Saturday, May 14, 2005

UN investigates possible mass grave in Kosovo - (AFP)

PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro, May 14 (AFP) -

The UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) said Saturday that its investigators have found a grave in central Kosovo with multiple human remains.

"Among the multiple remains excavated so far are identified two completed bodies. The grave is located near the hospital in Malisevo municipality in central Kosovo," UNMIK spokeswoman Marcie Poole told AFP.

Malisevo region was exposed to heavy fighting between ethnic Albanian guerrilla and Serbian security forces in 1998.

"Preliminary findings indicate a presumption that two bodies are of Serbs who went missing in connection with the events in 1998", Poole said.

In April, UN investigators found 21 bodies of Serbs in a grave located in a cave in central Kosovo. The cave and its surroundings were allegedly used to secretly dispose of remains of Serbs who went missing during the conflict.

Kosovo is a southern Serbian province that has been administered by the UN since a 1999 NATO-led bombing campaign forced Serbian troops to end a crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists and pull out.

The total number of missing people from the 1998-99 war is 3,192: 2,460 ethnic Albanians, 529 Serbs and 203 of other ethnicities.

Kosovo and Serbian officials have recently begun a dialogue on the fate of people listed as missing from the conflict.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

What? no way... you mean Kosovars werent 100% innocent?

Anonymous said...

http://www.geocities.com/aia_skenderbeg/skenderbeg.html

An albanian wrote that, chek it out

Anonymous said...

Brainwashed D.I.C.Khead how do u justify the fact that he never fought for the defence of any Serbian territories. How many times did he protect the castles of Belgrade? None. How do u justify his fanatical defence of all Albanians, no matter their religion, or creed.

Source 1
Here's what Encarta encyclopedia writes

Skenderbeg, in Turkish Iskender Bey, real name Gjergj Kastrioti (1403?-1468), Albanian chief and national hero. The son of an Albanian prince, he was sent to Constantinople (present-day İstanbul) as a hostage when the Ottoman Turks began to occupy Albania. He was educated as a Muslim and enlisted in the Turkish army. His military skill earned him favor with the sultan, and he was given a command. In 1443, when he learned that Albania had revolted against the Turks, Skenderbeg deserted and returned to his native land. He renounced Islam for Christianity and became the leader of the Albanian chiefs. In 1461, Skenderbeg, with the aid of Pope Pius II and the governments of Venice, Naples, and Hungary, forced the Turks to accept a 10-year armistice. When Skenderbeg abrogated the armistice in 1463, he was forced to fight Turkey without the aid of his former allies, and shortly after his death, Albania was defeated.

Source 2: Encyclopedia Britannica Online www.eb.com

byname of George Kastrioti, or Castriota, Albanian Gjergj Kastrioti
born 1405, northern Albania
died Jan. 17, 1468, Lezhë, Albania


national hero of the Albanians.

A son of John (Gjon) Kastrioti, prince of Emathia, George was early given as hostage to the Turkish sultan. Converted to Islam and educated at Edirne, Turkey, he was given the name Iskander—after Alexander the Great—and the rank of bey (hence Skanderbeg) by Sultan Murad II. During the defeat of the Turks at Niš (1443), in Serbia, Skanderbeg abandoned the Turkish service and joined his Albanian countrymen against the forces of Islam. He embraced Christianity, reclaimed his family possessions, and in 1444 organized a league of Albanian princes, over which he was appointed commander in chief.

In the period 1444–66 he effectively repulsed 13 Turkish invasions, his successful resistance to the armies of Murad II in 1450 making him a hero throughout the Western world. Through the years he elicited some support from Naples, Venice, and the papacy and was named by Pope Calixtus III captain general of the Holy See. In 1463 he secured an alliance with Venice that helped launch a new offensive against the Turks. Until the end of his life he continued to resist successfully all Turkish invasions. Within a few years of his death, however, his citadel at Krujë had fallen (1478), and Albania passed into several centuries of obscurity under Turkish rule.

Source 3: www.wikipedia.com

He was born in Krujë, Albania; his father was an Albanian nobleman, Gjon Kastrioti (Giovanni Castriota), lord of Middle Albania, and his mother was Vojsava. The Kastrioti family are from the Northern Alps of Albania. The region is made up of five smaller regions, Hoti, Gruda, Kelmendi (Chlementini), Kastrati, Shkreli. The Malcor, as the people of that region are called, came from the northern Albanian Alps and settled near the Mati River, the Adriatic sea and the small towns of the region. Gjon was a descendent of the Kastrati region. The people of Malcia e Madhe still possess many of the fields of the estate of Kastrioti (Kastrati) family and have kept many of the features that distinguish them from the region, such as the dialect, traditional clothes and costumes. [1] (http://www.sardimpex.com/FILES/CASTRIOTA%20E%20BRANAI.htm).

Obliged by the Ottomans to pay tribute to the Empire, and to ensure the fidelity of local rulers, Gjon Kastrioti's sons were taken by the Sultan to his court as hostages. In 1423, Gjergj Kastrioti and his three brothers were taken by the Turks. He attended military school and led many battles for the Ottoman Empire. He was awarded for his military victories with the title Iskander Bey (Albanian transliteration: Skënderbeu, English transliteration: Skanderbeg). In Turkish this title means Lord or Prince Alexander (in honor of Alexander the Great). Skanderbeg soon switched sides and came back to his native land to successfully defended Albania against the Ottoman Empire until his death.

Source 4: www.encyclopedia.com

(both: skãn´derbĕg) or Skanderbeg , c.1404-1468, Albanian national hero. His original name was George Castriota or Kastriotes, but the Ottomans called him Iskender Bey, and this was corrupted into Scanderbeg. The son of a prince of N Albania, he was educated in the Muslim faith as a hostage at the court of Sultan Murad II . The sultan showered favors on him and gave him the title bey and an army command. In 1443, when the Ottomans indicated they would attack Albania, Scanderbeg escaped to his homeland, abjured Islam, and formed a league of princes among the Albanian chieftains. He proclaimed himself prince of Albania. To resist the Ottomans under Sultan Muhammad II , Scanderbeg received aid at various times from Venice, Naples, Hungary, and the pope. He had success in these wars partly because of the rugged Albanian terrain and partly because he employed a mobile defense force using guerrilla methods. He withstood repeated attacks and forced the sultan to conclude a 10-year truce in 1461. Scanderbeg broke the truce in 1463 when Pope Pius II called for a new crusade. The pope's death (1464) forced abandonment of the crusade; Scanderbeg, left without allies, had to retreat to his fortress of Kroia. After his death the league dissolved, resistance collapsed, and Albania fell to the Ottomans. Scanderbeg's life is the source of many Albanian tales.