Bombs rattle Kosovo's frontier with Serbia

[Andy Canuck]

Source: CBC

Violence rocked northern Kosovo on Tuesday as Serbs protesting against the breakaway province's declaration of independence set off bombs and burned down a border post.

One blast damaged several cars near a United Nations building in Kosovska Mitrovica, while two other hand grenade explosions hit deserted homes belonging to ethnic Albanians who had fled the northern town years ago. The town is a stronghold for ethnic Serbs within Albanian-majority Kosovo.

Demonstrators also burned down a control station on Kosovo's border with Serbia in the town of Jarinje, and Reuters reported that 1,000 people were attacking another border station in Zubin Potok, where customs police took shelter from the attacks in a tunnel.

Police requested support from the 16,000 NATO troops stationed in the country as part of the military alliance's Kosovo peacekeeping force. NATO said that it had deployed troops to Jarinje and that more were on the way to Zubin Potok.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/02/19/kosovo-protests.html




Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/02/19/kosovo-protests.html

---

I am afraid that another Great War is about to start in Serbia. It is all eerily similiar to WWI and the twisted alliances and treaties of nations. Russia, I do believe, is willing to fight for Serbia this time around.

[zanne]

1. God no.

I hope not. That would be a disaster for everyone.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

2. k&r

[IsItJustMe]

3. Russia is not backing down on this. They are pissed and someone in our leadership needs to pay

attention.

[xchrom]

4. bushco ignored this so he could have his phony war. nt

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Christian terra-ists blowing up Muslims. The CC will not allow the US to intervene.

[ohio2007]

9. Kosovo province houses a 90% Muslim community,

article excerpt of what Russia may be worried about ;

snip

Most Albanians are Muslims (Sunni Muslims and Bektashis). It is estimated that 70% of Albanians in the Republic of Albania are Muslim,
90% in the Province of Kosovo and 99% in the Republic of Macedonia. (CIA Factbook 2007).
There are also Orthodox Christians, predominantly in Southern Albania, bordering Greece, and Roman Catholics, predominantly in Northern Albania, bordering the Republic of Montenegro. After 1992 an influx of foreign missionaries has brought more religious diversity with faiths such as Jehova Witnesses, Mormons, Hindus, Bahá'í, Scientologists, a variety of Christian denominations and others. This rich blend of religions has rarely caused religious strife. People of different religions freely intermarry. For part of its history, Albania has also had a Jewish community. Some of the members of the Jewish community were saved by a group of Albanians during the Nazi occupation. Many left for Israel circa 1990-1992 during warfare with the break-up of Yugoslavia.

All over the world, an estimated 78% of Albanians are Muslims, 14% are Orthodox Christians and 8% are Roman Catholics.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albanians#Religion


To me, it reads like a larger Beirut Lebanon just came into existence. Russia on the other hand, may see it as an allie to the Chechen break away republic rebels.

It should be be seen for what it could be. Either a Beirut that could have strong sectarian links to the west. Maybe they can start up the Yugo exports again ;)

or

it could be
a Gaza Strip basket weaver head case. Major exports;
kassam rockets.

From the pics I saw, it looks like they want to be the former. The US lame duck president hopes for the best.
dunno where Obama or Hillary stand on the issue.

any body get their take ?
I know what Putin thinks of it.

[TOOCOOL]

10. KOSOVO IN 80 s

Background material about Kosovo, especially the material disseminated by mainstream channels, is deficient in many aspects, but perhaps the most startling feature of many such articles is the singular way of examining the history of the region. We are told that Kosovo is the cradle of Serbian nation and we learn about the battle of 1389 and then, in most articles, with a gigantic leap that would make envious any athlete, the article strides 600 years later, in 1989, when the Kosovo autonomy was rescinded by Milosevic. What happened during these 600 years, pray tell? Or, at least, what happened during the last few years before 1989?

It is now difficult to write about the recent past of Kosovo without taking into account the war which is raging just now. So, it occurred to me that if I managed to find articles written in the 80s, when Kosovo was not famous, at least these would be free of any bias due to the later events.


http://members.tripod.com/sarant_2/ksm.html


BTW Macedonia and Montenegro are next just watch.

[Penance]

11. Albanians aren't exactly Saudi Arabians

Most Albanians (including many that I've personally known in this country) aren't terribly religious. Along with the Estonians and Czechs, they are some of the least religious people in Europe. Something like 75% of Albanians consider themselves non-religious. Islam is a complete red herring in Kosovo.

Anti-Serb (and by extension anti-Slav) feelings among the ethnic albanians are the real issue. What happens to the Serbs left in what is to be independent Kosovo? My guess is revenge for the treatment of Kosovars by the Serbs during the last civil war. Unless the UN puts some sort of neutral peacekeeping force in there, it's going to be a bloodbath.

