is indicted for commanding Bosnian Serb troops who >wiped out the Muslim population in the "safe area" of >Srebrenica in July 1995, who murdered civilians as >they walked in the streets of Sarajevo, and rounded >civilians up into concentration camps. But the Serbian >government says justice for General Mladic, who >committed his crimes in another country, is not a >priority. > >At 3-5 Sokolska street, a nondescript block of flats >in downtown Belgrade, lives Nikola Sainovic, the >federal deputy prime minister at the heart of the >worst war crimes in Kosovo. Mr Sainovic sent the >orders from Belgrade to police units to force tens of >thousands of ethnic Albanians out of the province and >to torch their homes. It is rumoured, too, that Mr >Sainovic had his own private racket selling property >looted from Albanian homes in Kosovo. > >At 9 Koste Glavonjica street, in an expensive block of >flats, lives Milan Milutinovic - who still holds the >public office he had during the Kosovo war: President >of Serbia, the larger of federal Yugoslavia's two >republics. Recently, details of his shady past have >emerged, including how he stole firefighting planes >from Croatia during that war, and sold them to Greece. > > >A hundred days into the brave new Serbia, Belgrade >still has plenty of secrets to tell. > >Leading article, Review, page 3 > >GRAPHIC: Vojislav Kostunica: One hundred days of >reform > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 >a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Feb 15 22:22:15 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 19:22:15 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Sorosi fton Message-ID: <20010216032215.3700.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Vendos?n t? punojn? k?tu, tani i paguan edhe SOROS TIRANE Ata jan? 78 persona. Specialist? t? financave, arsimit, kultur?s sh?ndetit, prok-uror?, shefa policie: t? gjith? punonj?s t? t? administrat?s publike. T? arsimuar n? universitetet e huaja, Angli, Franc?, Kanada, Rumani, Bullgari e gjetk?, ata kan? zgjedhur t? punojn? n? Shqip?ri. Por, dhe me nj? stimul tjet?r. SOROS iu jep nj? shtes? page, p?r zgjedhjen q? b?n?. "Nj? deri n? kat?rfish t? rrog?s shtet?rore q? ato firmosin n? bordero ?do muaj. Kjo ?sht? pjes? e programit Fellowship, q? ne kemi nisur", thot? p?r Gazet?n Mimoza Gjika, drejtoresh? e projektit. Nd?rsa ata vet? jan? pag?zuar si "fellow". Nga anglishtja, shqip?rimin m? t? sakt? do ta kishte "an?tar, ortak i nj? shoqate". Dhe shoq?ria q? i bashkon, k?ta njer?z, ?sht? d?shira p?r t? punuar n? Shqip?ri, por larg sektorit privat. Cil?t jan? student?t? Ilirian Zylyftari, studenti i dikursh?m n? nj? prej Fakulteteve t? Shkencave Politike italiane, ?sht? nj? prej "fellow"-ve. Pas mbarimit t? studimeve pasuniversitare n? Angli, ?sht? "peshkuar" n? programin e SOROS. Student i Shkencave politike, sot drejtor i Policis? s? Tiran?s, Zylyftari ?sht? kthyer n? nj? em?r publik. Duke kaluar shkall?-shkall? n? hierarkin? shtet?rore, has nj? tjet?r em?r, Edmond Haxhinasto, nj? nga njer?zit m? "t? af?rt" t? Kryeministrit Meta, kur b?het fjal? p?r ??shtjet me jasht?: k?shilltari diplomatik. Akoma m? larg Mentor Nazarko, k?shilltarin e shtypit t? Presidentit Meidani. Dje ai ishte bashk? me student?t e tjer? n? takimin e organizuar n? "Vil?n Ambasador". "Kam studiuar jasht? nga '91-'97, por asnj?her? shk?putja ime nuk ka qen? e gjat?. Gjat? k?saj kohe kam punuar si kryeredaktor i Gazet?s Dita Informacion", thot? ai p?r Gazet?n. Dikur pag?zimin "fellow" e mbante dhe ministri i Transporit, Sokol Nako, por tashm? ai ?sht? shk?putur nga klubi. T? gjith? jan? specialist? apo drejtor? t? dikastereve t? r?nd?sishme. Qendra e "fellow"-e T? vendosur pa hierarki, n? nj? list? t? gjat?, student?t q? kan? studiuar jasht? dhe punojn? n? administrat?, jan? shum?. Kjo u pa dje, n? takimin q? ata pat?n n? "Vil?n Ambasador", ku p?ruruan dhe Qendr?n e tyre. Esht? nj? dhom? e vog?l. Nuk ka m? shum? se dhjet? kompjutera dhe k?tu ata, student?t e universiteteve t? huaja, do t? takohen ?do muaj. "M? duket ide shum? interesante. Nuk jan? vet?m lek?t, por dhe nj? shk?mbim eksperience", thot? Liljana ?o?oli, specialiste n? Ministrin? e Arsimit dhe Shkenc?s. Ka vet?m dy muaj q? ?sht? an?tare e shoqat?s, q? dit?n kur vendosi t? l?r? firm?n ku ishte pun?suar. Si historia e saj gjen 78 vendime t? tjera, p?r t? punuar n? Shqip?ri. Programi i SOROS K?shtu, si dje, ata do t? takohen p?r pes? vjet me radh?. Kaq zgjat dhe programi, nga 2001-2005. Sipas drejtoresh?s s? programit, fondacioni SOROS (Shoq?ria e Hapur p?r Shqip?rin?), ka dh?n? 800 mij? dollar?, p?r kompensimin e rrogave. "Fellowship"-i u hap p?r her? t? par? n? vitin 1998. "At?her? ishin shum? pak student? q? kishin pranuar t? ktheheshin pas mbarimit t? studimeve", thot? Gjika. Programi donte t? zbuste disi "rrjedhjen e trurit", q? po paralizonte pun?n n? administrat?n publike. T? gjith? ata q? kishin mbaruar studimet universitare apo pas universitare jasht? vendit, ftoheshin nga SOROS t? punonin p?r Shqip?rin?. Secili prej student?ve duhet t? aplikonte pran? fondacionit. T? zgjedhurit nuk do t? mbeteshin thjesht me pag?n e shtetit. SOROS iu afronte atyre nj? kompensim n? lek?, q? do t? ishte dy her? ose dhe kat?r her? m? i madh se rroga e shtetit. Dhe kjo do t? gjykohej sipas rasteve. "Ishte nj? ofert? q? do t? motivonte p?r t? q?ndruar dhe at? kontigjent, i cili ishte pun?suar m? par? n? administrat?", thon? specialist?t e programit. ?'do b?het? "Me p?rpar?si jan? par? aplikant?t q? vijn? nga institucionet e p?rfshira n? thithjen e ndihm?s s? huaj", thon? koordinator?t e Projektit. K?shtu jan? 6 specialist? t? Ministris? s? Financave, 9 punonj?s t? Ministris? s? Pun?ve me Jasht? dhe 5 t? tjer?, punonj?s t? Ministris? s? Bashk?punimit Ekonomik dhe Tregtis?. Drejtuesit e programit sqarojn? se e nj?jta praktik? pritet t? ndodh? dhe me pushtetin lokal, ku ndihet mungesa e "trurit". 78 ish-student?t q? u takuan dje, tashm? mbajn? nj? em?r, jan? "dikush". Para shum? vitesh, nuk mor?n "arratin?" si t? shumt?t, q?ndruan k?tu. Nganj?her? ndodh dhe k?shtu. Disa nga antar?t e klubit o Mimoza Kondo, drejtoresh? e P?rgjith?shme p?r Integrimin Euro- Atlantik, dhe shum? shpejt pritet t? atashohet pran? ambasad?s shqiptare n? Bashkimin Evropian o Ilir Ciko, k?shilltar n? Ministrin? e Ekonomis? Publike dhe Privatizimit o Mentor Nazarko, k?shtilltar i Presidentit o Ilirian Zylyftari, drejtor i Policis? s? Tiran?s Elida Reci, drejtoresh? e Marr?dh?nieve me Jasht? n? Ministrin? e Financave o Ornela Kembora, specialiste n? Ministrin? e Financave o Andi Sulo, specialist n? Ministrin? e Financave o Arian Manahasa, drejtor i Drejtoris? s? Rrug?ve n? Ministrin? e Pun?ve Publike o Elida Petoshati, referente n? Ministrin? e Jashtme o Arben Tabaku, specialist n? Qendr?n Shqiptare p?r K?rkime Ekonomike o Albana Dautllari, specialiste n? Ministrin? e Ekonomis? Publike dhe Privatizimit o Edmond Haxhinasto, k?shilltar diplomatik i Kryeministrit o Eda Terzi, specialiste n? Ministrin? e Bashk?punimit Ekonomik dhe Tregtis? o Gjergji Teneqexhi, sekretar i p?rgjithsh?m i Ministris? s? Financave dhe drejtor i buxhetit n? k?t? Ministri o Artur Kuko, drejtor i marr?dh?nieve me BE, ish-ambasadori n? NATO o Doris Andoni, drejtoresh? e Projekteve n? Ministrin? e Pun?ve Publike o Lindita Backa, drejtoresh? e Drejtoris? s? Politikave n? Ministrin? e Sh?ndet?sis? __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Feb 15 22:23:41 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 19:23:41 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Gjin Zenebishi ne vend te Enverit Message-ID: <20010216032341.3805.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> GAZETA E GJIROKASTRES Busti, n? vend t? Enverit do t? vendoset Zenebishi GJIROKASTER N? vend t? Enver Hoxh?s do t? vihet ish-sundimtari i Gjirokastr?s, Gjin Zenebishi. Ai do t? vendoset te vendi ku ka qen? busti i Enver Hoxh?s, n? krah t? majt? t? rrug?s kryesore, q? t? ?on n? sheshin e ?er?izit, 300 met?r larg tij. Lajmi ?sht? b?r? i ditur nga n?nkryetari i Bashkis? s? Gjirokastr?s, Albert Kasi. P?r k?t? gj?, ka nisur edhe puna, me gjetjen e nj? skeme t? p?raf?rt me figur?n e Zenebishit, veshjen q? mund t? jet? p?rdorur n? ato koh?ra dhe element? t? tjer?. Sipas historian?ve, familja e shquar e Zenebish?ve, ka jetuar n? vitet 1305-1444, nd?rkoh? q? periudha e sundimit t? Gjinit ka qen? n? fillimet e viteve 1400. "Do t? jet? ky bust prezantimi i par?, q? qyteti do t'u b?j? vizitor?ve p?rpara se ata t? hyjn? n? zem?r t? tij", thot? Kasi. Dy muaj e gjysm? m? par? ka qen? skulptori i popullit Muntaz Dhrami, i cili ka th?n? se "Gjirokastra shum? shpejt do t? ket? nj? tjet?r vep?r monumentale, e cila do t? jet? nj? nd?rthurje e figurave historike t? k?tij qyteti, t? atyre q? e themeluan at?, t? nd?rthurur me arkitektur?n moderne". "Un? mendoj, tha at?her? Dhrami, se ngritja e nj? vepre t? till? do t? varet edhe nga predispozicioni i qeveritar?ve dhe hallkave m? t? larta t? qeverisjes vendore". Ngritja e bustit t? Zenebishit do t? jet? pjes? e nj? projekti t? Bashkis? s? Gjirokastr?s, i cili do t? zgjas? tri vjet, pra aq sa ?sht? dhe mandati qeveris?s i drejtuesve aktual? bashkiak?. Ky projekt, p?rpos t? tjerave, do t? b?j? t? mundur restaurimin e monumenteve, busteve, basorelieveve, pllakave p?rkujtimore t? mjaft prej figurave t? shquara q? ka pasur Gjirokastra n? shekuj. "Q?llimi, sipas Kasit, ?sht? q? t? b?het restaurimi dhe rip?rt?ritja e k?tyre simboleve p?r t'i zbukuruar vet? ato dhe mjedisin rreth tyre, edhe n? kushtet e v?shtir?sive p?r gjetjen e fondeve". Brenda k?tij projekti do t? jet? edhe em?rtimi i nj? s?r? lagjesh dhe rrug?sh t? qytetit, por me emrat e njer?zve q? i kan? dh?n? aq shum? k?tij qyteti. Gazeta Shqiptare __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 16 09:57:17 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 15:57:17 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: AFFAIRS OF STATE -- Why the Balkans Still Need NATO (Business Week, February 15, 2001) Message-ID: <3A8D3FCD.1F82ADBE@bndlg.de> http://biz.yahoo.com/bizwk/010215/f.html Thursday February 15, 1:47 pm Eastern Time BusinessWeek Online AFFAIRS OF STATE -- Why the Balkans Still Need NATO AFFAIRS OF STATE By Stan Crock in Washington, D.C. Ever since centuries-old bloodshed in the Balkans provided the spark that ignited World War I, foreign-policy analysts have been pessimistic about the prospects for peace in the area. When the U.S. agreed in 1995 to send troops there, many predicted the worst: hundreds of soldiers would come home in body bags. Similarly, when the U.S. sent peacekeepers to Kosovo in 1999, it was conventional wisdom that the Kosovo Liberation Army would avenge Serbian ethnic cleansing -- with peacekeepers potentially caught in the crossfire. So what happened? Very little -- not a single U.S. combat casualty so far. The body bags have been kept in storage. In fact, the casualty rate is lower than for troops training in the U.S., according to Ivo Daalder, a Balkans expert at the Brookings Institution and a former National Security Council aide. And that provides a lesson for America about the risks and rewards of being Global Supercop. While Slobodan Milosevic unleashed ``ethnic cleansing'' in Kosovo in the late '90s, Bosnia was peaceful. The reasons can be summed up with four Ws: weariness, weather, weapons, and wealth -- or at least the whiff of prosperity. By the time the warring factions in Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia signed the Dayton accords, they were exhausted by the fighting and the atrocities. It didn't hurt that the Serbs, the aggressors in Kosovo, were put on the defensive by NATO bombing missions and eventually sued for an end to hostilities. AMERICA'S THREE Fs. The harsh Balkan winters also helped. The weather had the benefit of preventing the Serbian antagonists from continuing to wage war and enabled NATO forces to set up operations without interference. Their weapons meant they could outgun anyone who challenged them. The Americans brought along not just firepower, but also a taste for French fries and fried chicken. The hope for a better life and Western prosperity, which only peace could bring, was a key factor in persuading the adversaries to keep their powder dry. Recently, the news has been even better. Yugoslavian voters ousted Milosevic, the cause of such grief and tragedy in the region. And Croatians got fed up with their nationalist leader, Franjo Tudjman, and sent his party packing. While Milosevic's replacement, Vojislav Kostunica, may not be particularly pro-American, he's a vast improvement. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, recent elections gave a non-nationalist coalition control of the lower house of Parliament. And the Cabinet in the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska isn't expected to have a member of alleged war criminal Radovan Karadzic's SDS party. RECIPE FOR DISASTER? Meanwhile in Kosovo, while some violence continues, the skirmishes are few and far between, according to Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del.), the ranking minority member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who recently returned from a trip to the Balkans. He notes that the three leading Kosovar Albanian politicians -- Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaci, and Ramush Haradinaj -- all have called for an end to attacks on Serbs living in Kosovo. To be sure, much remains to be done. An economic-stabilization package for the region is needed. Endemic corruption must end. Government officials in Belgrade need to iron out their relationships with Montenegro and Kosovo. The alternative is almost unthinkable: A breakup of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia could be disastrous, igniting more warfare. What must be remembered, however, is that the presence of American and NATO forces has been critical for the progress to date -- and can lay the foundation for future advances. As President Bush mulls what to do about the continued presence of GIs in the region, he needs to review what has happened so far, especially given the all the experts' pessimism. Truth is, the reenlistment rate for Balkan-based troops is the highest in the Army. ``It would be a disaster if the U.S. were to pull its troops out of Kosovo or Bosnia,'' says Biden. Yes, it costs NATO millions to keep troops in the Balkans. But peace is a lot cheaper than war. Copyright 2001 Business Week. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982336522/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From wplarre at bndlg.de Fri Feb 16 09:56:12 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 15:56:12 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: EU: Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the situation in Southern Serbia (PRESS RELEASE, 15 February 2001) Message-ID: <3A8D3F8C.21389480@bndlg.de> http://ue.eu.int/Newsroom/LoadDoc.cfm?MAX=1&DOC=!!!&BID=73&DID=65148&GRP=3181&LANG=1 Serbia : current situation in Southern Serbia Press Release: Brussels (15-02-2001) - Press: 51 - Nr: 6291/01 Brussels, 15 February 2001 6291/01 (Presse 51) PRESS RELEASE Subject : Declaration by the Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the situation in Southern Serbia The EU supports the initiative of the Belgrade authorities to find a peaceful and durable solution to the current situation in Southern Serbia which risks destabilising the region. It welcomes the plan adopted by the FRY and Serbian governments on 8 February and presented by Serb Deputy PM Covic to the EU Political and Security Committee today. The plan, which aims at giving a comprehensive response to the crisis, will serve as a good basis for further discussions. In the long term, the economic and social development of the region, the full integration of the Albanian community into political life and civil society, and respect for human rights and minorities in line with international standards are the only guarantee for stability in the area within a democratic FRY. This political, economic and social approach corresponds to the spirit of the Zagreb Summit and the Stability Pact. The success of this initiative depends primarily on the efforts of the parties concerned, but will require the support of the international community. The EU will support political, economic and social measures in favour of the local population while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the FRY. The EC and EU Member States have already committed well over one million Euro for humanitarian and development projects (notably support for schools) in the Presevo region. The Commission has announced today an additional assistance of 900.000 Euro to municipalities concerned. At the start of the crisis the EU, with the agreement of the Yugoslav leadership, sent EUMM observers to report on the development of the crisis as well as to contribute to early warning and confidence building in the area in conformity with its mandate. A reinforcement of the personnel on the spot has been agreed. The EU looks forward to the Serb and Yugoslav authorities implementing measures in favour of full integration of the Albanian community as soon as possible to build the necessary confidence. The EU expects the Albanian community in Southern Serbia to designate representatives who can engage in a constructive dialogue with the Serb and Yugoslav authorities. This implies an immediate cessation of violence by the armed extremist Albanian groups notably in the GSZ. The EU reiterates its condemnation of all acts of violence. It appeals to Kosovars with political authority to distance themselves clearly and publicly from the actions of armed extremist groups in Southern Serbia. The EU emphasises the importance of the continuing efforts of KFOR notably to ensure the effective control of the administrative boundary between Kosovo and Serbia. The EU is ready to work closely with the authorities of the FRY and Serbia with a view to examining further support aimed at contributing to a peaceful and sustainable solution in Southern Serbia. ________________________ en/cfsp/06291.en1.doc.html ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982336521/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 16 18:31:57 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:31:57 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bomb Kills Seven Serbs, NATO Warns Kosovo Message-ID: <76.7da658d.27bf126d@aol.com> Bomb kills seven Serbs, NATO warns Kosovo By Shaban Buza GATE THREE, Yugoslavia, Feb 16 (Reuters) - A bomb attack on a bus in northern Kosovo on Friday killed seven Serbs and injured dozens more, risking international sympathy for the majority-Albanian province. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica blamed "Albanian extremists" who he said threatened the stability of the entire Balkan region. His foreign minister called for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council. NATO did not specify who was to blame, but Secretary General George Robertson bitterly condemned the attack and said it was clearly a deliberate attack on civilians. Britain, France and Germany also condemned it. "NATO did not conduct its air campaign in order to see ethnic cleansing by one group replaced by the ethnic attacks and intimidation of another," Robertson said, referring to the 1999 air strikes against Yugoslavia to stop Serbian violence against Kosovo's ethnic Albanians. The bomb was planted on the road to Podujevo and targeted a bus known to carry only Serbs to visits and shopping in the city of Nis in eastern Serbia. Escorted by Swedish peacekeepers, the bus was 1 km (less than a mile) south of Gate Three on Kosovo's northern boundary late Friday morning when the bomb exploded. SECOND CONVOY ATTACK IN A WEEK The blast, the second attack on a Serb convoy this week, took place in a region that has seen increasing violence against Serbs by ethnic Albanian guerrillas in recent months. It appeared likely to stoke regional tensions and complicate efforts toward a peaceful solution to the violence. Seven of the 60-odd passengers died, 10 were seriously injured, others had lighter injuries and some were missing, said Tim Pearce, spokesman for KFOR, the NATO-led peacekeeping force. Brigadier Robert Fry, a senior member of KFOR, said two people had been detained but it was not clear if they were involved. He said there had been up to 200 pounds (90 kg) of explosive targeting the first bus of the convoy. "We must be quite clear about what this was. it was a ruthless, premeditated act of mass murder," he said. "There were men, women and children travelling on that bus and whoever perpetrated this did so with complete disregard for human life and also for the reputation of the people of Kosovo in the wider world," Fry told Reuters at the scene as helicopters buzzed overhead and peacekeepers swarmed the area. Relatives of the dead and injured passengers staged furious protests in and around their home village of Gracanica, where the buses were headed, blocking roads and burning property. KFOR spokesman Steven Shappell said the Gracanica U.N. administrator's car was among those set alight. The situation later calmed but Serbs called new protests for Saturday, including in the flashpoint Kosovo city of Mitrovica. KOSTUNICA URGES RESTRAINT In Belgrade, Kostunica urged restraint, saying it was up to KFOR and the U.N. civilian administration that has run Kosovo since the air strikes to respond to force with force. "These innocent victims have once again confirmed how evil and threatening to the entire region's stability the intentions and plans of the Albanian extremists are," he said. "The international community must finally understand who is the true enemy of peace in Kosovo and the Balkans and start acting accordingly," he said. The Yugoslav parliament cut short a session in protest. The attack came just two days after a Serb man was killed and two children were injured by a gunman attacking a bus near Strpce. The Civic Alliance party led by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, one of most widely-respected members of the reformist government that took over after Slobodan Milosevic's ouster in October, condemned KFOR. "At a moment when the Serbian government is taking moderate and tolerant steps in a very tense situation to resolve the problems it inherited in Kosovo and southern Serbia, such passivity by KFOR forces is additionally complicating the situation in these areas and questioning the point of having such 'observation' forces'," the party said. In Vienna, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic told the Permanent Council of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that Serbia could hold official talks with ethnic Albanian leaders within 10 days to try to find a peaceful solution to the violence near the Kosovo border. Several hundred well-armed Albanian rebels have moved into the Kosovo buffer zone, from which NATO barred Serbian forces after taking control in Kosovo in June 1999. Ethnic Albanians are in the vast majority in two of the area's three main towns. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 16 18:33:34 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:33:34 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] U.S. Deplores Kosovo Bus Bombing Message-ID: <7b.10618290.27bf12ce@aol.com> U.S. Deplores Kosovo Bus Bombing WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The United States deplored on Friday the deadly bomb attack on a bus bringing Serbs into northern Kosovo and asked all parties in Kosovo to stay calm. Seven Serbs died and dozens of others were injured in the bombing, the second attack on a Serb convoy this week. The attack showed the problems the United Nations and NATO peacekeeping forces face in bringing peace and reconciliation between the Serb population and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, which is under U.N. civilian control. U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Reeker said in a written statement: "The United States deplores the attack... We call on all parties in Kosovo to remain calm, avoid violent acts of reprisal and to seek political means of resolving their grievances." "This heinous crime must not be allowed to undermine the very purpose of the U.N. mission and NATO-led peacekeepers, to bring peace and stability to all the people of the region." From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 16 18:36:52 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:36:52 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Mitsotakis Sees FYROM Compromise Message-ID: Mitsotakis Sees FYROM Compromise Conservative former PM Constantine Mitsotakis, whose government refused to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia at the height of a dispute over what Greece's northern neighbor should be called, yesterday proposed a compromise solution. "If we now head for a compromise - which I consider most likely and not a bad thing - the council of political leaders must necessarily be convoked first under the president," Mitsotakis said. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday night, opposition New Democracy's honorary chairman had noted that a 1992 decision by the same council not to recognize FYROM under any name containing the word Macedonia had "harmed Greece." Yesterday, press reports in Skopje quoted FYROM Premier Ljubco Georgievski as proposing the "compromise" of the name Macedonia being used in communication with the world in general, while Greece could call the country by any name of its choice. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 16 18:40:01 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:40:01 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Russia Calls Kosovo Bus Bombing "Barbarous Crime" Message-ID: Russia Calls Kosovo Bus Bombing "Barbarous Crime" MOSCOW, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Russia called Friday's bombing of a bus packed with Serb civilians in Kosovo a "barbarous crime" and said ethnic Albanian separatists were trying to drive the remaining Serbs out of the Yugoslav province. International officials said seven Serbs were killed and dozens injured when the bus was blown up by an explosive device near Kosovo's border with the rest of Serbia. Russia put the death toll at 10. "A new, barbarous crime was carried out on February 16 in Kosovo, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement released hours after the attack. "This new, inhuman act continues the chain of crimes carried out by Albanian extremists with the goal of raising tensions in and around Kosovo, to plant feelings of fear and hopelessness in the non-Albanian population," it said. It accused the Albanians of trying to create an "ethnically cleansed" province, in order to declare independence. "All this is aimed at wrecking the course of the new, democratic leadership of Yugoslavia and Serbia, which is taking real steps towards the peaceful political resolution of problems, that has met the understanding and support of the international community." Russia vocally supported Serbia during NATO's 1999 bombing campaign that ended with Kosovo becoming a de facto international protectorate. It has frequently criticised NATO troops in Kosovo for failing to protect the province's Serb minority. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 16 18:45:01 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 18:45:01 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] EU Condemns Attack on Serbs in Kosovo Message-ID: <5c.74fc212.27bf157d@aol.com> EU Condemns Attack on Serbs in Kosovo STOCKHOLM, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The European Union condemned an attack on a bus in Kosovo on Friday that killed seven Serbs and injured dozens of others. The condemnation issued by Sweden, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, followed an earlier statement calling for an end to violence in the area near Kosovo's boundary with Serbia proper. That statement was directed at what the EU called extremist Albanian groups. The bus, carrying about 60 people and escorted by international peacekeepers, was blown up by an explosive device as it approached Kosovo's northern boundary with Serbia. "This barbarous act of violence severely jeopardises confidence building between ethnic communities and undermines efforts at creating a safe environment for all people in Kosovo," the EU presidency statement said. It called on all parties in the area to remain calm, urged authorities in Kosovo to catch and punish those responsible, and called on all Kosovo leaders to condemn the attack. Earlier the EU said it supported the initiative of the Belgrade authorities to find a peaceful and durable solution to instability near the Kosovo border, which risks destabilising the whole region. It called on the Albanian community in the region to appoint representatives who could engage in constructive dialogue with Serbian and Yugoslav authorities. "This implies an immediate cessation of violence by the armed extremist Albanian groups notably in the GSZ (Ground Safety Zone)," it said. The GSZ is a five-kilometre zone extending beyond the Kosovo province border into Serb territory. The commander of peacekeeping forces in Kosovo, General Carlo Cabigiosu, said on Wednesday that extremists on both sides were bent on stirring up trouble to try to block a peaceful future for the province. Balkan leaders and EU officials are due to meet on February 23 in Macedonia's capital Skopje to discuss regional security. The Swedish presidency said the EU regarded a peace plan adopted by Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on February 8 as "a good basis for further discussions." From vatra_federation at hotmail.com Fri Feb 16 20:31:49 2001 From: vatra_federation at hotmail.com (Vatra Federation) Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 01:31:49 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Protest Rally Against Yannoulatos Receiving Human Rights Award Message-ID: VATRA, the Pan-Albanian Federation of America and the Albanian-American community will hold a protest rally against the usurpation by Yannoulatos of the seat of the Archbishop of the Albanian Orthodox Church and against his activities in Albania. The rally will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2001 in front of the New York Hilton, at 6:00 p.m. VATRA invites all concerned Albanian-Americans regardless of their religious and political affiliations to take part in this protest. On this occasion, Yannoulatos will be receiving the Athenagoras Human Rights Award for his activities in Albania. For more information, call VATRA at (516) 354-6598. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 12:09:38 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:09:38 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO urges maximum restraint over Kosovo violence Message-ID: NATO urges maximum restraint over Kosovo violence By Douglas Hamilton BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - NATO called for "maximum restraint" from both sides on Sunday as violence around Kosovo escalated with an ethnic Albanian attack which killed three Serbian policemen, after a bomb killed seven Serbs on Friday. For the second time in little more than 48 hours, alliance Secretary General George Robertson issued an urgent statement offering sympathy to the families of victims and urging political dialogue. "I deplore the escalation of the violence in southern Serbia and urge the leadership of both sides to exercise maximum restraint," he said. "The problems of the region cannot be solved by violence; they can only be settled through direct negotiations between the parties. Today's events make the urgency of moving ahead with such negotiations all the more clear." But Serbia, which has been commended by NATO allies for its restraint in the face of previous attacks, said its patience was wearing thin and it would not allow citizens to be murdered without responding. At stake is a unilateral Serbian military offensive into the buffer zone in the Presevo Valley on Kosovo's eastern boundary which Albanian separatists have used as a safe haven since Serbia, under NATO pressure, agreed to stay out 20 months ago. Three Serb police officers were killed by anti-tank mines on the edge of the zone on Sunday. Yugoslavia said it was part of a broader terrorist campaign by ethnic Albanians. Albanian guerrillas said one of their number had been killed and two more wounded in fighting with Serb forces later in the day. Sporadic clashes over the past year have claimed around 30 lives in the area. ACT NOW OR WE WILL -SERBIA Reporters taken to the scene of the landmine blasts saw charred bodies, a vehicle blown apart, and two craters. Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, in an urgent message to Robertson, linked the blasts to an attack on a bus in ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo on Friday in which seven Serbs were killed and dozens wounded. "It is obvious that we are dealing with well-planned, premeditated and synchronised attacks aimed at provoking Yugoslav security forces and creating a much broader conflict," he wrote in the letter, quoted by Beta news agency. "The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia cannot allow Albanian terrorists to kill its citizens," Svilanovic said. One guerrilla spokesman in the Presevo Valley area condemned the bus attack and said it would set back efforts to resolve their conflict with Serb forces. NATO says there are three groups of gunmen operating, with no clear central command. Svilanovic demanded NATO troops in Kosovo take measures to completely seal the boundary. Otherwise Serb forces would "take responsibility and... start solving the problem adequately." Robertson said that would only make matters worse. "The people of the region -- of all ethnic groups -- have suffered more than enough," he said. "To all those involved, I urge you to recognise that escalating the violence will only cause greater grief and suffering for all concerned." From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 12:11:48 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:11:48 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Belgrade says NATO too soft on Kosovo "terrorists" Message-ID: Belgrade says NATO too soft on Kosovo "terrorists" By Beti Bilandzic BELGRADE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic accused NATO-led peacekeepers on Monday of being too soft on ethnic Albanian extremists during a surge of violence in and around Kosovo. The government has said it believes last Friday's bomb attack on a bus in ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo and violence on Sunday in the nearby Presevo Valley area of Serbia are part of an organised terror campaign. The killings underscored the continuing volatility of the Balkans, particularly in the Kosovo area, despite Western hopes for a new era of stability in the region after the downfall of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in October. Zivkovic said the KFOR peacekeeping force and U.N. Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) could take a far tougher line with armed Albanians but were shying away from confrontation. "They're afraid that the Albanian terrorists will perceive them as their adversaries," he said. "KFOR and UNMIK must be enemies to the Albanian terrorists, not because they want to but because it is their mandate. If someone has a mandate to protect civilians from terrorists then he is an adversary to these terrorists," Zivkovic said. At least seven Serbs, including a two-year-old child, were killed and dozens wounded in the bus attack. Two days later, three Serb policemen were killed when their vehicle ran over two anti-tank mines on the edge of a buffer zone which runs along the Serbian side of the boundary. A member of an Albanian guerrilla group operating in the zone was killed in fighting with Serb police later in the day. Police said they had exchanged small arms and mortar fire with the guerrillas on Monday morning but there were no casualties. RESPONSE TO PEACE EFFORTS Zivkovic said the upsurge in violence was an extremist response to the efforts of Yugoslavia's new reformist leaders to bring peace to the Presevo Valley through dialogue. "We have had a maximum of tolerance, patience and desire to resolve the problem to prevent deaths of anyone, including the terrorists, but it is obvious by their reactions they are not interested in peace in this area," Zivkovic said. The fact that armed ethnic Albanians had infiltrated the zone from Kosovo was proof that KFOR had failed to do its job properly. He said there were also Albanian terrorist groups and training camps in neighbouring Macedonia. NATO has defended its peacekeeping in Kosovo, saying it has made major efforts to improve boundary security and protect minorities. Its commanders say they can only do so much and only local leaders and citizens can put an end to the violence. While the alliance does not yet know if there is any link between the bus bomb and the landmine, KFOR believes there is a coordinated campaign of violence in Kosovo against Serbs, NATO sources said. "It's too broad, too steady, too consistent to be thought of as coincidental. There's a definite perception that there has been a substantial increase in attacks on Kosovo Serbs in response to the new government in Belgrade," one source said. "The Presevo and Kosovo extremists have overlapping agendas but not necessarily the same." Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic said on Monday a Bosnian Serb government delegation would visit Kosovo to show support for their ethnic kin in the volatile province,. Ivanic said the visit in the next 10 days would aim to demonstrate support for the Kosovo Serbs, "who live there under extremely difficult, nearly impossible conditions." "As they helped us during the (1992-95 Bosnian) war, now the time has come that we, in accordance with our abilities, if not financially then by our presence at least, show that we stand behind our people living in Kosovo," Ivanic told a news conference. From albboschurch at juno.com Mon Feb 19 13:04:49 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (Albanian Orthodox Church) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 13:04:49 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Job opportunity Message-ID: <20010219.140134.9470.7.albboschurch@juno.com> --------- Begin forwarded message ---------- From: "Kathy Kutrubes" To: Subject: Job opportunity Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 19:05:41 -0500 As I mentioned to you on the phone the other day, I am looking to fill a position here at the Kutrubes Travel Agency. We need another agent in the agency. I am looking for someone who would act as receptionist answering the phones and teach this person to be a travel agent reservations person by the time we are in our busy season in May, June, July etc. Of course, they must be fluent in Albania and Greek if possible but not necessary. Some computer experience would be useful. The hours are from 9:30 to 5:30 Monday through Friday. If you know of anyone please let me know. I'd like to fill the position as soon as possible. Or just refer them to me at 617 426 5668. Thank you so much for you kind help in this matter. I'd be very grateful. Best Regards, Kathy Kutrubes --------- End forwarded message ---------- From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 13:59:23 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 13:59:23 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Russian army hawk wants Kosovo security crackdown Message-ID: Russian army hawk wants Kosovo security crackdown MOSCOW, Feb 19 (Reuters) - A leading Russian military hawk said on Monday international peacekeeping forces in Kosovo must intensify efforts to quell escalating violence in Yugoslavia's ethnic Albanian-dominated southern province. Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov, head of the military's foreign relations department, spoke out on the same day as Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic told NATO-led peacekeepers to crack down on an organised terror campaign by ethnic Albanian extremists. "It is essential to take decisive action to disarm and isolate extremist groups in southern Serbia," Itar-Tass news agency quoted Ivashov as saying in the aftermath of a bus bomb last Friday which killed at least ten Serbs. "Albanian extremists are in essence throwing down the gauntlet not only to Serbia and Yugoslavia but to the international presence regulating the situation in Kosovo." Ivashov echoed Zivkovic's call for the KFOR peacekeeping force to take a tougher line with armed ethnic Albanians operating in a buffer zone along the Serbian side of the boundary. Belgrade is forbidden from deploying heavily-armed forces in the area. "This is an obvious challenge and it must be answered," Ivashov said of Friday's bomb attack. "Further delay to this process and the vagueness of KFOR's actions only encourages the separatists." Russia vocally supported Serbia during NATO's 1999 bombing campaign that ended with Kosovo becoming a de facto international protectorate, and has frequently called for more protection for the province's Serb minority. Russia is likely to press NATO Secretary General George Robertson on the issue when he visits Moscow this week. From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 14:08:18 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 14:08:18 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Greek Minority Fears Forced 'Albanization' Message-ID: Greek Minority Fears Forced 'Albanization' ATHENS, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 200 ? KATHIMERINI The Albanian authorities are trying to force the Greeks of Albania to become Albanians, and the impending census is part of this effort as it will not refer to ethnicity or religion, the leader of the ethnic Greek minority organization Omonia said yesterday. At a news conference in Thessaloniki, where he spoke to Greeks of Albania who are working in Greece, Vassilis Dulles charged also that the Albanian authorities are trying to grab the property of ethnic Greeks by forging property title deeds. He said that 75,000 stremmas (7,500 hectares) of property were being seized in this way. Dulles left open the question of the Greek minority boycotting the census if ethnicity and religion were not mentioned. He said that the minority has begun a campaign to inform the international community of the problem and that representatives of the Council of Europe and other organizations would soon visit Greek minority areas. From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 14:15:42 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 14:15:42 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] UN mediator: A compromise is close on FYROM's name Message-ID: <8b.296e530.27c2cade@aol.com> UN mediator: A compromise is close on FYROM's name Nimetz says both countries readier than ever to find solution By Tom Ellis Matthew Nimetz, the present UN mediator on the issue of the name for FYROM. 'This issue is susceptible to a solution that preserves the dignity of both sides and is politically acceptable to both,' he says. 'I think something can be found.' Nimetz is not making any predictions though, saying 'It needs political consensus on both sides.' He says that a solution is foreseeable. Conditions in Greece and FYROM have matured and both sides are willing to find a solution soon to the dispute over FYROM's name, according to the UN mediator on the issue, Matthew Nimetz. Prime Minister Costas Simitis will visit Skopje in a few days and meet with his counterpart Ljubco Georgievski on the sidelines of the summit of southeastern European countries. The interim agreement signed in September 1995 stemmed from the dynamic intervention of several individuals, including Richard Holbrooke, then assistant secretary of state; the UN mediator of the time, Cyrus Vance; Matthew Nimetz, then the US mediator; and the two countries' prime ministers of the time, Andreas Papandreou and Kiro Gligorov. Now the last remaining disagreement between Athens and Skopje may be on the verge of resolution. Nimetz says the FYROM government and opposition realize that resolving the name issue is a basic prerequisite for good relations with Greece. The UN sees a solution as more necessary than ever due to volatility in southern Serbia, and uncertainty concerning the future of Kosovo and possibly of the Albanians in FYROM. The UN also believes that the prospect of political and economic support from Athens along with its role as a bridge to the EU are factors that do not go unnoticed in Skopje. A compromise solution Nimetz avoids mentioning any of the compromise names under discussion, as negotiations are at a delicate stage. He simply says it will be a compromise solution. UN sources believe Greek public opinion is ready for a solution, but things are more difficult in FYROM, "because it is their name." Kathimerini spoke to Matthew Nimetz in Washington. You visited Skopje recently. Is FYROM ready for a solution? The secretary general of the United Nations is interested in the issue. I went to Skopje after many years and I had very intensive talks with leaders of the government and other responsible people. I found a very strong desire to resolve this issue, and recognition that the relationship with Greece has improved greatly and now needs to go to a new level. All recognize the priority of the relationship with Greece. How much is this to do with the fact that the interim agreement will expire in a year and a half? The interim agreement does not expire automatically, but continues to apply as long as neither party demands that it end. And this is useful because the agreement contains many positive elements, from recognition to provisions for good bilateral relations. When the interim agreement was signed, the relationship was very bad. There were no economic or political relations. In the five years since the interim agreement there has been a major change in a positive direction on many different levels. But the issue hangs over the relationship and is an impediment in really going all the way and resolving all the issues. I think there is a recognition in both countries that to get to the next level of a very close relationship they have to put this issue behind them. How much effect does the unsettled situation in the area have? There is volatility in the area. Everybody understands that. For Skopje in its relations with Greece, the EU, and NATO, they all benefit by settling this. Does Skopje accept this assessment? Yes, it does. The solution will also - and I think this is very important - demonstrate that issues can be solved by the people in the region. That you do not need outsiders, third parties, to come in and try and solve them. It is a great example of two mature governments working this out. I found in Skopje, and also in the Greek government, serious people on both sides. I have spent time with all the interested parties: In the parliaments, the governments, the opposition parties, the Albanian parties. And they all assured me that they would take a constructive attitude on the issue. Now, they may have different points of view, but this is a issue of national importance. I was heartened by that in Skopje. There is a seriousness of purpose. Are we closer to a solution now than ever before? You always come closer. I believe that the two governments would like to find a solution. A solution to this issue requires a compromise on both sides, because there are people in each country that view this in absolutist terms. And if you are an absolutist in this issue you despair of a solution. However, this issue is susceptible to a solution that preserves the dignity of both sides and is politically acceptable to both. I think something can be found that could be an acceptable solution. Soon? Yes, it should be. Could be it be in a few months? Yes, but I am not going to make a predictions. I did so last year and I was wrong. It needs a political consensus on both sides. But I believe it is perfectly possible to have a solution in a reasonable period. What form will it take? I can't say what will be acceptable to both sides. All I can do is present proposals, formulas and timetables, but not take the final decisions. They will be taken by the leaders of both sides. And the prime ministers will be meeting in a few days' time. From wplarre at bndlg.de Mon Feb 19 14:04:48 2001 From: wplarre at bndlg.de (Wolfgang Plarre) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 20:04:48 +0100 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] {QIKSH ŤALBEUROPAť} NEWS: More Clashes in Yugoslavia (AP, Feb. 19, 2001) Message-ID: <3A916E50.FECCA3E@bndlg.de> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/aponline/20010219/aponline110928_000.htm More Clashes in Yugoslavia By Dragan Ilic Associated Press Writer Monday, Feb. 19, 2001; 11:09 a.m. EST BUJANOVAC, Yugoslavia -- Clashes between ethnic Albanian rebels and Serbian security forces flared Monday in a tense southern region bordering Kosovo, a day after an explosion ripped through a police van killing three Serb officers. The two-hour exchanges of machine-gun and mortar fire early Monday centered on the village of Lucane, on the edge of a three-mile-wide buffer zone between Kosovo and the rest of Serbia, and over the strategic Saint Ilija hill in the north. No casualties were immediately reported. Yugoslavia blamed the latest attacks on Kosovo's ethnic Albanian militants, who denied responsibility. The ethnic Albanians said one of their commanders was killed by Serb police late Sunday in Lucane. The new fighting further fueled tensions in the region. A bus bombing killed at least seven Serb civilians Friday inside Kosovo. With violence mounting, top leaders of Yugoslavia and Serbia, its largest republic, met late Sunday, and President Vojislav Kostunica's office released a statement pledging a "series of measures against terrorism" in the area. "That means that we'll no longer allow that our troops and citizens be moving targets for Albanian terrorists," Serbia's Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic said, adding that the actions by Albanian extremists were not a fight for democracy, but "plain terrorism." Yugoslavia also criticized NATO-led peacekeepers in Kosovo and urged them to act immediately to keep the guerrillas out of the buffer zone, which they have used to stage attacks on Serbian police and Yugoslav army troops. The militants want the zone to be united with Kosovo as part of a push for independence for the southern Serbian province, run by the United Nations and NATO-led peacekeepers since June 1999, when Yugoslavia halted its crackdown on the Albanian majority after a NATO bombing campaign. Friday's bombing of a bus carrying Serbs to visit the graves of relatives in Kosovo killed at least seven people and wounded 43, making it the deadliest attack in the province since 14 Serb farmers were machine-gunned to death while tilling their fields in July 1999. The three Serb policemen died Sunday when their van was demolished by what were believed to be antitank mines on a road near Lucane, a southern Serbian village just outside the buffer zone. The zone was created to prevent what officials feared would be clashes between Serbian forces and the NATO-led peacekeepers patrolling Kosovo under the 1999 peace deal for the province. Only lightly armed Serbian police are allowed to enter the zone, and ethnic Albanian militants have taken control of most of the strip in recent months. Yugoslav authorities say the peacekeepers have failed to fulfill a mandate to keep the ethnic Albanian militants and their weapons out of the buffer zone. Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic appealed Sunday to NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson to ensure that the peacekeeping force immediately seals Kosovo's boundary with Serbia. But Robertson would not go that far. "I deplore the escalation of the violence in southern Serbia and urge the leadership of both sides to exercise maximum restraint," he said in a statement. "The problems in the region cannot be solved by violence - they can only be settled through direct negotiations between the parties." Since November, the militants have attacked Serbian police inside the zone and have sometimes launched attacks across the line into the rest of Serbia. The explosion Sunday took place about 200 yards outside the zone. Serbian police came under fire while trying to pull the victims of the explosion out of the wrecked police vehicle, a government statement said. No policemen were injured by the gunfire. Jonuz Musliu, the political officer of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja and Bujanovac, denied the group was behind the policemen's deaths and condemned the bus bombing. Tens of thousands of Serbs have fled their homes in Kosovo since the United Nations and NATO took over, fearing reprisals from ethnic Albanians. ? Copyright 2001 The Associated Press ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://click.egroups.com/1/11231/1/_/920292/_/982611448/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Na d?rgoni v?rejtjet dhe sugjerimet tuaja, q? QIKSH Albeuropa t? jet? m? e p?lqyeshme, m? efikase dhe m? e dobishme - n? sh?rbim t? M?rgat?s, t? mbar? kombit dhe t? atdheut ton? - Shqip?ris? Etnike. N?se e sheh t? arsyeshme dhe t? dobishme, d?rgo shkrimet e ALBEUROP?S n? E-mail-et e miqve tuaj dhe i regjistro ata n?: albeuropa-subscribe at egroups.com N?se don t? ?regjistrohesh nga ALBEUROPA, d?rgo nj? Email n?: albeuropa-unsubscribe at egroups.com From vatra_federation at hotmail.com Mon Feb 19 16:25:52 2001 From: vatra_federation at hotmail.com (Vatra Federation) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 21:25:52 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Yannoulatos - IT'S HIGH TIME FOR YOU TO GET OUT OF ALBANIA Message-ID: V A T R A The Pan-AlbanianFederation of America 2437 SouthernBoulevard Bronx, N.Y.10458-6501 Tel. (718) 365-6930 VATRA REMINDS BISHOP ANASTASIOS YANNOULATOS THAT IT?S HIGHTIME FOR HIM TO GET OUT OF ALBANIA It has been more than ten years since Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos usurped the Seat of the Archbishop of the Albanian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (AAOC). Although he entered Albania as a pro tempore envoy supposedly to assess the situation and the needs of AAOC, Bishop Yannoulatos managed to place himself at the Head of AAOC in a secretive manner, thus turning his temporary position into a permanent one. That action was in blatant violation of the statutes of AAOC and the canons of the Orthodox Church. The Pan-Albanian Federation VATRA repeatedly expressed its condemnation of the prolonged illegal stay of Bishop Yannoulatos in Albania, and has demanded that he get out of the country without any further delay. The AAOC statutes clearly state that its head must be an indigenous Albanian Archbishop. VATRA is also very concerned about extra-religious activities of Bishop Yannoulatos, whose ultimate goal is the hellenization of Southern Albania - the main target of Greek expansionism. We would like to remind Bishop Yannoulatos that no one can use church and religion to create a state within a state, no one can use extra-canonical activities, including economical and social projects, to influence and convert poverty-stricken people, to force them to change their names, religion and ethnicity - to convert them from Albanians to Greeks. These actions negatively affect the relations between the two neighboring nations and seriously endanger peace and stability in the entire region. Regarding Yannoulatos? humanitarian credentials, let?s not forget that, at the time of the Serb massacres in 1998-1999, he had no sympathy for the Kosova Albanians. He publicly objected to the NATO intervention. There are over 200,000 Cham refugees in Albania today. They were brutally expelled from their own homes in Chameria and their properties confiscated by the Greek government in 1944. Bishop Yannoulatos has never uttered a word regarding their plight. Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos, it?s high time for you to get out of Albania! New York, February 17, 2001 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Feb 17 00:51:18 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 21:51:18 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Per Gjirokastren Message-ID: <20010217055118.84002.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> Gjirokaster; Historia e banes?s se Kabilat?ve GJIROKASTER,16 shkurt/ATSH-E.Serjani/- V?shtir? t? gjesh banes? n? ansamblin arkitekturor t? Gjirokastr?s q? t? p?rcjell? t? gjith? element?t e brendsh?m e t? jasht?m t? banes?s origjinale gjirokastrite si banesa e Kabilat?ve. E vendosur n? krye t? Bashtes? s? Teqes? sot lagja Partizani, banesa e Kabilat?ve ngjan me nj? k?shtjell? t? v?rtet?. Themelet e saj jan? vendosur n? nj? sip?rfaqe rreth 500 metra katrore nd?rsa muret rrethuese me gj?r?si mbi nj? met?r dhe lart?si 3 deri n? 5 metra p?rfshijn? brenda tyre nj? sip?rfaqe rreth 2000 metra katrore. Brenda mureve t? gurt? t? rrethimit t? nd?rtuar bashk? me sht?pin? rreth 200 vjet m? par? jan? nd?rtuar m? pas edhe sht?pi t? tjera. P?r shkak t? terrenit jasht?zakonisht t? p?rthyer ku ?sht? ngritur ajo ?sht? e pamundur t? p?rcaktosh lart?sin? e k?saj banese por gjithsesi fasada veriore e saj sh?non nj? rekord pasi lart?sia i kalon 25 metrat duke i dh?n? asaj nj? pamje monumentale. Aktualisht n? k?t? banes? jetojn? dy familje q? nuk i p?rkasin trungut t? Kabil?ve t? cilat kan? bler? pjes? t? ndryshme t? saj. M? shum? se nj? e treta e banes?s pjesa m? rr?nuar vazhdon t? jet? n? pron?si t? pasardh?sve t? pronarit t? par? t? banes?s, t? cil?t jetojn? n? Vlor? e Tiran?. Banesa ?sht? r?nuar p?r here t? par? nga nj? predh? gjat? luft?s italo greke n? vitin 1940. Sipas goj?dh?nave i pari i Kabilat?ve ka qen? k?shilltar n? oborrin e Ali Pash? Tepelen?s n? Janin?. Motivet e flor?s dhe faun?s kan? mbizot?ruar edhe n? rreth 15 dyert dhe 100 kamaret e banes?s. Nj? francez n? vitin 1919 sipas banor?ve t? sot?m ka k?rkuar t? blej? me nj? shum? maremendese nj? rozet? tavani me diameter 4 metra por pronar?t e kishin refuzuar. Sht?pia e Kabilat?ve do t? nis? t? restaurohet nga ekspert?t italiane te nj? shkolle t? restaurimit t? k?tyre lloj monumenteve t? trash?gimis? kulturore. Fushata sensibilizuese e nisur vitin e kaluar kur disa prej sht?pive t? ansamblit arkitekturor t? Gjirokastr?s nis?n t? shemben duket se po jep frytet e veta. Restaurimi i saj mjaft i kushtuesh?m ?sht? b?r? e mundur fal? kontakteve q? ka vendosur nga Instituti i Monumenteve me shkoll?n italiane t? restaurimeve t? Bolonj?s. Sipas ekspert?ve t? k?tij Instituti nevojiten rreth 600 milion? lek? p?r ta restauruar plot?sisht k?t? banes? t? rrall? dhe shum? nuk mund t? p?rballohej nga fondet modeste t? k?tij instituti. Pik?risht p?r k?t? arsye u gjet nj? zgjidhje e favorshme pranimi i k?rkes?s s? restaurator?ve italian?. /f.n/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Sat Feb 17 00:52:50 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2001 21:52:50 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Thirrje per ruajtjen e Gjirokastres nga shkaterrimi Message-ID: <20010217055250.7036.qmail@web11504.mail.yahoo.com> Apel i Forumit per Mbrojtjen e Vlerave Kulturore te Gjirokastres TIRANE, 16 Shkurt/ATSH-Klotilda Bi?aku/.- Forumi per Mbrojtjen e Vlerave Kulturore te Gjirokastres i ka derguar te premten Presidentit te Republikes Rexhep Meidani, Kryeministrit Ilir Meta, Kryetarit te Kuvendit te Shqiperise Skender Gjinushi dhe Ministres se Kultures Esmeralda Uru?i nje apel per shpetimin nga rrenimi te "Qytetit Muze" te Gjirokastres. Me ane te ketij apeli, forumi kerkon krijimin e nje komiteti emergjence prane shtetit per te gjetur nje rrugezgjidhje konkrete dhe fonde per te shpetuar nga rrenimi banesat karakterisktike gjirokastrite. Kjo nuk eshte nje ?eshtje propagande, por nje ?eshtje e ve?ante ekzistenciale e mbijeteses se qytetit te Gjirokastres, thuhet ne kete apel. Ne i kerkojme shtetit shqiptar, vazhdon me tej ky apel, ndermjetesine nepermjet organizmave nderkombetare per te ndikuar per sigurimin e mjeteve financiare dhe aktivizimin e institucioneve te caktuara per shpetimin e Gjirokastres. Apeli eshte nenshkruar nga nje numer i madh intelektualesh, akademikesh, shkrimtaresh dhe personalitete te kultures shqiptare, anetare te Forumit per Mbrojtjen e Vlerave Kulturore te Gjirokastres. Aktualisht ndertesat karakteristike te Gjirokastres, te cilat i takojne shekullit te XVIII-XIX rrezikohen te shemben duke humbur vlerat unikale. Situata ne kete qytet paraqitet emergjente dhe disa shtepi jane shembur si? eshte shtepia e Babaramove, ndersa shume te tjera rrezikojne te shkaterrohen plotesisht. I shpallur "Qytet muze" ne vitin 1961, Gjirokastra ka rreth 55 monumente te kategorise se pare, te cilat ruhen nga shteti nga brenda dhe jashte tyre dhe rreth 350 monumente te kategorise se dyte qe mirembahen ne anen e jashtme./f.n/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From albboschurch at juno.com Sat Feb 17 09:33:15 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (Albanian Orthodox Church) Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 09:33:15 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Words in Honor of Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana Message-ID: <20010217.093327.9662.5.albboschurch@juno.com> Res Ipso Loquitor On the Occasion of the Athenagoras Human Rights Award bestowed on Archbishop Anastasios Yanulatos of Albania Presented by the Order of Saint Andrew the Apostle of the Ecumenical Patriarchate New York Hilton 17 February 2001 It is a privilege to join all this evening in offering words of congratulation to His Beatitude, Archbishop Anastasios on the bestowal of this truly meaningful award. On behalf of many in the Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese, and of those even abroad, I am obliged by truthfulness to say in all candor that I was among those who shared an ambiguous opinion of events and intentions when His Beatitude's assignment to guide the Church of Albania came about. Not that we harbored any doubts of this princely man, whose testimony of faith and tolerance had already spanned the globe and more than filled his life's labors. It was more that we held cautions based on regional occurences, some saw as heroic and others as ghastly, which had inevitably made relations between neighboring peoples less than cordial. Nonetheless, we have a saying in Albanian: Rri shtembur dhe fol drejt. [ "Put your doubt aside and speak in truth."] For indeed over this last decade of his astounding service to the faithful of Albania, regardless of their religious background, truly the character of a venerable Orthodox theologian, genuine missionary and singular human being shode forth. It has not been easy for him, as I can attest. Being first to visit the homeland of my ancestors in 1988 and thereafter, I knew too well what a daunting task was to be faced all who attempted renewals on any front. It brings to mind another saying that is apropos of his struggle: Molles qe ka kokra gjajne me gur.[ A tree full of apples is the target of stones." ] Yet to his credit even the most sceptic has become his friend, the most adversarial has become an admirer. His Beatitude's embrace of many types of people, his heart-sponsored diplomatic acumen, his eloquent outreach to friend and foe, his vast culture and breadth of vision, speak of his generosity of spirit and aristocracy of conscience. In this world of ours, and perhaps particularly in the region in which he serves, most folks are often bound by indigenous mythologies which often seem to imbue even local theologies. The distant past is often seen as current event. They are compelling histories which foster us to be incredulous and disbelieving, even when a truly exemplary individual appears on the scene tyo form a new legend, this time one of Divine Love and human caring. Rare is the one who dares to come forth and offer his life to liberate others from prior shackles by the shear simplicity of loving example. Unusual is the one who would dream of holy things and apply real energies with noble act and self-effacing instance. Archbishop Anastasios is such a one. In truth, His Lord's redeeming life has been his own enduring model. On one hand, I am prompted to say that: "They broke the mold when this man was fashioned." But I would prefer to hope that he is not an exception to the rule, but that his example is rather one that is worthy of our emulation, inspiration and imitation. In a phrase given us in Latin: Res ipso loquitor. [ "The matter speaks for itself."] It is a pleasure to join all tonight who honor this man and his work which embodies all that is fine, lofty and holy of our faith and of our species. Very Rev Arhur E. Liolin, Chancellor Albanian Orthodox Archdiocese in America --------- End forwarded message ---------- --------- End forwarded message ---------- From p9 at mail.com Sun Feb 18 08:20:48 2001 From: p9 at mail.com (Edmond Pruthi) Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 08:20:48 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Albanian American Civic League Message-ID: <380418709.982502448351.JavaMail.root@web394-mc> http://www.aacl.com --- Visit this website with webcast of mister Joseph DioGuardi... Make a link of this website on your webpages please. Welcome to the web site of the Albanian American Civic League. The Civic was founded by former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi and a board of Albanian Americans in 1989 and is the the only registered lobby in Washington, DC, representing the concerns and interests of the Albanian people. The purpose of the Civic League is to further the human rights and the national cause of the divided nation of more than seven million Albanians living side by side in the Balkans in Albania, Kosova, western Macedonia, southeastern Montenegro, Presheve, Medvegje, Bujanovc (southern Serbia), and Chameria (northern Greece). By bringing the political perspectives of 400.000 Albanian Americans to the US Government, the civic League works to end the repression and oppression of Albanians living under hostile Slavic Communist regimes in the Balkans and to preserve the culture, identity and human rights of Albanians throughout the world. Help Kosova Defend Itself 300.000+ DEAD CIVILIANS. 3 MILLION+ REFUGEES. 1000+ VILLAGES AND TOWNS BURNED. RAPE CAMPS, CHEMICAL WEAPONS USE. ORGANIZED MASSACRE AND TORTURE. NATO AND EUROPE DESTAILIZED Brought to you by Slobodan Milosevic, since 1987*. *the year he rose in power by brutally stripping away the autonomous status and rights of the Albanian majority that has lived in KOSOVA for thousands of years.* NATO has finally answered the Butcher of Belgrade in the only language he knows: force. But Serbian President has intensified its capaign of mass execution and bombing of defenseless civilians so it is clearly foolish to demand that Kosovar Albanians live under the rule of this maniac. Most millitary analysts think air power alone won't stop the Serb killing machine, but America is concerned about the lives of the American soldiers. So what's the solution? Ushtrian ?lirimtare e Kosoves (KOSOVA LIBERATION ARMY) are already on the ground and respect the human rights of all, including Serbs> They're willing and able to fight for freedom and safety, but they need the tools to protect themselves and their families. As in Bosnia, Serb troops are most deadly when slaughtering unarmed civilians. As in Bosnia, Milosevic only responded to a NATO led by America. As in Bosnia, providing weapons and training to the KLA would support NATO objectives at small financial cost without putting American lives in jeopardy. We need to tell Washington that the defenders of life and liberty in KOSOVA, are the KLA, and that genocide can be stopped if NATO helps Kosova defend itself. All of this you can read on the Albanian American Civic League Website at www.aacl.com ______________________________________________ FREE Personalized Email at Mail.com Sign up at http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Mon Feb 19 08:20:25 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 08:20:25 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] On the Vlach Minority in Greece Message-ID: From: Costel Trandu Date: Tue Feb 13, 2001 6:42am Subject: Bletsas case To: Greek Helsinki Monitor Glyka Nera - Greece Ref Arhitect S. Bletsas Case 02/12/2001 Dear Sir, We, the Congress of Macedo-Romanian Culture from USA, have found with profound indignation that on February 2, 2001, Mr Sotiris Bletsas, a member of the Society for Vlach Culture was sentenced to 15 months in prison and a fine of 500,000 drs (est USD 1,400), for distributing a publication issued by UE and EBLUS, in which appropriately was mentioned also the Macedo-Vlach, Aromanian language, among the other minority languages from Greece. The charge against Mr. Bletsas ( for the dissemination of false information) was pressed by Mr. Eugene Haitidis, a parliament deputy , member of the New Democracy Party. The Board of directors of the Congress of Macedo-Romanian (Vlach) Culture from USA considers the above verdict a blatant violation of freedom of expression, a serious contradiction with the UN Declaration of Human Rights, intolerance towards minorities - an endemic behavior in the Balkan Peninsula. Moreover, Greece is a member of EU and NATO and in 1997 has signed and ratified the Convention for Protection of National Minorities. Therefore, in the name of a better South East European Cooperation and Understanding, our organization appeals for the withdrawal of this unjust accusation and expects a complete rehabilitation of Mr. S. Bletsas. For the Congress of Macedo- Romanian (Vlach) Culture Aureliu D. Ciufecu, President 90 Laslo Terrace Fairfield, Conn. USA Tel: (203) 371-8743 Fax: (203) 261-2087 From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 12:06:00 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:06:00 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] ANALYSIS-Kosovo bombers bring NATO nightmare closer Message-ID: <4c.10f3b66c.27c2ac78@aol.com> ANALYSIS-Kosovo bombers bring NATO nightmare closer By Douglas Hamilton BRUSSELS, Feb 18 (Reuters) - NATO allies fear their troops could be the next target of Kosovo's bombers if the ethnic Albanian militants decide they are blocking the province's road to independent statehood. The risk of peacekeepers and other symbols of "the international community" becoming targets has figured in NATO's nightmares for months, alliance sources say. They are worried that extremists may use tactics borrowed from Northern Ireland and the Basque country to test the international community's commitment to a multi-ethnic Kosovo that remains part of Yugoslavia. The remote-control bomb that blew up a busload of Serbian civilians on Friday, killing seven Serbs, could just as easily have been triggered under Swedish military escort vehicles at the front and back of the bus convoy. Landmine blasts, like the one on Sunday which killed three Serb policemen, could be used against United Nations workers or the European Union monitoring teams recently sent to the tense region where it happened. What some NATO sources call the "Northern Ireland" scenario loomed recently when British troops patrolling Kosovo's eastern boundary were fired on by some of the ethnic Albanian guerrillas they were sent to stop infiltrating Serbia's Presevo Valley. NO WILL TO RECONCILE The NATO powers lead 60,000 troops in the Balkans, and they have no clear exit strategy. Military sources say some commanders feel that the peacekeeping missions have done just about all they can. As in Northern Ireland, only a political peace process backed by broad popular support, as well as international arm-twisting, stands a chance of halting Kosovo's violence. Without a peace process, NATO-led soldiers from some 30 countries could become sitting ducks in a peacekeeping quagmire and could be forced to retreat into fortress camps, neutralising their mission. Just 20 months ago, incoming NATO troops were kissed, feted and garlanded as liberators by ecstatic Albanians freed from the terror of Serbian ethnic-cleansing by an 11-week air war. Kosovo was the world's first example of a large-scale "humanitarian intervention" through unmatched military power. But it had no power to change minds, and the people NATO came to pacify and reunite mostly don't want reconciliation. When Serbian hawk Slobodan Milosevic was toppled last October, the West expected, perhaps naively, that Albanians would cooperate with the democratic reformists who took over. But moderate Albanian leaders seem irresolute at best. On Kosovo's eastern border fresh conflict threatens as Albanian separatists, evidently with little heed of the West's growing impatience, keep up their attempt to provoke Serbia. U.S. and Russian troops blocking further guerrilla movement into the Presevo Valley could be attacked from both sides. Mainly French troops holding the line in the divided northern city of Mitrovica have been stoned and petrol-bombed by angry Albanians who believe the French are pro-Serb. NATO angrily condemned the bus bombing. "NATO did not conduct its air campaign in order to see ethnic cleansing by one group replaced by the ethnic attacks and intimidation of another," Secretary General George Robertson said. "The support of the international community must not be taken for granted," he warned. But Milosevic's moderate successor, Vojislav Kostunica, complained that KFOR was being too passive. Visiting Moscow this week, Robertson can expect fresh demands from Russia to stamp out Albanian extremism. NO PLAN B Kosovars want a path to independence soon, but suspect the West of stalling. Many see its aim of easing Kosovo back into some form of federal link to Serbia as treachery. An estimated 10,000 Kosovars were murdered by Serb forces. Moderate leaders know Kosovo must rely on Western sympathy, because there will be no second air war on its behalf. But a violent few are ready to risk squandering that commodity, perhaps to the point of fomenting hostility to NATO. Robertson sent a coded warning to the Presevo Valley guerrillas last Thursday that the NATO-ordered buffer zone they use as a safe haven could be altered to let in Serbian forces. A rebel spokesman there responded that "the Albanians would be forced to resist within their power." This may threaten the sort of "asymmetric war" to which even NATO's formidably armed units are vulnerable, as were British troops in Northern Ireland and Americans in Beirut, Mogadishu, and most recently aboard the USS Cole. The West has spent billions of dollars to keep the peace in the Balkans and pay for redevelopment and NATO allies took scores of casualties over three years of Bosnia "peacekeeping." It's questionable whether Western public opinion support the sight of body bags coming home from Kosovo in the name of imposing "democracy by force." U.S. President George W. Bush, a key voice in the future of the KFOR mission, says he does not believe U.S. forces are meant for "nation building." The allies insist they have the will and stamina to stay on for the long haul, "an end-state, not an end-date." But if the desired end-state -- peaceful, multi-ethnic, democracy -- is drowned in bloodshed, what is Plan B? From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 12:06:48 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:06:48 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] CHRONOLOGY-Post-war Kosovo's catalogue of unsolved killings Message-ID: CHRONOLOGY-Post-war Kosovo's catalogue of unsolved killings PRISTINA, Yugoslavia, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Violence has continued to plague Kosovo since it was transferred from Serb to international rule after NATO's 1999 bombing to end Belgrade's repression of ethnic Albanians. Following are some of the most serious violent incidents in Kosovo since NATO-led peacekeepers and the United Nations took charge in June 1999. According to international officials, no one has been convicted of any of the crimes listed below. 