Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Love Affair
I believe this past week was remembrance week in Pristina for those who died in the genocide in the past. There were many flags everywhere and posters commerating the week. Gratitude to the US was of course vivid in all of these. I recently came across a quasi wall of memorial with pictures of victims in front of the government building. I will get those pics for y'all to see.
Bill could always move here for retirement
In memory of the recent vicims of the shooting at V-tech by Students of the University of Prishtina
Bill could always move here for retirement
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Speaking of Independence....
I came across this article which was an interesting read ... agree? yes? no? FU Luna?
Kosovo: Is Partition Most Likely Outcome? By Patrick Moore
(RFE/RL)
April 24, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Many commentators have suggested that the Serbian-dominated north of Kosovo will break off from that province and become a part of Serbia if the Albanian majority declares independence. The idea of partitioning Kosovo along ethnic lines is nothing new. Some Serbian officials and academics toyed with the idea in the early decades of the 20th century as a way of dealing with the Serbs' declining demographic position there. More recent partition projects were associated with the Serbian Academy of Sciences in the mid-1980s. In addition to securing Serbian-majority areas and cultural and religious sites for the Serbian state, the partition planners have generally sought to keep control of as much of the province's mineral wealth for Belgrade as possible.Some forms of de facto partition already exist in Kosovo. In the 1970s and early 1980s, when ethnic Albanian politicians held sway in communist Kosovo after decades of tough Serbian rule, many Serbs left the province. They said they were victims of intimidation and various forms of pressure to sell their land, although the Albanians claimed the Serbs were happy to take the money and move to better farms in Vojvodina. Serbian RefugeesIn the wake of the 1998-99 conflict, much of the Kosovar Serbian population fled their homes for Serbia proper or for what was emerging as a heavily Serbian territory north of the Ibar River, which divides Mitrovica into northern Serbian and southern Albanian halves. Various Serbian enclaves remain throughout Kosovo, but their existence is often precarious. Some Serbian refugees and displaced persons probably will never go back to their former homes in what are now heavily Albanian areas like Pristina. The Serbian ethnic-cleansing campaign of 1999 in particular made heavy use of "human intelligence" on the ground that only local Serbs could supply. Many Serbs who cooperated with former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's security forces subsequently fled because they feared the wrath of their Albanian neighbors. Those Albanians also remember that it was the Serbs of Kosovo who formed the bedrock of support for Milosevic in his rise to power in the mid-1980s and subsequently helped keep him there. Lack Of CommunicationThere has, moreover, been little communication across ethnic lines since 1999. The younger generations of Serbs and Albanians literally do not speak each other's languages because they never experienced the joint school or military systems that Yugoslav-era generations did. Traditionally, few Serbs bothered to learn much Albanian, but prior to the late 1980s, most Kosovar Albanians with anything more than very basic schooling knew some Serbo-Croatian. All Kosovar males who served in the Yugoslav military learned at least enough Serbo-Croatian to conduct basic conversations and probably developed their skills further if they were posted to Croatia or Bosnia or somewhere else far from home. Balkan DominoesThe international community has long ruled out partition as an option, saying that Kosovo's future will be determined for the province as a whole. Some observers have warned that if foreign powers ever do allow the Serbian north to secede, they will pave the way for similar partition attempts in the Presevo Valley, Macedonia, or Bosnia-Herzegovina, thereby opening a Pandora's box of Balkan conflicts. Whatever the merits of a Balkan domino theory might be, there is at least one realistic scenario for Kosovo that leaves open the possibility of partition in the not-too-distant future. According to that view, Russia will continue to stall on any serious consideration by the UN Security Council of UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for conditional independence for Kosovo. Moscow will go on calling for holding debates, arranging fact-finding trips, appointing new negotiators, and doing whatever else can be done to delay things. In the meantime, according to this scenario, the Kosovar Albanians will become increasingly impatient. Before young hotheads or organized radicals take matters into their own hands and renew the violence that shook the province in March 2004, the political leaders will issue a unilateral declaration of independence. This will be endorsed as the only practical alternative to protracted instability by several members of the international community, including probably the United States, Great Britain, Turkey, and some other states that have already indicated their support for Kosovar independence. Most of the EU member states will bicker among themselves and not be able to act together, as has often happened in the past. Serbia will use its old connections with the Nonaligned Movement and its corps of experienced diplomats to ensure strong support for its position among the developing countries. This could prove useful, not only in the Security Council but also in the General Assembly, if and when Pristina seeks membership in that body. The Kosovars have few seasoned diplomats to plead their case except for publisher and negotiator Veton Surroi. Facts On The GroundAt this point, so the theory goes, Russia and Serbia will make it clear that they have been stalling in hopes of triggering a declaration of independence by the Kosovars without Security Council approval. Serbia will then invoke the council's Resolution 1244, which specifies that Kosovo is part of Yugoslavia. (Yugoslavia was changed to Serbia in the text after Milosevic's rump Yugoslavia ceased to be.) As former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has noted, the Western countries never meant the reference to Kosovo being part of Yugoslavia seriously but simply included it in 1244 as a sop to Russia and Greece.But that will not make any difference at this stage. According to this scenario, Belgrade, backed by Moscow and perhaps Beijing, will announce that it will invoke what it considers its rights under 1244 and send its security forces and other officials into northern Kosovo to protect the Serbian population there from the "illegal" regime in the south. The partition will then be sealed, perhaps with the assistance of foreign peacekeepers guarding the new boundary lines to prevent any direct clashes between Serbian and Kosovar Albanian forces.The new Kosovar state will try to observe the provisions of the Ahtisaari plan and protect the Serbian enclaves and cultural properties because it knows that its international standing depends on it. But the enclaves will likely fade away as the young in particular move to the north, to Serbia proper, or even further away still. The cultural properties will lead a sometimes difficult existence, probably behind much barbed wire and guarded by French or Greek troops. One of the lessons of the Croatian and Bosnian conflicts of the early 1990s was that Serbian populations outside Serbia had difficulty accepting the possibility that Serbs could have happy and productive lives in states that they did not control. That is clearly the case in Kosovo, too, particularly after 1998-99. It is probably too much to expect that any Albanian-dominated Kosovar state would ever attract even the grudging the allegiance of the province's Serbs. Partition would be a bitter pill for the Albanians to swallow. They have said repeatedly that they will not accept it, but they might find themselves with little choice. With the political limbo of the UNMIK period behind them and a new legal system in place, they will then get on with their own lives and display the skills of entrepreneurship that they have in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, or Croatia. Neither they nor their former neighbors are likely to miss each other.
