TheStar.com - `I'm going because democracy is a gift'

This article is about Canadian election monitors in the Ukraine. What caught my eye was Sheila Fruman, former Communications Director for Premier Mike Harcourt went to Macedonia to monitor free elections there. I will try to get Shelia to write about Canada's position on Macedonian- Greek issues.

TheStar.com - `I'm going because democracy is a gift'

Sheila Fruman, a former New Democratic Party activist in British Columbia who worked in an election in the Balkans, said she had seen in Macedonia what a difference an international observation team could make.

"The election was deemed to be free and fair — and it made a tremendous difference afterwards," she said in an interview. "Regardless of who wins, it's important that the election outcome be seen as legitimate."

Reality Macedonia : 2005 - Key Year for Macedonia's NATO Membership

I agree with Macedonia joining Nato. However, both Greece and Turkey are members of Nato and they almost went to war. Nato membership should help rebuff any future embargo threat by Greece.

It reminds me of the the response of a 100 year old man on his birthday.

Journalist: How do you feel?

100 Year old Man: Not bad, considering the alternative.

Reality Macedonia : 2005 - Key Year for Macedonia's NATO Membership

"In that sense, 2005 is a key year of breakthrough of things and I'm confident that if we do our job successfully, by this time next year we will know weather Macedonia will get invitation for NATO membership in 2006," said the new Minister of Defence.

IWRP - Macedonia: DPA Accused of Dirty Tricks

Interesting article since it has taken a pro-Macedonian stand. IWRP is a "semi-official" US government organization run by former US diplomats.

Bad news for the Albanians, they are being cut out of American support ... for now

Institute for War and Peace Reporting - Macedonia: DPA Accused of Dirty Tricks

An ethnic Albanian political party has been accused of cynically staging a two-month-long village siege, which raised fears of a renewal of inter-communal violence.

The Democratic Party of Albanians, DPA, is charged with engineering the crisis and then disingenuously playing a part in resolving it, in order to improve its domestic and international reputation.

Armed Albanians left the Macedonian village of Kondovo on December 17, after weeks of intense negotiation between the militants and members of Albanian political parties.

Condi Rice named "Person of the Year" by The Macedonian Tendency

You have to read this article by Gene Rossides, President, American Hellenic, Institute and former Assistant, Secretary of the Treasury. I like to watch Greeks as they piss in their own soup. He blames a number of high ranking Republicans for past, present and anticipated future setbacks for Greece and Cyprus. These people have Greece by the "yaceh" and he proceeds to spit in their face. Thank you Gene!

Based on Gene's report, we are pleased to announce that Ms. Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Designate is The Macedonian Tendency's "PERSON OF THE YEAR"!

Hellenic News of America

Ms. Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Designate, has been in the center of all the foreign policy decisions of President Bush. During the first Bush administration she was the foreign policy person closest to the President. She will have a far greater influence on foreign policy than Secretary of State Colin L. Powell.

Ms. Rice, as National Security Advisor, was involved in the betrayal of Greece in the administrationʼs unilateral decision to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as the Republic of Macedonia. The U.S. policy had been that we would use the name FYROM until Greece and FYROM by negotiations determined a solution to the name issue. The U.S. broke its pledge. It appears that a staff member of the NSC proposed the change in policy which Ms. Rice approved as did the State and Defense Departments.

CIA agent recruits Albanian in Macedonia

It seems that this book only has about 100 pages relating to Macedonia. If this is the extent of its information, I think that I will wait until it is remaindered for $3.99.

The New York Times > Magazine > Lives: Too Hot to Handle

By LINDSAY MORAN

Published: December 19, 2004


When I finally ''broke cover,'' A.'s respect for me, even though I was a woman, increased exponentially. We were sitting in his Mercedes next to what appeared to be a city dump near Skopje, Macedonia's capital.

''I love C.I.A.!'' he exclaimed loudly. A., a jovial and dapper businessman I had been developing for the autumn months of 2000, was an Albanian well connected to a number of significant Kosovars. The agency was interested in Kosovo, the contentious region bordering Macedonia to the north, and so far, A. had given me solid information.

Weeks earlier, I cautioned A. that it was too risky to meet publicly. ''We can use my friend's apartment!'' he suggested.

''Your car will do,'' I replied. ''How would you like to work for the C.I.A., too?'' I had written up a careful ''pitch proposal'' and sent it back to headquarters, outlining how I thought the recruitment meeting would play out.

''C/O Hadley anticipates little risk of blowback in executing the pitch,'' I'd written, referring to myself by my alias in the third person as is characteristic of C.I.A. case officers and also, I often considered, insane people. ''C/O Hadley doubts that Subject ever would report the pitch or C/O's true affiliation to the local police or security services.''

After a nanosecond of consideration about the implications of committing espionage, A. shrugged and said, ''O.K.''

The C.I.A. never said recruiting an agent could be this easy.

''You cannot tell anyone,'' I told him. ''Not even your wife.''

''I never tell my wife anything,'' he answered with a wink.

''And if anyone catches us together, or asks how you know me. . . . '' I braced myself. ''Tell them we're having an affair.''

A. was nearly beside himself with enthusiasm. ''If we must do it, then we will make sex.''

''We don't actually have an affair,'' I told him. ''That's only our cover story -- for if we get caught. I give you money, and you give me information. Just like you've been doing.''

''No holding hands?'' he asked.

''It's business. Serious business, O.K.? Because if you get caught, you could go to jail.''

''Bah!'' A. waved his hand. ''We will not get caught. I will tell everyone we are making sex.''

I pictured A. bragging about his young American concubine to a rapt audience at the Albanian pizzeria. ''Don't tell anyone anything,'' I said.

''O.K., O.K.'' A. rolled his eyes as if I were a huge bore.

I pulled out a secrecy agreement for A. to sign, as well as 10 crisp $100 bills. I sensed that he couldn't pass up this chance to prove to himself that he wasn't a small fry. While he had been relatively easy to recruit, he continued to be difficult to handle.

''Why can we not have relations?'' A. again pleaded, as we drove along a mountainous southern Macedonian thoroughfare. I don't get paid nearly enough to deal with this, I thought. He looked beseechingly at me from behind the steering wheel. ''Keep your eyes on the road,'' I said. ''Do I have to remind you? You're married.''

''Ach!'' he groaned. ''Here, it is normal to be married and have some other girlfriends too.'' I was less concerned about his amorous intentions than I was about his getting caught. He didn't pay much attention to the security measures in which I had diligently trained him.

''Never call me on the phone,'' I had said countless times. ''We'll just meet at the time and place we agreed upon, and if one of us doesn't show up, we go to Plan B.''

''Of course!'' He appeared offended that I reminded him.

