YakimaGulagLiteraryGazett

We will see an Al Jazeera Balkans:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jfGpObnJS0bha7LBbtqpmJQ0yi1w?docId=CNG.34a222e35c6a2e98d03744cee3b43b05.251

Jedva čekam! I already watch the English language service having been
introduced to it while living in Sarajevo.

The ever popular Balkan Insight Press Review.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnia-press-review-march-28-2åaaa
a

I had no idea Bosnia was still Serbian airspace! !!?!!? Whiskey Tango
Foxtrot?!?!

More to do with Libya than BiH but bears repeating:

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/24/lesson-from-bosnia-arm-the-libyan-rebels/

Revolutions which take too long sour and become corrupt.

As well the need to help keep this revolution Libyan may require the
right sort of outside assitance. This cannot be done on the cheap,
otherwise there will be people from Al Qaida and so on. There aren't
now as Qaddaffi ruthlessly suppressed any sort of Islamist rebellion.
I hate seeing yet another war. And no it is NOT free pass for Obama
time. People in the opposition asked for the No Fly Zone.

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Dragan Milosevic to serve time in Estonia:

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/europe/Sarajevo-Siege-General-to-Serve-Prison-Sentence-in-Estonia-118492079.html

And a war crimes trial ends in Sweden:

http://m.thelocal.se/32758/20110323/

Turkish Airlines wants to buy B&H Airlines but the fact it took FIVE
MONTHS for Bosnia to form a government delayed this:

http://www.balkans.com/open-news.php?uniquenumber=98606

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http://www.thewesternstar.com/Canada---World/Society/2011-03-22/article-2354295/Bosnian-town-offers-place-to-stay-to-Japanese-children-made-homeless-by-earthquake,-tsunami/1?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=DTN+Canada%3A

This article does not mention it, but Japan has been doing a lot of
good in the post-war rebuilding of BiH.

Most of the city busses in Sarajevo were donated by Japan and there
are good trade ties.

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Balkans nations so far in support of air strikes:

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2011/03/21/feature-01

By the way, one day I was walking into Bascarsija and I looked up
there was Bakir Izetbegović looking right at me! I knew it was him
because of a documentary I saw about the famous Sarajevo Tunnel. He
was instrumental in building it. He has red hair and was noticeable.
Granted, I look fantastična in purple.

I met one of the guys who dug in there on my very first day going
about alone in Sarajevo. I in fact bought some of the famous bullet
pens from him. I recognized him when he was interviewed. He also makes
other brassware.

Usual Mess:

http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/03/21/nb-09

has anyone else noticed how the smaller a minority is the more they divide? Croats have enough trouble in BiH without splintering the way they have been.

I feel very torn about Libya. On the one hand it's yet another war, on the other Qaddafi is completely off his rocker. There was one picture of him wearing a crown -like headgear and a lot of other gold on top of a camoflage uniform. More Micheal Jackson-like than colonel-like! He definately can't offer Michael Jackson's dance abilities, or the physical beauty Michael Jackson had before all the plastic surgery. In fact even AFTER all the plastic surgery Micheal Jackson looked better! And The Gloved One never lost his talent, even after he lost it mentally. Also Micheal Jackson was not in charge of a large country. But I digress....
There are a lot of people who feel the U.S. should butt out. I don't know, here Qaddaffi has been shamelessly slaughtering his own people live on Al Jazeera, CNN, and etc. His people have had enough. Drop some bombs. Drop some food pallets, get some medical aid in there. I wish we'd gone into Bosnia sooner. Frankly my Rubicon was not in Bosnia, but Croatia. Can we all say 'Vukovar'? That is when we should have done something.

The African Union is Qaddaffi's little club. The Arab Keague should have LISTENED when Secratary Gates said that a no-fly zone means initially you bomb some stuff.

The Opposition is grateful. That is what should matter.

I don't think even Qaddaffi's own family love him. At best he must be a huge embarrassment. They have to know they too will go down.
They just stick around because they can't figure out how to get out. All of them are dirty.