(RFE/RL)
April 24, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- Many commentators have suggested that the Serbian-dominated north of Kosovo will break off from that province and become a part of Serbia if the Albanian majority declares independence. The idea of partitioning Kosovo along ethnic lines is nothing new. Some Serbian officials and academics toyed with the idea in the early decades of the 20th century as a way of dealing with the Serbs' declining demographic position there. More recent partition projects were associated with the Serbian Academy of Sciences in the mid-1980s. In addition to securing Serbian-majority areas and cultural and religious sites for the Serbian state, the partition planners have generally sought to keep control of as much of the province's mineral wealth for Belgrade as possible.Some forms of de facto partition already exist in Kosovo. In the 1970s and early 1980s, when ethnic Albanian politicians held sway in communist Kosovo after decades of tough Serbian rule, many Serbs left the province. They said they were victims of intimidation and various forms of pressure to sell their land, although the Albanians claimed the Serbs were happy to take the money and move to better farms in Vojvodina. Serbian RefugeesIn the wake of the 1998-99 conflict, much of the Kosovar Serbian population fled their homes for Serbia proper or for what was emerging as a heavily Serbian territory north of the Ibar River, which divides Mitrovica into northern Serbian and southern Albanian halves. Various Serbian enclaves remain throughout Kosovo, but their existence is often precarious. Some Serbian refugees and displaced persons probably will never go back to their former homes in what are now heavily Albanian areas like Pristina. The Serbian ethnic-cleansing campaign of 1999 in particular made heavy use of "human intelligence" on the ground that only local Serbs could supply. Many Serbs who cooperated with former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's security forces subsequently fled because they feared the wrath of their Albanian neighbors. Those Albanians also remember that it was the Serbs of Kosovo who formed the bedrock of support for Milosevic in his rise to power in the mid-1980s and subsequently helped keep him there. Lack Of CommunicationThere has, moreover, been little communication across ethnic lines since 1999. The younger generations of Serbs and Albanians literally do not speak each other's languages because they never experienced the joint school or military systems that Yugoslav-era generations did. Traditionally, few Serbs bothered to learn much Albanian, but prior to the late 1980s, most Kosovar Albanians with anything more than very basic schooling knew some Serbo-Croatian. All Kosovar males who served in the Yugoslav military learned at least enough Serbo-Croatian to conduct basic conversations and probably developed their skills further if they were posted to Croatia or Bosnia or somewhere else far from home. Balkan DominoesThe international community has long ruled out partition as an option, saying that Kosovo's future will be determined for the province as a whole. Some observers have warned that if foreign powers ever do allow the Serbian north to secede, they will pave the way for similar partition attempts in the Presevo Valley, Macedonia, or Bosnia-Herzegovina, thereby opening a Pandora's box of Balkan conflicts. Whatever the merits of a Balkan domino theory might be, there is at least one realistic scenario for Kosovo that leaves open the possibility of partition in the not-too-distant future. According to that view, Russia will continue to stall on any serious consideration by the UN Security Council of UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari's plan for conditional independence for Kosovo. Moscow will go on calling for holding debates, arranging fact-finding trips, appointing new negotiators, and doing whatever else can be done to delay things. In the meantime, according to this scenario, the Kosovar Albanians will become increasingly impatient. Before young hotheads or organized radicals take matters into their own hands and renew the violence that shook the province in March 2004, the political leaders will issue a unilateral declaration of independence. This will be endorsed as the only practical alternative to protracted instability by several members of the international community, including probably the United States, Great Britain, Turkey, and some other states that have already indicated their support for Kosovar independence. Most of the EU member states will bicker among themselves and not be able to act together, as has often happened in the past. Serbia will use its old connections with the Nonaligned Movement and its corps of experienced diplomats to ensure strong support for its position among the developing countries. This could prove useful, not only in the Security Council but also in the General Assembly, if and when Pristina seeks membership in that body. The Kosovars have few seasoned diplomats to plead their case except for publisher and negotiator Veton Surroi. Facts On The GroundAt this point, so the theory goes, Russia and Serbia will make it clear that they have been stalling in hopes of triggering a declaration of independence by the Kosovars without Security Council approval. Serbia will then invoke the council's Resolution 1244, which specifies that Kosovo is part of Yugoslavia. (Yugoslavia was changed to Serbia in the text after Milosevic's rump Yugoslavia ceased to be.) As former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has noted, the Western countries never meant the reference to Kosovo being part of Yugoslavia seriously but simply included it in 1244 as a sop to Russia and Greece.But that will not make any difference at this stage. According to this scenario, Belgrade, backed by Moscow and perhaps Beijing, will announce that it will invoke what it considers its rights under 1244 and send its security forces and other officials into northern Kosovo to protect the Serbian population there from the "illegal" regime in the south. The partition will then be sealed, perhaps with the assistance of foreign peacekeepers guarding the new boundary lines to prevent any direct clashes between Serbian and Kosovar Albanian forces.The new Kosovar state will try to observe the provisions of the Ahtisaari plan and protect the Serbian enclaves and cultural properties because it knows that its international standing depends on it. But the enclaves will likely fade away as the young in particular move to the north, to Serbia proper, or even further away still. The cultural properties will lead a sometimes difficult existence, probably behind much barbed wire and guarded by French or Greek troops. One of the lessons of the Croatian and Bosnian conflicts of the early 1990s was that Serbian populations outside Serbia had difficulty accepting the possibility that Serbs could have happy and productive lives in states that they did not control. That is clearly the case in Kosovo, too, particularly after 1998-99. It is probably too much to expect that any Albanian-dominated Kosovar state would ever attract even the grudging the allegiance of the province's Serbs. Partition would be a bitter pill for the Albanians to swallow. They have said repeatedly that they will not accept it, but they might find themselves with little choice. With the political limbo of the UNMIK period behind them and a new legal system in place, they will then get on with their own lives and display the skills of entrepreneurship that they have in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, or Croatia. Neither they nor their former neighbors are likely to miss each other.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Leaders of Tomorrow
UNDP released its Human Development Report for Kosovo. The theme of this report is Kosovan youths. Not a very happy reading. I will reserve my comments for now. To get the gist of the report and for fast facts, check here. For the full report in various languages, clicking here would would work. Have a great weekend y'all.
