If any Serbs are reading this blog (and I hope some are), please read this great article by Rosemary Bailey Brown. She’s married to a Serb ex-pat. While Rosemary has a unique perspective on things, she missteps comparing the histories of the two countries. Serbia is an OLD country; the U.S. is a very young country, relatively speaking. We can’t claim roots that go back to the 10th Century. Plus, it’s a bit disengenuous to think that Serbs want to befriend America or even to understand it. Their kneejerk reaction to a country that unilaterally and without provocation bombed them, bombed their highways and byways, power plants, electrical sources, water sources, radio towers (Avala, anyone?) is abject hatred and who can blame them?

I may be one of those small handful — two percent — of Americans who even know anything about Serbia and because I do, I’ve managed to delve into quite a bit of its history, and particularly into what really went on in the 1990s. Our country, along with Western mainstream media, has swept just about all of this right under the rug. They have reason to. What our country did was wrong and there is no excuse for it. And because of that, I’m ashamed to be an American.

But YOU have a chance to make a difference in how the majority of Americans view Serbia. And in how Serbia views the U.S. Myself? I have been fortunate enough to get to know a great Serbian man. I’d LOVE to think that most Serbs are like him, honest, forthright, gentle, decent, loyal, kind. He accepts me even though I’m sure he’s not happy about what my country did to his. But we got past that. Maybe others can too. Pozdrav!

Podgorica, Montenegro Thirty four people have sustained injuries after riots broke out in the Montenegrin capital city of Podgorica. Opposition supporters gathered to protest against Montenegro’s recognition of Kosovo as a sovereign state. Thousands carried Serbian flags of various shapes and forms and banners proclaiming “KOSOVO IS SERBIA,” “MONTENEGRO IS ALWAYS WITH SERBIA,” “TRAITORS,” “HONOR IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVERYTHING.” His Eminence Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Littoral (of the Serbian Orthodox Church) said that the day Montenegro recognized Kosovo was “the darkest day in Montenegro’s history.” The rally was peaceful but loud, for the most part.

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The UN General Assembly voted today on Serbia’s resolution that the International Court of Justice will decide on the legality of the independence of Kosovo. 77 countries voted yes (in favor of Serbia), 6 voted no (against the Serbian resolution), and 74 countries abstained. The votes of the
countries that abstained did not count in the voting.

The United States and Albania were among the six countries that did not support Serbia. Serbia got the support of five EU countries, most of the African and Asian countries, while the UK, France and some other Western countries abstained. Countries derived from the former Yugoslavia also abstained.

The delegation of Kosovo did not attend the session, since Kosovo is not a member of the UN. Thus, the delegation from Pristina had to wait outside the room.

In the discussion, the French representative said that Kosovo is a “done issue,” and that 48 countries have recognized Kosovo. [Ed. Note: There is none so blind as he who will not see.] The reaction from the South African representative was that 144 countries have not recognized Kosovo, and that thus this issue is not closed.

Jonathan Davis puts forth a rare positive view of the Serbian people in this Kosovo conflict. Bravo, Jonathan. Among the gems of wisdom in this article:

For the last 15 years decent Serbs have been in exactly the same position as that of decent Muslims since 9/11. In the case of Muslims the actions of Islamists and other terrorists acting in the name of Islam have led to the majority of Muslims — completely innocent people — being unfairly branded as extremists and mass murderers.

The fact that all sides committed atrocities during the Balkan wars, and that the Serbs also suffered terribly, is obscured by the West’s unbalanced focus on Serbian war crimes in both the media and the ICTY, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The Western media have consistently under-represented or ignored crimes against Serbs, while uncritically reporting even the most ludicrous of anti-Serb allegations.

The fact of the matter is that most Americans don’t really know what happened there, what the real motives were for the 1999 bombings and our other unwarranted and uninvited forays to the Balkans. Reading up on history, and not taking U.S. media at face value will go a long way toward putting yourself on the path to enlightenment. Once there, you’ll see that the U.S., the U.N. and NATO have no moral legs to stand on.

