Posted on 06/10/2007 4:35:04 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
President Bush, enthusiastically welcomed as the first U.S. president in this former communist nation, served notice Sunday he is running out of patience with Russia's objections to independence for neighboring Kosovo.
"Sooner rather than later you've got to say 'Enough's enough - Kosovo is independent,'" Bush said, telling Albanians what they wanted to hear. He said independence was a certainty.
Nearing the end of an eight-day trip, Bush got a hero's reception in this desperately poor country, still struggling to recover from being cut off from the rest of the world for four decades under the harsh rule of dictator Enver Hoxha. Hoxha died in 1985, and Albania emerged from isolation in 1990 but still is one of Europe's most impoverished lands.
Cannons boomed salutes from mountains overlooking the capital. Huge banners proclaimed "Proud to be Partners," and billboards read "President Bush in Albania Making History."
At home, Bush's job approval rating stands at its all-time low. But here, Prime Minister Sali Berisha said Bush was Albania's "greatest and most distinguished guest we have ever had in all times."
Throngs of people grasped Bush's hands, arms and fingers on the streets of Fushe Kruje, a small town near the airport where he stopped to chat in a cafe with business owners. Unused to such adoring crowds in America, Bush reveled in the attention. He kissed women on the cheek, posed for pictures and signed autographs. Someone reached out and rubbed his gray hair.
"Bushie, Bushie," people shouted. Some of the business people have received small loans under U.S. government programs.
The scene was uncharacteristically wild for a presidential crowd. Bush spokesman Dana Perino said later that the Secret Service assured Bush's safety, as always. "If they didn't think the president was safe, obviously they wouldn't have put him in that position," she said.
While the United States supports Albania's bid for membership in NATO, Bush said this country still has to make more political and military reforms and crack down on corruption and organized crime.
"We are determined to take any decision, pass any law and undertake any reform to make Albania appropriate to receive the invitation" to join the western military alliance, Berisha said at a news conference with Bush.
Albania has eagerly embraced democracy and idolizes the United States. Three stamps have been issued featuring Bush's picture and the Statue of Liberty, and the street in front of parliament has been renamed in his honor.
The president spent just eight hours here and then flew to Bulgaria, another Cold War Soviet ally turned pro-American. The two stops gave an upbeat ending to Bush's six-country trip after big protests earlier in Rome and at the summit of industrialized nations in Heiligendamm, Germany.
Kosovo has been run by the United Nations and NATO since 1999, when Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's forces were ousted after a NATO air war ended his crackdown on independence-seeking ethnic Albanians, who make up 90 percent of Kosovo's population.
The U.N. Security Council has been divided over Kosovo's independence. The United States and key European countries support Kosovo's statehood while Russia, traditionally a Serbian ally, opposes it. Moscow says it would set a dangerous precedent for other breakaway regions.
Bush said diplomats from the United States, Russia and European Union will try to find common ground on a formula for independence.
"But if it's apparent that that's not going to happen in a relatively quick period of time, in my judgment, we need to put forward the (U.N.) resolution," Bush said. "Hence, deadline." He did not specify a date.
Negotiations must result in "certain independence," Bush said. "That's what's important to know."
Bush said the summit in Heiligendamm had tried to determine whether there was a way to make Kosovo independence acceptable to Russia. French President Nicolas Sarkozy unexpectedly called for a delay on the issue, and the summit failed to reach agreement.
Bush urged Albania to help maintain peace and calm in Kosovo as the independence talks move forward.
Predominantly Muslim, Albania has 140 troops in Afghanistan and about 120 troops in Iraq - a presence that President Alfred Moisiu says will not end as long as the Americans are engaged there. Bush met here with some of the troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"Albanians know the horror of tyranny," the president said. "And so they're working to bring the hope of freedom to people who haven't known it. And that's a noble effort and a sacrifice."
In saluting Albania's democracy, Bush praised it as a country that has "cast off the shackles of a very oppressive society and is now showing the world what's possible."
