So am I but it doesn't mean well get it. All you have to do is read the news wires. Theres plenty of chaos to keep oil going higher for a long time.
And we have a winner. The ruskies get very aggressive when it comes to defending their lifeline. The fighting between Turkey and the Kurds is equally disturbing. This will potentially lead to a wider conflict in the ME. FYI the kurds are sitting on a lot of oil. Oil wars is here. Oil 150 is an absolute certainty at this point.
In case anyone missed it, Russia passed SA as the world's leading oil producer. China is now the top gold producer in addition to owning enough US bonds to sink the dollar anytime they want. IMO America should tone down the arrogance that partially got us into this problem. But I'm sure we won't...
there is alot of historical and cultural ties to this land which are really deep especially the serbian people and there religion. although both sides are not perfect. most the the albanians are either turks that have never left europe or janisaries converted muslims for a better standard of living or by force. one theory is that during ottoman empire turkish rulers called pashcas and beys would perposely suffle specfic peoples for potical power as a result and large islamic % population over time. similar to the bosnians http://www.snd-us.com/history/savich_kosovo-origins.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosovo#Ottoman_Kosovo_.281455_to_1912.29 Early history Main articles: Prehistoric Balkans, Moesia Superior, History of Medieval Kosovo, First Bulgarian Empire, and History of Medieval Serbia During the Neolithic period, the region of Kosovo lay within the extent of the Vinèa-Turdaº culture. In the 4th to 3rd centuries BC, it was the territory of the Thraco-Illyrian tribe of the Dardani, forming part of the kingdom of Illyria. The Illyrians were conquered by Rome in the 160s BC, and made the Roman province of Illyricum in 59 BC. The Kosovo region became part of Moesia Superior in AD 87. The Slavic migrations reached the Balkans in the 6th to 7th century. The area was absorbed into the Byzantine empire in the 850s. As the center of Slavic resistance to Constantinople in the region, it often switched between Serbian and Bulgarian rule on one hand and Byzantine on the other until the Serb principality of Rascia conquered it by the end of the 11th century. Fully absorbed into the Serbian Kingdom until the end of the 12th, it became the secular and spiritual center of the Serbian medieval state of the Nemanyiden dynasty in the 13th century, with the Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Peæ, while Prizren was the secular center. The zenith was reached with the formation of a Serbian Empire in 1346, which after 1371 transformed from a centralized absolutist medieval monarchy to a feudal realm. Kosovo became the hereditary land of the House of Brankoviæ and Vuèitrn and PriÅ¡tina flourished. The Ottomans invaded and met the Serbian Army under Prince Lazar on Tuesday, June 15, 1389 Julian Calendar -- St. Vitus' Day -- near Pristina, at Gazi Mestan. The Serbian Army was assisted by various allies. The epic Battle of Kosovo followed, in which Prince Lazar himself lost his life. Prince Lazar amassed 12,000-30,000 men on the battlefield and the Ottomans had 27,000-40,000. Under the pretext of surrender, MiloÅ¡ Obiliæ managed to murder Sultan Murad, and the new Sultan Beyazid had, despite winning the battle, to retreat to consolidate his power. The Ottoman Sultan was buried with one of his sons at Gazimestan. Both Prince Lazar and MiloÅ¡ Obiliæ were canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church for their efforts in the battle. In 1402 a Serbian Despotate was raised and Kosovo became its richest territory, famous for mines. During the first fall of Serbia Novo Brdo and Kosovo offered last resistance to the invading Ottomans in 1441, in 1455 it was finally and fully conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The local House of Brankoviæ came to prominence as the local lords of Kosovo, under Vuk Brankoviæ, with the temporary fall of the Serbian Despotate in 1439. Another great battle occurred between the Hungarian troops supported by the Albanian ruler Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg on one side, and Ottoman troops supported by the Brankoviæs in 1448. Skanderbeg's troops that were going to help John Hunyadi were stopped by the Brankoviæ's troops, who was more or less a Turkish vassal. Hungarian regent John Hunyadi lost the battle after a two-day fight, but essentially stopped the Ottoman advance northwards. Kosovo then became vassalaged to the Ottoman Empire with the rest of Serbia, until it was conquered by the Ottomans in 1455. New castles rose to prominence in PriÅ¡tina and Vuèitrn, centres of the Ottoman vassalaged House of Brankoviæ.[citation needed] Ottoman Kosovo (1455 to 1912) Main article: History of Ottoman Kosovo Further information: Vilayet of Kosovo and History of Ottoman Serbia Kosovo Vilayet, 1875-1878 The neutrality of this article is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.