MANU's Encyclopedia causes stir

Macedonian Encyclopedia, presented Thursday at MANU's premises caused a stirr among the Albanian community and the US/UK Embassies. Daily paper Koha writes that the encyclopedia contains numerous "inaccuracies".

Two are mentioned as the most contradictory, the alleged training by U.S. and British specialists of the KLA members in the 2001 conflict, which caused a reaction of the US Embassies and UK Embassies in Skopje, both claiming the information is 'false' and 'ridiculous'.

Lets review this. This alleged training according to several British papers (Sunday Times, The Guardian, etc) did take place and at the time was a widely acknowledged fact in army circles and Balkan media.

Does anyone remember Aracinovo? Flashpoint: Over 200 Albanian terrorists were surrounded by the Macedonian Army. The Albanians laid down their weapons and put their underwear on sticks to give a sign of their surrendering (captured by TV crews). NATO prevented the Macedonian army from entering Aracinovo, went into the village utilizing 12 busses to transport the terrorists (who had previously threathen to bomb the Airport) back to safety in Kosovo (2).
The following day, Deutche Welle claimed there were 19 NATO 'advisors' among the Albanians transported to Kosovo.

According to DW, NATO had panicked that the Macedonian army would capture their commanders/advisors. Later the Macedonian police entered Aracinovo and found numerous sophisticated satellite phones and equipment left behind. Though today Macedonia enjoys terrific relations with the US and the UK, facts shouldn't ashame anyone.

The second "scandal" is the text which tells the story of the Albanians in Macedonia, where they are named as "shiptari" that settled in Macedonia in the 16th century.

The Albanian term for an 'Albanian' is "Shqiptar". I might have missed the "scandal" here.

The Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences stands behind their Encyclopedia saying it is a collective effort of numerous historians, scientists that took years to complete in which all data had been synthesized with facts and arguments that have been checked and re-checked by numerous relevant individuals and organizations. //Gorazd V.

1 United Press International (UPI), 15 September 2001.2 The Guardian, London, 15 September 2001.