Inevitably, I was on the way to one of our prearranged meeting sites when my mobile phone would ring. From the caller ID, I could see that A. was not even using a pay phone, as I had instructed him to do in an emergency. Often, I just let it ring. But occasionally, anxious that something had happened to A., I would answer, hoping that my voice conveyed my exasperation.

''Lisssaaaaa!'' he would shout, no matter how many times I had instructed him not to use my name, even though it was an alias. ''I am on my way to . . . the place . . . now.''

Sometimes I arrived at the designated meeting spot, where he was supposed to be skulking imperceptibly among the shadows, to find him in the middle of the road, chatting on his mobile phone. Once he even had a bouquet of vibrant flowers that he used to flag me down, like an aircraft router guiding a plane to its gate. I always worried for A., but in the end he remained blinded by the allure of the C.I.A. What never got easier for me was having to feed his ego while making it clear that I'd never sleep with him.

Lindsay Moran is the author of a memoir, ''Blowing My Cover: My Life as a C.I.A. Spy and Other Misadventures,'' to be published next month by G.P. Putnam's Sons and from which this article was adapted.

Our man in Washington, Ambassador Nikola Dimitrov

Don't know much about this guy, but he seems to be OK.

The Washington Diplomat

CIA Spy Spills the Beans on Macedonian Adventure

This may lift the veil on the CIA's involvemnt in the Albanian uprising in 2001. But remember, in your posts, don't slam the CIA too hard. They are on our side ... for now!

She Gives Spies a Bad Name - December 16, 2004 - The New York Sun

"Ms. Moran cavalierly brings her non-CIA friend, Emma, to a developmental meeting with Macedonian insurgents in a seedy bar. The bar is raided, and Ms. Moran and friend barely slip away. Ms. Moran then moralizes that she did not know any more than her friend about the internal machinations of Macedonian politics, especially funding to ethnic Albanian Muslims from Osama bin Laden."

Remembering Trajkovski

Reality Macedonia : Five Years Later

Inhale first before reading, because it will take your breath away.

France wants Turkey to admit guilt regarding the Armenian Genocide.

I call on France to admit its guilt for associating with Turkey in Nato andwith Greece in the EU for complicity in "cultural genocide" with respect to ethnic Kurds in Turkey and ethnic Macedonians in Geece.

BBC NEWS Europe Turkey 'must admit WWI genocide'

France has said it will ask Turkey to acknowledge the mass killing of Armenians from 1915 as genocide when it begins EU accession talks.

Russian Minister visits Macedonia

I approve of Macedonia expanding ties with Russia.

Learn from Bill Clinton ... TRIANGULATE!

I believe that both major Macedonia political parties are on the wrong course. They both want to join Nato and the EU without any backup strategy when Greece uses its veto. You cannot expect a fair hearing from EU/NATO since it has ignored the human rights abuses of Macedonians in Greece since Greece joined the EU in the early 70's. Greece's minority rights values are by definition EU/Nato values.

My position is to continue with the Nato /EU course but at the same time, open all doors to Russia under the assumption that Macedonia will be locked out of Nato/EU. This is not a very attractive option since Russia has fallen so low that even the Ukraine is running away from it. Obviously, the US/EU/Nato is subverting Russia. It is also obvious that it is doing it with minimal effort yet Russian influence is collapsing like a deck of cards. Even though Russia is trying to position itself as a defender of Serbs in Kosovo, Serbia is trying to join the Nato and the EU ... YIKES.

RUSSIA SAVE YOURSELF

Having said that ... more contact with Russia,


Invite the Russian Orthodox Archbishop to Ohrid,
Invite Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn to Skopje,
Hold a Russian film festival,
Hold a Russian book Fair.
Produce a film about Macedonian Students in Russian circa 1900,


RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY: "RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER DEMANDS QUICK DEMARCATION OF MACEDONIAN BORDER WITH KOSOVA

Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Skopje on 8 December that the demarcation of Macedonia's border with Kosova must start as soon as possible, 'Utrinski vesnik' reported. The demarcation must be finalized before any talks on the future status of Kosova begin, Lavrov argued, adding that Russia regards Macedonia as a factor for stability in the Balkans (see 'RFE/RL Newsline,' 10 September and 1 and 7 December 2004 and 'RFE/RL Balkan Report,' 10 and 17 September 2004). Russia will therefore ask the UN Security Council, authorities in Belgrade, UNMIK, and the elected authorities in Prishtina to speed up the border demarcation. Lavrov added that Russia will ask the Security Council to pass a resolution on demarcation. Lavrov's Macedonian counterpart Ilinka Mitreva called relations with Russia 'excellent,' adding that they are a 'priority' for Macedonia. She said Skopje hopes to improve the cooperation with Moscow in economic as well as in 'military-technological' matters. UB"

CIA - The World Factbook -- Macedonia

It is nice to have "THE" CIA with us and not against us.
No "FYROM", "Macedonians slavs", no slavophones.
Just Macedonia and Macedonians
Thank you CIA!

CIA - The World Factbook -- Macedonia

Serb leader Apologises in Bosnia, Time for Greece to Apologise to Macedonia

Now that Serbia has said sorry to Bosnia, its only a matter of time before Greece apologises to the Republic of Macedonia for its blockade and to the ethnic Macedonians of Greece for cultural genocide.

BBC NEWS | Europe | Serb leader apologises in Bosnia

Serbian President Boris Tadic has made an apology in Bosnia-Hercegovina to all those who suffered crimes committed in the name of the Serb people.

Lets build a statue to Rummy in Skopje.

Glad we can help Rummy!

Thanks for your role in recognising the Macedonians as "a people" and not, as the Greek slander would suggest slavophones "with no history, no culture, no religion, no identity."

Hey Colin Powell, does the description remind you of anything. Maybe some a choice word when when you were stationed in the US south during the sixties?


DefenseLINK News: Rumsfeld Honors Macedonian Troops, Visits Romanian Airbase

Rumsfeld thanked three Macedonian soldiers cited for their actions in Iraq that helped save U.S. servicemembers' lives.

US State Deartment Background Note: Macedonia Nov. 2004

This Background Note seems to have been recieved by the Greek journalist at the US State Department briefings like one recieves a "hot poker up ones butt". If I was a nit-picker I could find fault with it myself. Let's not.

We are thankfully referred to as "ethnic Macedonians" who speak the "Macedonian language" and have created a "Macedonian culture". "Macedonian slavs" is nowhere to be found.

Now if we can get a the US State Department to plug in Krste Misirkov's "On Macedonian Matters, published in 1901, we can put a stake through the heart of the Greek and Bulgarian slander that "Tito invented the Macedonian nation".

Maybe next year ..... for Christmas!


Macedonia (11/04)

Following the war, Macedonia became one of the constituent republics of the new Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia under Marshall Tito. During this period, Macedonian culture and language flourished.


