Thursday, September 29, 2011

Draži se ni smrt ne priznaje / "Novosti" September 28, 2011

Vecernje Novosti
V. C. S.
28. septembar 2011

Najviše postupaka rehabilitacije bez epiloga zbog nedostatka dokumentacije. Dokazi o umrlim licima izvode se na zahtev naslednika
  


NIKOME ne bi trebalo da bude sporna činjenica da je general Dragoljub Mihailović streljan 17. jula, na Adi ciganliji, što je i utvrdila državna komisija. To, ipak, ”zbunjuje” Veće Višeg suda u Beogradu, koje je rešilo da odloži ročište o rehabilitaciji bivšeg komandanta Jugoslovenske vojske u otadžbini dok sud ne dobije nesporne dokaze da je Mihailović ubijen. Podaci o smrti traženi su od matičara opštine Ivanjica, Arhiva Srbije i BIA.

Ovo će, međutim, biti problem, jer pisani tragovi o streljanju i mestu egzekucije nisu pronađeni. Praktično, jedini trag o njegovoj smrti je izveštaj u listu ”Borba” od 18. jula 1946, u kom stoji da je Mihailović streljan dan ranije.

- Verujem da je zahtev suda čista formalnost, ne samo u slučaju Mihailovića, već i u slučaju svih koji su završili posle rata u masovnim grobnicama, često bez suđenja i dokaza da su umrli - kaže za ”Novosti” državni sekretar u Ministarstvu pravde Slobodan Homen.

On dodaje da je veoma važno shvatiti da postupak rehabilitacije Mihailoviću nije suđenje ni Draži, ni četničkom pokretu, već sud treba da se izjasni da li je general imao fer suđenje, u skladu sa demokratskim standardima i ljudskim pravima.

- Fer suđenja nije bilo, što potvrđuju i dokumenti Forin ofisa pristigli iz Britanije, i svedočenja američkih pilota. Bilo je pritisaka na svedoke, nije bilo vremena za žalbu... Sve su ovo razlozi da se poništi presuda - objašnjava Homen, i dodaje da novi Zakon o rehabilitaciji, koji je samo privremeno povučen iz skupštinske procedure, treba da reši i pitanje onih koji su streljani bez suđenja. Oni će automatski biti rehabilitovani.

Paralelno sa procesom rehabilitacije Mihailovića, teče i proces rehabilitacije kneza Pavla Karađorđevića, koji se vodi od 2008. Kako kaže beogradski advokat Dušanka Subotić, koja vodi ovaj proces, postupak se odužio zbog dokumentacije:

- Poteškoće nastaju jer sud mora da pribavi različite dokaze iz arhiva. Do te dokumentacije nije jednostavno doći. U ranijim slučajevima upućivali smo stranke da same pribavljaju dokaze, pa su postupci tekli brže, ali bilo je i onih slučajeva gde nismo mogli da nađemo krivičnu presudu ili dokaz o smrti lica, pošto su arhive uništene.

Tada obično zainteresovana strana, odnosno pravni naslednici, u vanparničnom postupku dokazuju da je neko lice preminulo, a sud izvodi dokaze i saslušava svedoke. Ovakvi postupci duže traju, ali na kraju, ipak, budu i formalno završeni.

REŠENO 1.480, A 800 POSTUPAKA U TOKU

DO sada je u Srbiji doneto 1.480 rešenja o rehabilitaciji, a pred višim sudovima vodi se nešto manje od 800 postupaka. U toku su postupci za vraćanje časti i ugleda nekadašnjem maršalu dvora Bošku Čolaku Antiću, kao i Milanu Stojadinoviću i Milanu Nediću.

http://www.novosti.rs/vesti/naslovna/aktuelno.69.html%3a347007-Drazi-se-ni-smrt-ne-priznaje

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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Čuvar straže đenerala Draže - Uroš Šušterič

FOKUS
D. ĐURIĆ
September 11, 2011


Uroš Šušterič (87) iz Ljubljane, posljednji je živi slovenački četnik. U Jugoslovenskoj vojsci u otadžbini (JVuO), pod komandom generala Draže Mihailovića, dogurao je do čina kapetana, a Milo Rakočević, major vazduhoplovstva JVuO, posljednji živi četnički vojvoda, dodijelio mu je 2007. godine u Parizu titulu vojvode. Četnik - đak Šušterič je postao davne 1939. godine u Celju, kada ga je u sokolsko-četničku đačku formaciju, jačine jednog voda, primio kapetan tadašnje jugoslovenske vojske Vrebac. U to vrijeme je general štabni pukovnik Draža Mihailović, bio komandant 39. pješadijskog puka u Celju, a kasnije je Mihailović bio načelnik u Dravskoj diviziji u Ljubljani. Kada sve stavi na papir Šušterič, kako kaže, ima 72 godine neprekidnog četničkog staža. Na četničkom saborovanju na Ravnoj Gori preživjeli saborci i poštovaoci Ravnogorskog pokreta, vojvodu triglavskog obavezno dočekuju pjesmom: "Od Prizrena pa do Maribora, sve su straže đenerala Draže".

FOKUS: Otkud Slovenac u četnicima?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Gestapo je protjerao moju porodicu iz Slovenije u Srbiju 1941. godine. U prvu klasu Ravnogorske vojne akademije stupio sam u rano proljeće 1944. godine u Timočkoj krajini, u selu Sikole ispod Deli Jovana, a po završetku tromjesečne teoretske i praktične nastave dobio sam čin narednika - đaka. Kasnije sam raspoređen u Prvu resavsku četničku brigadu, u štab poručnika Vukašina Petkovića. Bio sam jedno vrijeme i oficir za vezu sa savezničkim vojnim misijama na području koje je kontrolisala velikomoravska grupa četničkih korpusa.

Prije toga, kada je moj pokojni otac Joso Šušterič, solunac i kapetan prve klase, preuzeo vođstvo Ravnogorskog odbora u Srbiji, meni je u tom odboru dodijeljena pozicija obavještajca, propagandiste i organizatora diverzantskih akcija i to sve do odlaska u četničke vojne formacije na teritoriju istočne Srbije, gdje je bio komandant general Miroslav Trifunović.