1999 July 23 - Fourteen Serb farmers shot dead in a field near the village of Gracko, south of the capital Pristina. Sept 28 - Two Kosovo Serbs killed and scores of others wounded in grenade attack on marketplace in town of Kosovo Polje, just southwest of Pristina. Oct 6 - One Serb stoned to death and around 20 people wounded in clashes between Serbs and Albanians in the city of Mitrovica after funeral to rebury ethnic Albanians killed in Kosovo conflict. Eighteen peacekeepers wounded. Oct 11 - Valentin Krumov, a Bulgarian member of Kosovo's U.N. mission, shot dead in centre of Pristina, apparently after angering a group of ethnic Albanian youths because he spoke Serbian. Nov 29 - Serb professor shot dead, his wife and 76-year-old mother-in-law assaulted, by mob in Pristina in midst of ethnic Albanians celebrating national "Flag Day" holiday. - - - - 2000 Feb 2 - Attackers fire rocket at bus run by U.N. refugee agency travelling between two Serb enclaves in northern Kosovo. Two Serbs, a woman of 53 and man aged 65, killed. Three more, including an 88-year-old woman, wounded. Feb 3 - At least eight ethnic Albanians, including an eight-year-old boy, killed in single night of violence in Serb-dominated northern Mitrovica the night after the bus attack. Around 20 people, most of them Serbs, wounded. April 17 - Besim Mala, a former commander in the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army, shot dead in a shoot-out in Pristina. May 8 - Attackers gun down Ekrem Rexha, another former KLA commander, outside his home in the southwestern city of Prizren. Rexha, also known as Commander Drini, was widely seen as a moderate who worked closely with international officials. May 29 - A drive-by shooting in the eastern village of Crnica killed three Serbs, including a four-year-old boy. Aug 2 - Three Gypsies killed and one wounded by a booby-trap outside their home in the village of Mali Alas, around 15 km (nine miles) south of Pristina. Aug 4 - Remains of burned body of Shaban Manaj, an Albanian lawyer and activist in the moderate Democratic League of Kosovo party, discovered. He had been kidnapped in late July. Aug 18 - Bomb rips through building in central Pristina housing local political parties and offices of Yugoslav authorities in Kosovo. Two people slightly injured. Aug 18 - Nine children injured after two grenades thrown onto basketball court in village of Crkvene Vodice, a Serb enclave north of Pristina. Sept 10 - Shefki Popova, a journalist from the Rilindja daily, is shot in Vucitrn, 30 km (19 miles) north of Pristina. Popova dies in hospital of his injuries. Sept 11 - Rexhep Luci, local director for town planning, reconstruction and development, shot dead in a Pristina suburb. Nov 9 - Four men from the Ashkali Gypsy minority found shot dead in the village of Dasinovac, central Kosovo. Three have bullets through their foreheads, according to a witness. Nov 22 - One man killed in bomb blast at residence of Yugoslav government's representative in Pristina. Nov 23 - Xhemajl Mustafa, a top adviser to ethnic Albanian moderate leader Ibrahim Rugova, shot dead in an ambush outside his home in Pristina. - - - - 2001 Jan 29 - A 15-year-old ethnic Albanian boy killed in a grenade attack in northern Mitrovica. Feb 13 - Attackers ambush bus carrying Serbs near the village of Strpce, southern Kosovo. One Serb passenger killed and two wounded. Feb 16 - At least seven Serbs killed and dozens wounded when bomb explodes under bus carrying Serbs shortly after it crosses into northern Kosovo from Serbia proper. From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 19 12:08:06 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2001 12:08:06 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Belgrade says committed to peace despite violence Message-ID: <27.119985fb.27c2acf6@aol.com> Belgrade says committed to peace despite violence By Andrew Gray BELGRADE, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Yugoslavia said it was still committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict near the Kosovo boundary despite a day of violence which left three Serb policemen and one ethnic Albanian guerrilla dead. Belgrade said the deaths on Sunday of the three policemen killed by anti-tank landmines in the Presevo Valley area, just a few kilometres inside Serbia proper, were part of a broader campaign of terror by ethnic Albanians. Serb ministers linked the deaths to the bombing of a bus in ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo on Friday in which seven Serbs were killed and dozens more wounded. But the Presevo Valley guerrillas distanced themselves from the bus bombing and insisted they too wanted a peaceful resolution to their conflict with Serb security forces, which has claimed around 30 lives in sporadic fighting since it began a year ago. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica held an emergency meeing with top government and security officials on Sunday evening. He said they had agreed a series of measures to "protect against terrorism," giving no details. But he made clear his government still wanted to solve the problems of the Presevo Valley through dialogue. "The meeting noted that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will remain dedicated to its peaceful policy and launch even stronger diplomatic action to have the issues of Serbia's south resolved through negotiations," he said. That remark, at least, may bring a small sigh of relief at NATO headquarters. Secretary General George Robertson urged Serbia's new reformist rulers to stick to their policy of restraint, which has won praise from Western governments. "I deplore the escalation of the violence in southern Serbia and urge the leadership of both sides to exercise maximum restraint," he said in a statement issued in Brussels. "The problems of the region cannot be solved by violence; they can only be settled through direct negotiations between the parties. Today's events make the urgency of moving ahead with such negotiations all the more clear." BELGRADE DEMANDS ACTION FROM NATO PEACEKEEPERS The rebels say they are fighting Serb repression of the substantial ethnic Albanian population in the Presevo Valley. Serb officials have branded them terrorists whose only goal is to join the area to ethnic Albanian-dominated Kosovo. Yugoslav Foreign minister Goran Svilanovic wrote to Robertson asking for urgent action from NATO peacekeepers in Kosovo to clamp down on extremists. "It is obvious that we are dealing with well-planned, premeditated and synchronised attacks aimed at provoking Yugoslav security forces and creating a much broader conflict," Svilanovic wrote in the letter, quoted by Beta news agency. "The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia cannot allow Albanian terrorists to kill its citizens," he said. The guerrillas said one of their number had been killed and two wounded in a firefight with Serb forces later on Sunday. Each side blamed the other for starting that skirmish. Reporters taken to the scene of the landmine blasts saw smouldering charred bodies, a vehicle blown apart with fragments scattered up to 200 metres (yards) away, and two identical craters, about 1.5 metres (five feet) deep and 2.5 metres wide. Serb officials said the police vehicle had two landmines on Sunday morning planted near the village of Lucane, a few kilometres from the boundary with Kosovo and on the edge of a buffer zone which runs along the Serbian side of the boundary. The guerrillas have made the five km (three mile) wide buffer zone their base, taking advantage of the fact only lightly armed Serb police are allowed inside under a deal between NATO and Belgrade agreed in June 1999. NATO, anxious to bolster Serbia's new democratic rulers who took power after the downfall of the alliance's bete noire Slobodan Milosevic, has called on the rebels to lay down their arms and given cautious backing to a Serb peace plan From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Tue Feb 20 23:25:14 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 23:25:14 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Feb 26 Balkans Forum, 4-6pm, 205 Old North Building Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: ngoodrich at sfcg.org Subject: Feb 26 Balkans Forum, 4-6pm, 205 Old North Building Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 17:48:55 -0500 Size: 5529 URL: From albboschurch at juno.com Wed Feb 21 11:59:33 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (Albanian Orthodox Church) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 11:59:33 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Kosova Photodocumentary at Tufts Message-ID: <20010221.120928.9742.21.albboschurch@juno.com> RECONSTRUCTING KOSOVO A documentary photography/ text exhibit on war, reconstruction and reconciliation in Kosovo. Photographs by Glenn Ruga and Frank Ward with text by Barbara Ayotte February 26=ADMarch 15, 2001 Tufts University Aidekman Arts Center Slater Concourse Gallery Lecture and discussion with photographer Glenn Ruga, writer Barbara Ayotte, and Physicians for Human Rights=B9 Allison Cohen Monday, February 26, 7:00 p.m. Remis Sculpture Court, Aidekman Arts Center Opening Reception Monday, February 26, 8:00 p.m. Slater Concourse Gallery, Aidekman Arts Center Tufts University Exhibit sponsored by: EPIIC, Tufts University www.epiic.org For more information: (617)627-3314 For directions: http://admissions.tufts.edu/directions.htm Exhibit produced by: Friends of Bosnia Boston, MA 02118 Tel: 617-424-6906 Email: fob at crocker.com www.friendsofbosnia.org -- ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #72 Rruga Ismail Qemali, Pallati Fratari Tirana, Albania Telephone: 355-4-230700 Telephone: 355-038-21-63603 (Mark Kosmo -- Cell Phone) Telephone: 355-038-20-26031 (Diana Rodi -- Cell Phone) Fax: 355-4-230700 E-Mail: alb2001 at icc.al.eu.org ALBANIA 2001 Investment and Finance Suite #417 160 Commonwealth Avenue Boston, MA 02116 Telephone: 781-843-1056 Telephone: 617-262-6665 Fax: 617-262-2340 E-Mail: alb2001 at beld.net -- ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details http://us.click.yahoo.com/kWP7PD/pYNCAA/4ihDAA/FjZVlB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: 2001ajb-unsubscribe at egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --------- End forwarded message ---------- From ShkreliM at aol.com Wed Feb 21 16:27:45 2001 From: ShkreliM at aol.com (ShkreliM at aol.com) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 16:27:45 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos Message-ID: I fully agree with and support Vatra in the matter of Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos. He does not belong at the helm of the Albanian Orthodox Church. However, since he has usurped that position, it is up to our Orthodox brothers and sisters to show him the door. As for his extra-religious activities, well, it's up to our government (Albanian government), to declare him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the country. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From ipanajoti at yahoo.com Wed Feb 21 20:05:45 2001 From: ipanajoti at yahoo.com (ira panajoti) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 17:05:45 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20010222010545.4822.qmail@web11603.mail.yahoo.com> The funny thing is that a bishop does not possess the authority to "usurp" a position. It is not like any other government business. On the contrary, it is a religious issue and there is a different authority the one that appoints bishops in power--namely the Patriarchane. Before suggesting rebellious measures, sometimes it might prove prudent to review the issue at hand and not mix where authority is not possessed to make similar decisions. In doing the opposite, often we face nothing but chaos and reduce our country worse than the condition under which it is reduced today. However, your enthusiasm on the matter is to be commended. Restriction sometimes might prove beneficiary too. I suggest it is a practice you might want to employ more often. Regards I.L. --- ShkreliM at aol.com wrote: > I fully agree with and support Vatra in the matter > of Bishop Anastasios > Yannoulatos. He does not belong at the helm of the > Albanian Orthodox Church. > However, since he has usurped that position, it is > up to our Orthodox > brothers and sisters to show him the door. As for > his extra-religious > activities, well, it's up to our government > (Albanian government), to declare > him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the > country. > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Feb 21 20:43:32 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 17:43:32 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Forthcoming Events at Harvard Message-ID: <20010222014332.44677.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Kokkalis_Program at ksg.harvard.edu Subject: Update on Forthcoming Events Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 18:21:46 -0500 Size: 3156 URL: From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 22 10:11:24 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:11:24 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bosnian Serbs jailed for war sex crimes Message-ID: Bosnian Serbs jailed for war sex crimes February 22, 2001 Web posted at: 1426 GMT THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (CNN) -- Three Bosnian Serbs were convicted of rape and torture in the first war-time sex enslavement case at an international court. Judge Florence Mumba at the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague said the three were among Serb troops who used rape as an instrument of terror against women in the village of Foca during the Bosnian war. Dragoljub Kunarac was found guilty of 11 charges of repeatedly raping and torturing Muslim girls and women during the 1992-95 conflict and sentenced him to 28 years in jail. Kunarac, said Mumba, taunted one of his victims by telling her she would carry Serb babies and would not know who the father was because of the number of men who had raped her. He became involved in a "nightmarish scheme of sexual exploitation" that was "especially repugnant," she said. Radomir Kovac was sentenced to 20 years in jail for rape and war crimes, including sexually abusing a 12-year old girl. The third defendant, Zoran Vukovic, was convicted of raping and torturing a 15-year-old girl -- who was about the same age as his own daughter -- but acquitted of most charges for lack of evidence. He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment. The defendants stood in silence as the judgment was read in sombre tones by the presiding judge who said they had used rape as an instrument of terror against the Muslim population -- having been given a free hand by authorities. The tribunal heard harrowing testimony during the 11-month trial of rape and torture in the Bosnian town of Foca after it was overrun in April 1992. Sixteen women who came to The Hague told how Bosnian Serb paramilitary soldiers selected women and girls as young as 12 for nightly gang rapes and sexual torture at detention centres. The women attested to the long-lasting gynaecological damage and other injuries, in many cases causing permanent infertility. "I think that for the whole of my life, all my life, I will feel the pain that I felt then," said one woman, who was 15 at the time. Human rights groups have estimated that tens of thousands of people, mainly Muslim woman and girls, were raped during the 1992-1995 war. The U.N. Security Council established the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in 1993 to go after the alleged architects of the Bosnian war's bloody "ethnic cleansing" campaigns. Those indicted but still at large include the former Bosnian Serb president, Radovan Karadzic, and his military chief, Ratko Mladic. The Associated Press contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 22 10:22:34 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 15:22:34 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos Message-ID: I wouldn't think it would be rebellious to abide to the laws of the Albanian Orthodox Church, according to which the Archbishop of this church should be a native of Albania (of Albanian blood). It is also the Patriachane's duty to respect the Albanian Orthodox Church and its followers, as well as the country they belong to. Then again, with all those Albanians living in Greece, it could be that Bishop Yannoulatos hasn't told us something we should know :) (just a joke) >From: ira panajoti >To: ShkreliM at aol.com >CC: albsa-info at alb-net.com >Subject: Re: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos >Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 17:05:45 -0800 (PST) > > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List --------- > - ALBSA Web Site: http://www.albstudent.org - > > The funny thing is that a bishop does not possess >the authority to "usurp" a position. It is not like >any other government business. On the contrary, it is >a religious issue and there is a different authority >the one that appoints bishops in power--namely the >Patriarchane. Before suggesting rebellious measures, >sometimes it might prove prudent to review the issue >at hand and not mix where authority is not possessed >to make similar decisions. In doing the opposite, >often we face nothing but chaos and reduce our country >worse than the condition under which it is reduced >today. However, your enthusiasm on the matter is to >be commended. Restriction sometimes might prove >beneficiary too. I suggest it is a practice you might >want to employ more often. > Regards > I.L. >--- ShkreliM at aol.com wrote: > > I fully agree with and support Vatra in the matter > > of Bishop Anastasios > > Yannoulatos. He does not belong at the helm of the > > Albanian Orthodox Church. > > However, since he has usurped that position, it is > > up to our Orthodox > > brothers and sisters to show him the door. As for > > his extra-religious > > activities, well, it's up to our government > > (Albanian government), to declare > > him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the > > country. > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! >http://auctions.yahoo.com/ >_______________________________________________________ >ALBSA-Info mailing list: ALBSA-Info at alb-net.com >http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albsa-info _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From kbejko at hotmail.com Thu Feb 22 11:01:12 2001 From: kbejko at hotmail.com (Kreshnik Bejko) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:01:12 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos Message-ID: >As for his extra-religious >activities, well, it's up to our government (Albanian government), to >declare >him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the country. While I supported the Vatra protest on the grounds that having a Greek at the head of a Church whose inception can be attributed to Greek hegemony, I am a tad unclear about these allegations of behind-the-scene anti-Albanian work the Archbishop is being accused. I mean what exactly are the rumours? _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From kruja at fas.harvard.edu Thu Feb 22 11:15:54 2001 From: kruja at fas.harvard.edu (Eriola Kruja) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 11:15:54 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos In-Reply-To: <20010222010545.4822.qmail@web11603.mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: so ira, after your careful analysis of shkreli's suggestion could at least offer us a more un-rrebellious, un-authorative, prudent, peaceful, un-chaotic suggestion on how one might go about the process of removing Yanullatos from Albania? On Wed, 21 Feb 2001, ira panajoti wrote: > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List --------- > - ALBSA Web Site: http://www.albstudent.org - > > The funny thing is that a bishop does not possess > the authority to "usurp" a position. It is not like > any other government business. On the contrary, it is > a religious issue and there is a different authority > the one that appoints bishops in power--namely the > Patriarchane. Before suggesting rebellious measures, > sometimes it might prove prudent to review the issue > at hand and not mix where authority is not possessed > to make similar decisions. In doing the opposite, > often we face nothing but chaos and reduce our country > worse than the condition under which it is reduced > today. However, your enthusiasm on the matter is to > be commended. Restriction sometimes might prove > beneficiary too. I suggest it is a practice you might > want to employ more often. > Regards > I.L. > --- ShkreliM at aol.com wrote: > > I fully agree with and support Vatra in the matter > > of Bishop Anastasios > > Yannoulatos. He does not belong at the helm of the > > Albanian Orthodox Church. > > However, since he has usurped that position, it is > > up to our Orthodox > > brothers and sisters to show him the door. As for > > his extra-religious > > activities, well, it's up to our government > > (Albanian government), to declare > > him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the > > country. > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ > _______________________________________________________ > ALBSA-Info mailing list: ALBSA-Info at alb-net.com > http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albsa-info > From ipilika at hotmail.com Thu Feb 22 13:34:53 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:34:53 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Greece urges EU to act in Serbia Message-ID: Click Here Greece urges EU to act in Serbia February 22, 2001 Web posted at: 1256 GMT ATHENS, Greece -- Greece is calling for a stronger European Union presence in southern Serbia as part of a package of proposals to try to end violence in the area. Ahead of Friday's Balkans summit, Greece also said NATO should be more outspoken in its condemnation of ethnic Albanian armed groups' activity. "An enhanced presence of EUMM (European Union Monitoring Mission) in southern Serbia must be rapidly established and operational," a text released by the Greek foreign ministry said. Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou will present the proposals to his Balkan counterparts before the summit in Skopje. "The international community and the EU in particular should unequivocally condemn the ethnic Albanian warlords and terrorist groups," the text said. "An adequate message should also be sent to Tirana. "NATO should be encouraged to adopt stronger language in condemning the actions of ethnic Albanian armed groups." Renewed violence in Kosovo and clashes in southern Serbia are expected to dominate the summit, which will also discuss Montenegro's drive towards independence and other regional issues. Papandreou will also call for confidence-building measures to ease tension between the ethnic Allbanians and Serbs and the promotion of infrastructure projects to boost economic development. The leaders of Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Romania will attend the meeting in the Macedonian capital. Croatia will be an observer. Violence precedes summit Sporadic fighting in Serbia's nearby Presevo Valley, which has a large ethnic Albanian population, has left about 30 people dead since early last year with three Serbian policemen killed by anti-tank landmines on Sunday. A sniper also wounded a Yugoslav army soldier in an area of Serbia bordering Kosovo where ethnic Albanian guerrillas are active, Yugoslav authorities said on Wednesday. The summit is due to be attended by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten as well as Stability Pact coordinator Bodo Hombach. A draft summit declaration addresses three main points of the latest Balkan instability -- renewed violence in Kosovo, related clashes in southern Serbia and Montenegro's drive towards independence. The document urges authorities in Serbia and Montenegro, the two remaining republics of former Yugoslavia, to reach a mutually acceptable solution and stresses "the importance of avoiding unilateral actions which may jeopardise negotiations." At least 10 people, including a two-year-old child, died in a bomb attack on a bus carrying Serbs in Kosovo last week. Nobody has claimed responsibility, but Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica blamed "Albanian extremists" for the attack, saying they threatened the stability of the Balkan region. During the summit, leaders of Yugoslavia and Macedonia are to sign an accord to mark borders, a thorny issue for 10 years. Greece and Macedonia also appear close to resolving a 10-year dispute over the latter's name that has blocked cooperation and hurt the region's stability. Reuters contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 22 18:55:57 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:55:57 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO's stretched peacekeepers face new problem Message-ID: <52.79a5420.27c7010d@aol.com> NATO's stretched peacekeepers face new problem By Douglas Hamilton BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - NATO said on Thursday its Kosovo peace mission was facing a new problem with ethnic Albanian guerrillas crossing the Macedonian border, but gave no immediate details of how it intends to stop them. Groups of gunmen were reported in strength this week at a mountain village in northern Macedonia close to where it borders the province of Kosovo and adjacent southern Serbia. "This is a relatively new problem," a NATO official said. The KFOR peace force could hardly place troops "shoulder to shoulder along the Macedonian border," he pointed out. But patrols were going to be strengthened. NATO also said it had received no answer so far from Yugoslavia on its proposal that the Yugoslav Army's Pristina Corps, which NATO said had previously engaged in "ethnic cleansing" in Kosovo, should be removed from southern Serbia. Yugoslav Defence Minister Slobodan Krapovic was quoted on Thursday as saying the Corps was the "last line of defence" against ethnic Albanian separatist guerrillas in southern Serbia and would not be withdrawn under any circumstances. The NATO official said the alliance was not suggesting that the army pull out completely, simply that this particular corps be "rotated out" because of its past record. The alliance did not expect that to be done overnight, he added at a regular background briefing for reporters. But removing the Corps was a key to winning the "hearts and minds" of suspicious and fearful ethnic Albanian civilians. BORDER TOO POROUS Several hundred guerrillas have seized control of ethnic Albanian villages and roads in the Presevo Valley region of southern Serbia in the past year, using a NATO-defined buffer zone where Serbian forces are prohibited as a safe haven. Over a dozen Serbian police have been killed in attacks, three of them in a landmine blast this week. The official said NATO considered the situation "alarming" and was giving it closest attention. KFOR has reinforced its patrols of the Kosovo-Serbia internal boundary in a bid to stop men and arms flowing across from Kosovo to the rebels. Russians guard the boundary line in the north and U.S. troops in the south have erected fortifications on the few highway crossing points, where strict security is in effect. But the southerly border with Macedonia, which has scant means of its own for such operations, has evidently received a lot less attention. The KFOR commander visited Macedonian leaders on Wednesday to assure them that would change, after the government in Skopje wrote to NATO Secretary General George Robertson to express its deep concern that the border was too easy to violate. A fact-finding mission from NATO, the European Union, the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe was visiting the region this week and was due to report to NATO on Friday. Serbia has proposed a comprehensive peace plan for the area but rules out any special status or autonomy. It is also urging NATO to eliminate or at least narrow the five-km (three-mile) wide buffer zone. Serbian efforts to recruit ethnic Albanians into the local police have apparently met very little success so far, diplomats say. Belgrade had to "demonstrate why they should trust the Serbian government," the NATO official said. "It's not us that has to be persuaded," he added. NATO "accepts totally that they (the Serbian authorities) want a peaceful solution." From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 22 18:57:02 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:57:02 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO says encouraged by talks near Kosovo border Message-ID: <22.12430bbe.27c7014e@aol.com> NATO says encouraged by talks near Kosovo border By Fredrik Dahl BUJANOVAC, Yugoslavia, Feb 21 (Reuters) - NATO officials said they were encouraged by talks on Wednesday with Serb and ethnic Albanian representatives in tense southern Serbia, despite a recent upsurge in violence in the volatile Balkans. A NATO delegation held separate meetings with the two sides as part of a fact-finding mission to Serbia's Presevo Valley, an area bordering Kosovo where ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Serbian police have clashed repeatedly over the past year. Major General Robert Dierker, a member of the team visiting the town of Bujanovac, a few km (miles) east of U.N.-run Kosovo, told Reuters both sides seemed to want to end the conflict. "They want to not have any more fighting, any more people dying, and they want to solve it peacefully," he said after meeting senior Yugoslav figures including Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic and army chief-of-staff Nebojsa Pavkovic. NATO was also "very encouraged" by a plan presented by Covic this month to resolve the crisis peacefully, he said. It foresees demilitarisation of the area and integration of ethnic Albanians into local institutions. Covic urged ethnic Albanian leaders on Tuesday to agree to talks about ending the violence, and an official from the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo said he believed the two sides could get together soon. "It will happen," Shawn Sullivan, political adviser to KFOR commander General Carlo Cabigiosu, said in Bujanovac. The NATO-led delegation, which also included U.N. and European Union officials, visited the area a few days after three Serbian policemen were killed by anti-tank landmines on a small road not far from the centre of Bujanovac. The Yugoslav government has linked that incident with Friday's bombing of a bus carrying Serbs in northern Kosovo, which killed at least 10 people, saying they were part of a broader campaign of "terror" by ethnic Albanians. The Presevo Valley guerrillas, who say they are fighting Serbian police repression, have denied responsibility for the policemen's deaths, saying they were blown up by their own mines. They have also condemned the bus attack. The NATO officials also met Riza Halimi, mayor of the town of Presevo, as well as other ethnic Albanian representatives. Pieter Feith, director of NATO's Balkans Task Force, said both sides had indicated a willingness to work for a broad plan for the Presevo Valley, home to about 70,000 ethnic Albanians. He said it would include the restoration of local Albanians' political rights and economic assistance for the area. NATO would also look carefully at a Serbian government proposal to narrow a five km (three mile) wide buffer zone by the Kosovo boundary, where the ethnic Albanian guerrillas mainly operate. Under a 1999 deal between Belgrade and NATO, only lightly armed Serbian police are officially allowed in the zone. The guerrillas have exploited this and taken de facto control of the strip of land. But Feith cautioned that a narrowing of the zone "could easily be seen as a signal to resort to further violence here and in Kosovo, which we want to avoid." From Gazhebo at aol.com Thu Feb 22 18:58:31 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 18:58:31 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Britain mulls rethink on Serbia-Kosovo buffer zone Message-ID: Britain mulls rethink on Serbia-Kosovo buffer zone By Mike Collett-White LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday the West should revise its policy on a five-km (three-mile) buffer zone along the boundary between Serbia and Kosovo, which it says has become a training ground for Kosovo Albanian guerrillas. Yugoslav forces are banned from the area imposed on Belgrade at the end of NATO's 1999 bombing campaign to separate Serbian troops from NATO peacekeepers and reassure Kosovo Albanians returning to villages they fled during Serbian repression. But ethnic Albanian guerrillas are said to be active in the zone, and have been blamed for violent attacks on Serb targets in and around it. "We are continuing to be concerned about the situation on the ground in the safety zone," said a British defence ministry official. "People not living there traditionally have been setting up training among other things. "We need to work towards a medium-term solution. If we leave it there is a tendency for these people to get more entrenched and the tension level to rise." He said the British military was not ruling out options which include NATO-led peacekeepers working alongside Serbian forces within the zone and scrapping it altogether, although no decision had been made. "If they (the Serbian forces) reform, change structure over time, we are not ruling out any options at this time," the official said. When asked whether Britain would back closing the buffer zone altogether, he added: "I don't think we should shut our mind to it." Serbian patience is wearing thin over what it says are attacks by "Albanian extremists" threatening stability in the entire Balkans region. The latest criticism came in response to a bomb attack last week in northern Kosovo which killed seven Serbs and injured dozens more. Two days later a landmine blast killed three Serb policemen. The British official said the buffer zone may be part of the problem. "If you create a zone without security, people tend to move into it. We are talking to Kosovo Albanians and asking them to be sensible and to show some restraint." Proposals from Belgrade include narrowing the buffer zone in Serbia and extending it across the boundary into Kosovo as well as having joint patrols there between international peacekeepers and Serbian forces. Britain said it was "encouraged" by the constructive response from Belgrade to the tensions. From aalibali at yahoo.com Thu Feb 22 19:20:46 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:20:46 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Omonia: Dropulli si Quebec Message-ID: <20010223002046.58832.qmail@web11506.mail.yahoo.com> Dropullit?t takojn? delegacionin e KE-s?: Duam autonomi Gjirokast?r-Ta b?jm? Dropullin si Kebeku. Omonia shpalli k?t? fund shkurti t? vitit 2001 misionin e saj p?rfundimtar politik, q? premton premisat p?r shpalljen e autonomis? s? k?saj zone minoritare greke n? nj? t? ardhme t? pap?rcaktuar. Minoritar?t grek? k?rkojn? p?rdorimin e gjuh?s s? tyre minoritare n? marr?dh?niet me autoritetet administrative t? shtetit shqipta si dhe p?rdorimin e simboleve dhe t? flamurit grek n? t? gjitha ato komuna t? banuara sipas tyre nga banor? etnik? helen?. K?t? k?rkes? e parashtruan t? enjten krer?t e Omonias n? Gjirokast?r gjat? nj? takimi t? zhvilluar me nj? delegacion t? Asambles? Parlamentare t? Evrop?s. Megjith?se nuk u cil?sua si nj? kontroll politik p?r mbik?qyrjen e konvent?s-kuad?r t? K?shillit t? Evrop?s p?r mbrojtjen e minoriteteve, kjo treshe e Asambles? Parlamentare e kryesuar nga eurodeputeti polak Jerzy Smorawinski i kushtoi v?mendje speciale takimit me shoqat?n e minoritar?ve grek?, Omonia. Kjo u pa m? s? shumti n? g?zimin e shprehur hapur t? omonist?ve, q? pranuan t? prononcohen ndon?se jo publikisht se prania e treshes evropiane k?tu kishte t? b?nte me nj? ankes? t? hershme t? k?saj organizate pas zgjedhjeve t? fundit vendore t? tetorit adresuar p?r Asamblen? Evropiane. N?se delegacioni i KE-s? do t? pranonte hapur se n? Gjirokast?r ndodhej pik?risht p?r k?t? arsye, at?her? shtetit shqiptar i lind e drejta ta vler?sojn? misionin e tyre si tendencioz dhe n? kund?rshtim me shenjt?rin? e ruajtjes s? sovranitetit komb?tar. Nuk mund t? ishte rast?si q? omonist?t i entuziasmonte nj? gj? e till? pasi nuk mund t? injorohet hap?sira njoh?se e tyre n? fush?n e dokumenteve t? detyrimeve dhe t? drejtave p?r minoritetet. Megjith?se nuk duhet t? merren n? konsiderat? ankesat q? minoritetet i dretojn? drejtp?rs?drejti instancave nd?rkomb?tare p?r arsyet e m?sip?rme, ata (omonist?t) sic duket ia kishin arritur q?llimit. Eurodeputeti Smorawinski dhe dy pjes?tar?t e Sekretariatit t? Asambles? mb?rrit?n n? Gjirokast?r