BELGRADE -- Serbian Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Zdravko Ponoš says Serbia is not facing military threats.
Source: B92
Close the entire text of the article here
The army chief explained that the Serbian military controls the situation in areas where it has authority, adding that the army is "very aware" of the current situation and does not fear any surprises.
The general said that at this time, Serbia is not militarily at risk and that the government is handling the Kosovo situation in the proper manner.
"The army has had a developed action plan since April 2007 and there is no reason to react nervously," Ponoš commented the latest developments regarding the southern province.
Recently, there were interpretations that the military should intervene in Kosovo, which Ponoš said is "militarily possible, but not realistic."
“Can the army overrun all security institutions in Kosovo? Yes. But that is just an assumption – no one was seriously discussed such a move,” Ponoš said.
People who could cause a problem potentially in Serbia's south are not unknown to the military, and move around the triangle of North Macedonia, Kosovo, and the Preševo valley, he added.
Ponoš said that those threats are on a “bandit or gang level" and that the VS does not need any more troops to handle such threats.
“We have forces and resources to militarily face very powerful foes. No attacks on property will be tolerated,” Ponoš said.
"The Serbian military partner in Kosovo is KFOR and as long as KFOR abides by United Nations resolution 1244 and ensures peace and stability for all citizens equally, the military will cooperate," the chief of staff said.
Ponoš added that, at this point, there are no plans to cooperate with the mission which the European Union has announced that it would be sending to Kosovo.
i don't see where i stated that i'm anti-u.s. i was born in u.s. and i love u.s. i just don't agree with some u.s. foregin policys. i see you have no clue obout kosovo history if you did you would understand what i ment by growing mexican population.
(lou, 15 February 2008 23:17)
From my viewpoint, Ponos was making a tactical statement, not a threatening one. Ponos has shown himself to be both professional in his position and cooperative with KFOR. He's also a rather liberal individual. We're not talking about old VJ brass here.
Second, his statement of VS intervening in Kosovo as "militarily possible" probably attests to two points. The first is that VS still knows the lay of the land. They know how to operate, and they know the terrain better than any KFOR occupying force. The second point stems from the first. KFOR soldiers are basically well paid security guards, many of whom are probably not equipped to handle large scale warfare. Most of them came as peacekeepers, and most of them wouldn't really stand up in a large firefight.
Be that as it may, all of this is purely conjectural and hypothetical. That Ponos is not rattling his sabres and threatening a reinvasion of Kosovo means that cooperation with KFOR is still strong. And if it actually comes to a point where conditions are "militarily possible", I think full coordination with KFOR and NATO will be undertaken.
(Mike, 15 February 2008 17:52)
Man. . .some of you guys must actually live in a completely different reality.
"Kosovo was never Serbian."
"10,000 albanians killed."
"The Serbian Orthodox churches are really albanian Catholic ones."
Now this. . ."Serbia's humiliating defeat by NATO."
The Serbian Army lost a dozen tanks and agreed to Resolution 1244 - which reaffirmed Serbia's territorial claim to Kosovo - only as the NATO cowards increased their terror campaign on civilians across Serbia. How is this a defeat?
Now let me explain what "humiliating" is:
1) NATO bombing a country of 8 million people that never attacked them from 30,000 feet and refusing to deploy ground troops
2) NATO acting like terrorists and bombing civilians and infrastructure across Serbia
3) The kla employing their own people as human shields
4) The kla manufacturing a human catastrophe to elicit support from gullible westerners
5) Western actions in trying to sever land from a UN member state in contradiction to a resolution that they had previously signed
(My too sense. . ., 15 February 2008 17:28)
your anti-us believes do not intrigue me even slightly. i might even go as far as to say that i do understand why you loath perhaps loath us. but i am really struggling to fathom what has the growing latino population in parts of us got to do with this thread.
surely even you can understand that developed countries like us, uk, germany, france etc. tailor their immigration policies to their own economic needs.
(SiriusBlack, 15 February 2008 16:44)
With your postings you have just undermined every effort of K-Serbs people currently in Kosova. With your posting which says that Serbian army left Kosova after signing the agreement you have just told us that the army that was supposed to protect it people deserted them. Is that army supposed to be called glorious or somewhat else
I recon that one before righting something in here should stop and think if that posting is going to hurt someone in this case K-Serbs who are confused. Come to Kosova to see what have you done to your people with your flamboyant messages.
