Never you mind, the UN is right on it. Bad news all around, don't you all feel better now?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/...e_eu/un_kosovo

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"We are fighting today for our life, for our liberty, for our all, we cannot go on being led as we are. Somehow or other, we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory."~Leo Amery 1940, while staring at Chamberlain

I do not know if you ever met Albanians, but they are as a whole very pro-American.
After Montenegro declaring independence from Serbia Kosovo is the next step.
As i read according to Finnish UN representative, Kosovo will gain independence from Serbia, but will be semi-governed by European nations which have troops there and secure stability within Kosovo, as there still live many differnt ethnics like Serbs, Albanians, Macedons and even Turks.
Albanians represent the majority within Kosovo and under Albanians (i am not talking seperate for Kosovo, but everywhere where Albainans live) is a very strong dream of Great Albania.

In Macedonia for example there live also about 25% Albanians of whole population and there where heavy clashes with deads whenthe new millenium began.

But coming back to topic:
The main obstacle for independence for Kosovo from Serbia is the Security Council, namely Russia.
Russia always has been ally of Yugoslawia, as it was not only Russia's foothold on the Balkans, but there is also a string connection between the 2 Orthodox Churches of both countries.

This complicates the issue. But Russia also knows that Serbia is lost (wrong horse) since it is responsible for mass killings on Balkans and every further fragmentation of Serbia results of this past.
So in Realpolitics Russia's stance is in reliance to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are Georgian territories but Russia sponsored there living ethnic Russians to declare independence from Georgia.
In fact Georgia has no control of these regions. But despite declared independence, these 2 regions are unrecognized by world community. And Sakshvili said in past he will also rely on military to integrate these regions back to Georgia.
This is the main issue between Russia and Georgia when you hear about whine boycots or other bullying.

One other region which declared itself independent from the owner state and is inhabitated by ethnic Russians is a region in Moldavia.
You srely do not know where Moldavia lies, but it lies also as Georgia on Black sea, but on West part on European soil.
So Russia connects the future of these ethnic Russian regions which declared unrecognized independence, to similar issues like Kosovo.

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On a 100-point thermometer scale, Turkey continued to
view itself at 80 degrees, nearly 40 degrees “warmer” than
all others. 48 % of Turkish respondents felt that, on international matters, Turkey should act alone.
Marshall Fund: Transatlantic Trends

Long the most eastward player among Western powers, Turkey could well reposition itself as the most western power among a loose bloc of Eastern players.

Kosovo is the example of an international administration : the government, the institutions, come from outside. Bernard Kouchner, former french minister and co-creator of "Médecins Sans Frontières" (MD without borders) was during several years the administrator of the province, for the UN.

Kosovo's independance would be the prolongation and the final touch of the end of the former Yougoslavia, started in 1991 with the proclamation of the independance of Croatia and Slovenia (north-west of Yougoslavia).
Kosovo was under Yougoslavian State a province with autonomy. It's Milosevic, in june, the 28th, 1989 (600th birthday of Kosovopolje's battle), who took back this autonomy, creating a war between the JNA and UCK.

Kosovo is quite out of Serbia's control. But Serbia will probably not let Kosovo go, Serbia already lost Montenegro in srping 2006. So, problem in perspective, again, for the Balkans. Since 1878, it's a powder tank...

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Pro rege saepe, pro patria semper (Colbert)

Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit (Terence)

"If one needed only the arms against the French, we would be victorious, the French are small, weak ; only one of our Germans would beat four of them; but they become with the fire supernatural beings." writing in 1806 by a Prussian officer after Iena and Auerstaedt

Kosovo is an example of the failure of Europe/UN. The US never, never should have entered that problem, under NATO.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1998/10/kosovo/timeline/

It's been a longer committment by far than Iraq and of no vital interest to the US. The difference was, Chirac wanted the US muscle that comes with our defense spending. The only good thing that came out of it, the US found out just how toothless the European 'powers' were.

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"We are fighting today for our life, for our liberty, for our all, we cannot go on being led as we are. Somehow or other, we must get into the Government men who can match our enemies in fighting spirit, in daring, in resolution and in thirst for victory."~Leo Amery 1940, while staring at Chamberlain

For me, Kosovo is quite a success. UN and Europe successed to bring Kosovo out of an awful mess. Police mission, public order, are made by european soldiers and UN institutions.

It can't be a real and great success beacuse of the geopolitical and historical situation. Kosovo and, wider, Balkans, were since 1878 a real problematic area.

