BIDD

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections Solution Finally, the optimal solution for the Kosovo status is a “normal” autonomy within Serbia according to the international standards of protection of the rights of ethnic minorities but without any political-administrative prerogatives as it was the case in the SFRY from 1974 to 1989.

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 32. The best and most democratic solution of the Kosovo knot is to recognize Kosovo’s self-proclaimed independence from Serbia Wrong. This is the worst solution of all possible combinations which already directly provoked a chain reaction by numerous separatist movements around the world. The first

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 31. After the war, KosMet was occupied by the international community, sanctioned by the UN (KFOR) for the fundamental purpose to prevent violence between the Albanian majority and the Serb minority       Wrong. KosMet was, in fact, occupied after the Kosovo War not by “international

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 30. During the 1998−1999 Kosovo War, Serb army and police units did not fight only the rebellious Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), but also carried out programmes of ethnic cleansing and, therefore, the US-led NATO was obliged first to act and then to continue military actions

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 29. The Kosovo War started in 1998 by ethnic Albanian revolt for the reason that Serbia oppressed KosMet’s Albanian rights as did not recognize elections in 1998 Wrong. The war started at the very beginning of 1998 as a consequence of Albanian-led terrorism actions against

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 28. The KosMet’s autonomy was cancelled by S. Milošević in 1989 and, therefore, Albanians lost their minority rights         Wrong. The autonomy was not canceled as it was just reduced from the political independence to the national-cultural rights in order to prevent further separation of

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 27. Serbian minority in KosMet had decreased from around 30% in 1946 to 10% in 1991, as a result of higher Albanian birth rates and Serbian emigration to Central and North Serbia Wrong. The last reliable population census in KosMet is of 1961 as censuses

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 26. Soon after the death of Josip Broz Tito (May 1980), Kosovo’s Albanian population staged a series   of public protests against continued discrimination Wrong. After the death of a Yugoslav dictator Josip Broz Tito (1982−1980), who was of the Slovenian-Croatian origin and who was supporting

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 25. Kosovo’s prospects improved with the dismissal of the hardline Minister of the Interior of Yugoslav federal government in 1966, Aleksandar M. Rankovic, and its distinctiveness was recognized in the new constitution in 1974, which gave Kosovo an autonomous status Wrong. By dismissal of Aleksandar

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 24. Kosovo’s Albanians were repressed after WWII under the Serb-dominated secret police Wrong. After the WWII the Yugoslav authorities forbade by the law to all expelled Kosovo’s Serbs (100.000) during the WWII, when KosMet was a part of Mussolini/Hitler’s established Greater Albania, to return back

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 23. Kosovo was occupied by Serbia before WWI Wrong. This is the biggest falsification of historical truth followed by a dirty political propaganda by the West. Serbia simply liberated her own land during the First Balkan War in 1912−1913 that was occupied by the Ottoman

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 22. Kosovo is the site where the Albanian national hero Skanderbeg held back the armies of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century Wrong. Skanderbeg (George Kastriot Skanderbeg) was not of the Albanian origin but of the Serb. His family coat of arms, that is

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 21. Kosovo is a disputed territory claimed by Serbia and Albania, which both nationalities regard as central to their cultural identity Wrong. Kosovo is not disputed land between Serbia and Albania as Albania’s officials never officially claimed this province to be included into Albania. It

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 20. It is the duty of the international community to help the Albanian issue settled down Wrong. The international community does not comprehend the nature of the problem, for good reason, since it is not a political one, but a clash between a Middle Age

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 19. Former Yugoslavia disintegrated because of Slobodan Miloshevic Wrong. His political (sic) manners only provided an excuse to Slovenia and Croatia for leaving Yugoslavia. The real rationale for this understandable decision was to leave the state that was burdened with the time bomb called KosMet,

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 18. It was Slobodan Miloshevic who was to blame for the NATO’s intervention in 1999 Wrong. It was a responsibility of the government of Serbia to protect the interest of the state of Yugoslavia (the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – Serbia and Montenegro), in face