Let me stress this that in these days K-Serbs have turned to their neighbours Albanians and to the security troops currently in Kosova. Their past experience with Serbian glorious army has told them so.
(Olf, 15 February 2008 16:09)
sirius black. western world needs to change and mind their own bussines because all this can and will back fire especialy in the u.s. because latino (mostly mexican)population is growing rapidly and it is a prooven fact that in less than 30 years they will be majority not just in california and texas but in the whole u.s. and the western europe, heh, they have bin u.s. servants since ww2.
(lou, 15 February 2008 15:35)
The purpose of the UN (NATO) intervention in Kosovo was not to defeat Serbia.
The purpose was to stop the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis that Serbia was set to do.
That was defeated.
Now, if you still support the actions that Serbia did in Kosovo then I will have to agree with the "Serbia was defeated" stance.
Peggy, can you please tell at which point did Sirius Black call Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians?
You really puzzle me.
(blero, 15 February 2008 15:28)
Peggy Says:
"Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow."
Too right Peggy, I agree with you that the Serbs have shown the world in the last 20 or so years that they know exactly how to behave and whom to follow. May that continue indefinitely. I wish you all the best in your quest.
I just do not like it that you're calling me delusional. I would not throw personal insults at you or at anyone publicly. It shows lack of manners and common decency.
Also I do not expect the Serbs to fight anyone's brothers (nor sisters for that matter). I think that in the last 20 years Serbian army has fought and killed many of those needlessly in its warmongering quest in the former Yugoslavia.
I thought my advice was good and very constructive. However I do not expect you to take it. I believe that Serbia can be a great country and I believe that the Serbs can be a great and friendly nation. Unfortunately in the last 20 years or so, they have been incapable of neither, and they way things are developing, future doesn't look any brighter for Serbia and its people.
Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow.
(peggy, 15 February 2008 14:10)
Serbia was not defeated! It signed an agreement to allow the UN to teach European standards to the Albanians before Kosovo was returned to Serbia. However, in the meantime the US has been teaching the world American standards - Guantanomo, Afghanistan, Iraq, not sticking to agreements (Kosovo)etc. How a once mighty nation has fallen. Let us hope Mubarack Obama can bring back civilised behaviour.
Bosko
(Bosko, 15 February 2008 13:20)
I read B92 regularly and I think although reporting is slightly biased, it is generally fair under the circumstances it operates. That aside, I couldn't not sent a comment or two about this news article which in my opinion is very funny, bordering on ridiculous.
Serbia's army chief of staff seams to think that intervening in Kosovo/a is "militarily possible". How did he come up with that? Does he forget that there are NATO troops there and has he forgotten the humiliating defeats (against NATO) his army had to endure in the last (almost 20 years) of warmongering in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Of course he goes on to say that such an option is not realistic but I still struggle to understand his resolve of continues senseless comments like this. Besides, the fact of the matter is that most likely K-Albanians could these days easily match "the supposed might" of gen. Ponoš's army.
One has to be very careful what one says in public but unfortunately talking rubish has been the modus operandi of most of Serbian officials (Presidnts, PMs, Members of cabinet, MPs, MUP officials, Party Leaders, Army generals, sadly also members of the Serbia academia etc) since the fall of communism. Why should gen. Ponoš be any different.
Serbia needs to change. It needs to look forward into the future, i.e. EU and not Russia. Its people need to top this regime (revolution style) which is holding the country back. After all it will be the ordinary Serbians who are going to suffer if nothing happens.
Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow.
(peggy, 15 February 2008 14:10)
Serbia was not defeated! It signed an agreement to allow the UN to teach European standards to the Albanians before Kosovo was returned to Serbia. However, in the meantime the US has been teaching the world American standards - Guantanomo, Afghanistan, Iraq, not sticking to agreements (Kosovo)etc. How a once mighty nation has fallen. Let us hope Mubarack Obama can bring back civilised behaviour.
Bosko
(Bosko, 15 February 2008 13:20)
Man. . .some of you guys must actually live in a completely different reality.
"Kosovo was never Serbian."