FOKUS: Generala Mihailovića znali ste i prije početka Drugog svjetskog rata. On je bio prijatelj vaše porodice. Kakav je utisak na vas ostavio?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Čiča je bio saborac mog pokojnog oca u Prvom svjetskom ratu i naš kućni prijatelj. Kada je Mihailović prekomandovan u Celje, na krsnu slavu puka, pozvao je slovenačke dobrovoljce iz Prvog svjetskog rata. Baš na toj svečanosti, na koju me otac poveo, upoznao sam legendarnog Čiču. Draža se s mojim ocem često sastajao, u to vrijeme, na oficirskim sastancima diljem Slovenije. Kasnije, na putu bosanske golgote s legendarnim đeneralom sam se vidio zadnji put. Bio sam u stroju, na čijem je vrhu bio pukovnik Dragutin Keserović, vojvoda kopaonički. I baš u tom stroju me Čiča prepoznao i unaprijedio zbog uspješnog vođenja ratne jedinice u čin poručnika. Rekao mi je tada nekoliko toplih, očinskih riječi koje i danas pamtim.

FOKUS: Malo je poznato da je Ravnogorski pokret u Sloveniji u toku Drugog svjetskog rata bio veoma jak, a da su bile jake i četničke jedinice na tom području. Šta su Slovenci u to vrijeme očekivali od JVuO?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Slovenački dio JVuO vodio je general štabni major Karlo Novak, četnički vojvoda. Komandant Štajerskog četničkog odreda bio je poručnik Jože Melaher Zmagoslav, a protiv okupatora su se borili i pripadnici ljubljanskog, gorenjskog, notranjskog, štajerskog, dolenjskog i primorsko-istarskog četničkog odreda, kao i specijalna četnička grupa sektora Gorica - Trst. U Sloveniji je postojao Centralni obavještajno-informacioni centar JVuO, na čijem vrhu se nalazio Čičin pobratim general Vladimir Vauhnik i pukovnik Kosta Domazetović. To je bio sigurno najbolji obavještajni centar u tom dijelu Evrope. Slovenija je JVuO dala četiri generala, šest pukovnika, šest potpukovnika, 16 majora, 28 kapetana, 32 poručnika i 16 potporučnika, a dobar dio slovenačkih četnika, pogotovo oficira, bio je na dužnostima i u Dražinoj vrhovnoj komandi.

FOKUS: U vojsci pod komandom generala Mihailovića bio je i vaš brat Bojan, aktivni kapetan koji je bio komandant leteće brigade Resavskog četničkog korpusa.

ŠUŠTERIČ: Bojan je nakon završene gimnazije otišao na Vojnu akademiju, a kasnije je bio aktivni oficir jugoslovenske vojske. Bio je načelnik Štaba Paraćinske četničke brigade, pa komandant jurišnog bataljona te brigade, a na kraju komandant Resavke jurišno-leteće brigade. Bio je u mnogim borbama, čak je i ranjavan. U zimu 1944. godine, poslije izdaje, uhvaćen je i strijeljan zajedno sa svojim saborcima u okolini Svilajnca. U našoj porodici bila su tri muškarca i sva trojica su bili četnici. Oca i brata su strijeljali komunisti, dok sam ja jedva izvukao živu glavu, nakon što sam u Bosni pao u njemačko zarobljeništvo. Otac je strijeljan u okolini Jagodine u aprilu 1945. godine, zajedno s oficirima Ivankovačkog četničkog korpusa. Ni danas ne znam gdje je grob mog oca i brata.

FOKUS: Šta bi se desilo na ovim prostorima da su saveznici podržali JVuO, a ne partizane Josipa Broza Tita. Da li bi Slovenci imali više koristi od monarhije nego od komunističke vlasti?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Čiča je Slovencima obećao još 1942. godine oslobođenje Istre i dijela Kvarnera, kao i Julijske Krajine i Koruške, sve do Velikih Tura. S druge strane, Broz je svojom neodgovornom i prepotentnom politikom izgubio sve što su saveznici preko Čiče garantovali Slovencima.

FOKUS: Ostali ste nakon Drugog svjetskog rata u tadašnjoj Jugoslaviji. Kakav je bio odnos komunističke vlasti prema vama?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Komunistički sud me je 1946. godine osudio na pet godina zatvora zbog, kako su tada tvrdili, borbe protiv partizana i saradnje s neprijateljom. Poslije izlaska iz zatvora živio sam kao čovjek drugog reda. Stalno sam bio pod kontrolom OZNA i UDBA i tako sve do 1980. godine. U to sam se uvjerio čitajući moj dosije, koji se i sada nalazi u Arhivu Slovenije.

FOKUS: Danas živite u Ljubljani. Vodili ste donedavno sudski spor protiv slovenačke države zbog toga što vas je tamošnji sud okvalifikovao kao izdajnika i kolaboracionistu. Kako je završen taj spor?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Sudski spor je riješen u moju korist. U cijelosti sam rehabilitovan, isplaćena mi je odšteta i vrijeme provedeno u zatvoru ubrojano mi je u penziju.

FOKUS: Milo Rakočević, major kraljevskog vazduhoplovstva JVuO, posljednji živi četnički vojvoda dodijelio vam je, neposredno pred smrt, u crkvi Svetog Save u Parizu 17. marta 2007. godine titulu vojvode. Šta vam to znači?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Iako sam stari četnik i prvoborac Ravnogorskog pokreta, takvu čast ipak nisam očekivao.

Tu časnu titulu dijelim s pokojnim ocem Josom i bratom Bojanom.

FOKUS: Još nije otkriveno mjesto na kojem je sahranjen general Mihailović. Nadate li se da će Mihailovićevi posmrtni ostaci biti pronađeni?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Tražio sam od relevantnih institucija u Srbiji da se ta sramota srpskog naroda konačno stavi ad akta. Ali, izgleda da se neki plaše i mrtvog Čiče.

