Lobicilik.com [ Issues of Concern to the Albanian Lobby ]

Issues of concern to the Albanian lobby and advocacy groups

Debate on the future of Kosova and Human Rights

Issues:

THE DEBATE:

WHAT RESPONSES HAVE BEEN TAKEN?

WHAT RESPONSES CAN BE TAKEN?

THE ALBANIAN AMERICAN CIVIC LEAGUE - MISSION STATEMENT (see www.AACL.com )

Welcome to the website of the Albanian American Civic League. The Civic League was founded by former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi and a board of Albanian Americans in 1989 as the only registered lobby in Washington, DC, representing the concerns and interests of the Albanian people.

The purpose of the Civic League is to further the human rights and the national cause of the divided nation of more than seven million Albanians living side by side in the Balkans in Albania, Kosova, western Macedonia, southeastern Montenegro, Presheve, Medvegje, Bujanovc (southern Serbia), and Chameria (northern Greece). By bringing the political perspectives of 400.000 Albanian Americans to the US Government, the civic League works to end the repression and oppression of Albanians living under hostile Slavic Communist regimes in the Balkans and to preserve the culture, identity and human rights of Albanians throughout the world.

Joseph DioGuardi's Congressional Records - The work of the Albanian American Civic League for Kosova and the Albanian national cause since 1989 is well documented on this web site (please see the AACL ten-year history). But what is not so well known are the many Congressional Resolutions, statements, letters, and hearings that were sponsored and promoted by Congressman Joe DioGuardi from 1985 to 1988 to publicize the terrible plight of the Albanian people of Kosova and to expose the terror imposed on them by Slobodan Milosevic. Here is the first installment of this important part of the foundation on which the independent State of Kosova is being built today.

Albanians a People Undone - This article, featured in the February 2000 issue of National Geographic, discusses the history and culture of the Albanian people in the Balkans and is accompanied by a beautiful photographic layout.

The Agony of Kosova - Joseph DioGuardi provides in this well-documented work a clear picture the systematic repression and atrocities that Kosovar Albanian have suffered under Serbia's domination, and he demonstrates the need for Kosova's indepenence as the only just and lasting solution to the Balkan conflict.
(In progress - sections will be added shortly)

The Expulsion of the Albanians - a memorandum presented in March 7th, 1937 (two years before the "final solution" was formulated in Nazi Germany) showing how the Serbian regime planned to brutally repress, expel, and exterminate the Albanians of Kosova.

Rescue in Albania - written by a prominent Jewish American, this book tells how every Jew who was fortunate enough to make it to Albanian lands during WWII was saved from the Holocaust through the heroic deeds of the Albanian people. Albanian translation available here

To visit the website of Albanian Students International click here.

HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE STATUS OF KOSOVA: On May 18, Congressmen Hyde and Lantos cochaired an historic hearing on Kosova's current and future status. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, Kosova Bishop Mark Sopi and his colleague Fr. Lush Gjergji, and the Hon. Ardian Gjini, Kosova's Minister of Environment, gave testimony. May 2005.

U.S. SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS SOUTHEAST EUROPE: On July 14, 2004, Senator George Voinovich presided at a hearing on “U.S. Foreign Policy towards Southeast Europe: Unfinished Business in the Balkans.”Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi submitted written testimony in support of the independence of Kosova now. August 2004. Full text available in English and Albanian.

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC’S TRIAL IN THE HAGUE: As Milosevic’s trial in The Hague enters its final phase, the Civic League has decided to release Shirley Cloyes' analysis of his opening testimony, in which he blames Joe DioGuardi and the Albanian American Civic League for his fate. August 2004. Click here for English and Albanian, which was submitted at the request of the War Crimes Tribunal in advance of oral testimony given by DioGuardi and Cloyes at the Hague in March 2003. Click here to listen to Milosevic's testimony in low bandwidth and high bandwidth.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT IN KOSOVA. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi analyzes the violence that erupted in Kosova on March 17. March 2004. Click here for English and Albanian.

EXERT MORE PRESSURE ON BELGRADE TO DEMOCRATIZE. A comment about Western foreign policy for Serbia published by Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi in The Financial Times of London. March 17, 2004. Full text available here.

