MTCowgirl - Expat Extraordinaire

Footnotes, Diaries, and Politicial Mudslinging

2012-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

Some of the biggest news coming out of Kosovo recently has been the agreement reached between Serbia and Kosovo on how Kosovo will be represented in international organizations. The compromise reaches removes the phrase "Republic of" before Kosovo and puts an asterisk following with a footnote stating ""This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence." And with that, UNMIK has stated that it shall only attend regional conferences "if necessary".

However, the footnote is not the only focus lately in the local media. Two big issues that the international coverage has failed to pick up on has been the continuation of the Klecka war crimes trial and the political mudslinging between the Kosovo political parties that I thought I would get to miss this election year! The articles I will link to are from local news sources in Albanian but Google Translate does the job if you need a translation :)

So the Klecka Trial...it's basically in the news almost every day here. I have mentioned it a few times before but here is a bit of an update. The defense attorneys continue to question the admissibility of the diary of Witness X, Agim Zogaj. Questions have been raised over the fact that Zogaj only signed statements in English, a language he reportedly did not master, and no Albanian translation of the statements was provided to him. Further to the requests regarding the prosecutor, Salustro, it has been reported that the defense has sent a request to the Head of EULEX to request the lifting of his immunity to answer questions about allegations in Witness X's diary that he was threatened by Salustro.

Ah political mudslinging!!! You would almost think that you were in the US during election season but let's not forget that Kosovo should soon be gearing up for presidential elections in the next year or so! It seems to have started with political disagreements about accepting the footnote which was seen by many Kosovo politicians to diminish the Declaration of Independence. Following very public disagreements in parliament and the media, it is reported that the US Ambassador, Christopher Dell, called two of the largest parties, LDK and Vetevendosje, anti-American and anti-European. Then Thaci gave a speech in Lipjan where he said that if Ibrahim Rugova saw LDK he would weep and if Ramush Haradinaj saw AAK he would laugh at the current leadership. Naturally the parties have came back and called Thaci everything from irresponsible to a poor leader.

Taste of Home

2012-03-01T06:27:00.001-08:00

Recently, we discovered a taste of home in the Tusido Cafe located on the lower level of the Pristina Football Stadium. The first time we walked into the restaurant, Alan Jackson was blaring over the sound system via a satellite radio station. We then proceeded to gobble down Buffalo Chicken sandwich wraps that reminded us of being back home. One menu item that we can't wait to try are the Buffalo Wings. Based on the chicken served in the wrap, the wings are the spicy tidbits of chicken we are used to being served back home in the US. And while we haven't tried the breakfast yet I hope to get down there one morning as they offer skillet breakfasts and pancakes.

A pet peeve of mine, restaurant bathrooms, proved not to be an issue with the super clean and tasteful decor of the bathrooms at Tusido. While the smoking section does impede on the non-smoking section, we didn't find that we left the restaurant reeking of cigarettes, a huge plus in Pristina!

Stop by the location at the Pristina FC Stadium, visit online, or give them a call at 038 233 666

Long, Hard Winter

2012-02-29T06:51:00.002-08:00

This winter has been heralded as the worst winter in more than 60 years. With record snowfalls, sub-zero temperatures, and avalanches it has been a long, hard winter for those in Kosovo. A few weeks ago it was said that some 150 villages had basically been cut off from the rest of the world as roads were impassible. Southeast European Times has a neat little photo essay highlighting the difficulty of winter in Kosovo villages.

On 10 February, an avalanche buried the village of Restelica. Amazingly a 5-year-old girl was pulled out from under 10 meters (33 feet) of snow that killed nine other members of her family including her parents.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

Rising domestic violence in Kosovo worries experts
NATO updates plans for Kosovo drawdown
Kosovo has highest unemployment rate in Western Balkans
Kosovo judiciary endures threats and lack of security
US Ambassador, Christopher Dell, ends mandate in Kosovo

It has been a while so here is MTCowgirl's Interesting News/Commentary...
As usual, these articles do not reflect personal opinion but were found to be "interesting"

Kosovo farmer blames KFOR for stressed chickens
Dutch politician says Balkan people are not Europeans
Mercedes-Benz refuses to deal with government contractors over concerns on Kosovo corruption
Tales from the US Embassy in Pristina...the lovesick American who needed a loan...twice
Art and identity in Kosovo

Kosovo Celebrates 4th Anniversary of Declaration of Independence

2012-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

The daily wonders of life with a baby often get in the way and I have been slightly remiss in my postings lately. I missed blogging about the 4th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in Kosovo when it was ongoing. Most of my local friends lament about why the Kosovo politicians and their Western backers couldn't have waited a few more months until the weather was better but that didn't stop the indoor celebrations!

As usual, the day of celebration was met with articles about the challenges that remain ahead. Another major focus was the results of the Serb-led referendum in the North (where the result was pretty much predicted before voting even began) where Serbs rejected the Kosovo government. Even Vetevendosje's leader, Albin Kurti, did not seem to be in a festive mood this Independence Day stating that the only people that would be celebrating would be the government officials who became rich by "working as politicians during the day and as businessmen at night".

The really big news however is the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on two "key" issues: border management and Kosovo representation in international conferences. And with the agreement has come an increased chance that Serbia will begin European Union accession discussions as they have now been recommended for candidate status. Despite the proclamation by Kosovo PM, Haschim Thaci, that Serbia had recognized Kosovo's independence, the Head of the Serbian delegation for negotiations has declared that Serbia will never recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

Klecka Trial Resumes

2012-02-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

After a break for the holidays, the Klecka war crimes trial started again this past Monday with much of the focus on former Transport Minister, Fatmir Limaj. His defense team has raised issues about former judge, now lead prosecutor in the case, Maurizio Salustro, who is accused of threatening the prosecution's star witness known as "Witness X" who committed suicide last September in Germany. The defense has also requested that Salustro be removed from the case. EULEX today denied both requests stating that there was no legal basis for Salustro's removal and backing Salustro's statement that his status as an international staff member gives him immunity against prosecution (I'm no lawyer but it seems to me that prosecution and being called as a witness are two different things! As Limaj's lawyer points out, yes immunity from prosecution but not from questioning)
In an article on the progress of EULEX, which claims to be doing just fine, the EUobserver notes that the problem of organized crime continues to dog EULEX with no major "players" ever being indicted four years after the mission announced operational capacity.

The International Civilian Office (ICO) has appointed a new head of office, Samuel Zbogar, to replace Peter Feith. Zbogar will continue to act as the Slovenian Foreign Minister as well as being the EU High Representative in Kosovo. In an interview, Zbogar sees the greatest challenge to be the relations between Albanian and Serbian communities and states that the tensions in the north are of the highest priority.

It has been a while but here are some of MTCowgirl's Interesting News Articles/Commentary on Kosovo! As usual, the disclaimer is that these articles do not necessarily reflect personal opinion but pose an interesting viewpoint on Kosovo.

Why is the US State Department is pushing coal on Kosovo
Congratulations, Kosovo (sarcasm alert!)
Can a town divided against itself stand?
Bronx playwright dramatized Kosovo war
Vetevendsosje's Determination
Kosovo's unacceptable amnesties

KEK in State of Emergency

2012-02-03T02:19:00.000-08:00

With a week of below 0 temperatures (both C and F!) and last week's heavy snow, KEK has declared a state of emergency and put their crews on 24 hour standby as electricity supplies wane. In addition to problems producing enough electricity due to the weather, KEK is struggling against restrictions on imports imposed by Serbia.

Last night, with one phase of power to the house completely off, we had two hours of power and then two-three hours without power. Thankfully with well insulated walls, the temperature didn't dip too far but there was a chill to the air in our house. This morning KEK has been out with a crane truck in our neighborhood, hopefully to fix the problem with the one phase that is out (if I remember correctly, there are three different phases of power. How the house is built depends on which phases the house uses, one, two, or all three).

Digging Out

2012-01-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

After many a winter in Kosovo, I have to say that I can't remember one where there has been so much snow in a short period of time! In the past two days, Kosovo has received a couple feet of snow with high winds which has whipped the snow into drifts that come up to my waist (not difficult when you are only 5'4").

The biggest complaint by far has not been the power situation, which in our neighborhood on the outskirts of town near Film City has been fairly constant with the occasional one hour outage, but rather the lack of snowplows clearing the roads in Pristina. The responsibility for plowing the roads lies with the municipality and the mayor of Pristina, Isa Mustafa, has been getting hit pretty hard with criticism on the local news channels for leaving people stranded.

But the upside to all the snow in Pristina is that there is a ton of snow in Brezovica and the skiing is likely to last well into the spring this year after a dismal season last year. The conditions on the mountain can be checked from IPKO's Brezovica webcam.

To give an idea of how much snow there has been, check out this fantastic photo from Snow Njeri :)

Downtown Pristina - Newborn Sign

Vetevendosje Clashes with Police

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-08:00

Kosovo Police clashed with Vetevendosje demonstrators as the Self-Determination Group gathered to block two Kosovo borders, protesting reciprocity measures against Serbia, on Saturday, 14 January. Many people were injured, reportedly Vetevendosje leader Albin Kurti, as protestors hurled rocks at the police and the police responded with pepper spray, water cannons, and tear gas. More than 140 people were arrested and around 50 people, mostly police, were injured during the protest.

After the protests concluded, the blame game began with Kosovo politicians criticizing Vetevendosje's methods and Vetevendosje accussing the police of brutality and Prime Minister Haschim Thaci of encouraging the crackdown. Protesting the use of force against the Vetevendosje demonstartion, 50 NGOs gathered outside the Kosovo government building today.

Many have criticized Vetevendosje's actions likening them to intimidation used in the 1999 war and the EU Rapporteur for the Western Balkans calls them a "provocation promoting isolation "

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T11:30:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted...so here's a quick catch-up! Plus Happy New Year! This year will mark 11 years of being in Kosovo. Many laugh at the notion but I truly do call Kosovo home. Some have called me crazy after ranting about how bad it is in Kosovo when they find out just how long I have been here...but honestly, they have no idea what bad is in Kosovo. I am glad to say "Kosovo, you've done good" in the incredible amount of progress I have seen since hitting the ground in July 2001. Granted there is still a ways to go but I am thrilled that Kosovo has managed to rebuild and grow!

Kosovo, KFOR, and the Serbs continue their back and forth over the roadblocks in the North. No real viable solution seems to be in sight despite Serbia telling the Kosovo Serbs to remove the barricades and their assurances that freedom of movement will be established.

In mid-December, a Russian aid convoy captured headlines when it was stopped by EULEX customs officials when entering Kosovo. EULEX said the convoy would either have to accept an escort, a move seen to get EULEX, KFOR, and Kosovo police past the still present Serb barricades, or pass through a Pristina controlled border point. A few days later the convoy would be allowed to pass with an EULEX escort.

More than a year after losing his job due to corruption charges, the Director of Kosovo's Central Bank, Hashim Rexhepi, was cleared of all five charges levied against him by EULEX in what was widely criticized as a politically motivated case.

Trial of KLA Fighters Begins

2011-11-11T07:43:00.001-08:00

The very publicized and widely debated trial of 10 KLA fighters has begun today with much of the focus on Fatmir Limaj. Many of the articles fail to even mention the other nine defendants facing charges of war crimes, torture and murder of kidnapped civilians and paramilitaries in 1999. All 10 defendants have plead not guilty to the charges.

Limaj's defense has requested a delay of the trial until January citing the late presentation of evidence for examination by the prosecution. Additionally, it is rumored that the trial is waiting for the forensic results for the death of Agim Zogaj, also known as Witness X, who was the prosecution's star witness until his alleged suicide in Germany.

Yesterday, EULEX prosecutor Maurizio Salustro was reported to have interviewed Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci, one of the few former KLA commanders who have not faced war crimes charges, on the request of Limaj's defense team.

One Serb Killed, Two Injured in Northern Kosovo

2011-11-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

One Serb and two were injured in a clash on Wednesday evening in the north of Kosovo. According to a statement from OSCE, one of the injured is reported to be a Kosovo police officer who responded to the initial shooting. Stories on what happened are varying depending on the source. Some say that the shooting is alleged to have taken place during a quarrel between Albanians and Serbs although it is unclear who did the shooting. And other reports are that the shooting occured in response to a robbery when Serbs were trying to break into Albanian homes.

All international organizations and the governments of Serbia and Kosovo have condemned the shooting. Serb residents and politicians are calling for a swift investigation into the incident by EULEX.

KFOR Begins Removing Roadblocks

2011-10-20T02:38:00.000-07:00

KFOR has confronted angry groups of Serbs in the North of Kosovo as they begin to remove barricades. Using pepper spray, tear gas, and loudspeakers requesting the groups to disperse, KFOR has acted on the Serb's refusal to agree on removing the roadblocks which have been impeding movement of EULEX and KFOR in the North of Kosovo for the past three months. Stating that the protestors were in a KFOR protected zone, people were warned to go home or else force could be used.

What's Important in Kosovo - Local News

2011-10-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

Often there is a disparity between what the local newspapers write about and what appears in the international media. Of course, the situation in the North of Kosovo is a hot topic but there is a lot of other issues of importance being discussed in Kosovo that don't even appear or only appear as a brief blip on the international radar.

Take for instance, news today about 27 different request for Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci to travel to Europe have been refused due to allegations of corruption (blip) or Fatmir Limaj's war crimes trial is scheduled to begin on 9 November (not reported). Or maybe even more interesting, there are new allegations of corruption in the tendering process with a completely new Ministry of Transportation for road construction .

Another item appearing only as a blip in the international media has been the cancellation of planned privatization of PTK, Kosovo's Post and Telecomms, due to allegations of corruption. The cancellation of the privatization has a very big impact on the economic situation of Kosovo as the proceeds from the sale were expected to fill budgetary gaps in the Kosovo government. Now without the funds from the sale going into the government budget, it will be interesting to see how Kosovo will finance the planned budget which relied heavily on the sale of PTK.

KFOR Warms Serbs to Remove Roadblocks

2011-10-19T02:21:00.000-07:00

Two days ago on Monday KFOR reportedly was going to forcibly remove the roadblocks impeding movement in the North of Kosovo. It was then announced that the mayor of the North had reached an agreement to remove the roadblocks themselves and KFOR extended the deadline until Tuesday but convoys were still stopped. Yesterday it is reported that the schools in the North were closed and women/children were sent to reinforce the roadblocks to prevent their removal. Today, Wednesday, KFOR has warned that the roadblocks should be removed or else KFOR will start removing them tomorrow.

