(english
con alcuni ritagli in italiano / srpskohrvatski / francais)

A "bipartizan" policy

Both US presidential candidates, with their staffs, share a "bipartizan"anti-yugoslav, serbophobic policy

Entrambi i candidati alla presidenza negli USA, con i loro staff, condividono le stesse posizioni antijugoslave e serbofobiche


1) ELECTION IRREGULARITIES:
1.1: Election irregularities hint at possible 2000 repeat (By David Hoskins)
1.2: URGENT: Stop Racist Voter Suppression - Take Action NOW! (International Action Center)

2) Joe Biden, Obama's VP, is a great sponsor of Kosovo killers
2.1: "Obama's VP candidate great friend of Kosovo"
2.2: "Serbian nationalists bash Joe Biden"
2.3: Obama, Clinton welcome Kosovo declaration

3) John McCain is supported by the Albanian American Civic League!
3.1: POLITIKA: il senatore John McCain ha armato l’UCK / John McCain armed the KLA / Džon Mekejn naoružavao OVK
...Americans of Albanian heritage collected a million dollars in one evening for the presidential campaign of Republican Senator John McCain, said the Albanian American Civic League yesterday, the lobby group headed by former Congressman Joe DioGuardi...
3.2: McCain's 'disturbing elements'
...Mr. McCain claims he is the best candidate to handle Muslim terrorists, yet he supports the Kosovo Liberation Army, many of whose members were trained in Osama bin Laden's terrorists camps...

4) FLASHBACKS:
4.1: April 9, 2007 - Kosovo debate reaches U.S. Senate
The draft resolution, submitted by senators Joseph Lieberman, Joseph Biden, John McCain and Gordon Smith, backs UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s proposal, stating that a supervised independence would be the only possible solution to the province’s status...
4.2: April 10, 2007 - Only 4 countries vote for Kosovo independence at the United Nations
... Biden, the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, is known for favoring realistic diplomacy and the democratic right to self-determination over what is seen as "the tired
mantra of territorial integrity." He has proposed a separation of Iraq into three parts; one for Sunnis, one for Shiites and one - Kurdistan - for the Kurds...
4.3: April 10, 2007 - KOSOVO: ALBANIAN LOBBY URGES INDEPENDENCE
4.4: December 10, 2007 - Kosovo independence rally in New York

5) Full texts of Senate Resolutions 384 (2004) and 135 (2007) and House Resolution 36 (2007)


SEE ALSO / VEDI ANCHE:

# USA - IL PAESE DEI BROGLI ELETTORALI
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/4842
# Tutti pazzi per Bush
http://www.osservatoriobalcani.org/article/articleview/7732
# [JUGOINFO] L'AMICO AMERICANO / 6
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/2644

# Biden and Palin (WW Editorial Note)
http://www.workers.org/2008/editorials/biden_palin_0911/
# Obama's Change Must Start With His Advisers
http://www.moscowtimes.ru/article/1016/42/371888.htm
or: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/34431
# Was Joe Biden Talking About Russia in Seattle?
http://www.russiablog.org/2008/10/joe_biden_talking_about_russia_seattle.php
or: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/34430
# One Thing US Presidential Candidates Agree On: Baiting Russia
http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/31048
or: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato/message/33699
# Kosovo and America: an alliance unlike any other
http://www.newkosovareport.com/200808021093/Views-and-Analysis/Kosovo-and-America-an-alliance-unlike-any-other.html
# Standing With Kosovo Again
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/22/AR2007072200883.html
# It's No Longer 1999. 2007 in Review, by Nebojsa Malic
http://www.antiwar.com/malic/?articleid=12118
or: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yugoslaviainfo/message/8001
# U.S. praises indicted former Kosovo P.M.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-070430kosovo,1,5804130.story?coll=chi-news-hed
or: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yugoslaviainfo/message/6897
The day after Ramush Haradinaj resigned as Kosovo's prime minister, Sen. Joseph Biden, the ranking Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised him as a patriot and a statesman...
# [JUGOINFO] L'AMICO AMERICANO / 6
http://it.groups.yahoo.com/group/crj-mailinglist/message/2644
# What a Kerry Regime Would Mean for the Balkans (Christopher Deliso 2004)
http://www.antiwar.com/deliso/?articleid=2771

# http://www.bannerofliberty.com/

# Barack Obama : « je soutiens l’indépendance du Kosovo »
Les voix des 500.000 citoyens américains d’origine albanaise sont l’objet de toutes les attentions de la part des deux candidats à la Maison Blanche, Barack Obama et John McCain. Alors que le candidat républicain a, depuis longtemps, assuré de son amitié le gouvernement de Pristina, Barack Obama avait inquiété les électeurs d’origine albanaise en déclarant par exemple soutenir la candidature serbe à l’intégration européenne. Une position tempérée par une lettre adressée au National Albanian American Council (NAAC) qui réaffirme le soutien du démocrate à l’indépendance du Kosovo... (POLITIKA / Courrier del Balkans - 24 septembre 2008)
http://balkans.courriers.info/article11247.html
# COMMENT TRUQUER LES PRIMAIRES US
Comme tous les quatre ans, les États-Unis mettent en scène leur élection présidentielle... Cette année, l’innovation en matière de trucage est l’usage de machines à voter au cours des primaires. Elles permettent un trucage extensif dans la pré-sélection des deux candidats qui s’affronteront...
http://www.voltairenet.org/article154928.html



=== 1 ===

---(1.1)---

http://www.workers.org/2008/us/election_irregularities_1106/

Election irregularities hint at possible 2000 repeat

By David Hoskins
Published Oct 29, 2008 2:41 PM
The extreme right wing is working overtime to suppress the vote and deny the first major-party African-American candidate the opportunity to become president. Election specialists and news reports have identified more than a dozen states where accusations of voter suppression and election rigging may determine the outcome of the presidential race. The battleground states of Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and West Virginia are among those states where Republican Party operatives have attempted to override the choices of voters and secure a McCain victory on Election Day.

The activity in many states is restricted to technically legal, although constitutionally questionable, voter suppression tactics. In some states, however, it appears that the right wing is attempting outright vote theft.