THE CIVIC LEAGUE CALLS FOR ELECTORAL SYSTEM REFORM IN KOSOVA. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi explains why the international community should support Kosova civil society’s call for open lists and a district system. March 2004. Click here for English and Albanian.

THE STATE OF THE ALBANIAN NATION. Joe DioGuardi assesses the political and economic status of the Albanian nation in today’s world against the backdrop of centuries of Albanian resistance to foreign aggression and occupation. March 2004. Full text available in English and Albanian.

H.RES. 28 REISSUED BY CONGRESSMEN LANTOS AND HYDE.On the night of President Bush’s State of the Union Message, the AACL executive board met inside the U.S. Capitol Building. That day Congressmen Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde sent a revised “Dear Colleague” to all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives with their bill, calling on the United States to declare its support for the independence of Kosova, and with Morton Abramowitz’s op-ed article, “Snatching Defeat in the Balkans.” January 2004. Click here for H. Res. 28, the story, and the photographs.

THE AACL TAKES ITS CASE FOR KOSOVA TO THE UNITED NATIONSBy Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi. In a lengthy and open exchange at the UN with U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte, the Civic League made the case for unblocking privatization, gaining access to World Bank lending, and resolving Kosova’s final status. December 2003. Full text available here in English and Albanian.

THE ALBANIAN AMERICAN CIVIC LEAGUE--FIFTEEN YEARS LATER. On the occasion of Flag Day, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi reflects on the Civic League's accomplishments in 2003 in light of its past successes as the only officially registered and independent Albanian issue advocacy group in Washington, DC. November 2003.. Full text available here in English and Albanian.

REDISCOVERING MY ALBANIAN ROOTS. After the beatification of Mother Teresa in Rome, Joe DioGuardi took a Civic League delegation to Greci, his father's Arberesh birthplace and the home of the descendants of Skanderbeg's soldiers. Here he reflects on this legacy. November 2003.. Full text available here in English and Albanian.

U.S. MONTENEGRO: AN APARTHEID STATE IN THE HEART OF EUROPE. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi reports the results of the Albanian American Civic League's fact-finding mission to Ulqin, Ana e Malit, Kraja, and Tuzi with Congressman Tom Lantos. August 2003.. Full text available here in English and Albanian.

REFLECTING ON THE HISTORY OF ALBANIAN REPRESSION AND RESISTANCE: A JOURNEY THROUGH MONTENEGRO, MACEDONIA, AND KOSOVA by Hon. Joseph DioGuardi. August 2003.Full text available here in English and Albanian.

KOSOVA: OFFICIAL VERSUS PUBLIC REALITY. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi analyzes the results of a series of public meetings held by the Civic League in Gjilan, Podujeve, Peja, Gjakova, Suhareka, Prizren, Prishtina, and Drenice. July 2003. Full text available here.

U.S. HOUSE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE HEARING ON THE FUTURE OF KOSOVA: On May 21, Congressmen Henry Hyde and Tom Lantos convened an historic hearing on the independence of Kosova, at the urging of the Civic League. June 2003. Text of hearing report available here in English and Albanian. Joe DioGuardi's testimony available here in English and Albanian. Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi's testimony available here in English and Albanian. Click here for photos.

House Resolution 28: The Congressional Resolution in support of the independence of Kosova now, which was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 27, 2003, by Congressman Tom Lantos, the Ranking Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, and Congressman Henry Hyde, the Committee's Chairman. June 2003. Full text available here. For the history of H.Res. 28, click here.

THE ALBANIAN AMERICAN CIVIC LEAGUE: ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC. A chronology of the Civic League's activities in relation to Kosova from 1986 to the indictment of Milosevic in 1999 by Joe DioGuardi and Shirley Cloyes. March 2002. Full text available here.

GOVERNOR GEORGE PATAKI PROCLAIMS NOVEMBER 28, 2001, AS ALBANIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY IN NEW YORK STATE. November 2001. Full text available here.

TEN YEARS OF THE ALBANIAN AMERICAN CIVIC LEAGUE: An Historic Chronology of Major Activities to Free Albanians in the Balkans from Slavic Domination and Communism, February 2000. Full text available here.

RESOLVING THE ALBANIAN NATIONAL QUESTION: A Public Declaration by the Albanian American Civic League, September 1999. Full text available here.

