Jasmina Tesanovic:Chaotic Kosovo/Serbia Situation Seen Through One Celebrated Serbian's Eyes

*

Our photo below shows some protesting Serb students marching through the streets of their country's capital city, Belgrade.

Though this particular march took place some time prior to the current Kosovo chaos', from our past personal experiences (in the former Yugoslavia), in our own opinion the banner pretty well sums up in a few words the mentality of the majority of Serbs we've ever encountered.



That big banner brags that "Belgrade Is The World."

While we've obviously not met every single Serb (nor will we ever), we were never stupid enough to believe that all Serbs are the same.

And Serbian political and peace activist, committed feminist, film maker, translator, writer cum diarist Jasmina Tesanovic is living proof.



Here's a tasty teaser to tempt you, from one of this lady's most recently published and world-widely read works.

On the morning of Thursday, February 21, there was silence in the streets. Even some schools were closed because of the rally that had been planned for later that afternoon.

Buses from all over Serbia came to Belgrade, the capital city. Transportation on the buses and trains were free and had been organised by the government for people to come and perform at the big "Kosovo is Serbia" rally.

[Editor's note. Kosovo has long been populated mainly by ethnic Albanians.]

This is the motto that has been constantly broadcast on national TV channels.

My friend from inner Serbia wanted to come to Belgrade to have coffee with me and then go back home on one of these free rides.

"But then, maybe better not to be seen around you," he later said.

"You are a notorious Woman in Black, somebody might hurt you.

See the rest of this report to see the current Kosovo/Serbia situation through one internationally respected Serbian's eyes.

Then look at the latest MSM releases from both Britain's BBC, and America's YAHOO News site.

*(Cross posted at Appletree)

Tough Talking Putin Lays It On The Line ...

*

At the time of typing we've not seen much coverage by America's mainstream media of Russian President Putin's recent personal portrayal of bare knuckle politics.



Examine these examples extracted from the man's marathon 5 hours (plus), performance:

Vladimir Putin's nuclear threat to the West

Vladimir Putin has delivered perhaps his most menacing tirade against the West yet, repeating threats to train nuclear missiles on Europe and warning of unspecified retaliation if Kosovo declared independence.

Addressing his last press conference as Russian president, Mr Putin mounted a defiant display that demonstrated more emphatically than ever the widening gulf between Moscow and its former Cold War rivals.

Vladimir Putin used the language of the Russian street in his tirade
In a vintage performance, the former KGB spy laced almost five hours of invective with crude insults, threats and admonitions often expressed in the argot of the Russian street.

Reserving his greatest ire for the United States, which he accused of harbouring a colonial mentality towards Russia, Mr Putin again said that Europe would pay the consequences for a Washington-backed plan to erect a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"Our generals, our security council, consider these moves a threat to our national security," he said. "We asked our partners to stop but no one listened to us. So if they continue we will have to react appropriately by retargeting our missiles."

(snip)

Although he did not elaborate, Mr Putin gave warning of retaliation once Kosovo broke away - a threat likely to chill Western leaders. "We have a ready-made plan and we know what we are going to do," he said.

(snip)

Encouraged by enthusiastic applause from his audience, Mr Putin often resorted to crude rhetoric to condemn his critics.

Read the rest of this 'Telegraph' report.

*(Cross posted at Appletree)