baby
baby
Thursday, April 19, 2007
JFK
These billboards in the pictures below can be seen all over Pristina -- JFK: Just for Kosova. I just assumed they were advertising some fashion brand, which I found intriguing. One day, I asked a knowledgeable colleague of mine about the design brand and complained about never coming across it. He, being a nice gentleman, did not laugh in my face; he explained to me that JFK is a cigarette brand and not a fashion label. Who would have guessed? Not me for sure; look at those pictures on the billboards. This is not surprising, however. Like any self respecting Balkan region, too many people in Kosovo are chain smokers. A non-smoker could actually feel weird here. Pity though, I think the name would better fit a fashion label. And just to add insult to my ignorance, I have never come across the cigarette brand in all my time here.
Apparently, UNMIK ( the UN Mission) might have serious problems with constipation ... serious enough to warrant a whole booklet on it. I came across this in some restaurant ... so quaint!!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Of the United States in Kosovo and a certain February Incident
The U.S. has made no secret of the fact that it is the biggest supporter of independence for Kosovo (some would even joke this is even more so than the Kosovans themselves). This was re-affirmed by the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns when he mentioned yesterday that the U.S was ready to unilaterally recognize Kosovo as a country if the UN Security Council did not. Then, there was his statement that "the governments of members of the UN Security Council, including Russia, consider the independence of Kosovo as the correct solution"; to which Moscow (an unidentified foreign ministry official) replies .... "This wishful thinking is puzzling, because Burns cannot be accused of lacking information. The United States knows our position . . . that a [] solution to the Kosovo issue cannot be found without the consent of both parties to the conflict"; to which Burns replied "WTF said that? Come here for your spanking". Ok, ok .... I made up that last statement attributed to Burns but I can see it being said :)
And as if the above is not enough to keep us on the edge of our seats for the day, Prosecutor Robert Dean chose today to make an announcement about the UNMIK Dept. of Justice's investigation into the death of 2 Kosovans during protests in February (note: The report is not final as claimed more than twice by Mr. Dean). The IHT reports Mr. Dean's press conference here. But, just in case you love my page so much and do not want to go to the link, below is the transcript of the press conference (courtesy of a friend of mine at OSCE office in Pristina). Thanks Marco Polo.
Good Afternoon – and thank you for coming in. I want to discuss with you this afternoon the progress of the investigation of the task force that is investigating the 10 February 2007 protest shootings.
Earlier today, I submitted to the SRSG, Mr. Rücker, my interim report regarding the investigation into the deaths and serious woundings of protestors during the 10 February demonstrations in Pristina. By interim report I mean that the report is not final. The investigation is continuing. But I do want to give you certain details on the progress of the investigation, and two months into the investigation appeared to be the appropriate timeframe. I completed the interim report yesterday evening after receiving the first police report which is a comprehensive summary of two months of investigation by the task force.
The interim report is 10 pages in length and copies have been prepared for you. The interim report is now in translation but I did not want to delay this press conference. The police report that I just mentioned is longer – it is about 60 pages plus attachments. I will not read the interim report to you, but I will give you certain highlights. I will then take some questions. I hope you will then take the opportunity to read the report. The interim report to the SRSG contains an introduction, legal considerations, which I think are very important, the investigative steps that have been taken, the results of those steps, conclusions, and continuing investigative efforts that we have planned. I urge you to read the report as it will address many of your questions. You will also have access to the police report through the Division of Public Information.
As many of you know, the investigation is divided into two main parts: One has to do with the criminal liability of any particular police officer involved in the shootings that day; this first part is what the task force has focused on up until now and is what the interim report deals with. The second part has to do with the operational planning, the decision making, training and techniques, and the proper use of rubber bullets in crowd control situations.
Now some specifics of the report:
The interim report states that there is a substantial basis on which to conclude that Romanian gunners attached to the Romanian Formed Police Unit , FPU, are responsible for the four woundingss – two fatal, two serious. This is based upon forensic firearms examination of the projectiles – the rubber bullets that were removed from three victims, two of whom are deceased and one who survived. A fourth victim survived the wounding but the projectile has not been surgically removed. These projectiles are of the type used exclusively by the Romanian gunners. The Romanian gunners utilized three different types of rubber bullets, but only one type, classified as RB1 (which is 18.5 mm), caused the wounds. Fifty-nine rounds of RB1 ammunition were discharged by the Romanian gunners. A total of 10 Romanians with the FPU fired rubber bullets that day. At least eight fired the RB1 rounds. The interim report states that there is a reasonable suspicion that three of the shootings constitute crimes under Kosovo law. Those crimes would be murder and the various types of murder, attempt to commit murder, and inflicting grievous bodily injury. The interim report concludes that at this point the shootings in question appear to be unwarranted and unjustified. Specifically, we reached the conclusion that the deaths of Mon Balaj and Arben Xhelladini, and the wounding of Zenel Zeneli, appear to be unnecessary and avoidable.