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica offered his resignation today, and the resignation of the entire Serbian Government, because “the Government of Serbia no longer has a united policy on the issue of Kosovo and Metohija.”

“The Government that does not have a united policy can’t function anymore - that is the end of that Government. That means we ought to give the mandate back to the people“, Kostunica said in the Government building, at a press conference.

He said the last session of this Government will be held on Monday, and has suggested that parliamentary elections be held on May 11, which is also the time for local and province elections, and added:

All parties in Serbia, without an exception, have said that Serbia should go into the EU, with one difference - how - with Kosovo or without it.

Boris Tadic:

We are united over Kosovo, but we do not have a united policy on the European and economic perspectives.

Serbian President Boris Tadic addressed the nation soon after, at the Presidency. Among other things, he said:

I respect the position of the Prime Minister, that he is no longer able to lead the Government of the Republic of Serbia, and as soon as I receive the decision of the Government, I shall schedule new elections in accordance with my Constitutional authority.

I disagree that the Government of the Republic of Serbia no longer has a united policy regarding Kosovo as part of Serbia. Of course Kosovo and Metohija is an integral part of our country; it is a Constitutional obligation of the Parliament, Government and the President of the Republic to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia.

My position is that the Government of Serbia does not have a united policy when it comes to the European and economic perspective of Serbia and her citizens.

The citizens of Serbia deserve a better life and economic perspective, only possible within the European Union, and I am also convinced that we shall defend our Kosovo in the best way possible by being a member of that organization.

I expect the Ministers of the Government to continue doing their jobs until the new elections, for the benefit of all citizens of Serbia.

Reactions

Democratic Party - DS (Boris Tadic’s party):

The decision of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica… is in accordance with democratic principles and democratic values. The Democratic Party thinks this is the best solution.

Serbian Radical Party - SRS - the largest opposition party:

The decision of Prime Minister Kostunica was expected, especially since he yesterday said that he no longer trusts his coalition partners.

New Serbia - NS - Coalition with Kostunica:

The move of the Prime Minister was good and logical.

G17 Plus - Coalition with Kostunica:

The move of Prime Minister Kostunica was honorable, democratic, and the only rational one at this moment.

Socialist Party of Serbia (of former President Slobodan Milosevic), opposition party:

This decision is not good for Serbia because Serbia will be without its bodies of state and without a Government at the time we should be struggling on the international scene to defend Kosovo and Metohija and help Serbs in the Province.

Liberal Democratic Party - LDP - opposition party:

We want to finish the job we started on 5 October 2000 (when Milosevic was removed from power), and we want to take Serbia from Milosevic’s road that Kostunica took Serbia back on, to the road established by the late Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic (Serbia in the EU).

Most Kosovo Serb leaders have expressed concern that Serbia will “waste precious time on elections, at the time when it should be focused on the number one issue - Kosovo and Metohija” (Milan Ivanovic), and that Kosovo “might not be the first on the agenda anymore” ~~ Marko Jaksic, Oliver Ivanovic.

Sources: R T S

Translated by Alex.

The Air Medical Evac Team of the Serbian contingent, stationed in Kinshasa, Kongo, Africa, as part of the MONUC mission in that troubled country, has had the honor and the privilege to safeguard the famous Hollywood star George Clooney and Jane Hall, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General.

George Clooney is very popular in Serbia, not just for his acting and charm, but also because he has opposed the independence of the Serbian Province of Kosovo. Rumors say that Robert de Niro, Sharon Stone, Sean Connery and some others have also made the Serbian voice heard in Hollywood.

Source: http://www.24sata.co.yu/vesti.php?id=21965

Here is a list of countries which recognize Kosovo as independent. And these countries correctly DO NOT recognize Kosovo as independent.

Toronto, Canada

Brisbane, Austrailia

Banja Luka (Bosnia)

Phoenix, Arizona (USA)

Chicago, Illinois (USA)