THE ALBANIAN AMERICAN CIVIC LEAGUE
www.AACL.com

CHANGING HISTORY FOR FIFTEEN YEARS…

The First Albanian American Is Elected to the U.S. Congress

November Joe DioGuardi, a Certified Public Accountant and a Republican, is elected

1984 to the U.S. House of Representatives by a very slim margin in a

Congressional District that had been controlled by the Democratic Party

for more than fifty years. He was born in the Bronx, New York, of an

Albanian father and an Italian mother, and he had no prior political

experience.

The DioGuardis Discover Their Real Albanian Roots

September At Joe DioGuardi’s 45^th birthday celebration, his Albanian roots are

1985 discovered when Kosovar Albanians who had supported his election to

Congress, overheard his father, Joe, Sr., then aged seventy-two, speaking

in Albanian to his younger sister. Thereafter, the Albanian community

lobbied Joe about Kosova, reminding him of his connection by bloodline

to the Kosovar Albanians.

The First Resolution for Albanian Rights Is Introduced in the U.S. Congress

June After much lobbying by Albanian Americans from around the United

1986 States, who adopted Joe DioGuardi as their Albanian American

Congressman, and after much research by Joe’s staff, the first resolution

(H.Con.Res. 358) to protect Albanian human rights in the former

Yugoslavia is introduced by Joe in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The next day, Joe’s friend, Senator Bob Dole, introduces the same

resolution in the U.S. Senate (S.Con.Res. 150).

Caught by surprise, Serbian officials enlist their Russian and Greek

sponsors to use their lobbies in Washington to attack DioGuardi as a

provocateur and to get their friends in the State Department to kill the

resolution.

The battle lines for Albanian human rights and freedom are drawn openly

in Washington for the first time, and DioGuardi, surprised and stung by

the vehement opposition to his seemingly innocuous Resolution for basic

human rights, meets the challenge by personally lobbying over one

hundred Congressman in the following twelve months to gain their

support.

DioGuardi Is Reelected to Congress

November With elections every two years in the House of Representatives,

1986 DioGuardi, known by some as the accidental congressman, works hard to

win a second term against the well-known political figure, Bella Abzug,

who brought national attention to the race.

DioGuardi and Dole Introduce an Expanded Version of a

Resolution for Albanians in Kosova

June DioGuardi, after resuming his intense, personal lobbying efforts in the

1987 House, reintroduces an expanded version of the 1986 Resolution for justice

for Albanians in Kosova (H.Con.Res. 162)—this time with fifty-seven

Congressmen. Senator Dole accommodates Joe by reintroducing the same

Resolution in the Senate (S.Con.Res. 150).

Milosevic Comes to Power

July Slobodan Milosevic, a Serbian banker, deceives his personal and political

1987 mentor in Yugoslavia and seizes control of the Communist Party and the

Presidency of Yugoslavia. An ardent nationalist, who unlike his

predecessor, Marshal Tito, openly disdains the Albanian people of

Yugoslavia , he calls for their suppression and total control as “enemies of

the state.” He also tries to promote his agenda in Washington and against

DioGuardi by enlisting the support of his former American colleagues,

Henry Kissinger (former Secretary of State), Larry Eagleburger (former

Ambassador to Yugoslavia), Messrs. Brent Scowcroft and Scanlon (former

State Department officials in Yugoslavia), Maryland Congresswoman

Helen Bentley, a Serbian American and ardent Serbian nationalist

supported by the Greek lobby, including Senator Paul Sarbanes, also from

Bentley’s home State, and Congressman Jim Moody, who openly dealt with

and supported Serbs in Congress.

The U.S. State Department Exposes Its Pro-Yugoslavia, Anti-Albanian Policy

October The State Department, under much pressure from the Greek lobby and the

1987 former colleagues and friends of Milosevic, who worked hard behind the

scenes to promote Serbian dominance in Yugoslavia and to disparage

DioGuardi and the Albanian case for human rights, sends a letter to

Congressman Dante Fascell, then chairman of the House International

Relations Committee. The letter denounces the DioGuardi Resolution as an

affront to U.S. friend and ally Yugoslavia, and blames the Albanians of

Kosova for crimes against the Serbian people there.

