Kosovo to delcare independance tomorrow

[Harovan]

Originally posted by BeBro
And btw there were mass graves (mass grave means primarily that there are multiple people buried, there is no "official" number saying it's a mass grave from 10, 100, or 1000 etc. death bodies on) found in Kosovo, often with 10-100 death bodies in it.

How many of them contained Serbian civilians killed by the "KLA"?

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
This has to do what with Kosovo?

Are you telling me political decision making and public opinion back then wasn't highly affected by the Balkan wars before when it came to Kosovo?

Fact is, there was as much a "humanitarian disaster" in Kosovo as WMDs in Iraq.

And yet lots of sources, incl. a lot of serious ones mentioning a refugee crisis resulting from the civil war-like circumstances between Serbia and the KLA before the air campaign, like the BBC in their timeline:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/3550401.stm

All liars?

How many of them contained Serbian civilians killed by the "KLA"?

Clearly possible that this happened as well, but it doesn't per se disprove anything else.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Cort Haus
Independent Krajina (with returned refugees )

Won't happen!

However, what could now easily happen is an independent Republika Srpska (Serbian part of Bosnia).

Not something I would like, because it would not only cement what Serbs got in Bosnia (too much of it) but also put pressure on Croato-Bosnian Federation which would have to consider whether to split into two or continue as is.

I don't think a new war is likely in Bosnia, but it would cause tensions and set the country back a couple of years more.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Barnabas
Dont you remember what the newspapers were saying back then?

That serbs had killed hundreds of thousands of people.

Finally, none of that was true

Serbs did kill tens of thousands of people in Bosnia couple of years before. Kosovo was a continuation, with the same big boss at the helm.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


How many of them contained Serbian civilians killed by the "KLA"?

I prefer to call them UCK (Uoo-Cha-Ku in Albanian) since that is what they are called in Kosova. Yes, during my year in Kosovo (Kosova in Albanian) I did conclude that the UCK was a terrorist organization but that does not excuse the genocide and mass destruction of villages the Serbian Army committed. I personally saw the destroyed villages where the military aged males were all summarily executed then the other civiilians forced to flee and the buildings all destroyed in order to insure nothing was left to return for.

I doubt Kosovo is economically viable as an independent state due to the fact that most of the economy is dependent upon organized crime and working odd jobs at NATO bases.

[VetLegion]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


How many of them contained Serbian civilians killed by the "KLA"?

You're going to have a hard time trying to portray the struggle for Kosovo as an equal match or as a struggle in which Serbs were the weaker side. They were the stronger side. Among other things, it also is evident from the number of casaulties on both sides.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by BeBro
Are you telling me political decision making and public opinion back then wasn't highly affected by the Balkan wars before when it came to Kosovo?

And yet lots of sources, incl. a lot of serious ones mentioning a refugee crisis resulting from the civil war-like circumstances between Serbia and the KLA before the air campaign, like the BBC in their timeline:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/3550401.stm

All liars?

You're missing my point. Yes, there was a civil war with casualties and refugees, only a fool would deny this. This alone would warrant humanitary help from abroad, but not yet a military intervention. To justify an intervention, a claim of crimes against humanity had to be made. Since there wasn't enough to call it genocide, the term "humanitary disaster" was made up. This claim was blown out of proportion, it was equally false as the WMD claim for Iraq. If there were such clear crimes against humanity as it was stated before, they would have convicted Milosevic much faster instead of having him die in prison from illness after years of fruitless trial.

Clearly possible that this happened as well, but it doesn't per se disprove anything else.

You know what buggers me most? That the Nato clearly sided with a terrorist organization and that the troops located there did not intervene when the Serbs were slaughtered and driven out in the aftermath. They at most stood nearby and took pretty photos of burning churches .

[DaShi]

Good on Kosovo.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Oerdin


I doubt Kosovo is economically viable as an independent state due to the fact that most of the economy is dependent upon organized crime and working odd jobs at NATO bases.

That's one more than Russia.

[LordShiva]

Good luck, Kosovo

[Harovan]

Originally posted by VetLegion
You're going to have a hard time trying to portray the struggle for Kosovo as an equal match or as a struggle in which Serbs were the weaker side. They were the stronger side. Among other things, it also is evident from the number of casaulties on both sides.

I'm not trying to portray anything, I was asking a question. I was always wondering why so many people conclude from the presence of mass graves, that it must have been the Serbs slaughtering innocent Albanians. There were murderers on both sides, and yes, while the Serbian army was still in, the Serbs were the stronger side. After their army was gone, it was vice versa. Not that anyone gave a damn anymore, however.

[LordShiva]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
I was always wondering why so many people conclude from the presence of mass graves, that it must have been the Serbs slaughtering innocent Albanians.

Inductive reasoning

[Kuciwalker]

/me imagines opening a proof with "Induction on the number of dead Albanians. Base case: ..."

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Oerdin


I personally saw the destroyed villages where the military aged males were all summarily executed

IIRC to Serbians that means any boy with one or more pubic hairs. To the rest of the world they're known as "children".

[Darius871]

Where the heck is Serb when you need him?