Kosovo Serbs Dig In

2011-10-06T02:23:00.000-07:00

Little it seems has changed in the north of Kosovo since the bloody protests that left 10 people injured last week. Reports are that Kosovo Serbs are digging in, NATO will not investigate the actions of KFOR personnel, and EULEX is investigating the local population for allegedly trying to ram a vehicle through the KFOR barriers and other incidents. The protestors continue to man barricades and reinforce roadblocks with a total of 18 barricades in the north. The New York Times runs an interesting look at the situation of the Kosovo Serbs to join Kosovo and end their push for autonomy as international pressure strengthens and support from Belgrade has weakened.

Tuesday evening, the vehicle of a Serb interpreter working for EULEX was blown up outside the EU office in Mitrovica. EULEX has condemned the attack and called it a "clear attempt at intimidation".

Yesterday, EULEX raided the Ministry of Internal Affairs whose head has been at odds with EULEX recently saying "God save us from EULEX" over allegations of corruption into tenders for supplying the Kosovo Police Service with equipment. One ministry official, three businessmen, and two officials from the Kosovo Police Service.

Meanwhile, the death of Witness X, Agim Zogaj, was confirmed as a suicide by the German authorities. The Zogaj family received the body on Saturday and was expected to hold a funeral in Prizren on the same day. The family continues to blame EULEX, stating that they kidnapped him, and still questions if his death was actually suicide. It is expected that the trial will proceed without the key witness and debate has ensued over whether or not EULEX will be able to use recorded testimony in the trial as the defense will not be afforded the opportunity to cross-examine the witness. Another potential witness is reported to have informed EULEX that he is not willing to testify now due to safety reasons. There have been calls for EULEX to review its witness protection although details of the protection afforded Zogaj has not been released by EULEX.

Kosovo - The New Wine Destination?

2011-09-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I must admit that some of my favorite wines come from the Balkans so it is no surprise to find an article that wonders if the next trendy wine destination is Kosovo. Kosovo has produced inexpensive yet good quality wine for quite some time and it is wonderful to finally see Kosovo winemakers receive recognition. While there are still obstacles for recognition of the quality and brands of Kosovo wine, I do not believe that it will take long for Kosovo wines to become favorites abroad especially once the customs issue has been addressed.

Free Albanian Lessons

2011-09-28T08:29:00.000-07:00

After 5/10 years respectively of being in Kosovo, Troy and I signed up for free Albanian language lessons at Basement Bar in Pristina. Both of us speak a smattering of conversational Albanian and can count to 10 but have always understood a lot more than we could actually speak. Lessons are offered at different days of the week depending on your level. Stop by at Rexhep Luci No 9-1 (Downtown Pristina) or give them a ring (049 151 000) if you are interested!

Witness in War Crimes Trial Found Dead

2011-09-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

Agim Zogaj, aka Witness X, in the war crimes trial against Fatmir Limaj was found dead this morning in Germany. Initial reports indicate that Zoga committed suicide but so far German authorities have not released a cause of death.

After yesterday's clash between Serbs and KFOR, the Serbian delegation has walked out of European Union sponosored talks in Belgium. KFOR states that they fired tear gas and rubber bullets and that they came under fire and had pipe bombs thrown at them. However Serbian witnesses and authorities say that KFOR provoked and used live ammunition against the demonstrators.

Serbs Clash with KFOR in North Kosovo

2011-09-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

At approximately 1300hrs today, a group of Serb protestors clashed with KFOR at the Jarinje border crossing in the North of Kosovo. KFOR reportedly responded to the demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets after coming under fire by rocks and guns. Serbian media also states that KFOR used live ammunition and lists one of the injured as being in a coma and the other in serious condition.

It is reported that four (4) members of KFOR were injured and 10 Serb protestors were injured in the clash. The peacekeepers were reportedly injured by makeshift pimp bombs were thrown at their position at the border and one soldier is said to be in critical condition.

Some Serb leaders are urging calm while a group of angry demonstrators attacked and damaged two police vehicles in the North and Serbia's Minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, is blaming KFOR for the violence . EULEX and KFOR have deployed reinforcements to the south of the Ibar river.

Earlier today, KFOR used bulldozers to remove mounds of gravel placed as roadblocks in the North. Demonstrators responded by recreating roadblocks in various areas.

In unrelated news, Romania, which has not recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence, has announced that it would be withdrawing its force from EULEX when their contingent members reach the end of their secondment. Currently Romania contributes around 170 police officers and gendarmerie to EULEX.

Kosovo Constitutional Court Rules Against Diplomatic Immunity

2011-09-27T02:38:00.001-07:00

The Kosovo Constitutional Court has ruled that Kosovo parliamentarians and government officials do not have diplomatic immunity in response to the EULEX request for clarification that was forwarded by PM Haschim Thaci. Within 24 hours of the announcement of the court's decision, EULEX placed Fatmir Limaj under a 30-day house arrest in connection with war crimes charges filed earlier this year. The date of the trial has not been set yet but it is rumored that the trial will begin on 17 October according to local media or late October according to EULEX.

The decision of the Constitutional Court has been criticized by various members of the Kosovo government as a threat to democracy and political maneuvering to get rid of competition in the run-up to the presidential elections next year. Some Kosovo politicians worry that removing diplomatic immunity from parliamentarians will lead to less freedom as members of the government will fear retribution for speaking out against powerful politicians and have a negative impact on the working of the parliament because its members can be detained while the parliament is in session, as the case with the upcoming session which Fatmir Limaj will have to sit out due to his house arrest. Other politicians say that it is a move by PM Thaci to create a police state.

The war crimes trial of former PM Ramush Haradinaj is continuing after a three week break. The court heard testimony from a protected witness, designated at Witness 077, who was reportedly a member of the FARK (Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo) who crossed into Kosovo from Albania. The witness told the court that the Haradinaj, a commander in the KLA, told the FARK brigade to "go back where they came from" and alleges that five of the FARK members were taken and killed by the KLA.

Kosovo Prepares for Establishing Border Checkpoints in the North

2011-09-15T07:51:00.000-07:00

Kosovo is preparing to establish border checkpoints in the North of Kosov tomorrow to implement the customs agreement brokered by the European Union. Many roadblocks have been set-up in the north including a mound of gravel dumped on the main bridge in Mitrovica to block traffic. Serbia is stating that the establishment of the border checkpoints will bring instability while Kosovo says that it has the right to establish rule of law in all of Kosovo. NATO and other organizations are repeatedly urging everyone to stay calm as the tensions build.

The recognition of Kosovo has been in the news lately with Kosovo Foreign Minister Enver Hoxaj touring the Middle East and Deputy Prime Minister Pacolli in Africa. Hoxaj states that Egypt will likely recognize Kosovo soon and that Arab countries are starting to warm up to the idea of recognizing Kosovo independence. Meanwhile, Pacolli has announced that Nigeria recognized Kosovo two days ago and that he expects a recognition soon from South Africa. Serbia has also been in the news saying that countries have begun to revoke their recognitions of Kosovo, including Oman and Guinea Bissu. Serbia also says that another two countries have initiated the process to revoke Kosovo recognition but have not provided any names so far. Lastly, an article in South East Asian News Agency explores the reasons why Pakistan should recognize Kosovo.

Two Kosovo Leaders Answer to War Crimes Charges

2011-09-09T01:48:00.000-07:00

The long awaited re-trial of Ramush Haradinaj has begun in the Hague in late August. Haradinaj and two other defendants are charged with six counts of war crimes. The retrial is the first in the court's history and stems from the last minute appeal of the prosecution who were denied an extension in the last trial for more time to interview two witnesses.

The case seems to mainly hinge on the testimony of Sevcet Kabashi and another witness designated only as "Witness X". Kabashi appeared in Netherlands the day before the trial started and was arrested. He is being held in the Hague and has separately plead guilty to contempt of court for refusing to testify. When put on the stand Kabashi has repeatedly responded to the prosecutors that he cannot rememeber the details of previous statements or begins anti-tribunal rants. With the prosecution failing to obtain testimony from Kabashi, one commentator wonders if the Haradinaj trial was over before it begun?

The other Kosovo leader facing renewed war crimes charges is Fatmir Limaj, who also is still under investigation by EULEX for corruption during his time as the Minister of Post, Telcomms, and Transport. The charges are separate from the charges brought by the Hague for which he was acquitted in 2005. Ten other defendants were arrested in early 2011 however Limaj has remained free due to questions about his immunity that stems from being a member of the Parliament. The question for immunity has been forwarded to the Constitutional Court by Prime Minister Haschim Thaci who has been accussed of trying to eliminate potential political rivals as time nears for the presidential elections. As SETimes explores, the indictment of Limaj has many political impacts for Kosovo.

Kosovo Goverment Bans Religion in Schools

2011-09-06T01:51:00.000-07:00

As the holy month of Ramadan closed, in a move that has angered some, the Kosovo government voted against changing the ban on headscarves and a motion to add religious instructions in schools. Kosovo while having a Muslim majority is secular with a strong separation of "church and state".

The confirmation of the headscarf ban will no doubt lead to more frustration and increasing anti-government rhetoric the demonstrators for establishing a landmark mosque in the center of Pristina who have been protesting the past few months. The demonstrators point to the construction of the Catholic Cathedral in the center of town as a marginalization of the Muslim faithful as they do not have a large symbol of their faith (on a side note, the author has heard that the Vatican purchased the land where the cathedral has been built, it wasn't freely given by the Kosovo government.). Although there are 22 mosques in Pristina, the group says that there is not enough room to accomodate the faithful and are demanding that the government allocate land for the construction of the mosque.

Northern Kosovo Explodes

2011-07-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday (20 July), the Kosovo government introduced a reciprocity ban on goods from Serbia as Serbia does not recognize goods with the Kosovo customs stamp. Kosovo also implemented a 10% tax on goods from Bosnia & Herzegovina who has not yet recognized Kosovo's declaration of independence. Serbia and B&H have complained to CEFTA and the European Union on the Kosovo ban saying that it is illegal.

Kosovo Police went into the North of Kosovo to begin enforcing the ban on Tuesday (26 July) and one Albanian police officer was fatally shot. Ethnic Serbs set fire to the border checkpoints after EULEX police surrendered the borders to the mobs prompting harsh criticism of the mission for failure to establish rule of law in the North. Serbs continue to protest the Kosovo government's actions by blocking the roads and preventing NATO troops from moving around in the North resulting in the use of helicopters to transport police and troops. However NATO has taken over control of the two border checkpoints and established a military zone with the warning that the troops have authorization to fire upon anyone threatening property or persons. European Union, EULEX, and US officials have expressed concern that Pristina acted unilaterally and did not consult them before taking action in the North which has been a flashpoint since the end of the war in 1999.

As KFOR has been withdrawing and reducing troop size due to "increased stability/security" in Kosovo recently, one wonders if KFOR will be able to enforce peace in Kosovo as the renewed violence threatens the stability of Kosovo. Also, as the sparks fly, people are questioning who stands to gain something by the renewed tensions? Another article explores how the European Union making a historic mistake is to blame for the continued problems in Kosovo.

EULEX Investigates and Indicts

2011-07-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

EULEX has been busy conducting corruption invesigations and filing indictments. Most recently, EULEX raided the Ministry of Communities and Returns in connection with an investigation into allegations of misappropriation and bribes. Both the ministry offices, a company called "Fimex", and two private homes were included in the raid.

EULEX has also indicted two PTK officials and three employees of the Dardaphone Company for abuse of authority and issuing damaging contracts just days before two companies were selected to participate in the privatization process. In the same day, EULEX indicted the general director of Customs and another high ranking Customs official for the importation of a large amount of tobacco in 2008.

In another blow to the Kosovo government, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced that they would be terminating the 108 Million Euro stand-by agreement because the Kosovo government had violated an agreement by raising wages for the public sector. IMF also stated that Kosovo's finances were "severely off track" and the European Union warned Kosovo to exercise fiscal discipline. In another blow, a report issued the the World Bank on doing business in Southeast Europe shows that Kosovo is the most difficult country in the region to start a business in which does not bode well for a country trying to attract foreign investors!

EULEX has also announced that it initiated and has closed an investigation into the former head of the International Civilian Office (ICO), Peter Feith, for abuse of authority regarding the appointment of the governor of the Kosovo Central Bank. The allegations revolved around Feith exerting pressure on the panel to appoint the current governor to the position.

Kosovo Muslims Demand New Mosque

2011-07-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Approximately 300 Kosovo Muslims gathered in the streets of Pristina during Friday prayers to demonstrate their desire for a new mosque in the capital city. The demonstrations and complaints have begun in earnest after the grand opening of the Mother Theresa Catholic Cathedral in downtown Pristina earlier this year. The protestors say they do not have enough space in the existing mosques in Pristina (which are quite a few mosques which date back to Ottoman times) due to the growing number of practicing Muslims.

Thinking about growing, the results of the Kosovo census are out. The census puts the number of people living in Kosovo at 1.7 million. The census was boycotted by the Serb population which is estimated to be at 60,000 people. The census also lists the population of Pristina as being 198,000 but does not include the number of the large expatriate community which resides in the capital.

EULEX Quickly Losing Face

2011-06-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

EULEX continues to have rocky relations with the local population and Kosovo citizens are quickly losing faith in the European Union's largest mission. A report by IPOL shows that the mission has been losing its crediblity with the local population and has dropped to its 2008 levels when the mission first deployed to Kosovo. Inactivity and ignorance were words used to describe the mission as Kosovo celebrated Europe Day on 10 May 2011. Even the head of the International Civilian Office, Peter Feith, has expressed his disappointment in EULEX during an interview with Kosovo paper Zeri. The former chief of the Economic and Fiscal Affairs Unit in the International Civilian Office (ICO), Andrea Lorenzo Capussela, published an article in the Guardian titled "Eulex in Kosovo: A shining symbol of incompetence" and then was interviewed by Transitions Online about his criticism of the EULEX mission as being overrun with politicial agenda.

