I was a bit preoccupied over the weekend with family business, but there was an interesting event at Camp Victory on the way to Gracanica. KFOR destroyed approximately 4000 illegal weapons that had been seized during searches and checkpoints. Many of the weapons would have made great museum pieces as WWI bolt-action rifles or mafia-style Tommy Guns were included in with the AK-47s and handguns. It is sad that such historical pieces were destroyed, most probably could not be used safely.
It is estimated that there are some 40,000 illegal weapons in Kosovo. That number includes everything from AK-47s to long-range sniper rifles illegally sent to Kosovo from the US. Hand grenades and other UXOs are continually being found in fields and destroyed by KFOR.
In other news, I'm happy to announce that Kosova Airlines in partnership is Adriatic Eagle Air now has a direct flight from Pristina to New York- JFK for approximately 750 Euros round-trip. Tickets can be booked online though their website or purchased at Reisburo Pristina near Illiria Hotel (and possibly across from OSCE). The schedule appears to leave Pristina on Wednesday and return on Monday.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Memorial Day
People sometimes wonder what the hardest part of being in a mission is...the electricity, pollution, food, accommodation? I'd have to say the hardest part of the mission doesn't have anything to do with living in Kosovo but rather the fact that you are hundreds or thousands of miles away from your family and friends. For people with children, it is difficult if your child gets sick...even if it is just the flu...because normally you would be there to comfort them but now you have to do it over the phone (or maybe you won't even know about it until its over). Or maybe you will miss important things like a baby's first step/word.
My grandmother passed away Friday evening in the US. It was difficult to make the decision not to go home for the funeral services but due to the travel time, I would not have made it home in time for the services after getting emergency leave approved. Instead, I will wait until a planned trip this summer to pay my respects. But it is difficult to mourn a loved one from so far away and I'm not there to receive one of the many comforting hugs that my family are giving to each other. I've been having trouble sleeping, too many thoughts on my mind about the woman who was so kind and loving toward me and reminiscing of all the fond memories I have of spending time with my grandma. It is rather fitting that it was Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember our loved ones that have passed on before us.
My grandmother passed away Friday evening in the US. It was difficult to make the decision not to go home for the funeral services but due to the travel time, I would not have made it home in time for the services after getting emergency leave approved. Instead, I will wait until a planned trip this summer to pay my respects. But it is difficult to mourn a loved one from so far away and I'm not there to receive one of the many comforting hugs that my family are giving to each other. I've been having trouble sleeping, too many thoughts on my mind about the woman who was so kind and loving toward me and reminiscing of all the fond memories I have of spending time with my grandma. It is rather fitting that it was Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember our loved ones that have passed on before us.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Funky Fog
The weather has left much to be desired the past week or so. After an afternoon of sun the sky will cloud over with some of the blackest clouds I've seen for a long time and there will be a sudden downpour of rain. Today we were greeted with a blanket of funky fog. It's not heavy but it is strange considering that it is almost the end of May. Normal fog season is late fall or late winter. The good news is that the weather will be clearing up and just partly cloudy toward the end of next week...so the beach volleyball tournament and BBQ should go off without a hitch!
Thinking of funky things, I came across an article about how Kosovo crazies have threatened the leader of the gay community in Kosovo. I wouldn't put Kosovo up there in the rankings of tolerant places so it does not come as a surprise that the gay community has received death threats. The article mentions that the local police (KPS - Kosovo Police Service) opened a flawed investigation...but by my own experiences, probably most of their investigations are flawed!
If you think about it, KPS really has only existed since the end of the war...and the program didn't begin right away. The new police officers had to be trained in everything as most had no experience whatsoever in police work. So really the most experienced police officer in Kosovo has what 7-8 years of experience??? A common complaint from international officers training KPS is that once they finish the 3-month police academy the KPS officers think they know everything about police work and don't want to listen to more experienced officers. Anyone who has seen some of these guys direct traffic would know that they still have a lot to learn :o)
Add into that low wages, although consistent with the local averages, corruption is a problem. I recall in 2000 when the UNMIK police used to tow illegally parked vehicles they had to go to a strict company rotation policy because off-duty KPS officers were riding with the tow companies and getting kickbacks from towing cars if they responded first.