The interim report states that at the present time there is not sufficient evidence to support a reasonable suspicion as to which specific Romanian gunners were responsible for firing the wounding shots. No formal initiation of judicial investigation under Kosovo law is permitted without reasonable suspicion that a particular individual committed crimes. The evidence does not permit me to conclude that the entire group of Romanian gunners acted unlawfully. The acts of one, two or three in firing the rubber bullets improperly or in a criminal manner — which I think happened — cannot necessarily be imputed to all of the others. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to identify with specificity who acted improperly.
The task force will continue its investigation. Any further evidence regarding criminal liability of a specific police officer will be pursued and considered. A second area of inquiry regarding police planning, operational command, quality of ammunition, tactics and training, and proper standards of police force in crowd control situations (particularly in usage of rubber bullets) is ongoing and will be the subject of a later report. In my report, in the conclusion section, I state the following: In light of the above, UNMIK, the United Nations, and the Government of Romania may consider initiating appropriate procedures for compensation for the surviving family members of those fatally shot and for those seriously wounded.
I urge you to read the interim report and take advantage of your access to the police report.
Questions:
Zëri: Mr. Dean, you said in your report [word indistinct] Romanian shooter was identified and questioned, but I don’t see the names. Is there any specific reason why you are keeping them secret?
Dean: You have access to the police report, you will see the names.
Koha Ditore: Where are the Romanian police officers now?
Dean: I understand they are in Romania.
Koha Ditore: And have you asked them to come back to Kosovo, sir?
Dean: No.
Koha Ditore: Why is that?
Dean: I see no reason to at this point.
AP: Sir, apart from this compensation that you refer to at the conclusion of your report, what other means will you take into bringing those responsible to basically hold responsibility for this?
Dean: Every legal means that I can and that involves...
AP: Can you please elaborate on this?
Dean: Yes. That involves finding witnesses who will be in a position to make a reliable identification of the shooters. We have spent a good part of the last two months trying to find such witnesses.
Zëri: Could you evaluate the Romanian police cooperation? Was it excellent, was it good, was it bad?
Dean: Up until the point that they left, it appeared to be professional as we have wanted it to be. They provided us with many samples of bullets; they were available for interview and re-interview; and I can’t say that about every contingent. Unfortunately, all of the information that I wanted from the Romanians has not been received yet, but while a lot of that comes from, as I understand, Bucharest, and that may even have to come to me through New York, but we are still trying to sort that out. That has to do with records, training records, Romanian standards for use of force and procurement issued about the ammunition, when it was procured and things like that. We were hoping to get it earlier. We haven’t gotten it yet.
Question: So far you have mentioned that there are three or four policemen, police officers who can be held responsible. In fact will all those that have ordered them to shoot be held responsible or only the policemen or the police officers shall be held responsible?
Dean: That’s a very good question. The second part of the investigation is focusing on the chain of command and the decision-making process as to who gave the authority for the use of the rubber bullets. Now the usage of the rubber bullets is not in and of itself criminal. It is a controversial matter, some nations, some jurisdictions do not believe in utilizing rubber bullets for crowd control purposes. It is not the role of my task force to condone or condemn the use of rubber bullets. But there are, and we are going to be exploring this in the second part of the investigation, there are acceptable circumstances for using rubber bullets. I want to know where they are spelled out and how the decision making was made on this particular day. At that time I will be able to make a better answer to your question, but we are pursuing that.
Question: Have the Romanian authorities given you any indication that they would make available their officers in the event of any prosecution?
Dean: I don’t know if I understand the question. Will they send back any particular individual should we have enough to indict? I don’t know. I can’t answer that question.
Question: They haven’t said it?
Dean: No, no.
And as if the above is not enough to keep us on the edge of our seats for the day, Prosecutor Robert Dean chose today to make an announcement about the UNMIK Dept. of Justice's investigation into the death of 2 Kosovans during protests in February (note: The report is not final as claimed more than twice by Mr. Dean). The IHT reports Mr. Dean's press conference here. But, just in case you love my page so much and do not want to go to the link, below is the transcript of the press conference (courtesy of a friend of mine at OSCE office in Pristina). Thanks Marco Polo.
Good Afternoon – and thank you for coming in. I want to discuss with you this afternoon the progress of the investigation of the task force that is investigating the 10 February 2007 protest shootings.
Earlier today, I submitted to the SRSG, Mr. Rücker, my interim report regarding the investigation into the deaths and serious woundings of protestors during the 10 February demonstrations in Pristina. By interim report I mean that the report is not final. The investigation is continuing. But I do want to give you certain details on the progress of the investigation, and two months into the investigation appeared to be the appropriate timeframe. I completed the interim report yesterday evening after receiving the first police report which is a comprehensive summary of two months of investigation by the task force.
The interim report is 10 pages in length and copies have been prepared for you. The interim report is now in translation but I did not want to delay this press conference. The police report that I just mentioned is longer – it is about 60 pages plus attachments. I will not read the interim report to you, but I will give you certain highlights. I will then take some questions. I hope you will then take the opportunity to read the report. The interim report to the SRSG contains an introduction, legal considerations, which I think are very important, the investigative steps that have been taken, the results of those steps, conclusions, and continuing investigative efforts that we have planned. I urge you to read the report as it will address many of your questions. You will also have access to the police report through the Division of Public Information.
As many of you know, the investigation is divided into two main parts: One has to do with the criminal liability of any particular police officer involved in the shootings that day; this first part is what the task force has focused on up until now and is what the interim report deals with. The second part has to do with the operational planning, the decision making, training and techniques, and the proper use of rubber bullets in crowd control situations.
