Grateful Kosovo unveils Clinton statue

Reuters

FORMER PRESIDENT: Bill Clinton was greeted by cheers and a giant golden statue on his visit to Kosovo.

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Kosovo's Albanian majority have unveiled a statue of former US president Bill Clinton to thank him for saving them by stopping a wave of ethnic cleansing by Serbia.

As the US President in 1999, Clinton launched NATO air strikes to halt the killing of ethnic Albanians by Serbian troops.

Clinton's speech was interrupted several times by Kosovo Albanians wildly cheering his name and USA, and waving US, Albanian and Kosovo flags.

"I am profoundly grateful that I had a chance to be a part of ending the horrible things that were happening to you 10 years ago, giving you a chance to build a better future for yourself," Clinton told the crowd.

The crowd chanted Clinton's name when the former president started shaking hands with people along a boulevard named after him.

"I never expected ... anywhere someone will make such a big statue of me," Clinton said after his 3-metre  statue was unveiled.

He urged Kosovars to build a multi-ethnic country with the minority Serbs and other minorities and said the United States would always help Kosovo's people.

"You have to build something good and we should help," he added.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia last year and was recognised by the United States and major European Union powers - a total of 62 countries worldwide, but not by its former ruler Serbia, Russia or China.

Grateful Kosovo Albanians also named a central street in central Pristina after former US president George W Bush.

Kosovo Albanians regard Clinton, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Clinton's state secretary Madeleine Albright as their saviours and have named their babies after them.

Ismail Neziri had travelled 60km to see the president again after they met in a refugee camp in Macedonia where Neziri's family had fled to escape the forces of late Serb strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

Around 10,000 Albanians were killed as Serb forces moved to wipe out an ethnic Albanian guerrilla force and 800,000 were expelled to neighbouring Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro.

"I was only eight years in a refugee camp in Macedonia when Clinton took me in his hands and today he is the same big and young man," said Neziri, 18, holding a US flag.

"In 1996 everybody was speaking that Clinton is a good man and he will help us and then my father named me after him," said 13-year-old Klinton Krasniqi.

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Alban   #6   04:08 am Nov 04 2009

thank you amerika . good bles amerika. albanian people are with you forewer. thx

Frank   #5   03:57 am Nov 04 2009

Stop complaining Rashim!! If you have problems blame it mostly on your corrupted politicians the run your country!! Kosovarians have start rolling the sleeves up and work instead of waiting for someone to help them!!

Sasquatch   #4   07:51 am Nov 03 2009

David #2 - Yeah, it should have been bigger and your ignorance is bliss. Clinton did incredible feats of humanity across the world. The question is where they his policies or Hilary's?

David   #3   10:50 pm Nov 02 2009

Wow, that's pretty pathetic.

Rashim   #2   06:43 pm Nov 02 2009

We appreciate for our liberation.But we are confused :is our country build for us or for you.We have more crime and problems now there.Drugs,human trafficking,crime,corruption unable us to return home and live life we been promised.And your wife will get Statue and street name in Belgrade,she supports Serbia now to be accepted in EU ,after only 10 yrs of what they did to us.

ash   #1   04:41 pm Nov 02 2009

should given the Nobel Peace Prize to Clinton rather than that Obama...whats worng with the world...

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