American Council for Kosovo - Violence Against Christian Serbs and Their Holy Places

Kosovo: Orthodox Christians fear to walk because of America & Albanian nationalism

Kosovo: Orthodox Christians fear to walk because of America and Albanian nationalism

In history books you can read about the Armenian genocide where Armenian Christians, Greek Orthodox Christians, Assyrian Christians, and other minorities, were massacred in the millions in 1915 and the following years. They were slaughtered because of Turkish nationalism and religious hatred but of course to say this openly in modern day Turkey is still dangerous.

Throughout history ethnic groups and religious groups have suffered because of countless factors but sadly in the modern period the same situation applies for many religious and ethnic groups. Alas, just like the abandoned Armenians and other minorities, today in Kosovo and Iraq all minorities face religious persecution and ethnic hatred despite international agencies being on the ground.

Indeed, the plight of Christian minorities and other minorities in Kosovo and Iraq shows how indifferent the so-called Western world is towards Christian minorities and other faiths which fail to make headlines. More alarming, is that much of the mass media was quick to fall into 'the anti-Serb trap' without a care about history or the reality on the ground. Therefore, in modern day Serbia minorities have freedom of movement throughout the land but in Kosovo the Serbian Orthodox Christian minority, Gypsies, and others, don't have freedom to travel openly.

Nations like Indonesia, Nigeria, the former Yugoslavia, and countless other multi-ethnic and multi-religious countries, are extremely delicate and central forces when under threat face serious bloodletting if no breathing space can quell a revolt. However, the recognition of independent nations in the former Yugoslavia gave no breathing space and the history of World War Two whereby Croatian fascism, Muslim Nazi Units, Albanian fascist support of Germany and Italy, and a host of other complex factors, wasn't taken into consideration. Instead, communities with long and bitter memories were meant to accept becoming minorities in nations they feared.

Irrespective of which side was right or wrong it is clear that 'a covert and dirty war' was unleashed by America, the United Kingdom, Albanian nationalists, and Islamists who were waiting in the wings. Also, a compliant press was mainly guaranteed in a post-Western Christian world whereby it is easy to hate and be biased against this faith. Therefore, America played all 'the right cards' and suddenly the Kosovo Liberation Army became a major fighting force from virtually zilch and with British treachery 'the deal was done.'

This meant that Kosovo which once was nearly 100% Orthodox Christian over 800 years ago before the invading Turks and their enslavement and dhimmitude policies entered the equation; now became 12% after countless tragedies befell this community. This applies to a combined force of Islamization, dhimmitude, consequences of two world wars, and communist policies which enabled Albanianization to take root.

Strangely, in all this time the Serbians never desired a military solution to regaining complete control of Kosovo whereby other ethnic groups would be expelled. However, when the KLA began to terrorize the Serbian community, other minorities, and moderate Albanians who were opposed; then a full scale crisis was about to be unleashed. Of course, this full-scale crisis had already been planned in Washington and London, therefore, the more the KLA killed and attacked then this was welcoming news because America and the United Kingdom new that reprisals would take place on the Serbian side.

Nationalist forces in Serbia fell into the trap and the media was just waiting. Ironically, when two million mainly African Christians and Animists in Sudan had been slaughtered in Sudan by Arab Islamist forces, the media on a whole and the West did very little. Once more, the African Christians were both 'too black' and 'too Christian' to attract intervention.

Therefore, Bill Clinton, a leader who enabled thousands of international Islamic terrorists into Bosnia to kill and behead Orthodox Christians, was at his 'manipulation of language' best once more by implying that 100,000 Albanians may have been killed. Of course, the final death total at most is around 90 per cent less from pro-Clinton numbers given (this applies to all ethnic groups) and to others the final figures are between 92% less to 97% less. More important, this death total is only this high because of the actions of NATO and supporting KLA terrorism. This meant that the death total when Bill Clinton stated this was extremely low and clearly only after the bombing of Serbia did the situation increase rapidly.

However, why is it that several million deaths of African Christians and Animists were allowed in Sudan by several Arab Islamic regimes which were intent on Arabization and Islamization? After all, when intervention was being talked about in Kosovo the death total was very little. Therefore, why did these deaths lead to intervention in Kosovo and not in Sudan where at least two million Africans had been slaughtered?

Once the war engulfed Kosovo properly after NATO intervention and the arming of the KLA by utilizing Albania and other ratlines � then massacres happened on all sides but the indiscriminate use of NATO bombing can be seen by the final death figures. After all, the NATO war machine suffered no direct losses because of its power to bomb from the sky and arming the KLA.