During his visit, the president had lunch with the prime ministers of Albania, Macedonia and Croatia, which hope to join NATO.
I’ll be he wishes he were the President of Albania right now.
Is the job open? Maybe we can get Fred Thompson a year and a half early...
Maybe they’ll keep him.
I’ve lost most of my remaining respect for Bush, but it is very nice to see this story. Helps to keep things in perspective. Bush wasn’t, and isn’t, all bad. And it’s great to see some strongly felt appreciation abroad for the president.
I bet he’s passing out Z-Visas.
Dang! Ya beat me to it. 8o)
I prayed for our President in the Orthodox liturgy this morning, as happens in the great majority of Orthodox churches in America. He needs our prayers to reisist taqqia and the evil plots of the New World Order!!!!
“’Enough’s enough - Kosovo is independent...’
Are they muslim-islamists? Or is that the Albanians? I can’t keep track of it... dammit!
Good, I’m glad that this got posted. I’m sick of everyone dogging albanians as being islamofascist equal to al-qaeda. That is far from the truth. Infact 15-20% of albanians are CHRISTIAN. Kosovo war was not about religion, but about an ETHNIC group being ABUSED by a communist force backed by Russia. Russia and serbia have never been on the same side as the US post ww2. Russia is actively selling weapons, and nuke reactors to all our enemies in the GWOT. Serbia abused its neighbors and therefore it got what it deserved. Montenegro just recently split from serbia and they are not muslim, does that make them terrorist? I’m surprised at the amount of communist/putinism russian backers we have in here that supported the oppressive regime that operated out of belgrade and moscow. Albanians have supported the US in everyway on the war on terror. After 9-11 the deported ARABS to the CIA and kicked them out of the country. They provide troops and support to afghanistan and iraq, and they openly support israel’s right to exsist. Kosovo should become independent.
Isn’t this a bit unfair to the Albanians?
Heh — good one!
George Bush hero to the Mexican illegal aliens and hero to the Kosovo&Albanian Muslims
the clintons and bush are on the wrong side with albania—they’re moslems.
Good, I’m glad that this got posted. I’m sick of everyone dogging albanians as being islamofascist equal to al-qaeda. That is far from the truth. Infact 15-20% of albanians are CHRISTIAN. Kosovo war was not about religion, but about an ETHNIC group being ABUSED by a communist force backed by Russia. Russia and serbia have never been on the same side as the US post ww2. Russia is actively selling weapons, and nuke reactors to all our enemies in the GWOT. Serbia abused its neighbors and therefore it got what it deserved. Montenegro just recently split from serbia and they are not muslim, does that make them terrorist? I’m surprised at the amount of communist/putinism russian backers we have in here that supported the oppressive regime that operated out of belgrade and moscow. Albanians have supported the US in everyway on the war on terror. After 9-11 the deported ARABS to the CIA and kicked them out of the country. They provide troops and support to afghanistan and iraq, and they openly support israel’s right to exsist. Kosovo should become independent.
then what was montenegro splitting from serbia as well? Terrorist? You are full of crap, go back to your russian masters.
those “muslims” you decry are the anti-communist anti russian, and a nearly a quarter of whose population is christian as well. Get a clue. Learn the difference between an ethnic war and a religious war. Serbia abused all its neighors and got what it deserved. You abuse your people, you lose your country. Montenegro which is a pre-dominately christian nation split from serbia, they want nothing to do with the russian puppets. They must be terrorist as well? I bet you didnt know that George Tenet comes from an Albanian CHRISTIAN family. Read up some more on the balkans. Croatia, which is another christian nation wanted NOTHING to do with Serbia they wanted to be free from the grips of communism and Russia. FREEDOM ISNT FREE.
Well, this is Free Republic, after all. Many of our brothers and sisters just like to spew venom.
“..the clintons and bush are on the wrong side with albania..”
The two are on the wrong side when it comes to the welfare of America.
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