DioGuardi: Without a President, Kosovo Is Finished — I Ran for Congress to Defend the Albanian Cause

The 37th anniversary of the founding of the Albanian American Civic League was marked with a seminar in Pristina on Tuesday. At the event, its founder, Joe DioGuardi, spoke about the challenges of advocating for the Albanian cause, particularly in the United States.

He said his decision to run for Congress was directly linked to the need for Albanians to have a voice in Washington.

DioGuardi said his Catholic upbringing and concern over the community’s inability to speak for itself prompted him to run for Congress. He added that today, he and Shirley are regarded as the father and mother of Kosovo.

“One of the reasons I ran for Congress was that, because of my Catholic upbringing, I was becoming increasingly concerned that this group of innocent people could not speak for themselves. So I had to speak for them in Washington. Today, together with Shirley, they call me the father and her the mother of Kosovo. If I had not run for Congress, perhaps there would be no Kosovo today. Do you understand that, or am I exaggerating?” he said, KosovaPress reports.

The friend of Kosovo warned that he may not return to the country if the political class fails to elect Kosovo’s president.

He urged politicians to show a willingness to compromise, stressing that the Serbs are mobilizing. DioGuardi also said he intends to convey this message to acting Prime Minister Albin Kurti during a meeting expected to take place today.

“I am here because, God forbid, if I return to the United States and we do not have a president for Kosovo… God forbid! You will never see me come back here if the political establishment—and I am talking about the political establishment now, not the people, not the justice system—I am talking about the people who are politically in charge here in Kosovo. If you do not see what is knocking at the door now, the Serbs are mobilizing… I never thought they would come back in this way, but they are coming back. I came here to make sure Kosovo does not come to an end. But if we do not have a president tomorrow, Kosovo is finished! The Serbs are dealing with this issue right now. And I call on all politicians to make the necessary compromises. And I hope we convey these words to the prime minister tomorrow, or today—I do not know when; I no longer even know my schedule,” DioGuardi said, KosovaPress reports.

The issue of the Specialist Chambers was also raised during the seminar. Steven Poëles, a lawyer specializing in criminal law and former defense counsel for Isak Musliu, a former KLA soldier accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity before the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, described it as scandalous that only one side in the conflict, Kosovo, is currently being prosecuted, while Serbia is not.

“And in just these last few moments, I will say a few words about the proceedings currently underway at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which are conducting trials in The Hague against KLA members over alleged conduct during the 1998–2000 period. It is, as far as I know, the only so-called international criminal tribunal—and it is international because it has international judges and international prosecutors—but it is the only international tribunal in the history of these tribunals, to my knowledge, that has prosecuted only one side in the conflict. That is scandalous when you think about it.”

Agim Aliçkaj, a member of the Albanian American Civic League and a prominent activist, highlighted one of the organization’s most important achievements.

According to him, the League helped organize the meeting between President Ibrahim Rugova and President Clinton in February 1994 through the efforts of Congressman Benjamin Gilman and Joe DioGuardi.

“One of the League’s most important achievements was helping to organize President Ibrahim Rugova’s meeting with President Clinton in February 1994 through the efforts of Congressman Benjamin Gilman and Joe DioGuardi. Although the meeting was brief, it was of extraordinary political importance. It sent a clear message to the world that Kosovo had become an issue of strategic importance to the United States,” Aliçkaj said.

The seminar, titled “A Promise Kept: AACL and Kosovo’s Path to Freedom and Independence,” was organized today by the Albanian American Foundation and the Kosovo-Israel Friendship Association. The event was held to mark the 37th anniversary of the Albanian American Civic League and the Albanian American Civic Foundation.