Over one decade later and still Serbians and Gypsies, including children from both communities, can't walk freely in Kosovo and the Serbian Orthodox Church can't baptize freely in Kosovo. However, does this concern America and the European Union from forcing the hand of Serbia to abandon all ties with 'their Jerusalem?'

Of course not, therefore, despite countless documents linking the KLA and politicians to 'narcotic ratlines' and the 'organ scandal,' nothing changes and ethnic discrimination is maintained. Therefore, in modern Europe you have Orthodox Christian churches being protected by outside military forces and ethnic minorities being forced into isolated ghettoes.

In another article by Modern Tokyo Times an article by Paul Lewis was highlighted (published in The Guardian which is a British newspaper). Paul Lewis states that 'Kosovo's prime minister is the head of a 'mafia-like' Albanian group responsible for smuggling weapons, drugs and human organs through Eastern Europe, according to a Council of Europe inquiry report on organized crime.'

'The report of the two-year inquiry, which cites FBI and other intelligence sources, has been obtained by the Guardian. It names Tha�i as having over the last decade exerted 'violent control' over the heroin trade. Figures from Tha�i's inner circle are also accused of taking captives across the border into Albania after the war, where a number of Serbs are said to have been murdered for their kidneys, which were sold on the black market.'

'The report paints a picture in which ex-KLA commanders have played a crucial role in the region's criminal activity. It says: 'In confidential reports spanning more than a decade, agencies dedicated to combating drug smuggling in at least five countries have named Hashim Tha�i and other members of his Drenica group as having exerted violent control over the trade in heroin and other narcotics.'

The outcome of 'the dirty war' is that minorities face a bleak future and in percentage terms their percentage is falling because of no freedom in Kosovo. The majority population of Albanians therefore is continuing to install fear and killing people for organs doesn't even shame policy makers in Washington and London.

Innocent Serbian and Gypsy families are still being victimized and marginalized and too little is being done to protect both communities. Clearly, America and others know that time is on their side and if the entire de-Orthodox Christianization of Kosovo is accomplished in the future because of all minority communities abandoning all hope � then this will be music to the ears of Washington.

The Turks could never destroy the 'spirit and soul' of the Orthodox Christian community in Kosovo despite enslavement of young Christian boys being converted to Islam, dhimmitude, wars, heavy taxation, and other factors. Fascism couldn't destroy this community. However, the American political leadership and British political leadership laid down the foundations of the destruction of this embattled community.

It is essential that all non-Albanian minorities are supported in Kosovo and the same applies to moderate forces within the Kosovo Albanian community who fear the power mechanisms and ratlines of the KLA clique.

KFOR fires at Serbs, seven injured

KOSOVSKA MITROVICA -- Kosovska Mitrovica Health Center Director Milan Jakovljevic says seven persons who were injured at the Jarinje checkpoint earlier today have been hospitalized.

According to him, six persons sustained serious injuries from live rounds and one person has been taken to the ophthalmology ward due to eye problems caused by tear gas.

'Nobody is in a life-threatening condition so far,' Jakovljevic stressed.

KFOR said, however, that the troops had only used rubber bullets when they fired at the protesters at the Jarinje checkpoint.

The KFOR headquarters stated it had received no information about casualties and supposed use of live bullets.

Jakovljevic added that shots had also been fired at the ambulance but that the medical team that had been giving medical attention to the injured Serbs had not been injured.

KFOR Deputy Spokesman Kai Gudenoge stated Tuesday that KFOR soldiers were forced to fire rubber bullets in self-defense at the Serbs gathered on the road to the Jarinje administrative crossing in northern Kosovo.

'The Serbs were stoning the German soldiers, one of whom was hit, so the soldiers were forced to fire rubber bullets in self-defense,' he told AFP.

Gudenoge stressed that the situation was now absolutely peaceful, noting, however, that this could change at any moment.v

KFOR troops threw flash bombs and tear gas and fired rubber bullets at local Serbs who gathered at the Jarinje checkpoint around 13:00 CET.

U.S. KFOR troops used tear gas early on Tuesday to disperse Serbs and remove a barricade from an alternative road that leads from Jarinje to central Serbia.

Local Serbs, who spent the night at the barricades, told Beta news agency earlier on Tuesday that the troops had been brutal, that they had used tear gas and that they tied up young men who had been present.

One of them received medical attention at the Ra�ka hospital. Four Serbs have been arrested and later released. The U.S. troops threaten to shoot anyone who comes close to the barbed wire at the Jarinje administrative checkpoint.

vKFOR troops removed the barricades made of dirt and gravel.