Bilo kako bilo, na kraju više nije ni toliko važno gdje su njegovi posmrtni ostaci, jer će on zauvijek biti u našim srcima. Molim boga da se Dražini posmrtni ostaci, ipak, pronađu za mog života i da dočekam taj trijumf naše četničke borbe.

FOKUS: Još uvijek mislite da su Srbi najveći prijatelji Slovenaca?

ŠUŠTERIČ: U to nikada nisam posumjao.

FOKUS: Mislite li da se na ovim prostorima ponovo može uspostaviti kraljevina Srbija?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Iz vaših usta u božje uši. Srbija mora postati kraljevina koja će obuhvatati teritorije na kojima žive Srbi, a mi Slovenci ćemo vam zaviditi, jer nećemo moći biti dio te kraljevine.

D. ĐURIĆ


Srećan zbog napretka Srpske

FOKUS: Kakva je, prema vašem mišljenju, budućnost Republike Srpske? Šta mislite o Miloradu Dodiku, predsjedniku RS?

ŠUŠTERIČ: Republika Srpska je danas, na moju veliku sreću, bolji dio dajtonske BiH. Čujem u medijima da ste u nekim stvarima ispred majke Srbije. To me raduje. Od poslovnih ljudi iz Slovenije, koji sarađuju s vašom zemljom, saznao sam da ste korektni poslovni partneri i da podržavate saradnju Slovenije i Republike Srpske. Kada mi je prijatelj iz Prijedora donio fotografije iz tog mjesta, nisam mogao vjerovati da kod vas ima tako divnih gradova. Raduje me kada čujem da su i ostali gradovi, a pogotovo Banja Luka, praktično evropski gradovi. Sve što sam vam rekao prethodno o Republici Srpskoj zapravo je i indirektan odgovor na pitanje šta mislim o predsjedniku Dodiku.

_____________________________

http://www.fokus.ba/nov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19946:uvar-strae-enerala-drae-&catid=18:u-fokusu&Itemid=153


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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Sud nema dokaze o smrti Dragoljuba Draže Mihailovića - Sledeće ročište zakazano je za 30. novembar 2011 / "Press Online" Sept. 27, 2011

Press Online
BETA
September 27, 2011


Viši sud u Beogradu nema dokaza o smrti niti o izvršenju smrtne kazne nad komandantom Kraljevske vojske u otadžbini Dragoljubom Dražom Mihailovićem, rečeno je danas na ročištu u postupku za rehabilitaciju Mihailovića

Sudija Višeg suda u Beogradu Aleksandar Ivanović rekao je da u spisima predmeta krivičnog postupka koji se 1946. vodio protiv Mihailovića ne postoji dokaz o smrti i izvršenju smrtne kazne.

Takav dokaz nemaju ni predlagači zahteva za rehabilitaciju, rekao je punomoćnik predlagača Zoran Živanović i dodao da su sudu dostavili tekst iz tadašnjeg izdanja lista "Borba" u kojem se navodi da je 17. jula 1946. izvršena smrtna kazna nad Mihailovićem.

Živanović je naveo da su predlagači zatražili od matičara opštine Ivanjica izvod iz matične knjige sa upisom smrti, ali da im takav dokaz nije dostavljen.

Prema njegovim rečima, Komisija za utvrđivanje činjenica u izvršenju smrtne kazne nad generalom Mihailovićem, u svom radu je utvrdila da Mihailović streljan, ali nemaju pisani trag o izvršenju smrtne kazne.

Sledeće ročište zakazano je za 30. novembar, kada bi trebalo da u svojstvu svedoka bude saslušan predsednik Komisije Slobodan Marković.

Zahtev za rehabilitaciju podneo je 2006. godine Mihailovićev unuk, Vojislav Mihailović. Zahtevom je zatraženo poništenje presude od 15. jula 1946. godine kojom je Mihailović osuđen na smrt, uz prethodno oduzimanje građanskih prava.

Zahtevu za rehabilitaciju i vraćanje građanskih prava Mihailoviću pridružili su se i Srpska liberalna stranka akademika Koste Čavoškog, Udruženje pripadnika Jugoslovenske vojske u otadžbini, Udruženje političkih zatvorenika i žrtava komunističkog režima i profesor međunarodnog prava Smilja Avramov.

Predstavnici Saveza udruženja boraca Narodno-oslobodilačkog rata (SUBNOR), Društva za istinu o Narodno-oslobodilačkoj borbi i Savez antifašista Srbije traže da zahtev za rehabilitaciju bude odbijen.

Boračke organizacije tvrde da je Mihailović izvršio brojne zločine i sarađivao sa okupatorom tokom Drugog svetskog rata.

Mihailović je osuđen posle rata pred Vojnim sudom zbog, kako je tada navedeno, zločina i saradnje sa okupatorom i streljan je 17. jula 1946. godine. Do danas nije javno objavljeno gde je streljan ni gde je sahranjen.

Država je osnovala komisiju za utvrđivanje činjenica o izvršenju smrtne kazne nad Mihailovićem, koja treba da pronađe mesto na kojem su zakopani njegovi posmrtni ostaci.



http://www.pressonline.rs/sr/vesti/vesti_dana/story/178225/Sud+nema+dokaze+o+smrti+Dragoljuba+Dra%C5%BEe+Mihailovi%C4%87a.html


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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com

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Sud nema dokaze o smrti Draže Mihailovića / "Tanjug" September 27, 2011



Tanjug
September 27, 2011

Viši sud u Beogradu ne poseduje dokaz o smrti, odnosno streljanju komandanta Kraljevske vojske u otadžbini Dragoljuba Draže Mihailovića, rekao je danas na ročištu za rehabilitaciju Mihailovića sudija Aleksandar Ivanović.


Draza Mihailovich
Belgrade, 1946

Pošto ni predlagači rehabilitacije nisu uspeli da pribave dokaz o Mihailovićevoj smrti, sudija Ivanović je najavio da će sud pokušati da do zvaničnog podatka o tome dođe od Bezbednosno-informativne agencije, Istorijskog arhiva i matičara opštine Ivanjica u kojoj je Mihailović rođen.

