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| Europe | ||
| EU withdraws from Kosovo as Serbia protests | ||
| 2008-02-24 | ||
The civilian staff were meant to be preparing for the EU to take over responsibility for security in Kosovo from the United Nations. "We are not sufficiently confident that they are safe here," said US ambassador Cameron Munter. On Thursday protesters stormed and burned the US embassy in Belgrade. A week after tens of thousands of people took to the streets of the Kosovan capital Pristina to celebrate the country's unilateral declaration of independence, Kosovo is already effectively partitioned. The mostly Serb-populated northern region around the divided town of Mitrovica, next to the Serbian border, has made it clear that it wants no part of the newborn country that Serb officials consider "illegal". The bridge on the Ibar River that divides the Albanian and the Serb parts of Mitrovica has been closed to traffic, guarded by UN police and Nato on one side, and Serb strongmen on the other. At the same time, KFOR, the Nato-led peacekeeping force, sealed the border to Serbia, after angry mobs torched border crossings. "This is a beginning of a secession of the northern part of Kosovo," Oliver Ivanovic, a Kosovo Serb leader from Mitrovica, told The Sunday Telegraph. "I fear it will lead to attacks on the remaining Albanians living in northern Mitrovica to force them to flee across the river.
Yesterday Peter Feith, the EU's Kosovo envoy, said security concerns were behind the withdrawal of his staff from northern Kosovo. They had been preparing the ground for a 2,000-strong EU rule of law mission. "I would like to appeal to the Serb community to be generous and to turn the page and look forward to working together with us," he said. "We hope that conditions will soon allow us to resume our activities." Slobodan Samardzic, the minister for Kosovo in the Serb government, deemed the attacks on the border crossings "legitimate" and said they were in "accordance with the Serbian government's policy." Britain, the US and other Western countries have recognised independent Kosovo as a sovereign state, prompting criticism from countries such as Russia, a staunch Serb ally, but also China and some EU members, notably Spain, who claim the move to be a dangerous precedent that would weaken the rule of international law and encourage separatist movements across the world. In the Serb part of Mitrovica, anti-independence rallies have been held every day since the independence declaration last Sunday, in an atmosphere of increasing tension and lawlessness instigated by Belgrade-paid agitators. Serbian government officials address the angry crowds as rocks, bottles and fireworks are being hurled at the UN police guarding the bridge, while thugs in track suits and leather jackets cruise the town as self-appointed guardians of security. Officers of the Kosovo Police Service (KPS), the multi-ethnic police force which serves in northern Mitrovica, said they will no longer take orders from Pristina following the independence declaration and have vowed to swap their uniforms for those of the Serbian police. "I did not join the force to serve an illegal Albanian state. The capital of my state is Belgrade, as stipulated by the United Nations Resolution 1244. I will soon change this uniform for a Serbian one and continue to serve my people," a KPS officer serving in Mitrovica told the Sunday Telegraph under the condition of anonymity. On the street dotted with Serbian and Russian flags and banners with anti-independence slogans, the police officer was engaged in a cordial conversation with one of the thugs known as 'bridge watchers', whose job is to make sure no Albanian crosses the bridge. He said: "We will not create incidents but we will not tolerate any form of Albanian rule. This is and it will always remain Serbia. We may be small, but we have the full support of Serbia and Russia. And we have weapons, should we be forced to protect ourselves." Serbia has sent dozens of busloads of protesters to support the rallies in the north. But following several days of unrest, KFOR decided to seal the border and halt the influx of potential protesters from Serbia. "We have issued orders not to let buses through or any individuals who could pose a potential threat to the security of Kosovo. We are also fully able and ready to prevent any clashes between Serbs and Albanians, "a KFOR spokesperson said. Indeed, dozens of armoured vehicles and tanks have been deployed at key points in the border region, after Belgrade officials announced that they would march into Kosovo in their thousands — albeit for peaceful rallies. "KFOR troops are trained and well-equipped to answer any challenges coming from inside or outside of Kosovo," a radio advertisement, paid for by KFOR, warns Serbian listeners. But Mr Ivanovic, is sceptical. "In case of real clashes KFOR will first protect themselves and then come to count the causalities. The Serbs here have access to weapons, and I know that the Albanians living on this side of the river have recently been armed. "I see no reason for optimism." | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #15 The Serbians were our buddies in WWII fighting with us against the Nazis and rescuing our pilots. We sure stuck by them. Correction, some Serbs. There were Serbs, Croats, Muzzies, Albanians et al on both or working both sides in WWII. It's a curse on both houses. The Serbs play the victim/frontline fighter card just like Paleos play theirs in the muzzie world against a different kind of perceived 'foreign' enclave. Let's remember it was Serbian nationalism, the Serbian Blackhand terrorist allied with the Serbian military/intelligence that wacked the Archduke setting into motion a couple world wars of which the results we are still dealing with. Not to mention the tens of millions of lives thrown away in the process. Neither side are angels. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-02-24 22:56 |