First Congressional Hearing on Kosova Authorized

November Using his friendship and powers of persuasion with the Democratic

1987 Chairman Dante Fascell (D-FL), and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on

Human Rights, Gus Yatron (D-PA), DioGuardi prevails against the State

Department in getting a Congressional Hearing on his Resolution, which for

the first time openly exposes the barbaric and egregious abuse of human

rights by Serbs against the defenseless Albanians of Kosova.

First Major Albanian Rally in Front of the United Nations

June DioGuardi leads a massive demonstration by Albanians from around

1988 America in New York City in front of the United Nations and in Washington

in front of the White House and the Capitol, to make the U.S. press and

public more aware of the desperate plight of Albanians in Yugoslavia,

especially in Kosova.

DioGuardi and Congressman Lantos Confront the U.S. State Department

September DioGuardi works with his friend and colleague Congressman Tom Lantos,

1988 a prominent Jewish American Congressman from California and Chairman

of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, to arrange a high level meeting

with State Department officials and the Ambassador from Yugoslavia to

confront our flawed and failing U.S. foreign policy in the Balkans. The

meeting, spearheaded by Lantos, an ardent supporter of Albanian human

rights, is a great success and Milosevic recalls his ambassador to the United

States in a show of contempt.

DioGuardi Narrowly Loses His Third Election

November In a bitterly fought election campaign against former NY Secretary of State

1988 and multimillionaire liberal Democrat Nita Lowey, DioGuardi loses his seat

in Congress the way he won it—by a very slim margin. The loss is a great

surprise to all, but was due to many factors, including Vice President Bush’s

poor Presidential election results in New York (Governor Mike Dukakis won

New York State in 1988), the work of the Greek lobby on behalf of Lowey,

and illegally unreported money used at the last minute to smear DioGuardi,

for which Lowey was fined $3,500 by the FEC two years later.

The Albanian American Civic League Is Formed

January Undaunted by his loss, DioGuardi announces that he will run again for

1989 Congress after redistricting in 1991, and proceeds to form the Albanian

American Civic League to continue to lobby the U.S. Congress and the Bush

administration on behalf of the Albanians in Yugoslavia, especially in

Kosova.

Feb.-Oct. With more time to devote to Albanian issues, DioGuardi and three of his

1989 former key staff, now paid by the AACL, intensify Congressional pressure

against the pro-Serb State Department policy and by engaging in mass

demonstrations, sending out press releases, and causing Congressional

statements to be issued by our friends in Congress.

The First Major Rally in Washington Is Held

June The first Washington rally is held to free Kosova from Serbian occupation

1989 and to free Albanian dissident Adem Demaci from prison.

Congress Passes First Albanian Rights Resolution

July The June rally sparks the passage of Civic League-sponsored House

1989 (H.Con.Res. 314) and Senate (S.Con.Res 124) resolutions condemning Serbia

for human rights abuses in Kosova. This leads to the immediate removal of

the Serbian ambassador to the United States by Slobodan Milosevic.

DioGuardi Takes First Trip to Belgrade and Prishtina to Confront Milosevic

November DioGuardi goes to Belgrade’s International Press Center and

1989 Milosevic’s office with a letter signed by Senator Bob Dole and

twelve other U.S. Senators to free Kosova. He then makes his first

trip to Kosova to witness firsthand the brutal Serbian occupation and is

evicted from the Grand Hotel in Prishtina for conducting a press conference

there.

DioGuardi and Rugova Support Democracy in Slovenia

January DioGuardi joins Rugova in Ljubljana to meet with the Albanian community to

1990 promote freedom for Kosova and to support the first democratic elections in

Slovenia.

DioGuardi Brings the Congressional Human Rights Caucus to

Belgrade and Prishtina

February DioGuardi goes to Belgrade with the staff of the Congressional

1990 Human Rights Caucus, chaired by Congressmen Lantos and Porter,

to conduct a press conference in Belgrade about Serbian oppression

of Kosova’s Albanians. He then makes an unannounced visit to Kosova to

meet leading intellectuals, journalists, and activists, including Dr. Zekeria

Cana, Zenun Celaj, Bajram Kelmendi, Ibrahim Rugova, Rexhep Qosja, and

Vetton Surroi.