Following the EULEX arrests of ten former KLA fighters for war crimes and the non-arrest of former Minister Fatmir Limaj due to diplomatic immunity, the KLA veterans group has urged its members not to recognize the authority of EULEX. The group further has told its members not to respond to requests for interviews and cooperate as EULEX has been mistreating and violating the human rights of the recent detainees. On the same subject, Fatmir Limaj was summoned to the EULEX prosecutor's office to give a statement as a suspect of war crimes.

EULEX continues to drag its heels in response to the much debated Marty report. Officials from EULEX met with Marty and his team in late May in efforts to start a preliminary investigation. Concerns over evidence and the protection of witnesses have lead to delays in transferring information from Marty to EULEX. Serbia continues to insist that the investigation should happen under the supervision of the United Nations but the European Union has not supported the view.

Still Alive & Kicking - A Quick Political Catch-Up

2011-06-04T21:08:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have blogged but I am still alive and kicking :) In fact, I'm happy to report that the reason it has been so long since I last blogged is because Troy and I have been home in the US since the beginning of April and were blessed with the birth of our first child on 12 May 2011, a beautiful baby girl :) A fairly good excuse for not blogging I suppose! But no more excuses, a lot has been going on in Kosovo since I last wrote so I know there is no possible chance that I will cover it all but here's a go at it :)

After the Constitutional Court ruled that the election of Pacolli was not in accordance with the law, Kosovo elected its first female president on 6 April 2011, the little known Atifete Jahjaga. Jahjaga, who is not aligned with any political parties, comes from the ranks of the Kosovo Police Service where she was one if not the highest ranking female police officers in the Balkans. Jahjaga won the Kosovo parliament presidential election with the highest majority since late leader Ibrahim Rugova and voting only lasted one round, unlike the two failing rounds with Pacolli before his illegitimate election in the third round.

Kosovo and Serbia continue to hold European-sponsored talks on technical issues. So far there seems to be little progress and Serbia insists that it still will not recognize an independent Kosovo. On 12 May 2011, protestors from Vetevendosje clashed with Kosovo Police during a demonstration against the visit of the Serbian chief negotiator. Police used tear gas to disperse the protestors who were throwing rocks and damaged several official vehicles during the demonstration. Talk of partition has raised ire on both sides of the table and both vehemently reject the idea of splitting Kosovo. In the meantime, while ethnic tensions have eased, life for minorities in Kosovo is still challenging.

Constitutional Court Rules Pacolli Election Illegal

2011-03-29T01:19:00.000-07:00

A mere 35-days after being elected President, the Kosovo Constitutional Court released a ruling yesterday that the election violated the Kosovo Constitution. The official verdict of the case has not been released yet and is expected to come out on Wednesday. Without the verdict, it is not yet know if new elections will take place for the post or if Pacolli will be forced to step down from the post.

In other news, corruption and organized crime has been big in the Kosovo headlines recently. The Global Post published an article about how the international community, particularly the US, has ignored allegations of corruption and involvement in organized crime when it comes to Kosovo politicians, particularly Haschim Thaci. In similar news, it seems that Haschim Thaci also could have difficulties traveling internationally due to the allegations as he must secure diplomatic visas which offer him immunity so that he is not arrested abroad.

And finally, there has been a rash of articles lately about the parallels and/or differences between the intervention in Kosovo in 1999 and the current intervention ongoing in Libya. Here are a few articles for each viewpoint.

Libya & Kosovo

Libya is starting to feel like Kosovo all over again
Clinton cites Rwanda, Bosnia, Kosovo in Rational behind Libya intervention
Libya: Not the New Kosovo
Worse than Kosovo, Worse than Bush
Myths of Kosovo

EULEX Makes War Crimes Arrests

2011-03-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, EULEX made a series of arrests for alleged war crimes committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army. Former Transport Minister Fatmir Limaj is again in the headlines facing new charges of war crimes (he was acquitted by the Hague in 2005 of separate charges due to a lack of evidence). Along with Limaj, the Kosovo Police commander in Prizren was also arrested. Reportedly when EULEX police went to the police station to execute the arrest warrant, members of Kosovo Police prevented them from carrying out the arrest and some members of the EULEX team were "held hostage". Krasniqi later surrendered to EULEX police after consultations with his lawyer. As usual, the arrests have been deemed a "demonization" of the KLA and an attempt to blacken the name of Kosovo.

In other news, Kosovo President Pacolli has been busy during his first weeks in office. He has asked NATO to assist training the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) which is expected someday to become the army of Kosovo. He also is planning on trying to change Kosovo election law to allow the President to be elected by the population rather than the parliament. Pacolli also has made a visit to the northern Kosovo border with the KFOR commander to show support for those working at the border areas.

For some reason, the Kosovo media has been overwhelmingly negative about Pacolli's election and presidency but while talking with people on the ground there is wide support and lots of hope for his presidency. Most seem impressed that he is donating his salary to poor families and using his own funds to pay his staff and make renovations in the President's house. Plus not many people in Kosovo can claim credit to bringing 25 recognitions for Kosovo's independence as Pacolli can. Giving a breath of fresh air to all the negative media, here is a look at the positives that Pacolli's presidency may bring Kosovo.

Kosovo & Serbia Start Technical Talks

2011-03-16T02:52:00.000-07:00

Last week, Kosovo and Serbia started yet another round of technical talks, this time facilitated by the European Union. Support for the talks in the Kosovo Assembly is mixed with some opposition parties totally against any kind of talks with Serbia. A vote to support the talks narrowly passed in the Assembly a few days after the talks began. So far news emerging from the talks is basically that Kosovo will not discuss status and Serbia will not recognize independence. The International Crisis Group (ICG) did a cannonball into the Kosovo political pool by releasing a report suggesting autonomy for Northern Kosovo which Kosovo politicians quickly rejected as a violation of the territorial integrity (sound familar?).

Kosovo Elects Assembly & President

2011-02-23T01:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the Kosovo assembly elected Bexhet Pacolli to be President of Kosovo. AKR announced that Pacolli had stepped down as party leader and from his party duties following the vote. The voting took two rounds, plus a break requested by PDK, before Pacolli finally gathered enough votes to be elected president. Both the Assembly speaker, Jakup Krasniqi, and Vetevendosje have criticized the PDK request for break to be unconstitutional however it was still allowed. Leaders of AAK and Vetevendosje have vowed to do everything in their power to end the coalition before the four-year term is completed giving even more credence to the speculation that the new shaky coalition may not last through to the end of 2011. There are rumors that another round of elections will be held in September but only time will tell if the PDK-AKR-Minority coalition is strong enough to weather the criticism and strong opposition.

In other Kosovo-related news, a massive brawl between rival Kosovo Albanian gangs broke out on 17 February in London's Trafalgar Square resulting in the stabbing of three persons and the arrest of 19. Fights have been reportedly breaking out over the past three years since Kosovo declared independence.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

Kosovo to preside over CEFTA in March
Joint Albanian-Serb police patrol attacked in north of Kosovo
Search for Kosovo missing stalls
Kosovo plans to privitize Post & Telecomms by 3rd quarter

Kosovo Celebrates 3rd Anniversary of Independence Declaration

2011-02-18T01:35:00.000-08:00

Amid the spectacular firework display at 10:30pm, most of the international media focused on the challenges that face Kosovo as it enters into it's fourth year of declaring independence from Serbia. As mentioned the other day, economic problems still plague Europe's newest country with only one of five people under the age of 25 having employment and 14% of the population living below the extreme poverty line.

There were many articles about how cold reality is setting in or how Kosovo is a state of failed expectations, but still those of us on the ground can't help but hold on to the hope that over time problems with corruption, the economic hardship, lack of higher education, and life itself will improve. After all, like a baby, you have to learn how to crawl before you walk and while many had hoped that Kosovo would take off running after declaring independence, it is not fair to expect that things would miraculously change overnight or in just a couple of years.

Life in Kosovo

2011-02-16T02:18:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I've broken away from reporting on the boring old news in Kosovo and wrote simply about life in Kosovo.

The phrase "the more things change, the more they stay the same" truly applies to Kosovo. It seems that the road construction will forever make our lives hell and we are condemned to wait in lines of traffic with KPS acting as human traffic signals or taking our lives in our own hands to dive out in the an intersection with no traffic signs/signals/common sense. Despite the best intentions to make Kosovo a cleaner place by implementing environmental measures at Obilic, Kosovo is a dirty and dusty place with the smell of wood or the stench of coal in the air during the winter and tree-lined streets with bird-$hit covered cars underneath them. But despite all this, I must confess that after 10 years in Kosovo, it is home and when (some friends say "if"!) I leave I will take away many happy memories and fantastic friendships!

There are a few places that I have to mention for those looking for a place to go for a nice meal. The first is Taverna Toscana (044 890 678 located near the entrance to the US Embassy. Serving up homemade pasta and some of the finest cuts of steak we have found in Pristina, the restaurant not only serves fantastic meals but very reasonably priced. For those with a bottomless pit of a stomach, I can recommend taking the set dinner menu which consists of a soup, salad & appetizer, main course, and dessert! You are guaranteed not to leave hungry or with an inch of space left in your stomach for more food!!!

The second place on my highly recommended list is Old Country House in the village of Benice e Eperme (044 656 054). Serving traditional Kosovo dishes such as homemade bread with "long", a bread dipping mixture that is to die for, and tava, Old Country House is a great little getaway from the hustle and bustle of Pristina.

PDK & AKR to form coalition

2011-02-16T02:08:00.000-08:00

After weeks of wish-washing in the press about forming coalitions between PDK and other political parties, it appears that the coalition has finally been formed although the appointment of who will be president has still not been decided. According to the latest news, PDK will form a coalition with Pacolli's AKR with the post of president going to Pacolli, although as leader of his party I can't help but wonder if he won't run into the same constitutional violation that Fatmir Sedijui had last year! But I imagine that all that will be hashed out before he takes office...or at least you hope that they've paid attention and know that the constitution doesn't allow the leader of a political party to be the president.

The Marty report and political problems have cast a shadow over the third anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence which comes up tomorrow. Some say that the situation in Kosovo is worse than it was when the declaration of independence was made as the political elite continue to get richer while the poor get poorer and little progress seems to have been made in the areas of education and economic growth. In fact, two Vetevendosje activists were so unhappy with the state of the University of Pristina that they threw red paint on the director during a speech. Consequently they were arrested and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Leaks Allege that Kosovo PM Thaci is "big fish" in organized crime

2011-01-25T04:26:00.000-08:00

It seems that the US government isn't the only body troubled with cable leaks lately. Leaked NATO cables from Kosovo allege that outgoing (and probably incoming) Kosovo Prime Minister Haschim Thaci and the person described as the power behind him, Xhavit Haliti, have close ties with the Albanian mafia. The leaked cables, referenced in an article by the UK's Guardian, come as the Council of Europe Parliament has begun its debates into the Dick Marty report regarding some of the same allegations of Thaci's involvement in organized crime and organ trafficking. NATO/KFOR will reportedly look into how the cables were leaked to the newspaper.

In other NATO news, KFOR is expected to reduce its troop size by half by 1 March 2011 as security and stability in Kosovo has warranted a drawdown according to the NATO Secretary-General Rasmussen.

The election re-runs have finished and Thaci's PDK party has won the largest percentage of votes at 32.4% followed by Mustafa's LDK at 24.67%. The re-election in Mitrovica resulted in an 11% lower voter turnout than in the December elections and only 10 Serbs voted in the mobile polling stations.

Kosovo Teen Captures Hearts on American Idol

2011-01-21T06:23:00.000-08:00

Melinda Ademi, whose parents immigrated to the US as war refugees using the Green Card Lottery, captured hearts on the first night of auditions of American Idol, Season 10. Belting out "If I Ain't Got You", Melinda was given three yes-es to move on to Hollywood week.

Back in the Saddle

2011-01-20T06:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I updated...so here is the latest and greatest from Kosovo.

EULEX & The North - After deploying to the north of Kosovo at the beginning of January, EULEX has now declared the north of Kosovo a danger zone for their staff following the beating of some of its staff. Outgoing Kosovo Interior Minister, Bajram Rexhepi, has in turn requested EULEX to withdraw from the north and allow KFOR and KPS to provide security if the EU mission cannot.

The "Marty" Report - Issued by Council of Europe rapporteur Dick Marty, the report digs into the accusations of human organ trafficking by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during and immediately after the war in Kosovo. Outgoing Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci, who reportedly was named in the report, has called the report "monstrous slander" and threatened to sue. According to local media, Thaci also stated that he would publish the names of so-called collaborators who provided evidence to the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe Parliament is scheduled to debate the report on 24-25 January. According to UNMIK SRSG Lamberto Zannier, ICTY had previously investigated the matter but was unable to come up with enough evidence to open the case. Now the matter falls to EULEX to investigate the matter but so far requests for evidence from the Council of Europe and Marty have not produced any results.

Elections - Problems with fraud and corruption marred the Kosovo elections on 12 December resulting the re-voting in several different places. The re-voting will wrap up this weekend in Mitrovica where Vetevendosje made a complaint of fraud. Currently the vote tallies place the political parties in the following order: Thaci's PDK, Mustafa's LDK, Kurti's Vetevendosje, and Haradinaj's AAK. Talks about a coalition government continue as no political party has secured a majority vote alone. The most talk has been about a PDK-AAK coalition although initial reports following the elections were that none of the other political parties except Pacolli's AKR were interested in forming any kind of coalition with PDK.

Kosovo Pre-Election

2010-12-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Kosovo has been busy gearing up for the 12 December elections but not all has been going smoothly. A Bosniak member of the Central Election Committee (CEC) was assassinated in his vehicle in the northern town of Leposavic. Additionally, it has been reported that several parties have breached the election campaign rules in Kosovo. Most of the breaches are in reference to involving children in the campaign process by either bringing children into political appearances or blocking regular school hours for campaigning. It also has been reported that 60,000 Euros have been spent by the political parties for campaigning with more than half of the amount being spent by Haschim Thaci's PDK party.

The EU-ICO representative, Peter Feith, has announced that the elections will be "heavily monitored" by EU, international, and local NGOs. France 24 news painted a rather pessimistic and grim outlook for Kosovo post elections but one could hold more hope than their guest expert that the elections will bring needed change and hope for the future.

