French minister's remark in Kosovo criticized

[Stefan850]

BELGRADE, Serbia -- A media watchdog on Wednesday condemned French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's recent remark that a Serb reporter was "insane" for asking him a question about alleged organ trafficking in Kosovo.
The South East Europe Media Organization, based in Austria, said in a statement that Kouchner's behavior was unprofessional and surprising from a French government representative.
Kouchner, who was Kosovo's U.N. administrator in 1999-2001, was asked by a Voice of America reporter in Kosovo this month if he knew about allegations that minority Kosovo Serbs were kidnapped by ethnic Albanians and had their organs removed for trafficking during the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict.
"But you are sick, aren't you? Do I look like someone who would traffic organs? You are insane to believe all kinds of nonsense like that," Kouchner responded. "Sir, you should consult (a doctor) ... people who talk about things like that are bastards and murderers."
Europe's top right body, the Council of Europe, is currently conducting an investigation into the alleged organ trafficking - a probe let by Swiss Senator **** Marty.
Serbian officials say up to 400 Kosovo Serbs vanished without a trace during the war, and some fear a few dozen may have fallen victim to an organ trafficking operation performed in the so-called "yellow house" inside neighboring Albania.


Kosovo and Albania have strongly denied the allegations of organ trafficking, which first surfaced in a book by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. She portrayed the "yellow house" as a building in Albania where organs might have been surgically removed from the victims.
But Kouchner said, "There was no yellow house. There was no organ trade."
The media watchdog said it was unacceptable that a top official should be so aggressive at a news conference.
"As a politician and a member of the French government, he should communicate professionally and responsibly with journalists," said the South East Europe Media Organization. "We would have expected Mr. Kouchner to react in a more courteous and dignified way."
Asked about the organization's criticism, French Foreign Ministry officials in Paris declined to comment immediately.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...031001173.html




for those that don't know what's that all about, recent developments.

UN says Albania 'stalling' Serb human organs inquiry


A UN expert has said Albania is holding up inquiries into reports that Serbs captured during the 1998-99 Kosovo war were butchered for their organs there.
UN special *******eur Philip Alston said the Council of Europe, Serbia and the EU authorities in Kosovo were all investigating the reports.
He called on Albania to allow an independent inquiry.
Albanian PM Sali Berisha has dismissed the allegations as fiction and says they have already been investigated.
International attention was drawn to the alleged crimes in 2008 when former UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte revealed in her memoirs that her team had investigated reports that around 300 Serbs held in Albania had had organs removed, apparently for sale to foreign clinics.
None of the efforts to investigate have received meaningful co-operation on the side of the government of Albania


Philip Alston
UN special *******eur on extrajudicial executions

According to her book, UN investigators searched a house in the Albanian town of Burrel in 2004 after receiving reports that Kosovo Albanian militants had used it as a base for removing Serbs' organs before killing them.
"The investigators found pieces of gauze, a used syringe and two plastic IV bags encrusted with mud and empty bottles of medicine, some of which was of a muscle relaxant often used in surgical operations," Ms Del Ponte wrote.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said its judges had never received evidence in support of the allegations.
During the Kosovo war, which ended with Serbia withdrawing its forces from the province after a Nato bombing campaign and an eventual unilateral declaration of independence by the ethnic Albanian majority, thousands of people were killed, most of them ethnic Albanians.
'Diplomatic ping pong'
Last year, Albania rejected a Serbian request for an investigation into the alleged abductions and killings.
Speaking to reporters in the Albanian capital Tirana, Mr Alston said the authorities in Albania strongly believed that the allegations were "politically motivated and absolutely without any foundation".
"On this basis, none of the efforts to investigate have received meaningful co-operation on the side of the government of Albania."
His own inquiries in Albania had met with a "game of bureaucratic and diplomatic ping pong", said Mr Alston, who is the UN special *******eur on extrajudicial executions.
"The bottom line is that the issue is definitely stalled," he added.
"All Albanian officials I have met with consider the claims, charges of killings, as ridiculous," he said.
"If it is ridiculous, in order to get rid of this issue, make available a proposal for an independent investigation and offer genuine co-operation."
Serbia welcomed the UN expert's call for an independent investigation.
"That would be the right path to find out the truth and achieve full regional co-operation," Bruno Vekaric, a spokesman for Serbia's war crimes prosecutor, told ******* news agency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8531289.stm

Albania "will cooperate in organ trafficking case" 8 March 2010 | 19:56 | Source: Tanjug TIRANA -- Albania's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ilir Meta says the country is willing to cooperate with international institutions.

This came in response to the claims made by some UN officials that Albania is preventing an international investigation into the allegations of human organ trafficking during the 1999 conflict in Kosovo.

Meta described the allegations as lacking evidence, adding that the Albanian government is determined to complete the process and put an end to all claims about such crimes in Albania "once and for all".

United Nations official Philip Alston accused Albania last month of preventing an international investigation into the allegations of torture, murder and organ trafficking during the 1999 conflict in Kosovo.

