Posted on 02/02/2003 2:44:14 PM PST by Destro
Remember this... Serbs fertiled that land for generations, we are there to stay forever. You are there for a paycheck. You will go away shortly, we will remain there forever.
Actually, the brutalizng of the Serbs began in 1986, did you not know that? Serbs were harrassed enroute to school, Ustashe symbols were painted on rooftops. schoolmates attacked their Serbian classmates. Then low and behold, guess what? In 1989, the Croats literally attacked the Serb villagers and chased them out. When the Serbs returned later, do you know what that was called? "Ethnic Cleansing", when the Serbian 1st Eastern Slavonian Special Troops RETURNED TO THE SAME GDDAMNED VILLAGE WE WERE CHASED FROM. Same thing happened to Gorazde, Srebrenica, Foca among the more well-known named villages/cities.
There was never any Croatian Serb, they were Serbs. Tito called them Serbs by shifting the boundaries, thereby referring everyone as "Croatian" Serb, etc... You ever hear of a Serbian "Croatian"? No, as that tag was never important to a state such as Serbia, where there was never any ethnic problems. Exception being the Albanians and radical Muslims who infiltrated the BiH Higher Political Office.
Hmmmm, money money money...It only lasts for so long, then principles win out in the end.
My best friends mother in Beograd is Croatian. She is Croatian. She wants and and everyone calls her Croatian. It is similar to calling her son a "Serbian Serb" or anyone in Croatia, a Croatian Croat, right?
Just thought I would throw this in here for anyone, not just you, so its not an affront. The IFOR account of Bosnian History must be written by the editors of CNN.
"Titoism"
The Bosnian-Muslims
When the FRY was founded there had been only two recognized ethnic groups, Bosnian-Croats and Serbs. In 1968, the Bosnian-Muslims were also declared to be a distinct nation. A new constitution adopted in 1974 led to increased decentralization of governmental powers, giving the six federal states of the republic more political and economic independence, and giving Vojvodina and Kosovo autonomous status. Economic and political developments from 1974 to 1980 set the scene for the ruin of Yugoslavia and the beginning of new conflict in the Balkans.
Death of Tito...
On May 4, 1980, Tito died at age 88 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. After his death, there was increasing resentment of centralized government control. The state-run socialist economy continued to stagnate, as was the case in most of communist Eastern Europe. It was compounded by two facts: a return of the masses of Yugoslav guest-workers who returned home in the face of a depressed economy in Western Europe; and by the end of the favorable position Yugoslavia had held as a non-aligned nation between the US and USSR during the Cold War. Nationalist demands and calls for increased autonomy grew among the various ethnic groups of Yugoslavia. Deteriorating economic circumstances led to ethnic tensions, as nationalist politicians sought scapegoats to blame for the difficult economic times. Increasingly, there were fears by other groups of Serb domination in the region. In the spring of 1981 clashes occurred in Kosovo between the Serb administration and numerous Kosovo Albanians calling for status as the seventh republic, but not for independence. This situation led to bloody and violent demonstrations, which were severely suppressed by the police as well as by tanks of the Yugoslav National Army (JNA).
In February 1984, the city of Sarajevo successfully hosted the Winter Olympics - an international symbol of peace and tolerance. In May 1986, Slobodan Milosevic, a former manager of a gas company, became head of the communist party of Serbia and stressed Serbian ultra-nationalism. The 600th anniversary of the battle of Kosovo Polje on June 28, 1989 provided Milosevic with an opportunity to clearly state his support for the Serb nation, demonstrating pure Serbian chauvinism by claiming tighter control over Kosovo. In March 1989 the autonomous status of Vojvodina and Kosovo was annulled, and those regions, against their collective wills, again became integral parts of Serbia. The dismantling of Tito's multi-ethnic Yugoslavia was underway.
... and of a nation
In 1990 elections were held within Yugoslavia. Only in Montenegro and Serbia did the communist parties win, while nationalist parties came into power in the four other federal republics. The nationalist victories were in many ways a reaction against a fear of increasing Serb power. After the elections Croats and Slovenians abandoned the idea of a unified Yugoslavia, left the FRY, and were recognized by European countries as independent states. Franjo Tudjman, the new Croatian president promised the voters "a strong, democratic and independent Croatia within its historical borders." Serb President Milosevic stated that "in case of the ruin of Yugoslavia, the borders of Serbia must be redefined, because a future Serb state must include all areas where Serbs live."
Bosnia and Herzegovina followed the lead of Slovenia and Croatia, holding a referendum on independence on February 29 and March 1. The referendum was boycotted by many of Bosnian Serbs. When the results of the referendum were announced on March 2 and the peoples' desire for an independent Bosnia and Herzegovina was officially announced, Serb paramilitary set up positions around Sarajevo. On April 6 BiH was recognized as an independent state by the European Community, and Serb paramilitary forces fired on a crowd of peaceful demonstrators. Paramilitary forces had been bombing and shooting in towns throughout Bosnia in March and April. The siege of Sarajevo, as well as the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, had begun.
The peace will be signed in Paris more than three and half years later.
You have your borders that is resolved via diplomatic channels, without outside interference (aka Eaglebruger, Zimmerman, Guenscher, etc...)
WW-III
The 'Empire of Greater Albania' is going to be left chewing nails on this one, Fusion. It's already been agreed as part of Resolution 1244 that a certain number of troops and police will be allowed to return.
This Resolution also ascertains Serbia's sovereign control of the province, allows for the safe return of the 100,000 or so Serbian people (and Roma and other groups) who have been terrorised out of their homes in their own country by the KLA, and excludes the possibility of independence.
The 'international community' may choose to sit safely on the fence, but it's not going to be indefinite, and despite a powerful lobby in the US there is a still a majority view against handing independence to the mob which would take charge. These are the same gangs already causing so much crime elsewhere in Europe.
"Should Belgrade be so foolish as to attempt such an illegal invasion then the descendents of Ancient Illyria -- landed free men in the finest Western tradition -- will once more crush the overrated VJ as happened in 1999."
Oh yes, and they did it all on their own!!? The KLA was the chosen ally of the moment which is why they were kitted out, armed and heavily supported by Nato. Now the KLA is back to being seen as what they are - a violent bunch of separatists who are trying to annex sovereign territory.
Considering that the VJ was being fired on by the most powerful military alliance in the world it's pretty incredible that they successfully managed to fight the KLA at the same time.
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