During the Yugoslav period, Macedonian ethnic identity exhibited itself, in that most of Macedonia's Slavic population identified themselves as Macedonians, while several minority groups, in particular ethnic Albanians, sought to retain their own distinct political culture and language. Although interethnic tensions simmered under Yugoslav authority and during the first decade of its independence, the country avoided ethnically motivated conflict until several years after independence.

The expanded coalition of ruling ethnic Macedonian and ethnic Albanian political leaders, with facilitation by U.S. and European Union (EU) diplomats, negotiated and then signed the Ohrid Framework Agreement in August 2001, which brought an end to the fighting.

US State - Press Briefing for November 30

More on US State Department response to Greek journalist on the Macedonian recognition issue. It is lucky that there are no Macedonian journalists at this press conference to make a fool of themselves. That God for small favours.

Daily Press Briefing for November 30 -- Transcript

QUESTION: On FYROM. Mr. Boucher, 70 members of the House of Representatives characterize as counterproductive your policy recognition of FYROM as "Republic of Macedonia" in a letter to the Secretary of State Colin Powell, November 19th. They write in inter alia, "This is more than an issue of a name for the Greek people. As you recall, Mr. Secretary, over 50,000 Greek-Americans attended in May 31st, 1992, memorial service in Washington, for the 40,000 Greek citizens who lost their lives at the hands of people living in what is today FYROM. When the lives were lost, our Secretary of State Edward Stettinius called, ‘talk of Macedonian nations as justified demagoguery representing no ethnic nor political reality,’ ‘and a cloak for aggressive intention against Greece.’"


Similar letter was sent to Secretary of State by 11 senators. How do you respond to that?


MR. BOUCHER: I don't know if we've responded to that specific letter. I think the overall situation, with regards to Macedonia, was explained here many times. As I noted at the time of our announcement, we had consulted with various members of Congress about it and we knew there were differing views on the Hill, and we're always happy to hear from people.


I would note that the decision to call the Republic of Macedonia by that name is not, in any way, a political or historical gesture, or a gesture related to history, nor are we turning our backs on the people who -- nor are we turning our backs on the many people who died in the second World War in this area. It was merely a question of what we thought we should call the nation at this point.


QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, I noted yesterday that you have an advocate or defender in the Voice of America, namely, George Bistis, the director of the Greek program, who attacked me personally in his dispatch all over the world, based on the way you and I conducted yesterday's dialogue on FYROM.


MR. BOUCHER: They attacked you?


QUESTION: Yes.


MR. BOUCHER: Really?


(Laughter.)


QUESTION: George Bistis, correct. It's a free dispatch. In a way, however, that only using the VOA facilities as a propaganda machine, but also as a tool to intimidate me, to disgrace me and to threaten me with the usual motives against the freedom of the press and the right to speak free, keeping in mind, Mr. Boucher, that your greatest president, Thomas Jefferson, said once upon a time, "I prefer a free press than a government." I would like you to comment on that.


(Laughter.)


MR. BOUCHER: Number one, we agree with Thomas Jefferson. Number two --


QUESTION: Excuse me? Number one, what?


MR. BOUCHER: We agree with Thomas Jefferson.


QUESTION: Definitely.


MR. BOUCHER: The Secretary of State -- we got the gist.


QUESTION: That's why I quote him.


MR. BOUCHER: We got the gist.


QUESTION: Number two (inaudible).


MR. BOUCHER: Okay. Number two is, as you know, I've never criticized the questions that are asked here in the briefing room. I think you all come and you have the right to ask whatever you want. I've always said there are no bad questions, there are just bad answers. So I'll stop at that one. I think that's good enough.


QUESTION: Any answer to my pending questions why your November Background Note on FYROM -- I asked you yesterday -- the authors wrote, "Alexander III ("the Great")? Is there any explanation for that because --


MR. BOUCHER: I don't think I have offered to get you an answer on that one, I'm afraid. That was sort of a level of grammar that I wasn't going to research any further.


QUESTION: Last night you released the following: "The U.S. supports Macedonia's current borders," which means -- and it will speak today. What about in the future borders after a month or a year or three years?


MR. BOUCHER: No, we support Macedonia as it is now within its current borders and we don't -- we're not pressing or encouraging or asking for any change in those borders.


QUESTION: As of today?


MR. BOUCHER: No, for now that is our policy, that our policy for now and in the future is to support Macedonia with its current borders, not to seek any change or forecast any change in those borders.


QUESTION: But taking the example of what happened to Kosovo, you were saying exactly the same when the Albanians moving day by day after the point that they’re ready in May 2005 to create an independent Kosovo. So that's why I'm asking you, this policy will be forever or just as we are speaking as of today?


MR. BOUCHER: This is our policy.


QUESTION: Yes.


MR. BOUCHER: This is our policy, period. Policies aren't dated. That's our policy and that's the way we see the situation with Macedonia, for now and for the future.


QUESTION: In the state --


MR. BOUCHER: Let's --


QUESTION: In the same statement you are saying yesterday, "The person of the Country Background Note referred to today's briefings is the history section which describes the situation in Macedonia thousands of years ago," but you have not clarified the Greek or Hellenic character of that area. And I'm wondering why. Could you please, for the record, in order to correct the history, clarify that Alexander the Great was Greek from Macedonian territory and that Macedonians would speak in Greek because they were Greek nationals and they speak the Greek language? And the authors did not mention anything to this effect, the Greekness of the ancient Macedonia, since the entire history, Mr. Boucher, including Macedonia, were written in stones in Greek language and the stones are remained in (inaudible). I would like you to comment.


MR. BOUCHER: No.


QUESTION: And why not?


MR. BOUCHER: I -- really, I don't want to make light of this, but I don't think we're here to talk about the situation as it existed thousands of years ago. If you want to know current policy, I think we explained current policy.


QUESTION: Why then you released this document, two pages, did you write those stuff?


MR. BOUCHER: In two pages, you can't explain the entire history of a region or an ethnic group or a nationality or a language. I'm going to stand with what we've written, stand with what I said, but I don't think it requires further explanation from me.


QUESTION: But you don't have any --


MR. BOUCHER: Sorry.


QUESTION: -- prior policy --


MR. BOUCHER: I don't think it requires further explanation from here.


QUESTION: (Inaudible.)


MR. BOUCHER: Our current policy on those questions, you and I have discussed many times here. I think it's been adequately explained.

Impact of Trajkovski's death on George W. Bush

One of these days, a journalist is going to ask George Bush a question about the tragic situation of the oppressed ethnic Macedonians in Greece who are looking to the United States of Amercia for freedom and liberty.