The Serbian Secret Police (UDBA) Under Milosevic’s Control Kill Enver Hadri

Kosovar activist Enver Hadri is assassinated in Brussels, and

DioGuardi is invited to give a eulogy at his funeral before

thousands of mourners. Afterwards, he travels to Geneva at the

request of Hadri’s widow and son to deliver to the United Nations

Human Rights Commission the list of 34 peaceful Albanian

demonstrators killed by Serbian authorities that was found on Hadri’s body

at the time of his death.

Kosova Comes to Washington for the First Time

April The Civic League sponsors a delegation of ten Albanian leaders from

1990 Kosova to testify against Milosevic’s occupation of Kosova at an historic

Congressional Human Rights Caucus Hearing for Kosova in Washington

and to be honored at an historic dinner at the Sheraton Hotel in New York

City, attended by 2,700 Albanian Americans, to “Salute Freedom and

and Democracy for Kosova.”

DioGuardi Brings Lantos to Kosova to Expose Milosevic’s

Modern Day “Warsaw Ghetto”

May Congressman Tom Lantos and Joe DioGuardi lead a delegation to

1990 Kosova to challenge the brutal Serbian occupation of Kosova. They blast

Milosevic as a modern day tyrant bent on policies that will destroy any

democracy in Yugoslavia.

July DioGuardi is officially banned from returning to Yugoslavia by the

1990 Milosevic controlled parliament in Belgrade for his press

conferences in Belgrade and Kosova as “hostile acts against the

State.”

DioGuardi Leads a Delegation to Australia

DioGuardi leads a delegation to Melbourne and Canberra, Australia to enlist

the help of the large Albanian community there and then Foreign Minister

Gareth Evans in freeing Kosova from Serbian occupation.

DioGuardi and Lantos Form the Interparliamentary Group

for Kosova in Luxembourg

January DioGuardi brings Iljaz Ramali, speaker of the exiled Kosova Assembly, to

1991 Luxembourg to meet with Congressman Tom Lantos and Lord Nicholas

Bethel of the British and European Parliaments to sign a joint declaration

proclaiming an “Interparliamentary Group for Kosova’s Protection,” as a

strategy to further expose Milosevic’s occupation of Kosova.

DioGuardi Calls Milosevic the “New Hitler” in the U.S. Senate

February DioGuardi testifies before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee,

1991 cochaired by Senators Joe Biden and Claiborne Pell, and makes the first

public case for the independence of Kosova under international law. In the

process, he compares Milosevic to Hitler, Stalin, and Saddam Hussein and

issues a press release calling Milosevic the “Saddam of Serbia.”

DioGuardi Goes to Albania with the National Republican Institute

March The Civic League goes to Albania with the National Republican Institute to

1991 monitor the first election in Albania and is the first organization to declare the

Communist Party victory illegal and the elections a sham.

DioGuardi Declines Invitation from Croatia’s President Tudjman

May DioGuardi declines an invitation to visit Croatian President Franjo Tudjman,

1991 after he publicly states that he considers Kosova to be an internal problem of

Serbia.

The Albanian Lobby Takes Its Case to the Helsinki Commission

June DioGuardi goes to Copenhagen, Denmark, to meet the Albanian community

1991 and attend a Helsinki Commission Conference. He addresses a massive

Albanian rally just outside the conference hall and conducts a press conference

about human rights abuses in Kosova, showing for the first time enlarged

photographs of Albanians brutally tortured and killed by the Serbian police

at the direction of Slobodan Milosevic.

Senator Dole Greets 10,000 Albanian Demonstrators in Washington

and Goes to Kosova

July The Civic League sponsors a massive rally in Washington in front of the White

1991 House and the U.S. Capitol. More than 10,000 Albanian Americans march

from the White House to Capitol Hill and demonstrate for freedom for Kosova.

Senators Bob Dole, Claiborne Pell, Larry Pressler, and Al D’Amato and

Congressmen Gilman, Lantos, Porter, and Broomfield address the crowd.

August At the request of the Civic League, Bob Dole and six other U.S. Senators visit

1991 Prishtina to see firsthand the brutality of Milosevic.

The Civic League Stops U.S. Aid to Serbia

October The Civic League lobbies for and passes economic sanctions banning aid to

1991 Serbia under the Nickles-D’Amato Amendment to the Foreign Aid Bill.

The Civic League Gets Lantos to Introduce a Resolution for the

Independence of Kosova

January The Civic League introduces a well-documented Congressional Resolution

1992 (H.Con.Res. 264) cosponsored by Congressmen Lantos and Gilman calling for

the recognition of the independence of Kosova.

