Everything About Kosovo and Serbia

[removeduser_487563287433]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle3378953.ece

Fierce rhetoric from Serbia and Russia has prevented the carefully planned, US and EU supported independence of Kosovo. Though Serbia has vowed it will fight to prevent the succession of the world's youngest state, the US has firmly reminded Belgrade that it is ultimately responsible, that "the ethnic cleansing policies of Slobodan Milosevic... ensured that Kosovo would never again be ruled from Belgrade," referring to events in 1999 when Serbian security forces moved to expel ethnic Albanians, 90% of the population, resulting in 900,000 being forced from their homes and 3,000 murdered.

Serbia, seemingly unwilling to learn the lessons from such oppressive brutality now threatens economic sanctions, cutting off power supplies and downgrading diplomatic ties with nations that support Kosovo's independence. NATO forces have been increased in the area in recent weeks for additional security. Serbian leaders in the divided Kosovan city of Mitrovica said they would not recognise secession. Serbia has put pressure on Serbs within Kosovo to boycott elections, despite the fact 10% of the seats of Parliament in Pristina are reserved for Serbs.

Hashim Thaci, the Prime Minister of Kosovo has invited Serbian refugees who fled in the wake of revenge attacks by returning Albanians stating "in Kosovo there will be security for all citizens," and that "the Government is committed to looking forward to the future and overcoming the sad past." Government posters in the capital discourage triumphantalism and encourage national unity, requesting the public "celebrate with dignity."

So essentially the world looks forward to making the best out of an awful situation, whilst Serbia and Russia look bitterly from the sidelines, still vainly resisting the march of time.

[Heinz Guderian]

“If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans"

Otto von Bismarck

[wilpuri]

This is bound to be interesting.

btw, thought this was kind of interesting, since so many always bring up ethnic cleansing when it comes to Kosovo.

Since NATO's occupation of Kosovo and Metohija on June 12, 1999, the indigent Serb population (along with all ethnic minorities) has suffered greatly at the hands of Albanian extremists. According to a UNHCR/OSCE report of November 3, 1999, there have been 348 murders, 116 kidnappings, 1,070 incidents of looting and 1,106 arsons (numbers are higher according to local Serb sources). The victims are primarily Serbs, followed by Roma, Slavic Muslims, Gorani, Turks, and other minorities.

According to various reports, over 350,000 people have been ethnically cleansed from Kosovo and Metohija since KFOR occupied the region. The expulsions, beatings and murders continue to this very day.

Destruction of Serbian religious monuments is also widespread. Over 70 monasteries and churches have been intentionally destroyed – mostly utilizing sophisticated explosive charges suggesting it is the work of trained experts. Desecration of cemeteries is also a common daily occurrence.

Head of the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Bernard Kouchner, claims that incidents of violence against Serbs have gone down lately. The information is misleading in two ways: 1) most of the Serbs have left the region and 2) the violence against remaining Serbs is in the same proportion.

If the situation continues as is, Kosovo and Metohija will become a mono-ethnic entity, the UN mission a complete failure, and NATO's promise of a multi-ethnic democracy a cruel hoax.

Soure






If you read about the history of Kosovo, its one ethnic cleansing after another.

[Domnul Ceaşcă]

“If there is ever another war in Europe, it will come out of some damned silly thing in the Balkans"

Otto von Bismarck

And with the backing of the US and EU...

[Darsh]

EULEX Kosovo Mission Mandate
Thursday, 07 February 2008

EULEX Kosovo Mission MandateKoha Ditore carries a complete official document of the establishment of the new EU mission in Kosovo EULEX. According to this document, which is based on the UN SC Resolution 1244, main duties and obligations of the mission will be influence Kosovo institutions, legal authorities and agencies for law enforcement as well as other executive responsibilities.

EU Mission in Kosovo aims to initially begin with 1.800 people and it aims to stay for 28 months. For the first 16 months a budget of €205 million is planned, while for the next 12 months, the budget aims to be lower and based upon the needs on the field. EULEX will have its main offices in Pristina and other regional offices throughout Kosovo.

The document also says that the decision for possible enlargement of the mission will be made after the evaluation which might take place 6 months after the mission begins. The mission will start the day it gets the approval and then the European Union will have 120 days to bring their people to Kosovo. During the EULEX mission, KFOR will also remain in Kosovo as part of security with 16.000 troops. Based on the newspaper’s diplomatic sources, EU has agreed for Peter Feith to remain as the EU Special Representative in Kosovo.
!
http://www.newkosovareport.com/20080...n-Mandate.html

[removeduser_487563287433]

This will cause no war. Serbia can sabre rattle all it likes but US and EU support makes direct confrontation impossible for them. Equally Russia at worst will give Georgia grief in petty retaliation.

