The European Tribune is a forum for thoughtful dialogue of European and international issues. You are invited to post comments and your own articles.
Please REGISTER to post.
The reason why people like myself seem to criticise the serbians more than others in the conflict is not because the serbians are especially guilty, but because the serbians appear to be in denial about what was done by their armies and militias. Other groups have accepted that their people have done such atrocites that cast shadows over their endeavours.
My view is that if EU/NATO support this independence movement and intend to militarily guarantee it, then KSs should not just be protected but compensated generously. If they wish to leave then they should have equivalent land and shelter bought for them on our dollar in serbvian territory. Peaceful transition in a hot zone is expensive and this sounds a lot cheaper than any war to me. not that it will happen as I'd wish, we are short-sighted like that, but it should if we are to claim any high ground. the serbians have genuine fears and peacekeeping ain't good enough. keep to the Fen Causeway
Now, it is very funny to find someone seriously proposing a compensation scheme in a case where potential losses are much larger than even a long unemployment spell for a Barby maker whose job has moved to China. Do you really believe anyone would think about compensating the losers, especially the losers who fought under "Hitler of our times" and thus deserve everything they've got?
I don't really understand your argument in the first paragraph. Majority of ethnic cleansing has been accomplished already, and Mitrovica could be lazily dealt with once the international community declares victory and leaves. Of course serious politicians would not contemplate war-like events now - they are simply not needed.
However, we are getting into the realms of strange hypotheticals where we end up with what the meaning of "is" is.
My position in this situation was clearly stated. keep to the Fen Causeway
Audio here: http://www.yugofile.co.uk/mp3s/20071211_today_kosmet_boundary.mp3 Transcript follows: BBC (Sarah Montague): One of the things you have suggested is possibly changing the boundaries... General Sir Michael Jackson: Well, I put that forward for what it's worth. I'm sure Mr Ahtisaari will have looked at it, but it does seem to me that northern Kosovo, north of the river Ibar, Mitrovica, the town of Mitrovica, that area is almost entirely Serb. My understanding is that that area - which is relatively small - was, is not part of historic Kosovo. It was "moved" from Serbia to Kosovo by an administrative order of Tito sometime, I think, in the mid sixties.
by Frank Schnittger - May 27 3 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 5 22 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 23 1 comment
by Oui - May 13 65 comments
by Carrie - Apr 30 7 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 273 comments
by Oui - May 2712 comments
by Oui - May 24
by Frank Schnittger - May 231 comment
by Oui - May 1365 comments
by Oui - May 910 comments
by Frank Schnittger - May 522 comments
by Oui - May 449 comments
by Oui - May 312 comments
by Oui - May 29 comments
by gmoke - May 1
by Oui - Apr 30269 comments
by Carrie - Apr 307 comments
by Oui - Apr 2644 comments
by Oui - Apr 886 comments
by Oui - Mar 19143 comments