“Legal experts said that while the International Court of Justice had ruled that Kosovo’s declaration of independence was legal, it had avoided saying that the state of Kosovo was legal under international law, a narrow and carefully calibrated compromise that they said could allow both sides to declare victory in a dispute that remains raw even 11 years after the war there.”
From: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/world/europe/23kosovo.html?_r=3&ref=world
Disgrace.
And I’m not saying this as a Serbian nationalist from Kosovo or anything. It is a disgrace because an institution that is supposed to use the logic and common sense (whatever that is in this case) decided not to decide at all (!!!), and left the politicians in the UN to play the game and make a “final decision” withing the General Assembly of the UN. An easy parallel would be if the pedagogues in the kindergarten would be asked for an opinion on who is right and who is wrong and they just tell the kids to decide themselves. Who wins? Bigger and stronger, of course, and in most cases those that won’t ever admit they made a mistake.
This way, all they did was to pretty much retain the status quo for now. Both sides will read between the lines in their own ways and we are still far from any kind of a decision. Disgrace!
What has this shown us? Only one thing, in my opinion – that ICJ doesn’t have cojones/balls/muda to do their job.
I mean, since the ’90s, we are being told that we have to deal with what our leaders and people did in the past, been that Srebrenica or whatever else. And we pretty much have dealt with it. I don’t know many people in Serbia that don’t accept Srebrenica as a crime against humanity, and don’t feel ashamed that someone of our kind did that. Sure, there is still a lot that needs to be discussed and accepted on all sides in that bloody war, but we are going into the right direction. As a whole region, that is.
However, what we have in this case is that a major institution – International Court of Justice, which was created to deal with such situations, clearly rejected to show some courage and either confirm that independence is OK, or admit a mistake and support the negotiations about the final status.
What kind of a crap is that? Were they afraid to make a decision that either USA or Russia will not like and thought that this way they won’t get in a position where one super-power doesn’t care about and overrules such decision (remember USA and UN)? Or were they just afraid that a clear decision will spark either fights between Albanians and Serbs or enforce secessionist movements in many regions in the world (Catalonia, to start with – check out the reaction of their PM yesterday, or Armenians in Azerbaijan, or Cyprus situation – check how quickly Germans issued this press release)? (check also other reactions here and here)
- Pic from http://worldfrontpage.com/kosovo_grenade
I honestly believed that this agony will be finished, whatever the decision would be… Honestly… For the sake of the youth that should grow up learning about important things and enjoying life and not watching the news and looking forward to find a way to get a passport and leave the country. I honestly believed that international community has balls to make a decision and stick with it. And, believe it or not, I was ready to accept that Kosovo will not be part of Serbia anymore. I knew it would be hard, but I was ready to cry my ass off and feel miserable for some time. For the sake of the future.
But that was until yesterday. Who is going to convince me today that it is OK to be OK with losing Kosovo? Nobody. Ever. Again.
I’m OK when someone proves me wrong. Someone with a clear idea why I am wrong and he/she is right. But who can prove me wrong here? Someone without a stand?
And stupid rhetorics about “de-facto situation” or “it would be too hard to get back there and convince Albanians that living with Serbs is OK” doesn’t work anymore. It’s just absurd.
And don’t think I’m becoming a nationalist. Nope. Never been, never will be. My thoughts are on a much higher level. I’m actually sure now that my old idea about the need of the World War 3 and “restart of the system” is actually very good. Couple of nukes would probably help solve all the world’s problems. Am sure that Mr. Bush and Clinton would agree with me, along with all leaders of NATO countries. Don’t you agree?
That, or and old idea of Mr. Arthur C. Clarke (somebody reminded me of this idea today):
“Any teacher (leader) that can be replaced by a machine, should be!”
Machines think logically. They know only 1 and 0, true or false. Their logic cannot be affected by Monica Lewinsky, Mr. Putin or fancy Mr. Obama and his administration. They don’t know what the word “inat” means. They don’t give a fuck. That’s why I love computers.
