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Warning light on Kosovo
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/COMMENTARY/288472699/-1/RSS_FP ^ | John Bolton, Lawrence Eagleburger and Peter Rodman

Posted on 01/31/2008 8:02:08 AM PST by kronos77

The Bush administration has indicated its readiness to recognize a unilateral declaration of independence by ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, a province of the Republic of Serbia that since 1999 has been under United Nations administration and NATO military control. ... Attempting to impose a settlement on Serbia would be a direct challenge to the Russian Federation, which opposes any Kosovo settlement not accepted by Belgrade.

We believe an imposed settlement of the Kosovo question and seeking to partition Serbia's sovereign territory without its consent is not in the interest of the United States. The blithe assumption of American policy — that the mere passage of nine years of relative quiet would be enough to lull Serbia and Russia into reversing their positions on a conflict that goes back centuries — has proven to be naive in the extreme.

We believe U.S. policy on Kosovo must be re-examined without delay, and we urge the Bush administration to make it clear that pending the results of such re-examination it would withhold recognition of a Kosovo independence declaration and discourage Kosovo's Albanians from taking that step. ... Recognition of Kosovo's independence without Serbia's consent would set a precedent with far-reaching and unpredictable consequences for many other regions of the world. The Kosovo model already has been cited by supporters of the Basque separatist movement in Spain and the Turkish-controlled area of northern Cyprus. Neither the Security Council nor any other international body has the power or authority to impose a change of any country's borders.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Russia
KEYWORDS: balkans; bolton; bush; eagleburger; islam; islamofascists; jihad; kosovo; mohammedanism; russia; serbia; terror; wheresdhimmiwit
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To: Truth29

I really think Bush would back down from Putin. But I don’t think Putin will support the Serbs unless e sees some real benefit to himself.


21 posted on 01/31/2008 9:14:02 AM PST by isrul
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To: kronos77
....and so again almost 100 years ago today this area of the world is where the future of many nations will be decided.

Also, declare Taiwan independent from China and go to war with China and North Korea while we are at it.

An empire is not what the Framers had in mind.

22 posted on 01/31/2008 9:15:09 AM PST by SQUID
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To: gitmogrunt

McCAIN=suicide of U.S.A.


23 posted on 01/31/2008 9:29:01 AM PST by kronos77 (-www.savekosovo.org- and -www.kosovo.net- Save Kosovo from Islam!)
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To: isrul
Benefit payed...
Balkan has fallen under Russian influence.

28 days ago Greece, EU and NATO member signed deal to buy 450 BMP-3 APCs from Russia and will probably licence-produce T-80 or T-90 tanks
14 days ago Bulgaria, EU and NATO member signed gas pipeline deal with Russia and took loan of $4 Bn to build new nuke plant.
7 Days ago Serbia signed same gas-pipeline deal and will aquire 250 APCs BTR-90s from Russia
4 days ago Austrian MOL oil company sold to Russians gas storage facility intended for US-EU “Nabocco” gas pipeline.

Russians cutoff Caspian region...

24 posted on 01/31/2008 9:35:00 AM PST by kronos77 (-www.savekosovo.org- and -www.kosovo.net- Save Kosovo from Islam!)
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To: isrul
"I really think Bush would back down from Putin. But I don?t think Putin will support the Serbs unless e sees some real benefit to himself."

There has been some talk of a gas pipeline from Russia through Serbia, in part. I don't recall the specifics, but that might be a motivation, if the Serbs want to bargain.

25 posted on 01/31/2008 9:35:58 AM PST by Truth29
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To: isrul

But hay... US have Albanians on their side....
sarc. off.


26 posted on 01/31/2008 9:36:23 AM PST by kronos77 (-www.savekosovo.org- and -www.kosovo.net- Save Kosovo from Islam!)
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To: Truth29

http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav013108.shtml
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1962595/posts?page=24#24


27 posted on 01/31/2008 9:53:48 AM PST by kronos77 (-www.savekosovo.org- and -www.kosovo.net- Save Kosovo from Islam!)
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To: kronos77

Thanks. I see I was 58 seconds late with the thought.


28 posted on 01/31/2008 10:08:21 AM PST by Truth29
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To: kronos77; Bokababe; FormerLib; Doctor13

....Even if Kosovo declared itself an independent state, it would be a dysfunctional one and a ward of the international community for the indefinite future. Corruption and organized crime are rampant. The economy, aside from international largesse and criminal activities, is nonviable. Law enforcement, integrity of the courts, protection of persons and property, and other prerequisites for statehood are practically nonexistent. While these failures are often blamed on Kosovo’s uncertain status, a unilateral declaration of independence recognized by some countries and rejected by many others would hardly remedy that fact.....

IMHO, that’s the whole nub of the Kosovo issue, as far as the US and Europe are concerned. (American Serbs, Orthodox Christians, and their friends have other issues as well.)