Demaci Comes to Washington

March The Civic League brings Adem Demaci, after 28 years in Serbian jails, to

1992 Washington to discuss the crisis in Kosova with Secretary of State Larry

Eagleburger and to New York to meet with Mayor David Dinkins at Gracie

Mansion, where he is honored as the Nelson Mandela of the Albanian

people.”

The Civic League Monitors Elections in Albania and Macedonia

DioGuardi leads a Civic League delegation to Albania to monitor the second

elections, bringing more than 50 Albanians from Macedonia in cars stocked with

gas and food to help the democratic forces overcome the advantages of the

Communists in the rural areas.

DioGuardi brings Paul Weyrich, president of the Free Congress Foundation, and

John Fund of The Wall Street Journal to Macedonia to monitor the referendum

on political and cultural autonomy for the one million Albanians in Macedonia.

The Civic League Brings Arbnori to the Prayer Breakfast

February The Civic League brings Pjeter Arbnori, speaker of the Albanian

1993 Parliament to meet with Congressmen Gilman and Lantos and to attend

the annual Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC, as a special guest

representing Albania.

DioGuardi Attends Historic Investiture of Albanian Archbishops in Shkodra

April Sali Berisha officially invites DioGuardi and a Civic League

1993 delegation to join him, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa, and

Cardinal John O’Conner in Shkodra at the historic investiture of

four Albanian archbishops in the newly renovated cathedral.

DioGuardi Leads Congressional Delegation to Albania and Macedonia

September DioGuardi leads a Congressional delegation to Albania and

1993 Macedonia to make the case (in Congress) for U.S. sponsorship

of NATO membership for Albania and to press the Macedonian

government to conduct an internationally-sponsored census as the

first step to securing human rights and equality for the country’s one

million Albanians.

Shirley Cloyes Joins the Albanian Lobby

October Joe DioGuardi meets Shirley Cloyes, then publisher of Lawrence Hill Books,

1993 who is working on a book entitled Yugoslavia’s Ethnic Nightmare, the first to

bring the perspective of the anti-Milosevic, anti-war opposition inside the

former Yugoslavia to U.S. readers.

The Civic League Attends the First International Conference for

Investment in Albania

November DioGuardi leads a Civic League delegation to the First

1993 International Conference for Investment in Albania. His speech

emphasizes that the real potential of Albania is not only in its

vast mineral resources, but in its diaspora of millions of successful

Albanians around the world.

The Civic League Introduces Clinton to Rugova

February Joe DioGuardi and Civic League Balkan Affairs Adviser Shirley Cloyes bring

1994 Kosova President Ibrahim Rugova and Prime Minister-in-exile Bujar Bukoshi

to Washington, DC, to meet President Bill Clinton at a private reception

before the annual Prayer Breakfast, to hold a press conference on Capitol Hill

about Kosova’s occupation by Milosevic, and to participate in a special tour

and special tour and reception at the newly opened U.S. Holocaust Memorial

Museum.

DioGuardi Goes to Turkey to Win Support for Kosova

March DioGuardi addresses a Balkan peace conference in Istanbul, sponsored by the

1994 Balkan Solidarity Foundation, and publicly condemns Milosevic, Tudjman,

Gligorov, the Greek government, Lords Owen and Carrington, and the U.S.

State Department for their roles in suppressing the Albanian people of

The Civic League Helps Create the U.S.-Albanian

Underwater Archaeological Project

The Civic League brings a delegation of archaeologists to Tirana to organize a

U.S.-Albanian cooperative underwater exploration off the Albanian coast for

the purpose of establishing the true identity of the Albanian people as direct

descendants of the Illyrians—the only indigenous people of the Balkans.

The Civic League Conducts First Rally Calling for U.S. Troops

April The first rally calling for U.S. troops in Kosova is led by DioGuardi in front

1994 of the United Nations in New York City.