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Pingback:Viktor Markovic
The reason ICJ's verdict is not a definitive one is because the situation is so complex that it's almost impossible to solve, as you already know. There is no solution that could satisfy all sides and that's it. It's a chicken and egg problem.
Exactly. There is no solution that could satisfy all sides. We all know that. They also knew it after every war in the history. So why trying now?
I'm sick of waiting, you know…
No balls these days… That's why we need computers 😉
Are you suggesting we should let a computer decide who's right? I like that approach, it's fair. "Computers don't blunder" 🙂
I'm suggesting computers should be installed instead of all our leaders. That way, all future decisions will be well structured and logical 🙂
Pingback:Dragan Krstic
To prove my thoughts – the political pressure already started:
"(Reuters) – Serbia rejected the World Court ruling that backed Kosovo's independence declaration on Thursday, a stand that might create more problems for its stalled European Union membership bid." http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66L3XZ20100…
Pingback:Ilija Šuša
Srebrenica was genocide. Quit rewriting history.
And the decision was as plain as it will ever be (it's a different matter that you don't like it) so quit the melodrama and move on with your life, like you yourself suggest.
If the decision was plain/clear, then we wouldn't have to analyze it, wouldn't we?
And I do wish that melodrama finished already… This way, it looks more like a real soap opera or a Monty Python show, just with a bit darker humor.
am not gonna comment on Srebrenica, because whatever I say, you'd say it's not good enough…
*You* analyze it.
Others do not analyze it, and don't have to.
Kosovo is independent country whether you like it or not, or wish to admit. Personally, I think this is the best possible outcome for Serbia. As soon as this nightmare is over, Serbia could start going forward.
Serbia's EU bid now looks pretty much doomed for whole other set of reasons.
And your "high level thoughts" of "need for a WW3 restart" are just plain retarded. They come hand in hand with "Tesla secret weapon" and other Serbian fantasies.
I give you credit for being sincere, and very true — this kind of thinking nicely describe Serbian suicidal tendencies. If one could make 2M Albanians disappear, he would be hailed today as Serbian national hero.
We are not able to choose right allies, we do not learn anything from the past, and we are driven by mix of fantasies, sentiment and corruption instead of national interest, especially in the last 20 years.
These are the reasons that brought us here in the first place, it is just too late.
Srdjan, you have clear prejudices about me here, which tells me we never met in person 😉
but OK, that's fine too, I respect everyone's thoughts, even if they call me a retard 😉
just let me get it straight for you since there is obviously a need for that – I'm being sarcastic here and even within this sarcasm I'm not calling for an idea that Albanians should disappear. I'm talking about the world in general, not just Serbs and Albanians. About being almost obliged to be on the side of US and NATO or Russia on the other side. I don't want that. I dislike their approach equally.
On the other side – I do understand that in your and at least 2 million other heads Kosovo is independent, but go to news.google.com and type Kosovo and you'll see plenty of different analysis about what the rule means and how will it affect the future.
My point in this blogpost was not to put myself on one of the sides, but to say that ICJ should have set the rule in a way that cannot be interpreted differently.
And what have they done? they said that technicaly they could do such a declaration, and then said that UN never asked them whether it's ok or not for Kosovo to be independent. Bullshit, whether you like it or not.
And trust me, I wanted it to be finished probably even more then you do, but I don't trust the international community anymore and most honestly I don't give a flying f.ck about EU accession if they are going to blackmail us with Kosovo.
Perhaps you don't agree, but I hope you at least allow different opinions.
I am not taking sides either. I am just sick and tired of living in a virtual reality.
I realize that you would not throw A-bomb on Kosovo… Who would like to live in post-WW3 Serbia anyway, with or without Kosovo? But it is a common thought here, like a final solution for Albanian problem, we just need Putin to nod and here we go… The problem is: it would never happen.
Serbia already played that card — in 1999 — and it failed, it did not produce results like in Croatia few years prior. In both fights we never had allies, hence the result. Now we cling on hope that BRIC countries and poor African nations would somehow put their own interests aside for us… pathetic.