The Russians don't just have the fate of Chechnya in mind. They have always thought of themselves as the Serbs' "Big Brother" going back to the days of the Tsar. That feeling of kinship was one of the major reasons WWI broke out after a Serb assasinated the Austrian Arch-Duke.

[ohio2007]

12. Slavic village

There is an old neighborhood in my city where many from that part of the world settled because of the similar languages they spoke.
From listening to ( older ) women talking/gossiping at wedding events, comparing last names to personal family stories from "the old country" ,
it is obvious they brought their mistrust from the old country. But that old slavic neighborhood has died off. Most original settlers have died or tyhier children have moved out. Old customs die hard.

[AlphaCentauri]

14. One thing I can't understand, why when Muslims become majority they want to be independent

That is what happened to India and Pakistan.

[NashVegas]

16. India and Pakistan

The British helped that one along, IMO. When colonial powers pull out, they have a history of leaving divided nations, the British, especially.

[maddezmom]

6. NATO steps in as Serbs torch Kosovo border post

PRISTINA (Reuters) - NATO peacekeepers in newly independent Kosovo intervened on Tuesday as Serb mobs opposed to its secession attacked border posts and police fled.

Serbs burned down one border post and were attacking a second, a Kosovo police spokesman said. Police manning the post called for help from the NATO peacekeeping force, KFOR, which said it was stepping in.

"KFOR is going to intervene now," a force spokesman said. He declined to say which troops of the 35-nation, 17,000-strong force were being deployed.

The violence highlights the challenge facing a European Union law enforcement mission preparing to deploy in the Albanian-majority territory which has been under U.N. administration for nearly nine years.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080219/wl_nm/kosovo_serbia_border_dc;_ylt=AhKpIaG3XFcDSgHblhz1cu5m.3QA

[ohio2007]

15. Serbian Soccer Fans Beat up Homosexuals at Belgrade 2001 Gay Parade

I] Fans of the Red Star Belgrade (Delije), Partizan (Grobari) and FK RAD (United Force) join up together to attack homosexuals at the first gay Parade in Belgrade in 2001. Police tried to hold back the football hooligans but it ended up in small clashes between the police and the protesters, even though most of the hooligans where only attacking the homosexuals and didn't want to get involved with the police.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=129_1181518971


they have a record for intolerance for change

[ben_meyers]

7. How about just leave Europe to Europe for once.

My Granddad was ww1, my dad ww2 , I got to visit S.E. Asia, and 2 of my kids have been in the M.E. Every time it was to pull Europe's fat out of the fire. They have done nothing but screw up the world for centuries, you're on your own now.

[roamer65]

8. I think WW3 will start by multiple regional conflicts.

The Balkans, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan and finally Iran. The superpowers will pick sides much like WW1 and kaboom.

[ohio2007]

13. Kosovo Touts 'Islam Lite' (ABC news )

snip
Much has been made of Kosovo's status as the world's newest mostly Muslim nation. But its secular government, religious leaders and faithful have carefully distanced themselves from the slightest hint of extremism. "Our Islam is 'lite' like Coke Lite or Marlboro Light cigarettes," said Ilmi Krasniqi, an imam at one of five mosques in the eastern town of Gnjilane. "This is not Baghdad, and what goes on in Saudi Arabia cannot happen here."

That is not to suggest that radical Islam has not impacted Kosovo's Muslim ethnic Albanians.

snip

"Albanians, although Muslim in their majority, are fanatics only about their appreciation for America. Albanian Islam is moderate, and constitutes a bulwark against radicalization of European Muslims," he said."I don't think there's any other Muslim country in the world where there's so much Christian missionary activity that goes on undisturbed," Schwartz added.

Kosovo's conflict drew only a smattering of mujahedeen Islamic fighters from the Arab world unlike the 1992-95 Bosnian war, where they came by the thousands to aid their Muslim brothers.


snip
There has been speculation that Kosovo, which has always enjoyed staunch backing from Washington, might give the U.S. a rare Muslim friend and some leverage in its effort to contain Islamic extremism. But intense U.S. engagement in Bosnia did little to endear America to the wider Arab world.

"America is not necessarily going to get a lot out of the Muslim world with this," Schwartz said.

Outside Gnjilane's main mosque, the crowd of young men includes some with long, wiry beards and short trousers. But they are quick to eschew the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam followed by al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

"I'm proud that our democratic and recognized country is first and foremost a very tolerant and secular state," said Fikret Morina, a 31-year-old Muslim tradesman.

"The world has no reason to be afraid of us."



http://abcnews.go.com/International/WireStory?id=4317963&page=3



Kosovo is a litnus test. I suppose that is why the western nations desperately wanted to recognize them for what they could be