Six voters in two West Virginia counties have reported that electronic voting machines visibly changed their vote to John McCain when they tried to cast their vote for Barack Obama. Retired factory worker Calvin Thomas claims that “When I went in, I pushed Obama and Biden. It immediately went up to McCain on the Republican ticket.” According to Thomas, his daughter had the same problem and it required complaining to an election worker in order to get the vote to register for Obama. (cnn.com)

Shelba Ketchum, a 69-year-old retired nurse, reported similar problems when she attempted to vote. According to Ketchum, “I pushed buttons and they all came up Republican. I hit Obama and it switched to McCain. I am really concerned about that. If McCain wins, there was something wrong with the machines.” Ketchum says that she requested a printout verification of her votes and that the election workers said it was not possible to obtain one. (Charleston Gazette, Oct. 18)

Thousands of voters in Georgia and Florida have been declared ineligible to vote. In Georgia more than 50,000 voters were improperly purged from the voting rolls. Approximately 4,500 of them have been wrongly identified as noncitizens.

The state of Georgia is being sued for violating federal laws that prohibit massive purging within 90 days of an election. “People are being targeted, and people are being told they are noncitizens, including both naturalized citizens and U.S.-born citizens,” said Elise Shore, regional counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “They’re being told they’re not eligible to vote, based on information in a database that hasn’t been checked and approved by the Department of Justice, and that we know has flaws in it.” (cnn.com)

The Ohio Republican Party attempted to force election officials in that state to engage in a similar purge of voting lists. In a lawsuit that made it to the U.S. Supreme Court, Ohio Republicans requested that the courts make the state’s secretary of state generate a list of mismatched names and purge those voters from the rolls. The Supreme Court sided with the secretary of state who claimed that such a list would possibly disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of voters.

In Indiana the fight has centered on access to early voting sites. Republican officials filed a lawsuit to close down early voting sites in three key Indiana cities—Hammond, Gary and East Chicago. Indiana’s population is only eight percent Black, but Black voters are heavily concentrated in the three cities targeted by the lawsuit.

Recent polls demonstrate that Obama has built up a considerable lead in enough states to secure the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election. The voter suppression efforts in key states appear designed to install a McCain presidency despite the preferences of voters.

Articles copyright 1995-2008 Workers World. Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.

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---(1.2)---


Da: actioncenter@...
Oggetto: URGENT: Stop Racist Voter Suppression - Take Action NOW!
Data: 03 novembre 2008 14:04:47 GMT+01:00


Urgent: Take Action Now to Stop Racist Voter Suppression

Sign the online petition at http://www.iacenter.org/stopvotersuppression

Online Petition Text:

To: President Bush, Senator McCain, Governor Palen, Attorney General Mukasey, Governors of Key States, Congressional and Republican Party leaders and members of the media

In the days leading up to a historic election, there has been a massive, illegal attempt to suppress votes, particularly among the poor, communities of color, and students.

These tactics include:

--In Ohio, the Republicans attempted to illegally challenge the registrations of 200,000 new voters.

--Voters, like in West Virginia counties, have reported that electronic voting machines visibly changed their vote to John McCain when they tried to cast their vote for Barack Obama.

--Students in Colorado, Virginia, and South Carolina were told that they would lose their scholarships and that their parents could no longer claim them as dependents on their tax returns if the students voted in their college towns.

--In Georgia more than 50,000 voters were improperly purged from the voting rolls, a clear violation of federal laws that prohibit massive purging within 90 days of an election. Approximately 4,500 of them have been wrongly identified as “non-citizens”.

--In Indiana, Republican officials filed a lawsuit to close down early voting sites in three key Indiana cities—Hammond, Gary and East Chicago. Indiana’s population is only eight percent Black, but Black voters are heavily concentrated in the three cities targeted by the lawsuit.

--In Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin, right wingers are using the Jim-Crow practice of 'caging,' where they send out mass mailings to low-income neighborhoods. If the letters come back unopened, then those voters are challenged at the polling place.

These are just a few of the tactics that have come to light in the recent period which are part of an ongoing pattern of racist disenfranchisement--an illegal campaign to deliberately deprive people of the hard-won right to vote.

I demand:

• Stop police intimidation of voters.
• Keep polls open until everyone has the opportunity to vote.
• Full emergency staffing of polling places to meet the widely-expected massive turnout.
• STOP all voter suppression – count all ballots.

Make your voice heard NOW! Sign the online petition and send a strong, clear message to the White House, Congress, Governors of Key States, and the media.You can sign online at http://www.iacenter.org/stopvotersuppression

Make an immediate donation to help stop racist voter suppression in an urgent national campaign. Donate at http://iacenter.org/donate.



=== 2 ===

Senator JOE BIDEN:
"THE U.S. must lead the West in a decisive response to Serbian aggression, beginning with air attacks on Serbian artillery."
(In: TIME, May 03,1993.)

---(2.1)---

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/yugoslaviainfo/message/9404

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=08&dd=24&nav_id=52\938

Beta News Agency - August 24, 2008

"Obama's VP candidate great friend of Kosovo"


PRISTINA - The Albanian language media in Pristina are
reporting with optimism about Barack Obama's choice of
running mate.
The U.S. Democratic Party presidential hopeful
yesterday announced that U.S. Senator Joseph Biden
will be his vice president if he wins the White House
race in November.
Today, Koha Ditore daily writes, "a great friend of
Kosovo will enter the White House along with Obama if
he wins".
The newspaper reminds that Biden said, "one day after
the declaration of independence of Kosovo", that "a
new phase of progress in the Balkans was opening".
The Delaware senator wrote when Belgrade rejected the
Ahtisaari plan that "Kosovo's unilateral independence
is not the best solution, but that it is necessary,
since it's time for action".
Biden, Koha Ditore also reminded its readers, was the
one who proposed a resolution to bomb Serbia in 1999.