Congressman Gilman Introduces a Resolution Asking Clinton to

Protect the Rights of the Kosovars

May Congressman Gilman introduces a resolution (H.Con.Res. 251) calling on

1994 President Clinton to report to the Congress within 60 days about the

conditions in Kosova and to make recommendations for protecting the rights

of Kosovars, including the possibility of establishing an international

protectorate for Kosova together with other members of the UN Security

Council and the European Union.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Create the First Hearing on the Albanian National Cause

February DioGuardi and Cloyes create the first Congressional hearing on the

1995 Albanian dimension of the Balkan conflict, including Arben Xhaferi, Fadil

Sulejmani, Iliaz Halmi, and Ismet Ramadani from Macedonia, Bujar

Bukoshi from Kosova, Gjerg Gjokaj from Montenegro, and Riza Halimi

from Presheve.

The Jewish Lobby Becomes a Partner with the Civic League for Kosova

February The Civic League makes the addition of Albania to the “Righteous among

1995 Nations” section of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum a reality. Three

Jewish congressmen, Gilman, Lantos, and Nadler, cochair and speak at a

League-sponsored ceremony and reception commemorating the installation.

The connection is made for the first time between the ethnic cleansing in

Kosova and the genocide of the Jewish people in the minds of Jewish

American leaders.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Help Open the University of Tetova

February DioGuardi, Cloyes, and Yugoslav dissident Mihaljo Mihaljov

1995 travel to Macedonia at the invitation of Albanian leaders there to

monitor the opening of the University of Tetova on February 15.

On the morning of their departure, the Macedonian government

attacks the university, killing a student, wounding hundreds, and

jailing professors.

Gilman Introduces a Resolution Making the Lifting of Sanctions Against Serbia Conditional on Improvements in Kosova

March Congressman Gilman introduces a resolution (H.Con.Res. 1360),

1995 conditioning the lifting of sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro on

improvements in Kosova. The resolution details the horrors of the

occupation and states that “the rights of the people of Kosova to govern

themselves and to establish a separate identity for Kosova must not be

denied.”

The Civic League Calls a UN Rally to Protest Crackdown on the University of Tetova by the Macedonian Military

Two thousand Albanian Americans flock to the UN for a Civic League-

sponsored rally to protest the crackdown on the University of Tetova on

February 21. Congressman Gilman addresses the crowd.

DioGuardi and Cloyes attend Masses at the Vatican and in Albania

for “Our Lady of Shkodra”

May DioGuardi and Cloyes travel to Rome, Genazzano, and Shkodra to

1995 commemorate the miracle of “Our Lady of Shkodra” with a large

delegation of Albanians from the United States and Europe.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Attend Opening in Vlore of the

U.S-Albanian Marine Archaeological Project

July DioGuardi and Cloyes participate in a ceremony in Vlore to mark the

1995 signing of the U.S.-Albanian cooperation agreement for underwater

archaeological exploration of the Albanian Coast—a project that they

facilitated between the Institute of Archaeology in Tirana and the

University of Miami.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Join Congressman Gilman on an Official Visit to Albania

August DioGuardi and Cloyes join Congressman Ben Gilman for an official visit

1995 in Tirana with Albanian President Sali Berisha and his cabinet to discuss

national security issues for the United States and Albania in the Balkans.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Make the Case in Turkey Against Milosevic and for the Independence of Kosova

September DioGuardi and Cloyes travel to Istanbul, Turkey, to speak about the Balkan

1995 conflict and to make the case for the independence of Kosova at the

National Press Center and at a seminar with key members of the faculty for

international affairs at the University of Marmara.

Congress Demands Official Recognition of the University of Tetova

and the Release of Jailed Founders

January Ben Gilman introduces a resolution calling for the Macedonian

1996 government to guarantee the national rights of the Albanian population,

to officially recognize the University of Tetova, and to free the university’s

imprisoned founders (H. Con. Res. 103).

June Congressmen Lantos, Nadler, Gilman, and Traficant speak out on the House

1996 floor and on C-SPAN in support of H. Con. Res 103.

July A delegation from Macedonia led by Arben Xhaferi comes to Washington to

1996 discuss increasing threats to the University of Tetova and to meet with the

Albanian community in New York. The Civic League sponsors a UN rally in

support of the University of Tetova and its jailed founders.