Hopefully Fixed!!!

2010-11-30T06:15:00.000-08:00

Whew...I just finished going back and correcting the old posts that showed up blank. Hopefully I got all of them :)

In the news, with the upcoming elections, Thaci has been called out by the European Parliament for Kosovo representative, Ulrike Lunacek, over his promise that Kosovo would have visa liberalization within 15 months of his re-election. Thaci has also promised to raise salaries which directly violates Kosovo's agreement with the IMF over the amount of Kosovo's GDP that goes towards salaries. Of course, this wouldn't be the first time that a politician has made false promises but I'm not sure if they have been so publicly refuted!

28 November marks Flag Day in Kosovo. Several Vetevendosje activists were arrested in Lipjan during the celebrations for replacing the state flags of Kosovo with Albanian flags. Vetevendosje activists in Gjakova prevented other members from being arrested and said that the police of "insulted the activists, the whole movement and leader Albin Kurti, calling him a pro-Serb element." Ummm, yeah, isn't this the same guy that's running on a platform of Albanian unification and Greater Albania???

After news emerged about Enver Sekiraqa living free in Ireland, he reportedly has been arrested and is being held by Irish police. However, Kosovo may face difficulty over extraditing him to stand trial for crimes committed in Kosovo as there currently is no extradition treaty between Ireland and Kosovo. Does this all sound a bit familiar?

Al-Jazeera has published an interesting article about how Kosovars tolerate fake marriages to obtain residency and citizenship abroad. According to the article, Kosovar men often divorce their Kosovar wives, go abroad and marry Westerners until they get residency. Then they divorce their second wives and bring their Kosovar families abroad with them.

Oops!

2010-11-27T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well, it looks like something went wrong when I was adding my historical posts and many of the older ones showed up blank. I'll have to go back and try to update them again...

Done Re-Posting Historical Posts!

2010-11-26T03:13:00.001-08:00

Whew, it took awhile but I am officially finished posting all my historical posts dating back to 2002!!! I'd like to welcome any new visitors to the blog and hope that I can continue updating on a regular basis!!! As I said a few days ago, with the upcoming elections and talks with Serbia...these are exciting times for Kosovo and the future is wide open!!! Now that the historical posts are done, I will be adding my Kosovo Photo Albums to share :)

A representative from Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will be conducting a fact-finding mission in Kosovo at the end of November. The focus will be on the political situation and the positions of the communities in Kosovo (if you remember, Serbia is encouraging all Serbs to boycott the election in December).

The results of the vote in Rahovac has been certified by the Election Commission. As a result of the AAK complaint about missing votes, a re-count was held and the results corrected to show LDK and AAK leading in the number of votes with PDK in third place. A run-off election between LDK and AAK will be held now in the coming weeks.

More than 150 election experts from Europe have arrived in Kosovo to monitor both the campaign and voting process for the 12 December snap elections. In other election news, LDK head Isa Mustafa has joined in criticism of Acting Kosovo President Jakup Krasniqi regarding Krasniqi's involvement in campaigning for PDK while holding office. Mustafa has stated that Krasniqi is breaching the Kosovo constitution and called for PM Haschim Thaci's resignation in wake of the Rahovac election. Also in the news, AAK has announced that they expect leader Ramush Haradinaj to return to Kosovo before the selection of the post of Prime Minister. Haradinaj is currently awaiting retrial in the Hague for war crimes although he was previously acquitted of the same charges. It was added that AAK expects the Haradinaj trial to be concluded by March if not earlier.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

Leading figure in Kosovo organized crime living in Ireland
20 displaced families receive keys to new homes in Kosovo
Kosovo Supreme Court upholds war crimes sentence

The Updating Continues!!!

2010-11-24T07:19:00.001-08:00

Well, today I was able to finish uploading posts from 2006. I have included a few posts from earlier years but am still not finished with 2004-2005 yet...but hopefully soon!!!

Bajram Asllani, a convicted terrorist wanted in the US, has hit the news again. For those that don't remember, EU judges rejected a request from the US to extradite Asllani for trial in the US as Kosovo does not have any extradition treaty with the US.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

Serbia shifting West, Away from Russia
Study predicts PDK victory in snap-elections
Thaci increases salaries for teachers

Shots Fired at EULEX Vehicle in Downtown Pristina

2010-11-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

This morning, a window in an EULEX vehicle was reportedly shot out not far from the downtown Police headquarters. The possibility that the window was damaged by a rock is also being explored. It is not yet known if the vehicle or the senior police official in the vehicle were specifically targeted. No one was injured in the attack.

In other Kosovo news, extraordinary mayoral elections following the resignation of the mayor in July for personal reasons in the town of Rahovec/Orahovac did not result in a clear winner and run-offs are expected. LDK beat both PDK and AAK out by a small margin. AAK has presented documents which they claim prove that they had a larger percentage of the votes cast than what was reported and are stating that they should be participating in the run-off instead of PDK.

Also in election news, Acting President Jakup Krasniqi has been asked to stop campaigning ahead of the 12 December snap elections by a Kosovo NGO which believes his involvement in a political party could be a violation of the Kosovo constitution. While being under investigation is not an indication of guilt, senior international officials and Kosovo-based groups have criticized the number of candidates appearing on the election rolls that have pending court cases. A group of Serbian political parties have jointly published a list of candidates for the east of Kosovo. While Serbia has encouraged a boycott of the elections, the Kosovo government and some Kosovo-Serbian political parties are urging participation lest the community be left without full representation in the new government.

After being arrested back in July on charges of corruption, Kosovo's Central Bank governer Haschim Rexhepi has been released on bail of 20,000 Euros. The trial for Rexhepi is expected to start within the next six months to a year.

After leading a revolt against the Serbian Orthodox Church, the ultra-nationalist and renegade Arch-Bishop Artemije has been stripped of his ranks by the church and escorted by police out of the monastery that he and his supporters broke into to hold mass.

Moving Time...

2010-11-23T04:14:00.000-08:00

It seems like it is time for transition again. Thanks to my dad, I found that I could continue blogging about Kosovo without having to pay for web-hosting and a domain name each year (yea, Dad!) I am sure that regular followers have noticed that I have not been blogging quite as frequently as I once did and that can be attributed with life interfering with the "quality" time I spend on the internet :) So far I have managed to add all my blog posts from 2008-Present and I will continue to add previous year posts over the next weeks (they go back quite a ways...this blog was started in 2001, my first year living in Kosovo!!!)

There have been quite a few major events since I last blogged including but not limited to the melt-down of the Kosovo government and upcoming snap elections on 12 December 2010 (which will be the first since the 2008 declaration of independence!!!) These are interesting and exciting times in Kosovo and for regular followers I promise to try to do better at updating the information here :)

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

Seven arrested in connection with Kosovo organ trafficking ring
Kosovo faces first major political test as government collapses
Kosovo Government Falls

MTCowgirl's Interesting News Articles/Commentary

Kosovo News Agency abandons reporter to threats
Kosovo politics could see a shift
How James Blunt prevented World War 3 in Kosovo
Greater Albania idea enjoys massive support in Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia
Kosovo PM Thaci faces slander lawsuit from Vetevendosje activist

Attack of the Crazy Cat Lady!

2010-09-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, technically she didn’t have any cats but while driving home for lunch today, Troy and I were attacked by a woman of questionable mental health who has been on a stone throwing rampage against EULEX vehicles in Pristina. Quite cunningly, the woman placed several large stones in the roadway causing a backup of traffic as normal vehicles had to swerve around them. Then it appeared that she laid in wait for an EULEX vehicle to pass and bam, she throws a rock at your window! So far she has managed to break the windows of 3-4 EULEX vehicles this week and allegedly smashed the windows of a KPS vehicle last month.

Troy was able to detain the woman until EULEX Security and KPS showed up but as usual in Kosovo, it seemed like KPS was reluctant to do anything (you know, paperwork is such a headache!) and from appearances, the woman will probably be smashing out more windows from EULEX vehicles in the near future. An interesting side note is that the woman had a pile of stones pre-selected for her attacks on top of a cardboard UCK sign and had note attached to some of the rocks…

Kosovo Begins Exhuming Suspected Mass Grave

2010-09-02T08:12:00.000-07:00

Kosovo authorities have begun an investigation into a suspected mass grave near the northern Kosovo town of Vushtrri. The site, an abandoned coal mine, is thought to contain the bodies of Serb citizens allegedly killed by ethnic Albanians in 1998. This is reportedly the second attempt at exhuming the grave as the work in the first attempt was halted due to a landslide. Kosovo authorities also plan on investigating another suspected grave but it must first be cleared of landmines before work begins.

Typically close neighbors with good political cooperation, Kosovo and Albania appear to be headed to their first disagreement over plans to build a hydro-electric powerplant in the south of Kosovo. Reportedly, Albania is concerned that the Kosovo plant will divert needed water from Albania’s hydro-electric plants and affect their power production.

There are many hopes in Kosovo following the International Court of Justice decision on the declaration of independence. One such hope is that the decision will boost tourism and economic development in Kosovo. I can only hope that tourist who are interested in Kosovo wait until all the road construction is done!!! I can only imagine the first impression of a person traveling to Peja/Pec would have if they left the airport and suddenly find themselves traveling halfway to Peja/Pec down a dusty non-paved road or even more fun, getting stuck in traffic at the monster roundabout at the Mitrovica bridge and Bill Clinton! Kosovo has a LOT of tourism potential but as I have said before, the people here still need to realize the potential and start taking care for their wonderful nature (so that means no more graffiti and throwing trash anywhere you want!!!)

MTCowgirl’s Interesting News Articles/Commentary

Kosovo begins to find its independent identity
State of Hope
Kosovo is Everywhere
Kosovars forget the taste of the past
Hurdles in Kosovo for repatriated Romas
A long road to reconciliation for Kosovo

Wedding Season

2010-07-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

The months of July & August have been deemed “Wedding Season” due to the large influx of Kosovo expats who flood back in their shiny BMW, Audi, and Mercedes and evenings punctuated with automatic “happy fire” from weddings. Celebratory gunfire is just one of those things that probably will never be considered against the norm in Kosovo. Occassionally people do get injured by stray bullets but I imagine that until a child is tragically killed there won’t be much public outcry against the AK-47 “happy fire”. Despite the negative aspect of celebratory gunfire, a neat thing about Kosovo weddings is the vehicle procession.

It is hard to give true justice to a Kosovo wedding vehicle procession in describing it but I’ll try…basically, you gather all your relatives and friends who have vehicles. You decorate the lead vehicle with the biggest (and I mean BIG!) Albanian flag you can find and some plastic flowers/streamers if you can find some. All the other vehicles that will follow the lead vehicle will put bath or dish towels under their windsheild wiper to signify that they are part of the wedding party. If your guests have a sunroof, someone must be poking out of the sunroof, dancing to the traditional Albanian music blaring from everyone’s car stereos. If you don’t have a sunroof, you are obligated to either sit on the windowsill of the moving vehicle, put your arms out the windows, or dance in place in the car. Don’t forget to honk and flash your lights at oncoming traffic… Like I said, it’s hard to give the experience justice for those who have seen a wedding procession here!

ICJ Ruling Leads to More Questions than Answers?

2010-07-27T08:15:00.000-07:00

The recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on Kosovo’s declaration of independence seems to have lead to more questions than answers in the aftermath of the court’s non-binding opinion. There have been both humorous takes such as If Kosovo can secede, what stops Mexifornia from declaring independence from the US and more serious articles such as “New Politicial Situation” according to Karabakh President. Whether the international court and players like it, people are seriously looking at the court’s opinion and asking “how does this relate to me” or “how can I use this to my advantage?”

Of course, depending on who you ask, the ICJ ruling can and cannot be applied to other frozen conflicts around the world from Indonesia to the Russian Federation republics. Here is a collection of various articles from both sides on the issue:

Anaylsis: What are the disadvantages of applying the Kosovo example to Karabakh
Tatarstan nationalist leader encouraged by Kosovo ruling
ICJ Ruling Passes the Rubicon for New States
ICJ Ruling could inspire Indonesian separatists
Germany assured Greek Cypriots about ICJ ruling
Kosovo statehood a special case: No parallel to Tamil-Tigers

ICJ Issues Opinion on Kosovo & ICTY Rules on Haradinaj Acquittal Appeal

2010-07-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

The International Court of Justice, the highest court of the United Nations, has issued a non-binding opinion on the declaration of independence by Kosovo stating that international law does not prohibit declarations of independence and therefore Kosovo did not violate international lawwhen unilaterally declaring independence from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo is expecting a rash of new recognitions following the ruling which has bolstered its stance that there is no further need for status negotiations with Serbia. Serbia on the other hand has warned that the ruling will lead to a dangerous precedent of unilateral declarations of independence and destabilization of troubled areas. Almost immediately following the announcement of the decision, there were a few bursts of fireworks (at 4:20pm it was a little hard to see them but I am sure there will be more tonight as the celebration in Pristina starts to kick in!)

In other very important news, the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia (ICTY) has ruled that Ramush Haradinaj and Idriz Balaj must re-stand trial for war crimes following their acquittal. Judges dismissed the charges against Haradinaj and Balaj for lack of evidence and prosecution cited witness intimidation. In the appeal, the Tribunal President said that the trial judges failed to see the significance of intimidation which lead to a “miscarriage of justice“. It is still unclear if the alleged intimidated witnesses will testify during the new trial which will take place in front of a new panel which still has yet been chosen and date set. Haradinaj was taken into custody following the announcement but Balaj was not present in court and so far has not been taken into custody. Both the Kosovo government and KLA Veterans Association issued statements of support for Haradinaj and concern that the retrial harms the political process in Kosovo.

As a follow-up to the news about the arrest and release of suspected terrorist Bajram Asllani, a panel of EULEX judges has upheld the decision not to extraditehim to the US stating that the Kosovo legal code does not permit extradition to other countries when the alleged crime has been committed in Kosovo. The case is now being referred to the Kosovo Supreme Court. It is not yet known if Asllani will face a similar situation regarding the 2009 court conviction for terrorism by Serbian courts as that information appears to be just given as a side note in most news rather than a disturbing fact to be corrected.