---(2.2)---

http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/serbian-nationalists-bash-joe-biden/id_31476/catid_68

Sofia Echo (Bulgaria) - August 29, 2008

Serbian nationalists bash Joe Biden

Clive Leviev-Sawyer

Barack Obama, the Democratic Party’s candidate for US
president, indulged in a campaign swing through
Europe. His vice-presidential running partner, Joe
Biden, if tempted to do the same, may as well avoid
Belgrade.
Memories run deep in the Balkans, but among Serbian
nationalists, uppermost on their minds is that
long-term senator and foreign policy committee figure
Biden was strongly in favour of the 1990s bombing of
Belgrade.
Popular Serbian newspaper Blic reminded its readers on
August 28 that Biden was one of those who proposed
resolution on bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
“He also believes that all changes in Serbia are the
result of pressure from Washington.”
The newspaper quoted Obrad Kesic, an analyst in the US
of Serbian origin, as saying the choice of Biden was
especially bad for Serbia.
“I am expecting Biden to be even more engaged in
lobbying over Kosovo,” Kesic is quoted as saying.
Biden was a “severe opponent” of Russia, which could
affect Serbia indirectly in view of its traditionally
close relations with Russia.
In contrast to media in Kosovo, where in Pristina
daily newspaper Koha Ditore said ”a great friend of
Kosovo will enter the White House along with Obama if
he wins”, website Serbianna.com carried a report
alleging that former US ambassador to Romania Jim
Rosapepe had said that he witnessed Biden shout at
Romanian officials from whom he was trying to get
information on Serbia and its politics so that Biden
could “inflict political and diplomatic damage”.
Rosapepe says that the most extraordinary meeting
Biden and him had was with the president of the
Romanian senate, Petre Roman, whom Biden met before
but this time "Biden grilled him on Serbian politics"
and Roman "helped defeat Milosevic in the 2000
elections".
However, when Biden asked the Romanian delegation why
Romania was seeking Nato membership, Biden was
offended at the answer.
According to Serbianna.com, the Romanian said: “If we
are in Nato, we won’t have to worry about Nato
attacking Romania over our relations with our
Hungarian minority the way you attacked Yugoslavia.
Since Turkey has been in Nato for decades, you let
them do what they want with the Kurdish minority”.
The website said that “Biden got visibly angry that
former communist Romania had an existential reason for
joining Nato, so Biden ‘rose from his chair, leaned
across the table and said: “If that’s why you want to
get into Nato, I'll make sure you never do!'”.
The Serbianna.com item alleged: “Biden has long been
on the payroll of Kosovo Albanian extremists so that
he can lend support for their desire to annex Serbian
province”.
Another Serbianna.com item quoted Croatian priest
Iliya Zivkovic as telling Croatian daily Jutarnji List
that he was a friend of Biden and that he was a key
figure that shaped Biden’s view that Serbs were
exclusively to blame for events in former Yugoslavia.
“He [Biden] knew about Croatia... But I think that the
most influential was my speech that I gave in Little
Rock in front of the just elected Bill Clinton who
called American minorities for a conversation,”
Zivkovic was quoted as saying.
“In 45 minutes I explained why bridges must be bombed
in Serbia, Belgrade....I believe that that it was very
effective on Biden,” Zivkovic said.
As Democrats in the US observed the Republican attack
machine spewing out against its candidates Obama and
Biden, Serbianna had a hat-trick with an item online
on August 29 – in the process managing to hit out at
both Obama and Republican presidential nominee John
McCain.
“Whether Obama wins or McCain, Serbs should expect
that US will seek to destroy them, culturally,
ethnically, physically, politically and
diplomatically, tells us an analyst who fears to
disclose his name because he will be witch hunted.”
The article continues by quoting its source as saying
that for the past eight years, “Serbs in Kosovo have
been killed like deer in season and US has approved
every one of those murders because they've recognised
such a state”.
“More Serbs are to die and the US will delight in the
death of Serbs no matter who wins the presidency,”
Serbianna quotes the source, which it describes as
“close to government” as saying.
“No matter if it's Obama or McCain, many more Serbs in
Kosovo will die and all churches in Kosovo will be
leveled but any of the two will say that Serbs are
genociders,” the website said.

---(2.3)---

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/world-article.php?yyyy=2008&mm=02&dd=18&nav_id=47793

Beta News Agency - February 18, 2008

Obama, Clinton welcome Kosovo declaration

WASHINGTON - Senators Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton
and Joseph Biden all welcomed Kosovo Albanians'
independence declaration.
One of the Democrats' presidential hopefuls, Clinton,
called for a speedy recognition of Kosovo's
independence.
Her rival, Obama, echoed the same sentiment, and added
that he hoped Kosovo's authorities and people will do
everything to make it a positive example of "democracy
and rule of law".
Another democrat, Biden, who is the Foreign Policy
Committee chair in the U.S. Senate, said he will soon
call on his colleagues to join him in "expressing the
Senate's support for Kosovo's independence".
Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo Sunday declared unilateral
secession from Serbia.
Serbia rejected this as illegal, and is seeking
respect of its internationally recognized borders.


=== 3 ===

---(3.1)---

POLITIKA: il senatore John McCain ha armato l’UCK

13. febbraio 2008. 15:48

Uno dei candidati del Partito Repubblicano a Presidente USA, John McCain, ha aiutato ad armare l'organizzazione terroristica UCK, riporta il quotidiano belgradese POLITIKA. Del sostegno di McCain all’indipendenza kosovara e all’armamento dell’UCK ha parlato l’ex congressman Joseph DioGuardi al ricevimento preparato in onore di McCain dalla Lega civica albano-americana (AACL) il 22 gennaio scorso. Basandosi sul comunicato di questa Lega, il quotidiano POLITIKA scrive che a questa manifestazione, gli americani di origine albanese hanno raccolto un milione di dollari durante la serata per la campagna presidenziale di McCain.

(Fonte: Radio Serbia)

--- english ---

The article below in Serbian is from the column "Svet" in Politika Online for Feb. 13, 2008. Here is a translation:

John McCain armed the KLA

"He did everything that we asked of him, including arming the KLA", said Albanian lobbyist Joe DioGuardi. The Albanians collected one million dollars for the presidential campaign of this senator