"10,000 albanians killed."
"The Serbian Orthodox churches are really albanian Catholic ones."
Now this. . ."Serbia's humiliating defeat by NATO."
The Serbian Army lost a dozen tanks and agreed to Resolution 1244 - which reaffirmed Serbia's territorial claim to Kosovo - only as the NATO cowards increased their terror campaign on civilians across Serbia. How is this a defeat?
Now let me explain what "humiliating" is:
1) NATO bombing a country of 8 million people that never attacked them from 30,000 feet and refusing to deploy ground troops
2) NATO acting like terrorists and bombing civilians and infrastructure across Serbia
3) The kla employing their own people as human shields
4) The kla manufacturing a human catastrophe to elicit support from gullible westerners
5) Western actions in trying to sever land from a UN member state in contradiction to a resolution that they had previously signed
(My too sense. . ., 15 February 2008 17:28)
sirius black. western world needs to change and mind their own bussines because all this can and will back fire especialy in the u.s. because latino (mostly mexican)population is growing rapidly and it is a prooven fact that in less than 30 years they will be majority not just in california and texas but in the whole u.s. and the western europe, heh, they have bin u.s. servants since ww2.
(lou, 15 February 2008 15:35)
From my viewpoint, Ponos was making a tactical statement, not a threatening one. Ponos has shown himself to be both professional in his position and cooperative with KFOR. He's also a rather liberal individual. We're not talking about old VJ brass here.
Second, his statement of VS intervening in Kosovo as "militarily possible" probably attests to two points. The first is that VS still knows the lay of the land. They know how to operate, and they know the terrain better than any KFOR occupying force. The second point stems from the first. KFOR soldiers are basically well paid security guards, many of whom are probably not equipped to handle large scale warfare. Most of them came as peacekeepers, and most of them wouldn't really stand up in a large firefight.
Be that as it may, all of this is purely conjectural and hypothetical. That Ponos is not rattling his sabres and threatening a reinvasion of Kosovo means that cooperation with KFOR is still strong. And if it actually comes to a point where conditions are "militarily possible", I think full coordination with KFOR and NATO will be undertaken.
(Mike, 15 February 2008 17:52)
I read B92 regularly and I think although reporting is slightly biased, it is generally fair under the circumstances it operates. That aside, I couldn't not sent a comment or two about this news article which in my opinion is very funny, bordering on ridiculous.
Serbia's army chief of staff seams to think that intervening in Kosovo/a is "militarily possible". How did he come up with that? Does he forget that there are NATO troops there and has he forgotten the humiliating defeats (against NATO) his army had to endure in the last (almost 20 years) of warmongering in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Of course he goes on to say that such an option is not realistic but I still struggle to understand his resolve of continues senseless comments like this. Besides, the fact of the matter is that most likely K-Albanians could these days easily match "the supposed might" of gen. Ponoš's army.
One has to be very careful what one says in public but unfortunately talking rubish has been the modus operandi of most of Serbian officials (Presidnts, PMs, Members of cabinet, MPs, MUP officials, Party Leaders, Army generals, sadly also members of the Serbia academia etc) since the fall of communism. Why should gen. Ponoš be any different.
Serbia needs to change. It needs to look forward into the future, i.e. EU and not Russia. Its people need to top this regime (revolution style) which is holding the country back. After all it will be the ordinary Serbians who are going to suffer if nothing happens.
The purpose of the UN (NATO) intervention in Kosovo was not to defeat Serbia.
The purpose was to stop the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis that Serbia was set to do.
That was defeated.
Now, if you still support the actions that Serbia did in Kosovo then I will have to agree with the "Serbia was defeated" stance.
Peggy, can you please tell at which point did Sirius Black call Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians?
You really puzzle me.
(blero, 15 February 2008 15:28)
i don't see where i stated that i'm anti-u.s. i was born in u.s. and i love u.s. i just don't agree with some u.s. foregin policys. i see you have no clue obout kosovo history if you did you would understand what i ment by growing mexican population.