[Heinz Guderian]

Making a man like Putin feel impotent is not a good idea. Its just gonna piss him off some more. More advanced Russian arms are gonna become available to those countries who are miffed at the UK/US. Russia will probably exercise its veto alot more in the UN as well. This is not gonna have a happy ending.

[Carach]

Making a man like Putin feel impotent is not a good idea. Its just gonna piss him off some more. More advanced Russian arms are gonna become available to those countries who are miffed at the UK/US. Russia will probably exercise its veto alot more in the UN as well. This is not gonna have a happy ending.

this isnt merely a uk/us vs the world thing temp.

Serbia and their big pals Russia must quickly remember the phrase 'Those who forget History are doomed to repeat it'. They caused WW1...but are no way able to play with the Military intervention, it would be suicide and embarrassing.

Thats arguable. Germany's aggression brought many of the factions into ww1 rather than Bosnian activists and Russians.

[Каие]

Thats arguable. Germany's aggression brought many of the factions into ww1 rather than Bosnian activists and Russians.

I'm talking about the a) the trigger to WW1 and b) the wave of defence treaties being initiated. Lets not go off topic though.

[Farnan]

Hopefully the 16,000 KFOR troops will be able to hold off any Serbian action till reinforcements arrive...

Should the Serbians decide that Iraq and Afghanistan is keeping the US too busy.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Hopefully the 16,000 KFOR troops will be able to hold off any Serbian action till reinforcements arrive...

Should the Serbians decide that Iraq and Afghanistan is keeping the US too busy.

Really... military intervention would be suicidal for the Serbian government.

[danzig]

Hopefully the 16,000 KFOR troops will be able to hold off any Serbian action till reinforcements arrive...

Should the Serbians decide that Iraq and Afghanistan is keeping the US too busy.

Cant imagine they would be THAT stupid. Long term though I dont know how the region is going to hold up, I hate to say it but its like a little mini middle east in the Balkans.

Making a man like Putin feel impotent is not a good idea. Its just gonna piss him off some more. More advanced Russian arms are gonna become available to those countries who are miffed at the UK/US. Russia will probably exercise its veto alot more in the UN as well. This is not gonna have a happy ending.

What do you propose then? Frankly Kosovo deserves this at the very least and if it gets Putin's panties in a bunch well then I suggest he pop a valium and knock back on some vodka, relax and face reality.

[Farnan]

Cant imagine they would be THAT stupid. Long term though I dont know how the region is going to hold up, I hate to say it but its like a little mini middle east in the Balkans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Deliberate_Force
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NA..._of_Yugoslavia

The last two NATO wars didn't cost Serbia that much, with Russian support they may get a bit bold.

But it may just be another issue of Saber rattling and trade embargos...

[danzig]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Deliberate_Force
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NA..._of_Yugoslavia

The last two NATO wars didn't cost Serbia that much, with Russian support they may get a bit bold.

But it may just be another issue of Saber rattling and trade embargos...

No I know that but this would be different since it would end up being an invasion of another nation Yes I know technically a subtle difference but US/Europe has ended up investing alot of capital in this that it wouldnt just sit by idle to watch it blow up...the Serbs have to realize this or its going to be a miscalculation on a grand scale.

[removeduser_487563287433]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Deliberate_Force
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_NA..._of_Yugoslavia

The last two NATO wars didn't cost Serbia that much, with Russian support they may get a bit bold.

But it may just be another issue of Saber rattling and trade embargos...

NATO really has little inclination of sending a European state back to the stoneage, having only really just recovered from the ravages of World War II and the east with a long way to go to recover from the Cold War. No, not benefit in really attacking a European state, even one as run by as many madmen as Serbia.

This is bound to be interesting.

btw, thought this was kind of interesting, since so many always bring up ethnic cleansing when it comes to Kosovo.



Soure






If you read about the history of Kosovo, its one ethnic cleansing after another.

Albanians accounted for 90% of the population when Milosovic launched his ethnic cleansing. The new Government has vowed security for Serbs in Kosovo, and reserved 10% of seats in Parliament for them.

[wilpuri]

Albanians accounted for 90% of the population when Milosovic launched his ethnic cleansing. The new Government has vowed security for Serbs in Kosovo, and reserved 10% of seats in Parliament for them.