In my opinion the death of Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, a fellow Methodist Christian of the US President, had a profound effect on George W. Bush. He could not have helped but be impressed that Macedonians who are 98% Orthodox Christians would be so open minded as to elect a Methodist Minister as their President.

It didn't help that Colin Powell was prevented from attending the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games which were financed mostly by American television rights!


Daily Press Briefing for November 29 -- Transcript

QUESTION: Another issue. FYROM, Mr. Boucher. I am fully aware of your aversion to ancient history, but there is a matter in which ancient history affects present-day reality. The November Background Note you just released the other day on the so-called "Republic of Macedonia," internationally known as FYROM, as written, since legitimized the arrogant disclaims of FYROM, no more, no less. This DOS note implies that the so-called "Republic of Macedonia," like the U.S. Marine manual for which the Greek Government protested earlier, leaves the clear impression that this state has its mission the liberation of the rest of Macedonia.

Is the Department of State aware of the implication arising from its practices of attributing "national identity" via geography?

MR. BOUCHER: I guess I -- my basic point would be I don't agree with your interpretation of the Background Note, that you say it implies this, it leaves the impression of that, that somehow we're supporting wider claims of a broader Macedonia. That is not the policy of the U.S. Government, nor is it the policy of the Macedonian Government, and I just don't -- I'll look at our Background Note again, but I really don't think it leaves that impression or implies that, frankly.

QUESTION: (Inaudible) of the Background Note, including the new appointed Ambassador to Greece, Charles Ries, who at the present time is in charge for the European affairs, too, here at the State Department, explain to the average Greek why a state that comprise of only 38 percent of the total land of ancient Macedonia should be treated as the "liberated segment" after it accept totally the name of the Greek region with the same name that consisted of 58 too of the total of the ancient land?

MR. BOUCHER: Who's referring to it at the "liberated section"?

QUESTION: Yes.

MR. BOUCHER: We are doing that? No, you are. I'd say you are. I just want to make sure.

QUESTION: Let me explain. In the whole historical page --

MR. BOUCHER: First of all, I don't think we imply or leave the impression or want to intimate, in any way, that we support Macedonia beyond Macedonia's borders. We think that the Republic of Macedonia deserves to be called by that name. We've explained that already. But that is not implying something about expansionism or a greater Macedonia or any of those terms that you keep throwing around.

Nor do we view the Republic of Macedonia as the liberated portion of Macedonia. We see it as an entity that deserves recognition and respect from the United States and the international community because of the way it's handled its own affairs, and that it's not itself committed, nor are we pushing it or encouraging it, to take any expansionist ideas in mind.

QUESTION: Let me be more -- to clarify. Why did Department of State force history, based on this move, presented Alexander, parenthesis, quote, "the Great," unquote, parenthesis, why, in parenthesis and quotation? May we have an explanation? It's in the text.

MR. BOUCHER: I honestly don't know.

QUESTION: It's a very serious matter.

QUESTION: It sounds like a movie review.

QUESTION: It's from the text.

MR. BOUCHER: I honestly don't know why he's referred to that way. There must be a style manual somewhere that says it.

Okay, let's move on to other things.

QUESTION: Wait, wait, I have a Macedonia question.

Christopher Hitchens Part 2

I am a pack rat so I have a hard time throwing things away. Below is a 1993 letter to the editor of the now defunct "The European Newspaper" in which Christopher Hitchens discussed the Macedonian "name" issue . This is the first time that I had heard of him. My assumption was that he was a snoty English upper class right wing twit journalist who had never been to the Balkans. I don't have a copy of the original article, but will try to find and post it.

Quelle surprise ... it seems our comrade Hitchens was had a reputation as a leftist ... even a Trotskyite. It also seems that he married a Greek Cypriot. It also seems that he left his wife and small child for another woman. It seems that Ms. Greek Cypriot raised the child in England while comrade Chris stayed in New England. Nice!

Over the years, Hitchens has contributed anti- Macedonian articles in the Nation and other publications but has never commented on the plight of the ethnic Macedonians in Greece. This is odd because one of his friends is Hugh Poulton of the Minority rights Group ("Who are the Macedonians?") so he can't be totally ignorant of our issues.

His brother is a right wing commentator in Enlgand. My point is that anyone reading his work on Macedonia would never guess that he had been a leftist at one time.


April 7, 1993

To: The European "Letters to the Editor"
Re: "Not Just Paranoid about Macedonia" by Christopher Hitchens, April 1-7,

Mr. Hitchens is incorrect when he stated the title of "King of the Hellenes" was forced upon the newly crowned Greek King George "in deference to Ottoman objections to the original formulation 'King of the Greeks'". In the same way that Germans call their country Deutchland in their language, Greeks call themselves Hellenes and their country Hellas in their language. The word "Greece" like the word "Germany" is based on ancient Roman usage.

The rest of the article is similarly flawed. It reminds me of a lecture on sexual technique that is given by a virgin. Although some of the facts may be right, the insight that one might gain from a more intimate knowledge and direct experience is missing.

Please no more "if this is Tuesday this must be Macedonia (or is it Moldova?)" type of articles.

Christopher Hitchens part 1.

What Made Alexander So Great? - The real mystery of his life isn't his bisexuality. By Christopher�Hitchens

This is really a nothing article with the exception that Hiitchens has taken the opportunity to trash Macedonian. More on Hitchens in another post

"The unmistakable Greekness of the trove is part of the reason that the Greek government is so upset at President Bush's recent decision to recognize former Yugoslav "Macedonia" under its assumed name."

Georgie Anne Geyer on the Kurds

Georgie Anne Geyer is a journalist who has been writing articles along the line of "look how nice the West is" even as "the West" destabilize the very countries it is purporting to help. It takes your breath away sometimes. Here she is writing about the good effect of EU membership in Kurdish rights in Turkey. Fair enough. But .... she never mentions that the Kurds have had their rights violated under the watchful eye of NATO, of which Turkey is a leading member. Anyway, below is my post to her story. Read this first, ten read her story.

Yahoo! News - TURKEY MOVES CLOSER TO E.U. MEMBERSHIP

"Ms Geyer

Please write a column on how the denial of minority rights of ethnic Kurds in Turkey and ethnic Macedonians in Greece is by definition a "value" of NATO and the EU.

The fact that the EU can say to Turkey, that human rights for Kurds is essential for membership, while at the same time saying that mistreatment of ethnic Macedonians in Greece is OK. Not only that, but the Republic of Macedonia has to change its name, the name of the Macedonian language and the name of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

If it was Jews, this policy would be called anti-semitism, if it was was Africans, it woould be called racism, if it Native Americans, it would be called "cultural genocide"

Because it is happening in the EU today, Macedonians call it LIFE!

The EU policy in the Balkans has been the most de-stabilizing force since the collapse of the Berlin wall."

Macedonian lobby in action!