Mubarak had the sense to bail, before it got too ugly, Ben Ali bailed, again before it got too ugly.

Both Egypt and Tunisia have a chance. Libya
I hope gets it's chance now. A long slow war would radicalise people. A rapid transition to democratic government is the best hope.
Sunday, I saw Netanyahu on Piers Morgan's show. Israel fears that democracybwould lead to a situation like Lebanon or Iran. Both started off as reform movements. Netanyahu is kind if leaving out the fact that the more protracted all this is, the likelier it is to end badly for EVERYONE. all those dictators used Israel as a scapegoat for EVERYTHING. Israel has a lot to answer for. But Israel is not the cause of dictators and corruption in the majority of Middle Eastern countries, or the lack of hope or the poverty. The people have figured that out. That is actually good news for Israel.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/03/17/1921128/woman-accused-of-bosnian-war-crimes.html

This woman is accused of torture and murder. It's interesting in a
way, I am assuming from the given name she is Bosniak but from
Croatia. She knows they were looking for her, because she used aliases.

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The victory was won in Europe, for civil damages in the death of Mr.
Kovać and injuries to the children during the Bosnian war. This was on
Al Jazeera.

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http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/03/11/nb-04

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Dirty Dodik at it again:

http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/bosnia-serbs-will-arrest-bosnian-war-suspects

Another indictment:

http://www.rnw.nl/international-justice/article/bosnian-serb-indicted-over-srebrenica-massacre

And on the hearings by Peter King:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2011/0310/Peter-King-hearing-shows-sharply-polarized-attitudes-toward-Islam

Peter King is from Long Island and everyone on Long Island was touched
in some way by the September 11 attacks. It's personal with him.
Everything is.

I listened to part of the Riz Khan Show, an Al Jazeera program. Riz
Khan's guest was Hamza Yusef, an American Muslim. Hamza Yusuf said
that it is very important to acknowlege the fears of Americans who are
in the majority, and to help these people overcome the fear.
I think these hearings are not helpful. Most decent intelligence on
potential terrorist acts has come from American Muslims. It behooves
the other communities in our country to remember this fact.

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I can't go to any of the bridge events. In spirit I would be on the
Stari Most, in special solidarity with the women of Bisnia Hercegovina.

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http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1624502.php/Bosnian-ex-general-freed-on-bail-in-Austria

And what...? They actually are looking for Hadzic? And Mladic? Well,
Serbia can't get into the EU without finding them and turning them in.

We woke up to the ridiculousness of snow the day after 50f day. It
came down pretty good, but now the sun is shining and the dogs at my
daughter's are sunning themselves.

My grand daughter's tenth birthday was celebrated with much fanfare,
and I stayed over to look after them, it has been an early release week.

Had a lot if fun with them.

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http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE7265WA20110307

Other news:

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/07/3455157/bosnia-looks-to-learn-a-lesson.html

Press Review:
http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnia-press-review-march-7-2011

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http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/newsbriefs/setimes/newsbriefs/2011/03/06/nb-07

Because the world is a sad and scary place sometimes, we need these
funny stories.

http://m.npr.org/story/134295126?url=/2011/03/05/134295126/let-it-rain

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I probably would also have demonstrated for this man who put justice
above ethnic loyalty.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iptVQ4YxD87GZESeVaqmOlkJo0CQ?docId=CNG.5202a65c8d4fc875936fd8f48bfa74e2.ba1

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To make an omlette you have to break eggs. A lot of Bosnians were
working in Libya before all Hell broke loose. Bosnians working in the
Middle East and North Africa is nothing new. The Former S.O. held jobs
in Algeria and Iraq when he was a young man.
He did not have to flee like people now.

http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE71R1A720110302

And some good news:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jNzalfjQghTUuEGDTE4_NnwrmJ9w?docId=6127343

General Jovo Divjak detained in Austria:

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1623585.php/Austria-holds-Bosnian-general-on-Belgrade-s-war-crimes-charge

For those not familiar, General Divjak is ethnically Serbian but
served on the Bosnian side during the war.