Now some specifics of the report:
The interim report states that there is a substantial basis on which to conclude that Romanian gunners attached to the Romanian Formed Police Unit , FPU, are responsible for the four woundingss – two fatal, two serious. This is based upon forensic firearms examination of the projectiles – the rubber bullets that were removed from three victims, two of whom are deceased and one who survived. A fourth victim survived the wounding but the projectile has not been surgically removed. These projectiles are of the type used exclusively by the Romanian gunners. The Romanian gunners utilized three different types of rubber bullets, but only one type, classified as RB1 (which is 18.5 mm), caused the wounds. Fifty-nine rounds of RB1 ammunition were discharged by the Romanian gunners. A total of 10 Romanians with the FPU fired rubber bullets that day. At least eight fired the RB1 rounds. The interim report states that there is a reasonable suspicion that three of the shootings constitute crimes under Kosovo law. Those crimes would be murder and the various types of murder, attempt to commit murder, and inflicting grievous bodily injury. The interim report concludes that at this point the shootings in question appear to be unwarranted and unjustified. Specifically, we reached the conclusion that the deaths of Mon Balaj and Arben Xhelladini, and the wounding of Zenel Zeneli, appear to be unnecessary and avoidable.
The interim report states that at the present time there is not sufficient evidence to support a reasonable suspicion as to which specific Romanian gunners were responsible for firing the wounding shots. No formal initiation of judicial investigation under Kosovo law is permitted without reasonable suspicion that a particular individual committed crimes. The evidence does not permit me to conclude that the entire group of Romanian gunners acted unlawfully. The acts of one, two or three in firing the rubber bullets improperly or in a criminal manner — which I think happened — cannot necessarily be imputed to all of the others. Unfortunately, at this time, we are unable to identify with specificity who acted improperly.
The task force will continue its investigation. Any further evidence regarding criminal liability of a specific police officer will be pursued and considered. A second area of inquiry regarding police planning, operational command, quality of ammunition, tactics and training, and proper standards of police force in crowd control situations (particularly in usage of rubber bullets) is ongoing and will be the subject of a later report. In my report, in the conclusion section, I state the following: In light of the above, UNMIK, the United Nations, and the Government of Romania may consider initiating appropriate procedures for compensation for the surviving family members of those fatally shot and for those seriously wounded.
I urge you to read the interim report and take advantage of your access to the police report.
Questions:
Zëri: Mr. Dean, you said in your report [word indistinct] Romanian shooter was identified and questioned, but I don’t see the names. Is there any specific reason why you are keeping them secret?
Dean: You have access to the police report, you will see the names.
Koha Ditore: Where are the Romanian police officers now?
Dean: I understand they are in Romania.
Koha Ditore: And have you asked them to come back to Kosovo, sir?
Dean: No.
Koha Ditore: Why is that?
Dean: I see no reason to at this point.
AP: Sir, apart from this compensation that you refer to at the conclusion of your report, what other means will you take into bringing those responsible to basically hold responsibility for this?
Dean: Every legal means that I can and that involves...
AP: Can you please elaborate on this?
Dean: Yes. That involves finding witnesses who will be in a position to make a reliable identification of the shooters. We have spent a good part of the last two months trying to find such witnesses.
Zëri: Could you evaluate the Romanian police cooperation? Was it excellent, was it good, was it bad?
Dean: Up until the point that they left, it appeared to be professional as we have wanted it to be. They provided us with many samples of bullets; they were available for interview and re-interview; and I can’t say that about every contingent. Unfortunately, all of the information that I wanted from the Romanians has not been received yet, but while a lot of that comes from, as I understand, Bucharest, and that may even have to come to me through New York, but we are still trying to sort that out. That has to do with records, training records, Romanian standards for use of force and procurement issued about the ammunition, when it was procured and things like that. We were hoping to get it earlier. We haven’t gotten it yet.
Question: So far you have mentioned that there are three or four policemen, police officers who can be held responsible. In fact will all those that have ordered them to shoot be held responsible or only the policemen or the police officers shall be held responsible?
Dean: That’s a very good question. The second part of the investigation is focusing on the chain of command and the decision-making process as to who gave the authority for the use of the rubber bullets. Now the usage of the rubber bullets is not in and of itself criminal. It is a controversial matter, some nations, some jurisdictions do not believe in utilizing rubber bullets for crowd control purposes. It is not the role of my task force to condone or condemn the use of rubber bullets. But there are, and we are going to be exploring this in the second part of the investigation, there are acceptable circumstances for using rubber bullets. I want to know where they are spelled out and how the decision making was made on this particular day. At that time I will be able to make a better answer to your question, but we are pursuing that.
Question: Have the Romanian authorities given you any indication that they would make available their officers in the event of any prosecution?
Dean: I don’t know if I understand the question. Will they send back any particular individual should we have enough to indict? I don’t know. I can’t answer that question.
Question: They haven’t said it?
Dean: No, no.
Monday, April 16, 2007
V-Tech' shootings and other rumblings ...
There was a fatal shooting spree at Virginia Tech yesterday. Over 30 confirmed dead already. This is really, really sad. Souls that went to be educated getting snuffed out so early. My heart and prayers go to the families, friends, and communities that have been affected by this!!!
It is an election month. Among the countries whose fates will be decided this year by the ballot are Timor Leste, Nigeria and France. These elections in all 3 countries are pivotal and momentous. Keep your eyes on them as they will make or break the regions these countries are situated.
I looked at my cross-section of readers and their locations. Interesting demography ... I wish someone from Africa and Central & Eastern Asia will be reading this blog soon.
It is an election month. Among the countries whose fates will be decided this year by the ballot are Timor Leste, Nigeria and France. These elections in all 3 countries are pivotal and momentous. Keep your eyes on them as they will make or break the regions these countries are situated.
I looked at my cross-section of readers and their locations. Interesting demography ... I wish someone from Africa and Central & Eastern Asia will be reading this blog soon.
Happy Post Tax Day ... Yankees
I must be getting too settled here. Deadline for filing taxes passed yesterday and I did not know or remember. Not that it makes any difference, I have always been one of those perpertual late tax filers. It makes no difference to me as I have never made enough to owe Uncle Sam a penny. I will look into filing come July; I am sure IRS peeps will appreciate some of us waiting to give them a breather. Here is to hoping the oil companies, Google and Walmart donated much back to our society.
Due to my self imposed moratorium on reporting acts of violence and, most times, the stupidity on the part of the violent people, I will just continue to share pictures of places that have begun to mean much to me. Another example is the Pristina central bus station. I actually like it much. One can get a bus to most surrounding countries at this station and at a steal also. My best moments are running into Kosovan colleagues from the 'industry' and class; and western backpackers. It takes a certain kind to take a bus long distance :) Below are some clear pictures of the station.