This is actually very funny.

Reality Macedonia : Bulgarian and Greek Territories Presented as Parts of Macedonia

"
Athens, November 29 (MIA) - Bulgarian and Greek territories are presented as parts of the Republic of Macedonia on a map, which has been distributed to the US marines, Greek media read on Monday.

The map is entitled "Occupied Macedonia" and relation of the "Former Yugoslav Republic" with ancient Macedonia is mentioned as well.

Greek Foreign Ministry sent a protest note to Washington regarding the map, as afterwards the US diplomatic sources promised that the map would not be used any more.

"

Good Analysis from a Greek Point of View

The problem with Greece's strategic position is that it brings a lot of problems to the EU table with few benefits. It is anti ... Macedonian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Catholic and Semitic (Jewish and Isreali). Its puny size compared to its giant ambitions make it the laughing stock of the EU.

As long as Greece continues to promote its "values" which denies the ethnicity of its ethnic Macedonian minority, these in effect become European values.

As the EU talks start with Turkey for its EU membership, look for the EU to take a hard line on Turkey's treatment of its Kurdish minority. The Turkish response will be ... 'What am I, chopped liver' ... what about Greece's treatment of its Macedonian minority.

Thanks to Turkey, Macedonianists and Macedonianism will overcome!

(By the way, it has done Greece no favours to take part in US/fEU anti-Russian policy since the Berlin wall fell. The current Ukraine mess is but one more example.)

ekathimerini.com | Without a strategy

"Having failed to use its supposed EU membership leverage to influence the leadership of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the government of Costas Karamanlis is now trying to reach a settlement on the name dispute and is threatening to block the Balkan state’s European aspirations, but its chances appear slim."

Someone at Slate knows the difference between Macedonians and Greeks

It looks like someone at Slate (David Edelstein) knows the difference between Macedonians and Greeks. (Although he does beat a partial retreat at the end of the review in response to various letters. Good reading!)

I probably will wait to see the movie when it comes out on DVD. The reviews seem to be trashing the movie.

I think our friend David has got the right attitude towards Alexander. I am at a loss as to why Macedonians should venerate this thug.

Oliver's Army - In Alexander, Stone makes a mess of Mesopotamia. By David�Edelstein

"Apart from a tendency to view Macedonians and Greeks as one people, the film is more or less historically accurate—aided and abetted by the Oxford scholar Robin Lane Fox, who has no doubt disgraced himself among his colleagues by penning a "making of" book."

"Stone attempts to tell the story of another mass murderer/existential hero, Alexander the Great (played by Colin Farrell), the young Macedonian king who, in 323 B.C., swept through Greece and then the Persian Empire—what is now Egypt, Syria, Iran, and Iraq—and then, more foolishly, into India: a dozen years of conquests that at the very least touched the lives of more people on the planet than any military leader before him (even if only to end them). "


Mabe Slate can take this opportunity to correct this problem on their website from 1997!

Slate Mistake 1997 - Macedonian problem

This can't be true

Security Events Grow 150 Percent from Q3 2003; Ease of Execution, Hacker Sophistication and Financial Reward Catalyze New Hybrid Internet Attacks from VeriSign, Inc.

Is it possible that the fraudulent transactions are in fact frauds in themselves. Could it be that hackers have taken over Macedonian IP addresses to focus the blame on Macedonians

Macedonia has very little penetration of computers and the internet and with a population of only 2 million people, it is not reasonable that Macedonia can produce so much "fraudulent transactions". I smell a plot by the Greek security services. I do not think that the Albanian Mafia is capable of producing this amount of fraud.

"Further, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia ranked first in the percentage of total fraudulent transactions during the third quarter of 2004. For the fraudulent transaction listing, countries were selected based upon the number of risky transactions that originated from the identified IP addresses from that nation. Transactions deemed risky are based upon review of multiple fraud screen filters, including identification of stolen credit card numbers, comparison of shipping and mailing addresses for discrepancies, as well as other techniques."

Happy News ... but

I have always felt that the primary engine of de-stabilisation in the Balkans has been the aggressive pursuit by the US/EU of the "national interest" at the expense of human rights.

For some reason, it is now in the interests of the US and Germany to now recognise Macedonia by its name. I suspect it has something to do with the current Macedonian referendum and the desire to prop up the current coalition government of macedonians and Albanians. Maybe it was because Bush really liked Trajkovski and in this way honours his death. Maybe it was because we sent troops to Iraq and Greece did not. I don't know. Anyway, we are now the happy recipients of their favours.

We have to remember, these guys are still not dispensing justice, only "national interest". Macedonians have to be united in wariness of any possible change in policy.

I think, but I do not know for sure, that all the analysts at the semi-official US/EU media such as Radio Free Europe, War and Peace Reporting, and International Crisis Group all acknowledge that the US/EU are a de-stabilising force in the Balkans but they need the job to put food on the table. I hope these people are keeping a diary so that in 20 years they can write books with titles like ... "How we betrayed the Balkans".

The real news media such as New York Times, the Guardian, Reuters have paid a passive role in reporting the hypocrisy because for some reason it is not on ...the agenda ... the radar screen ... whatever.

One of the purposes of this blog is to try to bring to the attention of these people that they are " hurting America", "hurtin Europe", 'hurting the Balkans" and for goodness sake "please stop"!

RFE/RL Newsline, 04-11-01 GERMAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON MACEDONIA

RFE/RL Newsline, 04-11-01: "GERMAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS RESOLUTION ON MACEDONIA"

The Greman Bundestag resolution on Macedonia and the US recognition of "The Republic of Macedonia are both welcome, if long overdue.

"The resolution called for the full implementation of the 2001 Ohrid peace agreement, saying the referendum slated for 7 November against the government's redistricting plans would undermine interethnic trust. Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva welcomed the resolution as an important step, since it also calls on the German government to urge the adoption of Macedonia's constitutional name -- the Republic of Macedonia -- within the EU, "

Macedonia wins recogniton from US

International News Article Reuters.com

It looks like the long patient effort to gain recognition, started by Gligorov, has been the right policy after all. I had opposed the "FYROM" compromise at the beginning. However, "FYROM" allowed Macedonian to break the Greek embargo, rebuild its shattered economy and wait for the inevitable to happen. It has been a long ten years of humiliation but well worth it. Can the EU be far behind

I wonder to what extent the death of Trajkovski had on this decision. Both Bush and Trajkovski were Methodists.