EULEX has continued its fight against corruption in Kosovo by putting focus on the Post and Telecom Company(PTK). EULEX and the anti-corruption task force conducted raids in Pristina and Peja last week in various locations including the company’s top official, Shyqyri Haxha. In addition to accusations of embezzlement, the company is under scrutiny for fraudulently issuing a contract to the Dardaphone Company “Z Mobile” for a multi-million Euro contract.

EULEX Arrests Health Ministry Official for Corruption

2010-07-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

The fight against corruption by EULEX continues with the morning arrest of the former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and current advisor, Ilir Tolaj, for tax evasion. A joint task-force of EULEX and the Kosovo Police anti-corruption force are reported to have searched three different locations including the University Clinic of Pristina.

Blast Kills One in North Mitrovica

2010-07-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

A blast ripped through a crowd of Serb demonstators in the North of Mitrovica on Friday killing one and injuring 11 others. The protestors gathered to demonstrate against the opening of a civil registry office in the North by the Kosovo government. Blame for the incident has been laid at both doors with “carelessly armed Serbs” being blamed by the Kosovo Interior Minister, Bajram Rexhepi, and the Serbian National Council calling it a terrorist action by “Albanian separatists”.

Shoot-Out Leaves Four Unidentified Albanians Dead

2010-06-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

Four unidentifed men (Albanians from Kosovo & Macedonia) were shot and killed near Vitina/Viti on 21 June under unknown circumstances. Five people arrived at the Vitina police station in a vehicle that was bullet-ridden. Three people were declared dead-on-arrival and a fourth died after being sent to the hospital. As the shooting occurred in a village near the border with Macedonia there is speculation that the incident may be related to the recent crack-down on arms traficking in the area by ethnic Albanians.
The Kosovo Albanian man, Bajram Asllani, arrested last week for extradiction to the US to face terrorism charges has been released by an EULEX judge who ruled that Kosovo did not have a valid treaty for extradiction to the US. While the prosecutor examines the judge’s decision and decided to appeal or not, Asllani will be required to report to the police twice a week.

MTCowgirl’s Interesting News/Commentary

Kosovo’s Autistic Children Suffer in Silence
World Cup: Deciding What Country to Represent Not Always Easy
World Cup: Politics & Football
Kosovo – 11 Years After, an Anniversary Remembered
EU Leaders confuse Serbian Leaders who confuse Serbian people

Life at the Speed of Several WTFs a Minute

2010-06-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Traffic in Pristina is always a popular subject to blog about even more so after the declaration of independence when the Kosovo government promptly ripped up all major roads and brought traffic to a grinding, bumpy halt in all directions. The newest WTF moment occurred on the Monday morning commute to work for most people.

The two-lane bridge to Mitrovica has been closed and is due to be tore down. With Bill Clinton Boulevard ripped up and down to two lanes and all the traffic being diverted into that mess, most people who travel the 5-7kms to work were stuck in traffic for nearly two hours on Monday morning leading to a collective WTF moment for most of the international community. Evidentally traffic planning does not exist or is not a particularly strong suit for the Ministry of Transportation. In addition to the closure of the Mitrovica highway bridge, roadblocks have been placed on one of the roads forcing all traffic from downtown to divert into the road construction on Bill Clinton Boulevard and all traffic coming from FKP (Fushe Kosova/o Polje) to also divert into the nightmare!

Besides the impossible traffic situation, I had a WTF moment today when I read that the “Brotherhood and Unity” Monument near the Kosovo Government Building has been selected to be destroyed and replaced with a moment and square dedicated to Kosovo Albanian hero Adem Jashari! The “Brotherhood and Unity” monument was dedicated in 1961 and is commonly referred to by the internationals as the “Fork Monument” as the three pillars representing Serb, Albanian, and Montenegrian peoples. It seems that history or cultural preservation is not a consideration for the Kosovo government which has also approved a move to tear down the historic Union Hotel to pave way for a square dedicated to Ibrahim Rugova…a mere two-three blocks from the “Brotherhood and Unity” monument.

Update – Kosovo Terrorism Arrest

2010-06-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

The man arrested yesterday in Mitrovica has been identified as Bajram Asllani, 29, who went by the nickname of “Ebu Hattab”. According to the charges, Asllani is suspected of plotting attacks against Americans and non-supportive Muslims in Kosovo. Asllani is accused of participating in a conspiracy including eight other defendants. He was reportedly working with suspects in North Carolina to secure funds to purchase land in Kosovo to create a weapons storage area and training camp.
This is not the first terrorism charge for Asllani. He was conviced by a Serbian court in absentia in 2009 and sentenced to eight years in confinement but being that he was in Kosovo, it appears that he never was extradited to serve his sentence. Also in 2007, Asllani was placed under house arrest by Kosovo authorities.

Kosovo & Murphy’s Law

2010-06-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

Troy & I couldn’t handle the heat anymore and broke down, purchasing a 270 Euro air-conditioner wall unit for our flat. Some friends called us wimps, told us we were getting soft because after all, we’ve lived in Las Vegas and Florida…but man, we have air-conditioning in both of those places when the temperatures spike over 80F! Even Smokey, a long-haired Kosovo Shephard (that’s what I call him, in all actuality, he’s a mutt!), has been looking about as miserable as we’ve been feeling. I suppose the coolest place in the house has been the shower stall in our bathroom because I walked in the other night to find him curled up sleeping inside the shower

So back to the story, we broke down and bought an air-conditioner! Yes!!! Since the installation required drilling into the walls, we asked our landlady if she would find someone to install the unit for us. So she brought three workers that she trusts to inspect and then the next day install the air-con. Good! Yesterday, the three-man crew worked for a few hours in the evening to mount the unit on the wall and hook up the compressor outside. Excellent. The room cooled down fantastically the hour or so that we ran the air-con after they left. As we climbed into bed in our new cool room, I noticed that there was water dripping from the bottom. Suddenly as if the air-con knew I was watching, a cascade of water flowed down the wall and electrical cord straight into the power outlet! Hesitating slightly (I didn’t want to elecrocute myself…oh, that’s another story to share!) I ended up unplugging the air-con. After a quick inspection, we discovered that the workers had installed the drainage pipe so that the water must flow uphill in order to go drain outside…hmmm! Needless to say, we have asked for the crew to come back tonight to fix the drainage so that it goes downhill and outside

The whole thing about worrying about getting electrocuted reminds me of a recent conversation with friends about the daily police reports on activities and occurences in Kosovo. There seems to be a rash of electrocutions while bathing lately. According to the reports, a short in the electrical wiring of the water heaters goes through the water tank and pipes to the shower and eventually showers electricity-laden water on the person taking the shower. How freaky is that?! Before we were just worried about the landlords installing the tanks inside the shower stalls but now we have to wonder if the electricity will just flow with the water?! Yikes!

Kosovo Makes Terrorism Related Arrest

2010-06-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Kosovo Police arrested a Kosovo Albanian man in the Mitrovica region today upon the request of the United States in coordination with EULEX Justice. The unidentified suspect is wanted for extradition to the US to stand trial in North Carolina for two charges of “the provision of material support or resources to terrorists” and “support for terrorism and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country.”

Kurti Found Guilty of Obstructing Official Persons – Other Charges Dropped

2010-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

Albin Kurti was found guilty of obstructing official persons and sentenced to nine months but was immediately released for time already served (jail and house arrest following the February 2007 riots). The other charges of participating in a crowd committing criminal acts and inciting violence were dropped. Kurti acted as his own lawyer and told the court that he did not recognize them. The panel of judges was made up of one local judge and two international EULEX judges.

TheVetevendosje political platform has started emerging following his announcement about running for the 2011 parliamentary elections which largely has been overshadowed by his arrest and accusations of police brutality by the KPS. Vetevendosje appears to be running on a campaign of establishing what has been referred to as “Greater Albania” and the annulment of the Ahtisaari Package for Kosovo.

The activities of human traffickers in Kosovo has come under scrutiny again following a report by the US Department of State which termed Kosovo as a “center for human trafficking“. The report focuses on women trafficked from Eastern Europe for prostitution and Roma children who are trafficked for begging.

Hot, Hot, Hot!

2010-06-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

It has become beyond hot in Kosovo these days with temperatures in the high-80′s to low-90′s F. While the temperatures are bearable in other locales, one fact that makes Kosovo a bit unbearable during the summertime is the lack of air-conditioning. Most apartments and many restaurants lack any type of air-conditioning which makes the dog days of summer pretty miserable. Even Smokey has been looking so miserable that we have contemplated shaving him with our clippers to give him some small bit of relief!

In addition to the temperature outside, the political climate has been heating up. Of course the continuing saga of corruption in the Thaci government goes on but also yesterday KPS arrested Vetevendosje leader, Albin Kurti, whose trial was postponed last month to today. Vetevendosje has claimed police brutality (as usual) and went out in search of vehicles to overturn (also normal). A total of 2 EULEX vehicles and 4 KPS vehicles suffered damage. Surprisingly after refusing to engage in politics in the past, Kurti announced that his Vetevendosje party will run in the 2011 elections for parliment which should prove to be interesting campaign to watch to say the least (I wonder if their rallies will include turning over vehicles and vandalizing property with spraypaint?!) This announcement coupled with the arrest of Kurti has lead to accusations that the arrest was politically motivated…but in all actuality, Kurti has so far failed to appear in court since the spring and was due to appear in court in the morning and also had an outstanding arrest warrant which was failed to be carried out earlier…so is it really politics or just KPS finally getting their act together and executing an arrest warrant within 48 hours of a court hearing?

How about some interesting news/commentary articles on Kosovo???

MTCowgirl’s Interesting News/Commentary

Biased Amensty International report deprived of Kosovo chapter
Children orphaned in the US will start life over in Kosovo with relatives
Pilot flies flag around the world for Kosovo
Serbia: Tying the EU in knots

Protestors Clash with EULEX, KFOR During Kosovo-Serb Elections

2010-05-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

Riot police and KFOR kept protestors from each other on opposite sides of the Ibar Bridge in Mitrovica over the weekend as Serbia held elections in the North as tensions flared. Albanian demonstrators gathered in the South while Serbs gathered in the North at the infamous Mitrovica bridge, a symbol of the city’s division while police used tear gas to keep the two from clashing. The result of the Serbian election is said to be for the Serb Party for Progress lead by Tomislav Nikoliq.

Kosovo Hotel Hits News and Takes A Hit

2010-05-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Kosovo has a lot of tourist opportunities but when there is news about Kosovo, it’s rarely about the beautiful nature or in this week’s case, it questions if one of the landmark hotels is the Worst Hotel in The World (Grand Hotel). But honestly, while it doesn’t flatter or help Kosovo’s tourism, the article is pretty much spot on in regards to opinion and reality at the Grand Hotel. The rooms are completely overpriced, shoddy in appearance and decor, and the outside atmosphere is less than impressive. However, there currently is a multi-million Euro renovation on-going (aka drills, jackhammers, and other loud noises to wake you in the early hours or keep you up at night!) and there are rumors that the group owning the Sheraton Resorts in Turkey will purchase the hotel and make it a Sheraton francise out of Turkey…that would be interesting to say the least!!!

But back to the nature in Kosovo…it’s awesome! Everyone who comes to Kosovo should go spend a day exploring Rugova Canyon near Peja/Pec. It is some of Kosovo’s best nature and a real treat to get out of the dusty cities. Renting a small wood cabin only costs 25 Euros per night and you can have some fantastic fresh grilled trout along the river.

The trip to Boge Ski Resort is an adventure in itself as you wind along the small dirt road that seems to never end. Curious cows and sheep watch you as you make your way up into the mountains giving you a feel for what it’s like to live in “real” Kosovo…or the way basically everyone who doesn’t live in the city lives
For those looking for a short jaunt outside Pristina, a visit to the Gadime caves is a must. And you 100% need to get the older gentleman who gives the tours. Not only is his English better than the other guides but he is a real hoot and gives an informative, humorous tour of the caves. A constant temperature (5C) during the year, a light sweater is recommended for those who get chilled easily.

Radical Islamist Detained in Kosovo

2010-05-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Kosovo Police detained five men described as being radical Islamists in a suspected violent plot. The two Kosovar Albanians and three Kosovo Bosnians were later sentenced to 30 days in jail. While the details of the plotted attack have not been made public, a large amount of weapons, bulletproof vests, computers, and binoculars were seized during the arrest.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

NATO to further reduce strength
Thaci welcomes reduction of NATO forces
Kosovo begins second phase of deactiving Serbian telecomms
Somalia recognizes Kosovo independence

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Articles/Commentary

EULEX fight against corruption strains relations
EU Mission Shows It Means Business
Headscarf suspension sparks debate on Kosovo’s identity
Weak Judiciary Failing Kosovo
The De-Islamization of Kosovo
EU’s New Democracies Dream of EU, not Euro

EULEX Posts Local Jobs

2010-05-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

Get those pens ready! EULEX has posted its latest call for applications for local jobs and the deadline in 27 May 2010! It is rumored that EULEX will only do calls for applications 3-4 times a year for international jobs and possibly less for local positions.
For the application, visit EULEX’s Local Job Site and a list of the jobs currently available is located at the Local Job Descriptions/Synopsis page. Best of luck!!!

Four Killed in Border Shoot-Out

2010-05-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

Four people have been killed in a shoot-out with Macedonian police at the Kosovo border area. Macedonian police reportedly tried to stop a van suspected of carrying arms when the occupants opened fire. The police returned fire and killed four passengers in the van which turned out to be carrying a large amount of weapons and explosives. This is the second such case in the past week or two with arms smuggling from Kosovo into Macedonia. The Kosovo-Macedonia border area is notorious for being a smuggling route for weapons and was the focal point for an armed conflict in 2001 which threatened to break into a civil war in Macedonia between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians. Already NATO has expressed concern over the recent smuggling seizures and shoot-outs.

The fall-out over the raid of the Kosovo Ministry of Transportation by EULEX authorities continues. The coalition government between LDK (Democratic League Party) and PDK (Democratic Party – yeah, I know. They basically have the same name!) is reportedly shaky after the investigation into alleged corruption by the Ministry was revealed by EULEX. Kosovo Prime Minister Haschim Thaci has accussed EULEX of making a media circus and of intefering with the judicial system. The acting chief prosecutor, Johann van Vreeswijk, for the case has defended EULEX’s actions by saying that the raid was conducted in proportion to the seriousness of the case and that it has been so ordered by the judge. He also warned those involved in corruption and organized crime to “start sweating” and expressed dissatisfaction at Thaci’s remarks that EULEX was conducting a “political war”.