UN and EU, with this data, have tried to bring back order, and they don't fail completly.

The cessation of hostilities is a quite simple thing : you send soldiers, you win, it's done. Like in 1999. But the reconstruction of a wasted country is a really really hard thing.

i find goo that UN (and EU) don't only care the threats against peace in a very short sens, but put in also the "after-war", the reconstruction of the coutrny and the restauration of the authority.

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Pro rege saepe, pro patria semper (Colbert)

Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit (Terence)

"If one needed only the arms against the French, we would be victorious, the French are small, weak ; only one of our Germans would beat four of them; but they become with the fire supernatural beings." writing in 1806 by a Prussian officer after Iena and Auerstaedt

Yes, but Atisari's plan will come to the Security council.
And there comes Russia into play.

Further, it is not only EU soldiers serving around the Balkans and in reliance to Kosovo and NATO, the KFOR.
Or UN the UNMIK.

In Kosovo there are the biggest silver-reserves on the whole continent around Trepca and Mitrovica.
Also there are big coal (17 billion Tonnes), gold, zink and other ressources like Uranium-ore.
Kosovo is like Wonderland for major powers. From Greeks, Romans, Ottomans to Nazi conquest of Balkan all mined there different ressources.

So there is for Serbs a economic aspect on insisting Kosovo relies in Serbia and a mythological:
For Serbs Kosovo is the cradle of Serbian nation after they were defeated in battle of Kosovo Polje battle.

The truth is, that the UN plan is neither a half-full bottle, nor a half-empty bottle for all sides involved.
And no matter what Kosovo will one day join Albania.
It is what Albanians, includeing Kosovarian Albanians, want.

__________________
On a 100-point thermometer scale, Turkey continued to
view itself at 80 degrees, nearly 40 degrees “warmer” than
all others. 48 % of Turkish respondents felt that, on international matters, Turkey should act alone.
Marshall Fund: Transatlantic Trends

Long the most eastward player among Western powers, Turkey could well reposition itself as the most western power among a loose bloc of Eastern players.

My take?

If talking could REALLY solve ANY problem in the great wide world, the European States would be the first I would turn to. Unfortunately, talking to your sworn enemies seldom, if ever, has the desired results. In most instances, just the reverse is true, your invaded, and over run, just ask, well, almost ANY country in Europa.

The French for sure, have yet to learn that lesson.

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Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.-KC Theisen

"Statistics: The only science that enables different experts using the same figures to draw different conclusions." — Evan Esar

Vigilance is the price of liberty. - Motto of SHAPE

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies." —Groucho Marx

That is true in describing the massacres happened on Balkans (Europe). Meaning the inability of Europe in time to stop what happened.
But today the situation is very different.
We have now a Serbian nation which still votes for ultra-nationalistic SRS with 28,2 % of total votes making it biggest Party in election in January 2007 and does not cooperate with The Hague Crime Tribunal, namely arresting Mladic, Karadzic and other butchers and in next step sending them to Netherlands as Chief Crime Representative of UN Carla Del Ponte many times complained.
Even in 2003 elöections SRS gained 27,3% of total votes makeing them that legislature period biggest bloc in parliament.
So it is now too with this election.

Out of this position Serbia does not have any weight in demanding this and that about Kosovo or other things, as everything what happens is based on their doings.
Despite this fact, in Octobre 2006 due to separation of Montenegro from Serbia&Montenegro Serbia with all Parties except one small party agreed on a new constitution which is very problematic and was accepted via referendum by Serbian nation..
For example courts are put with this constitution under the controll of government or parliament.
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/in_focus...5&nav_id=37532

But that is their own business.
What is interesting for this theread and the described new constitution is, that Serbia since Octobre 2006 now a new constituion which describes Kosovo as integral part of Serbia.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchas...n-to-claim.php

New Serbia constitution to claim Kosovo as 'integral' part of Serbia
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchas...n-to-claim.php

They did this allthough they new which fate by the world community would be chosen for Kosovo (indepnedence).
So someone has to make the Serbian nation clear, that they lost the authority over Kosovo long ago.
Kosovarian Albanians do want independence, and they will also not tolerate this goal being put back another while.

__________________
On a 100-point thermometer scale, Turkey continued to
view itself at 80 degrees, nearly 40 degrees “warmer” than
all others. 48 % of Turkish respondents felt that, on international matters, Turkey should act alone.
Marshall Fund: Transatlantic Trends

Long the most eastward player among Western powers, Turkey could well reposition itself as the most western power among a loose bloc of Eastern players.