I would also add that the name "Kosovo" has been used for hundreds of years to designate that territory and the name, Kosovo, is Serbian in origin (Translation: "Field of Blackbirds"). Kosovo has no meaning or translation in the Albanian language.
The names of most of the cities & towns are also Serbian in origin, although the Albanians have attempted to Albanianize them -- "Pec" (Serbian) became "Peja" (Albanian), "Kosovo" (Serbian) became "Kosova" (Albanian) etc. Again, no Albanian translation of these names, just Albanian pronunciations.
"what most Serb apologists leave out: that the Slavs were intruders into the Balkans who pushed out or enslaved the indigenous people.
But there is also strong evidence that the Albanians came from Anatolia (today's Turkey), so in that sense, it may well be that both the Slavs and the real Albanian ancestors were "intruders" 1,500 years ago. So what's the statute of limitations on this kind of thing? How far do we go back?
"It so happens that the modern-day Albanians have more in common with the Illyrians and Dardanians (the historical people of the Central/Western Balkans) than any other people currently there, excepting the Greeks"
I know that this idea is part of the Albanians "marketing plan for Kosovo independence", but it is a BS version of "Albanian ancestry" originally promoted by communist Albanian leader Enver Hoxha back in the 1950's that even many Albanian ethnologists disagreed with.
I am not sure if anyone has caught the ironic double-speak coming from the State Department on Kosovo independence and Kosovo history:
To the Serbs, C. Rice says re the Battle of Kosovo:after all, we’re talking about something from 1389, 1389. It’s time to move forward."
On the other hand, the Albanians are arguing a "Albanian ownership of the Balkans" from prior to 500AD (500AD!) -- and the State Department support them!
When did logic fail them?
You might want to send some of your links to montyspython so he actually has a counterpoint to post when he responds to me.