More news has come out on the mass grave discovered near the Kosovo border in Serbia. The grave thought to contain approximately 250 remains was discovered under a parking lot and building in the town of Rudnica. The building and parking lot in the small village were constructed in 1999 should have raised suspicion according to an investigative journalist and the Serbian war crimes prosecutor has stated that EULEX gave a key tip to assist in the location of the grave.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Mass grave find shows Serbia slowly facing up to the past
Kosovo bans Serbian buses and public transportation from Gracanica due to licensing
Serbia issues notices on 150 Kosovars suspected of war crimes
Serbian telecomms re-established in Kosovo

Serbia Finds Mass Grave

2010-05-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Serbia has announced that it is deploying investigators to the administrative line with Kosovo to investigate a mass grave reported to hold the remains of some 250 persons. The mass grave was located in a pond near the town of Raska as Serbian war crimes prosecutors worked with EULEX. Investigators failed to find the suspected grave two years ago in the area where it is believed that up to 400 people were buried during 1998-1999.

In response to statements criticizing EULEX for the search of the Ministry of Transportation by Kosovo government officials, the Chief Prosecutor has come back that EULEX would not have conducted the searches or be looking into the matter unless they had evidence of corruption. The local news has been full of articles denouncing EULEX for making a “media spectacle” from leading PDK politicians, including Prime Minister Thaci. According to Kosovo law, if found guilty, Fatmir Limaj could face up to 55 years in prison for corruption or misuse of funds as alleged.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

NATO expresses concern over weapons seizure
US to request suspension of UNSC 1244 following court decision
22 Serbs indicted of war crimes in town of Zac

MTCowgirl’s Interesting News Articles/Commentary

Kosovo not the right model for Palestinians
Fatmir Limaj, Kosovo’s Road Builder
14,000 seek asylum from Kosovo in 2009
Hundreds protest school suspension for headscarf violation

Tensions Rise as Serbs Left without Communications

2010-04-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Tensions are continuing to rise as Kosovo Serbs are left without their normal Serbia-provided telecommunications in enclaves around Kosovo following the destruction of sites by the Kosovo Regulatory Agency. Four communication sites and a police station in the north of Kosovo have been attacked following the actions of the Kosovo government in apparent retaliation.

The action has been interpreted as putting pressure or forcibly integrating Kosovo’s Serbian population into the Kosovo institutions. After disabling the Serbian-providers, Kosovo reportedly was handing out free SIM cards to populations left without any telephone service.

In addition to the mobile phone service, it has been reported that Serbian TV and radio stations with licenses to operate in Kosovo has also had their equipment destroyed during the cut-off by the Kosovo Regulatory Agency. The Serbian population in Gracanica has vowed to protest daily until their services are re-established and Serbia is calling the move a “violation of human rights” and reportedly has petitioned to EULEX to defend the rights of Serbs in Kosovo and is going to petition to UNMIK.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Transport Minister, Fatmir Limaj, will not resign
Montenegrins to be recocognized as Kosovo minority
Large Weapons Cache Seized after border shoot-out
Passports to be required for entry from Serbia to Kosovo next year
Vanuatu recognizes Kosovo independence

12 Injured During Kurti Arrest Attempt

2010-04-28T08:30:00.001-07:00

12 people were injured during an attempt by Kosovo Police to arrest Albin Kurti following a funeral on Monday. Kurti was spotted leaving the funeral in a vehicle which KPS attempted to stop but the driver accelerated and ran over three officers resulting in slight injuries to the officers. The vehicle was later stopped and the driver was arrested following the incident. Vetevendosje activists also pelted KPS with stones. The hearing was postponed for the ninth time today after Kurti and his defense lawyer failed to appear in court.

Big in the news this weekend was a move by the Kosovo Regulation Authority on Communications against telecom services by Serbian companies in Kosovo. The Kosovo authority announced that it was shutting down the Serbian services as they are not licensed and have been deemed to be operating illegally in Kosovo following independence. The move has angered Serbian residents of which approximately 40,000 rely on the Serbian mobile phone systems for service.

The news continues on the difficulty of the Serbian families returned to the Zac village near Istog after several nights of harassment. Both the Kosovo government and UN have condemned the incidents.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Brussels wants EULEX to show concrete results
Kosovo Police take over Albania border functions from KFOR

EULEX Police Raid Kosovo Ministry of Transporation

2010-04-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

As part of an ongoing investigation of the Special Prosecutor’s Office, EULEX police in plain clothes reportedly searched the offices of the Ministry of Transport and escorted staff from the premises today. The Ministry of Transport and its head, Fatmir Limaj, have been the focus of many corruption allegations in the media in the past months. It has been reported that the head of ICO, Peter Feith, has on occassion presented a case for the removal of Limaj to Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci regarding the alleged corruption but Thaci was said to be “unconvinced” by the evidence presented. So far, no official charges have been presented against Limaj or anyone in the Ministry of Transport.

EULEX Struggles to Maintain Reputation

2010-04-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

While the Albin Kurti Comedy Tour continues with it’s eighth postponement (or is the ninth? I’m quickly losing track!) and complaints that the Kosovo judiciary is weak, EULEX now is scrambling to maintain it’s reputation and integrity after 16 Romanian police officers and their bus driver were caught smuggling alcohol and tobacco out of Kosovo. Macedonian Customs officials found 314 cartons of cigarettes and 133 liters of alcohol hidden in the officer’s bags and the trunk of their bus. EULEX has launched an internal investigation into the officers who were fined by the Macedonian authorities and released.

A group of Serb returnees the Zac village near Istog have been facing protests by Albanian villagers and reportedly were stoned upon their return to the village. The Albanian villagers have alleged that the returned families participated in the 1999 war. Fearful for their safety, the Serb families reportedly are considering returning back to Central Serbia which does not bode well for Kosovo’s establishment of tolerance and a multi-ethnic society or the soon-to-be forced repatriations from Western European countries of asylum seekers from the 1999 war.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

SRSG says relations between UNMIK and Pristina have improved
UN Secretary General calls for global support for UNMIK
Kosovo & Albania to link via railway
Report: Kosovo minorities have limited access to justice system
Corruption is Kosovo’s biggest problem
Global Economic Crisis: Kosovars face trouble returning to work in Western Europe
Kosovo police smash human trafficking ring

The Albin Kurti Comedy Tour

2010-04-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Despite re-opening the case for the February 2007 riots against Vetevendosje leader, Albin Kurti, EULEX has failed to hold a court hearing due to the defense lawyers refusing to cooperate and the failure of the Kosovo Police to execute an arrest warrant for Kurti. The announcement of the trial’s postponement have become more of a normal occurence rather than a surprise. The trial against Albin Kurti looks more to be turning into a drawn out demonstration of a lack of willingness of Kosovo officials (both police and justice) for stepping outside their personal politicial beliefs and opinions and getting down to doing their job.
Yes, there is a petition with 175,000 signatures against the EULEX case against Albin Kurti but in refusing to cooperate or recognize the legitimacy of the court proceedings is quite like the stand taken by both Slobodan Milosevic and Karadic against ICTY. So does that mean that because we don’t like the case being prosecuted we can just refuse to show up at court and throw eggs at the appointed defense lawyers who are just trying to do the job they’ve been given? I somehow don’t think that this attitude would fly in a normal functioning society! Albin Kurti is missing an opportunity to show the international community that as proclaimed by the masses he is innocent of wrong-doing but refusing to show up in court does not go far in conveying that message.

The Joy of Being an International in Kosovo

2010-04-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

The weather has quite sucked today with pouring rain. Naturally traffic backed up because quite simply with all the pollution in Kosovo, the roads become quite slick when the water hits the fine coal dust from Obilic and the local population often fails to adjust their driving speed and skills to the changing weather conditions. Even more interesting, there often is an attitude of “this is my world, you are just living in it”

A good example of this is the accident that my husband Troy had today while sitting at a red light. Normally when you are third in line at a red light you don’t have to worry about any traffic hitting you but alas, someone managed today which probably should be recorded in some record book somewhere in the category “Seriously? I mean seriously?!”

So sitting third back in a line of traffic, Troy got hit in the front passenger panel by a vehicle trying to cut in from the side. With a median in the way and the huge blue EULEX patrol sitting in line, the man driving didn’t have anywhere to go and evidently was too impatient to wait for traffic to pull up so he proceeded to drive into the side of the EULEX car. Now the story interestingly enough does not end there!
After proceeding to scratch the side of the Patrol, the offender made eye contact with Troy, backed up, and then left acceleration marks as he took off the opposite direction! Probably the first time I’ve heard of a person leaving tire tracks away from the scene of the accident. Oh yeah, and the story continues from there. EULEX Security shows up and so does KPS.

KPS tells the three international police officers that they do not believe the accident happened the way that they have been told, oh yeah except the guy who caused the accident fled the scene. Naturally telling a carful of police officers that they are lying went over well. So continuing in the accident report, Troy and his colleagues managed to get the license plate of the vehicle that hit them. But of course, KPS has an answer for that too and says that their vehicle registration database is inaccurate so they probably won’t be able to find out who caused the accident. So basically, hit & run accident, KPS doesn’t feel like doing any work and there probably will be no outcome for the report. In short, if you want to drive like a kamikazi and play bumper cars in traffic, do it in a KS-plated vehicle and flee the scene of the accident because KPS won’t believe the person reporting the accident and won’t investigate the license plate because their database is supposedly so outdated that all the information must be wrong :P

Kosovo Government Reshuffles

2010-04-09T08:33:00.000-07:00

Rumored to be in response to recent criticisms over corruption, on 31 March six (6) Kosovo ministers were sacked and replaced within the Kosovo government by the Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci (the Kosovo President, Fatmir Sejdiu denies involvement in the reshuffle). Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprising, is that the minister alleged to be the most corrupt, Fatmir Limaj, remains in place with no changes. The ministers of culture, health, justice, and the general director of the Kosovo Police Service were all fired with little official explanation although it is rumored to be for low performance.

Corruption in Kosovo

2010-03-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

For a while now, corruption has been big in the headlines of Kosovo news. An unnamed minister is accussed of stealing millions of Euros and when Kosovo PM Haschim Thaci was presented with the evidence, it is reported that he was “unconvinced“. This has resulted in opposition leader, Ramush Haridinaj, to cry foul and lead to speculation that the high level government corruption starts with Thaci himself.

The sudden focus on tackling corruption can stem from several sources. One is the reluctance of foreign investors in Kosovo who are scared away by the high level of corruption not just in business but also the top levels of the Kosovo government. Another reason is that it has been two years since Kosovo declared independence. The main focus of politics before now was the declaration of independence itself and creation of a consitution. Now the Kosovo people have their independence and are looking to focus their attention on other pressing political matters that affect their daily lives.

For years, watch groups have issued report after report on the rampant corruption in Kosovo but now it seems people are finally starting to pay attention and demand action. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Kosovo politics.

Minor Earthquake Rattles Kosovo

2010-03-11T08:35:00.000-08:00

A minor 4.8 magnitude earthquake centered near Istog/Zubin Potok (depending on the source) occurred yesterday at approximately 1435 hours. Minor building damage has been reported at schools and the Mitrovica Districit Court and Police Station prompting the closure of the buildings until a safety inspection can be carried out. Both UNMIK and EULEX evacuated staff from buildings for some time after the quake.

NATO and KSF have reported that the temporary freeze on cooperation has ended following a disagreement on KSF display of weapons at a KLA Commemoration ceremony. According to a statement released by KFOR, KSF will continue to be able to carry weapons at ceremonial occassions with the agreement of the KFOR commander. KFOR also reiterated that KSF does not have a military or defensive role as that task is being handled by NATO at this time.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

World Bank gives Kosovo its first loan
US pulls 570 troops out of Kosovo as NATO restructures
Kosovo, Belgium sign investment protection agreement
New wave of threats against journalists in Kosovo
UNMIK SRSG wants to tackle simple problems first
Kosovo’s first census coming in 2011
Haradinaj points finger at Thaci for corruption

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Articles/Commentary

Albin Kurti, Guardian of Flame of Kosovo Nationalism
Tension between recognizing and relativising war crimes
Kosovo, the “Forgotten” Conflict
Curtain yet to rise on Kosovo’s Stand-up Comedy
Balkans: Operation Sledgehammer busted

NATO Withdraws Support for KSF

2010-03-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

Following the involvement of armed KSF members in the 5-7 March Nights of Fire, a commemoration of the Kosovo Liberation Army, NATO has announced that it has suspended its support of the Kosovo Security Forces. Reportedly, KSF had agreed with NATO to participate without weapons but later violated the agreement when members of a honor guard appeared armed in violation of the agreement and the non-military status that KSF was founded upon last year. NATO also protested the usage of its flag during the commemoration as the organization has taken a neutral stance towards Kosovo’s declaration of independence. Kosovo leaders have reacted to the announcement calling for clarification and chiding NATO in saying “nobody should expect Kosovo not to behave like a sovereign state“.