Serbian judicial officials state that ethnic Albanian terrorists kidnapped Serbs in Kosovo during the conflict and took them to Albania where they were killed and their organs extracted to be sold on the black market.

http://www.b92.net/eng/news/region-a...8&nav_id=65680

[Dukagjin]

Kouchner responded : "Sir (serbian "journalist") , you should consult a doctor .... poeple who talk about thinks like that are bastards and murderers "

what´s wrong with that ? he is absolutely right ! this so called journalist tried to provocate him with all this serbian propaganda bullsh*t against kosovars and he gave him the right answer because he as the first UNMIK Chief knows very well what happended in kosova before, during and after the war !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTA7g...eature=related

[Stefan850]

what´s wrong with that ? he is absolutely right ! this so called journalist tried to provocate him with all this serbian propaganda bullsh*t against kosovars and he gave him the right answer because he as the first UNMIK Chief knows very well what happended in kosova before, during and after the war !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTA7g...eature=related

So, anyone who talks about, let's call them "alleged crimes against Serbs" is a bastard and a murderer?
What kind of sick logic is that? "bastard and a murderer". A lot of people are talking about that, not just Serbs, are they all bastards? Am I a bastard right now?

Including among others Carla Del Ponte and Philip Alston, ex Harvard Law School and European University Institute professor, now special *******eur for the UN Commission on Human Rights, are they bastards? Again, "a bastard"? I really do believe that the "murderer" part is something that got lost in translation, maybe some Frenchmen could help, because calling someone a murderer for talking about something like this is beyond ridiculous, it's quite honestly, retarded, no offense to the people with mental disabilities.

[hsh2]

what´s wrong with that ? he is absolutely right ! this so called journalist tried to provocate him with all this serbian propaganda bullsh*t against kosovars and he gave him the right answer because he as the first UNMIK Chief knows very well what happended in kosova before, during and after the war !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTA7g...eature=related

Hahaha yeah that's Kouchner no doubt. If he tried to ridicule the claim by the Serbian man he failed miserably.

"J'ai une tete a vendre des organes, moi ?"What a turd...

I really do believe that the "murderer" part is something that got lost in translation, maybe some Frenchmen could help, because calling someone a murderer for talking about something like this is beyond ridiculous, it's quite honestly, retarded, no offense to the people with mental disabilities.

BTW I can't read Albanian nor understand Serbian but I'm a native speaker in French.

Kouchner did indeed say that people who say that are "salauds" (literally dirties but signifying bastards, assholes, low lifes etc) and "assassins" (murderers, contract killers).

Nothing lost in translation. The translator I might add speaks French very well for a foreigner.

This is Kouchners behavior in a nutshell.

[V.I.D.]

Hahaha yeah that's Kouchner no doubt. If he tried to ridicule the claim by the Serbian man he failed miserably.

"J'ai une tete a vendre des organes, moi ?"What a turd...

BTW I can't read Albanian nor understand Serbian but I'm a native speaker in French.

Kouchner did indeed say that people who say that are "salauds" (literally dirties but signifying bastards, assholes, low lifes etc) and "assassins" (murderers, contract killers).

Nothing lost in translation. The translator I might add speaks French very well for a foreigner.

This is Kouchners behavior in a nutshell.

Thank you for clarifying that video, I wish I could speak French. As for Kouchner's behavior, I am not exactly surprised considering how many crimes have been committed against civilian Serb population during his mandate. It's just a pity that he does not have to answer to anyone for his (mis)deeds, I guess The Hague Tribunal is only good for Serbian-born war criminals/ex-politicians and some random Croat ones.

Stefan, IMO I don't even understand why you bother replying to well-known trolls, that's why there is a "report post" button on the screen.

[Chimera]

Thank you for clarifying that video, I wish I could speak French. As for Kouchner's behavior, I am not exactly surprised considering how many crimes have been committed against civilian Serb population during his mandate.

Do you have reliable and unquestionnable accounts that could lead us to think that Mr Kouchner voluntarily commanded, under his mandat, Serbian people to be killed and torn apart to sell their organs?

If you don't and cannot give sources, I suggest all of you to stop calling with insulting terms.

[Hyde]

what´s wrong with that ? he is absolutely right ! this so called journalist tried to provocate him with all this serbian propaganda bullsh*t against kosovars and he gave him the right answer because he as the first UNMIK Chief knows very well what happended in kosova before, during and after the war !

Okay, let's get this straight. The former UN Chief prosecutor for the UN War crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia in Den Haag, Carla del Ponte (known for, let's say, "being not a big fan of Serbs", which should make clear how unusual it is for her to even mention a crime commited against serbs) said in her book that something like that happened. Now there is an investigation going on about it (which is, according to the UN, being stalled by Albania), and the current French Foreign Minister, who was the UN Administrator for Kosovo from 1999 to 2001, at the time when these things are said to have happened, is asked by a reporter that a lot of families of those who were kidnapped and who still remain missing worry about these things and what his stance towards the case is.