Cloyes Testifies Before Congress on Behalf of Albania

Cloyes testifies at a Congressional hearing on human rights and democracy in

Albania and exposes the role of Nicholas Gage of the Panepirotic Federation

and the Albanian Communists in attempting to overthrow the Berisha

government.

Gilman Reintroduces Resolution Calling for Albanian Equality in Macedonia

January The Civic League gets Congressman Gilman to immediately reintroduce the

1997 Resolution for the University of Tetova and Albanian rights in Macedonia

(H.Con. Res. 36).

A Civic League Delegation Monitors Second Round of

Presidential Elections in Albania

June DioGuardi and Cloyes lead a Civic League delegation to Albania to monitor the

1997 second round of presidential elections and to attend rallies and press

conferences with the democratic leaders. Under questionable circumstances, the

Berisha government loses the election and the Socialist Party under Fatos Nano

comes to power.

The Civic League Responds to the Macedonian Military Attack

on Gostivar and Tetova

July The Civic League brings Arben Xhaferi, Fadil Sulejmani, and Milaim Fejziu to

1997 meet with Congressmen Gilman and Traficant and the State Department,

following the Macedonian government’s military attack on the cities of Gostivar

and Tetova, which left three dead, a hundred wounded, and four hundred jailed.

The Civic League holds a rally outside the UN to demand the release of

Gostivar Mayor Rufi Osmani and Tetova Mayor Alajdin Demiri from prison.

Afterwards, the delegation meets with the representative of the UN High

Commissioner for Refugees in New York about the Macedonian attack on

Albanian municipalities and the Serbian occupation of Kosova. In response to

an almost universal press blackout in the West, the Civic League produces a

videotape entitled “Crisis in Macedonia.”

The Civic League Begins Distribution of Rescue in Albania to the House and Senate

October At the Civic League’s request, Congressmen Lantos and Gilman write a

1997 foreword to Rescue in Albania by Harvey Sarner. The League begins

distribution of 10,000 copies to demonstrate the courage and tolerance of the

Albanian people who saved Jews from the Nazis in World War II.

Congressmen Gilman and Traficant send the book with a personal letter to each

Jewish member of Congress and with a “Dear Colleague” letter to the other

members.

The Civic League Declares its Support for the Kosova Liberation Army

February The Civic League issues a public declaration, “In Defense of the Albanian

1998 National Cause,” in which it announces its support for the Kosova Liberation

Army and condemns the neo-Communist government of Fatos Nano for its

corrupt politics and abandonment of the Albanian national cause.

The Civic League Tells Congress that the KLA Is Not a “Terrorist Group

March The Civic League shifts the focus of a Congressional hearing with Balkan

1998 envoy Robert Gelbard from Bosnia to Kosova. Under questioning instigated

by the Civic League, Gelbard is forced to retract his earlier, erroneous

depiction of the KLA as a “terrorist” organization. The retraction creates a

storm in the Western media, and overnight the attempt to “criminalize”

the KLA is halted. In an historic confrontation, Cloyes tells Gelbard that

“the KLA is not a terrorist group, and that the 500,000 Albanians in America

are all KLA.” After the hearing, the Civic League holds the first rally on

Capitol Hill in support of the Kosova Liberation Army.

DioGuardi and Cloyes Call Congress to Support U.S. Intervention in Kosova

and to Indict Milosevic

March DioGuardi testifies before the Congressional Helsinki Committee, calling for

1998 U.S. intervention in Kosova before Milosevic kills more Albanians.

May DioGuardi testifies at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on

1998 Kosova, criticizing U.S. foreign policy there and clashing with Biden over the

need for U.S. military intervention.

June DioGuardi again testifies before the Congressional Helsinki Committee, this

1998 time about the Serbian invasion of Kosova and the need to indict Slobodan

Milosevic as a war criminal.

July Al D’Amato in the Senate and Chris Smith in the House pass Civic League-

1998 sponsored Resolutions (S.Con.Res. 105 and H.Con.Res. 304) calling for the

indictment of Slobodan Milosevic as a war criminal.

Congressman Jim Traficant, with international legal expertise retained by the

Civic League, introduces H. Con. Res. 312, calling the Clinton administration

to recognize the legal right of Kosovar Albanians to self-determination and

independence from Serbia.

August Cloyes begins work with the Transnational Radical Party on the documentation