For a long time the proponents of Kosovo’s independence have acted as if the game was up, that all that remained was for the “international community†to settle on the formula for independence—and for Serbia to sign on the dotted line under pressure. Until recently, many old Balkan hands in the world’s capitals that matter expected that by the end of 2006 it would be all over. There are recent signs, however, that “it†won’t be over that soon, and that the outcome is by no means preordained. It did not look that way when the United Nations abandoned its...