(February 2008) Please do not remove this message until the dispute is resolved. The Ottoman conquest of Kosovo was a major achievement for the Turks, as the Kosovar rich minerals would prove a great asset to their empire. The Turkish achievement in those years was not merely a military one. Whatever the glory of the medieval Balkan principalities may have been before the tragedy of Kosovo, conditions of order had already begun to break down in the Balkans before the Turks ever came. In the first centuries of Turkish rule, conditions of public order markedly improved.[7]The establishment of Ottoman institutions in Kosovo brought about a new era. Religiously-selective taxation (see Jizya), education of the Kosovar aristocracy in Ottoman schools (see Enderun School) and the stability brought to the region led to a mass conversion of the Christian population into Islam. The truth is that the Turks were largely indifferent in the matters of religion, although, fearing that the religions of their subjects might serve as focal points of resistance, they forbade the building of all but the meanest churches, and likewise outlawed the ringing of church bells.Thus, the new religion was embraced by approximately two-thirds of the Albanians and a portion of the Serbs. The Ottomans brought Islamisation with them, particularly in towns, and later also created the Vilayet of Kosovo as one of the Ottoman territorial entities. Kosovo was taken by the Austrian forces during the Great War of 1683â1699 with help of 6,000 Albanians and their leader, the Catholic Archbishop Pjetër Bogdani, who published his classic Band of the Prophets in 1686. The campaign resulted in a brief liberation of Kosovo, but after a plague breakout among Austrians and Kosovars, the Turks soon recovered all their lost areas. Bogdani himself died in December 1689, while his remains were inhumanely exhumed by Turks and Tatars and fed to dogs.[8] The loss had a negative impact on the wellbeing all inhabitants of Kosovo, whose liberation was not realized in an 18th-century Austrian endeavor either. During the Ottoman period, nonetheless, there was recorded a great amount of endeavors to promote the Albanian language and culture. The Catholic cleric who authored the earliest known Albanian book, Gjon Buzuku, is believed to have been of Kosovar origin. Moreover, the Catholic bishop, Pjetër Bogdani, a native of Kosovo, published his classic Band of the Prophets in 1686, and later headed the anti-Ottoman movement. His engagement in the national cause culminated in 1689, when he raised a 20,000-member army comprised of Christian and Muslim Albanians, who joined the Austrians in their war against Turkey. The campaign resulted in a brief liberation of Kosovo, but after a plague breakout among Austrians and Kosovars, the Turks soon recovered all their lost areas. Bogdani himself died in December 1689, while his remains were inhumanely exhumed by Turks and Tatars and fed to dogs.[9] The loss had a negative impact on the wellbeing all inhabitants of Kosovo, whose liberation was not realized in an 18th-century Austrian endeavor either. In 1690, the Serbian Patriarch of Peæ Arsenije III, who previously escaped a certain death, led 37,000 families from Kosovo to evade Ottoman wrath, since Kosovo had just been retaken by the Ottomans. The people who followed him were mostly Serbs, but they were likely followed by other ethnic groups. Due to the oppression from the Ottomans, other migrations of Orthodox people from the Kosovo area continued throughout the 18th century. It is also noted that some Serbs adopted Islam, while some even gradually fused with other groups, predominantly Albanians, adopting their culture and even language, essentially leaving a predominantly Islamic presence in Kosovo.[citation needed] In 1766, the Ottomans abolished the Patriarchate of Peæ and the position of Christians in Kosovo was greatly reduced. All previous privileges were lost, and the Christian population had to suffer the full weight of the Empire's extensive and losing wars.[citation needed] The main reason for the conversion of Christian Albanians into Muslim Albanians was for the greater benefit of less taxes (see Jizya). Remnants of Orthodox Albanians in Kosovo went to live in mountains or rural parts of Montenegro. During the 19th century, Kosovo was a typical redoubt of defiant people who fought against the Ottoman regime in quest for their national liberty. As a result, many Albanian highlanders retained some autonomy and were allowed to apply their customary law (mainly the Kanun of Lekë Dukagjini). Nevertheless, examples of Ottoman attempts to give an end to this practice are abundant; the heroine Nora of the Kelmendi clan earned a distinguished place in Kosovar history by assassinating the Ottoman leader in Kosovo.[10]