United Methodist Report on Trajkovski's death

Macedonian president, a United Methodist, dies in plane crash Feb. 25, 2004 A UMNS Report By Linda Bloom*
Boris Trajkovski, president of the Republic of Macedonia, receives the 2002 World Methodist Boris Trajkovski, a United Methodist who helped unite his country of Macedonia and was admired in many circles for his skills at peacemaking and bridge building, died Feb. 26 in a plane crash in southeastern Bosnia.
The 47-year-old Macedonian president had been en route to a regional economic conference in Mostar when air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane under what were reported as poor weather conditions. Wreckage later was found in mountains about 50 miles south of Sarajevo. Six of Trajkovski's aides and two pilots also were killed, leaving no survivors. His wife, Vilma, and two children survive him.
For United Methodists, his death comes as a double blow. Trajkovski - a recipient of the 2002 World Methodist Peace Award - actively worked for peace and political stability, both in his own small nation and the entire Balkans region. He also tried to strengthen relations among various ethnic and religious groups, using his own Christian faith to guide him. "It's a tragic loss for the United Methodist Church and the whole Methodist family," the Rev. R. Randy Day told United Methodist News Service.
Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, said the entire church was proud of Trajkovski's accomplishments, both as a political leader and faithful lay leader of the church.
"He was proud of his Wesleyan religious roots," Day said. "He was an active partner in the United Methodist global mission network. We will miss his warmth, humor and wise counsel." The Rev. Wilhelm Nausner, based in Austria, had developed a close relationship with Trajkovski because he serves as district superintendent for the United Methodist Church in Macedonia, which has about 6,000 members.
Trajkovski, who often assisted during services at his United Methodist church in Skopje, had been active in the church since his childhood in Strumica. He even remained president of the church council after being elected president of Macedonia, Nausner said. His prominent position in the country was not always an advantage for his fellow church members, who sometimes became targets for his enemies. "But the people in the church loved him," he added. "He was always a witnessing Christian. He tried to do everything according to his beliefs."
Trajkovski received a law degree from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Skopje in 1980 and had specialized in commercial and employment law. He also had participated in a number of international conferences involving conflict resolution, religious tolerance and religious freedom.
His efforts at bridge building as deputy minister of foreign affairs for Macedonia helped him gain the Albanian vote and win the 1999 election for president. At the end of his Dec. 15 inaugural address, he invoked the words of Abraham Lincoln, who wanted to "heal the country's wounds" after the U.S. civil war.
Two years later, he used his skills to help diffuse fighting between the Slavic Macedonian majority and ethnic Albanians and bring about a NATO-enforced peace treaty. Nausner said he visited with the president two weeks before his death and had a long conversation with him regarding his concern about a breach in the Orthodox Church between those who want to remain aligned with the Serbian Orthodox Church and those who favor an autonomous Orthodox Church in Macedonia.
"He always tried to bring people together - to talk with each other and not simply to talk about each other," Nausner said.
Trajkovski also played a critical role in pushing the Macedonian Parliament to approve a new constitution recognizing the Albanian minority and the main non-Orthodox religious groups, including Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims. The Rev. Peter Siegfried, a Board of Global Ministries executive, was a witness of the president's attempt to improve interfaith relations when he attended a conference related to that issue in Macedonia. "Where there was tension, Boris Trajkovski was there and tried to find reconciliation and bring people together," he said. United Methodists such as the Rev. Phil Wogaman of Washington, who got to know Trajkovski as a fellow delegate during the denomination's 1988, 1992 and 1996 General Conferences, recognized him as a "force for good" in Europe. "He was among the best statesmen in the world and in the finest tradition of Methodist peacemaking," Wogaman said.
The church officially recognized Trajkovski when he was nominated for the 2002 World Methodist Peace Award, conferred annually by the World Methodist Council. The nomination originated with the Rev. Thomas Trainor and the Rev. Ed Carll, clergy members of the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference.
Neither had met the Macedonian president, but they were impressed by news accounts of his efforts to unite that country. Later, they had the chance to greet Trajkovski during the award presentation in Oslo, Norway.
"He spoke of his faith as a natural, 'this is who I am,'" recalled Trainor, a retired pastor in charge of missions at First United Methodist Church in Tuckerton, N.J. "He'd have to be a man of great faith to do what he was doing. It's going to be a great loss over there."
The Rev. George Freeman, top staff executive of the World Methodist Council, said Trajkovski received the award "because he had been able to use his faith to bring peace and stability into a region of the world in a nonviolent way and he was motivated by his faith in God. We were just impressed with his ability to persevere under those kinds of circumstances."
Freeman remembered Trajkovski as a "genuine and sincere person." As the president of Macedonia, he met many other world leaders, but he told Freeman the most meaningful encounter occurred when he and U.S. President George Bush - also a United Methodist - prayed in private together in the Oval Office.
"He (had) been a strong, committed disciple and an ambassador of Christ long before he was an ambassador of any country," said the Rev. H. Eddie Fox, the council's world evangelism director and a friend of Trajkovski's for 14 years.
Fox and the Rev. Maxie Dunnam, president of Asbury Theological Seminary, had planned to visit Trajkovski at Easter and present him with a honorary doctorate from the seminary. As a denomination, United Methodists have contributed to reconciliation and rebuilding in the Balkans, working on such issues as the return of refugees and providing support to internally displaced people and other vulnerable groups.
Among those participating in the conference that Trajkovski was traveling to attend were representatives of the United Methodist Committee on Relief's nongovernmental organization. Zlatan Buljko, head of the agency's sub office in Mostar, noted that "the people of Bosnia owe him a great debt of gratitude" for his efforts to establish peace in the region. Robert Garnett, the agency's head of mission for the Balkans, lauded Trajkovski both for the stability he helped bring to Macedonia and his contributions to the church there. "UMCOR will continue to work throughout the Balkan region to ensure that President Trajkovski's legacy of peace building is continued," he said.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York. News media can contact her at (646) 369-3759 or newsd...@umcom.org.

Nicholas Wood - Nice article on Serbs in Macedonia, what about Macedonians in Greece?

Bishop's struggle reflects wider Balkan rift

This is a good article, but fails to put it into context regarding the rest of the Balkans.

BBC ignores Macedonian context

BBC NEWS | Europe | Analysis: Macedonians fear fresh crisis

The BBC has a Macedonian language unit that broadcasts to Macedonia. Can't these guys walk across the hall to to tell Tim Judah that he should include the status of Macedonians in Greece.

Albanians in Macedonia want cake, Macedonians in Greece have to eat shit. That is not fair. That is the seed that has caused the continuing crisis in the Balkans.

"Macedonia, 'The Great Water,' Ivo Trajikov;

49 Countries in Hunt for Foreign Oscar: "Macedonia, 'The Great Water,' Ivo Trajikov;"

This Macedonian film has been submitted for the Oscar for "foreign language film". I have never heard of it. Please send some links for more information.

Another Sad Day for Macedonians verywhere

Reality Macedonia : Executed Macedonian Hostage in Iraq: "Give My Regards to All Who Know Me"

Dalibor Lazerevski talks on the video recording, but the sound has been cut off. From his lips you can read: "Give my regards to all who know me."

