2008 Woodie Awards
Effects of the newly emerged, independent Kosovo will be global
Michael Roberts
Issue date: 2/26/08 Section: Opinion
With all of the news coverage that Iraq gets, we seem to forget about other places in the world where American troops are stationed. NATO's intervention in Kosovo in 1999 set the stage for what we are currently seeing today, a united independent Kosovo.
In an America that constantly talks about "democracy" and "freedom" and has recently become involved in the idea of "nation building," it was a no brainer that we were going to support the independence of Kosovo, but will this new independent nation in the notoriously unstable Balkan region of Europe be good or bad?
The Balkan region is known for ethnic conflicts ever since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and this new independent Kosovo might just add to the problems.
Sure, you don't hear about violence coming out of the Balkans as frequently as say, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that is only because of the NATO peacekeeping force that has been there since 1999, and they have been doing a very good job of quelling the violence. Once they leave the area, what happens in that area is really anyone's guess.
Last week, because of the declaration of their independence and the United States' support, the United States' embassy in Belgrade was attacked and partially burned by pro-Serbian rioters, organized against the new Kosovo.
If the support of an independent Kosovo from Western powers like England and ourselves creates this much of a problem in the region, one can only imagine how terrible an actual independent state would be for the regions politics.
The next problem is how unstable the region of the former Yugoslavia area is. Since the 1980 death of Josip Tito, the second leader of Yugoslavia, the region has been full of ethnic struggles, ethnic cleansing and multiple leaders.
If another country were to come out of the former Yugoslavia, this could spin off into a group of other countries desiring independence and even more dissent within the area.
In an America that constantly talks about "democracy" and "freedom" and has recently become involved in the idea of "nation building," it was a no brainer that we were going to support the independence of Kosovo, but will this new independent nation in the notoriously unstable Balkan region of Europe be good or bad?
The Balkan region is known for ethnic conflicts ever since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, and this new independent Kosovo might just add to the problems.
Sure, you don't hear about violence coming out of the Balkans as frequently as say, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but that is only because of the NATO peacekeeping force that has been there since 1999, and they have been doing a very good job of quelling the violence. Once they leave the area, what happens in that area is really anyone's guess.
Last week, because of the declaration of their independence and the United States' support, the United States' embassy in Belgrade was attacked and partially burned by pro-Serbian rioters, organized against the new Kosovo.
If the support of an independent Kosovo from Western powers like England and ourselves creates this much of a problem in the region, one can only imagine how terrible an actual independent state would be for the regions politics.
The next problem is how unstable the region of the former Yugoslavia area is. Since the 1980 death of Josip Tito, the second leader of Yugoslavia, the region has been full of ethnic struggles, ethnic cleansing and multiple leaders.
If another country were to come out of the former Yugoslavia, this could spin off into a group of other countries desiring independence and even more dissent within the area.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
V T
posted 2/26/08 @ 12:19 AM EST
Dear Michael,
Your article denotes a profound lack of understanding and ignorance of the realities in this part of Europe, your thinking that for once US is creating some friends by supporting the establishment of an independent entity by selectively applying the international law has the undesired effect of angering otherwise pro American public opinions in many more countries, see the refusal of Serbia's neighbours to recognize Kosovo, apart from the muslim majority countries like Albania and Turkey. (Continued…)
Vincent Kristen
posted 2/26/08 @ 3:53 AM EST
Drogovo would be a beacon of democracy and a positive example of America? You mean muslims burning churches, ethnically cleansing Serbs, Roms, Christians, Jews(not a single jew officially left in Albanian Kosovo. (Continued…)
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