Due to my self imposed moratorium on reporting acts of violence and, most times, the stupidity on the part of the violent people, I will just continue to share pictures of places that have begun to mean much to me. Another example is the Pristina central bus station. I actually like it much. One can get a bus to most surrounding countries at this station and at a steal also. My best moments are running into Kosovan colleagues from the 'industry' and class; and western backpackers. It takes a certain kind to take a bus long distance :) Below are some clear pictures of the station.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
Tyra and Madonna
First of all, I'd like to apologize for some of my blurry pictures that I posted in the past. I need a new digital camera but I hate digital cameras; you might have to put with some more blurry pictures in the near future.
I was in Sofia ... which I found to be very chic and cute. Coffee houses there were interesting. And the parties were magnifique. Did I mention that I can be a party chic when I want to be? So after 3 days of partying non stop, I decided to slow down my pace and headed to Skopje for rest and relaxation. Pictures from both cities will be posted too soon. I have been craving ice cream lately.
Ok, fantasy revealing time. After watching an episode of American Next Top Model, I started fantasizing about a situation involving Tyra, Madonna and myself. The brain is a great organ to have as it is the ever constant companion.
PS: Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!!!
I was in Sofia ... which I found to be very chic and cute. Coffee houses there were interesting. And the parties were magnifique. Did I mention that I can be a party chic when I want to be? So after 3 days of partying non stop, I decided to slow down my pace and headed to Skopje for rest and relaxation. Pictures from both cities will be posted too soon. I have been craving ice cream lately.
Ok, fantasy revealing time. After watching an episode of American Next Top Model, I started fantasizing about a situation involving Tyra, Madonna and myself. The brain is a great organ to have as it is the ever constant companion.
PS: Happy Easter to those who celebrate it!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Some little places
I am currently out of town for a little vacation in Sofia, Bulgaria. More on that when I get back. In the meantime, please enjoy pictures of places that I patronize in Pristina.
ProCredit Bank - one of the bigger banks here
Blurred View of my Fish Shop
Dukagjini Bookstore
ProCredit Bank - one of the bigger banks here
One of 2 Chinese Restaurants in Town (they do massage also)
Blurred View of my Fish Shop
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Dily Dally or is it Daly Dilly or DIliDali or ...who gives a *****
Today, I was walking home from lunch when I was cornered by a little kid, who I will refer to as Oliver, asking me for money. This is not too uncommon in Prisitina. Difference this time for me is that I saw the boy with his mum earlier going through trash. One of the things I told myself when getting here was that I would not be giving out alms in form of cash. I do not have much of it and I just feel better giving out something more tangible that can be used. I did that already a couple of times here. So back to my encounter with Oliver... I shook my head at him and said 'Jo'. Did it a couple of times and went around him. As I was walking on thumbing the the two euro in my jacket pocket, I heard a voice telling me to look back. At the same time, another voice was saying to me, "C'mon, you just gave a tip of one euro for lunch and you cannot help this family?" So I looked back and there was Oliver's mum going through garbage again. I almost lost it there and felt like crying. I crossed the street and ran back to Oliver and gave him the 2 Euros and mumbled "God Bless you and guide you into adulthood and a blessed future." I did not feel good about what I just did when I left Oliver behind. In fact I felt crappy about the whole situation. All around us were coffee houses with people drinking lattes and machiatos and there was Oliver and many more like him picking garbage. I felt even worse and guilty as I felt more like an outsider with my own different world from Oliver who is from Kosovo but yet is suffering like mad. We, fools talk and enjoy while the righteous suffer ....
I miss home a bit. It always seems like it's when I leave the country that s*** begins to happen - Possible downfall of Gonzales, congressional democrats finally growing a spine, Chief of Staff of the Military becoming a moralistic military preacher, Britany Spear shaving her head, etc. Pffffff
I miss home a bit. It always seems like it's when I leave the country that s*** begins to happen - Possible downfall of Gonzales, congressional democrats finally growing a spine, Chief of Staff of the Military becoming a moralistic military preacher, Britany Spear shaving her head, etc. Pffffff
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Me thinks this might be a conspiracy ...
There was another explosion ne Prishtine tonight. Apparently, the grenade toting gang is at it again. The news can be found here. Sad stuff, the restaurant bombed is Samurai :( Only place I have Japanese food and sushi (cooked meat) here. There is supposed to be another place but never been there. Nobody was hurt again except for those who were planning to have lunch there tomorrow and the owners who have to take on the financial burden. I am beginning to get suspicious whether these explosions are being done by pro-independence or anti-independence Kosovans. Both groups dislike most multi-lateral organizations anyway. But, onwards we all march to the future ...