EU pursues Greece over games law not over rights violations of Macedonians

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU pursues Greece over games law

Read it and weep. Some one, some where is going to do a satiric article about this. Human rights violations of Macedonians are never on the EU agenda, but computer games are. Yikes!

"The European Commission is taking Greece to court for failing to change a law that could ban people playing computer games at home."

Greek Government Map 1944 with Macedonian Names

Mapping Migration in Kastoria, Macedonia What

This is an interesting site with a good map of Kasotria and Grevena complements of University of Oxford Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London and The Research Centre for Macedonian History and Documentation, Thessaloniki.

Obviously it is concerned with Greeks, but infomation on Macedonians may teased from the site.

The it is a Greek Government map with English alphabet. As you can see, most of the names have been changed, but what surprised me was the amount of Macedonian names still left on the Greek map. See Florina Map - Bela Voda (56:60), Golema Glava (74:60) etc

Below is an explanation of its members.

"Mapping Migration is constructing a Geographical Information System (GIS) and web-site focussing on the forced migration of people from 1880 to the present day in the geographical region of Macedonia now known as the district of Kastoria, Greece."

Check this new Macedonian Novel

Macedonian Gold - The Novel by Dr. Michael Seraphinoff

"Most recently Dr. Seraphinoff has produced a fine work of fiction, his novel "Macedonian Gold".

"Macedonian Gold" is a fascinating fiction story that will captivate you and keep you reading to the end because you just can't wait to find out what happens next. It is a fantastic story, a mystery adventure tale that will guide you on a tour of Macedonia through its geography, history, culture and present-day society. While this journey of discovery includes tests of personal character in a quest of meaning in a fictionalized and at times fantastic Macedonia, it also visits the thorny real-life social issues of the day, including issues of ethnic and national rivalry and gender, racial and religious prejudice."

Religious Freedom in Saudi Arabia (and Greece?)

Speaking the truth about Saudi Arabia

You really don't have to read this article since it does not directly refer to the Macedonian Question. However, it show us the difficulty of trying to Macedonian issues on the US agenda. Saudi Arabia, for years, has denied religious freedom to its minority religions, but the is the first time that it has been called to task by the US State Department report on Religious Freedom(2004). You would think that it would have done so years ago, even in the Clinton Administration.

Terry Eastland is publisher of The Weekly Standard, (a conservative weekly magazine) and he is discussing this issue. I can assure my reader(s) that Terry will not discuss Macedonians in Greece because it is not in the US interest ... at this time.

How to put Macedonia on the agenda is one of the great challenges of our time.

Nikola Gruevski, VMRO-DPMNE President, Resonds to IWPR

Reality Macedonia : Macedonia Referendum: Citizens' Contribution on the Road to European Union

This, article about about the referendum in Macedonia concerning decentralisation is rational, legalistic and logical (from a Macedonian politician ... no less). It is in response to "Macedonia Referendum: Step Backwards on Road to EU," by Michael Sahlin of the IWPR.

Read the article, but I would like to take this opportunity to address Michael Sahilin directly;

Dear Michael:

I know that discussing issues that are against the interest of US/EU/Nato could get you blacklisted. (After all you have to put bread on the table).

I don't really expect you to discuss how the policy of the US/EU/Nato to stand on the sidelines while Macedonians in Greece treated very badly. (Because lets face it, you have to eat).

I only ask that you keep a diary of your discussions with the IWPR and US/EU/Nato officials. That way, when you retire (and Macedonians have been wiped out of Greece) you can write your memoirs and reflect on whether allowing Greece to kick the shit out of its Macedonian citizens has been a stabilizing or destabilizing force in the Balkans for the last 15 year. (In the meantime, make sure you can put a roof over your families head).

God bless.

More news should be reported on Macedonians in Albania

Reality Macedonia : 150,000 Macedonians Live in Albania

It is an interesting article about Macedonians in Albania. I do not have good information about what's happening to these people.

US State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2004 (Truthful)

MHRMC.CA - Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada

It is ironic that the US State Department reports on the ethnic Macedonians in Greece in its reports on Human Rights and its report on Religious Freedom, while its agents (Freedom House, Radio Free Europe, IWPR etc) ignore us. That is why I have labelled it this report "Truthful" even though the State Department is tip-toeing on human riights for Macedonians in Greece in deference to the Greek-American lobby.

I don't want to piss in our own soup, but here is the report on the Repbulic of Macedonia which discusses Serbian-Macedonian Orthodox Church relation. We can't get traction on the human rights for Macedonians in Greece, until we solve this issue.

The Macedonian Human Rights Movement of Canada is doing a good job. Isn't there any similar US organization?

Can't leave the field open for the MPO. More about the MPO later.

Great New Site in North America

Maklink - Macedonians in the US & Canada

This is a great new Macedonian site.

Another Great Article From Christopher Deliso

balkanalysis.com - Classic Balkanalysis: Poisonings or Power Plays?

If you havn't bookmarked this site, do so immediately. He has great articles with fresh insights. I wish he was published in more mainstream western media.

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU hardens accession conditions

BBC NEWS Europe EU hardens accession conditions

Because of a deeply anti-Russian, anti-orthodox, anti-slavic, bias of the "west" (read Germany), the EU finds itself on the threshold of admitting a Muslim Turkey which will be the largest country in the EU. Can Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco be far behnd. Europe will be Macedona writ large.

When communism fell in Eastern Europe, I was sure that the EU would offer to immediately include all these countries as "associate members" including Russia. Nato would would be re-named ("The Eurpean Union and Friends"). The US, also still part of the EUF, could withdraw its troops and save a ton of money.

Instead we have Zbigniew Brzezinski having wet dreams about partitioning Russia with US hegemony over Siberia. Brzezinski will regret this position when he ffinds that in a few years, half of Warsaw is Muslim.

A serious debate should be held in Macedonia (with our Serbian and Bulgarian cousins - ya you read it right the first time) about increasing our contacts with Russia. More on how this can be done in a few days.

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU team tours Balkan neighbours

BBC NEWS | Europe | EU team tours Balkan neighbours

Can't any Macedonia jounalist ask these bozos if the Republic of Macedonia treated the Albanians the same way that Greece treats ethnic Macedonians, would it be accepted in the EU.

By definiton Greek human rights policies are EU values.

Reality Macedonia : Macedonia to Sign Agreement with US Under its Constitutional Name

Reality Macedonia : Macedonia to Sign Agreement with US Under its Constitutional Name

It looks like Macedonian politicians are not totally asleep. I think it was VMRO that signed a similar agreement when the US wanted immunity for its soldiers from the new International Court.

