Ish-ushtarët e Batalionit Atlantiku nga SHBA-të, të gatshëm të mbrojnë përsëri Kosovën

-- nga Uk Lushi, Nju Jork - E marte, 17 korrik 2007

Veteranet e Batalionit Atlantiku, te cilet iu bashkuan radheve te Ushtrise Clirimtare te Kosoves, qe luftuan per ndalimin e spastrimit etnik dhe clirimin e Kosoves me 1999 sebashku me forcat e SHBA-ve dhe NATO-s kunder forcave serbe, u mblodhen ne Nju Jork te shprehin shqetesimet e tyre te thella me zhvillimet e fundit rreth zgjidhjes se statusit te Kosoves.

Ish ushtaret e Batalionit Atlantiku potencuan zemerimin e tyre me shtyerjet e vazhdueshme per pranimin e vullnetit dhe te drejtes se vetevendosjes se popullit te Kosoves per shkak te kercenimit te Rusise te perdore veton ne Keshillin e Sigurimit. Ish-luftetaret e Batalionit Atlantiku theksuan se papajtueshmeria e Rusise dhe kercenimi me veto i Keshilllit te Sigurimit ne rast te pranimit te pavaresise se Kosoves nga ky paraqesin rrezik serioz per paqen, stabilitetin dhe perspektiven e demokracise ne Ballkan.

„Rusia eshte duke shfrytezuar Kosoven si pretekst te diktoje politiken europiane dhe per te kontrolluar politiken e vendeve te cilat frikesohen nga Rusia te pranojne pavaresine e pashmangshme te Kosoves.“ - tha Uk Lushi, zedhenes i Batalionit Atlantiku gjate luftes clirimtare me 1999. „Vendet europiane duhet te ruajne unitetin dhe paraqesin nje platforme te qarte per njohjen e menjehershme te mvetesise se Kosoves ose perndryshe mund te rrezikojne rilindjen e konflikteve ne Ballkan, te cilat do te bejne politiken dhe aftesine vendim-marrese te Europes jorrelevante.“ - shtoi zoti Lushi.

Ish- luftetaret e Batalionit Atlantiku u deklaruan fuqishem ne mbeshtetje te Shoqates se Veteraneve te UCK-se ne Prishtine dhe proklamates se tyre per mbrojtjen e pavaresise dhe lirise se Kosoves me cdo kusht.”Nga Nju Jorku i dergojme botes mesazhin se jemi te gatshem si me 1999 edhe miliona hera tjera te bejme te njejten sakrifice per te mbrojtur jeten, lirine dhe demokracine per te gjithe qytetaret e Kosoves,”- tha Frank Idrizi, ish-komandant i Batalionit Atlantiku. “Shtetet e Bashkuara dhe UCK-ja kane luftuar per te njejtat vlera dhe principe… Te luftosh per UCK-ne kishte kuptimin e te luftuarit per lirine e Kosoves, te drejtat njerezore dhe vlerat amerikane. Ne si qytetare amerikane i shijojme dhe mbajme gjalle privilegjet e demokracise amerikane cdo dite, por poashtu, per asnje sekonde, nuk ndalemi se menduari per perpjekjen e njerezve tone te cilet do te duhej te gezonin privilegjet e demokracise dhe lirise mu sikur amerikanet.“ - shtoi me tutje ai.

Arber Muriqi, ish-ushtar i Batalionit Atlantiku, theksoi se refuzimi i te drejtes se menjehershme te Kosoves per pavaresi apo cfaredo kthimi ne tavolinen e bisedimeve eshte hedhje pluhuri ne syte e qytetareve te Kosoves, te cilet kane treguar durim ndaj premtimeve per pavaresi per kohe teper te gjate.“ Komuniteti nderkombetar duhet ta kuptoje se tjera kompromise me Serbine te cfaredo forme do te rrisin rrezikun per turbullira ne mbare Ballkanin, ngase kompromiset shtese do te hapnin kutine e Pandores lidhur me te ardhmen e shqiptareve ne Maqedoni, Luginen e Presheves, Mal te Zi dhe Greqi.“ - u shpreh Muriqi

Labinot Baraliu, ish luftetar i UCK-se i cili emigroi ne Nju Jork pas luftes ne Kosove, tha: “Shqiptaret kane gelltitur koncesione te dhimbshme ashtu qe te lejojne paqen te mbizoteroje. Kjo ka rezultuar ne ndarjen e tyre ne gjashte shtete te ndryshme edhe pas renies te sypozoje se status quo do te jete e perhershme nese Kosoves i vidhet e drejta per vetevendosje dhe te ardhme me te mire.“ - perfundoi Baraliu.