mbr?mjen e s? m?rkur?s. Dark?n e pun?s ata e mor?n me kryebashkiakun Murat Kaci dhe deputetin socialist, Vangjel Tavo. Gjat? bised?s mysafir?t e huaj t? qytetit t? gurt? u interesuan si rast?sisht se cfar? organizate ishte kjo Omonia, thjesht? politike apo edhe kulturore. P?rgjigjja e bashk?biseduesve shqiptar? ishte e prer?: vet?m politike. T? nes?rmen takimet e treshes nis?n me nj? takim flash n? Bashkin? e qytetit p?r t? vijuar m? tej me komisionin zgjedhor t? qeverisjes vendore dhe p?rfaq?sues t? deg?ve t? partive politike. Si ka qen? procesi i m?parsh?m zgjedhor dhe cfar? do t? b?het m? mir? p?r t? ardhmen, kontestimet e opozit?s p?r k?t? proces dhe superlativat e pozit?s mbush?n disa faqe t? raportit t? delegacionit t? KE q? ?mb?lsir?n e zbritjes n? jug e la p?r n? fund n? zyrat e organizat?s minoritare greke Omonia. Mjaft i k?naqur pas k?tij takimi u shpreh p?r shtypin kryeomonisti Vangjel Dule. N? t? v?rtet? Dule q? me siguri e ka studiuar n? qet?si konvent?n-kuad?r p?r mbrojtjen e minoriteteve n? Evrop?, mbase n? gjuh?n e tij amtare do t'i duhet jo nj? minut? deklarat? por m? shum? se nj? vit i t?r? p?r t? sqaruar mjegullsin? e formulimit t? k?tij ligji n? konvent?n kuad?r, q? m? s? shumti nuk i arrit?n dot as ekspert?t e s? drejt?s evropiane. N? k?t? konvent? shkruhet se shtetet "duhet vet?m t? p?rpiqen t? sigurojn? brenda mund?sive kushte t? favorshme q? lejojn? p?rdorimin e gjuh?s minoritare n? marr?dh?niet midis k?tyre personave dhe autoriteteve administrative". E shkruar brenda "mund?sive" tregohet qartazi se nuk i takon Asambles? s? KE, por shtetit shqiptar p?r t? vendosur mbi k?t? c?shtje dhe Dule duket se ka ngat?rruar adres? kur i ?sht? drejtuar institucionit evropian. P?rvec k?saj n? takim ai k?rkoi dhe p?rdorimin e gjuh?s greke gjat? proceseve penale ose e th?n? ndryshe n? gjykata. Askush nuk do ta besonte n? Gjirokast?r ao gjetk? n? Shqip?ri ku ka minoritar? grek? se n? k?t? rast kemi t? b?jm? me ruajtje t? identitetit t? grupit minoritar grek n? Gjirokast?r. P?r m? tep?r me shkelje t? t? drejtave t? njeriut. N?se c?shtja n? fjal? do t? ishte kthyer n? nj? shqet?sim real p?r komunitetin grek n? k?t? rreth at?here do t? ishte b?r? publik t? pakt?n nj? rast i vet?m, gj? q? do t'i kishte krijuar mund?sin? Dules t? mb?shteste qoft? dhe mbi nj? baz? t? brisht? k?rkes?n e tij t? cuditshme. N? takimin me delegacionin e Asambles? s? KE-s?, krer?t e Omonias paraqit?n dhe kontestimet e b?ra publike dhe m? par? lidhur me zhvillimin e zgjedhjeve vendore t? tetorit n? Himar?, komun?n e Finiqit si dhe problemet mbi ndarjen e zonave elektorale n? rrethin e Sarand?s. Sipas omonist?ve, ndarja administrative zgjedhoreq?llimisht cop?ton kat?r komunat e minoritetit n? dy zona zgjedhore. Dje, delegacioni i Asambles? parlamentare t? K?shillit t? Evrop?s ?sht? larguar n? drejtim t? kryeqytetit p?r t? p?rcjell? raportin n? K?shillin e Evrop?s. KOHA JONE Ndricim Nero 02/23/2001 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ From juniku at hotmail.com Thu Feb 22 22:47:44 2001 From: juniku at hotmail.com (Uk Lushi) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 03:47:44 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] College Admissions Workshop #1 Message-ID: >>From: Aridori at aol.com >>To: juniku at hotmail.com >>Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 22:39:41 EST >> >>ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION O R G A N I Z E S >> >>"COLLEGE ADMISSIONS WORKSHOP #1" >> >> >>ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIPS >>THE ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION SEEKING TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIPS FOR QUALIFYING >>STUDENTS. ALL PERSONS INTERESTED MUST APPLY IN PERSON AT THE WORKSHOP. >> >> >>Information on: >>College Admissions (Freshman and Transfer) >>Financial Aid - Grants, Loans & Scholarships >>Graduate & Professional Schools (Law School, MBA) >>US Military Academy information & ROTC programs >>Mentoring program to assist in the application process >>PSAT, SAT, LSAT, GRE & GMAT preparations >>And all other questions will be answered. >> >>Saturday, February 24th, 2001 >>11 am - 4 pm >> >>John Jay College, Manhattan, NY: >>445 West 59th Street & 10th Ave. >>at the "N" building in Room 3232. >> >> TRAINS: A,B,C,D,1,9 trains to 59th St. & Columbus Circle - >>or >> N & R trains to 57th St. & 7th Ave. >>QUESTIONS? E-MAIL: Shoqata_Atlantiku at hotmail.com or leave message at >>office telephone # (718)863-4080 _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Fri Feb 23 08:20:29 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 08:20:29 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] A step backward Message-ID: Immigrant bill 'a backward step' Panteios University releases a report on draft rights legislation, Parliament to debate it next week Desperation, poverty, persecution and the search for a better life are a few of the reasons that people pay traffickers to smuggle them into Greece. An archive photo shows illegal immigrants found by the coast guard inside a cargo ship. By Miron Varouhakis Kathimerini English Edition At a time when European countries are moving to grant immigrants longer-term residence and work permits, give permanent residence in less time and promote innovative foreign employment initiatives, Greece is considering passing an immigration bill which is geared in reverse of those policies. This is the conclusion of a report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory (MMO) at Panteios University, expected to be officially released next week, at the same time that Parliament will debate the bill. "Despite the substantial defects and problems associated with the 1991 Law, the draft immigration law represents a significant backward step in the management of immigration into Greece," said Martin Baldwin-Edwards, co-director of MMO and author of the report."The interests underlying the construction of the bill appear to be those of various ministries and bureaucrats, rather than the interests and needs of Greece. The fundamental philosophy behind it is static and control-oriented; it is out of step with the rest of Europe." The draft bill on immigration which has been designed to curb the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country while offering legal status to those already on Greek soil, has attracted strong criticism by human rights groups. On February 5 Human Rights Watch released an eight-page report from New York which had earlier been sent to Greek parliamentarians, in which it criticized the draft bill, calling it "deeply flawed" and a violation of human rights. According to Baldwin-Edwards, the draft bill has fallen short of addressing key issues, which include: simplifying bureaucratic procedures, for both immigrants and Greek employers; comprehending employer's needs, which are difficult to predict; providing legal security for both employers and immigrants; reconciling migrants' rights, as a quid pro quo for legal status; enforcing laws relating to illegal immigration and employment, but focusing on those who exploit rather than those who are being exploited. Moreover, the draft is not only in contradiction with policies implemented by the rest of the European Union, but also with international standards and conventions of which Greece is a signatory. Specifically, on children's education and healthcare there has been a failure to make adequate provision for all children's healthcare and education, including the children of undocumented immigrants, in contradiction with the Convention of the Rights of the Child signed on May 11, 1993. In addition, the refusal to extend resident permits for reasons of ill health or unemployment is probably in breach of customary international law, specifically Article 8 of ILO Convention 97. Violations are also noted in provisions for family reunification - which, according to the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers, requires a maximum waiting period of 12 months and not two years as the bill states - and then there are the charges for state documents and processing, a practice outlawed in both the European Convention on Establishment and the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers. Trends, problems "The implementation of the 1991 law resulted in a decline in the number of residence permits granted, and also in the total number valid over the period 1989-96," the report asserts. "The number of work permits issued annually over that period fluctuated at around 30,000 total, of which 7-12,000 were non-EU workers. This was at a time when the illegal population was estimated at around 400-500,000, notwithstanding over 1,000,000 expulsions in the period 1991-95." The tabled draft bill is not expected to alleviate the problem. The report underlines that the draft bill will likely perpetuate the problem of illegal immigration, while levying excessive fees and strenuous bureaucratic processes for immigrants seekingresidence and work permits. "The proposed law will likely exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration through: a) maintenance of the current financial burdens on potential employers; b) increased bureaucratic burdens on both employers and foreign workers; c) new burdens of proof (including housing) for migrants to acquire a residence permit; d) vastly higher costs of permits; e) for legalized immigrants (Green Card holders), the proposal of 6-month permits without the automatic right to work," the report notes. Under the draft bill resident permits will not come cheap. There will be a 50,000 drachma ($140) fee for 12-month residence permits; the cost will rise to 150,000 drachmas ($415) for a permit valid for six years, and to 300,000 drachmas ($830) for residence permits exceeding six years. Furthermore, foreign nationals residing in Greece and who apply for Greek nationality will have to pay a fee of 500,000 drachmas ($1,375). "Furthermore, even those immigrants who acquire legal status will inevitably tend to drop into clandestinity, as the frequent renewal of such permits is linked to continuity of employment and social security contributions - amply demonstrated elsewhere," the report stresses. Recommendations The report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory of Panteios University also highlights eight recommendations for modifications to the draft bill. 1. Employment recruitment outside Greece be abandoned, with the possible exception of seasonal agricultural workers. It should be replaced by an annual quota recruitment by employers from illegal residents of Greece, and sponsored immigration for job-seekers. 2. The work and residence permit system be completely overhauled. Work and residence permits should be combined with ONE application, one process and one official document, reducing administrative costs and delays. 3. Residence and work permits be rescheduled and simplified in a clear hierarchical pattern, with transition from one status to another as a norm. Initially, a one-year employer-specific permit, renewable once; after two years, a three-year sectoral-specific permit; after five years, an unrestricted five-year permit; and after 10 years, an unrestricted permit, both in duration and labor market access. 4. The planned legalization program be modified to give two different statuses: a one-year permit with the automatic right to work, for those with minimal employment and social security records; a three-year permit for those who satisfy more stringent criteria. 5. Greece should show its respect for the family, as required by the Greek Constitution, and facilitate family reunion with less strict but more precise criteria, and extend this possibility to other close relatives on compassionate or dependency grounds. Further, family members should be given immediate access to the labor market. 6. Greece should accept its obligations under international law, as well as morally, and provide explicit acceptance of all children resident in Greece - including the undocumented - by the education system and public healthcare system. 7. The state charges for bureaucratic papers be reduced to a reasonable level, as required by international law; that the costs of longer-term permits should be little more than the cost of short-term permits, not pro rata, as in the draft law. 8. Victims of trafficking and prostitution be granted protection and immunity from deportation, with the provision that they testify, if needed, against criminal groups. Immigrant bill 'a backward step' Panteios University releases a report on draft rights legislation, Parliament to debate it next week Desperation, poverty, persecution and the search for a better life are a few of the reasons that people pay traffickers to smuggle them into Greece. An archive photo shows illegal immigrants found by the coast guard inside a cargo ship. By Miron Varouhakis Kathimerini English Edition At a time when European countries are moving to grant immigrants longer-term residence and work permits, give permanent residence in less time and promote innovative foreign employment initiatives, Greece is considering passing an immigration bill which is geared in reverse of those policies. This is the conclusion of a report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory (MMO) at Panteios University, expected to be officially released next week, at the same time that Parliament will debate the bill. "Despite the substantial defects and problems associated with the 1991 Law, the draft immigration law represents a significant backward step in the management of immigration into Greece," said Martin Baldwin-Edwards, co-director of MMO and author of the report."The interests underlying the construction of the bill appear to be those of various ministries and bureaucrats, rather than the interests and needs of Greece. The fundamental philosophy behind it is static and control-oriented; it is out of step with the rest of Europe." The draft bill on immigration which has been designed to curb the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country while offering legal status to those already on Greek soil, has attracted strong criticism by human rights groups. On February 5 Human Rights Watch released an eight-page report from New York which had earlier been sent to Greek parliamentarians, in which it criticized the draft bill, calling it "deeply flawed" and a violation of human rights. According to Baldwin-Edwards, the draft bill has fallen short of addressing key issues, which include: simplifying bureaucratic procedures, for both immigrants and Greek employers; comprehending employer's needs, which are difficult to predict; providing legal security for both employers and immigrants; reconciling migrants' rights, as a quid pro quo for legal status; enforcing laws relating to illegal immigration and employment, but focusing on those who exploit rather than those who are being exploited. Moreover, the draft is not only in contradiction with policies implemented by the rest of the European Union, but also with international standards and conventions of which Greece is a signatory. Specifically, on children's education and healthcare there has been a failure to make adequate provision for all children's healthcare and education, including the children of undocumented immigrants, in contradiction with the Convention of the Rights of the Child signed on May 11, 1993. In addition, the refusal to extend resident permits for reasons of ill health or unemployment is probably in breach of customary international law, specifically Article 8 of ILO Convention 97. Violations are also noted in provisions for family reunification - which, according to the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers, requires a maximum waiting period of 12 months and not two years as the bill states - and then there are the charges for state documents and processing, a practice outlawed in both the European Convention on Establishment and the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers. Trends, problems "The implementation of the 1991 law resulted in a decline in the number of residence permits granted, and also in the total number valid over the period 1989-96," the report asserts. "The number of work permits issued annually over that period fluctuated at around 30,000 total, of which 7-12,000 were non-EU workers. This was at a time when the illegal population was estimated at around 400-500,000, notwithstanding over 1,000,000 expulsions in the period 1991-95." The tabled draft bill is not expected to alleviate the problem. The report underlines that the draft bill will likely perpetuate the problem of illegal immigration, while levying excessive fees and strenuous bureaucratic processes for immigrants seekingresidence and work permits. "The proposed law will likely exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration through: a) maintenance of the current financial burdens on potential employers; b) increased bureaucratic burdens on both employers and foreign workers; c) new burdens of proof (including housing) for migrants to acquire a residence permit; d) vastly higher costs of permits; e) for legalized immigrants (Green Card holders), the proposal of 6-month permits without the automatic right to work," the report notes. Under the draft bill resident permits will not come cheap. There will be a 50,000 drachma ($140) fee for 12-month residence permits; the cost will rise to 150,000 drachmas ($415) for a permit valid for six years, and to 300,000 drachmas ($830) for residence permits exceeding six years. Furthermore, foreign nationals residing in Greece and who apply for Greek nationality will have to pay a fee of 500,000 drachmas ($1,375). "Furthermore, even those immigrants who acquire legal status will inevitably tend to drop into clandestinity, as the frequent renewal of such permits is linked to continuity of employment and social security contributions - amply demonstrated elsewhere," the report stresses. Recommendations The report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory of Panteios University also highlights eight recommendations for modifications to the draft bill. 1. Employment recruitment outside Greece be abandoned, with the possible exception of seasonal agricultural workers. It should be replaced by an annual quota recruitment by employers from illegal residents of Greece, and sponsored immigration for job-seekers. 2. The work and residence permit system be completely overhauled. Work and residence permits should be combined with ONE application, one process and one official document, reducing administrative costs and delays. 3. Residence and work permits be rescheduled and simplified in a clear hierarchical pattern, with transition from one status to another as a norm. Initially, a one-year employer-specific permit, renewable once; after two years, a three-year sectoral-specific permit; after five years, an unrestricted five-year permit; and after 10 years, an unrestricted permit, both in duration and labor market access. 4. The planned legalization program be modified to give two different statuses: a one-year permit with the automatic right to work, for those with minimal employment and social security records; a three-year permit for those who satisfy more stringent criteria. 5. Greece should show its respect for the family, as required by the Greek Constitution, and facilitate family reunion with less strict but more precise criteria, and extend this possibility to other close relatives on compassionate or dependency grounds. Further, family members should be given immediate access to the labor market. 6. Greece should accept its obligations under international law, as well as morally, and provide explicit acceptance of all children resident in Greece - including the undocumented - by the education system and public healthcare system. 7. The state charges for bureaucratic papers be reduced to a reasonable level, as required by international law; that the costs of longer-term permits should be little more than the cost of short-term permits, not pro rata, as in the draft law. 8. Victims of trafficking and prostitution be granted protection and immunity from deportation, with the provision that they testify, if needed, against criminal groups. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 23 08:42:05 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 08:42:05 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] EU to Kosovo condemn violence or face isolation Message-ID: <52.79aa976.27c7c2ad@aol.com> EU to Kosovo condemn violence or face isolation SKOPJE, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The European Union issued a blunt warning to Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority on Friday to condemn and stop violence against Serbs or face international isolation. EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten told a summit of Balkan leaders that leaders and ordinary citizens had to speak out and act against the attacks which have plagued Kosovo since it came under international rule in June 1999. "It is time for every Kosovar leader, every Kosovar to make a stand -- time to abandon silent indifference, time to make clear that you will not tolerate this violence, time to stand up against it and outlaw its perpetrators," Patten said. "If it does not happen, it will be a tragedy. Because the rest of this region is moving forward now, along the road to a peaceful, prosperous future. Most people across the region are sick and tired of conflict and war," he said. At least 10 Serbs were killed in a bomb attack on a bus in northern Kosovo a week ago. On Sunday, three Serbian police were killed by landmines in the Presevo Valley area just across the border, where ethnic Albanian guerrillas are fighting Serbian security forces. A guerrilla was also killed in fighting on Sunday. Patten also said the spectre of the recent violence hung over the summit in the Macedonian capital Skopje. "The recent violence in southern Serbia reminds us that there are still individuals determined to pursue their political agenda through ethnic cleansing, murder and terror -- in this case against Serbs," Patten said. He said borders would not be changed in the region and told Presevo Albanians, some of whom want the area to be part of Kosovo, they had to start a dialogue with Belgrade. "But the people of Kosovo need a wake-up call too, because it is the whole of Kosovo that risks paying -- literally and figuratively -- if this barbarism carries on," he said. Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for foreign policy, said people would pay a high financial price if the killings and attacks did not stop. "The continuation of violence will affect the fledging stability of the region as a powerful deterrent to direct foreign investment," he said at the summit. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 23 08:48:02 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 08:48:02 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Seven Kosovar Brothers Say 'Enough Is Enough' After Attack Message-ID: Seven Kosovar Brothers Say 'Enough Is Enough' After Attack New York Times By CARLOTTA GALL RISTINA, Kosovo, Feb. 21 ? The seven brothers of the Geci family were always at the forefront of the war against Serbia, and their home lies in the hilly central heartland of the Kosovo Albanians' fight for independence. Last weekend, they took a courageous step of a different kind, gathering the people of their village to denounce the bomb attack that killed at least 11 Serbian civilians last Friday. There is a climate of fear in Kosovo: although most Albanians say they are tired of violence, and voted overwhelmingly for the more moderate of their political parties in last October's municipal elections, few will speak out, let alone act against the perpetrators of violence. But the Geci brothers, led by Fadil Geci, 39, a regional leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo, a moderate party, decided with the bomb blast that enough was enough. "We had a meeting in the village and decided it was the worst, most cowardly thing what happened," Mr. Geci said. "We must find who did this. It would be easier to breathe freely and for the internationals to do their job if we do." Only one Albanian-language daily, Koha Ditore, expressed outrage at the bus attack, the bloodiest and most brazen assault on the Serbian minority in more than a year. Bota Sot, the newspaper that supports Mr. Geci's own party, played it down, placing the story on an inside page. Albanian politicians issued standard statements, and only one, the former rebel commander, Ramush Haradinaj, condemned the bus bomb as an act of terrorism. "That was a brave move, to use the word terrorism," said Veton Surroi, publisher of Koha Ditore. "At last we are not alone." Because he dares to speak his mind, Mr. Geci said he fears his life is in danger from hard-line opponents of his party. In an interview at his home in Lausa, a village still in ruins from the 1999 Kosovo war, he accused people by name, in particular the former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hashim Thaci, and his associates, of being behind much of the violence in the province. Mr. Thaci denies orchestrating the violence and pointed to his public statements condemning the latest attack and others. Nevertheless, the public perception that he is involved in corruption and violence cost him in last October's election, where his party finished with a disappointing 27 percent of the vote. The violence in Kosovo has acquired new dimensions in the last few months. There are now daily clashes between Albanian rebels and Serbian forces across the border east of Kosovo, where three Serbian police officers were killed when a land mine destroyed their car two days after the bus blast, and armed activity and gunrunning is spilling into neighboring Macedonia. Extra troops have been sent to join the American soldiers patrolling the eastern border. United Nations police officers have had three riot teams on standby since Friday as protests have flared in the Serbian enclaves across Kosovo and blocked the main road south from the capital, Pristina, for days. In the cycle of blood and vengeance that has driven the death and destruction of the past 10 years, no one questions that there will be more violence. A Yugoslav minister warned this week that Albanian rebels were planning a coordinated offensive in March across Kosovo, southern Serbia and even into Macedonia. From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 23 08:55:07 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 08:55:07 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] =?ISO-8859-1?Q?Greece=20=96=20Immigrant=20bill=20'a=20backward=20?= =?ISO-8859-1?Q?step'?= Message-ID: <95.7430e72.27c7c5bb@aol.com> Greece ? Immigrant bill 'a backward step' Kathimerini By Miron Varouhakis At a time when European countries are moving to grant immigrants longer-term residence and work permits, give permanent residence in less time and promote innovative foreign employment initiatives, Greece is considering passing an immigration bill which is geared in reverse of those policies. This is the conclusion of a report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory (MMO) at Panteios University, expected to be officially released next week, at the same time that Parliament will debate the bill. "Despite the substantial defects and problems associated with the 1991 Law, the draft immigration law represents a significant backward step in the management of immigration into Greece," said Martin Baldwin-Edwards, co-director of MMO and author of the report."The interests underlying the construction of the bill appear to be those of various ministries and bureaucrats, rather than the interests and needs of Greece. The fundamental philosophy behind it is static and control-oriented; it is out of step with the rest of Europe." The draft bill on immigration which has been designed to curb the flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country while offering legal status to those already on Greek soil, has attracted strong criticism by human rights groups. On February 5 Human Rights Watch released an eight-page report from New York which had earlier been sent to Greek parliamentarians, in which it criticized the draft bill, calling it "deeply flawed" and a violation of human rights. According to Baldwin-Edwards, the draft bill has fallen short of addressing key issues, which include: simplifying bureaucratic procedures, for both immigrants and Greek employers; comprehending employer's needs, which are difficult to predict; providing legal security for both employers and immigrants; reconciling migrants' rights, as a quid pro quo for legal status; enforcing laws relating to illegal immigration and employment, but focusing on those who exploit rather than those who are being exploited. Moreover, the draft is not only in contradiction with policies implemented by the rest of the European Union, but also with international standards and conventions of which Greece is a signatory. Specifically, on children's education and healthcare there has been a failure to make adequate provision for all children's healthcare and education, including the children of undocumented immigrants, in contradiction with the Convention of the Rights of the Child signed on May 11, 1993. In addition, the refusal to extend resident permits for reasons of ill health or unemployment is probably in breach of customary international law, specifically Article 8 of ILO Convention 97. Violations are also noted in provisions for family reunification - which, according to the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers, requires a maximum waiting period of 12 months and not two years as the bill states - and then there are the charges for state documents and processing, a practice outlawed in both the European Convention on Establishment and the European Convention on the Legal Status of Migrant Workers. Trends, problems "The implementation of the 1991 law resulted in a decline in the number of residence permits granted, and also in the total number valid over the period 1989-96," the report asserts. "The number of work permits issued annually over that period fluctuated at around 30,000 total, of which 7-12,000 were non-EU workers. This was at a time when the illegal population was estimated at around 400-500,000, notwithstanding over 1,000,000 expulsions in the period 1991-95." The tabled draft bill is not expected to alleviate the problem. The report underlines that the draft bill will likely perpetuate the problem of illegal immigration, while levying excessive fees and strenuous bureaucratic processes for immigrants seekingresidence and work permits. "The proposed law will likely exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration through: a) maintenance of the current financial burdens on potential employers; b) increased bureaucratic burdens on both employers and foreign workers; c) new burdens of proof (including housing) for migrants to acquire a residence permit; d) vastly higher costs of permits; e) for legalized immigrants (Green Card holders), the proposal of 6-month permits without the automatic right to work," the report notes. Under the draft bill resident permits will not come cheap. There will be a 50,000 drachma ($140) fee for 12-month residence permits; the cost will rise to 150,000 drachmas ($415) for a permit valid for six years, and to 300,000 drachmas ($830) for residence permits exceeding six years. Furthermore, foreign nationals residing in Greece and who apply for Greek nationality will have to pay a fee of 500,000 drachmas ($1,375). "Furthermore, even those immigrants who acquire legal status will inevitably tend to drop into clandestinity, as the frequent renewal of such permits is linked to continuity of employment and social security contributions - amply demonstrated elsewhere," the report stresses. Recommendations The report by the Mediterranean Migration Observatory of Panteios University also highlights eight recommendations for modifications to the draft bill. 1. Employment recruitment outside Greece be abandoned, with the possible exception of seasonal agricultural workers. It should be replaced by an annual quota recruitment by employers from illegal residents of Greece, and sponsored immigration for job-seekers. 2. The work and residence permit system be completely overhauled. Work and residence permits should be combined with ONE application, one process and one official document, reducing administrative costs and delays. 3. Residence and work permits be rescheduled and simplified in a clear hierarchical pattern, with transition from one status to another as a norm. Initially, a one-year employer-specific permit, renewable once; after two years, a three-year sectoral-specific permit; after five years, an unrestricted five-year permit; and after 10 years, an unrestricted permit, both in duration and labor market access. 4. The planned legalization program be modified to give two different statuses: a one-year permit with the automatic right to work, for those with minimal employment and social security records; a three-year permit for those who satisfy more stringent criteria. 5. Greece should show its respect for the family, as required by the Greek Constitution, and facilitate family reunion with less strict but more precise criteria, and extend this possibility to other close relatives on compassionate or dependency grounds. Further, family members should be given immediate access to the labor market. 6. Greece should accept its obligations under international law, as well as morally, and provide explicit acceptance of all children resident in Greece - including the undocumented - by the education system and public healthcare system. 