(lou, 15 February 2008 23:17)
With your postings you have just undermined every effort of K-Serbs people currently in Kosova. With your posting which says that Serbian army left Kosova after signing the agreement you have just told us that the army that was supposed to protect it people deserted them. Is that army supposed to be called glorious or somewhat else
I recon that one before righting something in here should stop and think if that posting is going to hurt someone in this case K-Serbs who are confused. Come to Kosova to see what have you done to your people with your flamboyant messages.
Let me stress this that in these days K-Serbs have turned to their neighbours Albanians and to the security troops currently in Kosova. Their past experience with Serbian glorious army has told them so.
(Olf, 15 February 2008 16:09)
your anti-us believes do not intrigue me even slightly. i might even go as far as to say that i do understand why you loath perhaps loath us. but i am really struggling to fathom what has the growing latino population in parts of us got to do with this thread.
surely even you can understand that developed countries like us, uk, germany, france etc. tailor their immigration policies to their own economic needs.
(SiriusBlack, 15 February 2008 16:44)
Peggy Says:
"Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow."
Too right Peggy, I agree with you that the Serbs have shown the world in the last 20 or so years that they know exactly how to behave and whom to follow. May that continue indefinitely. I wish you all the best in your quest.
I just do not like it that you're calling me delusional. I would not throw personal insults at you or at anyone publicly. It shows lack of manners and common decency.
Also I do not expect the Serbs to fight anyone's brothers (nor sisters for that matter). I think that in the last 20 years Serbian army has fought and killed many of those needlessly in its warmongering quest in the former Yugoslavia.
I thought my advice was good and very constructive. However I do not expect you to take it. I believe that Serbia can be a great country and I believe that the Serbs can be a great and friendly nation. Unfortunately in the last 20 years or so, they have been incapable of neither, and they way things are developing, future doesn't look any brighter for Serbia and its people.
your anti-us believes do not intrigue me even slightly. i might even go as far as to say that i do understand why you loath perhaps loath us. but i am really struggling to fathom what has the growing latino population in parts of us got to do with this thread.
surely even you can understand that developed countries like us, uk, germany, france etc. tailor their immigration policies to their own economic needs.
(SiriusBlack, 15 February 2008 16:44)
I read B92 regularly and I think although reporting is slightly biased, it is generally fair under the circumstances it operates. That aside, I couldn't not sent a comment or two about this news article which in my opinion is very funny, bordering on ridiculous.
Serbia's army chief of staff seams to think that intervening in Kosovo/a is "militarily possible". How did he come up with that? Does he forget that there are NATO troops there and has he forgotten the humiliating defeats (against NATO) his army had to endure in the last (almost 20 years) of warmongering in the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Of course he goes on to say that such an option is not realistic but I still struggle to understand his resolve of continues senseless comments like this. Besides, the fact of the matter is that most likely K-Albanians could these days easily match "the supposed might" of gen. Ponoš's army.
One has to be very careful what one says in public but unfortunately talking rubish has been the modus operandi of most of Serbian officials (Presidnts, PMs, Members of cabinet, MPs, MUP officials, Party Leaders, Army generals, sadly also members of the Serbia academia etc) since the fall of communism. Why should gen. Ponoš be any different.
Serbia needs to change. It needs to look forward into the future, i.e. EU and not Russia. Its people need to top this regime (revolution style) which is holding the country back. After all it will be the ordinary Serbians who are going to suffer if nothing happens.
With your postings you have just undermined every effort of K-Serbs people currently in Kosova. With your posting which says that Serbian army left Kosova after signing the agreement you have just told us that the army that was supposed to protect it people deserted them. Is that army supposed to be called glorious or somewhat else
I recon that one before righting something in here should stop and think if that posting is going to hurt someone in this case K-Serbs who are confused. Come to Kosova to see what have you done to your people with your flamboyant messages.
Let me stress this that in these days K-Serbs have turned to their neighbours Albanians and to the security troops currently in Kosova. Their past experience with Serbian glorious army has told them so.
(Olf, 15 February 2008 16:09)
The purpose of the UN (NATO) intervention in Kosovo was not to defeat Serbia.
The purpose was to stop the bloodshed and humanitarian crisis that Serbia was set to do.
That was defeated.
Now, if you still support the actions that Serbia did in Kosovo then I will have to agree with the "Serbia was defeated" stance.
Peggy, can you please tell at which point did Sirius Black call Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians?
You really puzzle me.