Najavio je da će predsednik o okolnostima pod kojima je usmrćen Mihajlović, sud 30. novembra saslušati predsednika Državne komisije koja istražuje to pitanje Slobodana Mihailovića.

Jedini trag o Mihailovićevoj smrti, koji su sudu dostavili predlgači, jeste izveštaj lista "Borba" koji je 18. jula 1946. objavio da je nad Mihailovićem izvršena smrtna kazna streljanjem dan ranije.

Advokat predlagača za rehabilitaciju generala Mihailovića, Zoran Živanović ukazao je da je Državna komisija utvrdila da je Mihailović streljan na Adi Ciganliji 17. jula 1946. i da bi to trebalo da posvedoči i njen predsednik tokom saslušanja u novembru.

Poništenje presude od 15. jula 1946. godine, kojom je Mihailović osuđen na smrt streljanjem, kao i vraćanje građanskih prava, zahtevom za rehabilitaciju zatražio je njegov unuk Vojislav Mihailović, koji nije prisustvovao nijednom održanom ročištu.

Pridružili su mu se Srpska liberalna stranka, s akademikom Kostom Čavoškim na čelu, Udruženje pripadnika Jugoslovenske vojske u otadžbini, Udruženje političkih zatvorenika i žrtava komunističkog režima, profesor međunarodnog prava Smilja Avramov i drugi.

Predlagači zahteva tvrde da Mihailović nije imao pravo na odbranu i nije video svog advokata do početka suđenja. On nije imao ni pravo na nepristrasan sud, a optužnica mu je uručena sedam dana pred suđenje.

Zahtevom za rehabilitaciju zatraženo je poništenje presude kojom je Draža Mihailović osuđen na smrt i kojom su mu prethodno oduzeta sva građanska prava.

Mihailović je, dva dana po donošenju sporne presude, 17. jula 1946. godine streljan kao državni neprijatelj "broj jedan".

Državna komisija utvrdila je da je Mihailović ubijen na Adi Ciganliji, ali sumnja da su njegove kosti kasnije prenete u sekundarnu grobnicu, najverovatnije, na Ratno ostrvo, kako bi se onemogućilo da ikad budu pronađene.




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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Monday, September 26, 2011

"...Senator Marco Rubio should be particularly sensitive to attempts at painting a people as crazed criminals, often done in service of an underlying political agenda..." / by Julia Gorin

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Aleksandra's Note: Normally, I post text in its entirety, however I'm making an exception here, because contained within the original source are a number of valuable links that augment the points being made. These links are easily accessible by going directly to the source. Therefore, I shall post a portion of the text here and then provide various links that you can visit so that you get the "whole picture".

Writer Julia Gorin provides yet another well-researched, insightful, perceptive and truthful commentary regarding the Balkans and the West's relationship with the various ethnic groups that comprised the former Yugoslavia. This time she confronts comments made by Florida Senator Marco Rubio in a major foreign policy speech on September 13, 2011 in North Carolina as well as provides an indictment of Senator Rubio's unfortunate judgment.

As you will see, the ghost of General Draza Mihailovich is ever present.

Julia Gorin is that rare thing in the world today: A real journalist in the truest sense of the word.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

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The Anti-Serb Thing — from a Cuban-American.
 (Really?) (I Mean, Really?)

"As the son of Cuban exiles, junior Florida senator Marco Rubio should be particularly sensitive to attempts at painting a people as crazed criminals, often done in service of an underlying political agenda..."



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"Letters to the Editor"
Washington Examiner
September 23, 2011

Rubio defending wrong side in Balkan conflict

As a Jewish conservative who vigorously defended Cuban-Americans during the Elian Gonzalez siege, I am sickened that Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., would smear another maligned people as he did in a Sept. 13 speech at the Jesse Helms Center where he said, “The American armed forces ... stopped Nazism and Communism and other evils such as Serbian ethnic cleansing.”

A year after our leaders lied to us in 1999 about the mythical “Operation Horseshoe” (the ethnic cleansing plan subsequently shown to have been a Croatian-assisted concoction by a resurgent Germany delivering payback to Serbs for World War II), it was the Miami Cubans’ turn to be depicted as wild extremists and “kidnappers” for merely expecting due process.

The fact that Elian’s father, Juan Gonzalez, wanted asylum for both himself and the boy came out in a belatedly revealed INS memo that was ordered destroyed by then-Commissioner Doris Meissner.

The Balkans are an example of where the American military was the opposite of “a force of good,” giving wings to a state ruled by fear by an elite that is above the law, and where prosecution witnesses either drop out — or drop dead.

Julia Gorin
Las Vegas
________

COMMENTS:

Aleksandra Rebic Today (Sept. 26, 2011)

Excellent letter by Julia Gorin. Thank you for publishing it. Ms. Gorin has been consistently vigilant about the misinformation and disinformation campaign waged against the Serbs for two decades now. She is a true journalist.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/letters-editor/2011/09/letters-editor-sept-23-2011


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And on Free Republic at:



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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra,
 please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Serbian Unity Congress founder and trustee Michael Djordjevich responds to Senator Marco Rubio and his slam against the Serbs

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Aleksandra's Note: I've had the privilege of being acquainted with Mr. Michael Djordjevich for many years now. The Serbian Unity Congress, an organization he founded over two decades ago, continues to wage the never-ending battle against the injustices done to the Serbs since the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. It is my honor to publish his letter confronting Senator Marco Rubio on comments made in a major foreign policy speech presented on September 13, 2011 in North Carolina. It is my sincere hope that Senator Rubio will take the words of Mr. Djordjevich to heart and offer a sincere and public apology to the Serbs, an ethnic group that has been a loyal American ally for over a century.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

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Michael Djordjevich
2011

To view the two page letter in its full size,
please click on the images below.