Sunday, March 18, 2007
We the People ....gallery
Sometimes, during all the political excitment and wheeling & dealing, it is oft forgotten that there are people on the ground being affected by all that is going on. In the following photos, I attempt, in a rough way, to visualize what Pristina and Kosovo are like from my limited exposure. Hope you see, hear and understand :)
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Nightlife
On a recent visit to Skopje in Macedonia (or FYROM), I was asked by several people what what the night life was like in Pristina. I was wary about answering this. Being someone who has been lucky enough to know nightlife in NYC and London, I can be excused if I tend to soak up reviews of other cities' night life like a drainer. I ended up telling the inquiring minds that nightlife in Pristina was okay and growing. There are always cafes open up late (though mot serving coffee by 10 pm). 24 hrs casinos are still up and running. Taxis are always around to take you anywhere. I have heard of many a club but have only been to a couple. SPRAY might be queen amongst knights when it comes to clubs. Always a different vibe there but always full of young and beautiful Kosovan people indulging in all sorts of debauchery. Babuka is a favorite for internationals in Pristina. Better known as the Jazz Club, the live music in Babuka is good. The owner is also a constant drummer in the bands and a cool dude. There is actually an American vibe to this as some who work there used to in the USA. Cubed Club is also a god chillout place, nice eclectic music dj'ed by bartenders; mainly Kosovan patrons. There is always the OSCE happy hour every Friday night but I got a feeling that this is where internationals hook up and break up, the only time I was there. It seemed like a good networking event though. Here is a site talking about a couple more places to go to at night. Also check out article below about clubbing in Kosovo, though it is more about clubbing in Pristina and reads more like PR campaign for Babuka ;)
Clubbing in a new Kosovo
Clubbing in a new Kosovo
| By Patrick Jackson BBC News, Pristina |
| I cannot forget [the war] but I try not to think of it because we have to go forward - otherwise there is no chance Besim Gashi Babuka jazz club owner |
But don't be discouraged if you don't know it - people here have a command of English to put other nations to shame, the product of schooling and "kitchen-table" private tutoring. And many older Albanians are no strangers to German or other west European languages, learnt from years of labour or exile abroad. Only Serbian, the one second language that just about everyone who grew up before 1999 knows as a citizen of the former Yugoslavia, stands outcast in Pristina. This city of 550,000 is now home to 12,000 Serbs, according to the OSCE, which includes suburban Serb enclaves. Serbs themselves say no more than 50-60 live in the centre of a city where they officially made up 13% of the population in Yugoslav times. Could they come back? This Saturday night some Albanians, at least, genuinely seem to be keeping the door ajar to a life together in Kosovo's capital.
Trying to forget
"We want to have a real good life here like young people have in Europe and everywhere else," says locksmith Jener Lleshi.
| [My message to Serbs is] be Kosovans! And come and live in Pristina like you used to Jener Lleshi Pristina clubber |
There was a time, he continues, when Serbs should "maybe have been afraid but not anymore". His message to them is that if they embrace Kosovo as a nation, they will be welcomed in and can enjoy the fruits of a euro-fuelled economy. "Accept that this is Kosovo and reject disintegration and separation because nowadays in Pristina you can travel, you can go about freely," he says. "That's my message to you: Be Kosovans! And come and live in Pristina like you used to." Besim Gashi Babuka is the owner of the jazz club where we are trying to talk above the music. Speaking in between sessions with the band, the man everyone knows as Babuka clearly has no illusions about the gulf between the two communities. He himself "lost everything during the war". "We [Albanians] were a million driven out of our homes, we had women and children killed, the anger was very strong," he says. "I cannot forget it but I try not to think of it because we have to go forward - otherwise there is no chance." Serbs, Babuka says, should try to understand that Albanians were hit hard during the war. There is intolerance on both sides and Albanians should also try to understand Serbs, he adds, but that "is much harder". As for the political situation, he argues that Kosovo's statehood will soon be a reality and he looks to the EU for examples of a multi-ethnic society. "I have just come from London and I studied in Amsterdam and I have seen all those millions of people from different places, of different nationalities and different religions, successfully living together." Many Serbs still living in the Pristina area avoid the city, some commuting to the Serb stronghold of Mitrovica on a train specially organised by the UN. Pristina's Serb population fell from an estimated 40,000 to a couple of thousand in the space of a few months in 1999, the UN refugee agency reported at the time. Expulsions by ethnic Albanians, it said, appeared to be "systematic" with entire blocks of flats reportedly emptied by militants using threats or actual violence.
Given the chance...
As the night winds down in Babuka's club, journalist Dukagjin Gorani offers his own view of Kosovo's future.
| Kosovo will become a state but not a nation-state Dukagjin Gorani journalist |
"It's not much of a country, just a small and extremely modest entity which I believe is very ambitious, ambitious in its idea that it does belong to the wider family of democracies, and it has certainly made up its mind that its road to wellbeing lies to the West," he says. Kosovo, he predicts, will "become a state but not a nation-state" if the Serbs accept democratic values and come aboard. By democracy, he means not just "the will of the majority but... but respect for minorities". And Dukagjin asks for the world to give Kosovo a chance: "Considering the way we have been governing ourselves for the past seven years, I cannot say I am much proud of anything but I sort of expect myself to become proud, hopefully with the serious reforms and changes which Kosovo will inevitably have to undergo." As for Babuka, his club is a symbol of the kind of place Kosovo should be. "Through my jazz club, something which is very European, I like to show that we are normal," he says.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Some more recent pics....
Some people commented to me that my previous pictures were not "too positive" and a little depressing. That is a pity as I was just trying to give images of current happenings. I do hope people do not think that's all Kosovo is about. This is a beautiful 'country', really. Here are some of more recent pictures from Kosovo.
Vala Card Guy by UNMIK (courtesy of MT Cowgirl)
A Busy Road (courtesy of MT Cowgirl)
CoalFired Power Plant - only one in Kosovo (Yikes!!!)
A View of Beginning of Police Avenue Showing Most Expensive Private School in Prisitina (The One That Looks Like An Observatory)
Blurred View Of Youth Sports Center At Night
Sunday, March 11, 2007
I intend to give you a run down of precedent events later but for now ....
Kosovo's President Fatmir Sejdiu, left, and Kosovo's Prime Minister Agim CekuAccording to news media, the last talks between Kosovan and Serbian negotiators on the proposals by the UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari concerning the future status of Kosovo did not end well at all. C'est la vie. He takes the proposals to the UN Security Council now where Russia might be the only one of the Permanent Five to potentially veto it. Let's wait and see. From Reuters:
"The U.N. Security Council will decide whether to give Kosovo independence from Serbia, after U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari on Saturday declared an end to over a year of fruitless Serb-Albanian talks. Ahtisaari said leaders of Serbia and Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority were still deadlocked over the fate of the U.N.-run territory after a meeting in Vienna, the last in a mediation process that began in February 2006. If the U.N. Security Council adopts his blueprint, Kosovo will declare itself Europe's newest independent state and the last to be carved from the former Yugoslavia. "I would have very much preferred that this process would lead to a negotiated solution," the former Finnish president told a news conference. "But it has left my in no doubt that the parties' stands ... do not contain any common ground to reach such an agreement." "It is my intention to finalize the proposal for submission to the U.N. Security Council in the course of this month." The West wants a solution imposed by June, seeing no prospect of forcing 2 million Albanians back into the arms of Serbia and fearing unrest if they are frustrated much longer. Kosovo has been run by the United Nations since 1999, when NATO bombed Serbia to drive Serb forces accused of atrocities in a two-year counter-insurgency war out of the province. Some 10,000 Albanians died and almost a million fled before NATO troops occupied Kosovo. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica called for the U.N.-mediated talks to continue, saying the present plan was a ''brutal violation of the U.N. charter'' and a bid to amputate land cherished by Serbs as their historic heartland. "This proposal does not meet the conditions to be presented to the U.N. Security Council,'' he told reporters.
