Free Republic

As someone who has been following and writing about the events in the Balkans for over a decade, the announced death in myriads of newspapers throughout the world of President Ibrahim Rugova of Kosovo, was of deep interest to me. Virtually nothing is mentioned in the media nor in Congress anymore of the dire situation for the remaining Christian Serbian population in Kosovo. It is as though the Balkan war never happened, nor the consequences of that war. While Rugova's method of achieving independence for Kosovo is described as nonviolent he often found himself allied with Hashim Thaci, the leader...

"Unfortunately neither political representatives of the Kosovo Albanians nor the international community realized what a chance this was for us to start changing relations between Serbs and (ethnic) Albanians," Tadic said. "If the presence of a Serbian president at a funeral in Pristina is unacceptable, the begging question is whether we are acceptable to one another and whether we shall ever be so in the future," he said.

MOSCOW, Russia (UPI) -- Several leaders of conflict-ridden regions have left the political scene recently, with each man`s departure emphasizing how important or relative the influence of the individual on history can be. The demise of Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat removed a big obstacle from the path to settlement, but it was only one of many. Disease has disabled Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whose will and influence allowed peacekeepers to make a few more difficult steps on this road. But his departure from the political scene will not change the situation a great deal. Sharon has done the...

Pristina, 5 Dec. (AKI) - Kosovo president Ibrahim Rugova’s religious beliefs have become the subject of wild speculation as the health of the 61 year old, who is spearheading Kosovo's independence drive, worsens. Rugova has been hospitalised since last week with lung cancer and there have been widespread rumours in Pristina that he has told close associates he wants to be buried as a Catholic. About 95 per cent of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians are Muslims and the matter of Rugova’s religion has until now never been raised. Kosovo political analyst Nexhmedin Spahiu says that Rugova was a Muslim, though he...

PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) - Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, who had been suffering from lung cancer, died on Saturday, Kosovo officials close to the president said. He was 62. A Western official in the provincial capital of Pristina confirmed that Rugova had died. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make a public announcement on the president's death. Rugova, who came to embody ethnic Albanians' struggle for independence from Serbia, was officially diagnosed with lung cancer last September.

Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, a central figure in the province's political life for the past 15 years, has announced he has lung cancer. In a TV address Monday, he said he would "overcome this battle" and stay on in office. Addressing the people of Kosovo in a TV address on Monday (5 September), President Ibrahim Kosovo said he has been diagnosed with lung cancer and would now undergo intensive treatment in order to "overcome this battle". He also said he has no plans to step down. Rugova returned to Kosovo's capital, Pristina, on Saturday after a week of treatment...

An explosive device placed in a trash container exploded in downtown Pristina Tuesday damaging the passing car carrying Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova. The blast occurred at 8:20 am as President Rugova's motorcade was headed to a meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. The president was not injured but one person was hurt by flying glass and the president's car was damaged. Shop windows were blown out from the blast which police say was apparently detonated by remote control. Mr. Rugova, who continued with his regular schedule, said the blast proves there are still bad elements who want...

PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro - A grenade was thrown at the residence of Kosovo's President Ibrahim Rugova early Friday. He and his family were not harmed, but a guard was slightly injured, officials said. The grenade apparently was hurled from a passing vehicle, said Malcolm Ashby, a U.N. police spokesman. Rugova's spokesman Muhamet Hamiti said the blast caused damage to walls and windows of the residence. "This was a serious criminal attack on the highest institution of our country and we condemn it in the strongest terms," Hamiti said, urging quick action to catch the perpetrators. Kosovo, which officially remains part of...

17:34 THE VATICAN, Dec 20 (Tanjug) - Pope John Paul II on Saturday received Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova in a private audience. The Vatican did not say anything about the subject of the talks, the US news agency Associated Press said.

THE HAGUE, June 10 (AFP) - A former member of Kosovo state security testified Monday in the war crimes trial of Slobodan Milosevic that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) plotted to kill Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova. "According to our knowledge the KLA planned an assassination attempt against Rugova. Is that correct?" Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president who is representing himself at the trial, asked the witness."It's correct," the man -- who is under protective measure by the court and is known only as "K6" -- replied calmly. He did not elaborate on the plans or how he came by...

Rugova in court clash with Milosevic over war crimes The former Yugoslav president is defending himself against charges of murdering about 900 ethnic Albanians and expelling about 800,000 from Kosovo in the spring of 1999. He faces a total of 66 charges, including genocide, for atrocities in Bosnia and Croatia in the early 1990s. Milosevic became Serbian president, having founded his nationalistic appeal on a pledge never to allow Kosovo to secede, and revoked its autonomy. Mr Rugova told the court antagonism grew as Serb authorities in Belgrade sacked thousands of Kosovo Albanians from government jobs "just because of their...