Americans of Albanian heritage collected a million dollars in one evening for the presidential campaign of Republican Senator John McCain, said the Albanian American Civic League yesterday, the lobby group headed by former Congressman Joe DioGuardi. A reception for McCain was held January 22 at the Saint Regis Hotel in Manhatten, and the senator, who is now leading in the runoff for the Republican party candidacy in the November elections, cut his campaign in Florida by one day to attend this gathering.
"Even in 1998 when we had problems with Milosevic, McCain did everything that we asked of him to the benefit of the Albanian people, including arming the KLA", announced DioGuardi. "We are American Albanians and we need a leader who will strengthen this country... We must support John McCain because he did everything we asked of him for Kosovo, from supporting the Kosovo Liberation Army to supporting the independence of Kosovo. Two years ago he spoke in Brussels and said that independence is the only solution", concluded this former congressman who has been fighting for the independence of Kosovo and Metohija for more than twenty years.
He explained that the first thing McCain said to him when he entered the hotel in Manhatten on January 22: "Joe, I saw your people in Michigan, and in South Carolina and in New Hampshire", from which this lobbyist deduced that all Americans of Albanian background will be voting for the senator from Arizona.
DioGuardi and his wife Shirley Cloys-DioGuardi have been friends with McCain for years, and he intervened several times in the Senate on behalf of the Albanians. Because of that, the Albanian American Civic League awarded him the "Balkan Award for Peace" a year and a half ago, and the initiative was the proposed Senate resolution - which McCain wrote - in which thanks is extended to the Albanians for "saving all the Jews who lived in Albania or who sought shelter there during the Nazi Holocaust".
However, even though he is leading in the presidential nomination, John McCain has not yet succeeded in convincing the primary wing of the Republican Party - the conservatives - that he is the right candidate. One of the reasons is that he often spoke and voted against the majority Republicans, as in 1999 when he asked for more intensive air bombing of Serbia.
In April of that year, three weeks after the bombing commenced, he announced that the US is in danger of losing the war to the Serbian Army which has "antiquated machinery" and "absolutely no military air power", if massive strategic air attacks are not initiated. "Attacks on any infrastructure target must not be prevented. We all regret civilian losses, as well as our own, but they cannot be avoided," he said.
During the pre-election campaign in February 2000 at a meeting in Manhatten, John McCain asked for the release of all Albanian prisoners in the prisons of Serbia proper, and a year later he used his inlfuence to ask the administration for an urgent investigation into the killing of the brothers Bitici who were taken from prison and killed in the police training center
in Petrovo Selo in eastern Serbia. This February 5 the senator held another meeting in Manhatten and in the public there was a visible Albanian flag.

V.R.

--- srpskohrvatski ---

Politika Online for Feb. 13, 2008

Džon Mekejn naoružavao OVK

Radio je sve što smo tražili od njega, ukljucujuci i naoružavanje OVK, izjavio albanski lobista Džo Diogvardi. – Albanci prikupili milion dolara za predsednicku kampanju ovog senatora

Amerikanci albanskog porekla prikupili su za jedno vece milion dolara za predsednicku kampanju republikanskog senatora Džona Mekejna, saopštila je juce Albansko-americka gradanska liga, lobisticka grupa koju vodi nekadašnji kongresmen Džozef Diogvardi. Prijem za Mekejna održan je 22. januara u hotelu Sent Ridžis na Menhetnu, a senator koji trenutno vodi u trci za kandidata Republikanske stranke na novembarskim izborima prekinuo je na jedan dan svoju kampanju na Floridi kako bi došao na ovaj skup.
„Još od 1998. kad smo imali probleme sa Miloševicem, Mekejn je radio sve što smo od njega tražili u korist albanskog naroda, ukljucujuci i naoružavanje OVK”, izjavio je tim povodom Diogvardi. „Mi smo americki Albanci i treba nam voda koji ce ojacati ovu zemlju... Mi moramo da podržimo Džona Mekejna, jer je on uradio sve što smo tražili za Kosovo, od podrške Oslobodilackoj vojsci Kosova do podrške nezavisnosti Kosova. On je pre dve godine u govoru u Briselu rekao da je nezavisnost jedino rešenje”, zakljucio je ovaj bivši clan Kongresa, koji se više od dvadeset godina bori za nezavisnost Kosova i Metohije.
On je objasnio i da je prvo što mu je Mekejn rekao kad je 22. januara ušao u hotel na Menhetnu bilo: „Džo, video sam tvoje ljude (Albance) u Micigenu, i u Južnoj Karolini i u Nju Hempširu”, iz cega ovaj lobista izvlaci zakljucak da ce svi Amerikanci albanskog porekla glasati za senatora iz Arizone.
Diogvardi i njegova supruga Širli Klojs-Diogvardi vec godinama su prijatelji sa Mekejnom, a on je nekoliko puta u Senatu intervenisao u korist Albanaca.
Zbog tih zasluga Albansko-americka gradanska liga dodelila mu je pre godinu i po dana svoju „Balkansku nagradu za mir”, a povod je bio predlog senatske rezolucije – koji je napisao Mekejn – u kojem se pohvaljuju Albanci za „spasavanje svih Jevreja koji su živeli u Albaniji ili su tamo potražili utocište tokom nacistickog holokausta”.
Medutim, iako vodi u trci za predsednicku nominaciju, Džon Mekejn još nije uspeo da ubedi glavno krilo Republikanske stranke – konzervativce – da je on pravi kandidat. Jedan od razloga je i to što je cesto govorio i glasao suprotno vecini republikanaca, kao 1999. kad je tražio još žešce vazdušne udare po Srbiji.
U aprilu te godine, tri nedelje posle pocetka bombardovanja, izjavio je da su SAD u opasnosti da izgube rat od srpske vojske, koja ima „zastarelu opremu” i „uopšte nema ratno vazduhoplovstvo”, ako se ne pokrenu „masovni, strateški i koncentrisani” vazdušni napadi. „Ne sme biti zabranjeno da se napadne bilo koja infrastrukturna meta... Svi mi žalimo za civilnim žrtvama, kao i za sopstvenim, ali one su neizbežne”, rekao je.
Tokom predizborne kampanje u februaru 2000. godine, Džon Mekejn je na mitingu na Menhetnu zatražio puštanje svih albanskih zatvorenika iz zatvora u užoj Srbiji, a godinu dana kasnije svoj uticaj iskoristio je da od administracije traži hitnu istragu o ubistvu brace Bitici koji su oteti iz zatvora i streljani u policijskom centru za obuku u Petrovom Selu, na istoku Srbije. Ovog 5. februara senator je ponovo održao miting na Menhetnu, a u publici je bila uocljiva albanska zastava.