 

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Here is the link to the entire text of Senator Rubio's
September 13, 2011 speech:




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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra,
please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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Thursday, September 22, 2011

Senator Marco Rubio, the Serbs, and America's role in the world

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Aleksandra's Note: The following is a response sent by Stella Jatras, an indefatigable fighter for the truth, to the office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio following public remarks that he made on September 13, 2011 at the Jesse Helms Center in Wingate, North Carolina. Below her response you will find the entire text of the speech given by Senator Rubio that has incited a passionate reaction in the Serbian community, as well it should have. Stella has responded respectfully to a grievous slander against the Serbs that was articulated by Senator Rubio. He is certainly not the first to have made such statements, nor will he be the last. But it is our hope that he will take to heart the reactions to his statement about the Serbs and reconsider his position regarding an issue that he is clearly misguided about, like so many others have been through the last two decades. It's highly likely that Senator Rubio meant no malice, but politicians and policy makers, especially those who aspire to the highest offices in the land, have to be held accountable not only for their actions, but for their words. Because words do count.

My sincere gratitude to Stella Jatras for speaking up on behalf of an entire community of people, many of them Serbian-Americans who share Senator Rubio's love and respect for America, and especially those Serbs in the homeland who deserve better.

Sincerely,

Aleksandra Rebic

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Stella and Col. George Jatras (Ret.)

FAX

TO: Senator Marco Rubio

FROM: Stella L. Jatras, a citizen of this great country

DATE: 21 September 2011

SUBJECT: Your comments during your Foreign Policy Speech [Sept. 13, 2011]

NUMBER OF PAGES: 2

SENATOR RUBIO, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE READ MY FAX AS IT MAY EXPLAIN THE MANY REASONS WHY YOU ARE RECEIVING SOME VERY ANGRY PHONE CALLS AND FAXES.

Dear Senator Rubio,

By now you have probably received many angry phone calls and faxes regarding your comment equating the Serbian people, collectively, to Hitler’s Nazis. Please understand that the messages come from frustration at the injustice that has been perpetrated against the Serbian people. For the record, neither I nor any member of my family is Serbian.

Unfortunately, I believe you have been misinformed about the situation in the Balkans, where the axiom, "Truth is always the first casualty of War" has again been proven true. Therefore, I ask that you consider the fact that the Serbs lost the PR battle in the American media. The Serbian people have been humiliated, denigrated and dehumanized as an entire race, when, in fact they have been fighting the same Muslim jihadists who are out to destroy this country. It was President Bush who said after 9/11 that we will do whatever it takes to keep the nation safe (against Muslim terrorists) yet we denied the Serbian people that right when it came to defending themselves against the same Muslim terrorists.

The Serbian people were our ally in World War One and World War Two. In World War Two, over 500 downed American pilots were rescued by the Serbian forces of General Draza Mihailovich at great sacrifices to themselves. Then, because of the actions of the Soviet mole, Kim Philby, the Allies withdrew support from Gen. Mihailovich to support Marshall Josip Broz Tito, thus betraying the Serbian people and condemning them to live under communism for over 50 years. During World War Two, over a million Serbs, Jews and Gypsies were exterminated by the Ustashi (Croatia’s Nazi party, ably assisted by the Bosnian and Albanian Muslims) so cruelly that even the German Gestapo were appalled.

Please contact Aaron Breitbart, at the Simon Wiesenthal Institute for these statistics.

We again betrayed the Serbian people when we intervened in Bosnia in the 1990s. Instead of being honest brokers in a nasty civil war, we supported the Bosnian Muslims and the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - an army that was trained in Osama bin Laden’s terrorist camps - described as terrorists by Special Envoy Robert Gelbard. Did you know that today Kosovo is engaged in sex slavery, kidnapping and prostitution and that over 80 percent of drugs going into Europe come from Kosovo? Surely this is not what you intended to support.

There have been many books written about the war in the Balkans, but during the time of the conflict not one book giving the Serbian side could be found in any of the bookstores nor in the libraries.

Not only have the Serbs had to face insurgents sent in by Iran, but the Serbian people also faced a hostile media. For all the horrors that have been committed against the Serbs, the beheadings, the rape of Serbian women, the castration of Serbian men, the roasting live of Serbian soldiers by Islam’s holy warriors, the murdering of Serbian priests, the lies and distortions of atrocities that were committed by Bosnian Muslim forces for which we bombed innocent Serbian civilians, not one of these atrocities was ever presented to the American people by CNN nor by any of the other major media.

Senator, it is unjust and unfair to condemn the Serbian people before you have the facts. Therefore, I encourage you to send one of your staffers to secure a copy of Professor John Schindler’s book, Unholy Terror, Bosnia, Al-Qa’ida, and the Rise of Global Jihad.

I leave you with the following important quotes:

Yohanan Ramati, Director of the Jerusalem Institute for Western Defense:

"This organized anti-Serb and pro-Muslim propaganda should cause anyone believing in democracy and free speech serious concerns. It recalls Hitler’s propaganda against the allies in World War II. Facts are twisted and, when convenient, disregarded."

John Ranz, Chairman of the Survivors of Buchenwald Concentration Camp, USA:

"The gigantic campaign to brainwash America by the media against the Serbian people is just incredible, with its daily dose of one-sided information and outright lies."

Edward Herman, Global Research:

"The successful demonization of the Serbs, making them largely responsible for the Yugoslav wars, and as unique and genocidal killers, was one of the great propaganda triumphs of our era. It was done quickly, with such uniformity and uncritical zeal in the mainstream Western media, that disinformation had (and still has, after almost two decades) a field day."


Respectfully submitted,

Stella L. Jatras
September 21, 2011


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"AMERICA'S ROLE IN THE WORLD"

“It is our responsibility to clearly outline to the American people what our proper role in the world is and what American interests are at stake when we engage abroad. … If this is to be another American Century, the world needs a strong America now. Because freedom cannot survive without us.”

Marco Rubio
Jesse Helms Center
Wingate, North Carolina
September 13, 2011


Senator Marco Rubio

Senator Marco Rubio’s Remarks As Delivered

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH0a3Uis0ck


Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. First of all, thank you all for coming. I am honored and privileged to be here. I’m impressed by the good work, by the way, that the Helms Center is doing in teaching young people the foreign policy principles that Senator Helms stood for. And I’m honored by this opportunity to speak to you for a few moments eight and a half months into my Senate career on what I think is a historic and important moment in American history. And I hope by the end of our time here together tonight we’ll all share that belief irrespective of where we fall on the individual issues.