They have also announced that starting from Tuesday morning they will arrest anyone who uses the alternative road around Jarinje. German troops arrested and soon after released two people at the alternative road around 7:00 CET on Tuesday.

An incident broke out around 10:30 CET when several citizens threw rocks at KFOR troops who responded by using tear gas. The clash quickly ended when Leposavic Mayor Branko Ninic called on the citizens to remain calm and to peacefully fight for their legitimate requests.

The night was peaceful at the other barricades in northern Kosovo.

KFOR removed a sand barricade from Jarinje last night, but Serbs who came to the administrative checkpoint in great numbers managed to set up a new barricade on the main road leading to Rudnica and kept watch at an alternative road that connects this part of Kosovo with central Serbia.

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Pristina wants to take Kosovo north with help of USA

It looked like war. Kosovo special units would appear at border checkpoints alternatively. At sound of siren people would run to access roads blocking them, says a Serb, one of witnesses of the incident provoked by Kosovo authorities in their attempt to take by force the checkpoints at administration border crossings of Jarinje and Brnjak.

The authorities in Pristina ordered the day before yesterday at 22.00 the action of conquering the checkpoints aimed to establish full control over all access roads to Kosovo. A well informed �Blic' source from Pristina claims that Kosovo authorities got no green light for this action either from the KFOR or the EULEX, but that there is grounded suspicion that the USA Ambassador in Pristina Christopher Dell knew about the action.

According to our source it is still not certain to which extent the American administration in Pristina was acquainted with all details of the action including the fact that Kosovo authorities were determined in not to withdraw even in case of serious conflict. �However, it is very well known that Hashim Thaci does very little on his own and without American Ambassador', our source adds.

As �Blic' learns Dell has a strong influence in Pristina but also interests of his own in Kosovo. He is a diplomat who directly influenced election of Atifeta Jahjaga to the post of Kosovo President.

According to our source the KFOR and the EULEX have not given approval for the action. Recall of General Director of Kosovo Police Reshad Malici only speaks in favor to that claim.

�Malici was not recalled because he was against the action. Prime Minister Thaci recalled him because Malici informed the EULEX about action the police were intending to undertake prior the action had actually begun', �Blic' source from Pristina says.

The special unit called ROSU was involved in the action. As �Blic' learns this unit has between 180 and 200 members. For the first time after foundation of the unit its members crossed the Ibar River and entered the north of Kosovo in an attempt to take over Jarinje and Brnjak. Our source claims that in the first attempt only one third of the unit took part, what means about 60 people.

The aim of Kosovo Government was to take over the border crossings at the administration line, introduce total embargo and position itself in the north of Kosovo.

The action undertaken the other day was preceded by visit of Kosovo minister Bajram Redzepi to the north of Kosovo. He arrived by a helicopter to yesterday attacked border crossings and talked there with representatives of the KFOR. However, events indicate that the KFOR did not want to play a game of Pristina and the only thing that the KFOR yesterday took part in was pulling of injured ROSU members out of the north.

The EULEX condemned the action and warned authorities in Pristina to stop it.

However, the most serious incidents in villages near Zubin Potok began yesterday at about 13.00 just when it was expected that members of special Kosovo unit would withdraw from the part of the territory with Serbian population.

Within half an hour about ten jeeps came to the village of Stioce. Fire was opened and members of the special unit withdraw to the south again, a Serb from Zubin Potok says for �Blic'.

�It seems they have gone, but they appeared again moving towards the village of Zupce. Members of the ROSU unit were opening fire from automatic guns to everything that was moving, but we managed to push them back again', a local Serb says.

According to the latest information local Serbs are concentrated at all entrances to villages near Zubin Potok. At about 20.00 the KFOR Commander ordered the Portuguese soldiers prevent ROSU unit enter the village of Zupce.

KOSOVO & Systematic Persecution by KLA

The former Yugoslavia was engulfed by many conflicts and ethnic and religious differences tore away at the very fabric of this nation. Like all wars, atrocities took place on all sides but the mass media in general focused on Serbian atrocities, while neglecting brutal crimes committed against the Serbian community. This certainly applies to the glossing over of war crimes done by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

However, more and more evidence is coming to light about brutal KLA death camps and killing people for organs. Therefore, will former KLA members be charged with war crimes and will the "real truth" be told about international collusion? If not, then where does this leave Kosovo?

Before focusing on this important issue I fear a major cover-up. After all, the American version of history is that Kosovo should be independent because Albanians suffered greatly, therefore, Serbia does not have a moral right to keep Kosovo under Serbia.