---(3.2)---

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/EDITORIAL/911114342

The Washington Times

Letters to the Editor - 5 February 2008

McCain's 'disturbing elements'

If Debra J. Saunders thinks her Sunday Commentary column, "GOP stronger or
broader?" will sway true conservatives by making threatening comments, such
as that Florida "shows many Republicans have come to understand that when
you aren't willing to bend, when you view compromise as disgraceful not a
necessary part of democracy when you insist on all or nothing, then you get
nothing," she is wrong. She is wrong because unlike those who are willing to
"compromise" their conservative principles, we understand the difference
between compromise and surrender.
Besides the McCain-Lieberman, McCain-Feingold, McCain-Kennedy betrayals of
conservative principles, other disturbing elements of Sen. John McCain's
character are emerging, including his ill temper, displayed too often in the
Senate.
This has led Republican Sen. Pete V. Domenici, who witnessed a particularly
nasty scene, to say that he had considered supporting Mr. McCain for
president but had changed his mind. "I decided," the senator told Newsweek,
"I didn't want this guy anywhere near a trigger" ("Senator Hothead," Feb.
22, 2000).
The endorsements of Mr. McCain by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and
former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani should have sent warning bells to
conservatives throughout the country, but didn't, which tells me that too
many conservatives are turning into RINOs "Republican in name only."
Mr. McCain claims he is the best candidate to handle Muslim terrorists, yet
he supports the Kosovo Liberation Army, many of whose members were trained
in Osama bin Laden's terrorists camps, as reported by The Washington Times'
Jerry Seper ("KLA rebels train in terrorist camps," May 4, 1999).
As for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the other candidates don't
like him because he is handsome, rich, articulate and a true conservative.
The only reason former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is still in the running
is to take votes away from Mr. Romney.
It won't make much difference if it turns out to be Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton versus Mr. McCain. Either way, the country will go down the tubes,
and I would prefer to see this train wreck happen under the Democratic Mrs.
Clinton than under the Republican Mr. McCain. Perhaps it has to get worse
before it gets better.
I would not go so far as Ann Coulter to say that I would work for Mrs.
Clinton if Mr. McCain is the nominee, but I certainly do not plan to vote,
once again, for "the lesser of two evils." That's what got us into this mess
in the first place.

STELLA L. JATRAS

Camp Hill, Pa.


=== 4 === FLASHBACKS ===

---(4.1)---

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2007&mm=04&dd=09&nav_category=92&nav_id=40577

B92, Beta (Serbia) - April 9, 2007

Kosovo debate reaches U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate will this week start
discussions over a Kosovo status resolution.
The draft resolution, submitted by senators Joseph
Lieberman, Joseph Biden, John McCain and Gordon Smith,
backs UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s proposal,
stating that a supervised independence would be the
only possible solution to the province’s status.
The resolution also urges President George Bush to
increase U.S. pressure in the UN Security Council in
order to have Kosovo declared an independent state,
“without redrawing borders.” [Presumably no division
of Kosovo, but a definitive redrawing of borders by
taking Kosovo out of Serbia.]
The senators also advocate swift establishment of
diplomatic ties with Kosovo after its independence,
warning however that Priština must approach
fulfillment of democratic standards “seriously“, as
well as provide security for the Serbs in the
province.
Obrad Kesiæ, a political analyst based in Washington,
told B92 the Albanian lobby has already managed to
influence the Senate, and confirmed the resolution was
ready. Kesiæ also stressed the senators behind the
document, Lieberman in particular, were the leading
figures in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
“I expect a difficult debate on the subject after the
holidays. It is hard to predict whether the resolution
will pass,” Kesiæ said, adding that Senate resolutions
were not legally binding and therefore had no direct
influence on U.S. foreign policy.

---(4.2)---

http://www.tiraspoltimes.com/node/724

Tiraspol Times (Transdniester) - April 10, 2007

Only 4 countries vote for Kosovo independence at the United Nations


New York - Only four of the 15 members on the UN
Security Council have voted in favor of independence
for Kosovo.

The vote took place during initial UN discussions
Tuesday. Pridnestrovie, or Transnistria as it is known
unofficially, has a stronger case for statehood than
Kosovo.
Despite energetic US State Department cheerleading,
Kosovo's independence drive is off to a slow start at
the United Nations. A plan by UN Special Envoy Marti
Ahtisaari - endorsed and lobbied for by the United
States - is attempting to grant Kosovo sovereignty
from Serbia, overriding Serbia's protestations.
Notwithstanding American enthusiasm, during the first
round of consultations on the issue Tuesday, only four
of the 15 members on the UN Security Council voted in
favor of Ahtisaari's plan.
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica believes
that the plan contradicts the UN Charter and that this
is the reason it has failed to secure any substantial
support at the UN.
The UN is not in a position to grant any country
sovereignty and has no influence in Pridnestrovie.
Kosovo, however, is a special situation since it is
currently a UN protectorate. As such, its independence
aspiration hinges on UN decisions, a factor which is
not required in other cases such as Pridnestrovie
(Transnistria) or Somaliland, for instance.
Meanwhile, in the US Senate, a bi-partisan draft
resolution submitted by Joseph Lieberman, Joseph Biden
and John McCain will urge president George W. Bush to
step up the heat in the United Nations, increasing US
pressure in the UN Security Council to have Kosovo
declared an independent state.
Biden, the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on
Foreign Relations, is known for favoring realistic
diplomacy and the democratic right to
self-determination over what is seen as "the tired
mantra of territorial integrity." He has proposed a
separation of Iraq into three parts; one for Sunnis,
one for Shiites and one - Kurdistan - for the Kurds.
Perma-tanned US Senator Joe Biden wants the right to
self-determination and democracy to come before
territorial integrity.
Lost in the debate is the fact that some parts of
Europe have a stronger historical and legal claim to
independence than Kosovo.
As Pridnestrovie's president Igor Smirnov has pointed
out, the territory east of the Dniester river has
never been part of Moldova at any time in history and
declared independence (not from Moldova, but from the
MSSR, then a part of the Soviet Union) one year before
the Republic of Moldova even existed.
Moldova has traditionally been a part of Romania.
Pridnestrovie - or Transnistria, by its Romanian name
- has never been part of Romania. It has a Slavic
majority and has at various times belonged to Kievan
Rus, Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia.

Unilateral independence declaration a possibility

The failure of the US State Department to achieve
traction in its push for imposed Kosovo independence
has led some US handlers to recommend that Kosovo "go
it alone", declaring independence on its own and
putting the principle of Kosovo's right to
self-determination above the conflicting principle of
Serbia's territorial integrity.
In Podgorica, Montenegro, an aide to Kosovo’s Prime
Minister Azem Vlasi expressed Monday his belief that
at least three countries - Montenegro, Macedonia and
Albania - would recognize Kosovo’s independence in
case the Serbian province decides to declare
independence unilaterally, reported the Tanjug news
agency.
Such a move would make Kosovo a member of a small club
of countries around the world which exists as de facto
independent countries but which have limited
international recognition and are not members of the
United Nations. Taiwan is the best-known example of
such countries, but the group also includes the
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Somaliland,
Abkhazia, Transdniester (Pridnestrovie) and Western
Sahara, among others.
The countries meet the requirements for statehood
under international law and are sovereign in all
practical regards. The limited extent of their
diplomatic relations is caused by political reasons,
and not by any practical absence of sovereignty.