(blero, 15 February 2008 15:28)
Peggy Says:
"Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow."
Too right Peggy, I agree with you that the Serbs have shown the world in the last 20 or so years that they know exactly how to behave and whom to follow. May that continue indefinitely. I wish you all the best in your quest.
I just do not like it that you're calling me delusional. I would not throw personal insults at you or at anyone publicly. It shows lack of manners and common decency.
Also I do not expect the Serbs to fight anyone's brothers (nor sisters for that matter). I think that in the last 20 years Serbian army has fought and killed many of those needlessly in its warmongering quest in the former Yugoslavia.
I thought my advice was good and very constructive. However I do not expect you to take it. I believe that Serbia can be a great country and I believe that the Serbs can be a great and friendly nation. Unfortunately in the last 20 years or so, they have been incapable of neither, and they way things are developing, future doesn't look any brighter for Serbia and its people.
Serbia was not defeated! It signed an agreement to allow the UN to teach European standards to the Albanians before Kosovo was returned to Serbia. However, in the meantime the US has been teaching the world American standards - Guantanomo, Afghanistan, Iraq, not sticking to agreements (Kosovo)etc. How a once mighty nation has fallen. Let us hope Mubarack Obama can bring back civilised behaviour.
Bosko
(Bosko, 15 February 2008 13:20)
Man. . .some of you guys must actually live in a completely different reality.
"Kosovo was never Serbian."
"10,000 albanians killed."
"The Serbian Orthodox churches are really albanian Catholic ones."
Now this. . ."Serbia's humiliating defeat by NATO."
The Serbian Army lost a dozen tanks and agreed to Resolution 1244 - which reaffirmed Serbia's territorial claim to Kosovo - only as the NATO cowards increased their terror campaign on civilians across Serbia. How is this a defeat?
Now let me explain what "humiliating" is:
1) NATO bombing a country of 8 million people that never attacked them from 30,000 feet and refusing to deploy ground troops
2) NATO acting like terrorists and bombing civilians and infrastructure across Serbia
3) The kla employing their own people as human shields
4) The kla manufacturing a human catastrophe to elicit support from gullible westerners
5) Western actions in trying to sever land from a UN member state in contradiction to a resolution that they had previously signed
(My too sense. . ., 15 February 2008 17:28)
Sirius Black, do you honestly expect the Serbs to fight their brothers and join K-Albanians in their quest for illegal independence?
Here you are giving Serbs your advice on how they should overthrow their government so that the Albanians can take their territory away.
You must be delusional if you think that any Serb would do as you wish.
Please keep your advice for the Albanians because the Serbs know how they should behave and who they should follow.
(peggy, 15 February 2008 14:10)
sirius black. western world needs to change and mind their own bussines because all this can and will back fire especialy in the u.s. because latino (mostly mexican)population is growing rapidly and it is a prooven fact that in less than 30 years they will be majority not just in california and texas but in the whole u.s. and the western europe, heh, they have bin u.s. servants since ww2.
(lou, 15 February 2008 15:35)
i don't see where i stated that i'm anti-u.s. i was born in u.s. and i love u.s. i just don't agree with some u.s. foregin policys. i see you have no clue obout kosovo history if you did you would understand what i ment by growing mexican population.
(lou, 15 February 2008 23:17)
From my viewpoint, Ponos was making a tactical statement, not a threatening one. Ponos has shown himself to be both professional in his position and cooperative with KFOR. He's also a rather liberal individual. We're not talking about old VJ brass here.
Second, his statement of VS intervening in Kosovo as "militarily possible" probably attests to two points. The first is that VS still knows the lay of the land. They know how to operate, and they know the terrain better than any KFOR occupying force. The second point stems from the first. KFOR soldiers are basically well paid security guards, many of whom are probably not equipped to handle large scale warfare. Most of them came as peacekeepers, and most of them wouldn't really stand up in a large firefight.
Be that as it may, all of this is purely conjectural and hypothetical. That Ponos is not rattling his sabres and threatening a reinvasion of Kosovo means that cooperation with KFOR is still strong. And if it actually comes to a point where conditions are "militarily possible", I think full coordination with KFOR and NATO will be undertaken.
(Mike, 15 February 2008 17:52)