7. The state charges for bureaucratic papers be reduced to a reasonable level, as required by international law; that the costs of longer-term permits should be little more than the cost of short-term permits, not pro rata, as in the draft law. 8. Victims of trafficking and prostitution be granted protection and immunity from deportation, with the provision that they testify, if needed, against criminal groups. From ipilika at hotmail.com Fri Feb 23 10:16:26 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 15:16:26 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Albanian Kosovars and Serbian Monasteries Message-ID: From: Wolfgang Plarre Date: Thu Feb 22, 2001 2:31pm Subject: NEWS: Zociste monastery story subject: Zociste monastery story date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 19:30:11 -0500 (EST) from: Andras Riedlmayer The Belgrade daily Politika is not usually a good source for news about Kosovo, but this Wednesday's issue contains encouraging news from the village of Zociste/Zoqishte, in the Dukagjin Plain of western Kosovo, where the local Albanian community has reportedly set up a committee to rebuild the Serbian Orthodox monastery of St. Cosmas and Damian, which was destroyed in an Albanian revenge attack in the days following the end of the war in June 1999. As the article points out, before the war the monastery at Zociste, a mixed village (80 percent Albanian, 20 percent Serb) near the town of Orahovac/Rahovec, had been traditionally protected by the local Albanian community and had been used as a place for prayer and healing by local people, both Christian Serbs and Muslim Albanians. The mosque in Zociste, place of worship for the Albanian majority population of the village, had been burned down on July 17, 1998 by Serbian policemen and by a group of local Serbs led by Andjelko Kolasinac, the chairman of the municipal assembly of the nearby town of Orahovac. On July 21, 1998, the ancient monastery was occupied by KLA guerrillas, who held Zociste for the following month without harming the historic buildings. An An AFP reporter visited the monastery at the beginning of August 1998 to see how it had fared at the hands of the Albanian rebels. Serbs in the region claimed the rebels' red and white flag was flying from the belltower. But this was not the case. On the contrary, the walls, the floors, monks' cells, the tiny chapel, everything was exactly as the monks left it. Apart of course from the occupants. "The orders from our superiors are strict," the local KLA chief confirmed. "We guard the monastery so that no one can get in. A soldier is stationed at both the front and back doors, and we make daily checks to ensure that nothing has gone missing. Judge for yourself." Inside the shadowy courtyard, the washing still hung in the breeze. In the dormitory, the beds were made and the clothes stored neatly away on the shelves. The VW Beetle hadn't moved. Only the sound of bees on the hunt for nectar near their beehive broke the silence. Inside the church, there was no trace of disruption, let alone the war. The many icons, candles, offerings, crosses and the altar had not been touched. [...] "We want our holy places respected, so we respect those belonging to the Serbs," declared the KLA guerrilla, whose cutlass and handlebar moustache enhanced his martial air. "But go and see the mosques. They're being systematically destroyed." His officer cut him short. "The Serb vanguard is only 600 metres away, the attack could come at any moment, and we might have to retreat. If they shell us, everything will be destroyed." "We hope that they will return to live among us," he said "but that just isn't possible at the moment." (for the full AFP report, see: http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9808&L=justwatch-l&P=R28584&D=\ 1&H=0&O=D&T=1 On August 20, 1998, the KLA withdrew from the village and Serbian police forces reentered Zociste; a message from Fr. Sava confirmed that "There is no damage in the monastery and the church was not desecrated, thank God." However a number of local Serbs from the Orahovac area had been abducted by the KLA. While some were released by the KLA to the Red Cross, others were never accounted for. On March 11, 1999, KLA forces reportedly fired a mortar and a machinegun at the village. An OSCE observer team visited Zociste on March 13-14 and found that both the KLA forces in the area and Serb forces operating from the village had committed violations of the cease-fire agreement. During the March 24-June 9, 1999 air war, a major checkpoint used by Serbian troops and paramilitaries was located just outside Zociste; a local unit of Arkan's Tigers militia, led by Zoran Stanisic, was based in the area. All of the local Albanian population was expelled, their houses burned, and there were reports of mass killings and other atrocities committed against them by Serbian forces. After the end of the war, as Serbian forces withdrew and KFOR peacekeeping troops moved into the area, a mass grave/exposed bodies site containing 117 bodies was reported for Zociste. On June 17 and 21, 1999, a mass grave site was identified by KFOR forces consisting of 55 bodies, 30 meters behind a rubbbish dump in Zociste. During the same week in June, 55 houses owned by Serbs in Zociste were burned down and the monastery buildings of St. Cosmas and Damjan were destroyed by Albanians returning from exile. Some 200 Serb residents of the village had fled to the Serb enclave in nearby Orahovac/Rahovec immediately after the armistice (Natasa Kandic, "Post-War Orahovac", Humanitarian Law Center special report #14, August 10, 1999). Eighteen months have passed since the end of the war. While some of the wartime damage to homes and businesses has been repaired, there has been little encouraging news about progress in repairing Kosovo's shattered intercommunal relations. If the report in Politika turns out to be true, it would be a significant positive development. The original article, "Albanci obnavljaju manastir Svetih vraca" is at http://www.politika.co.yu/2001/0221/indexdan.htm Below is an English translation, posted on the Decani newsgroup. Andras Riedlmayer Harvard University ==================================================================== Politika (Belgrade) February 21, 2001 EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT IN ZOCISTE IN ORAHOVAC Albanians to restore the monastery of Zociste Four Albanian young men who participated in the destruction of the ancient church became psychologically ill, one of them died seven months later Kosovska Mitrovica, February 20 The Albanian population of Zociste in Orahovac municipality, reports Archpriest Milenko Dragicevic from the neighboring village of Velika Hoca, has founded an committee for the restoration of the monastery of Zociste in their village. This monastery, whose Church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian is mentioned as a Christian holy site dating back to the 8th century, was first burnt down and then blown up by the Albanians of Zociste on June 17, 1999. In the fall of 1999, four Albanian young men who participated in the destruction of this holy site became psychologically ill. One of them died seven months later and the number of Albanian destroyers from Zociste and neighboring Opterusa who became ill increased to 12, the Albanians in the committee to restore the monastery recently told Father Milenko. The locals are convinced that the Albanian people have fallen under a curse. Historians claim that the Church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian was built at the beginning of the 8th century and restored several times. The most recent renovation with a semi-round vault and a wide narthex was built on the foundations of the old church. The donors (13th century) were senior church officials as this monastery was the seat of the diocese at that time. During the past ten centuries, this monastery has been the sanctuary of the ill who came worship before the holy relics. After the arrival of the Turks in the Balkans and the Islamization of the Albanians, the locals of Zociste and all of Metohija honored the tradition of protecting this monastery. The monastery brotherhood, in accordance with the wishes of the Muslim faithful, permitted Albanians who were ailing to sleep on the lounge before the chest containing the holy relics and prayed for their recovery. The last time reporters of Politika visited the monastery in September 1998 they were witness to an Albanian pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Healers when the prior at that time, Jovan, prayed for the recovery of an Albanian woman. However, then days later, Albanian terrorists kidnapped Prior Jovan and seven monks. They were released four days later by the kidnappers following the intervention of OSCE and the International Red Cross. At that time the monastery was not physically damaged; however, the church was desecrated and all valuables were looted from the residence hall and the church treasury. After release from a private jail for Serbs which the terrorists had set up in Malisevo, the brotherhood spent the night in Gracanica and, without a moment's hesitation, again returned to Zociste. Prior Jovan was soon appointed as head of the monastery of Celije while Father Romilo was appointed to the position of prior. After the burning down and destruction of the monastery of Zociste, the monks were temporarily sent to Crna Reka where they and other monasteries of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren heard word of the intent to restore the church which made them happy and filled them with hope of returning to the holy site which was spiritually active for 14 centuries. M. Laketic __________ Translated by S. Lazovic (Feb. 21, 2001) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Fri Feb 23 12:11:42 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 12:11:42 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Balkan summit condemns south Serbia violence Message-ID: <73.b41dbde.27c7f3ce@aol.com> Balkan summit condemns south Serbia violence SKOPJE, Feb 23 (Reuters) - A Balkan summit on Friday strongly condemned ethnically motivated extremism in and near Kosovo but stopped short of openly blaming ethnic Albanians. In a joint declaration obtained by Reuters, the leaders of eight Balkan nations also said they expected Yugoslavia's new reformist leadership to release political prisoners and cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal. "We have strongly condemned the violent and illegal terrorist actions by the ethnically motivated extremist armed groups in South Serbia," said the text, finalised after lengthy negotiations at the end of the summit on Friday. A draft declaration had originally blamed "Albanian extremist groups" but officials close to the drafting said that phrase was changed after objections from Albania. The violence that has surged recently both in Kosovo and in southern Serbia's Presevo Valley is seen by most Western and Balkan leaders as fomented by Albanian radicals. Ethnic Albanian guerrillas in the Presevo Valley say they are fighting against Serb police persecution. Both NATO and Serb officials have urged them to lay down their arms. The summit declaration also urged Yugoslavia to push ahead with democratic reforms after the fall of Slobodan Milosevic and to cooperate with the international court pursuing war criminals. The court has indicted the former Yugoslav president. "We expect that the issues such as the release of the political prisoners and missing persons will be addressed without delay," the declaration also said. Hundreds of ethnic Albanians detained during the Kosovo war remain in Serbian prisons, despite campaigns by local activists and international human rights groups for their release. Many Kosovo Albanians are still missing from the conflict, as are many Serbs who disappeared after the war as a wave of ethnic Albanian vengeance for Serb repression swept across the province. The declaration is to be signed by summit participants Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey and Romania and top European Union officials later on Friday. From ipilika at hotmail.com Fri Feb 23 12:56:30 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 17:56:30 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] POLITIKA: Albanians to restore the monastery of Zociste Message-ID: Politika (Belgrade) February 21, 2001 EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT IN ZOCISTE IN ORAHOVAC Albanians to restore the monastery of Zociste Four Albanian young men who participated in the destruction of the ancient church became psychologically ill, one of them died seven months later Kosovska Mitrovica, February 20 The Albanian population of Zociste in Orahovac municipality, reports Archpriest Milenko Dragicevic from the neighboring village of Velika Hoca, has founded an committee for the restoration of the monastery of Zociste in their village. This monastery, whose Church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian is mentioned as a Christian holy site dating back to the 8th century, was first burnt down and then blown up by the Albanians of Zociste on June 17, 1999. In the fall of 1999, four Albanian young men who participated in the destruction of this holy site became psychologically ill. One of them died seven months later and the number of Albanian destroyers from Zociste and neighboring Opterusa who became ill increased to 12, the Albanians in the committee to restore the monastery recently told Father Milenko. The locals are convinced that the Albanian people have fallen under a curse. Historians claim that the Church of the Holy Healers Cosmas and Damian was built at the beginning of the 8th century and restored several times. The most recent renovation with a semi-round vault and a wide narthex was built on the foundations of the old church. The donors (13th century) were senior church officials as this monastery was the seat of the diocese at that time. During the past ten centuries, this monastery has been the sanctuary of the ill who came worship before the holy relics. After the arrival of the Turks in the Balkans and the Islamization of the Albanians, the locals of Zociste and all of Metohija honored the tradition of protecting this monastery. The monastery brotherhood, in accordance with the wishes of the Muslim faithful, permitted Albanians who were ailing to sleep on the lounge before the chest containing the holy relics and prayed for their recovery. The last time reporters of Politika visited the monastery in September 1998 they were witness to an Albanian pilgrimage to the Church of the Holy Healers when the prior at that time, Jovan, prayed for the recovery of an Albanian woman. However, then days later, Albanian terrorists kidnapped Prior Jovan and seven monks. They were released four days later by the kidnappers following the intervention of OSCE and the International Red Cross. At that time the monastery was not physically damaged; however, the church was desecrated and all valuables were looted from the residence hall and the church treasury. After release from a private jail for Serbs which the terrorists had set up in Malisevo, the brotherhood spent the night in Gracanica and, without a moment's hesitation, again returned to Zociste. Prior Jovan was soon appointed as head of the monastery of Celije while Father Romilo was appointed to the position of prior. After the burning down and destruction of the monastery of Zociste, the monks were temporarily sent to Crna Reka where they and other monasteries of the Diocese of Raska and Prizren heard word of the intent to restore the church which made them happy and filled them with hope of returning to the holy site which was spiritually active for 14 centuries. M. Laketic __________ Translated by S. Lazovic (Feb. 21, 2001) _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Fri Feb 23 13:28:10 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:28:10 -0000 Subject: Fwd: Re: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos Message-ID: >From: Artin Spahiu >To: Iris Pilika >Subject: Re: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios Yannoulatos >Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 16:00:30 -0800 (PST) > >I think I.L was implying the EFFECT that a certain law >or authority might cause if employed in a CERTAIN >situation, rather then questioning the rebellious side >of that particular law! Well, we all are humans and we >know that, a law/restriction doesn't have to be >rebellious to have rebellious consequences :). I might >be proven wrong in the future, regarding my previous >statement, but, as far as I can see, even a simple >e-mail reply might have rebellious consequences! :) > > >--- Iris Pilika wrote: > > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List > > --------- > > - ALBSA Web Site: > > http://www.albstudent.org - > > > > > > I wouldn't think it would be rebellious to abide to > > the laws of the Albanian > > Orthodox Church, according to which the Archbishop > > of this church should be > > a native of Albania (of Albanian blood). It is also > > the Patriachane's duty > > to respect the Albanian Orthodox Church and its > > followers, as well as the > > country they belong to. > > > > Then again, with all those Albanians living in > > Greece, it could be that > > Bishop Yannoulatos hasn't told us something we > > should know :) (just a joke) > > > > > > >From: ira panajoti > > >To: ShkreliM at aol.com > > >CC: albsa-info at alb-net.com > > >Subject: Re: [ALBSA-Info] Bishop Anastasios > > Yannoulatos > > >Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 17:05:45 -0800 (PST) > > > > > > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List > > --------- > > > - ALBSA Web Site: > > http://www.albstudent.org - > > > > > > The funny thing is that a bishop does not > > possess > > >the authority to "usurp" a position. It is not > > like > > >any other government business. On the contrary, it > > is > > >a religious issue and there is a different > > authority > > >the one that appoints bishops in power--namely the > > >Patriarchane. Before suggesting rebellious > > measures, > > >sometimes it might prove prudent to review the > > issue > > >at hand and not mix where authority is not > > possessed > > >to make similar decisions. In doing the opposite, > > >often we face nothing but chaos and reduce our > > country > > >worse than the condition under which it is reduced > > >today. However, your enthusiasm on the matter is > > to > > >be commended. Restriction sometimes might prove > > >beneficiary too. I suggest it is a practice you > > might > > >want to employ more often. > > > Regards > > > I.L. > > >--- ShkreliM at aol.com wrote: > > > > I fully agree with and support Vatra in the > > matter > > > > of Bishop Anastasios > > > > Yannoulatos. He does not belong at the helm of > > the > > > > Albanian Orthodox Church. > > > > However, since he has usurped that position, it > > is > > > > up to our Orthodox > > > > brothers and sisters to show him the door. As > > for > > > > his extra-religious > > > > activities, well, it's up to our government > > > > (Albanian government), to declare > > > > him "persona non grata" and throw him out of the > > > > country. > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ > > >Do You Yahoo!? > > >Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great > > prices! > > >http://auctions.yahoo.com/ > > > >_______________________________________________________ > > >ALBSA-Info mailing list: ALBSA-Info at alb-net.com > > >http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albsa-info > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ > > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > > http://explorer.msn.com > > > > >_______________________________________________________ > > ALBSA-Info mailing list: ALBSA-Info at alb-net.com > > http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albsa-info > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! >http://auctions.yahoo.com/ _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 16:52:07 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 13:52:07 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] COnference at Columbia University - US military presence Balkans Message-ID: <20010223215207.57698.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> Monday, February 26 The East Central European Center, The Harriman Institute, The U.S. Army War College, and The Institute of War and Peace Studies Conference The Future of the U.S. Presence in the Balkans 9:00am-5:00pm 15th Floor IAB 9:00-9:15 Welcome and opening comments General Robert Ivany, U.S. Army War College John S. Micgiel, Columbia University Richard K. Betts, Columbia University 9:15-10:45 U.S. Objectives in the Balkans General Keith W. Dayton, U.S. Army Steven Burg, Brandeis University Steven Meyer, National Defense University10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-12:30 Local Factors Julie Mostov, Drexel University Gale Stokes, Rice University Susan Woodward, City Univ. of New York 12:30-2:00 Luncheon 2:00-5:00 External Factors Gordon N. Bardos, Columbia University Peter Rutland, Wesleyan University Sophia Clement, French Defense Ministry R. Craig Nation, U.S. Army War College 5:00-6:00 Reception For more information, Columbia affiliates should call 854-4616 Send submissions by Tuesday 2 pm to: tws at columbia.eduVisit us at: http://sipa.columbia.edu/ THIS WEEK A T S I P ATuesday, February 27The East Central European Center, The Harriman Institute, The U.S. Army War College, and The Institute of War and Peace Studies Conference The Future of the U.S. Presence in the Balkans 9:00am-5:00pm 15th Floor IAB 9:00-9:10 Welcome John S. Micgiel, Columbia University Richard K. Betts, Columbia University 9:10-10:15 Balkan Neighbors and Issues of Balkan Security Stephano Bianchini, University of Bologna Valerii Ratchev, G.S. Rakovski, Defense College, Sofia 10:15-10:30 Break10:30-12:30 Measures of Success or Failures Richard K. Betts, Columbia University Janusz Bugajski, Center for Strategic and International Studies James Gow, Kings College, London Greg Kaufmann, U.S. Army 12:30-2:00 Luncheon 2:00-3:15 Recommendations for U.S. Strategy Stephen Blank, U.S. Army War College Daniel Nelson, George C. Marshall Center 3:15-3:50 Open Discussion 3:50-4:00 Closing Comments John S. Micgiel, Columbia University Richard K. Betts, Columbia University For more information, Columbia affiliates should call 854-4616 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ From kbejko at hotmail.com Fri Feb 23 17:16:36 2001 From: kbejko at hotmail.com (Kreshnik Bejko) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 17:16:36 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Finally a decent article Message-ID: Albania Getting better Feb 22nd 2001 | TIRANA >From The Economist print edition Meta-morphosis CURIOUS things happen in the capital of a country that used to be called the poorest in Europe, until Moldova took that title. Last year, the opera singers in Tirana went on hunger strike, because Albania?s government wanted to pay the divas a lot more than the chorus. This year, the problem is the zoo: the zoo-keepers survived the dark years of the mid-1990s by snaffling the lions? meat rations and feeding some of the weaker creatures to the carnivores. When stocks ran out, the lions were fed with hay: ?We have the world?s only vegetarian lions,? jokes Edi Rama, Tirana?s mayor. Mr Rama is one of the reasons to hope that life in Albania will grow more conventional in the next few years. A former basketball star, he worked as an artist in Paris before returning in 1997 to become minister of culture in a coalition government led by Ilir Meta (a former weightlifter) and his ex-communist Socialists. Since Mr Rama became Tirana?s mayor in October last year, he has set about trying to improve tax collection, stamp out the illegal building projects that deface the city?s skyline, clear illegal stalls from its few parks and persuade local shops to help mend the potholed pavements. If he had his way, he would also get the EU to help with education. He dreams of a Balkan university in Tirana, offering courses in how multi-ethnic societies can work. On the wider front, Mr Meta shares Mr Rama?s desire to make Albania more democratic and orderly, with a market economy whose rules people actually obey. Mr Meta says his main achievement in 14 months as prime minister has been to cut crime, clean up the customs service and boost the tax take. Now he says he wants a civil service independent of politics. He has brought into his government a clutch of young technocrats, some under 30, without party-political baggage. At 31, he is too young to be weighed down by any himself. On the face of it, the economy is doing nicely: this year, for the third in a row, it should grow by more than 7%. The currency, the lek, has been stable; inflation last year was 2%; and remittances from abroad, where about a quarter of Albania?s people of working age have gone since communism ended a decade ago, are paying for a building boom. Some of the growth is rebound from the havoc caused by the financial crisis of 1997, when half the people in the country saw their savings wiped out as a string of bogus pyramid banking schemes collapsed. The economy crashed to just about where it had been when the communists bowed out in 1991. Foreign investors fled and are only tentatively reappearing: a Greek-Norwegian consortium has bought the company that operates Albania?s first mobile-phone network, for instance; and a Greek-British one has bought the second mobile-phone licence. Few local firms are anything but tiny. Change will take more than investment. This is a country where the brightest and best pile into motorboats for the scary trip across the Adriatic to Italy: of the 1m or so Albanians living outside the country, guesses Mr Rama, fewer than a fifth left with valid visas. In addition, corruption has been the normal route to advancement. Some of the new lot are no angels; but most outsiders reckon that corruption has diminished a bit. Grinding poverty is still pervasive: annual GDP is around $1,000 a head, more than a dozen times less than it is in Greece, across the southern border. Roads are dire. This winter, power cuts have been repeatedly plunging the country into darkness and caused havoc at a giant Turkish-owned steel plant in Elbasan. Even so, with a general election due in June, the coalition has a fair chance of winning again; that would be quite a feat, in a region where enthusiasm for ?throwing the rascals out? has rarely let governments serve a second term. Support for the opposition Democratic Party, led by Sali Berisha, Albania?s first post-communist president, may be dipping. If Mr Meta wins, he says he wants to keep on trying to drag his country into the wider Balkan market, a process that should be helped by the recent restoration of political relations with Yugoslavia. His greater goal is to forge links with the EU, which appreciated Albania?s restraint during NATO?s war in mainly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipanajoti at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 19:15:46 2001 From: ipanajoti at yahoo.com (ira panajoti) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 16:15:46 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Finally a decent article In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <20010224001546.90455.qmail@web11602.mail.yahoo.com> I was reading the following article and it really made me think: we have a whole team of athletes leading the country. My God are we headed for success!(I am sure this comment is bound to produce uproar as any of my comments seem to do. Whatever the case, I apologize to the opposition for any hurt feelings and welcome any reactions) --- Kreshnik Bejko wrote: > ----------- ALBSA-Info Mailing List > --------- > - ALBSA Web Site: > http://www.albstudent.org - > > Albania > > Getting better > Feb 22nd 2001 | TIRANA > From The Economist print edition > > > > Meta-morphosis > > CURIOUS things happen in the capital of a country > that used to be called the > poorest in Europe, until Moldova took that title. > Last year, the opera > singers in Tirana went on hunger strike, because > Albania?s government wanted > to pay the divas a lot more than the chorus. This > year, the problem is the > zoo: the zoo-keepers survived the dark years of the > mid-1990s by snaffling > the lions? meat rations and feeding some of the > weaker creatures to the > carnivores. When stocks ran out, the lions were fed > with hay: ?We have the > world?s only vegetarian lions,? jokes Edi Rama, > Tirana?s mayor. > > Mr Rama is one of the reasons to hope that life in > Albania will grow more > conventional in the next few years. A former > basketball star, he worked as > an artist in Paris before returning in 1997 to > become minister of culture in > a coalition government led by Ilir Meta (a former > weightlifter) and his > ex-communist Socialists. Since Mr Rama became > Tirana?s mayor in October last > year, he has set about trying to improve tax > collection, stamp out the > illegal building projects that deface the city?s > skyline, clear illegal > stalls from its few parks and persuade local shops > to help mend the potholed > pavements. If he had his way, he would also get the > EU to help with > education. He dreams of a Balkan university in > Tirana, offering courses in > how multi-ethnic societies can work. > > On the wider front, Mr Meta shares Mr Rama?s desire > to make Albania more > democratic and orderly, with a market economy whose > rules people actually > obey. Mr Meta says his main achievement in 14 months > as prime minister has > been to cut crime, clean up the customs service and > boost the tax take. Now > he says he wants a civil service independent of > politics. He has brought > into his government a clutch of young technocrats, > some under 30, without > party-political baggage. At 31, he is too young to > be weighed down by any > himself. > > On the face of it, the economy is doing nicely: this > year, for the third in > a row, it should grow by more than 7%. The currency, > the lek, has been > stable; inflation last year was 2%; and remittances > from abroad, where about > a quarter of Albania?s people of working age have > gone since communism ended > a decade ago, are paying for a building boom. > > Some of the growth is rebound from the havoc caused > by the financial crisis > of 1997, when half the people in the country saw > their savings wiped out as > a string of bogus pyramid banking schemes collapsed. > The economy crashed to > just about where it had been when the communists > bowed out in 1991. Foreign > investors fled and are only tentatively reappearing: > a Greek-Norwegian > consortium has bought the company that operates > Albania?s first mobile-phone > network, for instance; and a Greek-British one has > bought the second > mobile-phone licence. Few local firms are anything > but tiny. > > Change will take more than investment. This is a > country where the brightest > and best pile into motorboats for the scary trip > across the Adriatic to > Italy: of the 1m or so Albanians living outside the > country, guesses Mr > Rama, fewer than a fifth left with valid visas. In > addition, corruption has > been the normal route to advancement. Some of the > new lot are no angels; but > most outsiders reckon that corruption has diminished > a bit. > > Grinding poverty is still pervasive: annual GDP is > around $1,000 a head, > more than a dozen times less than it is in Greece, > across the southern > border. Roads are dire. This winter, power cuts have > been repeatedly > plunging the country into darkness and caused havoc > at a giant Turkish-owned > steel plant in Elbasan. > > Even so, with a general election due in June, the > coalition has a fair > chance of winning again; that would be quite a feat, > in a region where > enthusiasm for ?throwing the rascals out? has rarely > let governments serve a > second term. Support for the opposition Democratic > Party, led by Sali > Berisha, Albania?s first post-communist president, > may be dipping. > > If Mr Meta wins, he says he wants to keep on trying > to drag his country into > the wider Balkan market, a process that should be > helped by the recent > restoration of political relations with Yugoslavia. > His greater goal is to > forge links with the EU, which appreciated Albania?s > restraint during NATO?s > war in mainly ethnic-Albanian Kosovo. > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > http://explorer.msn.com > > _______________________________________________________ > ALBSA-Info mailing list: ALBSA-Info at alb-net.com > http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/albsa-info __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Auctions - Buy the things you want at great prices! http://auctions.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 21:45:43 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:45:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Te drejtat e njeriut te cameve Message-ID: <20010224024543.19295.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> 300 mije came nisin shtegetimin, do te kthehemi ne tokat tona Pandi GJATA/ Nje kerkese e papare deri me sot i ka shkuar me anen e nje letre krereve me te larte te shtetit. Shoqata Politike Atdhetare "Cameria" ka evoluar me kerkesat e saj ne lidhje me ceshtjen came, qe jo pak here ka sjelle debate mes krereve te politikes ne Tirane dhe Athine. Shoqata kerkon qe rreth 300 mije cameve t'u hiqet shtetesia shqiptare, duke shfuqizuar keshtu nje dekret te vitit 1953. Me daten 1 nentor 2000, Shoqata "Cameria" i ka nisur nje leter Presidentit Meidani, Kryeministrit Meta, Kryetarit te Kuvendit Gjinushi dhe Kryetarit te Komisionit te Jashtem parlamentar, Godo. Kerkesa eshte e qarte: te anullohet dekreti nr.1954 i dates 19 prill 1953 "Mbi dhenien e shtetesise shqiptare cameve qe banojne ne Republiken Popullore te Shqiperise". Anetaret e shoqates argumentojne ne letren e tyre pse duhet te shfuqizohet dekreti i 48 viteve me pare. "Ky dekret perben shkelje te te drejtave te njeriut, sepse dhenia e shtetesise shqiptare u be me dhune dhe pa kerkesen me shkrim te popullit cam dhe nga ky fakt eshte shkelur deklarata Universale e te Drejtave te Njeriut". Dhe nisur nga ky fakt citon nenin 15 ku thuhet se; "cdo njeri ka te drejten e nje nenshtetesie dhe askush nuk mund te privohet arbitrarisht nga shtetesia e tij, as nga e drejta per te ndryshuar shtetesine". Madje ne leter shkruhet edhe rreth korrespondences se Hoxhes me juristet e Kuvendit te asaj kohe rreth hyrjes ne fuqi te dekretit per dhenien e shtetesise shqiptareve cameve. "Duke u nisur nga korrespondenca e Enver Hoxhes me juriste te Kuvendit Popullor (leter e cila ndodhet ne arkivat e shtetit, viti 1953), ne te cilen Enver Hoxha u kerkon juristeve nese ky dekret eshte i rregullt dhe nder te tjera juristet iu pergjigjen; "Eshte rast unikal ne bote ky veprim dhe shkelje e rende", shkruajne anetaret e Shoqates "Cameria". Duke u nisur nga fakti qe camet jane emigrante lufte dhe duhen trajtuar si refugjate dhe ne baze te referendumit te organizuar nga kryesia dhe keshilli i SH.P.A "Cameria", kryetari i shoqates, Bedri Myftari, i kerkon autoriteteve me te larta shteterore: "Anullimin e dekretit 1654, date 19 prill 1953 dhe me shfuqizimin e ketij dekreti popullit cam i njihet shtetesia qe ka pasur. Ne Ministrine e Rendit Publik dhe ne bashkite e rretheve, ekzistojne regjistrat themeltare te ardhur nga Greqia dhe keto institucione leshojne dokumentet, te cilat vertetojne shtetesine e cameve, disa prej te cileve po ia bashkangjisim". Ne nje shpjegim te dates 14 shkurt 2001, shteti shqiptar i kthen nje pergjigje Shoqates "Cameria" ne lidhje me kerkesen per te hequr dore nga shtetesia shqiptare. "Ne baze te Konventes Evropiane per Shtetesine, Kushtetutes dhe neneve 15, 19 dhe 20 te ligjit 8389, date 5.8.1998 (per shtetesine shqiptare) si edhe ne mbeshtetje te akteve nenligjore perkatese per heqjen dore nga shtetesia shqiptare, kusht eshte pajisja e nje shtetesi tjeter, ose dhenia e nje premtimi zyrtar (garanci) me afat nga shteti i huaj per nenshtetesine e vet", thuhet ne sqarimin per Shoqaten "Cameria". Madje thuhet se ne lidhje me pretendimet per heqjen e shtetesise shqiptare, ata duhet t'i drejtohen ne fillim shtetit grek. Dhe ne qofte se shteti grek e ploteson kerkesen me shkrim, camet duhet te paraqiten prane komisariateve perkatese te policice per t'u interesuar per veprimet e metejshme qe duhen kryer vetem per heqjen e nenshtetesise shqiptare". Ne Arkivin Qendror te Shtetit, fondi 889, viti '53 eshte dekreti mbi dhenien e shtetesise shqiptare cameve qe banojne ne Republiken Popullore te Shqiperise. Dekreti eshte mbeshtetur ne nenin 58, pika 6 e Kushtetutes se RPSH-se mbi propozimin e qeverise. Neni.1 thote: "Personat me kombesi shqiptare nga Cameria qe banojne ne Republiken Popullore te Shqiperise dhe nuk kane fituar gjer me sot shtetesine shqiptare, me hyrjen ne fuqi te ketij dekreti, marrin shtetesine shqiptare". Ndersa ne nenin.2 thuhet: "Ngarkohet Ministria e Puneve te Brendshme te jape udhezimet e duhura per regjistrimin ne regjistrat e popullsise te personave qe behet fjale ne nenin 1 te ketij dekreti". Per Presidiumin e Kuvendit Popullor te RPSH-se kane nenshkruar kryetari Omer Nishani dhe sekretari Sami Baholli. Shoqata "Cameria" kerkon qe ky dekret te shfuqizohet pas 48 vjetesh. 02/24/2001 KOHA JONE __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 21:50:14 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:50:14 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Deshmi te historise came Message-ID: <20010224025014.78332.qmail@web11502.mail.yahoo.com> "Historia e Camerise me dy fjale" "Cameria shtrihet ne veri nga lumi Pavel deri pertej gjireve te Artes ne Jug, nga perendimi, nga bregdeti Jon mbi malet e Janines. Camet jane populli autokton, me i vjeteri ne Ballkan. Kjo vertetohet me figurat e medha qe kane dale; Pirua, Nena e Aleksandrit te Madh, Olimbia, Kleopatra, Dora D'Istria, Gjin bue Shpata, Hoxha Tasim, Mitrush Kuteli e ka lene me amanet qe eshte cam, Bilal Xhaferri, etj. Per spastrimin etnik te cameve u shfrytezua Lufta e Dyte Boterore dhe u internuan te gjithe camet. Erdhen gjermanet dhe u liruan camet. Dhe ajo qe thone greket se kena qene bashkepunetore te gjermaneve, bie poshte. Per shembull babai im ishte ushtar gjate Luftes se I Boterore. Mund te kene qene disa koka si ne gjithe vendet e botes bashkepunetore, por ta zeme se te gjithe camet kane qene me gjermanet. Une qe atehere kam qene 4 vjec, tani jam 61 vjec. Baballaret tone qe kane qene mbi moshen 20 vjec kane vdekur te gjithe nuk kane asnje nga ata. Pervec asaj jane bere amnisti pas amnistie. Ne '49 Enver Hoxha donte t'i dergonte camet qe te luftonin kunder grekeve me arme. Camet nuk pranuan dhe greket ishin shume te kenaqur. Vete gazetat greke kane shkruar se cameve bravo iu qofte qe nuk erdhen te luftojne kunder nesh. Ne '53 Enveri beri gafen me dekretin. Ndersa ne '54 Greqia beri nje amnisti ku i falte te gjithe kriminelet e luftes. Ta zeme se ne ishim te gjithe kriminele lufte dhe na kapte edhe ne po te ishim nenshtetas greke. U mbyll Shqiperia dhe nuk mund ta zije me ne goje ate muhabet. Po te tentonin per arratisje shqiptaret e pesonin, jo neve. Ne jemi pritur shume mire nga populli shqiptar. Na kane hapur dyert e shtepive, na kane dhene buken e gojes, na ka trajtuar aq mire dhe i jemi mirenjohes dhe tere jetes nuk do t'ia harrojme vellezerve tane". __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 21:56:47 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 18:56:47 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Per te drejtat e njeriut te cameve - II Message-ID: <20010224025647.19201.