God created Kosovo...

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Daily Press Briefing [EXCERPT ONLY], Richard Boucher, Spokesman, Washington, DC, May 25, 2005, TRANSCRIPT 12:54 p.m. EDT

[...]

QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, since this coming Friday, May 27th, is the beginning of the process of the creation of an independent Kosovo, may I raise a couple of questions without interruptions, however?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think we've put out an announcement like that.

QUESTION: Excuse me?

MR. BOUCHER: I don't think that's quite the right way to characterize May 27th, but go on.

QUESTION: But as you know, the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will submit a report to the -- on the status of Kosovo to the Security Council. It was said many times by a bunch of U.S. officials, including yourself, and Under Secretary Nicholas Burns that America against the partition of Kosovo, but is considering independence as an option, which means partition of Serbia. Therefore, I'm wondering if you are against, too, the partition of Serbia since Kosovo is a part of Serbia.

MR. BOUCHER: Our Under Secretary spoke about this at great length last week. I'll leave it to his remarks there. Nothing to add.

QUESTION: One --

MR. BOUCHER: One more in the front?

QUESTION: Yes. Yesterday, in an important three-hours forum on the status of Kosovo, at the Wilson Center, your Director of the Office of South and Central European Affairs, Mr. Charles English, stated clearly that, "Kosovo must be governed by the Kosovars." Do you agree since that means independence and partition of Serbia?

MR. BOUCHER: Our Under Secretary for Political Affairs spoke at great length about the situation last week. I'll leave it with what he said.

QUESTION: The same U.S. official --

MR. BOUCHER: Okay, we've got other people that want to ask questions.

QUESTION: Yes. The same U.S. official, Mr. Charles English, to a question of mine during this conference, "Who created Kosovo?" declared loudly that, "It was a work of God. I have to run to the State Department. I am late." I submit that God might have had something to do with the creation of the official, but not of Kosovo. I am wondering if his answer reflects the official U.S. policy to this effect.

MR. BOUCHER: I'm sorry I don't have anything on that. We'll try to check with God and see what He has to say.

QUESTION: Mr. Boucher, why everyone -- why everyone in your government is so sensitive in accepting the historical fact that today's Kosovo is a product of Adolf Hitler, who created that, in September 1943, transferring Albanians from the mainland, saying that the Albanians are "vital mountain warrior race" that fitted very well in his racist theories? So why you do not accept this?

MR. BOUCHER: Our Under Secretary addressed these matters in great length last week and I'll stick with what he said. If these matters are relevant to our current consideration, I'm sure he addressed them.

[...]

(The briefing was concluded at 1:23 p.m.)

DPB # 91

Released on May 25, 2005