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Like most US citizens I played a lot of historical, catchup ball as the conflict widened. The pattern that emerged was not secular but religious. The continuation of a religious conflict that stretched back to the middle ages.

Careful with the religious angle. The Serb-Albanian conflict is based on ethnicity, not religion. Some of the top leaders of the KLA were Catholic. And the KLA membership took in all Albanians, regardless whether irreligious, Orthodox, Catholic, or Muslim. The Catholic churches in Kosovo were untouched by the Albanians; although the bishop of Kosovo did register complaints about Serbian harassment of his parishioners and Yugo Army take-overs of Catholic churches and property for their own use. The Albanian destruction of Orthodox churches can be explained (not excused) by the inextricable relationship between the Serbian Orthodox Church and Serbian nationalism.

Of note, the small Bosniak, Roma, and Gorani populations in Kosovo, also Muslim, have been treated just as badly by the Albanians as the remaining Serbs. The issue is not religion, despite the best propaganda efforts of the Serb nationalists to portray it as such in their efforts to paint their enemies as our enemies.

Mark, in his support of the Albanians missed the point of the article. In order to help these "nationalistic" Balkan (secular) Muslims (Mark's emphasis) the Clinton administration set up and worked along side al-Qaedaistic elements to bring them into parts of the world they never were involved in and now these Muslim "assets" have mutated beyond their original function and like a cancer are now attacking from lairs the Clinton administration helped set up to use for its obsession against the Serbs.

I have read several books and articles on the Balkan mess. I have an above average IQ, but I can't separate the region/states and cultures of the players and the fighting. I basically understand the why is a lot of centuries old issues and separatism. Any suggestions on books?