Int'l Court: Kosovo Independence Legal

 The International Court of Justice has ruled by a majority margin that the Kosovan declaration of independence two years ago was legal. The Court does not have actual authority and is more of an advisory body, but by a 10-4 ruling it showed that Kosovo is legally separated from its former oppressor, Serbia.

Kosovo and Albania, both Muslim nations, are both allies of the United States and Albania has been a steadfast ally in the War on Terror, sending combat troops to Afghanistan and Iraq.

And when President Bush visited the country in 2007 he received an intense welcome:

And while there the Ambassador of Albania to the US wrote the following in the Washington Times:

From a country with only 3.5 million people, the troops -- the flower of Albania's youth -- represent the best Albania has to offer. Why does Albania do this when it could have avoided President Bush's call for support, or when it could have dropped out as others have done when the going got tough? The answer is not difficult to find. If you believe in freedom, you believe in fighting for it. If you believe in fighting for freedom, you believe in America.

Unlike people in other countries in Europe and elsewhere, the Albanian people have not forgotten what it is like to live under tyranny and repression. The Albanians for more than 40 years were held in thrall by the repressive forces of the communists, living like prisoners without rights in their own country. It was to the United States that freedom-loving Albanians looked for inspiration during those dark years, and the Americans have not let us down.

 Albania has stood with us from the darkest days in late 2001 to the fight in Iraq during the Surge to Afghanistan today. Albania has contributed more per capita to forces in Iraq and Afghanistan that any other nation on the planet and will not back down.

In the late 1990s during the Serbian-engineered genocide in Kosovo, al Qaeda came to "help" their fellow Muslims in an attempt to fight the Serbian army. Instead the Albanian guerrillas drove al Qaeda out embarassed.

President Bush was proud to support Kosovo's right to self-determination. I certainly am proud to stand with him.

Cross-posted at World Threats.


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Most Pro-American Countries: Albania, Ireland, Most of Sub-Saharan Africa

Gallup has an excellent set of polls out asking people around the world whether or not they approve of the US role in the world. Sub-Saharan approval is astronomical, owing largely to President Bush's anti-AIDS and anti-Malaria efforts. The results of the polls are staggering. Of course, Albania and Kosovo are high on the list. Kosovo, which gained independence last year, has American approval at 88%. Albania, which has the George W. Bush Avenue down its Parliament, is at 78% with only 6% disapproving.



Some bad news as Pakistan's approval is just 8%.



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Jumping in Pools: Top 10 Cool Countries

I've decided to start a new feature on the blog and all of our writers are encouraged to chime in with their own articles. This time I'll start it off with some of the cooler countries that I like and why. The US is, of course, number one, so we'll skip us for now.

1. Kurdistan: Having put up with 25 years of the rule of Saddam Hussein, the fascist government in Syria, repressive Turkey, and the theocrats in Iran, these people are resilient. While Muslim, they are surprisingly secular and definitely tolerant, sheltering Yezidis and Christians from al Qaeda terrorists. Iraqi Kurds are also the most pro-American people on the planet and fight side-by-side with our forces in Baghdad.

2., 3. Albania and Kosovo: Pro-American and democratic, these poor nations are eager to help spread democracy throughout the world. Albania just joined NATO and has sent troops to Afghanistan, Iraq, and Darfur to help stop the spread of Islamic extremism. Albania warmly welcomed President Bush during his visit there and is a secular Islamic nation.

4. India: The world's most populous democracy, this nation has moved closer to the United States in the last eight years. Friendly also with Israel, the nation is one of the few in the world with a slim history of anti-Semitism. Tolerant and on the forefront of the War on Terrorism, this nation is one that just screams awesome. India is also sending rockets into space now and may beat us back to the moon.

5. Israel: One of the most berated nations, Israel's democracy is tolerant, despite having hundreds of millions of people wanting to wipe it out. Israel proudly takes on fasicst and theocratic forces, like Saddam's Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Republic of Iran. This nation is one of our closest allies and deserves much more credit than it gets.

6. Georgia: This small country is one of the most pro-America on the planet. Georgia is pushing to join NATO and sent 2,000 troops to Iraq. Georgia also offered 500 to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, Russia's brutal and unjustified attack last August has decimated the nation's infrastructure and military and Russia's dictatorship is actively seeking to topple the Western-backed democracy.

7. Colombia: A democracy that has fought off narco-terrorism, Colombia is the United States' cheif ally in South America. A hedge against Venezuela, this nation is planning to send over 100 troops to Afghanistan. Thanks in large part to President Bush's dedication, Colombia ended much of its fighting with drug traffickers and communist guerrillas.

8. Poland: One of America's top allies in Europe, this nation suffered at the hands of Hitler and Stalin. From the ashes of the Cold War, this former Warsaw Pact nation is a leader in the fight against terrorism. Sending 2,500 troops to Iraq and over 1,000 to Afghanistan, Poland is looking to avoid the mistakes of the past. Poland is also integral to American interests in Eastern Europe, especially when dealing with Russia.

9. The Ukraine: The breadbasket of Europe, this populous democracy has shone as a US ally. Although Russia is pressing on the democratic government, the people have not conceded. Despite Russia poisoning presidential candidate Victor Yushenko in 2004 and rigging the elections, the people rose up and demanded a new vote.