Another problem is efficiency. A simple example is in 2002 when I got Smokey a few of us pitched in to have one of the maintenance guys build us a big doghouse for the puppies. It took two grown men to carry the darn thing and one weekend it disappeared from our backyard in the UN compound! I went to UN Security to report the doghouse as stolen but because it was personal property they did not want to do anything. That was okay, I told them, but the fact that they had a breach in security and didn't notice someone carrying a doghouse out of the compound was a bit alarming. Then later that day a fellow colleague from IT asked me if I had given the doghouse to some local kids who had adopted one of the puppies because he had seen it on his way to work that day. I asked him where it was and went to verify that our doghouse was with the kids...and it was. So I went to the downtown police station to make a report and see if I could get an officer to go with me to recover the doghouse. I filled out the report and then the person taking the paperwork said "thank you we'll contact you in a few months". (A few months?!?!) I explained that I knew where my stolen property was and that I just needed assistance in recovering it but the person told me that before they did anything they had to take my report and translate it into Albanian and Serbian. Then they would investigate and contact me. (Ummm, no investigation needed, I know where my property is!) Being the pushy international that I am *hehe* I asked to speak to the station commander who just happened to be an American as well. I explained the situation and he sent me to the house to recover the doghouse with two Albanian KPS officers who couldn't speak English so communication was interesting. As it turns out, the kids thought it was okay for a group of them to climb over the wall of the UN compound and take the doghouse while no one was there. As for UN Security doing anything about the breach well let's just say that we don't joke that they are un-security for nothing!!!
Thinking of funky things, I came across an article about how Kosovo crazies have threatened the leader of the gay community in Kosovo. I wouldn't put Kosovo up there in the rankings of tolerant places so it does not come as a surprise that the gay community has received death threats. The article mentions that the local police (KPS - Kosovo Police Service) opened a flawed investigation...but by my own experiences, probably most of their investigations are flawed!
If you think about it, KPS really has only existed since the end of the war...and the program didn't begin right away. The new police officers had to be trained in everything as most had no experience whatsoever in police work. So really the most experienced police officer in Kosovo has what 7-8 years of experience??? A common complaint from international officers training KPS is that once they finish the 3-month police academy the KPS officers think they know everything about police work and don't want to listen to more experienced officers. Anyone who has seen some of these guys direct traffic would know that they still have a lot to learn :o)
Add into that low wages, although consistent with the local averages, corruption is a problem. I recall in 2000 when the UNMIK police used to tow illegally parked vehicles they had to go to a strict company rotation policy because off-duty KPS officers were riding with the tow companies and getting kickbacks from towing cars if they responded first.
Another problem is efficiency. A simple example is in 2002 when I got Smokey a few of us pitched in to have one of the maintenance guys build us a big doghouse for the puppies. It took two grown men to carry the darn thing and one weekend it disappeared from our backyard in the UN compound! I went to UN Security to report the doghouse as stolen but because it was personal property they did not want to do anything. That was okay, I told them, but the fact that they had a breach in security and didn't notice someone carrying a doghouse out of the compound was a bit alarming. Then later that day a fellow colleague from IT asked me if I had given the doghouse to some local kids who had adopted one of the puppies because he had seen it on his way to work that day. I asked him where it was and went to verify that our doghouse was with the kids...and it was. So I went to the downtown police station to make a report and see if I could get an officer to go with me to recover the doghouse. I filled out the report and then the person taking the paperwork said "thank you we'll contact you in a few months". (A few months?!?!) I explained that I knew where my stolen property was and that I just needed assistance in recovering it but the person told me that before they did anything they had to take my report and translate it into Albanian and Serbian. Then they would investigate and contact me. (Ummm, no investigation needed, I know where my property is!) Being the pushy international that I am *hehe* I asked to speak to the station commander who just happened to be an American as well. I explained the situation and he sent me to the house to recover the doghouse with two Albanian KPS officers who couldn't speak English so communication was interesting. As it turns out, the kids thought it was okay for a group of them to climb over the wall of the UN compound and take the doghouse while no one was there. As for UN Security doing anything about the breach well let's just say that we don't joke that they are un-security for nothing!!!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Thinking of Symbols...
