Bosnia, Kosovo and genocide

If Kosovo has the right to be independent why not Republika Srpska, the Bosnian entity?

First a bit of history. Republika Srpska was the creation of Dayton, the agreement that ended the Bosnian war in 1995. Its borders were computer generated. Bosnia's borders did change during the period of Ottoman rule but the area now designated as Republika Srpska was always included in those borders. Bosnia has pretty much held its current borders since 1878. The only real exception was the period of Royal dictatorship imposed in 1929.

By contrast, far from Kosovo always being Serbian, Kosovo fell under Serbian occupation only in 1912. Note – occupation. Legal sovereignty over Kosovo was granted not to Serbia but to the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenians after the First World War. Kosovo was established in its current borders since 1945 and in 1974 became a Republic in all but name.

But the real reason the two completely different is genocide. The genocide carried out on behalf of the state of Serbia in 1999 means that it is unthinkable that Kosovo will be returned, against its will, to Serbia. Given that the overwhelming majority of the Kosovan people are not willing accept a restoration of Serbian rule, independence is the only viable option.

In Bosnia it was the Muslims who were victims of an organized campaign of genocide. It was perpetuated by the same Serb nationalists who demanded Republika Srpska. Allowing the existence of Republika Srpska was an an act of appeasement. It is unthinkable that that campaign of genocide should be rewarded by allowing the Serb entity to become independent.
kosovo
Bosnia
genocide

Violence, anti-Islam and Osama

Perhaps inevitably the number of sites that that are dedicated to proving that Islam is a religion of violence. Were these sites supporting Osama bin Laden I could understand it. Osama needs to convince Muslims that his way of violence is a way of religion and he himself is not just a poor little rich kid with a chip on his shoulder trying to work out his personal problems on a wider stage.

That many Muslims reject Osama I'd have thought can only be a good thing. These anti Muslim sites, however, are determined to prove that those Muslims who reject Osama are wrong. The technique is to quote loads of bits from the Koran that advocate violence – in effect doing Osama’s work for him. The Koran (like the Bible) is riddled with contradictions. A peaceful person will focus on the peaceful bits and those who wish to advocate violence will seek the violent bits. Christians do the same with the Bible.

So why are these supposedly anti-terrorist folk trying so hard to prove that the peaceful Muslims are wrong and the ilk of Osama are right?

On the Austrian moving of the Goal Posts re Turkey.

This is from American Future:

It turns out that the Austrians don’t come off well in regard to the 1915 Armenian massacres, either. The German Reich and the Austro-Hungarian Empire were allied with the Ottoman Empire and fully aware of Turkey’s actions against the Armenian minority. But they didn’t try to stop it.

And from Ireland
In my own humble opinion Europe needs Turkey

And frome One Ring to rule them all...
We must not turn our back on our best Muslim ally

Politics
Turkey
Turkey-EU
European Union

Europe without Turkey aint Europe

Turkey was one of the historical Great Powers of Europe. To write the history of Europe without Turkey would be absurd. A lot of that history has been one of conflict but then the whole European ideal has been as much about remembering past differences to move beyond them.

The irony is that the opponents to Turkey often go on about European values while at the same time displaying a very un-European intolerance.


Politics
Turkey
Turkey-EU
European Union

Sir Ian Blair's letter

"This is clearly a fast-time decision-making process, in which officers cannot risk the kind of containment and negotiation tactics which would normally be the case."

In other words, you kill one possibly innocent person to prevent the possibility that a larger number of innocent people will die.

What Sir Ian Blair is unable to grasp is that most important thing is to prevent people falling into the grip of those who organize terrorist actions. Killing an innocent person and then on top of that refusing to have an independent investigation is the best help the terror recruiters could get.

Sir Ian Blair is incapable of seeing the wider picture - that's why he should resign.

Politics
Police
Sir Ian Blair
Britain

Balad – yet more Iraqi victims of the Iraqi “resistance”.

The depressing thing is 50 people murdered in Iraq is hardly news anymore. And the why?:

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, one of the most feared militant groups, has pledged to wage “all out war” on the Shi’ite community, an apparent effort to provoke sectarian civil war and drive the country further into chaos.

This is not about anti imperialism nor about religion but an extremely brutal method of securing power. Polarized communities can be controlled and controlled communities are the means that the ilk of al-Zarqawi have a chance of getting a taste of power.

For a good map showing where Balad is check out The Word Unheard.

Iraq
terroism

Free Speech in Brighton - and Baghdad

Free Speech in Brighton - and Baghdad
A party that won't tolerate free speech in its own ranks is not one that deserves anyone's vote but at the end of the day if Labor Party decides that
delegates who heckle should be evicted that's their affair.

What is not their affair is that Walter Wolfgang was held under the terrorism act when he tried to reenter the conference. I'm not going to say I'm shocked. I was shocked when the British parliament passed that act. That was the Rubicorn and abuses of the act like this can be expected for so long as it remains on the statue book.

But Wolfgang was wrong. However much that the coalition has done much that has been counterproductive – it is fighting on the side of democracy and freedom. The “resistance” have been quite open about their hatred and democracy. Should they win any hope of freedom of even most trivial kind will be wiped out for whole generation of Iraqis.

I don't like Straw but he wasn't talking nonsense – just the simple truth.
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Politics
Iraq
Britain

London as one

This from 21st Century Vision
who describes London at 12 expressing the same sentiment as we did at 18 in Trafalgar Square:
"Locally in the London Boroughs of Enfield & Barnet many people left their workplace and stood silent on the street. We visited the Palmers Green Bookshop and joined them as they shut their doors and stood silent outside. Others came out of their shops and joined together in this act of remembrance. It was an emotional moment that made us all realise that underneath the diversity of this great city, London was at one."

London Together after the Bombings on Trafalger Square

I chose this detail from the pictures I took because of the contrast. Of course it doesn't automatically follow that waving a Union Jack means that person is opposed to a pull out from Iraq. And the people carrying the "London-Fallujah No more bombs" might have just have meant that air attacks is not the right way to fight terrorism in Iraq (but I suspect not). I was a little uncomfortable that was there was a section who took an anti war message from the atrocity on the 7th of July. I think is quite possible that, in the short term, a pull out from Iraq would take the heat off us but it wouldn't reduce suicide bombings. Instead of us in London, other people somewhere else in the world would be victims. But London wouldn't be united if those who are anti war hadn't been there. London being united doesn't mean we don't disagree.

I'm not so sure about the Stop the War Coalition folk tho. I got into an argument with one of them - okay, I picked an argument with one of them. Did he think pulling British and American troops out o Iraq would end the war. Yes he was 100% sure. So why, I asked him, are most of the victims Iraqi? "I don't know." When someone can't attempt a coherent argument they can't blame others for suspecting that they arn't being totally honest in their aims. My suspicion is that they are not anti war but pro war - just they want the Iraqi "resistance" to win.

I have never been to Iraq and don't know whether the terrorists will succeed in dividing Iraqis, one against each other but I do know they won't succeed in London. That was the message that virtually every speaker gave and we standing there didn't mind the repetition - it was what we wanted to hear.

David
London Bombings