Yet, if it comes to light that the KLA killed mainly Serbians, and also fellow Albanians, Roma, and other minorities, then where does this leave the American, British, and the Albanian version of events?

Remember, we are not talking about massacres taking place by opposing armies; on the contrary, we are talking about the KLA killing civilians for organs and for other brutal reasons.

Also, since the ending of the conflict it is clear that countless numbers of Christian Orthodox Churches have been destroyed and non-Albanian culture is on the wane. Added to this, thousands of people have been killed by Albanian nationalists and innocent Serbians, Roma, and others, have 'been killed in silence' because it doesn't suit the interests of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who supported the KLA.

The BBC, a very liberal British network, highlighted the brutal deeds of the KLA during the airing of 'Crossing Continents' and 'Newsnight' which was broadcasted on April 9, 2009. Paul Mitchell, BBC correspondent, states that this provides 'another side to the conflict which the world was not supposed to see.'

If we take this further, it also undermines the claims of America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support the independence of Kosovo. After all, the findings show 'a dirty covert war' and it raises further important questions, for example, how did the KLA develop overnight and where did they obtain their military hardware from?

However, I do not want to get bogged down by the justifications of either side in this article. Instead I want to focus on the disturbing findings of the BBC and others who hope to bring to light the past evils of the KLA.

Once more, before delving into this I wish to state that all sides in this conflict committed atrocities be they Albanian or Serbian. Also, the brutal civil wars which took place in Bosnia, Croatia, and Kosovo, witnessed many massacres and like all wars, you have no pure side because war always leads to atrocities and often it is the civilian population which is victimized the most.

Therefore, this article is not intended to be anti any one single ethnic group and of course many Albanians in Kosovo were also victims. Each ethnic and religious group suffered pain, irrespective if Orthodox Christian or Muslim, or if Serbian or Albanian.

However, the mass media mainly gave a one sided point of view, and this point of view was anti-Serbian. Yet the findings by the BBC and others highlight a different story and one which continues to be mainly ignored. This applies to the brutal killings and torture of innocent Serbians by the KLA and others were also murdered by this terrorist organization.

Yes, I stress terrorist organization for one simple reason. Throughout all of the civil wars in the former Yugoslavia it was clear that many Muslims remained in Serbia, after all, the Muslim community in Serbia is part and parcel of this independent nation which is multi-ethnic and multi-religious.

However, did the KLA protect Serbian Orthodox Christians, Roma, and other minorities? The answer is clearly no. Instead the KLA used a reign of terror against all minorities and persecuted fellow Albanians who were deemed to be traitors. Therefore, the KLA was a terrorist organization and clearly this organization was involved in major criminality including the killing of innocents in order to sell organs.

In the article written by Paul Mitchell, a former KLA prisoner states 'I've seen a lot, people beaten, stabbed, hit with steel pipes, left without eating for 5 or 6 days. People had bullet proof vests on and were shot to see if it was working, thrown into tombs, beaten up and killed.'

The former KLA prisoner continues by saying 'What can you feel when you see those things?' he added. 'It's something that is stuck in my mind for the rest of my life. You cannot do those things to people, not even to animals.'

Another Albanian who is suffering the aftershocks of this brutal conflict also bravely speaks the truth. He highlights that he drove trucks with prisoners who were shackled and he stresses that the majority were Serbian civilians and not only this, he drove them from Kosovo to Albania. He continues by stating 'I was sick. I was just waiting for it to end. It was hard. I thought we were fighting a war [of liberation] but this was something completely different.'

KLA sites of systematic torture and killings were based throughout Kosovo and also in parts of Albania. For example Kukes and Burrel in Albania were used by the KLA with regards to military training, obtaining weapons, and for other factors. This in itself raises the role of Albania and NATO nations which took part in the bombing of the former Yugoslavia.

However, getting back to Kukes and Burrel and systematic torture and killing of innocents, it becomes apparent that these sites witnessed many barbaric atrocities. The International Centre for the Red Cross obtained information about brutal murders in Burrel in 2000. This applies to being informed by KLA fighters who stated that Serbian civilians were killed in 1999 in Burrel and these killings had an economic motive because organs were removed and then sold abroad.

Of course, this information would be very troubling for both America and the United Kingdom, because both these nations had sold the war in the disguise of 'good' versus 'evil.' However, if the good side, the KLA, is involved in killing civilians for harvesting organs and then selling these organs on to other nations, then what does this make America and the United Kingdom?