20th century Main article: 20th century history of Kosovo It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled 20th century history of Kosovo. (Discuss) This section's length may adversely affect readability. Please discuss this issue on the talk page and help summarize or split the content into subarticles of an article series. In 1871, a massive Serbian meeting was held in Prizren at which the possible retaking and reintegration of Kosovo and the rest of "Old Serbia" was discussed, as the Principality of Serbia itself had already made plans for expansions towards Ottoman territory. Albanian refugees from the territories conquered in the 1876â1877 Serbo-Turkish war and the 1877â1878 Russo-Turkish war are now known as 'muhaxher' (which means 'refugee', from Arabic muhajir). Their descendants still have the same surname, Muhaxheri. It is estimated that 200,000 to 400,000 Serbs were cleansed out of the Vilayet of Kosovo between 1876 and 1912 by Turks and their Albanian allies, especially during the Greek-Ottoman War in 1897. In 1878, a Peace Accord was drawn that left the cities of PriÅ¡tina and Kosovska Mitrovica under civil Serbian control, and outside the jurisdiction of the Ottoman authorities, while the rest of Kosovo would be under Ottoman control. As a response, the Albanians formed the nationalistic and conservative League of Prizren in Prizren later the same year. Over three hundred Albanian leaders from Kosovo and western Macedonia gathered and discussed the urgent issues concerning protection of Albanian populated regions from division among neighbouring countries. The League was supported by the Ottoman Sultan because of its Pan-Islamic ideology and political aspirations of a unified Albanian people under the Ottoman umbrella. The movement gradually became anti-Christian and spread great anxiety among Christian Albanians and especially among Christian Serbs. As a result, more and more Serbs left Kosovo northwards. Serbia complained to the World Powers that the promised territories were not being held because the Ottomans were hesitating to do that. The World Powers put pressure on the Ottomans and in 1881, the Ottoman Army began fighting the Albanian forces. The Prizren League created a Provisional Government with a President, Prime Minister (Ymer Prizreni) and Ministries of War (Sylejman Vokshi) and Foreign Ministry (Abdyl Frashëri). After three years of war, the Albanians were defeated. Many of the leaders were executed and imprisoned. The subsequent Treaty of San Stefano in 1878 restored most Albanian lands to Ottoman control, but the Serbian forces had to retreat from Kosovo along with some Serbs that were expelled as well. By the end of the 19th century the Albanians replaced the Serbs as the dominant people in Kosovo. In 1908, the Sultan brought a new democratic decree that was valid only for Turkish-speakers. As the vast majority of Kosovo spoke Albanian or Serbian, the Kosovar population was very unhappy. The Young Turk movement supported a centralist rule and opposed any sort of autonomy desired by Kosovars, and particularly the Albanians. In 1910, an Albanian uprising spread from PriÅ¡tina and lasted until the Ottoman Sultan's visit to Kosovo in June of 1911. The Aim of the League of Prizren was to unite the four Albanian Vilayets by merging the majority of Albanian inhabitants within the Ottoman Empire into one Albanian State. However, at that time Serbs have consisted about 25% of the whole Vilayet of Kosovo's overall population and were opposing the Albanian rule along with Turks and other Slavs in Kosovo, which disabled the Albanian movements to occupy Kosovo.[citation needed] Balkan Wars Boundaries on the Balkans after the First and Second Balkan War.In 1912, during the Balkan Wars, most of Kosovo was taken by the Kingdom of Serbia, while the region of Metohija (Albanian: Dukagjini Valley) was taken by the Kingdom of Montenegro. An exodus of the local Albanian population occurred. This was described by Leon Trotsky, who was a reporter for the Pravda newspaper at the time. The Serbian authorities planned a recolonization of Kosovo.[11] Numerous colonist Serb families moved into Kosovo, equalizing the demographic balance between Albanians and Serbs. Many Albanians fled into the mountains and numerous Albanian and Turkish houses were razed. The reconquest of Kosovo was described as retribution for the 1389 Battle of Kossovo. At the Conference of Ambassadors in London in 1912 presided over by Sir Edward Grey, the British Foreign Secretary, the Kingdoms of Serbia and Montenegro were granted sovereignty over Kosovo.[citation needed]
bravo to moreagr for bothering to post all that. Historical perspective on the region is v. important. The albanians were not going to allow the AMBO/Trans balkan pipeline, unless Kosovo was recognised as an independant state. Theres a very good reason for a large US military presence (camp bond-steel) in Kosovo.....
bravo to moreagr for bothering to post all that. Historical perspective on the region is v. important. The albanians were not going to allow the AMBO/Trans balkan pipeline, unless Kosovo was recognised as an independant state. Theres a very good reason for a large US military presence (camp bond-steel) in Kosovo.....