Serb FM links Georgia war to Kosovo independence

AP ^

[kronos77]

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's foreign minister said the link is clear — U.S. and Western support for Kosovo's secession from Serbia has helped fuel tensions in Georgia's separatist province of South Ossetia.

Minister Vuk Jeremic was quoted by the Vecernje Novosti daily on Thursday as saying the recognition of Kosovo's independence on Feb. 17 by the United States and its NATO allies has "destabilized" other parts of the world.

"We have pointed out to the international community from the very start that the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo could present a dangerous precedent," Vuk Jeremic was quoted as saying. "Unfortunately, this has proven to be true much sooner than anyone expected." Jeremic was not immediately available for comment, but his spokeswoman confirmed the authenticity of the newspaper interview.

Serbia lost control over Kosovo in 1999 after it launched a military campaign in the province against Kosovo's ethnic Albanian separatists. Then-President Slobodan Milosevic was forced to pull out of Kosovo after Serbia was bombed by NATO for 78 days in retaliation for its brutality against civilians in Kosovo.

Serbia's new, pro-Western leadership that came after Milosevic was ousted in 2000 has refrained from using force in Kosovo but has refused to give up its claim on the territory.

Earlier this month, Jeremic sought support in the United Nations for Serbia's request that the Netherlands-based International Court of Justice rule on weather Kosovo's declaration of independence was legal under international law.

If approved at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly session, the Serbian request would present an important diplomatic victory for the Balkan country, although the court's ruling would be nonbinding.

Serbia has refused to acknowledge the secession of predominantly ethnic Albanian region. It has sought to block Kosovo's membership in the United Nations and other international organizations.

[Bigmouthbass]

Yes, it was WW1.

The Serbs lived under the turks for centuries and now the UN wants them back under the Saracens.

If this continues you will sow the seeds for another war.

But, for the moment Kuwait has stolen the front page.
The US, Great Britian and the EU have a naval fleet headed to Kuwait. Iran can’t wait!

We need to stay out of the Balkans.
Debt load will determine the last man standing and right now the USA is losing that war. China is having a large time.

[Andy from Beaverton]

But their morality apparently is situational. What about our situational morality? We look like hypocrites.

[dirtboy]

I was against the Kosovo campaign. But apparently, the Serbs are OK with Russia doing to Georgia what Nato did to them. I guess for the Serb's, it's OK if it's your pimp daddy doing the screwing.

And there is a key distinction for the US in Georgia - contrary to the statements of some like Pat Buchanan, Georgia is vital to national security interests - Kosovo never was, which is why the Dems supported Kosovo. First of all, Georgia is our keyhole into Central Asia - supply flights from Europe to Afghanistan pass through Georigan airspace. Russia and Iran certainly won't let us do that.

And second, Georgia is the only option for Caspian oil to bypass Russia and Iran on the way to market. Anything we can do to deprive oil revenues to those two regimes is strategic.

[BabaYaga]

Exuse me??? How can you say that? Nobody is “cheering” and taking side on this stupid war! Especially because they both consider to be Serbias alie, orthodox christians, friendly nations (well more Georgians, because in some crucial moments in history Serbia DIDN`T get help from Russia!). Exactly where did you find any centence that proove that Serbs “cheer” russian actions???

Mostley critique is against that Saakashvili endagered his own people (no matter how his actions were right or not) and that if he was not aware how Russians would react! That it was completely unnecesery to attack S.O. and to have blind faith in NATO as it was presented in Europe in the beginning of this conflict (I myself didn`t know almost anything about this issue before this happened). I never saw ANY debate on TV or read ANY journalist comment that sound as support for Russia on serbian media, just chronology of events in august, history of russian-georgian-ossetian relations, some prognosis and thats it!!! Serbia always paid in blood when reacted against powerful countries and people wonder how georgian president didn`t learn anything from the war in Balkans in 1990s. Russians, by getting in georgian territory out of S.O. did exactly what NATO did and it is bad as much no matter if it is near russian border, unlike USA military base in Kosovo that is thousands of kilometers from US. Both are energo-power “controlled” wars that has nothing to do with protecting some other nation by the “merciful angels”. “Humanitarian actions” are just exuses for the “big” players. Stupid!!!

Politicaly and technicaly Kosovo is precedent, but in essence is not because Kosovo WAS IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE PART OF SERBIAN HISTORICAL, RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL HERITAGE.

Please don`t say that Serbs are cheering for Russians, because it simply is not truth.

Remember, powerful ones always do what they will, and small what they can. If you can put yourself in the shoes of the small ones you might understand what I was talking about.

[dirtboy]

Exactly where did you find any centence that proove that Serbs “cheer” russian actions???

I've seen a fair number of pro-Serb posters on FR parroting the Russian propaganda.