It's funny that I decided to write about the Kosovo government's work on new state symbols because today I heard about how some Albanians in Kosovo are working on erecting a statue of Bill Clinton in Pristina. Seen as a "savior of Kosovo" Kosovo-Albanians plan to put up a 10-foot statue of the former US president on the boulevard that bears his name. Podujevo scupltor Izeir Mustafa will complete the bronze statue within the next week and Pristina authorities expect to install the statue sometime this summer. Mustafa has also been commissioned to create a statue of British PM Tony Blair...the street bearing his name is some obscure little alley in Pristina.
Going further into the debate about the national symbols of Kosovo, BIRN discusses the attitudes over the national identity of Kosovar. One would think that Albanians would be happy with the creation of their own state, Kosovo, but that is not the case...some are vehemently against the creation of a national flag as the only flag for them is the Albanian one (never mind that little fact that it actually belongs to another country!) So if the Albanians are against the creation of the Kosovar national identity, where does it put the people residing in the soon-to-be newest country in Europe???
Again in BIRN, Balkan author Tim Judah takes a look at Kosovo Diplomacy in Suspended Animation. Judah looks at the Russian position and explores some of the possible solutions that may come about.
Time features an article on the possible Russia veto of the Security Council resolution based on Ahtisaari's plan. There are also a series of articles about Indonesia and the difficulties they are facing in making a decision. As the largest Muslim country in the world, a great deal of the population of Indonesia want the country to support the Muslim Albanian's bid for independence but at the same time the government faces a dilemma as there are two provinces that have been trying to break away, Aceh and Papua. It is expected that a vote will happen in the next several weeks on the US-EU resolution and that the resolution does not actually contain the word "independence" (like the Ahtisaari proposal) but instead it leads down a path towards independence.
Channel 4 News from the UK reports in their Kosovo: State of Denial about that while the fighting has stopped, the communities in Kosovo still remain far apart. Going to Mala Krusha and N. Mitrovica, the report takes a look at how both communities have suffered the ravages of war and just how difficult it is to get the groups to not just live next to each other but live together.
Going further into the debate about the national symbols of Kosovo, BIRN discusses the attitudes over the national identity of Kosovar. One would think that Albanians would be happy with the creation of their own state, Kosovo, but that is not the case...some are vehemently against the creation of a national flag as the only flag for them is the Albanian one (never mind that little fact that it actually belongs to another country!) So if the Albanians are against the creation of the Kosovar national identity, where does it put the people residing in the soon-to-be newest country in Europe???
Again in BIRN, Balkan author Tim Judah takes a look at Kosovo Diplomacy in Suspended Animation. Judah looks at the Russian position and explores some of the possible solutions that may come about.
Time features an article on the possible Russia veto of the Security Council resolution based on Ahtisaari's plan. There are also a series of articles about Indonesia and the difficulties they are facing in making a decision. As the largest Muslim country in the world, a great deal of the population of Indonesia want the country to support the Muslim Albanian's bid for independence but at the same time the government faces a dilemma as there are two provinces that have been trying to break away, Aceh and Papua. It is expected that a vote will happen in the next several weeks on the US-EU resolution and that the resolution does not actually contain the word "independence" (like the Ahtisaari proposal) but instead it leads down a path towards independence.
