Michael, Your post puzzles me. You must be aware that Albania was an enthusiastic ally of the Nazis in WWII, and in fact formed a separate Albanian Army to assist with Operation Barbaroza. As noted by comenters above, you refer only to Catholic relations. The Croats (also generally pro-Nazi) have a Catholic base, but the Serbs are basically Orthodox Christian. And the Albanians, under their Nazi German mentors, committed many, many atrocities against the Serbs during WWII. The Serbs were a large majority in Kosovo prior to WWII, but were ethnically cleansed during that war by Albania with Nazi assistance. Please look into the Albanian/Orthodox relationship at present.

Mr Anonymous do you know how many Mosques have been completely burned down by Serbs. What you see in the video is individuals. Since you know a lot about Kosovo I am sure you know that there are a lot of Orthodox and Christian Albanians, and for Albanians religion has never been an issue.

@ Anonymous First of all, excuse my bad English; I’m not a native speaker. It’s an interesting article but definitely a snap-shot. My native country is Bosnia and therefore I have no reason to protect the Kosovo-Albanian interests, but I’m familiar with the actual facts. Fact is - Balkan is the powder-keg of Europe. I’m afraid that all the peace agreements and state formations are not enduring. The animosity between Serbs and Albanians reach far back to the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 and the victory for the Ottomans – the Serbs never got over the loss. But let’s cut it short. The repression of the Kosovo-Albanians has a long history, it started already in 1981. The student riot, they were fighting for equality with the other constituent states in former Yugoslavia, introduced segregation in almost all spheres of life and the impact on people was pervasive. Kosovo became the poorhouse of the region. In my opinion, it’s quite comprehensible that they wanted to separate from Serbia and given the fact that the community of states of Yugoslavia has fallen apart, it’s above all eligible. After more than 25 years of repression and suffering there is no or only little willingness to live together. Though I must say that the Serbs were not banished – ethnic cleansing happened in Bosnia but not in Kosovo. So why did the Serbs leave? I would say it was initiated from Belgrade, stoking fears among the population. Unfortunately, propaganda has become a vital and common tool, worldwide.

It is true that Serbian Orthodox churches have been vandalized by Albanians in Kosovo. (Catholic churches have not been.) There is no excuse for this whatsoever, obviously, but realize this is a result of ethnic conflict, not religious conflict. Catholics were ethnically-cleansed in Kosovo -- by Serbs, not by Albanian Muslims.

Michael Totten has already said that in the Balkans there are no innocents.

Patrick, there is video evidence of the Albanians using the burnt out ruins of Serbian Orthodox Monasteries as urinals. There is also video evidence of the desecration of Serbian churches. Look it up on Youtube! To state that there is even a possibility of Serbs of any persuasion doing this for publicity sakes is adding insult to injury so please do not insult their intelligence! Over one hundred and eighty churches and monasteries have been destroyed, dynamited and burnt to the ground since 1999 by the Albanians. Ask yourself, or whoever you want why is there a 90% Albanian majority in Kosovo today? The answer is simple they have ethnically cleansed the rest of Serbs and other minorities. It is totally naive on your part to say that the Balkans are usually at war. Read your history before you make such fatuous comments.

There is a question on the authenticity of the reporters on the Orthodox web sites. It is possible the reporters are Serb Nationalists covering their own depredations. It is also possible that bad things happen in a war, and that the Balkans are usually at war.

Michael, On many Orthodox websites, one reads continually of the oppression, annexation, and abuse of Orthodox Christians in Kosovo and Albanian. You mention Catholics but not Orthodox, which is interesting because Albania was part of the Orthodox world in the past. As the Orthodox-Catholic divide has involved worse abuses than the Catholic-Protestant, I'm curious. The claims include the confiscation of monasteries, rape of nuns, and forcible relocation of people. Comments?

Could you please address the issue of the alleged torching of Orthodox churches and of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Serbs and other minorities.