[Atlantic Bridge]

You are for sure right that Serbia has great potential, but it is completely dependent on its economic ties with the EU, since Russia obviously doesn't play a real role:

Exports - partners of Serbia:

Italy 30.1%, Germany 16.6%, Austria 7.4%, Greece 7.1%, France 5.3%, Slovenia 4.2%, US 4.1% (2004)

Imports partners of Serbia:

Germany 20.2%, Italy 18.1%, Austria 9%, Slovenia 6.1%, France 5.1%, Netherlands 4.4%, Bulgaria 4.3%, Greece 4.2% (2004)

It is up to Serbia if they will continue to be a a political paria or not. The gouvernment under Dinjic was originally a good start that ended tragically. Anyway this is the point where Serbs and Serbia should start again.

BTW - Serbia is not able to join the EU anyway, since it wouldn't be accepted. In the moment it is much too weak and much too instable for being a member inside the European family. Therefore it would be a substantial progress for Serbia if its most important partners would concede them free trade. If Serbia is not allowed to export its goods without taxes into the EU, it will stay the world's largest exporter of frozen berries (sarcasm). As I already said - Serbia has great potential (no sarcasm) but they still waste time and a huge amount of money with their patriotic BS. If they continue, nobody will give them the chance that they are in need so badly.

P.S. There is no doubt that the "amount" of guilt between Nazi-Germany and Milosewic-Serbia is not comparable. Both countries are completely different, the circumstances were different and the dimension was different. Nevertheless there is also no doubt, that Serbs and Serbia is guilty in genocide, murder, mass raping, expulsion and violence in numerous occaisions. Furthermore it is clear that the individual guilt of some Serbian war-criminals is on the same level as the guilt of their Nazi colleagues. Therefore it is neccesary, that guilty criminals have to pay. I doubt that this could happen in front of Serbian courts, since they are obviously biased. It will be a cleaning for all those spotless and singlehearted Serbian people, who have nothing to do with such crimes. They need the chance to get rid of this kind of scum.

The only solution where Serbia does not lose its face is to kill Mladic and Karadzic fast. No EU-legislation, but a littlebit justice for all those victims of Serbia.

[pythagorean]

You are well-meaning, but this Spiegel article, as many other Serb-bashing ones, are poor in fact and rich in propagandistic allegations. In a honest world, the more serious an allegation, the higher the burden of proof should be, but this is routinely violated. The most serious allegation routinely hurled against Serbs is "genocide", refering largely to Srebrenica. You apparently adopt the allegation: "…there is also no doubt, that Serbs and Serbia is guilty in genocide, …". But hard facts conclusively refuting this allegation can be found in the comprehensive, yet easy to read, report of the Srebrenica Research Group (if your time is limited, go to the Conclusions). Please read it and draw your own conclusions.