Channel 4 News from the UK reports in their Kosovo: State of Denial about that while the fighting has stopped, the communities in Kosovo still remain far apart. Going to Mala Krusha and N. Mitrovica, the report takes a look at how both communities have suffered the ravages of war and just how difficult it is to get the groups to not just live next to each other but live together.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Kosovo Negotiating Team Works on State Symbols
Members of the Kosovo Unity Team, a group of politicians and lawmakers who were involved in the negotiations with Serbia, have agreed to meet to discuss Kosovo's new state symbols. Members of the group, particularly head of the group and opposition leader Veton Surroi, want to have state symbols in place when Kosovo gains independence. However, Kosovo PM Ceku again has stated that independence is expected in "a matter of weeks" (a resolution is now expected by the end of June) and it is not realistic to expect national symbols to be adopted in that time period. But Surroi and Hashim Thaci, another opposition leader in the unity team, believe that Kosovo will be able to agree on new state symbols on the day it gains independence.
One of the reasons why the state symbols needs to be addressed is because after the 120-day transition period, the travel documents issued by UNMIK will no longer be valid and Kosovo will need to reissue documents to its citizens. I imagine that the identity cards issued by UNMIK will also be invalid following the transition. Ceku has said that the issue of symbols is delicate and requires political and civil consensus but the clock is ticking!
According to the Ahtisaari proposal, the state symbol must also reflect the multi-ethnic make-up of Kosovo...so the flag on the left will no longer be used to represent Kosovo. I rather doubt that the flag will disappear from use though, it's likely that the Albanian population will continue to use it to represent their ethnic identity. In contrast, it is interesting to see that Albanian movements in Serbia have developed a unique flag to represent their group.
The EU mission in the news as well. Officials have reiterated that the EU mission cannot and will not exist unless there is a UN Security Council resolution. Also, Turkey has blocked NATO-EU cooperation in the future mission in protest for treatment by the EU. Turkey is a member of NATO but has so far had little progress in its EU ascension negotiations. Turkey wants more say in EU common defense policy and wants to be consulted more on EU security policies. Formal cooperation between NATO and the EU has been rocky due to political tensions between countries like Turkey, Cyprus, and Malta. The two organizations rarely share intelligence or operational information.
NPR published an article that outlines how some Serbs feel about the looming decision about Kosovo. The article looks at several different viewpoints and emphasizes the complexity of the situation.
Also, Macedonia is looking to Kosovo as ethnic problems continue between Macedonians and Albanians. A small Albanian party has joined in with the Macedonian goverment after boycotting since January. The larger Albanian party DUI, an offshoot of the rebel NLA who fought in the nearly civil war in 2000, are still refusing to participate in the government citing abuses by the Macedonians. The one thing that I find interesting is that the name of the country is Macedonia but still some populations do not consider themselves as Macedonian but rather by Albanians, Roma, or whatever...that's an interesting outlook to say the least. Would that be like me calling myself a "Montanan" or "Las Vegan" and not American??? It kind of speaks to me as people do not want to identify themselves as patriots of the country they live in... Not discussed in the article are fears that independence for Kosovo will cause further problems in Macedonia. The Albanian minority is currently at around 20% of the population and is highly concentrated near the Kosovo border and in certain sections of Skopje (like the Old Town). It is thought that Albanians in the border areas in Macedonia and Preshevo will attempt to break-off and join Kosovo...even though politicians from Kosovo and Albania say there will not be a "Greater Albania" they have can't control movements in those areas if people want to inflame tensions...but as most things in the Balkans, we'll just have to wait and see!
One of the reasons why the state symbols needs to be addressed is because after the 120-day transition period, the travel documents issued by UNMIK will no longer be valid and Kosovo will need to reissue documents to its citizens. I imagine that the identity cards issued by UNMIK will also be invalid following the transition. Ceku has said that the issue of symbols is delicate and requires political and civil consensus but the clock is ticking!
According to the Ahtisaari proposal, the state symbol must also reflect the multi-ethnic make-up of Kosovo...so the flag on the left will no longer be used to represent Kosovo. I rather doubt that the flag will disappear from use though, it's likely that the Albanian population will continue to use it to represent their ethnic identity. In contrast, it is interesting to see that Albanian movements in Serbia have developed a unique flag to represent their group.