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Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 16. Americans are siding with Albanians in the current Balkan affairs Wrong. They are directly involved, at all levels, from financing, organizing, training, arms supplying, diplomatic supports, etc. Training camps at North Albania, KosMet, and Macedonia are lead by American instructors, who are engaged even

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 15. The KFOR holds control at KosMet and helps the region reestablish the order and law Wrong. It has no control whatsoever over the local population, in particular the irregulars of the KLA, turned into mock police forces. The whole region, y compris North Albania

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 14. The „blood feud“ has been extinguished among Albanians Wrong. It was much reduced during the communist regimes in the area (Albania, Montenegro, KosMet), but has been revived after the “democratic governments” have taken power in Albania. It is widely spread at KosMet, despite the

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 13. Shqipetars used to be friendly with their neighbors. They were protecting Orthodox monasteries there Wrong. After the World War II, more than 250.000 non-Shqipetars moved from KosMet due to the “demographic pressure”, not to mention violence. After NATO’s “humanitarian intervention” in 1999 at least

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 12. The rebellion and protests in South-East Serbia at Preshevo valley is due to Belgrade repression on the Shqipetar population there Wrong. This region was not included into the KosMet (autonomous) region after the WWII, for the simple reason that Shqipetars were a tiny minority

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 11. Albanians are autochthonous Balkan population descending from the ancient Balkan Illyrian tribes Wrong. They appear in the mid-11th century in the Balkan history and their origin appears uncertain (most probably they came to the Balkans from the Caucasus Albania via Sicily, according to one

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 10. There is no such an entity as a Greater Albania Wrong. Although they are not publicized, the maps of that projected unified national state of all Albanians do appear occasionally in the Western press, either explicitly, or as the region with a predominant Albanian

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 9. KosMet used to be economically supported by the rest of former Yugoslavia Wrong. Since Serbia’s contribution to the Yugoslav Federal Fund for the undeveloped regions matched exactly the amount donated by the Fund to KosMet, it was, in fact, Serbia which helped KosMet to

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 8. The expulsion of Serbs from KosMet after June 1999 is an act of retaliation Wrong. The process of Shqipetar’s committed ethnic cleansing of KosMet goes on for the last century and refers to all non-Shqipetars (Roma, Turks, Croats, etc). It is a clear case

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 7. The aim of Shqipetars is an independent Kosova Wrong. It is a common goal of all Albanians to live in a single (unified) national state of (a Greater) Albania. The political program of a Greater Albania is designed in 1878 by the Albanian First

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 5. Shqipetars are an autochthonous population at KosMet Wrong. In the Middle Ages, KosMet was the central part of Serbian state, culture, and civilization. Shqipetars were a tiny minority (about 2%, according to the Ottoman census in 1455), nomadic herdsmen mostly. They came to KosMet

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 4. Ethnic Albanians at KosMet (Shqipetars in the following, as they call themselves) constitute a majority of 90% out of total KosMet’s population Wrong. In the last reliable census carried out at KosMet in 1961, Shqipetars constituted 67% of the overall population, with (predominantly) Serbs

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 3. Southern Serbia’s province is called Kosovo Wrong. It is Kosovo and Metohia, abbreviated KosMet. Kosovo itself is an abbreviation of Kosovo Polje, what in the Serbian language means Blackbird Field (in German Amselfeld). Metohia is a corrupted Greek name for Metohi, meaning dependency to

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 2. The issue is a fight of Albanians for their rights Wrong: The crux of the matter lies at the biological level. The real rationale is a demographic explosion which is going on within the Albanian population for a century or so (rate of growth

Basic Western misconceptions on the Kosovo issue and their corrections 1. Kosovo issue is a conflict between ethnic Albanians and ethnic Serbs over the territory Wrong: It is a part of the conflict between Balkan Albanians and the surrounding populations, in Montenegro, Serbia, Macedonia, and Greece (for instance, clashes between Albanians and Macedonians in Macedonia

Kosovo is today one of the most disputed territories in Europe and a real Balkan powder keg which can explode again at any time. It is a province within the Republic of Serbia, recognized as such by both Serbia’s constitution and the Resolution 1244 by the Security Council of the United Nations (the UNSC Resolution