I read recently that the US insisted that Serbia hand over indicted war criminals to the Hague for trial before Serbia was to get any US aid. At the same time the US said no aid would be given to Serbia unless it signed an agreement to exempt US soldiers from the new International Court.

Makes you want to spit

Reality Macedonia : EU's Macedonia Questionnaire: Two Days for Translating 3,000+ Questions

Reality Macedonia : EU�s Macedonia Questionnaire: Two Days for Translating 3,000+ Questions

The EU Questionaire is secret:

The Macedonian Government wanted to make the Questionnaire public, but the EU forbade them to so before delivering the answers to Brussels.

The Vice Prime Minister Shekerinska thinks that the answering of the Questionnaire will be finished by the end of January next year, or two weeks before the deadline given by the European Commission


Were the Questionaires for other states, like Slovenia, Poland etc. also secret. Can't we get the Greens to take up this issue in the EU Parliament. I smell a conpiracy.

From Alt.News.Macedonia

Google Search:: "Subject: Book Review: Mother Tongues Helena Drysdale - Truthfull"

I do not agree with all the points of view of Drysdale. I say that she is Truthful" because she discusses the plight of the Macedonians in Greece.

Robert Kaplan and Macedonia (Partly Truthful)

Google Search:

This is a long article about Tupurkovski, Gligorov, Papandreau etc and only mentions Robert Kaplan on one line. He deserves more attention and I will come back to him. He is one of those who writes clearly about the current situation in the Republic of Macedonia and insists that Tito invented Macedonia. He has lived in Greece, his child was born in Greece. "I smell a consiracy"

Reality Macedonia : EU�s Macedonia Questionnaire: Two Days for Translating 3,000+ Questions

Reality Macedonia : EU's Macedonia Questionnaire: Two Days for Translating 3,000+ Questions

The Macedonian government (and the people in general) have put all their eggs in the "EU" basket and are now determined to jump through hoops to get admission to the EU. I agree with this position since I can offer no alternative.

However, the Macedonian media should put its come to a consensus to put a set of question to the EU. Relating to the plight of Macedonians in Greece.

Another Report - Another Chance to Ignore Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria

Freedom House Report: Macedonia is Partly Free Country

We have a new report from a group called "Freedom House", that promotes the interests of the USA. This means that Freedom House ignores "freedom issues" that conflict with US interests. Which of course means that Macedonians in Greece are ignored. Macedonians are mentioned as being part of the "Ethnic Groups: Greek (98 percent), other [including Macedonian and Turkish] (2 percent)" It also reports that Greece does not "recognize" minorities, but that has not stopped Greece from being declared "free".

Macedonia, for its part, was declared "partly free" because of issues relating to the Albanians etc. Nothing too sinister here, just that "Freedom House proposes that Albanians deserve to eat "human rights cake" while cheerfully ignoring the fact that Macedonians in Greece have to eat "human rights shit"

Bulgaria is declared to be free even though they acknowledge that " there have been reports that the government has denied ethnic Macedonians the right to hold public gatherings".

I got this story from a web site One World South East Europe. don't know much about this group. It just discusses the report without going into it failing. No complain here, it can't do everytin.

Organizations: Partly Truthful about Macedonia

Freedom House
International Crisis Group
Radio Free Europe
IWPR

Organizations: Truthful about Macedonia

Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch

Constructive Engagement

RADIO FREE EUROPE/ RADIO LIBERTY

Another group from "The West" is going to come to the Balkans to tell us how to get alone while at the same time never discussing the support of "The West" for human rights violations in the Balkans.

It is important to have an open dialogue with these people and to put pressure on them to address the situation of Macedonians in Greece. Interview these people and ask the question:

Can Macedonia use Greece as a model with regarding human rights. If the Republic of Macedonia treated the Albanians the way that Greece treats ethnic Macedonians, would Macedonia enter the Eurpean Union? Get it on the record and publish it on the web.

Reality Macedonia : New Jersey Macedonian-American Community Proclaims Crvenkovski Persona Non-Grate

Reality Macedonia : New Jersey Macedonian-American Community Proclaims Crvenkovski Persona Non-Grate

If Macedonians are going to make it through the next few years without being partitioned, again, we must learn from the super-powers who "unite their friends and divide their enemies". Macedonians in New Jersey should apologise to Crvenkovski, and the Macedonian diaspora, who is after all "The President of the Republic of Macedonia". This is a fight "within the familly" and we should not banish familly members.

I have always thought that we have to try to form alliances with "our first cousins - the Bulgarians" and "our second cousins - the Serbs". This task seems to be harder as each day passes. Now we are fighting with our own brothers, which reminds me of the saying:

"Brotherly love isn't what it used to be, ever since Cain killed Abel".

Serbian Conspiracy

My comments yesterday about the Serbian Orthodox Church in Macedonia got the following response:

Is the purpose of your blog to show how ignorant you are about the Serbian worldwide atempt to take over the Macedonian orthodox Church? If so, you have succeeded.

I can assure my reader(s) that I am knowledgeable about the worldwide attempt to subvert Macedonia (and its Orthodox Church) by Serbian, Bulgarian and Greek Orthodox Churches. If playing that game with Serbomans and Bugaromans, and the one Grkoman in the Republic of Macedonia brought us any closer to full recognition, I would endorse it. However, by playing that game, we are totally ignored when we discuss Macedonians in Greece and Bulgaria.

Ulrich Buechsenschuetz Radio Free Europe

This is an interesting article by Radio Free Europe writer Ulrich Buechsenschuetz. He is very knowledgeable about Macedonian issues, but has never discussed the treatment of Macedonians in Greece.

The US government funds RFE. Its' mandate is to follow events in the former communist countries of Eastern Europe with an eye to American interests. When Ulrich publishes a story on Macedonians in Greece, we can suppose that American interests are tilting towards the Macedonians. Until then, Macedonia is on the American breakfast menu as "toast".

Analysis: Macedonian Opposition in A QuandaryBy Ulrich Buechsenschuetzhttp://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2004/09/65b7556b-e7a8-43cd-b74a-1210d96a67a9.html

Serbians in Macedonia

The article below about the Macedonia - Serbian Orthodox Church split was written by By Branko Bjelajac, Balkans Correspondent, Forum 18 News Service.

MACEDONIA: Serbian Orthodox "will never get registration"
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=418

It seems to be accurate, although from a Serbian perspective. I don't know anything about this group and they don't seem to have a Macedonian correspondent.

Question: I understand that there is a small Macedonian community living in Belgrade. Has the Macedonian Church tried to open a parish to serve their needs? Would the Serbian Orthodox Church oppose this?

The Macedonian government should drop its opposition to the Serbian Churches in Macedonia. It only makes us look bad without any benefit in drawing attention to the plight of Macedonians in Greece or Bulgaria.