Posted on 12/26/2008 10:06:17 AM PST by foutsc
Kosovo Names Street For President Bush Backed unanimously by Kosovo's cabinet, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said the move was "a sign of the huge state and national respect and appreciation" for the United States' contribution to independence, declared earlier this year. Located in Pristina's downtown area, Bush Street is to be linked to the main thoroughfare named after Mother Teresa, the 1979 Nobel Peace Laureate of Albanian origin. Fans of Michael Totten will not be surprised by this. His raw reports from Iraq gave us the often brutal truth, but never in a sneering, NY Times way. He was also the first to herald the good news of the Sunni Awakening and the positive results from the surge. He has written of Kosovo:
Totten has also written of Albania, Kosovo's neighboring country, which is also majority Muslim: (AFP) Kosovo decided Wednesday to name a central street of its capital Pristina after outgoing US President George W. Bush for his support of the territory's split from Serbia.
Most of its citizens are Muslim, an oddity in Europe; further, unlike most Muslim-majority nations, Kosovo is overwhelmingly pro-American, and its relations with Israel are excellent as well.
Albania is fanatically pro-American, which is perhaps a bit counterintuitive to many Americans since it is at least nominally a Muslim-majority country. The conventional assumption that Muslims hate Americans everywhere isn't true.
“You should have seen President Bush’s face when he came to Albania,” an ethnic Albanian man later said to me in Kosovo. “All over Western Europe he was met by protests, but the entire country of Albania turned out to welcome him. He was so happy. You could see it on his face.”
Albanian pro-Americanism resembles that of both Poland and Iraqi Kurdistan. The unspeakably oppressive communist regime pushed Albanians strongly into the U.S.-led Western camp, and the humanitarian rescue of Albanians in Kosovo from Slobodan Milosevic's tyrannical despotism bolstered that sentiment even more.
Albania, Kosovo, Kurdistan, and to a lesser extent the newly-free countries of Eastern Europe: Nations with memories of brutal tyranny still fresh in their collective minds, greatly appreciate what the US has done for them. Indeed, even the radically anti-US newspaper, Britain's Guardian headlined their story saying he received a hero's welcome.
So, take a moment to feel good about your country and your president. We've freed a lot of people.
I’m an American who loves kimchi. Makes me a rarity. Kind of like these Muslims.
“You should have seen President Bush’s face when he came to Albania,” an ethnic Albanian man later said to me in Kosovo. “All over Western Europe he was met by protests, but the entire country of Albania turned out to welcome him. He was so happy. You could see it on his face.”
Indeed. A Muslim majority population who actually likes Israel and America?! No such thing accdg to Reuters and AP.
Isn't that a leaflet, like "Famous Jewish Sports Legends"?
“Albanian pro-Americanism resembles that of both Poland and Iraqi Kurdistan. The unspeakably oppressive communist regime pushed Albanians strongly into the U.S.-led Western camp, and the humanitarian rescue of Albanians in Kosovo from Slobodan Milosevic’s tyrannical despotism bolstered that sentiment even more.”
Albanians are taught as school children that they owe their independence to Woodrow Wilson’s strong support at Versailles in 1919.
I am no Muslim apologist, but I recommend you look beyond your comfy little world.
Guess Bill Clinton’s policy worked (sarcasm).
They are Muslims. Muslims support OTHER Muslims, NOT Unbelievers.
DON’T be fooled by this article. Remember the “gratitude” of the Afghan Mujahadeen?
A leopard can’t change its spots.
I recommend you look at any place in the world (through out history to modern times) where muslims have gained power and how they have treated non-muslims.
And PS - I spent a year in Afghanistan.
What's your solution? Kill them all? Indiscriminately attacking everybody is not a very good way to make friends. You sort the good from the bad based on their behavior towards us. You reward the friends and mercilessly pursue the enemies.
Think I'm naive? Talk to an SF troop, America's toughest of the tough (and also smartest of the smart), and they will tell you the same thing. These are gains that have been bought and paid for by their sweat and blood.
If you're a patriot you should be proud of these gains we've made despite overwhelming liberal condemnation.
Finally, a piece of unsolicited advice: Beware warmongering from those who have never experienced war.
I spent time in Afghanistan too. If you had also spent time in the Gulf and in the Balkans you would see that all Muslim societies are not the same.
There is a man at my work from Albania who became an American citizen a few years ago. He loves Bush. He told me there are big posters of Bush all over. He also told me they had their own election between Obama and McCain and McCain won by 90%
He said they know a communist when they see one and Obama is a communist.
That has been my experience with people from that region as well. These societies are more Eastern European than Muslim. And they are grateful to us for standing up for their freedoms.
Individual Muslims may be good people.
BUt Islam itself is an evil and despicable cult. The longer we tolerate it, the worse it will become for those of us who are unwilling to be converted.
War is a terrible thing, but there are some things which are even worse. Talk to some people who have lived in Islamic COuntries as Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, etc.
I suggest you read some good books on Islam and Islamic History.
A GOOD place to start is “Ialmic Imperialism by Efraim Karsh
I have lived in the Middle East and Central Asia and I have spoken with many Muslims and Christians there. I have also read a lot of history.
I am not defending Islam! I am merely pointing out where American foreign policy has worked. My point was to counter the liberal media negativity by putting a spotlight on a global bright spot.
The Middle Eastern Muslims hate the Albanians because they are not the right kind of Muslims and they have rejected their “help.” That is telling
I’m afraid you’re wasting you time trying to talk sense to these people.
They live in a black and white world.
I’m afraid you’re right. Thanks for the moral support
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