Attacks on Christians

In Kosovo, most of the Serb minority of 200,000 people
oppose Kosovo independence and wish to remain as a
formal part of Serbia. This is in stark contrast to
Transdniester, where most of the locally resident
Moldovan minority supports independence and oppose
unification with Moldova.
The Serb minority in Kosovo has been under persistent
attacks and is beleaguered members are afraid to move
around freely unless protected by UN soldiers. The
violence extends to the Serb's cultural and religious
symbols, including mortar attacks on Christian
churches by the Muslim majority in Kosovo.
A mortar attack launched last week on the Serb Decani
Monastery in Kosovo was condemned by the
Director-General of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, as the
Monastery is on the World Heritage in Danger List.
"I condemn the attack on the Monastery of Decani," the
Director-General declared. "UNESCO and the whole
international community recognized the universal value
of this property when they inscribed it on the World
Heritage List. I urge the leaders of all of Kosovo's
communities to exercise restraint."
The Monastery - the largest Medieval church in
South-Eastern Europe, featuring vivid and rich
Byzantine paintings and Romanesque statues - has come
under attack several times since the late 1990s. Other
Christian Serbs have also been targeted in recent
months. A Seventh Day Adventist church reported
vandalism and arson against their place of worship in
January 2007, and individual Serbs fear for their
lives if they speak Serb in public.
No such events have ever been reported in
Transdniester, where Moldovan is one of three official
languages and where the ethnic Moldovan minority takes
an active part in the public administration of the
unrecognized country.

---(4.3)---

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Politics&loid=8.0.403244316&par=0

ADN Kronos Internatiobal (Italy) - April 10, 2007

KOSOVO: ALBANIAN LOBBY URGES INDEPENDENCE

Pristina/Belgrade - The US Senate this week begins
discussions over a resolution on the final status of
the Serbian breakaway province of Kosovo.
The draft resolution, submitted by senators Joseph
Lieberman, Joseph Biden, John McCain and Gordon Smith,
backs the UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari’s
proposal, stating that supervised independence for the
ethnic Albanian majority province would be the only
possible solution.
The resolution also urges president George W. Bush to
increase US pressure in the UN Security Council to
have Kosovo declared an independent state.
The senators also advocate swift establishment of
diplomatic ties with Kosovo after its independence,
warning however that Pristina must approach
fulfillment of democratic standards "seriously," as
well as provide security for Serbs in the province.
Obrad Kesic, a Serbian political analyst based in
Washington, told the Serbian press agency FoNet he
believed the Albanian lobby had already managed to
influence the Senate, and confirmed the resolution was
ready.
Kesic also stressed the senators behind the document,
Lieberman in particular, were leading figures in the
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
"I expect a difficult debate on the subject. It is
hard to predict whether the resolution will pass,"
Kesic said, adding that Senate resolutions were not
legally binding and therefore had no direct influence
on American foreign policy.
Belgrade political analyst Dusan Janjic told Adnkronos
International (AKI) that this is just another Albanian
lobby effort in a line of many on the path towards
Kosovo independence.
"Belgrade is fully informed of what has been going on
and has missed a lot of opportunities to influence it.
The only novelty regarding the Albanian lobby is that
it has surely increased the budget of the
Albanian-American Fund, which in 2005 was about 10
million U.S. dollars", Janjic argued.
Serbian presidential advisor Vuk Jeremic told the Beta
agency that Belgrade would try to prevent the passing
of the resolution.
"Even if the resolution that backs Kosovo independence
passes in the Senate, it will not have obligatory
influence towards American foreign politics. It will
only determine the negative atmosphere in which status
discussions would continue," Jeremic explained.
Meanwhile, Kosovo’s deputy prime minister Lufti Haziri
says Russia and Serbia have “conspired” to prevent
Kosovo’s independence.
Leader of the Kosovo negotiating team Lufti Haziri
told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper that the
Serbs and the Russians, in a bid to block Ahtisaari’s
Kosovo status plan, were "spreading discrimination and
division and destabilising Kosovo."
According to the Kosovo media, Kosovo's negotiating
team will be in the US this week to participate in the
conference 'Preparing the strategy of the first 120
days of Kosovo' on Thursday.
Kosovo’s Daily Express reports that the team will be
lead by president Fatmir Sejdiu and prime minister
Agim Cheku discussing the transition period "that will
occur after the decision on the final status has
made."

---(4.4)---

http://www.makfax.com.mk/look/novina/article.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=2&NrArticle=93730&NrIssue=526&NrSection=20

MakFax (Macedonia) - December 10, 2007

Kosovo independence rally in New York

New York - The National Albanian-American Council
(NAAC) will stage a peaceful rally in New York on
Monday, calling on the United Nations to recognize
Kosovo's independence.

Thousands of supporters of Kosovo's independence are
expected at the rally. The event will feature special
appearances by various dignitaries including US
diplomat Richard Holbrooke and several congressmen.

The organizers expect the presence of Albanian
supporters from various US regions - Connecticut,
Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and
Texas.

Senator Hillary Clinton said earlier if the government
in Pristina decides for independence she would
strongly support prompt U.S. recognition and also
would urge the European Union to do the same.


=== 5 ===


The full texts of S. Res. 384 (2004), 135 (2007) and H. Res. 36 (2007) follow:

===============================


UNITED STATES SENATE

SR 384 IS

108th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. RES. 384

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the development of self-government in Kosovo.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 18, 2004

Mr. LUGAR (for himself, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. SMITH, and Mr. BIDEN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate on the development of self-government in Kosovo.

