Contribution of the US Congressman Joseph John Dioguardi to Human Rights Abuses in Kosovo During the 1990's

Artan Reshani and Halim Bajraktari

Abstract

US foreign policy commitment to the Kosovo issue begins with US Congressman Joseph DioGuardi from 1985, who succeeds in convincing his congressional colleagues that Slobodan Milosevic's regime is exerting violence on Kosovo Albanian population. This paper highlights the extraordinary contribution of Congressman DioGuardi and the US foreign policy on the Kosovo issue. Serbian nationalism, led by Milosevic, had begun violence against Albanians in Kosovo in all political, economical and cultural areas since the 1980’s. Basic human rights abuses in Kosovo were treated seriously in Congress and the US Senate by Joseph DioGuard, who also adopted resolutions against human rights abuses. Considering the use of violence against Albanians in Yugoslavia, DioGuardi founded the Albanian-American League in 1989 in the United States, challenging the US Department and internationalizing the Kosovo issue. The aggravating situation of the Albanian people in Kosovo was confirmed by DioGuardi and Senators D'Amato and Bob Dole, who brought facts that violence is being used against Albanians in Kosovo, with which Joseph DioGuardi demands US policy to recognize the right of the Albanian people for independence in Yugoslavia.

Presentation