On the lighter side, I’m happy to welcome London Taxi Service to the streets of Pristina. Now officially my favorite taxi service, London Taxi Service has taken the streets of Pristina by storm, drawing both praise and criticism. Taxi drivers from established companies have complained because the municipality has done little to curb illegal taxis and they accussed the municaplity of giving preferential treatment because of the alleged company ownership by the President’s son. But all the politics aside, I have found London Taxi Service to be both very prompt and just as affordable as all the other legitimate taxi services. Plus there’s something special about pulling up to your house or dinner in the stylish London cabs! Give them a call at 044 300 300

French FM Calls VOA Reporter “Insane”

2010-03-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

The Society for Families of Kidnapped and Missing Persons in Kosovo have accussed former UNMIK SRSG and current French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, of insulting Serb victims after he called a Voice of America reporter “insane” following questions on alleged organ trafficking. According to news on the incident, Kouchner responded to a question on alleged organ traficking in Kosovo by laughing at the reporter and telling the reporter he was “sick” and that “People who talk about things like that are bums and murderers“. The incident has been reported to the International Federation of Journalist and the Serbian association of journalists have requested an explanation from France concerning Kouchner’s unprofessionalism. Perhaps most shockingly in Kouchner’s response, he appeared to have little knowledge of the case of human organ traficking at the infamous “Yellow House” which is reported to have happened while Kouchner was SRSG in Kosovo.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Kosovo rules out status talks with Serbia
Gallup poll registers optimism and challenges in Kosovo
UNMIK SRSG meets with Serb Minister for Kosovo
Kosovo appoints Ambassador to Macedonia
Kosovo and Bulgaria sign energy deal

7% of Kosovo lives in more than Extreme Poverty

2010-02-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

A recent study has shown that 150,000 people in Kosovo live on just 0.45 Euros per day or 14 Euros per month. This puts 7% of Kosovo’s population living below the line of extreme poverty which is considered to be those living on just 0.93 Euros per day. In the survey, when asked how much they needed to live each month, 52% said that they could live on 120 Euros per month, eight times what they are currently receiving.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Albin Kurti refuses to show in EULEX court
Serbia issues arrest warrant for Kosovo Archbishop
Kosovo bus crashes in Austria, killing 6
EU Foreign Policy Chief urges help for Kosovo economy

Kosovo Celebrates 2nd Year of Independence

2010-02-17T08:38:00.000-08:00

For now the streets are unnaturally quiet and clear of traffic but as people begin to stir later, Kosovo will see one of its biggest street parties of the year as they celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the declaration of independence. As usual, with celebrations in Kosovo celebratory gunfire (aka “Happy Fire”) is expected and the US Embassy has issued an advisory cautioning citizens to take precautions.

MTCowgirl’s Independence News

Two years in, Kosovo Albanians more sober on independence
Aljazeera Blog: Happy Birthday, Kosovo
Kosovo optimistic on EU prospects
Kosovo celebrates, Serbia wants new negotiations
Kosovo marks anniversary of independence

While the power situation in Pristina has been stable with virtually no power outages this winter, residents of Prizren and Vucitrn have not been so lucky. The past couple of days groups of up to a couple hundred protestors have gathered to demonstrate against KEK’s disconnection of their power.
MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

EU divisions on Kosovo get deeper
West wants Kosovo to stop relying on donors
EULEX postpones Albin Kurti trial
Kosovo visa liberalization tied to repatriation of illegal immigrants

Serbian Church Fires Hardline Kosovo Bishop

2010-02-15T08:38:00.000-08:00

Ultra-nationalist and hardliner Archbishop Artemije, the leader of the Orthodox Church in Kosovo, has been removed from his post due to accusations of the embezzlement of millions of Euros from the church and aid organizations over the past several years. Artemije is widely known for his anti-Western and ulta-nationalistic views. In an interesting twist to the story, monks supporting the newly appointed Bishop Atanasije clashed with monks supporting Artemije on Sunday when he tried to enter the Gracanica monastery.

Them are fighting words!!! The Speaker of the Kosovo Assembly, Jakup Krasniqi, has made statements that if Northern Kosovo refuses to integrate with Kosovo then why don’t ethnic Albanians in Southern Serbia (Presevo Valley) secede and join Kosovo. The statement is made in reference to plans to create a new municipality in the North of Kosovo. Already Serbia has reacted to the statements by Jakup calling it war-mongering and asking the international community to condemn the statements.

Also in Presevo Valley, an Albanian police officer and his family were injured in an apparent car bombing. A police spokesperson has called the bombing a terrorist attack.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

COE says Kosovo repatriations must stop
Integration strategy to be sent to Belgrade, according to Feith
Kosovo & EULEX to create corruption, organized crime task force

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Articles/Commentary

EasyJet adds Kosovo as a destination
Kosovo’s Alternate Outdoor Destination – Boge
Kosovo Tourism: Belgrade vs. Pristina on Strepce
Serbian Media: Most Albanians support Greater Albania
The legal labyrinth of Kosovo

Vetevendosje Protest

2010-02-10T08:39:00.000-08:00

Vetevendosje is commemorating the 2nd anniversary of the deadly 10 February 2007 riot where two of the organization’s demonstrators were killed. Starting from 1000 hours, Vetevendosje activists are expected to meet in Podujevo and Pristina a the graves of the late protestors and hold a photo exhibition in the Pristina stadium. Most organizations have released security advisories to avoid the area during the demonstration although the 1st anniversary passed without incident.

From their website, Vetevendosje describes themselves as “a community of people that refuse to submit, and intend to achieve and realize self-determination for the people of Kosova”. The website chronicles most of the movement’s activities over the years from throwing rotten eggs at politicians to material damage of organizational vehicles. The group also operates a Facebook page where you can become a fan of the organization.

Wonderful White Stuff!

2010-02-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

After a couple months of wondering if Kosovo was going to have a normal cold, snowy winter, the answer has come in the form of a mini-blizzard dumping several centimeters of snow in the past 24 hours after a brief rainstorm that turned to ice overnight. The Dragodan hill currently is near impossible to pass as drivers slowly slide downhill out of control. Winter/snow tires are a luxury that most people cannot and do not purchase during the winter here so seeing traffic during a snowstorm as it is now is quite an interesting event!!! Somewhat surpassing Dragodan in the snowstorm entertainment department is Sunny Hill.

Kosovo Authorities Eject Serb Officials

2010-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

In the past few weeks in an effort to crackdown on parallel structures, Kosovo authorities have been arresting and tossing Serb officials out of Kosovo. Approximately two weeks ago the Serbian Kosovo Minister, Goran Bogdanovic, was detained and escorted to the border after engaging in political meetings with Serbs. One point of contention however is that Bogdanovic is actually a Serb born in Kosovo. Yesterday, five Serb officials were arrested and escorted to the administrative line.

Ethnic tensions are on the rise with the recent explusions of Serb officials from Kosovo and the Kosovo government’s plans to integrate the North. Authorities in Pristina have been working with the EU’s International Civilian Office (ICO) to come up with a plan to integrate Northern Kosovo and get rid of parallel institutions. EULEX, which should be noted to not fall in the same category as ICO, has said that the integration plan is not an EU strategy. UNMIK which has the UN Kosovo Team in the North has stated that it was not consulted in developing the plan for integration.

In other news, EULEX has summoned Vetevendosje leader, Albin Kurti, to court to face charges stemming from the deadly riots in February 2007. In turn Vetevendosje slammed EULEX for not dealing with parallel structures and lacking will to prosecute Serbs.

Kosovars apply for Serbian passports

2010-01-21T08:41:00.000-08:00

Many Kosovo Albanians have applied for new biometric passports issued by Serbia after the application of the white schengen visa rules. While Kosovo has started to issue new passports, they are not included in the white schengen zone and must obtain visas to travel to Europe.

In other news, Kosovo Montenegrins are working to gain minority status in Kosovo. There are currently two political parties representing Montenegrins and they are seeking to be officially recognized as a minority in Kosovo and to establish better diplomatic ties between Kosovo and Montenegro. Serbia recently withdrew their ambassador to Montenegro following the establishment of diplomatic ties with Kosovo.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon delivered his report on Kosovo to the Security Council last week and called on Serbia & Kosovo to focus on cooperation rather than status issues. Serbian president Tadic will address the council on January 22nd in a meeting focused on Kosovo. Meanwhile UNMIK has announced that it will further downsize by June 2010 by cutting 60 positions bringing the total mission size to approximately 440 staff.

Where in the world is EULEX?

2010-01-19T08:41:00.000-08:00

Strangely when I arrived back in Kosovo last week I started noticing an absence of EULEX vehicles on the streets. At first I thought that perhaps it was due to vacations but as the trend continued so I started checking with friends what was the story. As it turns out, the higher-ups in EULEX got tired of paying to fix vehicles after Vetevendosje damaged them so they made a decision to withdraw all their vehicles from public streets and instructed their staff to park in secured locations. Supposedly any vehicle not parked in a secured location that is damaged after working hours will become the responsibility of the staff member who parked the vehicle in that location. Pretty much everyone I spoke to was fairly not happy (understatement of the year so far!) as now they must find alternate means of transportation to work (I’m sure Pristina taxi drivers are loving it though!) but according to them, EULEX upper-management is refusing to budge on the new policy which went into effect on 1 January and the term “protecting our investment” has become a new management motto regarding the vehicles. Now, the huge EU-blue vehicles which used to be a sign of the presence of the organization are now gone leaving people wondering “Where in the world is EULEX?” It seems that Vetevendosje has succeeded in intimidating EULEX into hiding through their practice of destroying property leaving the score at: Vetevendosje – 1, EULEX – 0

Thinking of Vetevendosje, the organization has recently gone around and defaced the “Kosovo – Young Europeans” billboards by spraypainting a stamp-like phrase saying “Isolated” on all the boards.

On a lighter note, thankfully the fall of wonderful white stuff continues in Kosovo. Brezovica now has enough snow to begin operations but unfortunately the lifts still are not running for unknown reasons (rumor has it that they are waiting for word from the Kosovo government). It’s a real disappointment that the mountain still is not open and we are forced to go outside of Kosovo to find a working mountain resort. Fortunately Kopaonik (Serbia) is functioning and is only a two-hour drive from Pristina. Mavrovo (Macedonia) was suffering from a lack of snow but did finally have a good snowfall this past weekend which means that it may be open soon.

Kosovo Offers Assistance to Haiti

2010-01-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

Kosovo has offered 50,000 Euros and assistance from the Kosovo Security Forces Search & Emergency Unit to Haiti following the massive earthquake that devasted the island. The former UNMIK head of Administration, Luiz da Costa, is among the confirmed dead following the earthquake along with other UN peacekeepers who had previously served in Kosovo.
Winter seems to have finally arrived in Kosovo with temperatures taking a dip and light snow showers. The ski resort at Brezovica was rumored to possibly start working on the weekend after a lack of snow forced a delay in the opening.

Unusually Warm Winter

2010-01-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

With much anticipation, I was disheartened earlier this week to learn that the unusually warm winter in Kosovo has resulted in a shortage of snow and the lifts at Brezovica are still not running at this time! Likewise neighboring Macedonia does not have any snow at the Mavrovo resort so it looks like this year’s snowboarding season will have to be spent elsewhere which is disappointing because I really enjoyed spending my winter in Kosovo last year

While there has been a good amount of snow on a few different occassions, the yo-yoing temperatures have resulted in all the snow melting and just a thin covering of snow at the base of the moutain in Brezovica

Cow Causes International Incident?

2010-01-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Ah if only headlines like these appeared everyday life would be so much more interesting!!! Alas, it is not my witty humor coming out but an actual news piece from Kosovo where a cow allegedly was the cause of cross-border shooting between Kosovo and Serbia in the village of Rasevac. According to reports, residents of the small Serbian village say that shots were fired from Kosovo on Monday evening around 7pm and bright lights were shown on the houses in the village causing people to arm themselves and pack provisions.

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Articles/Commentary

Navigating the new Kosovo, interview with a Kosovo Serb politician
Kosovo filigree art & crafts
Kosovo politics & government
Kosovo president’s message for 2010

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Kosovo Security Forces assists Albania during flooding
Kosovo government prepared to recognize Montenegrin minority
Decentralization process in Kosovo nearly complete
Kosovo okay’s Serbian president’s visit for Orthodox Christmas
Kosovo asks international organizations for assistance in dissolving parallel structures

A New Year!

2010-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

Wow, it’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. It will be interesting to see what 2010 holds for Kosovo. Two big events will come soon with Kosovo celebrating its second anniversary of declaring independence and March will mark 11 years since the beginning of the NATO bombing campaign that halted the war.

As promised I will try to keep you up-to-date with the happenings in Kosovo even though I am currently stateside So here goes…yesterday an unidentified gunman entered a disco in Peja/Pec and opened fire killing one and injuring three people. No motive is yet known for the attack on the crowd celebrating the New Year.

Possibly part of the phased drawdown of NATO forces, Slovakia has announced that it will be withdrawing its 139 soldiers from Kosovo leaving only a handful behind to work in intelligence.

A Kosovo-Albanian man who was residing in Finland shot and killed his girlfriend at her home and then four others at a shopping center before committing suicide at his home. The motive for the attack is not yet known but police believed that the killer selected his victims in advance. It is reported that Kosovo President Thaci sent condolences to Finnish President Martii Vanhanen. The killer, identified as Ibrahim Shkupolli reportedly moved to Finland in the 1990′s but was unable to gain Finnish citizenship due to his past criminal record for weapon possession.

Wheels Up Tomorrow

2009-12-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

I’ll be departing Kosovo for the holidays tomorrow but never fear, I’ll update while I’m away!
Kosovars have again jumped into the holidays with a surprising vigor. Lights, trees, and even Santa Claus-es sporting monkeys have popped up all over Pristina in the past week or two. IPKO constructed a huge Ice Castle near the Grand Hotel and passed out free snacks last weekend which was supposedly a sight to see with people getting runover by crowds for ballons and other freebies. As I coined the phrase last year…it’s Kommercial Kristmas time in Kosovo again!

On a more serious note, MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Kosovar youth neglected
Seven arrested for human trafficking
Malawi recognizes Kosovo
Brezovica resort to be privatized in 2010
Corruption averts investors from Kosvo

Super Frustrated!!!

2009-12-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Ga, I’m super frustrated today. I was so excited that this weekend we were going to go out and distribute the clothing and toys we have gathered during the Dj Vegas Toy & Clothing Drive but the minister in the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare fell through with the list of families this morning because he has been too busy preparing year-end reports!!! DOH! Anyways, we compromised on him preparing the list for mid to late January when I come back from holiday leave so we will still go out but I was really hoping to have everything to the families for the holidays

Plans to privatize the Brezovica ski resort have been announced this week. EU Special Representative Peter Feith has stated that the privatization will be transparent with input from the EU, Serbia, and Kosovo. With the lifts scheduled to open later this month it will be interesting to see what will happen with Serbia’s plans to invest more than 40 million Euros in the resort and what any company that may buy Brezovica ski resort will plan to do to update the infrastructure and hotels.