Dodik wants refugees to return:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5j7Y-zpaXBJBv9cV6wthFBLJ3sNjg?docId=6116376

He seems to only want Croats to return. I did not see any welcoming
words for Muslims.

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The part of the Historical Museum dealing with the war times is well
worth seeing. I got in on the fee charged to residents. Probably
because I could 'pass'
I am no slouch at kludgeing things. For years due to hardships I was
the Queen of Kludge. I got tired of having to do it but it is a
survival skill whoever can kludge, scrounge and make booze will survive.
How people survive extreme situations has always fascinated me.
So I spent a good three hours in this museum simply floored by the
ingenuity of the Bosnian people. I know the memories are too much now,
but Bisnian people should take pride in what they overcame and how
they did it.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/mar/02/sarajevo-designs-survival-bosnian-war?cat=artanddesign&type=article

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The Hollow Cry of 'Broke':

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/opinion/03thu1.html?_r=3&hp

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Or Cultural Genicide Tennesse Style:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110222/NEWS02/110222081/Bill-Ketron-proposes-law-make-following-Shariah-law-felony-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|p

And reaction from Bošniaci.net

http://www.bosniaks.net/prilog.php?rid=1&pid=40837

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110302/NEWS06/103020344/Near-Tennessee-Capitol-faith-leaders-call-stop-anti-Shariah-bill?odyssey=mod|mostcom


My own reaction to this nonsense:



1. In the United States of America we have a
Constitution which proclaims full liberty of religion and it's
practice. Unless a religious group were to take public incest orgies
followed by caninal feasts, pretty much. Well polygamy is illegal in
the U.S. In fact it's actually illegal in a few predominantly Muslim
countries.

Most requirements of Sharia law are harmless. Women in fact DO have
rights under Sharia law that were not available to Western, Christian
women until the mid- 20th century.

I think given how many bills for the sale of beer and wine this guy is
in on, that really he is afraid booze might be harder to get. If this
fellow were not such an obvious šupak, I would offer to take him bar-
hopping in Sarajevo. 90% Muslim city. Booze is freely available and
cheaper than in most of the US. The mere presence of Muslims doesn't
guarantee Sharia law any more than the mere presence of Jews
guarantees Halacha law. Most aspects of these legal systems apply to
private life, or can easily be accomadated.

In fact if Christians were still applying the Christian customs and
mores, it would look a lot like either Islam but you get booze and
pork, or Judaism without the pork, but you still get the booze. This
man is such an ignorant and biggoted šupak. I hope most Tenneseans
have more sense than him.
I hope the ACLU gets all over him like killer bees.
I am going to keep up with this story.

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The anniversary of this blog's beginning was really in February. We
started in February 2005. It's mostly been fun. It's been a way to
share news of the Balkans region and to keep in touch with family and
friends. when I lived abroad. If I posted, they knew all was well. I
have seen a lot of the Balkans Blogosphere change. Some links in my
sidebar don't even lead to operating blogs anymore.
Some people seem to have simply disappeared, and their sites are
occupied by cyber-squatters.
A few actually did announce they would shut down. Sadly, many are
people I miss, because they had good things to say. Others defected to
places like Wordpress. I am staying right here inshAllah, because it
is easy to post here, easy to comment and I can't see changeing what
has worked for me.
I truely appreciate everyone who has read this blog over the past six
years.
Hvala Vama najlijepše!!!!

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Oddly enough the best account I found of this horrible incident was
the local paper's website:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_GERMANY_US_AIRPORT_SHOOTING?SITE=WAYAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=03&dd=02&nav_id=73010

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http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/article_54f47b80-09af-58b4-a440-50031962c68c.html

And file under 'No Hard Feelings':

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2011&mm=03&dd=02&nav_id=73010

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From Slobodna Dalmacija, very comprehensive, in Croatian but have a look at the pictures anyway.

http://www.slobodnadalmacija.hr/BiH/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/130425/Default.aspx



Below is from The Economist. Sorry this was the only way to include the story.