Anyone who knows me at all knows I am a freak for old architecture, the older the better. These are some great examples of venerable old buildings, monasteries, in Kosovo. Enjoy.
Kosovo
Firefighters Hurt in K. Mitrovica Explosions
3 January 2009 | 10:58 -> 15:37 | Source: B92, Beta
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA — Six firefighters have been injured last night in northern Kosovska Mitrovica in an explosion that took place as they put out a fire. Doctors speak to reporters in northern Kosovska Mitrovica on Saturday (Tanjug). The incident happened in the Bosnjacka Mahala neighborhood, while the fire was reported in a store owned by an Albanian.
Most TV reporter Mirjana Nedeljkovic and cameraman Dejan Tanasijevic were also injured in the commotion that followed after the blast. One of the two firefighters – both Serbs – who suffered the worst injuries, Marko Kisic, has al ready been operated on, while Bratislav Bozovic will undergo surgery later in the day. Kisic’s condition is stable, but his life is still in danger, Surgery Ward Chief Radomir Jankovic told reporters.
His small intestine has been perforated in 19 places, and considering possible infections, this is a serious wound. Kisic also has pieces of shrapnel in his chest and legs, but no vital organs have been damaged.
U.N. Accepts Serbia’s Proposal
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.
A Voice of Reason in the Fog
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 …
Tit for Tadic
My friend, Alex updates me on the situation there in Serbia with regard to the newly-declared independence (cough) of Kosovo. Tonight there is violence in the capitol city of Belgrade as angry Serbs, mostly young soccer fans, stormed several embassies (including the U.S. Embassy) and set them ablaze. At least one person is dead as a result of this mayhem. From the report at B92.net: The U.S. has asked the U.N. Security Council to meet and discuss the breach of international law by Serbia, since embassies are sovereign territories. Instead of an apology, Prime Minister Kostunica responded by saying, ‘This is a good time to discuss a much bigger breach of international law, by the United States, when it supported the illegal and unilateral independence of Kosovo.’ The U.S. and Americans have a LOT of nerve being outraged about this. We are the ones who started it nearly 10 years ago. America has its head so far up its ass that it just can’t see the light. Pretty damn dark in there, huh? Despite what imperialistic America and its fawning press would have you believe, there is some well reasoned opinion out there why independence for Kosovo is a bad …