I have come to deeply appreciate Jesse Helms’ willingness to fight for his views – particularly in foreign policy – and his unwillingness to compromise on matters of basic principle. That made him rare in Washington, and it also made him influential. I want to read what a distinguished journalist once wrote that it was “his relentless, unswerving application of conservative principles to practically every issue” is what “made him a major player in Washington and [in] national politics.”

Jesse Helms was, in particular, an unswerving champion of freedom fighters. When he was still a junior Senator, he and a former governor of California—a fellow named Ronald Reagan – they worked together to introduce a “morality in foreign policy” plank to the 1976 Republican platform.

Here is what it said, it said: “The goal of Republican foreign policy is the achievement of liberty under law and a just and lasting peace in the world. The principles by which we act to achieve peace and to protect the interests of the United States must merit the restored confidence of our people.”

It also said that “we must face the world with no illusions about the nature of tyranny.” And it pledged that: “Ours will be a foreign policy that keeps this ever in mind.”

Now, remarkably, this was controversial in the 1970s—the era of détente, of defeat and of retreat. The idea of placing morality at the center of our dealings with other nations was derided by supposed sophisticates as unrealistic and uninformed.

But then Ronald Reagan took these words to heart and he made them the center of his foreign policy—a foreign policy that even his critics now admit was remarkably successful.

President Reagan challenged the “evil empire.”

“Tear down this wall,” he demanded—and it came down. He won the Cold War not by coddling dictators but by confronting them—and by standing up for the principles that have defined us since the formation of our great Republic.

As I think about the challenges of the 21st century—challenges that range from upheavals in the Middle East to the fiscal crisis back home – I am mindful of Ronald Reagan’s example—and of Jesse Helms’.

I am guided by their understanding that America’s strength lies in its ideals, and that if we are to make this century another American century, we must be prepared to fight for those ideals.

Now, fundamentally, I believe that the world is a better place when the United States of America is strong and prosperous. Now, I don’t believe that America has the power or means to solve every issue in the world. But I do believe there are some critically important issues where America does have a meaningful role to play in resolving crises that are tied to our national interests.

If we refuse to play our rightful role and shrink from the world, America and the entire world will pay a terrible price. And it is our responsibility to clearly outline to the American people what our proper role in the world is and what American interests are at stake when we engage abroad.

At the core of our strength are the “self-evident” truths of the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” that government exists to “secure these rights” and that it derives its “just powers from the consent of the governed.”

These are not just our rights as Americans. These are the rights of all human beings. Nurtured in thirteen embattled colonies along the Eastern seaboard more than two centuries ago, the blessings of liberties have since spread to more than 100 countries around the world.

Freedom’s domain now stretches from Mexico to Mongolia. Some of the world’s democracies are ancient nations. Others are more recent in origin. Some are poor. Others are rich. Some are Christian. Others Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu. All are united by their respect for certain fundamental human rights – even if they do not always achieve in practice the ideals they seek to honor. America should take pride in knowing that so many of the freedom movements we have seen around the world since 1776 draw their inspiration from the courage and the words of our own Founding Fathers.

The honor roll of free countries does not yet include the land of my parents or grandparents—Cuba—but that I believe is only a matter of time. Because sooner or later, the tides of freedom will wash against the shores of this island nation that has been trapped for too long in a prison constructed by Fidel and Raul Castro.

Why am I so confident about the future? Because in our time, we have seen how dictatorships have fallen and democracies risen – even in the most unpromising surroundings.

Just in the past year, in the Middle East – the region whose governments have been most resistant to freedom – we have seen the first stirrings of democratic upheavals. We do not know how the Arab Spring will ultimately turn out, but it has already proven one thing: that no faith, no ethnicity, no region, and no people are immune to the fundamental desire to control their own destiny.

As dissidents and freedom fighters battle dictators around the world, they look for support to the greatest democracy in the world. And America must answer their call.

We do not seek to impose our vision of government. We do not insist that every nation must have a presidency, a supreme court or a bicameral legislature. Nor do we have any intention of using force to depose every despotic regime on the planet.

But we must do what we can to champion the cause of freedom—not only with the power of our example but also with our money and our resources, our ingenuity and our diplomacy, and on rare occasion, when there is no good alternative and when our national interest is clearly at stake, our armed might.

Without our commitment to the rights of man enunciated by our forefathers, what are we? Just another big, rich country. But when we champion our ideals, we gain moral authority—and we gain physical security.

You see, we may not always agree with our fellow democracies, but seldom, if ever, do we fight them. The more functioning democracies there are—“functioning” being the important quality—the easier we can breathe.

States that do not respect the rights of their citizens seldom respect the rights of their neighbors. They become breeding grounds for all sorts of ills—from the trafficking of humans and drugs to contagious diseases and famine, from nuclear proliferation to terrorism—that threaten our own security.

Now some suggest that America should heed the famous words of John Quincy Adams and go “not abroad, in search of monsters to destroy.” The problem is if America turns inward and ignores the monsters abroad, they are likely to come here.

It happened in 1917 when German U-boats torpedoed American merchant ships.

It happened in 1941 when Japanese aircraft bombed Pearl Harbor.

And it happened ten years ago when Al Qaeda carried off the deadliest terrorist attack in history from a base in the Hindu Kush. If we do not have the luxury of ignoring developments in lands as remote as Afghanistan, then there is no corner of the world from which we can safely turn our backs.

The fanatics who orchestrated the attacks of 9/11 were nurtured in lands that knew no freedom, in countries where, for too long, the people’s pursuit of happiness had been subordinated to the rulers’ pursuit of power. A lack of economic, social and political opportunity helped to create the conditions that enabled a radical few—deluded by demented doctrines of hate – to commit mass murder simply to make a statement.

The form of the threat was relatively novel: We were attacked not by another nation-state but by a band of terrorists who took shelter in a failed state. But this threat – like the threats of Nazism, fascism, and communism – comes from a sick and failed ideology.