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of June 10, 1999, mandates an international civil presence and an international security presence in Kosovo, ending a brutal conflict in Kosovo;

Whereas during and immediately after the conflict, the people of Kosovo suffered from ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and crimes against humanity;

Whereas more than 4 years after the end of the Kosovo conflict, the incidence of ethnic strife in Kosovo remains unacceptably high, and the need for the fundamental work of ethnic reconciliation in Kosovo remains great;

Whereas the ethnic violence that erupted in Kosovo on March 17, 2004, claiming the lives of 19 people, displacing more than 4,000 Kosovo Serbs and other minorities, and resulting in the destruction of more than 500 homes and at least 30 churches belonging to Kosovo minorities, serves as a reminder of serious challenges that remain in Kosovo;

Whereas the United States and the international community strongly condemned the ethnic violence that erupted in Kosovo on March 17, 2004;

Whereas the Senate adopted a resolution on April 8, 2004, urging political leaders to fulfill their commitment to rebuild property that was destroyed in the violence of mid-March 2004 in Kosovo, and to take all possible action to allow the more than 4,000 people displaced during the violence to return quickly and safely to their homes and communities;

Whereas ethnic crimes and violent reprisals against Kosovo citizens of all ethnic groups harm the victims, their families, and their communities, and impair their common future;

Whereas the integration of Kosovo into Europe, and into the international community, depends on the ability of the people of Kosovo to overcome the divisions which have too often marked the past in Kosovo;

Whereas an important goal of the international civil presence in Kosovo established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 is to facilitate a political process to determine the future status of Kosovo, taking into account the Rambouillet accords of 1999;

Whereas `Standards' of democratic self governance and a multiethnic society in Kosovo are embodied in the goals enunciated by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in April 2002, to include the effective functioning of democratic institutions, the rule of law, the sustainable return of displaced persons, dialogue with Serbia and Montenegro, freedom of movement, a stable free-market economy, property rights, and the further development of the Kosovo Protection Corps;

Whereas the people of Kosovo have made some important progress toward the fulfillment of these goals while continuing to face challenges, particularly on issues of refugee return and freedom of movement of Kosovo minorities;

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in its Presidential statement of December 12, 2003, endorsed the elaboration by UNMIK (the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo) of the `Standards' in the `Standards for Kosovo' document and welcomed the plan to periodically review the progress in Kosovo in implementing the standards;

Whereas UNMIK has drafted a comprehensive `Standards Implementation Plan' to give Kosovo precise guidance on the actions that must be taken to achieve the standards;

Whereas the United States and UNMIK are currently working together with the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo (PISG) to help Kosovo meet the standards with a view to carry out a comprehensive review of the progress in Kosovo `around mid-2005'; and

Whereas considerable further progress toward the realization of the standards remains to be accomplished before the process of determining the future status of Kosovo can begin: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the United States should--

(1) intensify its efforts to help Kosovo achieve the `Standards', as set out by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in Kosovo in October 2002, and as further elaborated in the UNMIK (the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo) `Standards For Kosovo' paper of December 10, 2003, to bring about a stable, multiethnic, and democratic society in Kosovo by carrying out the steps called for in the Kosovo Standards Implementation Plan drafted by UNMIK;

(2) further encourage Kosovo to become a factor for stability in the region by having good relations with its neighbors, and in particular, by engaging in dialogue with Belgrade in an effort to secure a peaceful, long-term solution for peace in the region;

(3) encourage Belgrade to support the standards implementation process in Kosovo, including by constructive participation in the direct technical talks launched October 14, 2003;

(4) enhance efforts to provide support to KFOR (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led international security force in Kosovo), and to call upon the PISG (Provisional Institutions of Self-Government of Kosovo) to ensure the security and freedom of movement for all the people of Kosovo, and the return of refugees and internally displaced persons;

(5) urge all people in Kosovo to reject the ethnic violence that erupted in Kosovo on March 17, 2004, and work with UNMIK and KFOR to apprehend and prosecute the perpetrators of the violence, to rebuild property destroyed during the violence, and to work to ensure that displaced persons are able to return safely to their homes and communities;

(6) promote steps to foster the development of the Kosovo economy through strengthened cooperation with the South Central Europe region and Euro-Atlantic institutions, without prejudice to its future political status; and

(7) call upon the leaders of the PISG, and upon the leaders of all political parties and communities of Kosovo, to renew and enhance their efforts in cooperation with UNMIK, KFOR, and the international community to achieve the matters described in paragraphs (1) through (6).

END

===============================

S. Res. 135

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should support independence for Kosovo. (Introduced in Senate)

SRES 135 IS

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. RES. 135

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should support independence for Kosovo.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 29, 2007

Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. MCCAIN, and Mr. SMITH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations




RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should support independence for Kosovo.

Whereas the United States has enduring national interests in the peace and security of southeastern Europe, and in the greater integration of the region into the Euro-Atlantic community of democratic, well-governed states;

Whereas, in March 1999, the United States, along with other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), commenced military action aimed at ending Slobodan Milosevic's brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against the people of Kosovo;

Whereas that military action resulted in the defeat of Serb forces and the creation of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, an interim United Nations administration that governs Kosovo, and which ended, de facto, the sovereignty that was previously exercised by the Government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia over Kosovo;

Whereas the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States have served bravely in Kosovo since 1999, and their presence and participation in the NATO-led Kosovo Force has been indispensable in protecting the people of Kosovo and stabilizing the region;

Whereas United Nations administration was never intended nor understood as a permanent solution to the political status of Kosovo;

Whereas, in light of NATO's military intervention in Kosovo and the United Nations trusteeship established in Kosovo pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999), the international community has recognized the political circumstances in Kosovo as unique, and the settlement of Kosovo's status therefore does not establish a precedent for the resolution of other conflicts;

Whereas continuing uncertainty about the status of Kosovo is unacceptable to the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of Kosovo, inhibits economic and political development in Kosovo, and contributes to instability and radicalism in both Kosovo and Serbia;

Whereas, in 2005, the United Nations Secretary-General appointed the former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, as United Nations Special Envoy for Kosovo to develop a comprehensive settlement proposal to resolve the political status of Kosovo;

Whereas, in March 2007, after 14 months of intensive diplomacy, Special Envoy Ahtisaari submitted to the Security Council a comprehensive settlement proposal that would result in supervised independence for Kosovo, with robust protections for the rights of minorities; and

Whereas Special Envoy Ahtisaari has explored every reasonable avenue for compromise in the course of his diplomacy and has stated that further negotiations would be counterproductive: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--

(1) the United States should support the independence of Kosovo in accordance with its currently constituted borders, a resolution that represents the only just, sustainable solution for an economically viable and politically stable Kosovo;