Asambleja e takimit i dergoi nje leter Parlamentit te Kosoves permes se ciles kerkohet nga perfaqesuesit e zgjedhesve te Kosoves te shpallin independencen sa me pare. Ne leter u rishpreh gatishmeria e palekundshme e ish- ushtareve te Batalionit Atlantiku te mbrojne Kosoven dhe pavaresine e saj.

Pjesemarresit e takimit thirren qeverine amerikane te kerkoje zgjidhje jashte mekanizmave te Kombeve te Bashkuara nese Rusia vazhdon me bllokaden e Keshillit te Sigurimit si dhe te mbaje premtimin e Presidentit Bush me rastin e vizites historike ne Shqiperi me 11 qershor me c’rast Presidenti tha: „Dikur vjen koha- heret a vone- kur duhet te thuhet - mjaft eshte mjaft. Kosova eshte e pavarur.“

English
Former Soldiers of the United States Atlantic Battalion
Ready to Defend Kosova Again
Tuesday - July 17, 2007
New York

Veterans of the Atlantic Battalion from the US who joined the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) in 1999 that fought alongside US and NATO forces to liberate Kosova and stop the ethnic cleansing by the Serbian forces gathered in New York to express their deep concern with recent developments regarding the resolution of Kosova’s status.

The former soldiers of the Atlantic Battalion voiced outrage with the international community’s continued delays in recognizing Kosova’s independence in the face of Russia’s threat of veto in the UN Security Council. Ex- fighters stressed that Russia’s intransigence and threat of using a veto to preclude the UN Security Council from recognizing independence of Kosova pose a serious danger for peace, stability and the prospect of democracy in the Balkans. “Russia is using Kosova as a back door to dictating European policy and gaining leverage with countries that are afraid of Russia to recognize Kosova’s inevitable independence,“ - said Uk Lushi, spokesperson for the Atlantic Battalion during the Liberation War in 1999. “European countries need to preserve their unity and present a clear platform for an immediate recognition of Kosova ’s independence, or risk the renewal of conflicts in the Balkans that will render EU’s foreign policy and decision making power useless.” - Mr. Lushi stated.

Ex-soldiers of Atlantic Battalion voiced unconditional support for the Veterans of KLA Association in Prishtina and their readiness to defend Kosova’s independence and freedom at any cost. “We want the world to know that we are prepared to make the same sacrifice a million times over in protection of life, liberty, and democracy for all citizens of Kosova,” said Frank Idrizi, commander of the Atlantic Battalion during the Kosova war. “The United States and Kosova Liberation Army stood for the same values and principles… Fighting for the KLA was fighting for human rights, Kosova’s freedom and American values. We cherish those privileges under American democracy every day but not for one second do we stop thinking about the struggle of our people to enjoy those freedoms just like Americans.” – Mr. Idrizi added.

Arber Muriqi, one of the soldiers present at the meeting, emphasized that any return to the negotiating table or denying Kosova’s immediate independence under any other framework seeks to throw dust in the eyes of Kosova’s citizens who have staged a patient path to promised independence for a very long time. “The international community needs to be well aware that a delayed strategy, renewed negotiations, or any other form of compromise with Serbia would increase the risk for turmoil in the entire Balkans substantially, as that certainly would open Pandora’s Box with regard to the future of Albanians in Macedonia, Presheva Valley, Montenegro and Greece,”- Mr. Muriqi added.

Labinot Baraliu, a former KLA soldier who migrated to New York after the war, remarked, “Albanians have made many painful concessions in the interest of peace and stability when accepting an international compromise that forced them to live in significant numbers in six separate, neighboring countries, even after the fall of communism. The international community and especially the EU should not take for granted the assumption that this status quo will remain in place after cheating Kosova out of its right to freedom and self-determination,” - Mr. Baraliu concluded.

A letter was sent to the Parliament of Kosova demanding the representatives of the people proclaim the independence of Kosova without delay. The letter conveyed the commitment of all "Atlantic" soldiers to defend Kosova and its independence.