The EU mission in the news as well. Officials have reiterated that the EU mission cannot and will not exist unless there is a UN Security Council resolution. Also, Turkey has blocked NATO-EU cooperation in the future mission in protest for treatment by the EU. Turkey is a member of NATO but has so far had little progress in its EU ascension negotiations. Turkey wants more say in EU common defense policy and wants to be consulted more on EU security policies. Formal cooperation between NATO and the EU has been rocky due to political tensions between countries like Turkey, Cyprus, and Malta. The two organizations rarely share intelligence or operational information.
NPR published an article that outlines how some Serbs feel about the looming decision about Kosovo. The article looks at several different viewpoints and emphasizes the complexity of the situation.
Also, Macedonia is looking to Kosovo as ethnic problems continue between Macedonians and Albanians. A small Albanian party has joined in with the Macedonian goverment after boycotting since January. The larger Albanian party DUI, an offshoot of the rebel NLA who fought in the nearly civil war in 2000, are still refusing to participate in the government citing abuses by the Macedonians. The one thing that I find interesting is that the name of the country is Macedonia but still some populations do not consider themselves as Macedonian but rather by Albanians, Roma, or whatever...that's an interesting outlook to say the least. Would that be like me calling myself a "Montanan" or "Las Vegan" and not American??? It kind of speaks to me as people do not want to identify themselves as patriots of the country they live in... Not discussed in the article are fears that independence for Kosovo will cause further problems in Macedonia. The Albanian minority is currently at around 20% of the population and is highly concentrated near the Kosovo border and in certain sections of Skopje (like the Old Town). It is thought that Albanians in the border areas in Macedonia and Preshevo will attempt to break-off and join Kosovo...even though politicians from Kosovo and Albania say there will not be a "Greater Albania" they have can't control movements in those areas if people want to inflame tensions...but as most things in the Balkans, we'll just have to wait and see!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Independence Delayed???
In his weekly radio address, Kosovo PM Agim Ceku has stated that "Independence will not happen this month, but in June". Just a few weeks ago, Ceku said that Kosovo would be independent by the end of May. It is not uncommon for Kosovo politicians to promise independence by a certain date and then retract those statements. Ceku's predecessor Kosumi had promised independence in June 2006. Ceku has also toned down some of his unilateral declaration rhetoric and is now saying that Kosovo will not declare independence following a Russia veto until it has consulted with its allies in the US and EU.
The UN has overthrown a decision by the local government concerning building a protective wall around a church in Pec/Peja. The local government ordered the work on the wall because the church allegedly did not receive permission to build. The SRSG, Joachim Rueker, issued an executive order that the work can continue until the dispute is resolved. The patriarchate of Pec stated that the wall is needed to protect the church and its inhabitants as the Italian troops and their sandbags would not stay forever. In response to the SRSG's executive order, around 30 Vetevendosje activists attempted to march to the patriarchy but were stopped by police.
In other news, in Macedonia an ethnic-Albanian who worked for the Ministry of Justice was arrested for attempting to smuggle three Kosovo- Albanians across the border into Greece. Menduh Kuci, a courier from the Tetevo branch of the ministry agreed to transport three K-Albanians to the Greek border in exchange for a payment of 130 Euros. Because Kuci took a wrong turn, he was arrested at the Macedonian-Serbian border (he went north instead of south!) He reportedly mistook the border crossing for a toll-booth and showed his government ID card to pass the "toll". The K-Albanians were deported as they were in Macedonia illegally.
On 2 June, the Sports Committee is going to hold a Beach Volleyball and BBQ at TSS. Look on Lotus Notes and the Intranet for more details. You can get a registration form online or at one of the Pristina UNWind Gyms. Oh, and let me welcome the new American Civpol contingent to Kosovo :o)
The UN has overthrown a decision by the local government concerning building a protective wall around a church in Pec/Peja. The local government ordered the work on the wall because the church allegedly did not receive permission to build. The SRSG, Joachim Rueker, issued an executive order that the work can continue until the dispute is resolved. The patriarchate of Pec stated that the wall is needed to protect the church and its inhabitants as the Italian troops and their sandbags would not stay forever. In response to the SRSG's executive order, around 30 Vetevendosje activists attempted to march to the patriarchy but were stopped by police.
