Unlike the Syrians, we were lucky. Someone stood up for us before it was too late. Those who wanted to kill or deport us were thwarted, and we were able to return to rebuild our homes.
I remember coming back to my home city of Prishtina to jubilant streets. It was July 4, and in the center of the city, the Albanian American unit of the Kosovo Liberation Army was celebrating U.S. Independence Day.
That scene marked for me the beginning of our honest — and often obsessive — love affair with the United States.
Like much of the Balkans, Kosovo is still struggling on many fronts. But we were right to celebrate back then. Democracy-building and development are never easy, especially in post-conflict settings. What’s important is that the region has since remained stable and continues to look forward.
Thus, by any measurable parameter, the U.S.-led intervention in Kosovo was a success.
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