So, I will be going home to the US for the holidays but as always I will keep updating as I always do. Reflecting back on my eight and half years in Kosovo, I have to say that because I have lived here so long it really has started to feel like home. I’ve seen so many changes since I arrived in Kosovo back in 2000 for the first time and then again in 2001 to begin working but at the same time, the more things change here the more they stay the same! Streets that were once congested because they were narrow have been widened and are now super-congested because there are more cars (and really, really nice ones at that!) So, yes the power still goes out every once in a while, the streets are coated with brown slime, the air stinks of coal heating but when I think about it, it just wouldn’t be the Kosovo I have grown to love without those things!!! I guess Kosovo is just one of those places you love to hate and like fungus, it grows on you
Happy Holidays to everyone and for those traveling to see your loved ones, have a safe trip!

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

NATO to reduce KFOR by 1/3 in January
OSCE releases report on Community Rights in Kosovo
European Commission presents report on corruption in Kosovo
Switzerland cuts disability payments sent to Kosovo over concerns about fraud

EULEX Celebrates One Year Anniversary

2009-12-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

Today EULEX celebrated its one year anniversary of its official deployment in Kosovo. Head of Mission, Yves de Kermabon (affectionally known by staff as YDK) said that the mission has done well but challenges remain. Serbia took the opportunity to make statements that say they will continue supporting EULEX as long as it stays “status neutral” as the mission was deployed under UN Security Council Resolution 1244. EULEX has announced that it will open a temporary office in northern Kosovo while a permanent office will open later in the spring.

I didn’t have a chance last week to discuss something that’s been all over the Kosovo news. About a week and half ago, a Kosovo politician stood up in parliament and announced that he had proof of corruption and organized crime in the Kosovo government, namely Thaci’s PDK party. After that, a DVD was revealed with a man named Nazim Bllaca admitting to committing murders of Albanian and Serb citizens while working for the former Kosovo Intelligence Service (SHIK) under the direct order of Thaci. Shortly after the statement in parliament, Bllaca alleged that an assasination attempt was made against him and after that EULEX arrested him for the crimes he had committed or was present. Later, in order to preserve the judicial process from political interference, EULEX excluded the Kosovo police and local prosecutors from the case and forbid Bllaca from speaking with the media.

The hearing on the legality of Kosovo’s independence is underway in the International Court of Justice. An advisory from the panel of 15 judges who have been hearing arguments for and against Kosovo’s independence from various countries is expected within a few months of the two weeks of arguments which are to wrap up at the end of this week.

Finally, one last notice about the Dj Vegas Toy & Clothing Drive. It will wrap up tomorrow evening with drop-off points at UNMIK and Amelie Espresso Bar who kindly let us put a collection box in the restaurant. Odyssea Bakery is also very generously baking cakes for the 30 families (10 from each ethnic group) who have been selected by the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Next week I will have stories and pictures from the distribution that will be on Saturday.

Toy & Clothing Drive

2009-11-25T08:50:00.000-08:00

Dj Vegas & Friends are at it again collecting toys, clothing, school supplies, and food for families in Kosovo. An UNMIK SRC sponsored event last week helped raise nearly 200 Euros.

There seem to be a lot of questions this year so for a little background, Dj Vegas & Friends is a group that I started up approximately five years ago to collect voluntary donations from mostly UNMIK and UN Agency staff during the winter months. Essentially the group is a collection of private individuals who donate their time to make food packages and then go out to distribute the assistance to families or villages…we are not an official charity organization or anything like that. And of course there are always those who want to politicize everything in Kosovo, so to pre-empt any of those concerns about who gets the assistance and how do we pick the familes, blah, blah, blah ~ The group has always visited Albanian, Serb, and Roma families. Normally the list of villages/families are given to us by the Ministry of Labor & Social Welfare or a NGO called Center of Hope International (COHI) and equal assistance for all Kosovo ethnic groups is always stressed.

The collection will round up on 10 December and volunteers are scheduled to go out to distribute the assistance on 12 December with the help of the Kosovo Ministy of Labor & Social Welfare supplying information on families/villages who need help. Anyone wanting to donate in the next week can email djvegas7-music@yahoo.com for information/drop-off locations

Kosovo Votes

2009-11-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Despite Vetevendosje’s “Mos Voto” (Don’t Vote) campaign, Kosovars including Serbs turned out in large number to vote in the municipal elections yesterday. The mayor-incumbinent Dr. Isa Mustafa from the LDK party was re-elected. Once the tally was announced, the fireworks celebration began around 2230 hours with the grand finale nearly busting out my windows at 0100 hours and completely traumatizing Smokey.
The poor dog! Kosovo is for sure not a place for a dog who is terrified of automatic gunfire or fireworks as both seem to be linked to most Kosovo celebrations. Luckily I have been working on cleaning and organizing the storage room in my house which is one of his favorite hiding spots when the “bad” loud noises begin.

In recent weeks, I have realized that I needed to write about a few places that deserve a recommendation. Two of course are restaurants The first one I kick myself for not writing about earlier because it is really a jem in Pristina. It’s a sandwich/salad bar called Amelie located on Fehmi Agani almost kitty-corner from OSCE. Amelie serves up some of the best sandwiches on fresh bread, I highly recommend the Salmon Sensation or the Roast Beef sandwiches and the salads are also generous sized and delicious

The second food recommendation is for Izzy’s Deli (038 716 006, 044 209 090) on Adrea Gropa Street off of UCK Street. It’s kind of hard to describe how to get there but if you are walking towards the Kosovo Government Building on UCK Street, you will make the first right after Police Avenue. Look for the APPK sign and Izzy’s Deli is just in the next building.

Finally the last recommendation I have is for a hospital. Due to some health problems, I was referred outside of the normal UNMIK/EULEX medical clinics and I had a very good experience in one of the local hospitals which surprises many internationals after seeing the Pristina Hospital compound. The Lindja Hospital at the entrance of Gracanica is clean and the doctors have international experience. The doctor I was referred to spoke good English and was very professional. Overall what could have turned out to be a nightmarish experience turned out to be a good experience.

Job Hunters Get Your Pens!

2009-10-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

The long awaited 10th call for international positions (seconded and contracted) with EULEX was released online this week. Applications are being accepted for approximately one month until 27 November 2009. The applications are sent first to Brussels and then the mission receives a cleared list of candidates from Brussels to call for interviews. EULEX has a policy that if they can take a seconded person for a position they will take that person first over a contracted person. There are rumored unofficial hiring guidelines to take candidates in the order of: EU-nation seconded, 3rd contributing seconded, EU-nation contracted, 3rd contributing contracted, other contracted…of course as I said this is the “unofficial” guideline and if questioned I’m sure EULEX officials would strongly deny this practice *wink, wink*

Through the grapevine I have also heard that EULEX is going to start downsizing its local staff as they reportedly hired too many on in the beginning so the likelyhood of any announcements coming out for local positions doesn’t seem very good.

So for the weekend party crowd, check out the Funk & Funk bash at Odyssea Bistro on Saturday night (from 2130 hours) and the Pub Quiz on Sunday at 91 to benefit the dog shelter

Kosovo Seeks to Improve Image

2009-10-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Kosovo has started a new ad campaign designed to improve the image of the young country. The first aired international ad aims at luring international investors and battle its reputation of corruption and instability. Designed by Saatchi & Saatchi will be aired in six stations in Europe and the US at the cost of 5.7 million Euros.

Big in the news recently has been the signing of an agreement between Macedonia and Kosovo regarding the demarcation of the border. Some groups in Kosovo are unhappy with the arrangement and have been holding protests but mostly it has been hailed as a step forward for establishing good relations between the neighboring countries.

For weekend warriors looking for fun, check out the Funk Party at Odyssea Bistro (2200 hours) and on Sunday, check out the Pub Quiz action at 91 of which the proceeds go to benefit the Kosovo Animal Shelter.

Also, Dj Vegas & Friends have kicked off their annual Toy & Clothing Drive. Donations are currently being accepted at UNMIK MHQ – UNWind Gym although another external collection point may be established soon for everyone.

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Articles/Commentary

Religious freedom generally respected in Balkans
Where Kosovo treads – Interview with Prince Leka
15th Century mosque re-opens in Pristina
A wider EU, what’s next? - A look at EU Expansion
Statebuilding in Kosovo, International Community Must Heed Lessons Learned

Did I Say Winter?

2009-10-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

Ummm, I should have saved yesterday’s post for today when I said “Winter Arrives” because this morning when I woke up I was greeted with a fresh thin coat of snow on the neighbor’s roof. I think the words “Holy Crap, it snowed last night” popped out of my mouth It seems that winter has truly arrived early and fall really did only last one day!

On Sunday there will be a Pub Quiz to benefit the Kosovo Animal Shelter at 91. I had a blast at the last quiz I attended and the questions were very well-rounded (in other words I didn’t feel like a complete social reject!) I think the cost is still 1 Euros per person so for sure it won’t break the bank and all the money goes for a good cause

MTCowgirl’s Interesting Commentary/Articles

Global trafficking of human organs a big business
Kosovo independence opens Pandora’s Box
Kosovo the key to long-term stabilization
Liquid Misery for European flyers extended
50,000 Serbs sign petition calling for withdrawal of EULEX
Recognition of Kosovo a “huge mistake” according to former German chancellor
Reformer in the NATO henhouse
Kosovo needs to put up a monument of Bill Clinton hugging Madeline Albright

Winter Arrives

2009-10-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

Fall lasted about one day this year…I guess we could joke that “fall was on a Saturday” Luckily I had the chance to take a drive up Mount Sara to see all the fall colors before it started snowing Monday We confirmed the existence of the snow via IPKO’s live webcam on the mountain. But as I mentioned in my last post, there are many questions about what will happen up at the ski resort this winter. If I somehow was reading the mind of International Crisis Group, I was pleasantly surprised to find their report on Strepce and it’s status as a possible “Model Serb Enclave”

The new Bill Clinton statue has been placed on the corner near his huge banner. The official unveiling/inaguration has been postponed from last Friday to November as the big man himself is due to attend. Unfortunately compared to the gianorous poster on the side of the apartment block the three (3) meter statue looks fairly tiny and with the vehicles parked up on the sidewalk the statue is easy to miss.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Germany to repatriate 14,000 Kosovars
Kosovo/Norway connection build two new high schools
KPS busts five in organized crime drug ring
Serbia & Kosovo welcome European Commission report

Summer is Over!

2009-10-13T04:21:00.000-07:00

It seems that summer is officially over in Kosovo with the temperature dropping down in the low 40′s, possibily even 30′s overnight last night. The rainy/mud season has now begun although there is rumor of snow by the end of the week. Of course as a snowboard nut, I won’t be too disappointed if the snow comes early this year!

The ski resort at Mount Sara (Brezovica is actually the name of the village near the resort, not the mountain!) usually opens towards the end of December but when there is enough snow sometimes they will start running the lifts as early as 1 December…so fingers crossed! There is talk this year of problems with the electricity on the mountain for the ski lifts as KEK is trying to secure a payment of more than one million Euros from the resort for past electricity. Some speculate that the electricity to run the ski lifts will be cut-off although that move would seem counter-productive because if the lifts aren’t running, the resort won’t be making income and therefore KEK won’t get any money…but alas, not all things in Kosovo run on common sense!

I’m looking forward to next Thursday (22 October) as ZZ Top will be performing in nearby Skopje at the stadium. Tickets were only around 17 Euros each but have to be purchased down in Skopje as I have not heard of anywhere in Pristina selling the tickets. I know recently someone asked me how to find out what events are going on around town and there isn’t really any good source for entertainment news in Kosovo at this time. Most parties and events are promoted via email chains and by word of mouth.
So, probably I should give a bit of news about Kosovo…so here it is…

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Kosovo scales back power plant project
European Commission to release critical report on Kosovo
30 Countries to take part in ICJ public hearings on Kosovo
UN to compensate families of killed Vetevendosje protestors
Kosovo judge dismissed for revealing vote on judgement

Schoolchildren Hospitalized for Alleged Gas Poisoning

2009-10-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

On the 1st, over 100 14-15 year-old schoolchildren were hospitalized in Kosovo Polje/Fushe Kosova due to alleged gas poisoning. There still is no confirmation as to what made the children sick but reports of a “bad smell in the air” have been discussed. The day before this major incident, a small number of children from the school were hospitalized for similar illness.

Life for the international community in Kosovo continues and the old addage of “same $hit, different day” seems to pop-up quite frequently. From the outside, there seems to be little change except perhaps the color and size of the vehicles It will be interesting to see what reviews EULEX receives upon its completion of its first year of “operational capacity” which is still hotly debated partly due to what is described as a hugely burecratic and beyond slow procurement process which has led to delays in purchasing and receiving equipment necessary to complete sensitive police tasks. This leads me to post some interesting news/commentary articles which I have recently found. As always, these articles do not necessarily reflect my personal opinion however I found the arguments or information presented interesting.

MTCowgirl’s Interesting News/Commentary

The EU’s awkward mission in Kosovo
Kosovo independence main threat to Serbia’s security
War on crime a world away
Fragile Balkans
The freer the press, the truer the democracy

Back in Special K

2009-10-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

I am back in “Special K”, a nickname dubbed by a friend for Kosovo, after a nice week-long cruise of the Mediterranean. I’m happy to say that Divine Cleaning Service took great care of Smokey. It was nice to come back and not have to toss him in the bathtub and he seemed to really take to the “pet specialist” that Divine sent to take care of him. I also signed up for regular cleaning service and all I can say is WOW! The girl that came over made the house look like new and I doubt that my tiles have ever gleamed so bright I have to say that I could easily get spoiled with not having to clean house on the weekends!!!

Kosovo is gearing up for the municipal elections and billboards with pictures of the various political leaders have popped up all over the place before they technically were allowed so it will be interesting to see if the two big parties will be charged with violating electoral law. The fight between Ramush Haradinaj and Haschim Thaci continues with Ramush’s party accussing the Thaci government of stifling the media. EULEX has also started a PR campaign for “Supports Kosovo integration to the European Union”. I will try to get a few pictures over the weekend when I am out and about.

MTCowgirl’s Kosovo News

Germany repatriates Kosovo Romas
European Parliament members insist on visa liberalization for Kosovo
EULEX arrests four Kosovo Serbs accused of war crimes
Global economic crisis hits Kosovo banks