And now, the reporter asking the question in regards to a current and on-going UN investigation which is of particular importance to several hundreds of families who are still missing family members, uncertain about their fate and are currently worried that they might have been "harvested out" for organ trafficking (I mean you have to pay for an insurgency war somewhow, don't you?), and now the reporters question is Serbian propaganda? But in no case may the French FM's and former UN ambassadors answer strike you as/ or be be considered as Albanian propaganda, regarding that he is dismissing what has not been proven neither right nor wrong, yet, as the investigation is still on-going? And on top of that his "answer" is discourteous and disrespectful, as he is laughing people and families who are worried about that case right in the face.

So according to you, the Reporters question about a current UN investigation is propaganda, and not the French FM's dismissal of an allegation that is still under UN investigation and the laughing and insultations towards the people who are worried about the fate of their family members.
Alright, good to know what level you operate on.

[Chimera]

Hahaha yeah that's Kouchner no doubt. If he tried to ridicule the claim by the Serbian man he failed miserably.

"J'ai une tete a vendre des organes, moi ?"What a turd...

What makes him a turd?

The translator says "You are being accused of selling organs by the serbian families".

What should he reply exactly?

[Mordoror]

Do you have reliable and unquestionnable accounts that could lead us to think that Mr Kouchner voluntarily ordered, under his mandat, Serbian people to be killed and torn apart to sell their organs?

If you don't and cannot give sources, I suggest all of you to stop calling with insulting terms.

Chimera
you don't get it
VID said that numerous serbs were killed during Koutchner mandate (and this is a separate issue to the organ trafficking crime)
and indeed to our (i dare to say our as French) great shame it was the case
roadside bombs targetted civilian buses in at least two separate incidents, same as some straffing or fragging of serb houses in some enclaves and not to talk about Churchs burning

Koutchner has never hiden his hate for the serbs (this is dripping from him ) and he is one that encompassed the whole NATO/US intervention rule in the Balkans
and he never assumes or assumed that it may have been wrong on some points of this folder (or other folders for what matters)

a french neo con like falcon with the power, spirit and charisma of a goldfish but fully inflated of his own perceived importance
(if you didn't understood, i deeply dislike the man)

PS that doesnt make him involved or responsible for the organ trafficking of course

[creativeUsername]

It dosent excuse him from behaving that way.

[Chimera]

Mordoror, Kouchner might be not very smart in his analysis, but I still want unquestionnable proofs that HE was the one DIRECTLY responsible for ths alleged organ traffic.

[creativeUsername]

The fact that the UN is investigating it means theres credible evidence to it. The UN wouldnt commit resources to an investigation if all it had to go on was accusations and so called "Serb Propaganda"

[Stefan850]

Mordoror, Kouchner might be not very smart in his analysis, but I still want unquestionnable proofs that HE was the one DIRECTLY responsible for ths alleged organ traffic.

And you wont get them, no matter how much you want them, because there probably aren't any because an idea that Kouchner was selling organs taken from Serb prisoners is ridiculous. Oh, you even said "directly responsible".
Just like your so called arguments with caps lock and all while missing the point of this discussion.

Do you have reliable and unquestionnable accounts that could lead us to think that Mr Kouchner voluntarily commanded, under his mandat, Serbian people to be killed and torn apart to sell their organs?

If you don't and cannot give sources, I suggest all of you to stop calling with insulting terms.

What insulting terms? A turd? So if he didn't sell organs taken from Serbian people, which anyone with basic common sense can be sure he didn't do (that's just you missing the point of this discussion) he can't be a turd?


He's a pompous prick, that's obvious from a mile away.

[hsh2]

What makes him a turd?

The translator says "You are being accused of selling organs by the serbian families".

What should he reply exactly?

First of all that's not what the translator said, He said that MANY Serb families accuse him ,a little (probably an interjection by the translator), when it comes to the sale of organs. Quite a difference when we are talking about the Balkans.

Maybe because he laughs at the question of the Serb guy AND calls people like him murderers and bastards for good measure all while acting like Gerard Depardieu.

I don't think I've ever seen any politician laugh at a Bosniaks or an Albanians question especially when it related to certain things (you know what I mean).

I'd be absolutely ashamed if one of our Federal Councillors behaved like that.

BTW he also asked whether he is mentally ill, told him that he is crazy, told him that he believes any kind of bullsh1t and that he should go see a doctor.
1 honest question brought forth in a polite way, half a dozen insults to a person who in all likelihood lost people in the war all in a foreign country to a foreign citizen. Way to go you turd.

[Hyde]

What makes him a turd?

The translator says "You are being accused of selling organs by the serbian families".

What should he reply exactly?

The reporter said that "Many families of the kidnapped serbs are accusing you of participation(this is the closest translation, but it's too near to "actually being involved in it yourself", the real word covers "enabling of participation" as well, so maybe that's what he meant) in the organ trafficking"... so we can only speculate what they are accusing him of, maybe of enabling them to do it, turning a blind eye on it.... Maybe they accuse him of "participating" (playing a role in it) because he, just like now, laughs and laughed at any indication and report of crimes against serbs being commited and ignored it and played it down, instead of causing an investigation to be made, enabling these things to happen?