In other news, in Macedonia an ethnic-Albanian who worked for the Ministry of Justice was arrested for attempting to smuggle three Kosovo- Albanians across the border into Greece. Menduh Kuci, a courier from the Tetevo branch of the ministry agreed to transport three K-Albanians to the Greek border in exchange for a payment of 130 Euros. Because Kuci took a wrong turn, he was arrested at the Macedonian-Serbian border (he went north instead of south!) He reportedly mistook the border crossing for a toll-booth and showed his government ID card to pass the "toll". The K-Albanians were deported as they were in Macedonia illegally.
On 2 June, the Sports Committee is going to hold a Beach Volleyball and BBQ at TSS. Look on Lotus Notes and the Intranet for more details. You can get a registration form online or at one of the Pristina UNWind Gyms. Oh, and let me welcome the new American Civpol contingent to Kosovo :o)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Catching Up
I've been quiet this week as I've been on vacation and trying to just kick back and relax instead of running around like mad as I usually do. Most of my vacations end up with me coming back to Kosovo and being thankful as I can finally put my feet up and rest *hehe* But this vacation, it was just me, Gil Grissom, and Horatio Caine...yes, I've been catching up on CSI: Las Vegas and Miami :) I got back in time to catch my new favorite cable TV show in Kosovo as well, the US crime drama "Criminal Minds"...so basically I've been camped out in front of the TV a lot :)
Anyways, MTCowgirl's Kosovo Update...
The US has stated that it will not make moves for unilateral recognition of Kosovo and that Washington is going to continue pursuing a resolution in the Security Council. These statements from Daniel Fried (I'm sure he pronounces it "Freed" but I prefer "Fried" which sometimes I thought his brain must be partly for the statements he has made in the past on Kosovo...but I digress!) came after talks between Russia and the US about various issues; the two biggest issues being the US' proposed missile defense systems in Eastern Europe and Kosovo's status.
Kosovo PM Agim Ceku has made statements that Kosovo would be independent by the end of the month but then several PMs before him made similar promises which never were fulfilled. Ceku also has stated that independence is the "only solution" that would guarantee stability and peace in the Balkans (a veiled threat if I've ever seen one!) <soapbox>Ceku was on the Interpol Wanted List for war crimes in Croatia until some higher-ups in the UN convinced them to take him off the list. The circumstances still are very suspicious and Ceku seems to be too much of a thug than politician. Ceku's continued threats of unilateral declarations of independence when a Security Council resolution is close just seem to be a waste of breath and effort. I really wish he would get off his little independence bandwagon and actually start working on making things better for the citizens of Kosovo!</soapbox>
Anyways, MTCowgirl's Kosovo Update...
The US has stated that it will not make moves for unilateral recognition of Kosovo and that Washington is going to continue pursuing a resolution in the Security Council. These statements from Daniel Fried (I'm sure he pronounces it "Freed" but I prefer "Fried" which sometimes I thought his brain must be partly for the statements he has made in the past on Kosovo...but I digress!) came after talks between Russia and the US about various issues; the two biggest issues being the US' proposed missile defense systems in Eastern Europe and Kosovo's status.
Kosovo PM Agim Ceku has made statements that Kosovo would be independent by the end of the month but then several PMs before him made similar promises which never were fulfilled. Ceku also has stated that independence is the "only solution" that would guarantee stability and peace in the Balkans (a veiled threat if I've ever seen one!) <soapbox>Ceku was on the Interpol Wanted List for war crimes in Croatia until some higher-ups in the UN convinced them to take him off the list. The circumstances still are very suspicious and Ceku seems to be too much of a thug than politician. Ceku's continued threats of unilateral declarations of independence when a Security Council resolution is close just seem to be a waste of breath and effort. I really wish he would get off his little independence bandwagon and actually start working on making things better for the citizens of Kosovo!</soapbox>
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