LONG TRAIN RIDE
The talks ended as hardliners in Serbia marked the first anniversary of the death in detention of Slobodan Milosevic, the Serb strongman whose repression of Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s led to fighting and NATO's first "humanitarian" air war. "We are putting an end to a dark chapter in our history," said Hashim Thaci, the former leader of the 1990s Kosovo Albanian guerrilla army. Kosovo Albanian politician Veton Surroi said: "The long train ride has arrived at the central station.'' Russia remains the only potential stumbling block. Serbia's fellow Orthodox Christian ally insists time be given for both sides to agree on a solution, but has pointedly avoided threatening the use of its council veto. Asked whether Moscow might veto the plan, Serbian President Boris Tadic replied: "That is going to be up to the Russians to decide what position they will take in the Security Council." Though it avoids the word independence, the U.N. envoy's blueprint sets out the framework for an independent state, under a foreign overseer and European Union police mission. It offers self-government and protection for the 100,000 remaining Serbs. The plan has won a frosty and at times violent reaction from some Albanians, who want clear and full independence. But Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said they had accepted a '"painful compromise.""
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Oxford French or Why am I busier?
This week has been tiring for me. I cannot explain it in any way other than that I am not getting enough sleep. I have just been zoning through my classes.
Yesterday, I heard from a sweet, beautiful and incredible colleague from graduate school who lives in Latin America. I was really excited to be in touch with him again; then he told me that he got a divorce which was finalized this year. I was heartbroken upon hear this. He and Filipa were such a great couple. I was really sad for the rest of the day after hearing this. If N and F could not make it work, what hope is there for ordinary folks like me? Yeah, that sounded very self centered but .... N, I love you very much. You are strong, beautiful and intelligent. You will survive this as you have survived many other things in life. Besos.
Talked to Dad yesterday. He is going on a pilgrimage to 'neverlands'. I asked him for some sand and water from there. Talking to him about his travels made me remember my dreams of becoming a mystic in the near future. Safe travels Dad. I love you and will miss you. Be safe!!!
One of the many things I look forward to when I go the office, apart from my beautiful and comedic colleagues, is the full length mirror in the elevators. I have none at home. I always pray no one catches the elevator with me because that is where I get heave and push stuff here and there in attempt to look better than everyone else at work (this is my only vanity here thus, please let me indulge myself). I always wonder how much clothes people at work have. I am already recycling my wears but still look good though. But the way some people dress and never wear the same shirts in my office makes me want to ask, "WTF are you getting the money for all these clothes? Don't we work for the same organization? People, are we working for the United Nations here? Because you gals make it tough for me to be the most stylish here."
And before I forget, Happy Belated International Women's Day (it was yesterday) - you socialists, hehehehe. The women here take it seriously. So seriously that when I was on my way home at 1 am this morning, I still saw guys dragging roses home to their ladies. Figures that such a cool day commemorated more by former and current socialists actually had its origin in the socialist movement in the good ole US of A. I love my country, even if we forget our pioneering roots at times :)
Yesterday, I heard from a sweet, beautiful and incredible colleague from graduate school who lives in Latin America. I was really excited to be in touch with him again; then he told me that he got a divorce which was finalized this year. I was heartbroken upon hear this. He and Filipa were such a great couple. I was really sad for the rest of the day after hearing this. If N and F could not make it work, what hope is there for ordinary folks like me? Yeah, that sounded very self centered but .... N, I love you very much. You are strong, beautiful and intelligent. You will survive this as you have survived many other things in life. Besos.
Talked to Dad yesterday. He is going on a pilgrimage to 'neverlands'. I asked him for some sand and water from there. Talking to him about his travels made me remember my dreams of becoming a mystic in the near future. Safe travels Dad. I love you and will miss you. Be safe!!!
One of the many things I look forward to when I go the office, apart from my beautiful and comedic colleagues, is the full length mirror in the elevators. I have none at home. I always pray no one catches the elevator with me because that is where I get heave and push stuff here and there in attempt to look better than everyone else at work (this is my only vanity here thus, please let me indulge myself). I always wonder how much clothes people at work have. I am already recycling my wears but still look good though. But the way some people dress and never wear the same shirts in my office makes me want to ask, "WTF are you getting the money for all these clothes? Don't we work for the same organization? People, are we working for the United Nations here? Because you gals make it tough for me to be the most stylish here."
And before I forget, Happy Belated International Women's Day (it was yesterday) - you socialists, hehehehe. The women here take it seriously. So seriously that when I was on my way home at 1 am this morning, I still saw guys dragging roses home to their ladies. Figures that such a cool day commemorated more by former and current socialists actually had its origin in the socialist movement in the good ole US of A. I love my country, even if we forget our pioneering roots at times :)
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Aftermaths can be oops.
The weekend went by and the protest took place. It went peacefully this time with no violence. I was able to snag a couple of pictures from the protests this past weekend. Many thanks to the NGOers that took these pics and sent them to friends who sent them to friends who sent them to me.
Protesters In Front of UNMIK Building
Invitation to Protest (can't remember which protest this one was for)
Protesters In Front of UNMIK Building
International Civilian Police on the Ready
Wait and See
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