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Kosovo
Albanians: The Other Side [KLA leader] Hasim Thaci was in the US and other Western countries, not in Kosovo. He came to Kosovo after NATO bombing ceased, and after our army left Kosovo. What kind of Albanian is that who doesn't protect the Albanian people? We, as Albanians, together with the other nationalities, protected everyone in Kosovo. Regardless of whether he is Albanian, Egyptian, Serb or Turk, he's a human being who lives in Kosovo. The US used the Albanian people as the excuse for aggression and perhaps they will again. KFOR and the United States can't guarantee in Kosovo. They can only guarantee that terrorists walk armed through cities and villages and act without restraint. When someone reports that someone is killed or kidnapped, they do nothing to stop such actions. Many KFOR soldiers support the KLA. Lituchy: How many Albanians live in Serbia? Jasari: In Belgrade alone you can find about 80,000, many as long as twenty years. They have rights, they work, they have offices, no one bothers them. Jasari: According to the Serbian Constitution, everyone has the same rights. It doesn't depend on nationality. After the visit of Mr. [Bob] Dole and [Joe] DiGuardi [in 1990] some Albanians started pushing for a Greater Albania. They [i.e., the U.S. government] promised a Greater Albania, providing support, both monetary and other. Friendly: What is your comment on the allegations of wrong-doing by the Serbian military in Kosovo? How would you compare that with what NATO did. Is there some basis for the allegations that the Serbian army was wantonly killing villagers, or were they actually after the KLA? Jasari: It's not true. It's propaganda. The Yugoslav army never attacked anyone in Kosovo. They only defended themselves. Lituchy: An argument certain U.S. officials made was that the US had to go to war because these people couldn't live together. Comments? Jasari: There was no reason to bomb us. We lived together. Why didn't the United States influence the KLA to negotiate with our government before Rambouillet? El-Sayed: When you met Albright [at Rambouillet], why did she say they were in Kosovo? Did she say the Yugoslav army was killing innocent civilians? Jasari: She told me that. I told her, "Don't speak from your imagination. Do you have some facts? We have facts that this isn't happening." But she said, "We don't need facts." You couldn't say anything to her.[Now] Albanians have lost everything. They no longer have property, accommodations. They have a Narco-Mafia [the KLA]. Kosovo is [or was] multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious. Unfortunately, these days Serbians, Romas ("Gypsies"), Muslims, Egyptians, Albanians who don't support the political aims of the KLA have fled. One only one ethnic group will live in Kosovo. Lituchy: Are you getting help right now from abroad? Jasari: None. Lituchy: What kind of help can Americans give? Seholi: Any kind: food, medicine. Clothes, because winter will come. |
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© Janette Rainwater 1997-2004 All rights reserved.
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