(2) the United States should, in consultation and cooperation with its allies, vigorously and promptly pursue a United Nations Security Council resolution that endorses the recommendations of United Nations Special Envoy for Kosovo Martti Ahtisaari;

(3) in the absence of timely action by the United Nations Security Council, the United States should be prepared to act in conjunction with like-minded democracies to confer diplomatic recognition on, and establish full diplomatic relations with, Kosovo as an independent state, much as the United States worked in cooperation with like-minded democracies to protect the people of Kosovo in 1999;

(4) the United States should oppose any delay in the resolution of the political status of Kosovo as counterproductive, potentially dangerous, and likely to make the achievement of a lasting settlement more difficult;

(5) the United States should work together with the European Union as a full partner in supporting the political and economic development of an independent Kosovo;

(6) the United States should support the integration of Kosovo into international and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including its timely admission to the Partnership for Peace program of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), with the ultimate goal of full membership in NATO;

(7) the United States should reaffirm its commitment to southeastern Europe, including the continuation of the military mission in Kosovo to deter and disrupt any efforts by any party to destabilize the region through violence;

(8) the Government of Kosovo should exercise responsible leadership under supervised independence and thereby accelerate the transition to full independence, taking particular care to reassure, protect, and ensure the full political and economic rights of Serb and other minority communities in Kosovo;

(9) the Government of Kosovo should make every reasonable effort to develop a cooperative relationship with the Government of Serbia, in recognition of its legitimate interests in the safety of the Serb population in Kosovo and in the protection and preservation of the patrimonial sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo; and

(10) the Government of Serbia should exercise responsible leadership and seize the opportunity and the imperative presented by the independence of Kosovo to end the dark chapter of the 1990s and focus its energies toward achieving a prosperous and peaceful future through regional cooperation and integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions, including NATO and the European Union, and toward the establishment of open, constructive relations with the government of Kosovo.

===============================

H.Res. 36

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should declare its support for the independence of Kosova. (Introduced in House)

HRES 36 IH

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 36

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should declare its support for the independence of Kosova.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 5, 2007

Mr. LANTOS (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs




RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should declare its support for the independence of Kosova.

Whereas the United States and the international community recognize that a right to self-determination exists as a fundamental right of all people;

Whereas Kosova was constitutionally defined as a sovereign territory in the First National Liberation Conference for Kosova on January 2, 1944, and this status was confirmed in the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia adopted in 1946, and the amended Yugoslav constitution adopted in 1974 preserved the autonomous status of Kosova as a de facto republic;

Whereas prior to the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, Kosova was a separate political and legal entity with separate and distinct financial institutions, police force, municipal and national government, school system, judicial and legal system, hospitals and other independent organizations;

Whereas Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic rose to power in 1987 on a platform of ultra nationalism and anti-Albanian racism, advocating violence and hatred against all non-Slavs and specifically targeting the Albanians of Kosova;

Whereas Slobodan Milosevic subsequently stripped Kosova of its self-rule, without the consent of the people of Kosova;
Whereas the elected Assembly of Kosova, faced with these intolerable acts, adopted a Declaration of Independence on July 2, 1990, proclaimed the Republic of Kosova, and adopted a constitution on September 7, 1990, based on the international legal principles of self-determination, equality, and sovereignty;

Whereas in recognition of the de facto dissolution of the Yugoslav federation, the European community established principles for the recognition of the independence and sovereignty of the republics of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Kosova fully satisfied those principles as a de facto republic within the federation;

Whereas a popular referendum was held in Kosova from September 26-30, 1991, in which 87 percent of all eligible voters cast ballots and 99.87 percent voted in favor of declaring Kosova independent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

Whereas, from the occupation of Kosova in 1989 until the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military action against the Milosevic regime in 1999, the Albanians of Kosova were subjected to the most brutal treatment in the heart of Europe since the Nazi era, forcing approximately 400,000 Albanians to flee to Western Europe and the United States;

Whereas in the spring of 1999 almost 1,000,000 Kosovar Albanians were driven out of Kosova and at least 10,000 were murdered by the Serbian paramilitary and military;

Whereas Slobodan Milosevic was indicted by the International War Crimes Tribunal and extradited to The Hague in June 2001 to stand trial for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Kosova, Bosnia, and Croatia;

Whereas the United Nations established Kosova as a protectorate under Resolution 1244, ending the decade long Serbian occupation of Kosova and Milosevic's genocidal war in Kosova;

Whereas Kosovar Albanians, together with representatives of the Serb, Turkish, Roma, Bosniak, and Ashkali minorities in Kosova, have held free and fair municipal and general elections in 2000 and 2001 and successfully established a parliament in 2002, which in turn elected a president and prime minister;

Whereas 50 percent of the population in Kosova is under the age of 25 and the unemployment rate is currently between 60 and 70 percent, increasing the likelihood of young people entering criminal networks, the source of which lies outside of Kosova, or working abroad in order to survive unless massive job creation is facilitated by guaranteeing the security of foreign investments through an orderly transition to the independence of Kosova;

Whereas the Kosova parliament is committed to developing a western-style democracy in which all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, are granted full human and civil rights and are committed to the return of all non-criminal Serbs who fled Kosova during and after the war; and

Whereas there is every reason to believe that independence from Serbia is the only viable option for Kosova, after autonomy has failed time and time again: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should--

(1) recognize the danger that delay in the resolution of Kosova's final status poses for the political and economic viability of Kosova and its neighbors, and consequently for the future of Southeast Europe;

(2) publicly support the independence of Kosova within its existing borders as a sovereign and democratic state in which human rights, including the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, and the rule of law are respected as the only way to lasting peace and stability in the Balkans;

(3) establish a monitoring body in conjunction with the United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and other multilateral organizations to ensure that the new state of Kosova achieves the standards set forth by the UN Security Council, including the protection of minority rights and security for all of Kosova's communities, and to facilitate an orderly transition from a UN protectorate to a fully functioning democratic government;

(4) work with the Council of Europe to develop and implement anti-racism programs that would be instituted at the level of federal and municipal governments throughout the Balkans;

(5) work with the United Nations and North Atlantic Treaty Organization to facilitate the return of Albanians to their pre-war homes in northern Mitrovica and its environs and Serbs to theirs in southern Mitrovica and other parts of Kosova; and

(6) provide its share of assistance, trade, and other programs to support the government of an independent Kosova and to encourage the further development of democracy, rule of law, and a free market economic system in Kosova and throughout the Balkans.--

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