10. Mongolia: Yes, the former home of Genghis Khan, this remote nation between Russia and China has positioned itself in the US bloc. Sending troops to Iraq and Afghanistan, Mongolia is looking to rebuild after about 70 years of Communist rule. Mongolia warmly welcomed President Bush's visit several years ago.

Bonus Country: Yes, Britain should be on this list, but it's too obvious. Australia is America's tough brother who always seems to be there for us. The Aussies sent troops to Korea and 'Nam, as well as to Iraq and Afghanistan, where they served with distinction. Australia's a venerable democracy who's looking to help its neighbors, especially with its intervention in East Timor.

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Why Albania is So Great, Part 5

I believe that this video will speak for itself.

Long live Albania, Kosovo, and the United States!





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Another Albanian Triumph: Kosovan Stability

Kosovo became independent a year ago to much fanfare. Its independence has been used by autocracies like Russia to justify the rape of independent Georgia. However, this poor Muslim nation has defied some expectations and is a strong, vibrant, pro-American democracy.

"It is peaceful here," says Nebojsa Popovic, one of the few Serbs left on the Kosovo police force. Popovic commands a station in Gracanica, the centre of a Serb enclave 5km from Pristina, where Serb and Albanian traders and taxi drivers chat openly in the street. A soldier still stands guard at the town's Orthodox monastery, but this might change in the next 12 months, according to Lt. Gen. Giuseppe Gay, head of KFOR, the international military presence.
...

Serbian products brought into Kosovo through the North -- without import taxes levied -- are worth as much as €500 million, roughly a quarter of Kosovo's GDP, according to Avni Zogiani, head of the Pristina-based anti-corruption campaign, COHU. "Serbia loses out through the re-importation of tax-free goods back into Serbia, but it gains much more because they have Kosovo as a market and can sell goods without paying government duty."

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Kosovo Launches Military

The newest independent state in the world, Kosovo, has officially launched a security force. This force, the Kosovo Security Force, will be responsible for security in the small nation.

The new security force is made up of 2,500 civilians and paramilitaries, along with about 800 reservists.

The commander of the Kosovo Security Force (FSK) is General Sylejman Selimi. He says the creation of the force represents the beginning of a new phase in Kosovo.
Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci stresses that the FSK is being trained by NATO and that it includes members of all ethnic groups in Kosovo -- mainly ethnic Albanians and Serbs.

"I will be a multiethnic force in the service of the country and all of its citizens," Thaci said. "It will have the full support of the international community and it will work in accordance with Kosovo's constitution and NATO standards."
The FSK replaces the Kosovo Protection Corps. That fledgling security force also was a multiethnic force. But it comprised mostly former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the separatist guerrilla group that had fought against Serbia for independence during the 1990s.

Don't be surprised if Kosovo decides to send troops to Afghanistan or Iraq. Albania has sent to both of those countries, even doubling its troops in Iraq as other nations were pulling out. We would like to give our support to Kosovo and Albania, the most pro-American nations in Europe.

Why Albania is So Great-- Part 3-- Kosovan Peace

Jumping in Pools continues its series about Albania and the triumphs of the Albanian people. One of these triumphs includes the peaceful nature of Kosovo, despite a terrible war last decade.

Despite the genocide by the Serbian government of Slobodan Milosevic, Kosovo is still trying to live in harmony with its larger neighbor:
That is when tacit cooperation between Belgrade and the EU in Kosovo became concrete. If past patterns had been repeated, both Serb and Albanian hard-liners – and the mafias that smuggle through Kosovo the bulk of the heroin that reaches EU territory – would have exploded the patient peacemaking of Serb and Albanian moderates. They would have orchestrated "ethnic" mob clashes that would have quickly started a fresh cycle of revenge and retaliation.

Kosovo!

Another Albanian Triumph: Religious Freedom

Anyone who has been reading this blog has known that we take a very pro-Albanian slant. None of our writers (to my knowledge) are Albanian, but we take pride in the insightful and pro-American policies and attitudes of Albania and Kosovo.

So I was fortunate enough to stumble upon an article by Michael Totten, who is linked on our blogroll. He writes about his experiences in the newly-independent nations of Kosovo. This nation is Muslim, but along with Albania, Georgia, and Kurdistan, is fervently pro-American.

Totten writes about the very small portion of this Muslim nation that is fundamentalist and the majority of the people who are secular:
Wahhabis are encountering resistance from Kosovo’s religious community as well as from its atheists and agnostics. “We are working very hard to stop these kinds of movements,” says Hamiti. “These kinds of movements are dangerous for all nations, for the faiths, for all religions. The traditional Islam that has been cultivated in these areas is the best guarantee for the future. If we allow foreigners to come here and to push us to war with their ideas, then the situation will be out of our control."

And to make it better, Kosovars are incredibly pro-American:

In 2004, a Gallup survey measured popular opinion of U.S. foreign policy around the world. Only ten countries rated American foreign policy favorably, and among those, Kosovo scored highest, registering 88 percent approval. When one ethnic Albanian I met happened to make the uncontroversial statement that Kosovo was a European country, another broke in. “We aren’t European,” she corrected. “We’re American."

And this article has perhaps the best interchange I've read in a while:

“Americans are our best friends in the world,” a waiter said to me at one of Pristina’s finest restaurants. “The U.K. is second.”

“Thank you,” I said. “We appreciate that. Some people don’t like us.”

“Bad people,” he said.

I strongly suggest that you check out this article. It might just make your day.