Also, the hard sell by America, the United Kingdom, and other nations who support independence, is that independence is justified on the grounds of Serbian atrocities. Yet if the KLA was found to be involved in killing civilians for organs then 'the spin machine' collapses and 'democracy' rings hollow.

The role of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is also criticized because of deeds which took place. UNMIK's former head for Missing Persons and Forensics, Jose Pablo Baraybar, comments that 'There were people that are certainly alive that were in Kukes, in that camp, as prisoners. Those people saw other people there, both Albanians and non-Albanians. There were members of the KLA leadership going through that camp. Many names were mentioned, and I would say that that is an established fact.'

More alarming, Baraybar openly admits that UNMIK was fully aware that the KLA had many detention centres and this in itself should have warranted a major investigation. Yet, claims Baraybar, 'no proper investigation was ever carried out.'

Sian Jones, Amnesty International spokesperson was more scathing because Jones states that UNMIK 'chose not to investigate.' Jones also adds that there were 'lots of allegations, lots of victims but little true justice.'

Therefore, it is clear that important vested interests have a need to cover-up the real truth behind 'this dirty war.' The United Nations, NATO, the role of Albania and major political leaders in nations like America and the United Kingdom, all come out of this in a terrible light. Also, it raises the issue of 'war crime tribunals' and fairness and this terrible and tragic conflict questions the morality of major nations and institutions.

The issue of Kosovo remains because the majority of the international community does not recognize Kosovo to be an independent nation. If the truth really 'came to light' and a full and major investigation took place, then clearly you would have many disturbing findings. However, world leaders from major nations do not have to worry about war crimes, and this is the problem, you still have a world of 'real power' versus nations of 'limited power' and we all know that the outcome is dependent on this sad reality.

The real tragedy of Kosovo, like all civil wars, is that innocents died on all sides. Yet it is clear that a major investigation is needed because killing innocents for organs is truly barbaric and you have enough evidence that this did take place. So will this disgraceful chapter come to light or will it be brushed under the carpet because of power politics?

If we judge past history then it would appear that it will be brushed under the carpet. However, when major powers want to ignore issues like this, it is truly sickening and the role of the mass media in general is also a loser because not enough was said or done at the time of this conflict. Once more the propaganda machine of 'the rich and powerful won' and the real losers were the innocents on all sides.

However, one story was told, that of the persecution of the Albanians; but the other story, the persecution of Serbians, Roma, and other minorities remains untold. Yet the story of death camps and killing innocents for organs must be told and a true investigation is needed and this applies to everything and not just minor people who took part in this brutal war.

Kosovo minorities leave, claiming discrimination

The London-based Minority Rights Group International (MRG) says exclusion from political and social life and discrimination are forcing ethnic Bosniaks, Turks, Roma, Croats, Gorani, Ashkali Egyptians and even some Serbs out of Kosovo.

Non-Serb minorities have criticized the international community for paying too much attention to Albanian-Serb relations and ignoring other groups.

"The priority for the international community should be to ensure that there is some kind of international human rights mechanism to which minorities in Kosovo can turn," MRG director, Mark Lattimer, said.

Lack of political will

Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence in February 2008 and Serbia's opposition to the move had resulted in a vacuum in international protection for minorities, the MRG report says.

Since declaring independence, ethnic divisions have worsened between the enclave's two million Albanians, 120,000 Serbs, and 80,000 others from smaller ethnic groups, despite the presence of 14,000 NATO peacekeepers and a 2,000-strong European Union mission overseeing a fragile peace.

"There is a lack of political will and substantive investment in effective implementation of minority rights among majority Albanians," the report says.

"Together with a bad economy, these conditions mean that many members of minority communities are now leaving the new Kosovo state altogether," MRG concludes.

Integration "a fantasy"

The Kosovo government has called the report "not factually accurate" and says minority rights are guaranteed by the constitution. But Lattimer, in an interview with Deutsche Welle, described that claim as "a fantasy" and stressed that the trend toward greater ethnic segregation was continuing.

"Effectively," Lattimer said, "ten years of international rule have seen an increase in segregation between communities."

The MRG report says that the poor treatment of minorities was due to a perception that they had been allies of, or did little to oppose, the former Serb regime in the 1990s.

Serbia still regards Kosovo as part of its historic heartland and has asked the International Court of Justice in The Hague to rule on the legality of its secession.

Serb President Boris Tadic, ahead of a visit to France on Wednesday, told the French daily Le Figaro that Serbia would "never recognize" the unilateral independence of Kosovo.

Kosovo's independence has only been recognized by 60 of the world's 200 countries.