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Avokati i Popullit i pergjigjet nje cami qe nuk e do shtetesine shqiptare Ne ankesen e derguar Avokatit te Popullit sqaroni se keni lindur ne Grave-Gumenice te Camerise dhe ne vitin 1944, ju dhe familja juaj, jeni larguar me force nga Cameria, duke emigruar ne Shqiperi. Ne vitin 1953, shteti shqiptar nepermjet dekretit nr.1654, date 19.04.1953, "Mbi dhenien e shtetesise shqiptare cameve qe banojne ne Republiken Popullore te Shqiperise", i dha shtetesine shqiptare te gjithe personave me kombesi shqiptare nga Cameria, te cilet deri ne ate kohe nuk e kishin fituar shtetesine shqiptare. Per kete ju shpreheni shqetesimin tuaj se shteti shqiptar i asaj kohe ka shkelur te drejtat e njeriut pasi ju ka dhene shtetesine shqiptare duke pasur nje shtetesi tjeter me pare dhe kete e ka bere pa kerkesen tuaj. Per kete ju kerkoni nderhyrjen time, per t'ju kthyer shtetesine greke qe keni pasur perpara vitit 1953. Lidhur me kete ankese tuajen ju sqaroj se: Avokati i Popullit eshte krijuar si Institucion me Kushtetuten e nentorit 1998 dhe nuk mund te nderhyje per zbatimin e nje dekreti te vitit 1953. Ne qofte se ju deshironi te mos keni shtetesine shqiptare, mund te zgjidhni problemin duke bere kerkese individuale per lenien e saj sipas ligjit nr.8389, date 05.08.1998, "Per Shtetesine Shqiptare". Nga ana tjeter mund te kerkoni shtetesine greke, duke e kerkuar nepermjet organeve kompetente ne Greqi, ridhenien e saj. Ne rast se keto te fundit kundershtojne kerkesen tuaj, mund t'i drejtoheni si gjykates greke ashtu dhe Ombudsmanit (Avokatit te Popullit) te Greqise. Kjo sepse duhet mbajtur parasysh se ne baze te ligjit nr.8454, date 04.02.1999, "Per Avokatin e Popullit", Avokati i Popullit mbron te drejtat, lirite dhe interesat e ligjshem te individit nga veprimet ose mosveprimet e paligjshme e te parregullta te organeve te administrates publike shqiptare, por jo te administrates greke. E njejta gje eshte dhe per pronat qe ju keni ne Greqi. Ju duhet t'i kerkoni ato ne menyre individuale nepermjet organeve gjyqesore greke. Perfundimisht, ju orientoj qe ne baze te dokumentacionit te rregullt qe ju mund te dispononi per te provuar pretendimet tuaja, mund dhe duhet t'i drejtoheni gjykates greke, per te dyja problemet. Cdo vendim qe mund te jape gjykata atje ka vlere per ju, pasi do te keni mundesi me pas qe t'i drejtoheni dhe Gjykates se te Drejtave te Njeriut ne Strasburg per problemin tuaj. Kjo eshte e vetmja rruge ligjore qe ne baze te legjislacioneve perkatese te se drejtes civile dhe akteve nderkombetare per mbrojtjen e te drejtave te njeriut, mund te coje ne zgjidhjen e problemit tuaj ne keto momente. Nga ana tjeter ju premtoj se, per kete problem, nepermjet mundesive qe me krijon Institucioni, do te bashkepunoj me Ministrine e Jashtme dhe organizmat nderkombetare, per te gjetur mundesine e zgjidhjes se tij. Kryetari i Shoqates "Cameria", Bedri Myftari, ne nje interviste per "KJ", sqaron rreth kerkeses se bere tre muaj me pare drejtuar krereve me te larte te shtetit per heqjen e shtetesise shqiptare. "Ne qofte se nuk na kthejne ne Greqi, atehere te na marrin ne Perendim te 300 mije cameve dhe te na trajtojne si gjithe refugjatet e tjere", thote ai. Perse e kerkon Shoqata "Cameria" heqjen e shtetesise shqiptare? Shfuqizimin e dekretit 1654, te dates 19 prill 1953, e kerkojme per keto arsye; e para, shteti shqiptar nuk eshte ne gjendje ta zgjidhe vete ne keto kondita qe eshte per arsye te shumta. Ne duke shfuqizuar kete dekret mbetemi nenshtetas greke dhe duke mbetur nenshtetas greke, kemi te drejte t'i kerkojme BE-se, Komisionit te Refugjateve prane OKB-se, UNHCR-se, KE-se qe te na kthejne ne trojet tona. Ata kthejne romet e serbet ne Kosove, ndersa me Greqine e kane me lehte per arsye se Greqia eshte anetare e Bashkimit Evropian. Ne qofte se ata do te thone se nuk iu kthejme, atehere ne kemi te drejte t'u kerkojme qe te na marrin ne Perendim 300 mije came dhe si refugjate gezojme te gjitha te drejtat qe gezojne refugjatet ne te gjithe boten, qe me asistence e me te gjitha. Kjo eshte thelbi i gjithckaje. Kerkesen ia kemi bere Presidentit, Kryeministrit dhe Parlamentit. Nuk kemi marre pergjigje nga asnjeri. Kemi biseduar para ca ditesh me juristin tone Rustem Gjata dhe me Juristin e Presidentit Theodhori Sallaku. Ne e kemi lene qe brenda javes qe vjen te na ktheje pergjigje, qofte kjo pergjigje edhe negative ne na intereson. Atehere do te shkojme ne Parlament. Persiper e ka marre deputeti Sabri Godo qe eshte edhe kryetari i Komisionit te Jashtem per ta lexuar ne Parlament. Sigurisht qe atje ne do te mbrojme. Nese edhe atje do te na jepet pergjigje negative, atehere ne do t'i drejtohemi Gjykates Kushtetuese. Edhe nese Gjykata Kushtetuese do te na jape pergjigje negative, atehere ne kemi te drejte qe te mbledhim te gjithe dokumentet dhe t'i drejtohemi gjyqit te Strasburgut. Per shembull para ca kohesh, mbreti Jorgo qe i ishte drejtuar Strasburgut, fitoi gjyqin me grekun dhe mori te gjitha pronat dhe c'kishte. Ne gjithmone kemi synim qe te kthehemi ne pronat tona dhe nuk shesim asnje pellembe toke, pasi cdo cam qe shet pronat e veta grekeve, nga Shoqata "Cameria" ai quhet tradhtar, sepse ka shitur pronen, territorin shqiptar. Ne do te shkojme ne Greqi dhe do t'i nenshtrohemi te gjitha rregullave qe ka shteti grek. Nuk kerkojme as ndryshim kufijsh dhe as priviligje te vecanta. ..... Pse nuk e keni bere me perpara kete kerkese ne keto dhjete vjetet e fundit, por e beni tani? Kjo kerkese nuk eshte bere me perpara per arsye se neve kishim si objektiv tonin, qe, nese do te fitoje Kosova, neve do te na hapet drita jeshile. Nese nuk fitonte Kosova, ne mbeteshim prape ne erresire. Tashme ne e kemi rrugen e hapur dhe kerkojme qe te kthehemi ne trojet tona ne momentin me te pershtatshem. Kjo ka qene arsyeja. Mendoni se do te shfuqizohet dekreti i _53-shit? Po do te shfuqizohet, pasi i intereson edhe shtetit. Shteti heq belane keshtu nga vetja. Pergjigjja zyrtare per kerkesen tuaj eshte qe, para se te kerkoni heqjen e shtetesise shqiptare, duhet te keni garanci nga shteti grek per t'iu dhene shtetesine greke... Shtetesine greke ne e kemi. Po te veme ne Ministrine e Rendit, te bej nje kerkese dhe te paguaj 2600 leke te vjetra e marr letren e shtetesise greke. E kane marre shume vete. Ne e kemi shtetesine greke. Greku nuk e ka hequr shtetesine. Pra, ky shteti jone nuk ka te drejte te heqe shtetesine e nje shteti tjeter, pasi shtetesia jone ekziston. Ne nuk beme lutje per te lene shtetesine greke, as per te marre shtetesine shqiptare. Ne kemi bere nje referendum brenda shoqates dhe kane derguar shkresa me mijera familje, pasi behemi 300 mije vete, qe mund te kene kerkuar kete gje. Mendoj une se nje pakice e vogel qe mund te mos jete dakord. Kete gje nuk na i ka thene njeri, por shumica e cameve, mbi 90% duan te kthehen ne trojet e tyre. Eshte e mundshme qe te kthehen te 300 mije camet ne Greqi, pasi pasurite e Camerise dhe po te shkojme ne ne tokat tona, jo vetem 300 mije sa jemi, por edhe 3 milione greke do te punojne. Greket kane qene argatet tone tere jeten. Bregdeti i Camerise eshte quajtur perla e Ballkanit dhe princat, mbreterit, lorder nuk i bejne me pushimet ne asnje vend te botes 1 muaj e 2 muaj, por 8 muaj ne vit ne bregdetin e Camerise. Ne '53 ju keni qene pa shtetesi greke, kur ju eshte dhene shtetesia shqiptare? Kemi qene me nenshtetesi greke. Kjo vertetohet ne Ministrine e Rendit. 300 mije came jane ne Shqiperi, 300 jane ortodokse came qe flasin shqip jane ne Cameri. Une bisedova me nje plak 90 vjet dhe me tha; "Une i varferi jam 90 vjec dhe nuk di asnje fjale greqishit". 1 milion e 500 mije came jane ne Turqi dhe nja 400 mije jane neper bote, gjithsej jane 2 milion e 500 mije came. KOHA JONE __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Feb 23 22:15:11 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 19:15:11 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Per Korcen Message-ID: <20010224031511.98139.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Limpreht bekon guiden e Korces KOHA JONE Korce-Ne prani te ambasadorit amerikan, Jozef Limpreht, Agjencia Rajonale e Zhvillimit ne Korce, peruroi guiden "Korca- porta e Shqiperise". Ne kete perurim, merrnin pjese edhe Prefekti i Qarkut te Korces, Ben Blushi, perfaqesues te Pushtetit Lokal te rretheve Korce, Pogradec, Kolonje dhe Devoll. Kryetari i Agjencise Rajonale te Zhvillimit, Grabocka tha se guida ishte edhe pasaporta e qytetit te Korces ne juglindje te vendit, si porte komunikimi me Komitetin Evropian. Ai shprehu falenderimet per z.Limpreht dhe Ambasaden Amerikane per kontributin financiar prej 16 mije dollaresh qe ajo dha per botimin e guides. Pozicioni gjeografik i rrethit te Korces eshte shume i rendesishem persa i perket lidhjes me rrjetin kombetar, sepse jane dy pika kalimi kufiri qe lidhin Shqiperine me Greqine dhe Maqedonine. 470 kilometra rruge, nga te cilat 142 jane rruge urbane dhe 189 km, rruge nacionale, krijojne mundesine e terheqjes se turisteve dhe investitoreve te huaj. Gjate vitit te kaluar levizja e mallrave kapte shifren e 2155 toneve qe hyjne neper pikat kufitare te Kapshtices dhe Gorices. Limpreht tha se Korca si qytet me kulture dhe tradite unike e meritonte nje guide te tille, per te cilen kane punuar Agjencia Rajonale e Zhvillimit, Dhoma e Tregtise dhe Universiteti "Fan Noli" ne Korce. Ambasadori amerikan e quajti si domosdoshmeri ne zhvillimin ekonomik dhe tregtar te rajonit, preokupimin qeveritar ne zbatimin e ligjit, pergatitjen e biznesit per zhvillimin rajonal dhe rolin ndermjetes te organizatave joqeveritare. Pasi ka bere nje panorame te zhvillimit ekonomik e tregtar te Korces, kryebashkiaku Duro ka shpalosur para ambasadorit amerikan, Limpreht, marredheniet e Bashkise me forcat e tjera politike dhe ne vecanti me Partine Demokratike. "Ende ne keshillin bashkiak nuk kane zene vendet e tyre 10 perfaqesuesit e PD-se. Medojme se Korca nuk duhet ndare ne parcela politike, ajo eshte e te gjithe korcareve dhe si e tille kerkon preokupimin e te gjitheve. Politizimi i fushates se zgjedhjeve per pushtetin vendor dhe zbatimin e porosive te marra nga selia blu ne Tirane, jane dy faktore kryesore qe nuk lejojne pjesemarrjen e demokrateve ne Keshillin Bashkiak", tha Duro. Me pas, kryebashkiaku korcar ka ftuar ne prani te medias 10 keshilltaret demokrate per te zene vendet e tyre ne mbledhjen e ardhshme, pasi do te diskutohet buxheti i vitit 2001, qe ka nevoje per mendimin e tyre. Gjate takimit, Limpreht ka shprehur konsideratat dhe preferencat e veta per Korcen si qytet me lidhje te forta me komunitetin shqiptar ne Amerike. Gjithashtu, interesim te madh ka treguar edhe per investimet ne kete rajon. Te premten ambasadori Limpreht ka zhvilluar takime edhe ne Prefekturen e Korces. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From albboschurch at juno.com Sat Feb 24 09:00:13 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (albboschurch at juno.com) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 09:00:13 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Kreshma e Madhe: Leter Pastorale 2001 Message-ID: <20010224.090210.-3993237.2.albboschurch@juno.com> Katedralja Shqiptare Ortodokse e Sh?n Gjergjit 523 EAST BROADWAY, SOUTH BOSTON, MASS 02127 ?Ne gjithmon? duhet t? kontrollojm? [ kujdesemi per ? ] vetveten, q? n?n pretekstin e mbajtjes s? nj? urdhri t? mos biem n? gabim e t? d?mtojm? tjetrin.? Saint Basil AGJIRIMI I MADH 2001 ( Kreshma e Madhe ) T? dashur besimtar? dhe miq, Cikli pranveror i pendimit dhe analaiz?s s? vetvetes vjen me stin?n e Agjirimit. ?sht? koha kur ne shqyrtojm? te gjitha momentet tona t? dob?sis? dhe t? fajet, t? mos p?rsosm?ris? dhe pengesave shpirt?rore. Asnjeri nuk ?sht? pa m?kate, thot? Fjala e Urt? te Ungjillit. Ky fakt i pamohuesh?m nuk pranon asnj? lloj justifikimi q? ti l?r? gj?rat t? shkojn? pa u ndier dhe t? b?hen pjes? e jet?s s? nj? besimtari n? m?nyr? t? pap?rshtat?shme. N?se fajet tona jan? morale apo etike, kan? lidhje me emocionet tona apo me m?nyr?n e t? sjellurit, ky ?sht? momenti i duhur q? shpirt?rat tan? t? k?rkojn? shp?tim. Qarku i tere sh?rbimeve t? adhurimit, me lutje t? shumta personale dhe t? shenjta, me reflektime individuale dhe rrefime personale na jep ne mund?sin? t? rritemi, t? p?rmir?sohemi, t? jemi m? t? nd?rgjegjsh?m ndaj thirrjes s? pag?zimit dhe p?r m? tep?r antar? t? devotsh?m t? Kish?s. Mijevjecari i ri na b?n ne t? aft? t? rifillojm?, t? fillojm? nga e para dhe t?ja ridedikojm? veten ton? gjith? aspiratave q? shpesh ne i l?m? m?njan?. Adashi yn? personal, engj?lli yn? mbrojt?s, shenjti yn? kujdestar i Katedrales dhe gjith? miqt? tan? besimtar? jan? t? gjith? atje p?r t? na ndihmuar n? k?t? moment kaq t? shenjt?. Si ju, ka gjithashtu ?engj?j t? tjer?? q? na ndihmojn? [ ne ] n? dit?t tona: familja dhe shok?t te ngushta, miq t? ve?ant?, q? na emocionojn? gjat? jet?s me mir?sin? e tyre dhe na kuptojn? aq mir?. Le t? nisim pra udh?timin ton? n? k?t? periudh? t? sh?njt? t? Agjirimit t? Madh dhe t? ecim m? t? kujdessh?m me Krishtin. Qofshin t? gjith? me ju ne k?t? moment transformimi. ?sht? e kuptueshme q? tashme ka ardhur koha t? merrni nj? hap. Ashtu si? thoshte nj?her? edhe Will Rogers: ?Edhe kur je ne rrug? t? drejt? , do t? vritesh po t? rrish n? nj? vend.?! Gjithmon? me ju n? Zot, +At Artur Boston ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. From albboschurch at juno.com Sat Feb 24 09:00:48 2001 From: albboschurch at juno.com (albboschurch at juno.com) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 09:00:48 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Nis Kreshma e Madhe: Orari i sherbesave Message-ID: <20010224.090211.-3993237.3.albboschurch@juno.com> Katedralja e Sh?n Gjergjit Orari I sh?rbesave p?r Agjirimin e Madh Kleri dhe komisioni i Kryekishes uron gjithe besimtaret kreshmen e lehte, e ndricuar e te bekuar. E H?na e Ndritshme [ Bardhe ose e Paster ] (25 Shkurt): Fillon Agjirimi i Madh: Kanuni i Sh?n Andreas nga Kreta 18.00 (+) Dit?t e plota t? Agjirimit. E Premte (2 Mars): P?RSH?NDOSHJET E I-ra 19.00 (+*) Kisha e Sh?n Johan Pag?zorit , Boston E Shtun? (3 Mars) Sh?n Thodri. (+) Mesha e m?ngjesit n? ora 8.00. M?ngjes Kontinental E Djela e I-r? (4 Mars) E Djela e Ortodoksis? Vizita e Kryepeshkopit Theodhosi i Uashingtonit: Mesha e Shenjt? n? ora 10.00 Ceremoni Pritjeje me rastin e Dat?lindjes s? Katedrales (*) E Premte (9 Mars) P?rsh?ndoshjet e II-ta 19.00(+*) Kisha Fjetja e Sh?n Maris? , Worcester E Djela e II-t? (11 Mars) Sh?n Grigori i Palamas Mesha e Sh?n Bazilit n? ora 10.00 E Premte ( 16 Mars ) P?rsh?ndoshjet III-ta 19.00 (+*) Kisha e Sh?n Nikoll?s, Southbridge E Djela e III-t? (18 Mars) Mesi i Agjirimit: Adhurimi i Kryqit t? Shenjt? Mesha n? ora 9.00. ( St Patrick's Day Parade) E Premte ( 23 Mars ) P?rsh?ndetjet e IV-rta 19.00 (+*) Kisha e Ungj?llizimit, NATICK (Drejton Kryepeshkopi) E Djela e IV-rt (25 Mar) Dita e Ungj?llizimit Sh?n Johan i Shkall?s Hyjnore Liturgjia n? ora 10.00 Dreka Kreshmore (*) E M?rkur? (28 Mars) MESHA E PARESHENJTERUAR Liturgjie Mbremesore 18.00(+) E Premte (30 Mars) P?rsh?ndoshjet e V-ta 19.00 (+*) Katedralja e Sh?n Gjergjit, Boston E Djela e V-t? ( 1 Prill ) Sh?n Marija e Egjyptit Liturgjia n? ora 10.00 E M?rkur? ( 4 Prill ) Liturgjia PareShenjt?ruar 18.00 (+) E Shtun? ( 7 Prill ) Dita e Sh?n Llazarit (*) 10 ne mengjez Dita e Fundit e P?rkujtimoreve deri pas dat?s 21 Prill (Pastrimi i Kish?s. T? gjith? jan? t? mir?pritur t? ndihmojne!) E Djela e Palmave ( e Dafines ]: Jezu Krishti hyn n? Jerusalem Liturgjia Festive fillon n? ora 10.00 Dreka e Agjirimit n? Kish?n e Sh?n Johan Pag?zorit, Boston. ( Mbaron Agjirimi i Madh ; Java e Shenjt? fillon ) + -Pendimi dhe rr?fimi mbahet para ose pas k?to sh?rbesa shenuar me kryq * -Shtrohet ushqime kreshmore per te gjithe, pas sherbesat shenuar me yll. ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. From juniku at hotmail.com Sat Feb 24 18:23:24 2001 From: juniku at hotmail.com (Uk Lushi) Date: Sat, 24 Feb 2001 23:23:24 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Education Programs Of Atlantic Association Message-ID: PLEASE DISTRIBUTE*PLEASE DISTRIBUTE*PLEASE DISTRUBUTE!!! 1. THE ORGANIZATION Shoqata Atlantiku-Atlantic Association Inc. was founded in 2000 as a not-for-profit organization under NYS Incorporation law. The statutes explicitly express the non-political nature of the organization. The purpose of Shoqata Atlantiku-Atlantic Association is to further the understanding between Albanians and Americans through various educational and informational programs. Additionally, the organization plans to develop and implement programs that will foster the development and advancement of Albanians both in the United States as well as in Albania, Kosova, Macedonia, Montenegro and Greece. 2. EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM The Shoqata Atlantiku-Atlantic Inc. Education Development Program is under the independent direction and guidance of the Atlantic Foundation (AEF) a) ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION SCHOLARSHIPS Annual merit and need-based scholarships ranging from US$-500 to US$1000+ to help students meet the costs of higher education. Application, standardized test scores and essay are required. b)ATLANTIC EDUCATION FOUNDATION-HOMELAND FINANCIAL CREDITS AEF will take financial responsibility fo re-paying a portion of the loans undertaken by students during their course of study. The percentage of re-payment is contingent upon the student accepting placement and working in an approved list of governmental or non-governmental organizations in either Albania or Kosova after graduation. Application, standardized test scores, interview and essay required. 3. USA-TMK MILITARY EXCHANGE PROGRAM Full sponsorship (tuition, fees, room & board, transportation and books) of students from Kosova to attend any one of the following U.S. colleges: U.S. Military Academy West Point, Virginia Military Institute or The Citadel. Program requires that students return to Kosova to serve as officers in the TMK for a period of no less than 3 years active. Application, personal interviews, English Proficiency TOEFL minimum score 500, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose and essay required. 4. U.S. COLLEGE AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAM All students interested in receiving free guidance and help throughout the college admissions process will be assigned a mentor. The program will also organize additional workshops, Internet networking lists, trips to visit colleges and the organization of an Annual College Fair. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EDUCATION PROGRAMS PLEASE CONTACT AEF ORGANIZING COMMITTEE: Viktor Ula viktor.ula at yale.edu Florim Lajqi florim_uck at hotmail.com Veton Berisha vtberisha at aol.com Paul Mirdita pmir at aol.com FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHOQATA ATLANTIKU-ATLANTIC ASSOCIATION Inc. OR IN BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATION PLEASE CONTACT Arber Muriqi aridori at aol.com Shoqata Atlantiku-Atlantic Association Inc. c/o Pilgrim Station P.O. Box 610170 Bronx, New York 10461-0170 phone: (718) 863-4080 FAX: (718) 863- 3898 e-mail: shoqata_atlantiku at hotmail.com _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Sun Feb 25 11:30:47 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:30:47 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Conference: Balkans: A European Security Challenge, London, 5-6.6.2001 Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] Conference: Balkans: A European Security Challenge, London, 5-6.6.2001 Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 11:06:29 +0100 Size: 4839 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Feb 25 11:37:21 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 08:37:21 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Movie on Mother Theresa Message-ID: <20010225163721.17581.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Movie "Mother Theresa" Thursday, 6 p.m. South Boston Branch Library 646 East BroadwayCall: 617-268-0180 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Feb 25 21:27:44 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 18:27:44 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Sunday Mail Message-ID: <20010226022744.22094.qmail@web11506.mail.yahoo.com> Sunday Mail February 25, 2001, Sunday SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 29 OP FOR KOSOVO GIRL A YOUNG Albanian girl, rescued by British troops in Kosovo, successfully underwent the first in a series of life-saving heart operations yesterday. It was feared Liridona Halilaj, nine, would die if she did not get surgery. She was flown to Scotland after the private HCI hospital at Clydebank agreed to treat her for free. Other hospitals had asked for pounds 60,000. After a three-hour op yesterday, the hospital announced that the first phase of the treatment had gone smoothly. A spokesman said: "Liridona is recovering well." __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From mehollim at hotmail.com Mon Feb 26 03:08:11 2001 From: mehollim at hotmail.com (Mimoza Meholli) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 03:08:11 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: Upcoming Balkan Programs at Harvard Message-ID: >From: Friends of Bosnia >Subject: Upcoming Balkan Programs at Harvard >Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 19:53:48 -0500 > > > >The Kokkalis Program on Southeastern and East-Central Europe would like to >bring to your attention the following events: > >Tuesday, February 27, 2001; 4:30 pm > >The Media in Democratizing Societies: The Case of Southeastern Europe > >Chair: Dr. Dimitris Keridis, Director, The Kokkalis Program >Roland Qafoku, Journalist, Koha Jone, Tirana, Albania >Zenit Djozic, Producer, Nadrealisti, Sarajevo, Bosnia >Tanja Novak, Editor, CCN, Zagreb, Croatia >Visar Hoti, Producer, Radio Thema, Ferizaj, Kosovo >Tamara Causidis, Journalist, Macedonian Radio, Skopje, Macedonia > >John F. Kennedy School of Government >Belfer Building, Starr Auditorium >79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA >--------------------------------------- > >Monday, March 12, 2001; 4:15 pm > >Vojislav Kostunica: From Dissident to President > >Dr. Audrey Helfant Budding, Academy Scholar, Harvard Academy for >International and Area Studies > >Harvard University >Center for European Studies, Cabot Room >27 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA > >Co-sponsored with the Southeast European Study Group, Harvard University >--------------------------------------- >Wednesday, March 21, 2001; 4:30 pm > >Kosovo in the Changing Environment of Southeastern Europe > >Mr. Veton Surroi, Publisher, Kosovar daily KOHA Ditore > >John F. Kennedy School of Government, >Taubman Building, 5th floor, Allison Dining Room >79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA >--------------------------------------- > >For more information on the Kokkalis Program please visit >www.ksg.harvard.edu/kokkalis/ > > > > > > > >________________________________________ >######################################## >Friends of Bosnia >85 Worcester St., #1 >Boston, MA 02118 >Tel: 617-424-6906 >Fax: 617-424-6752 >info at friendsofbosnia.org >www.friendsofbosnia.org >________________________________________ >####################*#################### > > > > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Feb 26 00:27:43 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 21:27:43 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] KOHA JONE 26.02.2001 Message-ID: <20010226052743.71620.qmail@web11503.mail.yahoo.com> Jupe: Zona nr.100 ne Sarande i ve kryq Camerise "Interesa meskine te dikujt, qe e konsideron bregdetin e Sarandes si cifligun e ardhshem elektoral pa telashet e zonave rurale, kane frymezuar kete ndryshim, i cili krijon nje problem te mprehte politik" Ka qene nje bombe e vertete letra e hapur e deputetit socialist, Hamdi Jupe, i cili ka akuzuar drejtuesit e PS se po shesin ceshtjen kombetare dhe saktesisht ate te Camerise. Deputeti dhe anetari i KPD-se, Jupe, e ka ngritur muaj me pare pretendimin e tij per zonen e Sarandes, por propozimi i tij nuk eshte perfshire ne verejtjet e Partise Socialiste per ndarjen e re elektorale. Ndaj Jupe, iu drejtua me anen e nje letre te hapur Presidentit Meidani, kryetarit te Kuvendit Gjinushi, Kryetarit te Komisionit te Ndarjes se Zonave Elektorale, Shazi, Kryetarit te Komisionit te Jashtem te Kuvendit, Godo, kryetarit te PS-se Nano dhe kryetarit te PD-se Berisha. Shqetesimi i deputetit te PS-se eshte se rreth 5000 votues shqiptare te krahines se paster shqiptare te Camerise ne Konispol, jane bashkuar me 20 000 votues te zones se banuar prej minoritetit grek. "Duke e konsideruar kete kompozim si teresisht te gabuar dhe me pasoja te renda per te ardhmen, jo vetem per kete zone, por me gjere, jam perpjekur te bind strukturat e Partise Socialiste, ku bej pjese qe te mos e pranojne nje gje te tille. Per kete ceshtje u jam drejtuar edhe perfaqesuesve te partive te tjera parlamentare, perfshi ketu edhe Partine Demokratike", shkruan Jupe. Sipas tij, ethet e fushates elektorale dhe interesat partiake i kane bere drejtuesit e partive parlamentare te harrojne se ne historine e nje populli ka gjera me te rendesishme, se sa fakti se cila parti do ta kete mandatin te qeverise vendin per kater vitet e ardhshme. Ne krahinat e rretheve te Sarandes dhe te Delvines, sipas Jupes, deri tani ka patur tri zona elektorale, njera prej te cilave ishte zone e paster e minoritetit grek dhe dy te tjerat me elektorat te perzier, te dominuar nga elektorati shqiptar. Keto zona nuk duhet te ndryshoheshin. "Por interesa meskine te dikujt, qe e konsideron bregdetin e Sarandes si cifligun e ardhshem elektoral pa telashet e zonave rurale, kane frymezuar kete ndryshim, i cili krijon nje problem te mprehte politik. Keshtu, zona e Konispolit, zone e paster shqiptare qe perfaqeson Camerine e brendshme, pjesen came brenda territorit te shtetit shqiptar me rreth 5000 votues, eshte shkeputur nga zona e deritanishme elektorale (qyteti i Sarandes dhe Ksamili) dhe eshte bashkuar me zonen e minoritetit grek me rreth 20 000 mije zgjedhes", tha Jupe. Ne letren e tij ai thote se kjo zgjidhje e re krijon dy probleme te mprehta politike. "Kjo i ve nje kryq te madh Camerise si nocion gjeografik, historik dhe politik. 5000 mije zgjedhes came i ve ne raport me 20 mije zgjedhes minoritare greke, pra praktikisht nen tutelen e nje deputeti te minoritetit grek dhe kjo behet jo ne shtetin grek, por ne territorin e shtetit shqiptar. Une mendoj se kjo `shte menyra me e turpshme e injorimit te nje problemi kombetar, e nje tragjedie kombetare, akti i pare i se ciles ka filluar ne vitin 1913, ndersa akti i fundit me sa duket eshte kjo ndarje elektorale", thote deputeti socialist. "Kishim degjuar qe problemi cam nuk ekziston per qeverine greke. Ndersa me miratimin e kesaj monstre elektorale, ligjerisht dhe faktikisht problemi cam nuk ekziston me as per qeverine dhe per Parlamentin Shqiptar", vazhdon Jupe. Sipas tij, krahina e Camerise eshte simboli qe na kujton se ka nje tragjedi kombetare qe nuk mund te harrohet e as te mbulohet me sloganet e "integrimit" dhe te "globalizimit". Jupe thote se minoriteti grek ne Sarande ka (te pakten ne letra) numrin e mjaftueshem te zgjedhesve dhe shtrirjen gjeografike homogjene per te pasur nje zone te paster elektorale, pa marre nen sqetullen e tij zonen e Camerise ne Konispol.. "Askush te mos mendoje se mund te beje trimerira me keto ceshtje, duke thene se "ne mund te bejme keshtu e ashtu", se "ne mund t'i fitojme te gjitha zonat elektorale te minoritetit" etj. Keta "trima te patriotizmes" shkojne pastaj dhe falen ne Athine dhe kthehen ne atdhe duke qene te gatshem ta paguajne dhjetefish "patriotizmen" e tyre. Natyrisht, jo me parate e tyre! Minoriteti grek ka te drejten e tij per t'u perfaqesuar ne menyre te natyrshme ne Parlamentin Shqiptar dhe ne struktura te tjera te pushtetit ne Shqiperi dhe jo me metoda te imponimit prej te huajve, sic detyrohemi te bejme here pas here. Gabime te tilla qe kalojne nga patriotizmi ekstrem, ne servilizem ekstrem vetem se e demtojme vendin dhe kombin tone", thote Jupe. Ai shpjegon se "argumentet" juridike dhe aritmetike qe paraqiten nga politikane te caktuar per te justifikuar zonen e re eletorale me numur 100, jane perpjekje te deshtuara per te fshehur mekatet e tyre ne dem te interesave te Shqiperise. Kur te jete kuptuar problemi politikisht, atehere gjendet edhe zgjidhja juridike dhe teknike, qe eshte ajo qe eshte qe nga viti 1996. "Pas kesaj letre, te pakten nuk mund te thoni se "nuk e dinim problemin", e mbyll letren Jupe. "Pretendimi i Jupes nuk eshte i ri. Eshte shfaqur qe ne fillim. Ai ka gabuar qe i eshte drejtuar medias. Argumentat duhet te jene ne institucionet qe meren me kete ceshtje". Kjo eshte pergjigjia e Sekretarit Organizativ ne PS, Petro Koci, rreth letres se hapur qe deputeti socialist Hamdi Jupe i nisi te shtunen ne faqet e gazetave, krereve me te larte te shtetit shqiptar, ne lidhje me "gafen", qe sipas tij eshte bere ne zonen 100 te rrethit te Sarandes. Koci tha dje per "KJ" se ceshtja e ndarjes se zonave elektorale eshte konplekse dhe ne te veprojne shume edhe fatore politike, pasi partite politike kane nje sere pretendimesh rreth ndarjes se re te propozuar nga Komisioni i Caktimit te Kufijve. 02/26/2001 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From ipilika at hotmail.com Mon Feb 26 18:04:38 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 23:04:38 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fighting on Macedonia-Kosovo border Message-ID: Fighting on Macedonia-Kosovo border President Trajkovski has vowed to protect Macedonia's borders February 26, 2001 Web posted at: 2039 GMT BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Fighting has broken between ethnic Albanian gunmen and Macedonian troops near the Macedonian border with Kosovo. Heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft guns, were used during Monday's clashes which lasted about one hour, sources told CNN. The fighting took place near the Macedonian village of Tanusevci, which has been the centre of recent tensions. The clashes came as Yugoslav leaders vowed to take action against ethnic Albanians who they blame for attacks on Serbs in the buffer zone separating Kosovo from the rest of Serbia. The gun battle with Macedonian troops is the latest in a series of reported clashes with ethnic Albanian militants belonging to a group called the Army for National Liberation. Western Macedonia is inhabited mostly by ethnic Albanians who make up one third of the Balkan country's population. Ethnic Albanians are claiming control of the small area inside Macedonia. Boris Trajkovski, President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, appeared on national television on Monday saying recent provocation by groups he described as ethnic Albanians was connected with the tense situation in southern Serbia. He said Macedonian troops would do all they could to protect their borders. NATO commanders in Kosovo also believe there could be a connection between all the armed separatist groups in the region. The head of the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo said his troops would step up border patrols on the Macedonian-Kosovo border after reports of incursions by ethnic Albanian fighters. The Serb and Macedonian governments recently signed an agreement on security cooperation. The European Union warned the ethnic Albanian majority in Kosovo last week that they faced international isolation unless attacks on Serbs were halted. EU officials attending the Balkan summit in the Macedonian capital, Skopje, on Friday warned that continued fighting just outside Kosovo could dry up international aid to the Serbian province. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 26 19:27:17 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 19:27:17 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO poised to hand back slice of Serbia Message-ID: <7d.11789833.27cc4e65@aol.com> NATO poised to hand back slice of Serbia By Douglas Hamilton BRUSSELS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The NATO allies are preparing to hand back control of a slice of Serb territory to Belgrade in a milestone gesture of confidence in Serbia's new, democratic leadership, diplomatic sources said on Monday. In a move that may also be seen as a veiled warning to ethnic Albanian extremists, NATO foreign ministers were expected on Tuesday to endorse a decision to eliminate about 300 km (180 miles) of the 400 km (240-mile) buffer zone around Kosovo. This would leave the no-go order for Serb forces in place for the time being in the Presevo Valley region of southern Serbia, where the zone has been exploited as a safe haven for the past year by Albanian separatists. While NATO is anxious to help Serbia reach a political settlement demilitarising the crisis area, it does not want to to trigger a flood of ethnic Albanian refugees into Kosovo from communities fearful of a harsh military crackdown on the rebels. Nor does it want several hundred well-armed guerrillas backing up into Kosovo itself. The aim must be to defuse the problem, not to make it worse, a NATO official said. NO HASTY MOVES The "ground safety zone" is a five km (three- mile) wide belt of land around Kosovo's internal boundary in Serbia. It was imposed by NATO at the end of the allied bombing campaign in June 1999 to keep Serb forces well away from the Kosovo boundary line as NATO peacekeepers took over. "It's original purpose is in suspension," the NATO official said. With the fall of the hardliner Slobodan Milosevic last October the risk of a Serb attack had evaporated, he explained. However, no one foresaw the zone being exploited by rebels bent on "liberating" Presevo Valley Albanian communities. "This gives us cause to be cautious," the official added. He declined comment on a forecast by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica on Monday that Serbia would regain control of 75 percent of the zone from NATO very soon. But a senior NATO diplomat, briefing reporters ahead of Tuesday's ministerial conference, gave a broad hint that a decision to change the buffer zone was indeed imminent. "Watch this space," he said. BELGRADE TO THIN OUT FORCES Arresting a slide to war in southern Serbia has become a top priority in recent weeks, with the United Nations, NATO and the European Union making a coordinated effort to deprive the conflict not only of arms but of political oxygen. They are working closely with Belgrade, which has presented a detailed four-month plan to end the crisis. Keeping the zone in place in southern Serbia, however, would still leave a five-km poorly protected "gate" on the border with Macedonia, where Albanian separatist guerrillas have been active recently. Sustained gunfire was heard in the area on Monday. NATO is increasing patrols on the Macedonian border. EU foreign ministers also agreed on Monday to raise the number of EU monitors in the Presevo Valley region from nine to 30. Warning that its patience has limits in the face of attacks it says are unprovoked, Serbia wants NATO to eliminate, narrow, curtail or otherwise localise the zone so its forces can regain control of villages and roads at present beyond their reach. Wary of appearing to tilt in favour of Serbia against ethnic Albanians, and still fearful of heavy-handed Serb tactics, the allies are evidently intent on delaying any such move. The NATO official noted that Serbian deputy premier Nebojsa Covic was currently "revising his plan." He was considering "thinning out their forces in the area" to eliminate what the diplomat called their "somewhat intimidating presence." The peace strategy rests on ceasefire talks and steps by Serbia to reintegrate Albanians into local government. Belgrade offers an amnesty to rebels not guilty of what it calls "terrorist" crimes. A key plank for outside powers is to choke off moral, political and material support for the rebels by pressuring Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leaders to denounce them without respite for damaging Kosovo's self-government hopes. This is a step some have been noticeably loath to take. These are now being warned of the risk of "losing the consensus that they're ready for autonomy," the NATO envoy said. A NATO-EU-UN fact-finding mission toured the area last week and reported that ethnic Albanians were ready to engage in talks, although armed extremists could try to torpedo progress. From Gazhebo at aol.com Mon Feb 26 19:28:50 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 19:28:50 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Kostunica sees buffer zone problem solved soon Message-ID: <90.10b0a1a1.27cc4ec2@aol.com> Kostunica sees buffer zone problem solved soon By Michael Winfrey BRATISLAVA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Yugoslavia's president said on Monday he expected NATO to agree soon to cut by 75 percent the size of a buffer zone between Kosovo and Serbia proper that Serbs say Albanian guerrillas use as a base for violence. President Vojislav Kostunica also stood firm on declarations that Yugoslav courts would have the final word on the fate of the country's former leader Slobodan Milosevic, after Saturday's arrest of his former secret police chief, Rade Markovic. On a one-day visit to Slovakia, Kostunica said Yugoslav authorities had gained NATO support for a detailed plan to shrink the buffer zone -- where the Yugoslav army and Serb police are prohibited -- and expect a solution soon. NATO set up the zone on Kosovo's internal boundary with the rest of Serbia in June 1999 as allied troops took control of the province, where ethnic Albanians are the overwhelming majority. The proposal aims to cut the five-kilometre (three miles) wide, 400-kilometre-long swath to just 100 kilometres in length, Kostunica told a news conference. "We generally have the acceptance of NATO and SFOR to solve this problem according to this plan. I believe it will not be necessary for the Yugoslav Army and the Serbian police to use force (to stop violence in the region)," he said. "The coming days will give a definitive answer to this question." NATO foreign ministers due to meet on Tuesday are expected to discuss the Yugoslav proposal and perhaps decide how to recent clashes between Albanian rebels and Serb security forces. Foreign Ministers of the European Union, which has warned Albanian rebels to put down their weapons, are holding a similar meeting on the issue on Monday. Serbia says the rebels, who have seized villages and roads in the area in the past year, are using the NATO-defined zone as a safe haven in a campaign to make the region part of Kosovo. Kostunica maintained a cautious stance on Milosevic, after Markovic was arrested in an investigation of whether he ordered an assassination attempt on a political opponent of Milosevic. Reformers have said they believe the trail of state-sponsored crime leads all the way to Milosevic, who has been indicted by a U.N. court on Kosovo war crimes charges. Kostunica said the rule of the courts would prevail over any sense of "revolutionary justice." "Regarding former President Milosevic...this will be the question for the courts," Kostunica said. "For us it is very important in the coming period for the rule of law to become a principle not to be broken. For more than a century we knew what revolutionary justice meant and now...we wish this part of history to remain a matter of the past." From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Feb 26 21:47:24 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 18:47:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Zeri i Popullit, 27.2.2001 Message-ID: <20010227024724.14068.