| #14 It was leaked last year that President Bush was informing all the serious presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle of his decisions and his reasons therefore. Not just Senator Clinton's campaign. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-02-24 22:35 |
| #13 Remove our troops and redeploy them where it makes a difference like Afghanistan. The Serbs and Kosovars are not worth US blood. This is like letting California have independence because it's been over run by illegals. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom 2008-02-24 21:54 |
| #12 I was agin our first deployment to the Balkins and everyone thereafter. [two IIRC] Because the Europeans will never pay the price, step up to the plate, take the heat until they get burned. 3 metaphors in the mix. :) my other guess is that Russia isn't dying to deploy to the Balkins, but is willing to send weapons and weapon systems and possibily a few advisors. |
| Posted by: RD 2008-02-24 21:11 |
| #11 If you can't explain to America in 3 or 4 concise sentences, why we should go to war then you will not get America behind you. It's that simple |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-24 20:38 |
| #10 The Serbians were our buddies in WWII fighting with us against the Nazis and rescuing our pilots. We sure stuck by them. Albanian amity is not a major national interest worth the life of my son or daughter. Time to leave the Balkans to the EUropeans who are so much better at the kind of Soft Power that will make such a difference there. In fact, time to leave EUrope to the EUropeans. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2008-02-24 20:26 |
| #9 cuz they're so remembering and grateful from our previous intervention, Dr Steve? Get out, let the EUropeans handle it. Or perhaps we need EU intervention in Cuba when the shakedown happens? Spheres of influence and national interest are not just words.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-24 19:51 |
| #8 Okay, so here's a reason to stay: currently the Kosovars are (said to be) very pro-U.S. This despite whatever inroads the Wahabis and Deobandis have made the past decade; the Albanians look to us for inspiration. Now if we walk away from them, they're going to get the idea that their distant Saoodi cousins were right. And the last thing we need is an active terrorist state/statelet in the heart of Y'urp. I'd stay engaged. I'd also make sure the Kosovars understand that I have my limits, and asking American soldiers to die as a result of their provocations and nose-tweaking of the Serbs is beyond my limits. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-02-24 19:42 |
| #7 I would expect that, like Darfur, Obama would be totally committed to intervention til the first US casualty |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-24 18:16 |
| #6 I agree with Jomosing Bluetooth8431, and Frank G,My sentiments exactly! It was leaked last year that the Bush Administration was conferring with the Hillary campaign on strategy and coordination in international 'policies', maybe this is still being done with the Obama camp, as well. |
| Posted by: smn 2008-02-24 18:00 |
| #5 a) the enmity stretches back longer than America has been a nation b) It's in Europes' back yard c) It has NO national security or economic interest for the US Get our troops out - let the EU handle it |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-24 17:39 |
| #4 Why in hell do we have any troops in Kosovo? Get them out ASAP and led the infinitely wiser Euros deal with their own problems. They don't need our help and they've told us that many, many times. Ask Chiraq, Schroeder or Malloch-Brown--they'll be happy to tell you again. And no, I don't give a damn how many Albs or Serbs get wiped in any ensuing fight. The lot of them put together isn't worth the life of one American soldier. |
| Posted by: Jomosing Bluetooth8431 2008-02-24 17:34 |
| #3 If this was a Saudi driven independence.. send them the bill. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2008-02-24 17:30 |
| #2 Maybe not today but surely before the summer ends things will get ugly. The Serbs can't help themselves nor can the Kosovars. Russia has no need to invade. A means to limit the impact of concentrated airpower would probably be enough. |
| Posted by: Tkat 2008-02-24 15:55 |
| #1 3,000 GIs are operating in Kosovo as part of KFOR. I sure hope the Serbs and the Russians aren't planning on an invasion. This could quickly get out of hand. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2008-02-24 15:27 |