With Osama bin Laden’s recent demise, the founder of Al Qaeda joined a long list of tyrants—Adolf Hitler to Saddam Hussein—who have experienced for themselves the righteous wrath of a democracy bestirred from its peaceful pursuits.

I applaud President Obama for ordering the raid that finally brought Osama bin Laden to his just fate. I applaud the President, too, for his stirring words in support of reformers in the Middle East. I only wish that he had shown more commitment to the cause of freedom. He has been slow and hesitant, and we have missed some significant opportunities to alter the strategic landscape in America’s favor. And the President’s failure to lead has served to magnify the damage done to U.S. interests.

For example, in the summer of 2009, the young people of Iran took to the streets to protest against mullahs that had consigned them to poverty, while squandering oil riches to build nuclear weapons and support foreign terrorist groups. The President was so intent on negotiating with Iran’s tyrants that he did little to help its people. As the Green Revolution fizzled, protesters demanded to know, “Obama, are you with us or against us?”

This year, the Administration did come to the aid of the people of Libya, but only after weeks of hesitation that allowed Moammar Qaddafi—an anti-American criminal—to get back on his feet and resume slaughtering his own people.

Then it took another four months before the President was willing to recognize the Transitional National Council as the rightful government of Libya. And even then, the Administration refused to commit the resources and make the tactical decisions that could have shortened this conflict.

The regime was so lacking in popular support that it finally fell, but the fact that the war dragged on so long has, at a minimum, raised the costs of reconstruction and lengthened the toll of the dead and wounded.

An anonymous presidential adviser justified this by claiming that it was part of a deliberate strategy to “lead from behind”.

We could see the same doctrine in effect in Syria where the President waited a full six months after the start of a popular uprising—six months that Bashar Assad and his goons spent indiscriminately slaughtering their own people—before calling for Assad’s removal. And even then, the Administration refused to recall our ambassador or impose the entire list of sanctions that some of us in Congress had been pressing for.

Now the President’s defenders suggest that it was right not to get more involved because they worry about the consequences of turmoil in the Middle East. I’ve often hear it said that: “Better the devil you know.” We should be concerned about what will come next in places like Egypt that have been American allies.

I can understand why President Obama hesitated before finally withdrawing our support from Hosni Mubarak, which I believe, under the circumstances, was the right thing to do. But it is hard to see why we would hesitate in the case of Iran, Syria or Libya – all avowed enemies of America. It is hard to imagine a ruler worse than Ahmadinejad, Assad or Qaddafi, and easy to imagine that their successors might be much more amenable to our interests.

Even in countries such as Egypt, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, we simply do not have the luxury of endorsing the status quo.

Instead of tying our fate to discredited dictators, we would be better advised to build constructive alternatives. That’s what Ronald Reagan did when he pushed Ferdinand Marcos out of power in the Philippines in 1986. The following year he did the same thing when he helped push a military ruler out of power in South Korea and supported the transition to civilian rule. Today, South Korea is one of the world’s freest countries—and one of the richest. Yet only forty years ago, it was poorer than North Korea—and nearly as poor as Syria. Its transformation shows what is possible when free people are allowed to harness their full potential.

This is the change that we must encourage in the Middle East. Now unfortunately the views of some of the protestors distasteful. I certainly condemn the anti-Israel sentiments uttered by protest leaders, and I can understand why many Israelis are alarmed by the recent turn of events.

Israel is one of America’s closest allies in the world, and our closest and most reliable friend in the Middle East. It is a shining bastion of democracy, liberty, and opportunity in one of the most blighted parts of the world. But the naïve strategy of trying to appease Islamist extremists like Iran, and turning our back on Israel, will only embolden our common enemies and weaken the prospects for peace – and for democracy itself.

For the sake of peace, and out of principle, the United States must strongly affirm its commitment to Israel, not just in words but in deeds.

At the same time, the people of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and other Middle Eastern lands are in the streets because they want a better life for themselves and their children. They aren’t asking for the imposition of a Taliban-style rule. They are asking for the ballot box and for economic opportunity. And if their desires are fulfilled, they will move closer to Thomas Jefferson’s vision of the world than Osama bin Laden’s.

That is why I am so concerned that the Administration may let this historic opportunity pass. I am glad that the President is trying to bring along our allies. But our allies would be the first to tell you that nothing important or difficult happens without American leadership. Unfortunately, that leadership has been missing at a critical juncture during the last few years.

Most recently, for example, it has been suggested that the advice of military commanders in Iraq be completely ignored in favor of a dramatic troop drawdown that even Iraqis say is too drastic.

It’s a reminder that, in our republic, elections have consequences not just at home, but all over the world. Because while previous generations of leaders - and even some I serve with today - have stood up for unpopular but necessary measures, even at the risk of losing elections, others are simply too willing to do what is politically self-serving. America, and the entire world for that matter, needs resolute leadership in this era of historic but volatile transformation, particularly in the Middle East – and particularly in Iraq.

Beyond the Middle East, in our own hemisphere, a combination of narco-trafficking networks, anti-American strongmen, and the increasing penetration of Iranian influence is raising dangers of a special kind. Individuals like Hugo Chavez, who have no business running anything in the first place much less a country, have worked strenuously to build a bloc of countries to work against U.S. interests – and at great risk to great friends like Colombia.

Again, the Administration has missed easy opportunities to stand with our allies, for instance, through free trade agreements. We cannot continue to ignore or be complacent about Latin America, nor can we relegate our friends in the region to anything less than high priority partnerships for us to continue nurturing.

After all, the security of our democratic society depends on the success of liberty in our own hemisphere. The fight against drug and human trafficking, and the infiltration of Islamist terrorists requires the success of economic and political freedoms – and of the rule of law – in Latin America. We must be more vigilant – and more decisive – in defending our interests in our own hemisphere.

And by the way, the notion that we should “lead from behind” would have been incomprehensible even to the Democrat who preceded President Obama. In his second inaugural address, President Bill Clinton said that “America stands alone as the world’s indispensable nation.” That is as true today as it was in 1997.

If America refuses to lead, who will combat international outlaws? Who will stop terrorists and weapons proliferators? Who will deal with the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programs? The rising disorder in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia? The growing challenge from China which seeks to dominate East Asia, but won’t even let its own people use Google?