Even more pathetic is the word game we are trying to play: we asked one thing, court answered, now what about the ___ we didn't ask?
Much more likely is that people would abandon Kosovo and Serbia altogether (like you did, and many others), and Albanians would swarm lands north of Kosovo.
This is why I would rather live in 85% of current country and have a life and some prospects, then in 100% of the imaginary Serbia without any real future. For the remaining 15% nobody really cares anyway, beyond the comfort zone of blogs, government offices and perhaps family meetings.
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Pingback:Kosovo “did not violate international law”… « Fabian's Blog
I wrote my blog about this subject and made a link to yours. Here is my blog: http://blog.fabian-vendrig.eu/2010/07/kosovo-%E2%…
Pingback:Nikola Jovanovic
Imagine what Serbian democracy would look like with Kosovo:
In the last elections, you had about 1.3 million vote for DS and the same number voting for the radicals, who have now split.
There would be, what? about 1.3 million Albanians eligible to vote?
If that happened, and Albanians voted in a block, Albanians would be at-least the second-most powerful party by numbers and definitely the most important important party in coalition building. EVERYTHING would be about Kosovo. You couldn't change a street-sign in Belgrade without Kosovo being somehow part of the issue.
People who bleat "Kosovo is Serbia", whether they realize it or not, are begging for Hacim Thaci to be Serbia's finance minister and for Albanians to be the most important and powerful political entity in Serbia.
Serbia's better off without Kosovo.
I would love to see these elections. That's called democracy and I don't have anything against it, on the contrary.
I guess, then, you have nothing against 90%+ people in Kosovo voting for independence.
Also, regarding your cartoon and the inclusion of Quebec.
Quebec people had TWO referenda on the issue of sovereignty. In 1995, the rest of Canada went down on it's knees and begged Quebec not to separate. They didn't.
French is an official language in Canada.
Is Albanian an official language in Serbia?
How many Serbs went to Kosovo and walked about Pristina with "please don't go" signs written in sometimes-poor Albanian?
How many farmers cut 3km messages in their fields in Serbia so you could read "We're better together" in Albanian from a plane?
How many times did Kostunica go on TV and beg Albanians, in Albanian, not to separate?
Alaska? gimmie a break. Surprised you didn't throw in California or Texas as Serbs sometimes do.
To throw in all these regions which had or could possibly have some notion of separating, completely disregards Serbian contempt of Albanians and any understanding of WHY they might want to leave.
"Before they could get a chance?"
What do you mean by "chance"?
if by "chance" you mean their autonomy taken away, Albanians removed from political posts and Kosovo turned into a police state for 10 years, I think they had a lot of "chances"
No, by chance I mean before 90s.
Even in "golden Tito's time" they were not satisfied because they all they actually want is so called Great Albania. I believe you speak Serbian, so here's the an interesting link for you – http://www.blic.rs/Vesti/Politika/218268/Galup-Ve….
If you don't speak Serbian, use http://translate.google.com.
And don't be fooled – Albanian was an official language in Kosovo, and on all papers was even before Serbian. Of course it isn't official in Northern Serbia, as there are no Albanians there, but we do have Hungarian and other languages of minorities being official wherever there is a substantial presence of a minority group (wouldn't want to shoot out numbers by heart, but there is a law defining that, and noone really ever objected on this law, not even Albanians).
In any case, I do respect your opinion and I sometimes catch myself judging some other conflicts just like you are – based on common knowlegde, which is defined by media and "the strong", if you know what I mean…
But truth ain't that simple. I lived there and I know what I'm talking about, just like you know better about Quebec.
"different cultures do it in different ways"
Look at Canada and see how to deal with a separatist movement successfully
Look to Serbia if you want to see how to not only abjectly fail at dealing with a secessionist movement, but let the issue drag the country down for years and years.
http://peckopivo.com/cognitive-dissonance/