[Dante3]

I am pro Serb. They were trying to defend themselves against radical Muslims. I was horrified at Clinton having so many of them killed, mostly women and children. I am disgusted with Bush and Rice's statements regarding Kosovo. No wonder if Serbs turn away from the US. For the record, I have no links to Serbs, have never even met one as far as I know. I just find it outrageous what Clinton did to a people who were friendly towards us and posed us no threat.

Also, I am pro Georgia in this conflict and took part in a demonstration in DC against Russian action even though I do not respect Saakashvili because of his suppression of opposition around the last election.

[BabaYaga]

If you consider abstained reaction (as it is of serbian government and I support this) as pro-russian you are very wrong. Tell me how would you react that in the situation when you have reduced number of friends that two of them start the fight between each-other and you can not do anything. It is situation here and Serbs are trying to understand and hope that this mess ends with less wounds as it is possible.

[dirtboy]

Well, you might want to talk to many of the Serb and pro-Serb posters on FR and get them to stop parroting Putin’s spin. It sure has turned me off from caring about what Nato is doing to y’all.

[BabaYaga]

A bit of projection into serb-thinking might help:

1. Russia is tradicional Serbian ally, orthodox friendly nation and cultural tradition,
2. Serbia and former Yugoslavia stood away from USSR, after Informburo confrontation not occupied by former mentioned union and by that have not experienced the “love” of the Power like Chekoslovakia, Hungaria etc.
3. Georgian today president was brought to the power by the help of Soros founded group that have base in the former serbian revolutionary Otpor organization,
4. Georgian president brutally quits against his political rivals during elections confirming the presence of “authoritative democracy” in his government - when economic and social reform don`t go let`s play some “patriotic” games to try to get back some popularity,
5. Georgian president put his own nation in danger by getting in conflict against ossetian civilians, local troups and russian “peacekeepers” in very unstable region,
6. Russian presenters of “authoritative democracy” uses the threat to flex some military muscles as not want any more to be pushed aside - so everybody knows of Medvedev-Putin lethal combination (medved in serbian means bear)
(this is the general question how long is the road from totalitarism, foreign-controlled democracy, restrained democracy, authoritative democracy to the real one?),
7. Georgian president asks for help from the NATO - the same nato that bombed us for 78 days, killing the thousand of civilians and smaller number of military troups, taking away our genuine land and giving to the world class thiefs - those who steal everything from the presidental watch to the other nations land - all by lies, lies, and again lies),
8. Russian government uses “the Kosovo precedent”,
9. NATO government uses “the territorial integrity rhetorics”,
10. Russia uses forces not just in S.O. but in Georgia also,
11. Ossetian civilians and troups got killed,
12. Russian troups got killed,
13. Georgian troups and civilians got killed,
14. NATO gets their protection shield,
15. Russia get “bad bear” treatment in the media again,
16. Georgian president get the “courageous pro-western democrat” treatment in the media,
17. Muslims get off the media hook,
18. Whare is Serbia? It will probably stay out of EU.
19. Where is Georgia? It will probably stay out of NATO (and Ukraine too).
20. China gets off the media hook for a while,
21. Why don`t the Powers in the power make some arrangement, devide the oil in the world and let us live in peace for once??? /s.

Serbs want to live in the boring country again and want that for Georgians too.

[FormerLib]

And there it is: crystalline Serb “logic.” Because the Serbs got screwed, the Georgians deserve it.

Wow, good job on getting it completely backwards there, ace!

Because the Serbs got screwed, the door was opened for a lot more people to get screwed using the Kosovo precedent.

No one "deserves" it!

[FormerLib]

I’ve seen more anti-Serb posters who say the same things you’d expect from the Jihadists and the Dhimmis.

[1rudeboy]

LOL--As if the Russians give a hoot about precedent. The only people yowling about precedent are people trying to justify the Russians' behavior, coupled with people still fighting the Kosovo war.

And there is significant overlap there.

[FormerLib]

As if the Russians give a hoot about precedent.

If you mean the Russians don't care about not being able to do what they want if there isn't precedent, you are correct.

If you don't realize that the West's idiotic actions in Kosovo have given carte blanche to folks who want to do what the Russians have done, you are a public skool graduate!

[FormerLib]

Good job on still getting it wrong, by the by! LOL!

[1rudeboy]

You're not very bright, are you? Putin (whether he is Chechnya Putin, or Georgia Putin) doesn't need carte blanche. The only people who care whether it was given to him are Kremlin apologists, and Serb communists pining for the Motherland.

[BabaYaga]

Serb communists

???

You're not very bright, are you?

Are you often talking to yourself?

[1rudeboy]

I’m just illustrating what passes for Serb logic.

[FormerLib]

It’s a vastly superior logic to that of moving to ad hominem insult when it’s shown you’re on the wrong side of something.

[1rudeboy]

You’re not in a position to be whining about insults.

[FormerLib]

You’re not in a position to be using words such as Logic!