The world counts on America. And whether we like it or not, there is virtually no aspect of our daily lives that is not directly impacted by what happens in the world around us. We can choose to ignore global problems, but global problems will not ignore us.

Yet our ability to lead is threatened. It’s threatened not by any external foe, but rather by our own fiscal woes.

This year, the national debt surpassed the size of our economy and it will continue to grow unless we get it under control.

Now, I am a strong advocate of cutting unnecessary and wasteful spending, but the defense budget is not the biggest driver of our debt—it accounts for roughly twenty percent of our annual federal spending. By contrast, entitlement programs swallow more than half the budget and they are the main drivers of our debt.

The Pentagon already faced sharp cuts. During his last two years in office, Secretary of Defense Gates cut or curtailed procurement programs that, if taken to completion, would have cost $300 billion. This summer, the President and congressional leaders agreed to cut another $350 billion from the defense budget over the next ten years.

Those cuts by themselves alone are worrisome enough but what is more worrisome is what’s looming: In the worst case scenario, if the so-called Debt Super Committee doesn’t reach any deal at all, the Pentagon could stand to be slashed by more than $1 trillion over ten years.

Our new secretary of defense—himself is a well-known budget hawk – has warned that cutbacks of this scale would have a “devastating effect on our national defense.” I can but echo Leon Panetta’s words.

The American armed forces have been one of the greatest forces of good in the world during the past century. They stopped Nazism and Communism and other evils such as Serbian ethnic-cleansing. They have helped birthed democracies from Germany to Iraq. They have delivered relief supplies, and performed countless tasks in service to our nation.

All they have ever asked for in return is that we provide them the tools to get the job done – and that we look after them and their families. They have never failed us in our time of need.

We must not fail them now. We must maintain a strong national defense.

Foreign aid is also an important part of America’s foreign policy leadership. While we certainly must be careful about spending money on foreign aid, the reality is that it is not the reason we have a growing debt problem.

If it is done right, and when done in partnership with the private sector and faith-based community, foreign aid spreads America’s influence around the world in a positive way. Let me give you an example: the Bush Administration’s program to provide HIV medicine to Africa has not only saved lives, it has increased America’s influence across the continent. These are allies in the future that can be our partners, not just in our political struggles on the world stage, but in economic trade. And a world where people are prosperous and free to grow their economies and pursue their own dreams is a better world for all of us.

I began by quoting the words of Jesse Helms and Ronald Reagan. In closing, let me recall the great words of one of the most important Democrat leaders of the 20th Century – Harry S. Truman. In 1951, speaking to the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., this is what he said:

“I have the feeling that God has created us and brought us to our present position of power and strength for some great purpose. It is not given to us to know fully what that purpose is. But I think we may be sure of one thing. And that is that our country is intended to do all it can in cooperating with other nations to help create peace and preserve peace in the world. It is given to us to defend the spiritual values—the moral code—against the vast forces of evil that seek to destroy them.”

There are still vast forces of evil seeking to destroy us. The form of the threat has changed since Truman’s time. But evil remains potent—and America remains the strongest line of defense, often the only line of defense.

I pray that we will continue to find the wisdom and courage—and resources – to act effectively in the defense of our moral code—the same code that we share with all civilized people. The world needed a strong America in Truman’s time. And if this is to be another American Century, the world needs a strong America now.

Because freedom cannot survive without us.

Thank you so much for having me. May God bless all of you and may God bless our country. Thank you.


http://rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2011/9/icymi-senator-rubio-delivers-remarks-on-america-s-role-in-the-world


Biography
About Marco

Highly regarded for his principled, energetic and idea-driven leadership, Marco Rubio was elected to the United States Senate in 2010 to represent the State of Florida.

In 1971, Marco was born in Miami to Cuban-born parents who came to America following Fidel Castro's takeover. When he was eight years old, Rubio and his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where his father worked as a bartender at the Sams Town Hotel and his mother as a housekeeper at the Imperial Palace Hotel. In 1985, the family returned to Miami where his father continued working as a bartender at the Mayfair House Hotel until 1997. Thereafter he worked as a school crossing guard until his retirement in 2005. His mother worked as a Kmart stock clerk until she retired in 1995.

Rubio attended South Miami Senior High School, graduating in 1989. He attended Tarkio College in Missouri for one year on a football scholarship before transferring to Santa Fe Community College and then graduating in 1993 with a bachelor of science from the University of Florida. He continued his studies at the University of Miami where he earned his juris doctor, cum laude, in 1996.

From 2000-2008, Rubio served in the Florida House of Representatives. During this period, he served as Majority Whip, Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, effectively promoting an agenda of lower taxes, better schools, a leaner and more efficient government and free market empowerment.

During the two years prior to assuming the speakership, Rubio traveled around the state hosting "Idearaisers" to solicit Floridians' input on ways to strengthen Florida. The 100 best ideas were compiled into a book entitled "100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future," which served as the basis for his term. All 100 ideas were passed by the Florida House. Fifty-seven of these ideas ultimately became law, including measures to crack down on gangs and sexual predators, promote energy efficient buildings, appliances and vehicles, and help small businesses obtain affordable health coverage. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich hailed the effort as "a work of genius."

During his legislative career, Rubio also promoted efforts to develop a world-class public school curriculum, increase performance-based accountability, enhance school choice and target the socio-economic factors affecting chronic academic underperformance.

At the end of his tenure as Speaker, Rubio resumed his law practice as a sole practitioner. He has also served as a visiting professor at Florida International University's Metropolitan Center, worked as Florida Chairman of GOPAC and as a political analyst for Univision during the 2008 election cycle.

Rubio and his wife, Jeanette Dousdebes Rubio, have been married since 1998. They are the parents of four children: Amanda, Daniella, Anthony, and Dominick. They currently live in the working class city of West Miami, just four blocks from the home his parents moved the family to in 1985.

Senator Rubio currently serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.


http://rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/about?p=biography



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If you would like to get in touch with me, Aleksandra, please feel free to contact me at ravnagora@hotmail.com


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