1999 was not year zero for Kosovo. The history of ethnic cleansing between Serbs and Albanians goes way back. And even if the Kosovar authorities make promises to the Serb minority, they are only words if the attacks against Serbs are allowed to continue.

In the 1970s, an Albanian nationalist movement pursued full recognition of the Province of Kosovo as another Republic within the Federation, while the most extreme elements aimed for full-scale independence. Tito's arbitrary regime dealt with the situation swiftly, but only giving it a temporary solution. The ethnic balance of Kosovo witnessed disproportional increase as the number of Albanians tripled gradually rising from almost 75% to over 90%, but the number of Serbs barely increased and dropped in the full share of the total population from some 15% down to 8%. Even though Kosovo was the least developed area of the former Yugoslavia, the living and economic prospects and freedoms were far greater than under the totalitarian Hoxha regime in Albania.

Beginning in March 1981, Kosovar Albanian students organized protests seeking that Kosovo become a republic within Yugoslavia. Those protests rapidly escalated into violent riots "involving 20,000 people in six cities"[9] that were harshly contained by the Yugoslav government. During the 1980s, ethnic tensions continued with frequent violent outbreaks against Serbs and Yugoslav state authorities resulting in increased emigration of Kosovo Serbs and other ethnic groups.[10][11] The Yugoslav leadership tried to suppress protests of Kosovo Serbs seeking protection from ethnic discrimination and violence.[12]

In 1986, the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SANU) was working on a document which later would be known as the SANU Memorandum, a warning to the Serbian President and Assembly of the existing crisis and where it would lead. An unfinished edition was filtered to the press. In the essay, SANU criticised the state of Yugoslavia and made remarks that the only member state contributing at the time to the development of Kosovo and Macedonia (by then, the poorest territories of the Federation) was Serbia. According to SANU, Yugoslavia was suffering from ethnic strife and the disintegration of the Yugoslav economy into separate economic sectors and territories, which was transforming the federal state into a loose confederation.[13] On the other hand, some think that Slobodan Milošević used the discontent reflected in the SANU memorandum for his own political goals, during his rise to power in Serbia at the time.

Wik

[Heinz Guderian]

What do you propose then? Frankly Kosovo deserves this at the very least and if it gets Putin's panties in a bunch well then I suggest he pop a valium and knock back on some vodka, relax and face reality.

I'm sure Mountbatten asked the same question as you 60 years ago in the subcontinent, or the Brit planners in the Mid East and Africa. It gives Serbs and Russians a casus beli and root of greviance. Kosovo has been Serbian territory for centuries. Slobadan was an asshat, but i believe things have changed in Beograd. Dividing up a country because one has superior military force, does not qualify a political settlement. Kosovo should remain Serbian.

[Farnan]

I'm sure Mountbatten asked the same question as you 60 years ago in the subcontinent, or the Brit planners in the Mid East and Africa. It gives Serbs and Russians a casus beli and root of greviance. Kosovo has been Serbian territory for centuries. Slobadan was an asshat, but i believe things have changed in Beograd. Dividing up a country because one has superior military force, does not qualify a political settlement. Kosovo should remain Serbian.

Serbia the nation hasn't been around for centuries.

Also, the majority population wants independence, thus they should be given it. Especially as Serbians committed genocide against Kosovo and are known as not being fans of minorities.

Wilpuri: Many of those Serbs fled immediately after Serbia lost control of Kosovo. There has been attempts to get them to return.

[Heinz Guderian]

Serbia the nation hasn't been around for centuries.

Also, the majority population wants independence, thus they should be given it. Especially as Serbians committed genocide against Kosovo and are known as not being fans of minorities.

The Serbs have been around as a people for many more centuries sir. They fought the Turks for the control of Kosovo in 1389. The majority of the population wants independence because those that dont have fled sir. I dont like the idea of independence because it serves as a precedent for invading countries, chopping them up and making them independent entities. It smacks of colonialism sir.

[danzig]

I'm sure Mountbatten asked the same question as you 60 years ago in the subcontinent, or the Brit planners in the Mid East and Africa. It gives Serbs and Russians a casus beli and root of greviance. Kosovo has been Serbian territory for centuries. Slobadan was an asshat, but i believe things have changed in Beograd. Dividing up a country because one has superior military force, does not qualify a political settlement. Kosovo should remain Serbian.

Well hence I mentioned above it is basically turning into a mini middle east and long term I have no clue how the region is going to avoid not spilling out into if not open conflict (again) the tic for tac guerilla/hit and run nonsense.