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Droga: shuma t? m?dha p?r t? bler? deputet? NARKOTRAFIKU ? Platforma ishte nd?rtuar p?r k?to zgjedhje, parat? e drog?s do t? zgjidhnin deputet?t e rrjetit, m? pas parti politike ? Tani para p?r influenc? n? gazeta e kanale televizive, m? pas gazeta e kanale televizive pron? t? tyre. TIRANE- Prokuroria shqiptare zbulon q?llimet politike t? organizat?s kriminale t? narkotrafikut. "Karteli shqiptar kishte si synim t? kontrollonte zgjedhjet e ardh?shme p?r t? drejtuar m? pas pushtetin politik n?p?rmjet hedhjes n? veprim". Kjo ?sht? deklarata e fundit e grupit t? prokuror?ve t? ??shtjes s? rrjetit nd?rkomb?tar t? narkotrafikut. Pas hetimeve t? nj?pasnj?shme, prokuror?t q? po merren me zbardhjen e ??shtjes s? organizat?s kriminale t? kokain?s arrit?n t? zbardhin synimin e supertrafikant?ve shqiptar? t? cil?t kishin synime afatgjata politike n? Shqip?ri. Projekti i tyre i detajuar ?sht? zbuluar or?t e fundit nga grupi i prokuror?ve dhe hetuesve t? Prokuroris? s? P?rgjithshme n? bashk?punim me Antimafian italiane dhe Sh?rbimet Sekrete Perendimore. Sipas projektit t? zbuluar, grupi i bos?ve shqiptar? t? drog?s, kishte arritur t? piketonte disa kandidat? p?r deputet? p?r t?i financuar ata gjat? zgjedhjeve parlamentare t? k?tij viti. Ve? k?saj, gjat? 4 viteve t? legjislatur?s s? ardh?shme, grupi i trafikant?ve t? kokain?s, do t? niste investimet e fuqishme n? disa fusha dhe zona t? Shqip?ris? p?r pastrimin e parave t? pista. Paralelisht me k?to investime, ata do t? krijonin edhe nj? parti politike e cila synonte financimin p?r fitimin e disa mandateve t? deputetev? dhe m? pas z?nien e disa posteve t? r?nd?sishme n? ekzekutivin shqiptar dhe pushtetin lokal. Hetuesit dhe prokuror?t e ??shtjes, tashm? kan? zbardhur plot?sisht emrat e disa politikan?ve aktual? t? cil?t kan? koh? q? ruajn? lidhje tep?r t? forta me pjestar? t? kartelit shqiptar t? trafikut t? kokain?s dhe n?p?rmjet financimeve t? fuqishme ndaj tyre nga bos?t e trafikut t? drog?s jan? hedhur n? veprim p?r t? realizuar ambicjet politike t? rrjetit. Detyra e k?tyre politikan?ve ka qen? edhe inkriminimi i personave t? tjer? si dhe blerja e kandidat?ve t? mundsh?m p?r t? pasur sa m? shum? njer?z n? Parlament me q?llim kontrollimin e t? gjith? jet?s politike. Kontrolli i drog?s synonte sipas kartelit shqiptar mb?shtetjen politike. I gjith? plani i organizat?s do t? shoq?rohej edhe me ngritjen e nj? grupi t? fuqish?m mediash q? do t? mb?shtesnin aksionin politiko-financiar t? grupit t? drejtuar nga Durda e B?rballa. Karteli shqiptar i drog?s, ka punuar me q?llime afatgjata duke interpretuar me mjesht?ri skem?n e njohur t? mafias nd?rkomb?tare e cila ka arritur t? blej? kokat e politik?s dhe ekzekutivit p?r t? realizuar synimet e veta kriminale. T? nj?jt?n gj? ka synuar edhe klani Durda, B?rballa, Ko?iu, klan i cili ka vepruar sipas skem?s s? njohur t? mafias kolumbiane p?r t? mund?suar krijimin e nj? partie t? saj. Hetuesit dhe prokuror?t tashm? kan? zbardhur pothuajse gjith?ka rreth emrave t? personave q? jan? implikuar n? k?t? skem? t? p?rpiluar mjesht?risht, detyrave t? tyre, synimeve dhe ambicjeve t? m?tejshme politike __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Feb 26 22:19:33 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2001 19:19:33 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Human Rights of Displaced People Message-ID: <20010227031933.16670.qmail@web11507.mail.yahoo.com> Greek Macedonians hold rally to protest at Greek "discrimination" Source: Sitel TV, Skopje, in Macedonian 1700 gmt 23 Feb 01 Text of report by Macedonian Sitel TV on 23 February [Announcer] Throughout the duration of the Balkan summit, several hundred Macedonians from the Aegean part of Greece held a peaceful protest rally in the centre of Skopje to express their dissatisfaction with the discriminatory attitude of the Republic of Greece towards the Macedonian minority which still lives there. They called on the Greek authorities to respect the human rights of the Macedonians in Greece and allow them to return to the homes they were forced to leave some 50 years ago. Yesterday Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, following a meeting with Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski, announced a relaxation of the visa regime for the citizens of Macedonia. [Unidentified reporter] Neither the rain, nor the bad weather could prevent the Macedonians of the Aegean part of Greece from gathering on the main square in Skopje to protest against the official Greek policy which for decades has refused to acknowledge the existence of a Macedonian ethnic minority in Greece and has been denying them basic human rights and freedoms. [Unidentified protester] We would like to use this opportunity to present our dissatisfaction with the discrimination which Greece has been practising for many years, with the aim of destroying us. Simply, as a people and separate nationality, we are not recognized in Greece, but I must also say that we are not well represented by our authorities either. [Reporter] The associations of the Macedonian victims of the mass exodus, which was forced by the Greek authorities some 50 years ago, have asked to return to their homes and enjoy the widely-accepted human rights. [Protester] The main problem is the people, but also our property, because the Madzirs from the Middle East [Greek refugees from Turkey] were given refuge in our homes and were given the villages to govern. [Reporter] Yesterday Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis announced a relaxation of the visa regime towards the Macedonian citizens, which is particularly strict towards the Macedonians from Aegean Macedonia [in Greece]. Today's protest rally was organized by the Human Rights Forum of the Macedonians of Aegean Macedonia and received the support of the associations of Macedonians who were forced to leave for various European states. These associations called on the Macedonian authorities not the succumb to the Greek pressure to change the [Macedonia's] constitutional name and to build relations with the southern neighbour in accordance with the principles of equality and mutual respect for the cultural and historical differences between the two peoples. At today's protest rally the Macedonians of Aegean Macedonia addressed a declaration to the international associations and organizations, asking the Greek authorities to abolish the inhuman and discriminatory decision under which the Macedonians of Aegean Macedonia had been denied entry to Greece only because they were not Greek. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From ipilika at hotmail.com Tue Feb 27 09:24:04 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 14:24:04 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Yugoslavia pardons deserters Message-ID: The law, aimed primarily at the many young men who dodged the draft, does not apply to those charged with so-called terrorism -- mostly Kosovo Albanians. Yugoslavia pardons deserters February 27, 2001 Web posted at: 1254 GMT BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- An amnesty law has pardoned about 30,000 people accused of anti-state crimes during the rule of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The law, aimed primarily at the many young men who dodged the draft, does not apply to those charged with so-called terrorism -- mostly Kosovo Albanians. Politicians loyal to Milosevic blasted the measure, holding up placards at the end of the debate accusing Yugoslavia's new leadership of releasing "traitors" and arresting "Serb heroes." "Release Rade Markovic!" said one card, referring to the former secret police chief, whose arrest on suspicion of multiple murder was announced during the weekend. The session even had to be temporarily suspended when Yugoslavia's defence minister and an ultra-nationalist leader came to blows. Neither Defence Minister Slobodan Krapovic nor Vojislav Seselj, the leader of the Serbian Radicals, was seriously hurt and the law was approved Monday evening by both chambers of parliament. It covers about 28,000 draft dodgers and deserters from the army during a series of Balkan wars in the 1990s, mainly during NATO's 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia. It was not immediately clear how many were in jails and how many had fled the country. Milosevic's wife, Mirjana Markovic, leader of the Yugoslav Left Party, said during the heated debate that Serbs "will give up their right to resist aggression" if the law was passed. Markovic's arrest has upset Milosevic allies But Yugoslav Justice Minister Momcilo Grubac rejected this saying the aim was to restore social peace and integration. "A law like this one does not bring into question the state's defence capacity, but it is destroyed by irresponsible politicians who have led the people for 10 years into senseless wars, misfortunes and tragedies." Ethnic Albanians made up only 0.6 percent of those to be pardoned, said Grubac. He had earlier signalled that ethnic Albanians sentenced without proper evidence but not covered by the law could be freed under a separate proposal submitted to Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica. Up to 2,000 ethnic Albanians were charged, mostly with "terrorism." Some were sentenced to up to 15 years in prison during and after NATO's 11-week bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999 to halt its repression of Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority. Many have since been released, but Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic said about 580 ethnic Albanians are still in jails in Serbia, which together with Montenegro forms Yugoslavia. Of these, 108 were sentenced for criminal acts covered by the amnesty law but 326 were sentenced for terrorism and 146 for other crimes not covered by new legislation, he said. The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From kbejko at hotmail.com Tue Feb 27 10:58:05 2001 From: kbejko at hotmail.com (Kreshnik Bejko) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 10:58:05 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Further admonishment of Alb ' terrorism' Message-ID: NATO Will Narrow Kosovo Buffer Zone In Response to Ethnic Albanian Violence A WSJ.COM News Roundup BRUSSELS -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Tuesday said it is preparing to narrow the demilitarized zone between Kosovo and southern Serbia in response to a resurgence in the terrorist activities of ethnic Albanian extremists. Lord Robertson, NATO's secretary-general, said that the Western alliance will trim the zone in a bid to flush out the ethnic Albanian militants who have taken control of it in recent months, using the area to launch attacks in southern Serbia. Serb, Ethnic Albanians Exchange Fire as Tension Heightens After Bombings (Feb. 20) At a meeting of NATO foreign ministers, which was called to take advantage of Colin Powell's first visit to Europe as U.S. Secretary of State, Lord Robertson said that the alliance would implement ''a phased and conditioned reduction'' of the buffer zone, which he said had become "a safe haven for extremist activities." "We are deeply concerned about the continuing violence in Kosovo and southern Serbia,'' Lord Robertson said. He didn't say when the zone would be trimmed. "The United States will participate in whatever action the alliance believes is necessary," Mr. Powell said following Lord Robertson's statement. And in a warning to the rebels, the U.S. official added: "This is not the time to start a new conflict in Europe." He also gave a commitment to the allies that the U.S. will maintain its presence in the Balkans as long as they do. "The United States is committed to peacekeeping in the Balkans," Mr. Powell said. "The simple fact is: we went in together, we will come out together." The buffer zone is a tense, three-mile-wide strip which appeals to ethnic Albanian rebels because only lightly-armed Serb police -- and not the Yugoslav army -- may patrol it. NATO's statement of intent Tuesday is likely to please the Yugoslav government, which had requested such a move to put pressure on ethnic Albanian rebels operating in the Presevo Valley of southern Serbia. Last week, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica vowed to clamp down on the ethnic Albanian extremists, whom he blamed for a weekend of bloodshed in which three Serb policemen and seven Serb civilians were killed, and 43 civilians wounded in bomb attacks launched from the buffer zone. President Kostunica ordered Serb soldiers and police to hunt down the rebels and the two sides exchanged mortar and machine-gun fire on the edge of the buffer zone, as Belgrade flexed its muscles in the troubled region. Lord Robertson said NATO's Council would be receiving military advice on the details of a reduction of the zone, "and implications for the security situation in Kosovo." He said the commander of NATO-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo would retain overall authority for activities in the zone, "including the entry and disposition of Yugoslav army and Interior Ministry police forces." He also said NATO was studying further assistance to the Macedonian government to protect its frontier with Kosovo and southern Serbia. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:32:39 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:32:39 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Yugoslav Parliament Passes Amnesty for Jailed Kosovars Message-ID: Yugoslav Parliament Passes Amnesty for Jailed Kosovars By CARLOTTA GALL BELGRADE, Serbia, Feb. 26 (NJT) ? The Yugoslav Parliament passed a long-awaited amnesty law today that will free several hundred Kosovo Albanians held in Serbian prisons since the war in Kosovo in 1999 and will clear thousands of draft dodgers and deserters in Yugoslavia from prosecution by the army. It was the first major piece of legislation passed by the new Parliament and the first real gesture by the new government to reverse injustices suffered by Albanians from Kosovo under Slobodan Milosevic. United Nations officials in Kosovo and human rights organizations have long called for the release of the 650 Albanians still in Serbian prisons, most of whom they regard as political prisoners. The prisoners were among about 2,000 transferred to Serbia at the end of the war in 1999, when NATO-led peacekeepers took control of Kosovo. The status of those in prison is one of the most explosive issues in Kosovo today, and United Nations officials have repeatedly said their continued imprisonment is a major obstacle to peace and reconciliation. Despite protests from Mr. Milosevic's Socialist Party, and his wife's Yugoslav Left Party, the law was passed easily in both the upper and lower houses. It will give amnesty to all those charged with and convicted of conspiring against the state, but not to those convicted of terrorism. In addition to the prisoners, the main beneficiaries of the law will be an estimated 28,000 young Serbs and Montenegrins, many of whom fled abroad to avoid serving in the army during the wars in Croatia, Bosnia and finally Kosovo, according to Justice Minister Momcilo Grubac. The amnesty, he noted today, was one of the election promises of the government that replaced Mr. Milosevic's. About 200 of the imprisoned Kosovo Albanians have been charged with terrorism, and their cases will be reviewed separately, he said. But he added that after reviewing the status of the prisoners, he had asked President Vojislav Kostunica to pardon some who had been convicted of terrorism on insufficient evidence. "Those convicted without any evidence will be pardoned," he said, adding that Mr. Kostunica was the one to make the final decision. In particular, he said, 143 men from the town of Djakovica were convicted as a group, apparently without evidence, after several police officers were killed. "The real terrorists escaped, and the citizens were tried without any evidence or proof that they committed this criminal offense," he told Parliament. Shortly after taking office as president in October, Mr. Kostunica pardoned the best known Albanian political prisoner, Flora Brovina, a pediatrician, along with a Serbian journalist convicted of spying. Since then, Mr. Kostunica has come under criticism for stalling on the release of the remaining 650 Kosovo Albanians. In a recent interview, Mr, Grubac said that there was no political agenda in the delay, but that it had been necessary to review all the cases. Case officers at the independent Humanitarian Law Center, who monitored virtually every trial at the time, suggested that Mr. Kostunica had sought to use the prisoners as leverage in negotiations with the West over Kosovo and over cooperation with the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Nevertheless, passing the law, without amendments, was clearly a success for Mr. Kostunica's ministers, who applauded when it was voted through. The Socialists and Yugoslav Left deputies staged a walkout for the vote, raising banners that read, "You are freeing the butchers and are arresting Serbian generals," and "Free Rade Markovic," a reference to Mr. Milosevic's former secret police chief, who was arrested by the new Serbian authorities over the weekend. From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:35:31 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:35:31 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Powell Says U.S. Agrees With Return of Yugoslav Army to Buffer Zone Message-ID: <8d.2f55125.27cd77a3@aol.com> Powell Says U.S. Agrees With Return of Yugoslav Army to Buffer Zone By JANE PERLEZ BRUSSELS, Feb. 27 (NJT) ? On his first visit to NATO headquarters as secretary of state, Colin L. Powell said today that the United States agreed in principle to a "phased and conditioned" return of the Yugoslav Army to an area of southern Serbia that has been a buffer zone. The five-mile zone, which is adjacent to where American troops are stationed inside Kosovo, has become a major flash point between armed Albanian militants and local Serbs. There are an estimated 1,000 Albanians in the zone, and the United States and NATO are concerned that fighting could occur there between the Albanian insurgents and the Yugoslav Army. NATO was expected to announce today the details of how it would deal with the insurgency. But last week the Bush administration failed to agree to a precise NATO formula on how far NATO troops, including American soldiers, should be involved in calming the situation. With General Powell standing beside him, Lord Robertson, the secretary-general of NATO, said that NATO was prepared to implement a "phased and continued reduction of the ground safety zone," returning the area to Serbian authorities. But Lord Robertson said NATO needed "further military advice" on how to carry out the plan. The United States agreed with the phased re-entry of Yugoslav soldiers into the zone, General Powell said, but he gave no timetable. He said the return of the soldiers would be "conditioned," a reference to a plan by Nebojsa Covic, a senior official in the new government in Belgrade. Among Mr. Covic's proposals are the integration of some Albanians into the local Serbian police in the region. Among the conditions that NATO wants is the removal of Serbian soldiers and policemen who were involved in "ethnic cleansing" during the Kosovo war from any force that might return into the zone. The buffer zone was established by NATO at the end of the Kosovo war as a way of separating the forces of Slobodan Milosevic from NATO forces inside Kosovo. But now that a new government is in power in Belgrade, NATO is prepared to return the strip of land to those authorities. When the buffer zone is eventually returned to the Serbian authorities, the Yugoslav Army and Serbian police would be on a border adjacent to Kosovo. The killings of local Serbian civilians by Albanian militants in recent weeks has inflamed passions among the Serbian population and Serbian forces in the region, leading to concerns at NATO about renewed fighting less than two years after the end of the war. "Serb tanks are in a very very aggressive position; they are in a position to run roughshod over this," an American official said. For the moment, he said, the Serbian authorities have pledged to exercise restraint. But it was not clear how long that restraint would last, the official said. Today General Powell said at a news conference with Lord Robertson that the problem should be resolved without having Serbian forces become "belligerents," making "a more difficult situation than we have now." Lord Robertson said that NATO forces inside the border of Kosovo along the buffer zone had taken measures to tighten controls and "crack down on extremists." In his debut appearance at the North Atlantic council here, where the 19 foreign ministers of NATO countries meet, General Powell said he explained the Bush administration's policies on missile defense and a planned European rapid reaction force of 60,000 troops. General Powell said he told his colleagues that the United States would consult with its allies as the administration's concrete plans for missile defense evolved. He repeated the statement President Bush made last week indicating that the United States endorsed the development of the rapid reaction force, which is intended to deploy European troops to trouble spots where NATO is not engaged. From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:38:04 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:38:04 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO to reduce Kosovo commitment Message-ID: <5b.12726849.27cd783c@aol.com> NATO to reduce Kosovo commitment February 27, 2001 CNN BRUSSELS, Belgium -- NATO is to start dismantling the buffer zone around Kosovo that was set up in 1999 to keep Serbian forces and peacekeeping troops apart. Secretary-General George Robertson said NATO was "prepared to implement a phased and conditioned reduction of the Ground Safety Zone." Robertson made his announcement as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell pledged once again that American troops would not withdraw from the Balkans. As its part of the bargain, Serbia should move quickly to implement measures to restore confidence among ethnic Albanians in the Presevo Valley region, where separatist guerrillas have exploited the zone to seize territory, Robertson said. The Yugoslav Army would only go back into this area when there were precautions in place and observers to watch what is going on, he stressed. CNN's Belgrade Bureau Chief Alessio Vinci said: "This announcement is mainly intended as a confidence building measure on NATO's part towards Belgrade. It is a sign that NATO recognises that there is a new democratic leadership in Yugoslavia. "The implementation of this plan will be left mainly to military leaders, who will make sure that a return of Yugoslav army in the buffer zone does not signify a further escalation of violence in the region." He added: "NATO is being very careful not taking any sides. On the one hand it is recognising that in Belgrade there is now a democratic leadership and that the Yugoslav army is no longer a threat to its forces deployed in Kosovo. "It also recognises that the Yugoslav army must participate in some way in the defence of its territory, especially since ethnic Albanian guerrillas have used the buffer zone as a safe heaven and have launched a series of attacks against lightly armed Serb police." Fresh violence President George W. Bush said during his election campaign that U.S. forces should be withdrawn from the Balkans as soon as possible. But Powell said the future of U.S. participation in NATO-led security forces in Bosnia and Kosovo would always be subject to consultation with NATO allies. "The simple proposition is that we went in together and we'll go out together," said Powell on Tuesday, during his first official visit to NATO headquarters. Asked about fresh violence on the Kosovo-Macedonian border, Powell said, "The clear message is cease and desist. "This is not the time to start up new conflicts in Europe. This is not the time to resort to violence." Powell was in Brussels for informal talks on "transatlantic issues" -- including the U.S. National Missile Defence (NMD) proposals, Europe's rapid reaction corps, NATO enlargement and relations with Russia. On the subject of the proposed European Rapid Reaction Force, which many in the UK and U.S have seen as a rival to NATO, Robertson said the U.S. would have a veto when it came to operational control. While Robertson said it was "unhelpful" to talk in terms of anyone having a veto, he said it was simply "a fact of life" that the Euro force would be unable to tackle any sizeable mission alone. Robertson, a former British defence secretary, added: "There are 19 countries in NATO and 15 countries in the European Union. "It doesn't matter what the fine print says. The reality of the force is that it will be connected to NATO. If the European force wants to do something it will require NATO assets. That is a fact of life. "It is unrealistic to imagine that the US is going to give assets without any say over how those assets are used." But French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine urged the U.S. to discard its suspicions about the EU's military aspirations and see them instead as imperative to the alliance's long-term survival. "Have confidence in the Europeans," Vedrine said, adding that it was time for a "genuine partnership between Europeans and Americans." "It's time we all got beyond a situation where, after long being criticised for not doing enough to carry out our responsibilities, the European countries are accused of weakening the alliance because they're making a real effort, or being accused of both things at the same time," he said. Europe's drive to create a military capability was not a threat to NATO's long-term survival, the French minister added. "What would put the solidity of the transatlantic link at risk would be if the European Union had not the will to acquire the means of being a responsible partner," he said. From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:39:43 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:39:43 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Milosevic Trial Could Rouse Backers Message-ID: Milosevic Trial Could Rouse Backers Feb 27 2001 1:39PM BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - A spate of attacks targeting opponents of Slobodan Milosevic has Yugoslavia's new leaders worried that any legal move against the former president will bring retaliation. Fearing arrest and trial, Milosevic has been rallying supporters for a campaign of unrest, Serbian Interior Minister Dusan Mihajlovic said. He said Milosevic has been demanding funds to support the planned unrest from directors of wealthy Serbian companies. The ousted president may even hope to return to power, Mihajlovic said - although this is considered unlikely due to his lack of popular support. On Tuesday, Milosevic's party urged his supporters to oppose any move to arrest him. In a statement, the Socialist Party said the recent arrests of Milosevic's top aides were politically motivated, and that Yugoslavs should ``rise to protect law and justice.'' Last week, authorities arrested Milosevic's former secret service chief, Rade Markovic, who is suspected of involvement in assassinations and other crimes allegedly ordered by the former Yugoslav leader. Markovic was fired in January when the new Serbian government was elected. Some believe his testimony could implicate Milosevic in unsolved murders during his 13-year reign. Journalist Slavko Curuvija, a Milosevic critic, was shot and killed during NATO airstrikes against Yugoslavia in 1999. Ivan Stambolic, whom Milosevic toppled as Serbian president in 1988, disappeared before last year's elections and is presumed dead. Serbian warlord, Zeljko Raznjatovic-Arkan - a potentially dangerous witness against Milosevic- was gunned down in January 2000. The end of Milosevic's reign in October did not bring an end to suspicious attacks. Milosevic's opponents say he still holds sway over members of the security forces and organized crime - people who might oppose his arrest, fearing it could lead to their own. The former president and his allies strenuously deny responsibility for the attacks, and say the new leaders are incapable of imposing order. Among the attacks: On Jan. 28, a masked gunman shot the driver of Serbia's new head of state security - Markovic's replacement - in both arms. Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, who played a key role in toppling Milosevic, said the attack was a ``clear message'' to the new government. On Feb. 6, fire gutted a van belonging to Cedomir Jovanovic, a spokesman for the governing alliance. Djindjic's party said the blaze was a ``cowardly act ordered by remnants of the former system ... scared that they will have to account to the people for all their wrongdoing of the past decade.'' Interior Minister Mihajlovic said he and other pro-democracy leaders have received death threats from ``the so-called patriots, who warned that all of us who want to put the former president on trial will be sentenced to death.'' Milosevic's associates cast the attacks in another light. ``It shows that the so-called democrats, despite their pledges, are incapable of maintaining law and order in the country,'' said Branislav Ivkovic, a Milosevic ally. Bozidar Spasic, a former secret police officer, is a supporter of democracy but says the new government has failed to rein in Milosevic. ``The new authorities have still not placed (Milosevic's) state and police apparatus under their control,'' Spasic said. ``The inefficiency of the new authorities will encourage the terrorists to undertake more radical actions.'' While the new government opposes Milosevic's extradition for trial before a U.N. war crimes tribunal, it has said he would have to stand trial at home on charges that could range from fraud and corruption to war crimes. Milosevic is living in Belgrade under police surveillance. Milosevic has been coordinating efforts to prevent his arrest, sources close to him said. His plan includes riots by supporters and other actions to destabilize the new government if Milosevic is jailed, according to the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Milosevic's supporters have warned against Milosevic's arrest. ``Milosevic's arrest would mark the start of a civil war,'' said Sinisa Vucinic, an organizer of protests in support of the former president. From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:51:56 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:51:56 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] New spark in Balkans ? FYROM president warns of instability, firefight breaks out on Kosovo border Message-ID: New spark in Balkans FYROM president warns of instability, firefight breaks out on Kosovo border Three days after hosting a summit of the leaders of Balkan nations, which ended with a demand for an end to the violence in the region, the president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia yesterday warned that the actions of Albanian separatists were threatening his country's and the region's stability. A firefight between what appeared to be ethnic Albanian separatists and FYROM police heightened fears of a spillover of the violence. President Boris Trajkovski said that the presence of "armed, informed members of illegal groups" along the Kosovo border "could cause serious incidents and jeopardize Macedonia's stability." He said FYROM's armed forces have taken measures to prevent any major conflict. In Brussels, the 15 EU foreign ministers expressed concern and agreed to double the number of EU monitors in southern Serbia's Presevo Valley to 30. They named Irish diplomat Antoin Mac Unfraidh to head the team in the region where Albanian extremists are active. "The Council expressed its concern at the level of tension and violence in Southeast Serbia and condemned actions by ethnic Albanian armed groups," the ministers said in a concluding statement. "(It) reiterated its strong attachment to the principle of the inviolability of all borders in the region. It called on all those involved to isolate extremists, to promote reconciliation and multi-ethnic cooperation." The ministers also condemned fresh attacks on Serbs in Kosovo and urged moderate ethnic Albanian community leaders to distance themselves from the attacks. The Balkans, along with the Middle East, are set to dominate the agenda of NATO foreign ministers when they meet new US Secretary of State Colin Powell in Brussels today. Diplomats said NATO was preparing to hand back control of a slice of territory around Kosovo to Belgrade in a gesture of confidence in Yugoslavia's new democratic leadership. Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, whose country is the only EU member in the Balkans, briefed his colleagues in Brussels on last week's Skopje summit. He said that the signing of a declaration of good neighborliness was the first agreement for the combating of practical problems in the region, such as those of energy and crime. This was "a hopeful sign" for the easing of tension, he said. He also proposed that Serb forces be allowed in the buffer zone between Kosovo and the rest of Serbia, along with European observers. On the western side of Kosovo, on the border with FYROM, however, what appeared to be ethnic Albanian insurgents yesterday opened fire on police in FYROM. The firefight occurred in the village of Tanusevci. No injuries were reported. From Gazhebo at aol.com Tue Feb 27 16:53:57 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 16:53:57 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Loose ends in FYROM name deal Message-ID: <6d.100394c3.27cd7bf5@aol.com> Loose ends in FYROM name deal As Athens tries to unblock diplomatic logjam with intensive negotiations Skopje seems to stick to original line Last-minute preparations before Balkan leaders sign a joint communique condemning the actions of armed ultranationalist groups in southern Serbia last week. By Stavros Lygeros Kathimerini When Prime Minister Costas Simitis came back from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia last week and said he had given his counterpart Ljupko Georgievski a package of proposals aimed at reaching a compromise over that country's name, he was only telling half the truth. The Greek Foreign Ministry has concocted a tempting deal but quite rightly preferred to sound out its neighbors by means of secret diplomacy, knowing full well that the initiative would succeed only if there was a guarantee of acceptance by the FYROM government. The response from FYROM was not encouraging, as evidenced by the two leaders' statements right after they met last Thursday evening. Both expressed the desire for a speedy solution and referred to the UN-mediated negotiations over the past five and a half years, effectively throwing the ball back into the grandstands. Athens tried to unblock the diplomatic logjam with a solution at senior level, but for the moment has been forced to back off. Skopje says it is trying to tie up the loose end but without changing the name. Simitis was aware of the situation before leaving for Skopje and had tried to reduce expectations. A few days ago, during confidential briefings of local journalists, the FYROM prime minister gave some indication of Greece's proposals and said it was willing to reach a compromise on condition that the main opposition was in agreement, since a constitutional amendment is necessary to change the name "Republic of Macedonia" (which Greece has objected to as implying claims on the neighboring Greek province of the same name). Well-informed sources say that an approach to the leader of the Social Democrat Union, Branco Crvenkovski, on the issue was not encouraging. So the issue is back to square one. Simitis did meet with Crvenkovski right after his meeting with Georgievski on the question of the name. The prime minister not only wanted to hear Crvenkovski's views in person, but to dispel the opposition leader's impression that Greece only dealt with his rival. The Greek 'package' Nevertheless, diplomatic activity has intensified. UN mediator Thomas Nimetz has been on the move again, as have been a number of Western diplomats on the sidelines. Names being discussed are "Upper Macedonia," "Northern Macedonia" and "Vardar Macedonia." On the negotiating table is the Greek "package" that includes generous economic and military aid, Schengen-area visas for FYROM nationals and above all, active support for the country's incorporation into transatlantic organizations, which the Slav-Macedonian population of FYROM sees as a unique, medium to long-term way to save their state from the threat of Albanian irredentism. The package also includes a provision for the Orthodox Church of FYROM, which until recently belonged to the Serbian Patriarchate before becoming autocephalous. Diplomatic moves are expected to continue, given that the interim agreement reached in 1995 ends in September 2002. There is no doubt that the problem is a stumbling block for Greece's diplomacy in the Balkans, but it is also a great burden on FYROM itself. However, the Slav-Macedonians continue to believe they have time on their side. Simitis did not return from Skopje completely empty-handed, however. The success of the Inter-Balkan Summit was due to a considerable degree on Greece's diplomacy. As Albanian nationalists step up their attacks in southern Serbia, FYROM and Kosovo, the Inter-Balkan joint communique (Southeastern European Cooperation Process) was clearly a step on the road to understanding between countries in the region. Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta was forced to accept a harsh condemnation of illegal terrorist acts on the part of armed extremist groups in southern Serbia. His only achievement was an avoidance of any mention of the Albanian ethnicity of these groups. The communique also made direct reference to the inviolability of borders, contrary to the idea of a "greater Albania." It hails the Yugoslavia-FYROM agreement on the delineation of their common borders, which includes the FYROM-Kosovo border. The Albanian Kosovars opposed this agreement as confirming Kosovo's inclusion, albeit formal, in Yugoslavia. The communique supports the holding of elections in Kosovo, which the ethnic Albanians have been demanding. It calls for the freeing of political prisoners (an indirect but clear reference to Albanians in Yugoslav prisons) and the search for missing persons, another indirect but clear reference to Kosovo Serbs abducted by the Kosovo Liberation Army. The communique also calls for the return of refugees to their homes, a clear reference to Kosovo Serbs forced to abandon their homes. Simitis was right to underline progress made in achieving understanding between Balkan states. When the process began, some countries had no contact with each other. These countries are now talking, despite their differences. The first step in the process occurred between the two world wars. It was revived during the 1970s with a Greek initiative, and again in 1988 with an initiative by what was then unified Yugoslavia. The recent revival began at a foreign ministerial summit in Sofia in 1996, with a joint statement in favor of stability, security and cooperation and concluding with an appeal to the European Union to support the region. In June 1997, a second meeting in Thessaloniki paved the way for the first summit meeting, held in Crete in November 1997. Then there was a ministerial meeting in Istanbul in June 1998 and a second summit in Antalya, Turkey, without the leaders of Yugoslavia, Albania and FYROM. The third summit in Bucharest took a major step toward establishing the Inter-Balkan summit as an institution, with the signing of a "charter of good neighborliness, stability, security and cooperation in Southeastern Europe." Last week's Skopje summit was devoted to the dangers of destabilization threatening the region. The summit also marked the return of Yugoslavia, and the declaration of Bosnia as a full member. Judging from general observations, this time the Balkan leaders not only dealt with crucial issues but succeeded in finding a common denominator. From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Feb 27 20:09:58 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 17:09:58 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Condemning provocateurs Message-ID: <20010228010958.60277.qmail@web11505.mail.yahoo.com> Albanian party sees border incidents as harmful to Albanian cause Source: Dnevnik, Skopje, in Macedonian 24 Feb 01 p 3 Text of report by Macedonian newspaper Dnevnik on 24 February "Macedonia's northern border has come under attack from uncontrolled criminal groups that pose a threat to all the citizens of the Republic of Macedonia, especially to the Albanians themselves. Their actions are not linked to attempts to achieve certain political goals, but rather to aggravate interethnic relations in Macedonia," DPA [Democratic Party of Albanians, PDSh in Albanian] spokesman Ernad Feizulahu told Dnevnik. According to him, the attacks by the opposition parties in the country are aimed at "toppling the government and branding a separate entity as a destabilizing factor in the region". "Through the OVK [Kosovo Liberation Army - UCK in Albanian] saga, the Albanians put an end to the military phase. Today, some criminals try to hide behind the OVK's name, which used to be highly respected by the international community," Feizulahu said. In the spokesman's opinion, the international community knows that "this is an attempt to isolate the Albanians" so as to enable certain centres to regain their positions in the region. The leadership of the second largest party of Albanians in Macedonia believed that Georgievski's government should cooperate more seriously with UNMIK [UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo] in Kosovo and with the political representatives of the Kosovo Albanians. The PDP [Party for Democratic Prosperity, PPD in Albanian] felt that the armed actions on Macedonia's northern border should not be allowed to influence the attitude towards all the Albanians in the region. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Tue Feb 27 21:48:47 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:48:47 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Entertainment Conference this Friday!!! Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: csel at law.harvard.edu Subject: [STUDENTORG_FLASH] Entertainment Conference this Friday!!! Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:04:21 -0500 Size: 2495 URL: From aalibali at law.harvard.edu Tue Feb 27 21:53:20 2001 From: aalibali at law.harvard.edu (aalibali at law.harvard.edu) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 21:53:20 -0500 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Recent articles on SEE Message-ID: An embedded message was scrubbed... From: bieberf at seep.ceu.hu Subject: [balkans] Recent articles on SEE Date: Sun, 25 Feb 2001 16:15:16 +0100 Size: 3762 URL: From ipilika at hotmail.com Wed Feb 28 09:15:50 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:15:50 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fresh fighting on Kosovo border Message-ID: Fresh fighting on Kosovo border Kostunica's plan for border zone has been praised February 28, 2001 Web posted at: 1323 GMT BUJANOVAC, Yugoslavia -- Violence has broken out again in southern Serbia's Presevo Valley, with a Serb policeman injured in a clash with ethnic Albanian guerrillas. The incident happened as a NATO-delegation was due to arrive at the nearby town of Bujanovac to discuss the crisis in the area with Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic. The violence has claimed an estimated 30 lives in southern Serbia over the last year. The latest clashes followed Monday's skirmishes between Macedonian forces and armed Albanians near the Macedonia-Kosovo border in the same area. The Beta news agency said the policeman suffered a knee injury and was taken to hospital in the town of Nis. The fighting took place in a five kilometre (three mile) wide belt around Kosovo which NATO imposed in June 1999 as a no-go area for almost all Serbian forces. Serbian police and guerrilla positions are located only 100 to 200 metres (yards) from each other in the village of Lucane. NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels earlier this week said they were accelerating efforts to assist Serbia in peacefully regaining government control of the Presevo Valley. In another incident near Lucane this month, anti-tank landmines killed three Serb police, and the guerrillas said one of their men also was killed. On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson praised a plan by the Yugoslav government of President Vojislav Kostunica for resolving the crisis in the Presevo Valley. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, meeting with the 18 other allied foreign ministers at NATO headquarters, said the message to the ethnic Albanians was: "This is not the time to start a new conflict in Europe." Robertson said the ministers were concerned that the "ground safety zone," originally designed to separate NATO-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo from the Serbian army, was being used as "a safe haven for extremist activities." NATO officials stressed that the Yugoslav army would be allowed to return to the zone once the Serbian government implements confidence-building measures toward the local ethnic Albanian majority. A Serbian government spokesman in Bujanovac, Milan Kerkovic, accused ethnic Albanian "terrorists" of starting Wednesday's attacks "in order to disrupt the peace process. "This armed action is a clear sign of the terrorists' nervousness as their war option loses international support," Kerkovic said. The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Wed Feb 28 09:17:36 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:17:36 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] NATO acts on Macedonia violence fears Message-ID: NATO acts on Macedonia violence fears Robertson is considering further assistance February 28, 2001 Web posted at: 1037 GMT SKOPJE, Macedonia -- NATO advisers are being sent to Macedonia to help the government over fears of an ethnic Albanian insurrection. NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said NATO was studying further assistance to the Macedonian government to protect its frontier with Kosovo and southern Serbia. In Kosovo, U.S. peacekeepers set up observation points near the Macedonian village of Tanusevci, near Macedonia's border with Kosovo. Fighting broke out in the area between insurgents and Macedonian forces on Monday. Macedonia's prime minister, Ljubco Georgievski, warned his government was prepared to take "radical measures" against the insurgents. A police statement said the violence Tanusevci began after armed Albanian groups opened fire on a police patrol. No casualties were reported. A new group of ethnic Albanian guerrillas, calling themselves a "National Liberation Army," have been operating in the village. Such violence already has spilled beyond the borders of Kosovo, a Serbian province, with militants active in a southern Serbian buffer zone that is home to large numbers of ethnic Albanians just outside Kosovo. In a major concession to the new leadership in Yugoslavia and Serbia, the main Yugoslav republic, NATO on Tuesday announced that it was prepared to narrow that zone. The zone was set up in the wake of the pullout of troops loyal to former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic from Kosovo in 1999, and was meant to reduce any armed threat to NATO from Yugoslav forces. Only lightly armed Serbian police are allowed in the zone, according to the 1999 Kosovo peace agreement that allowed NATO peacekeepers into Kosovo. In the Kosovo village of Debelde on Tuesday, U.S. peacekeepers set up in the village about 35 miles southeast of Pristina. In Geneva, Kris Janowski, the spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, said that over the past week 383 ethnic Albanians, primarily women and children, had fled to Kosovo from Debelde. He said those fleeing cited as a heavy presence of Macedonian security forces and general tension in the area. The Associated Press contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From ipilika at hotmail.com Wed Feb 28 09:20:14 2001 From: ipilika at hotmail.com (Iris Pilika) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:20:14 -0000 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Yugoslav royal family rights restored Message-ID: "The ideology of brotherhood and unity with Croats and Slovenes, which was started by the Karadjordjevic, was the biggest evil inflicted on the Serbs," said Ivica Dacic, a close Milosevic aide. Yugoslav royal family rights restored February 27, 2001 Web posted at: 2205 GMT BELGRADE, Yugoslavia -- The citizenship of Yugoslavia's exiled royal family has been restored in a further break from the country's communist past. The Yugoslav Parliament on Tuesday voted out a 1947 bill that stripped the royal Karadjordjevic family of both its Yugoslav citizenship and the property it owned before World War II. The move means the Karadjordjevics could return to the country and, once their property rights are restored, could claim assets, including the White Palace in Belgrade. The Karadjordjevics fled Yugoslavia for England in April 1941 ahead of the Nazi invasion. Several members of the family are still alive, including Crown Prince Aleksandar, his aunt Princess Jelisaveta and his uncle, also named Prince Aleksandar. The royals were banned from visiting the country during the reign of communist dictator Josip Broz Tito but the crown prince has already announced his family plans to return for good. There have been no legal moves to restore Yugoslavia as a kingdom, but some of the nation's new leaders have said the issue should be tested in a referendum. Former President Slobodan Milosevic's Socialist Party deputies were against the restoration of royal rights because of how the former King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic formed Yugoslavia in 1918 as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. "The ideology of brotherhood and unity with Croats and Slovenes, which was started by the Karadjordjevic, was the biggest evil inflicted on the Serbs," said Ivica Dacic, a close Milosevic aide. Parliament also voted to allow dual citizenship for former Yugoslav citizens, who lost the status after their republics broke away from the country, starting in 1991. It means that tens of thousands of Serbs who moved to Serbia to flee wars in neighbouring Croatia or Bosnia will be allowed to take Yugoslav citizenship while retaining Croatian or Bosnian citizenship. The Associated Press contributed to this report. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com From Gazhebo at aol.com Wed Feb 28 10:57:52 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 10:57:52 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Investigation of Milosevic Ordered Message-ID: Investigation of Milosevic Ordered BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) -- The Belgrade prosecutor's office on Wednesday ordered police to investigate Slobodan Milosevic, the first legal move against the former president before his likely arrest. In a statement, carried by Beta news agency, the prosecutor ordered police to investigate reports that that Milosevic had transferred more than 400 pounds of gold out of the country last year. Since his ouster last October, the new pro-democracy authorities have pledged to bring Milosevic to trail to answer for 13 years of alleged misrule. From Gazhebo at aol.com Wed Feb 28 10:59:01 2001 From: Gazhebo at aol.com (Gazhebo at aol.com) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 10:59:01 EST Subject: [ALBSA-Info] USA eyes human rights in Greece Message-ID: USA eyes human rights in Greece State Department's global report sees progress in the country last year but also notes breaches By Miron Varouhakis: Kathimerini Greece's human rights record last year received higher marks than previously, although there were still some areas where the state authorities failed to prevent violations of human rights, the US State Department highlights in a report. "The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, there were problems in some areas," the State Department says in the section on Greece in its "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2000." Released Monday by the Department, the global report includes a 36-page report on Greece, highlighting marked improvements in the area of human rights, but also asserting continuing problems with the rights of minorities, police abuse and crimes involving terrorist acts. "Isolated incidents of terrorism continued during the year," the report notes. "A British military attache was shot and killed in June by the terrorist group November 17. The group has claimed responsibility for 22 killings during the past 25 years, but no one has ever been arrested and charged in these cases." The State Department goes on to say that "numerous anarchist and terrorist groups attacked a wide spectrum of targets, mostly commercial property, during the year. The firebombing of vehicles, drive-by shootings of buildings, and bombings at commercial establishments were widespread." At the same time, the report hails the creation of a Bureau of Internal Affairs by the Public Order Ministry in 1999, which "took several disciplinary measures, including dismissal and suspension, against officers involved in corruption. The corruption mostly involved trafficking, bribes for illegal construction, and drugs." The report also takes note of the poor living conditions in prisons across the country due to substantial overcrowding and outdated facilities. "As of July, the Ministry of Justice reported that the total prison population was 8,131 (of whom 2,775 were foreigners), while the total capacity of the prison system was 4,825." The report, though, added that the ministry has continued its program to improve prison conditions and expand capacity. Cases of arbitrary arrest and detention were also reported, in spite of the fact that the constitution prohibits them. The State Department stresses that "throughout the year, the police conducted large-scale sweeps and temporarily detained large numbers of foreigners under often squalid conditions while determining their residence status. Some of the foreigners are detained on an indefinite basis with no judicial review, which according to Human Rights Watch, constitutes arbitrary detention." In reference to press freedom and freedom of speech, the State Department underlines that the Greek Constitution provides a strong framework for the protection of such civil rights. Cases of defamation, though, have been taken to court. "According to Human Rights Watch, a renowned violinist and a composer were given prison sentences in March for defamation based on statements made during newspaper interviews," the report notes. "In November 1999, according to HRW, two journalists [working] for Eleftherotypia were indicted for defamation for alleging that the Lesvos police were associated with smugglers." According to the State Department, in Greece, a country where Greek Orthodoxy is recognized as the "prevailing" religion with approximately 94-97 percent of the country's 10.6 million citizens adhering at least nominally to the Greek Orthodox faith, constitutional protection of other religious groups is often less than adequate. Most of the cases involve "administrative obstacles or legal restrictions on religious practice," the report states. "Several religious denominations reported difficulties in dealing with the authorities on a variety of administrative matters," it stressed. In reference to the Muslim community, estimated by the Greek State to number around 98,000, mostly in western Thrace and small communities in Rhodes, Kos and Athens, the report notes controversies between the state and Muslims continue over the selection of muftis and the management of the wafks. The report hails the decision of the Greek Parliament in June to approve a bill allowing construction of the first Islamic cultural center and mosque in the Athens area. According to the report, aside from the Muslim community, in Greece there are approximately 30,000 Protestants, 50,000 Jehovah's Witnesses; 50,000 Catholics; and 5,000 Jews. The State Department stresses that "although Jehovah's Witnesses are recognized as a 'known' religion, they continued to face some harassment in the form of arbitrary identity checks (although reduced from 1998), difficulties in burying their dead, and local officials' resistance to their construction of churches (which in most cases was resolved quickly and favorably." Last year's decision by the government to remove the notation of religious affiliation from national identity cards, which sparked a heated debate with the Greek Orthodox Church and street rallies, was also highlighted in the report. "For example, the issue led Archbishop Christodoulos to organize religious protest rallies in Thessaloniki and Athens in June. Archbishop Christodoulos vociferously criticized the government and has started collecting a petition..." Mixed reports of progress and shortcomings are also filed for the presence and treatment of racial and ethnic minorities in Greece, with a noted rise in xenophobia at a time when the country has become a hub of legal and illegal immigrants from the Balkans, Middle East and Asia. "An increase in xenophobia paralleled an increase in the number of non-Greeks in the country," the report states. "Anti-foreigner sentiment is directed mainly at Albanians (who make up over three-fifths of the alien population)." The State Department notes that "the government formally recognizes only the 'Muslim minority' specified in the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, although it stated publicly in August 1999 that members of that minority could identify themselves individually as belonging to different ethnic groups. However, the government failed to acknowledge formally the existence of non-Muslim ethnic groups, principally Slavophones, under the term 'minority.'" The report acknowledges the state's effort to further its policies on the education of minorities. "In 1999 the government approved 19 Turkish textbooks for use in the secular Turkish-language schools," while "there were no complaints during the year from Muslim leaders about bureaucratic barriers preventing Turkish teachers from working in Thrace," the report stresses. "Unlike in the past, there were no reports of assertions by Muslim leaders that the government routinely withheld permission from Muslims seeking to change their legal residence, which determines where they vote, from rural to urban communities within Western Thrace or from elsewhere in Greece to Thrace." In reference to the Roma population, estimated at 150,000 to 200,000 and residing primarily in the Athens area, the State Department reports that they "continued to face discrimination from some local authorities and society at large." "At a September 1999 Implementation Review Meeting in Vienna of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Greek delegation recognized that the situation of Roma in Greece was 'unsatisfactory and unacceptable' and committed the government to remedy the situation," the report states. According to the report, the Roma experience police abuse more frequently than other groups, often face discrimination in employment and housing, while Romani representatives report some local authorities have refused to register Roma as residents in their municipalities. In the meantime, according to the State Department, the Greek Interior Ministry recently completed a survey on the housing needs of the Roma, while the Defense Ministry allocated land in 1999 and houses in December 2000 for Roma near Thessaloniki. Furthermore, the Health Ministry continued to work on projects to address Roma problems. From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Feb 28 17:36:24 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 14:36:24 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Fwd: March 5, 2001: Women at the Peace Table Message-ID: <20010228223624.48489.qmail@web11506.mail.yahoo.com> Note: forwarded message attached. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An embedded message was scrubbed... From: Kokkalis_Program at ksg.harvard.edu Subject: March 5, 2001: Women at the Peace Table Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 17:08:31 -0500 Size: 1818 URL: From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Feb 28 21:25:55 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:25:55 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Gazeta Shqiptare, 1 mars 2001 Message-ID: <20010301022555.49884.qmail@web11504.mail.yahoo.com> Hasan Dosti, njeriu i amerikan?ve q? do z?vend?sonte Enver Hoxh?n Themelues i "Ballit Komb?tar" e Minist?r i Drejt?sis? n? periudh?n e pushtimit. Dha dor?heqjen, pasi nuk pranoi t? d?nonte me vdekje komunist?t M?zezi, Xhajku e Tupe Ka qen? fundi i janarit i vitit 1991, kur n? nj? nga klinikat m? t? d?gjuara t? Los Anxhelosit, e quajtur "Hopkins", do t? mbyllte syt? p?rgjithmon? n? mosh?n 96 vje?are, Hasan Dosti nj? nga personalitetet m? t? d?gjuara t? emigracionit shqiptar t? pas Luft?s s? Dyt? Bot?rore, q? ishte vendosur n? SHBA-?s. Lajmin e vdekjes s? Dostit, m?rgata politike shqiptare e m?soi n?p?rmjet gazet?s "Ne? York Tajms", t? nes?rmen e asaj dite q? ai nd?rroi jet?. Po kush ishte Hasan Dosti, cila ishte e kaluara e k?tij nj?eriu q? jetoi gati nj? shekull dhe m? shum? se gjysm?n e jet?s larg familjes dhe Shqip?ris?? Student n? Franc? Ai u lind n? Kardhiq t? Gjirokastr?s n? vitin 1895. Arsimin fillor e ndoqi n? Filipiadh? n? nj? shkoll? greke dhe m? pas n? gjimnazin izraelit "Zosimea" t? Janin?s e at? turk t? Gjirokastr?s, ku kishte m?sues Hysni Babameton. Trazirat q? ndodh?n n? Shqip?ri n? ato vite me shp?rthimin e Luft?s s? Par? Bot?rore, b?n? q? t? digjej fshati Kardhiq dhe si shum? muhaxhir? t? tjer? edhe familja Dosti u shp?rngul q? andej p?r tu vendosur n? fshatrat e Vlor?s, nga p?rndjekjet e andart?ve grek?. N? qytetin e Vlor?s, Hasani filloi aktivitetin e tij politik pasi u njoh me Avni Rustemin dhe mori pjes? n? shoq?rin? "Lidhja Djelmoshe" n? t? cil?n aderuan nj? pjes? e mir? e intelektual?ve vlonjat?. N? vitin 1920, pasi Dosti punoi disa koh? si ark?tar n? Prefektur?n e Gjirokastr?s, n? qeverin? e Sulejman Delvin?s, ai u em?rua Sekretar i P?rgjithsh?m i asaj Prefekture. N? at? koh?, ai u njoh dhe u lidh me Bajo Topullin e Beso Geg?n, me t? cil?t formoi shoq?rin? "Dele", e cila kishte si q?llim emancipimin e zhvillimin ekonomik t? fshatarsis?. N? at? shoq?ri, Bajo Topulli ishte kryetar i saj, kurse Dosti sekretar. N? vitin 1922, Dosti e la pun?n n? Prefektur?, pasi fitoi nj? burs? shtet?rore p?r t? ndjekur studimet e larta n? Franc?. N? Paris, ai dha provimet e matur?s, e m? pas ndoqi rregullisht universitetin n? deg?n e Drejt?sis?, ku u diplomua shk?lqyesh?m duke fituar edhe grad?n e Doktorit t? Shkencave n? Drejt?si. Nj?koh?sisht me at? deg?, Dosti ndoqi studimet dhe n? deg?n e Ekonomis? dhe t? Financave publike. Gjat? viteve t? sudimeve n? Franc?, ai u njoh aty dhe me shum? shqiptar? q? ishin larguar nga atdheu pas vitit 1924, me riardhjen e Zogut n? pushtet. N? Gjykat?n e Diktimit Pas p?rfundimit t? studimeve n? Franc?, Dosti u kthye n? Shqip?ri dhe u em?rua si gjygjtar n? disa qytete t? vendit dhe m? pas n? Gjykat?n e Diktimit (Lart?). N? vitin 1932, ai u pushua nga puna s? bashku me disa nga koleg?t e tij t? asaj gjykate, si rezultat i nj? konflikti q? ata pat?n me autoritetet e larta t? shtetit. Pasi u pushua nga puna, ai hapi nj? zyr? avokatie n? qytetin e Beratit. N? vitin 1932, ai u arrestua si i dyshuar p?r pjesmarrje n? nj? komplot q? kishte si q?llim rr?zimin e Mbretit Zog, e cila njihet ndryshe si "L?vizja e Vlor?s". Ky kompllot u njoh me k?t? em?r, p?r shkak se pjesa m? e madhe e kompllotist?ve q? k?rkonin dhe tentuan p?r t? p?rmbysur Mbretin Zog, si Qazim Kokoshi, Hysni Lepenica, Sk?nder Mu?ua, Murat T?rba?i etj, ishin nga Vlora. Pas zhvillimit t? gjygjit, i cili kishte karakter politik, Dosti u d?nua me 15 vjet burg dhe b?ri vet?m tre vjet sepse u fal me dekret nga Mbreti Zog. Nj? nga miqt? m? t? af?rt t? Hasan Dostit, Dr. Tare Libohova, i cili ishte nj?ri nga t? akuzuarit e atij komploti q? u d?nua me vdekje, (b?ri vet?m 5 vjet burg, pasi u fal nga Mbreti Zog) n? nj? let?r q? ja d?rgonte Mbretit Zog nga Stambolli, ku ishte vendosur pas daljes nga burgu, mundohej t? analizonte at? pro?es q? u quajt "L?vizja e Vlor?s". Dr.Libohova e paraqiste at? gj?, n? form?n se si u parashtrua e deri tek pro?esi me gjygjin politik, si nj? pjell? e produkt t? Ministrit t? Brendsh?m Musa Juka, i cili i t?rhequr nga zelli i tepruar p?r t? forcuar pozit?n e tij personale dhe duke i mb?shtetur veprimet e tija n? gjoja besnik?rin? e tij ndaj Mbretit Zog. Pas daljes nga burgu n? vitin 1935, me nd?rhyrjen e Ministrit t? Drejt?sis? Thoma Orollogai, pran? Mbretit Zog, Dosti u em?rua p?rs?ri si gjykat?s. N? fillim ai u caktua Kryetar u Gjykat?s s? Kor??s dhe m? pas n? Gjykat?n e Diktimit, ku kishte punuar q? n? vitin 1931. Minist?r i Drejt?sis? Kur nuk kishin kaluar m? shum? se dy jav? nga pushtimi i Shqip?ris?, n? fundin e prillit t? 1939-?s, Hasan Dosti s? bashku me Mithat Frash?rin, Thoma Orollogain, Faik Qukun e Fuat Dibr?n, krijuan nj? komitet t? fsheht?, t? cilin e quajt?n "Balli Komb?tar". Ky komitet q? kryesohej nga Mithat Frash?ri, hartoi nj? platform? dhe program veprimi, q? kishte si q?llim organizimin e propagand?s dhe rezistenc?s pasive, kundra pushtues?ve italian?. Lidhur me k?t? fakt, ekziston nj? dokument arkivor, i cili b?n t? ditur se n? at? Komitet t? fsheht? aderuan dhe dy njer?z t? cil?t u kthyen nga Parisi ku kishin emigruar p?r arsye politike. K?t? dy persona t? ndihmuar nga qarqe t? ndryshme franceze, arrit?n q? t? merrnin takim me gjeneralin Dechamp , q? ishte shef i kabinetit ushtarak t? Kryeministrit francez Eduard Daladier. Nga ana e kryeministrit francez, ata dy mor?n garancit? se Komiteti i fsheht? q? drejtohej nga Mithat Frash?ri, n? t? cilin b?nte pjes? dhe Hasan Dosti, do t? kishte p?rkrahje nga qeveria franceze n?p?rmjet shtypit. Ky komitet n? t? cilin Dosti ishte nj? nga eksponent?t kryesor?, q?ndroi n? pozita gjys?m ilegale deri n? shtatorin e vitit 1942, kur shpalli publikisht krijimin e organizat?s politike "Balli Komb?tar". N? janarin e vitit 1942, me insistimin e Mithat Frash?rit, Hasan Dosti pranoi postin e Ministrit t? Drejt?sis?, (n? qeverin? shqiptare n?n okupim) detyr? t? cil?n e ushtroi p?r rreth kat?r muaj, deri n? fillimin e majit t? atij viti. Gjat? atyre kat?r muaj?ve q? Dosti ishte n? at? post, ai i kushtoi nj? kujdes t? ve?ant? p?rzgjedhjes s? kuadrove q? do t? d?rgonte n? Kosov?, ku p?rve? an?s profesionale, ai synonte dhe zgjerimin e l?vizjes nacionaliste n? ato treva. N? k?t? kontekst dhe me q?llim p?r t? riorganizuar sistemin e Drejt?sis? n? Kosov?, ku akoma vepronte "Shehriati" (kodi islamik), Dosti d?rgoi atje disa nga jurist?t m? t? mir? si Kudret Kokoshi, Seit Kazai etj. Po k?shtu gjat? atyre kat?r muajve t? q?ndrimit n? postin e Ministrit t? Drejt?sis?, ai mundi q? t? shp?tonte nga vdekja disa aktivist? t? l?vizjes komunist? si Hasan Re?i, Sinan Gjoni etj. N? fundin e majit 1942, Hasan Dosti dha dorheqjen nga posti i Ministrit t? Drejt?sis?, pasi nuk pranoi q? t? firmoste p?r pushkatimin e komunist?ve Nikolla Tupe, Ferit Xhajku e Hamdi M?zezi, t? cil?t u kap?n nga autoritetet italiane gjat? udh?timit me nj? makin? n? t? dal? t? Fierit. Dorheqja e Dostit, asokohe u afishua publikisht s? bashku me at? t? Jup Kazazit, i cili u largua nga strukturat e partis? fashiste. Q? n? vitin 1942, me hapjen e Institutit shqiptar t? Studimeve Shkencore, (ku Kryetar ishte Pat?r Anton Harapi) Hasan Dosti u caktua n?nkryetar p?r studimet historike s? bashku me A. Xhuvanin (p?r Let?rsin?) dhe O. Paskalin (p?r artet). Asokohe n? at? Institut, Dosti s? bashku me Ahmet Gashin, b?n? nj? pun? tep?r t? madhe duke p?rpiluar e botuar hart?n e Shqip?ris? etnike. N? Mukje Duke qen? nj? nga eksponent?t kryesor? t? organizat?s "Balli Komb?tar", n? muajin Korrik t? vitit 1943, Hasan Dosti u caktua q? t? merrte pjes? n? mbledhjen e p?rbashk?t midis forcave nacionaliste dhe atyre komuniste e cila njihet n? histori si Konferenca e Mukjes. Nga dokumente dhe d?shmi t? ndryshme b?het e ditur se iniciat?r?t e asaj mbledhjeje, ishin Abaz Kupi, Mustafa Gjinishi, Dr. Ymer Dishnica dhe Myslym Peza t? cil?t ishin n? Shtabin e P?rgjithsh?m t? Frontit Nac-?lirim, q? drejtohej nga Enver Hoxha. Mesazhit t? k?tyre kat?r nacionalist?ve q? aderonin n? Front, ju p?rgjigj?n pozitivisht, eksponent?t kryesor? t? "Ballit Komb?tar", t? cil?t vendos?n q? t? shkonin n? mbledhjen e Mukjes, p?r t? n?nshkruar bashkpunimin e forcave t? tyre me ato komuniste p?r nj? luft? t? p?rbashk?t kundra pushtues?ve fashist?. N? at? mbledhje Hasanin e shoq?ruan dy djemt? e tij Viktori me Luanin, t? cil?t b?nin pjes? ne forcat e rinis? s? "Ballit Komb?tar". P?rpara k?saj mbledhje, q? me dat?n 1 gusht, Dosti mori pjes? n? bisedimet q? u b?n? n? katundin Tapiz?, t? cilat i paraprin? Konferenc?s s? Mukjes. Kjo mbledhje q? ka hyr? n? historin? e Shqip?ris?, si nj? nga m? t? fam?shmet p?r vet? r?nd?sin? q? kishte ajo, u hap nga Hasan Dosti dhe p?r drejtimin e saj u caktua Thoma Orollogai. Nj? nga pikat e asaj mbledhje, n? t? cil?n Dosti insistonte m? shum?, ishte njohja e Shqip?ris? Etnike dhe shpallja e Indipedenc?s, p?r t? cilat duhej rr?zuar vendimi i Asambles? s? 12 prillit 1939, q? i ?oi kuror?n e Sk?nderbeut, Viktor Emanuelit n? Rom?. Nj? nga vendimet kryesore q? mori Konferenca e Mukjes, ishte dhe krijimi i nj? Komiteti p?r Shp?timin e Shqip?ris?, i cili do t? funksiononte porsa t? krijohej nj? qeveri provizore. Kryetar i k?tij Komiteti, me votim unanim si t? delegacionit t? komunist?ve ashtu dhe t? nacionalist?ve, u caktua Hasan Dosti, gj? e cila tregonte autoritetin e madh q? g?zonte ai tek ato dy forca politike. (vijon nes?r) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From aalibali at yahoo.com Wed Feb 28 21:38:27 2001 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2001 18:38:27 -0800 (PST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] FW: Albania - England Football Match Message-ID: <20010301023827.23372.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> Hi, & hope you can help. We are looking to contact Albania Football Supporters who will looking to attend this important fixture. We hope to be able to offer the hand of friendship and bring a message of sportmanship to the Albanian Supporters & our Hosts in Tirana If you have any advise of how to contact Supporters Groups in Albania it would be much appreciated. With thanks for reading this message Peter England Supporters Club England emc_region4 at btinternet.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail. http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ From migenad at hotmail.com Fri Feb 9 02:52:26 2001 From: migenad at hotmail.com (Migena Dulemani) Date: Fri, 09 Feb 2001 02:52:26 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] IMPORTANT...........Valentine Party..........PLEASE READ!!!!!!!!!!!! Message-ID: OK everybody, sic e keni marre vesh kete te shtunen me 10 Shkurt behet nje party me rastin e Shen Valentinit. Desha vetem te beja te ditur qe ne e-mail-at e meparshem ka qene nje gabim ne adrese. Adresa e vendit eshte : ELKS HOUSE 198 SHIRLEY AVE REVERE, MA 02151 Ndertesa eshte ngjyre e bardhe me kollona dhe nje flamur amerikan eshte mu ku futesh tek dera. afer nderteses eshte nje dry cleaning, afer dry clean eshte the REVERE BEACH T STOP,kurse perballe nderteses(ne krahun tjeter te rruges) eshte nje restorant me emrin BAGEL BIN DELI. Afer nderteses ka parkim plot. DIRECTIONS: BY TRAIN: Emri i stacionit te trenit eshte REVERE BEACH/blue line. Kur te dilni nga stacioni i trenit, ne krye te shkalleve kthehuni ne te djathte dhe ajo eshte SHIRLEY AVE. BY CAR: per directions me makine shkoni tek www.mapquest.com dhe klikoni tek driving directions dhe pastaj futni adresen tuaj ku jeni dhe adresen ku do ikni. gjithashtu mund te merrni ne telefon #617-710-1613 per me teper imformacion. PS. perseri, na falni per gabimin ne adrese dhe shpresojme t'ju shohim te gjitheve te shtunen. later..... CHECK OUT THE ATTACHMENT.... _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com -------------- next part -------------- [ The following attachment was DELETED when this message was saved: ] [ A Application/MSWORD (Name="Valentine flyer.doc") segment of about 2 ] From kruja at fas.harvard.edu Fri Feb 23 16:41:17 2001 From: kruja at fas.harvard.edu (Eriola Kruja) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2001 16:41:17 -0500 (EST) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Speak Italian While Living La Dolce Vita (fwd) Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2001 16:25:22 -0500 (EST) From: Michelangelo La Luna To: Eriola Kruja Subject: Speak Italian While Living La Dolce Vita (fwd) Learn Italian While Living la Dolce Vita Parla Italiano e Scopri la Cultura del Mediterraneo Speak Italian and Discover Mediterranean Culture Take this unique opportunity to learn Italian from experienced, professional instructors while staying in a wonderful old Italian coastal town in the region of Calabria, with historical roots in the cultures of ancient Greece, Albania, Normandy and Byzantium. In addition to attending classes five times a week and participating in seminars with important scholars, you will discover Mediterranean culture, tradition, and cuisine. Study in the original 16th-century villa of the poet De Rada, with its relaxing garden, and stay in an apartment or villa, or with an Italian family. Enjoy the nearby coast and mountains. Step back into history when you visit ancient Greek and Roman ruins. Tour beautiful Byzantine churches and walk the streets of a medieval town. Learn to cook local dishes. Play tennis and soccer. Enjoy cultural events, from traditional festivals to classical music concerts to lectures by prominent Italian and international scholars. Unwind at the piano bar, chill out on Blues Night, or see a play. And all the while, youre learning Italian. Please visit http://www.derada.com for more information. Brochures and application forms for July and August 2001 sessions are also available online. The Summer Program Brochure (which includes an Application Form) has been attached to this email as an Acrobat 4.0 PDF file and as a MS Word 97 file. You will need Acrobat version 4.0 or later to view the PDF file correctly. Michelangelo La Luna President, Centro Internazionale di Studi Deradiani -------------- next part -------------- [ The following attachment was DELETED when this message was saved: ] [ A Application/PDF (Name="De Rada Summer Program Brochure.pdf") segme ] [ described as "brochure pdf" ] -------------- next part -------------- [ The following attachment was DELETED when this message was saved: ] [ A Application/MSWORD (Name="De Rada Summer Program Brochure.doc") se ] [ described as "brochure word97 doc" ]