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Abstract
This book makes the case for the independence of Kosova – the former province of 'old-Yugoslavia' and now temporarily a United Nations-led International protectorate – at a time in which international diplomacy is deeply involved in solving the contested issue of its 'Final Status'. The aim of the book is to counteract the anti-Albanian propaganda waged by some parties, but never to propose a counter-propaganda hostile to others or to the goals of a democratic Kosova.
Anna Di Lellio holds a PhD in Sociology from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy and International Affairs from New York University. She has extensive experience in Kosovo, first as Media Commissioner, and later as Political Advisor to the UN Kosovo Protection Corps Coordinator.
Ismaïl Kadaré is a world-renowned Albanian writer. In 1992, he was awarded the Prix mondial Cino Del Duca; in 2005, he won the inaugural Booker International Prize. He has divided his time between France and Albania since 1990.
This book makes the case for the independence of Kosova – the former province of 'old Yugoslavia' and now temporarily a United Nations-led International protectorate – at a time in which international diplomacy is deeply involved in solving the contested issue of its 'Final Status'. Negotiations began in January 2006 under the auspices of a United Nations Special Envoy, and have been given renewed impetus by the international community’s determination to arrive at a solution.' The Case for Kosova' aims to contribute to these negotiations, by providing informed arguments for a different approach to the issue of Kosova's status beyond the limitations of current debates. Its aim is to counteract the anti-Albanian propaganda waged by some parties, but never to propose a counter-propaganda hostile to others or to the goals of a democratic Kosova. Debates on Kosova have largely concentrated on a specific aspect of the issue: either on ideology and myth construction (ignoring translations into practice); on geo-politics (missing the deep implications for stability and security); or on policy (lacking a conceptual understanding of both ideologies and processes). Until now, no book has linked these different fields in a persuasive manner. 'The Case for Kosova' fills this gap with an intellectually challenging and politically relevant commentary from key players in the debate.
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Matter | 1 | ||
| Half Title | 1 | ||
| Series Page | 2 | ||
| Title | 3 | ||
| Copyright | 4 | ||
| Table of Contents | 5 | ||
| Contributors | 9 | ||
| Editor's Note | 14 | ||
| Preface, by Muhammedin Kullashi | 17 | ||
| Main Matter | 21 | ||
| Introduction, by Anna Di Lellio | 21 | ||
| Chapter 1: Is Kosova a late creation of the Yugoslav state and should it be considered the cradle of the Serb nation? by Isa Blumi | 27 | ||
| The Answer | 28 | ||
| Chapter 2: Were Albanians always on the side of the Ottoman Empire against Christian powers? by Isa Blumi | 37 | ||
| The Answer | 38 | ||
| Chapter 3: Is it true that Albanians in Kosova are not Albanians, but descendants from Albanianized Serbs? by Noel Malcolm | 45 | ||
| The Answer | 46 | ||
| Chapter 4: Is the Muslim conversion of Albanians the main cause of the estrangement between Slavs and Albanians? by Noel Malcolm | 49 | ||
| The Answer | 50 | ||
| Chapter 5: Is it true that Albanians invaded Kosova? by Alain Ducellier | 53 | ||
| The Answer | 54 | ||
| Chapter 6: Is it true that Albanians are responsible for an orchestrated campaign to destroy Kosova's cultural heritage in modern times? by Andrew Herscher | 63 | ||
| The Answer | 63 | ||
| Chapter 7: Have ethnic and religious animosities caused the destruction of the artistic and cultural heritage of Kosova during the Ottoman period? by Machiel Kiel | 69 | ||
| The Answer | 69 | ||
| Chapter 8: Was the Albanian opposition to the Serb Kingdom's annexation in 1912 without justification? by Ivo Banac | 79 | ||
| The Answer | 80 | ||
| Chapter 9: Is the complaint about the Serb state's deportation policy of Albanians between the two World Wars based on myth? by Noel Malcolm | 85 | ||
| The Answer | 86 | ||
| Chapter 10: Is it true that Tito's Yugoslav policies favored Albanians in Kosova? by Ivo Banac | 89 | ||
| The Answer | 90 | ||
| Chapter 11: Is it true that Albanians collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II? by Bernd Fischer | 95 | ||
| The Answer | 96 | ||
| Chapter 12: Did Albanians in Kosova breach their voluntary commitment to join Yugoslavia in 1945? by Owen Pearson | 103 | ||
| The Answer | 104 | ||
| Chapter 13: Have Albanians been against a peaceful solution to the question of Kosova's autonomy? by Howard Clark | 111 | ||
| The Answer | 112 | ||
| Chapter 14: Have Albanian terrorism and separatism been the cause of the Yugoslav state policies during the 1990s? by Howard Clark | 119 | ||
| The Answer | 120 | ||
| Chapter 15: Was the KLA a criminal, terrorist and Islamist organization? by Stacy Sullivan | 129 | ||
| The Answer | 130 | ||
| Chapter 16: Is it true that there is no right of self-determination for Kosova? by Jennifer Ober and Paul R. Williams | 135 | ||
| The Answer | 136 | ||
| Chapter 17: Was the former 1999 NATO intervention an illegal war against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia? by Catherine Croft and Paul R. Williams | 147 | ||
| The Answer | 148 | ||
| Chapter 18: Is it true that the NATO bombing and the KLA were responsible for the Albanian refugee crisis in the spring 1999 and that the number of Albanians killed during the war has been grossly exaggerated? Excerpts from AAAS/ABA-CEELI Report | 155 | ||
| The Answer | 157 | ||
| How do the Researchers Come to that Conclusion? | 158 | ||
| How to Explain these Patterns? | 159 | ||
| Chapter 19: Were Kosovo Albanians responsible for \"reverse ethnic cleansing\" after the war? by Vjosa Dobruna | 161 | ||
| The Answer | 162 | ||
| Chapter 20: Is it true that an independent Kosova will inevitably be a mono-ethnic state, unless Serb communities and their territories become autonomous? by Albin Kurti | 171 | ||
| The Answer | 172 | ||
| Chapter 21: Is it true that a human rights culture, respectful of minorities, is a remote possibility in Kosova? by Julie Mertus | 181 | ||
| The Answer | 181 | ||
| Chapter 22: Would an independent Kosova be an Islamist state? by Dom Lush Gjergji | 185 | ||
| The Answer | 185 | ||
| Chapter 23: Would Kosova survive economically as an independent state? by Henry Perritt | 191 | ||
| The Answer | 192 | ||
| Chapter 24: Is it true that Kosova cannot govern itself and needs further international tutelage or conditional independence? by Besnik Pula | 199 | ||
| The Answer | 199 | ||
| Chapter 25: Is it true that Kosova is a clannish society still regulated by the Kanun, or the customary law, and does not belong to the West? by Besnik Pula | 205 | ||
| The Answer | 206 | ||
| Chapter 26: Is Greater Albania a Threat? by Paulin Kola | 211 | ||
| The Answer | 211 | ||
| Where is the Albanian Nation Now? | 218 | ||
| Chapter 27: Is it true that the independence of Kosova would destabilize the Balkans and endanger the possibility of stabilizing other areas of the world, for example, Chechnya or Nagorno Karabach? by Janusz Bugajski | 221 | ||
| The Answer | 222 | ||
| Chapter 28: Is it true that decentralization is the key to security and stability in Kosova? by Isa Blumi and Anna Di Lellio | 227 | ||
| The Answer | 228 | ||
| End Matter | 235 | ||
| Afterword, by Ismail Kadare | 235 |