I’ll go even further than the above statement. With their clan-based, blood-feud culture, the Kosovo Albanians are incapable of running a state!!! I believe that Bolton, Eagleberger, and even the anti-Serb politicians and “Balkan experts” of both parties know this, but it is too politically incorrect to say. Despite knowing this, the anti-Serb factions want to go ahead with Kosovo “independence”, for their own reasons. They might even want a war!!!! In any case, they want to try to weaken Russia and appease islam.

An “independent” Kosovo would be an instant failed state—an Afghnistan or Somalia in the heart of Europe. Bin Laden et al. are salivating at the prospect!!


29 posted on 01/31/2008 12:58:22 PM PST by Honorary Serb (Kosovo is Serbia! Free Srpska! Abolish ICTY!)
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To: kronos77
John Bolton is one of the most decent voices in the US foreign policy. He spoke against bombing of Serbia in 1999. Too bad he is no longer Ambassador to the UN, instead US is now represented by an exotic foreigner Zalmay Khalilzad – an obedient drug trafficker who can not even stutter in half-decent English. When former Serbian president Milosevic was overthrown in a US-British sponsored coup in 2000, the regime they had installed (Kostunica/ Djindjic) were openly told – all links with Russia must be severed! They complied. Russia pulled out from its traditional sphere of influence (Serbia/ Bulgaria) but vowed to come back with its money - not tanks, some day. That worked until 2005 and US becoming deeply involved in Iraq quagmire. Previously, late Serbian PM Djindjic red through the US policy over Kosovo (2002/2003) and secretly met with a Russian envoy in Bosnia one week prior to his assassination, probably discussing changing allegiances. He was warned by the US not to go on that trip or else… US, Britain were directly involved in his assassination, while Germany had prior knowledge but did nothing to prevent it. Djindjic broke away from his German handlers and stabbed Germany to the heart when he sold 2 bn worth steelworks business that Germans had once paid for to the US Steel for meager 20 mn, naturally taking some money for himself. A rouge operation then went astray? A month after Dj. assassination US ambassador in Belgrade lost his job and remained unemployed until this day? Sec. Powell made a surprise visit to Belgrade to offer condolences to a late PM widow – a fact finding mission to discover how much did the Serbs knew about US involvement? When Serbia was admitted to the NATO PfP in September 2006, despite objections of irrelevant US allies such as Holland and traditionally anti-Russian/anti-Serbian Britain – reportedly thanks to direct intervention of nat. sec. advisor Stephen Hadley, who overruled State Department and Pentagon – it was a last ditch effort to keep Serbia in the Western sphere of influence. Now it shows – it was too little too late. This should have been done in 2000/1 and by 2003 Serbia should have been allowed into NATO and by 2007 to the EU since it was far more capable than Romania, Bulgaria and half of the new EU members. Instead, irrelevant countries such as Holland with anti-Serb bias dominated Western policy towards Serbia. All of the people involved in such a catastrophic fiasco at the US, EU and NATO should be loosing their jobs. It is a great comfort too see an incapable little bureaucrat such as Nicholas Burns loosing his job as the Asst.Sec of State in the past weeks! Hopefully others not capable of meeting global challenges and think outside of the box, Condi, Frid and other leftovers of Clinton administration would soon follow Burns. Russia had brokered 10 bn. deal with Bulgaria to push a gas pipeline to Southern Europe infuriating Washington oil interests. It acquired 3 bn worth Serbian oil industry for a meager 400 mn. The difference in price probably to be paid in weapons. In 2003 Serbia was ready to send troops to Afghanistan, but because of Kosovo, since 6 months ago it pursues policy of “active neutrality”. It even once offered bases to the US on its territory. US was not interested. Now it offers the same bases to Russia – Russia seems to be welcoming the offer. Russian interests extending to the heart of the Balkans are now making US plans to build missile shield in Poland and Czech Rep. look pathetic. In other words, Serbia now ignores NATO and the US and in practice it almost completely restored working ties it once had with Russia openly defying US. Serbian PM is openly anti-NATO and today Serbia will elect a president who is even more “radically” anti-NATO and pro-Russian. Russia is now ready and willing to defend its strategic and economic interest in the Caucasus/ Black Sea and Balkans with military might. Russian pipelines will be defended by all means necessary and Russia will never back down again now that it "sensed blood". It is now too late for the Empire to strike back without resorting to nuclear! Keep your friends close and enemies even closer! US has failed to do so in case of Serbia letting petty interest of the few corrupted and unimaginative Balkan desk bureaucrats prevail - instead of breaking off with the Clintonites for the sake of far-sighted sustainable security policy in the Balkans. Nicholas Burns and his patrons should not only lose their jobs – they should be kicked out of politics forever for a catastrophic US fiasco in the Balkans that could decisively affect global security trends in the years to come. US and NATO had no business bombing Serbia in 1999, neither did Hitler invading Yugoslavia in 1941. It bought valuable time to Russia to regroup for a counter strike. All other apologists of Clinton legacy in the Balkans should be facing the music now. Put John Bolton back in charge and kick the Clintonits out - maybe it is not too late to have the damage to the US national security repaired ! Stepehen Hadley also proved as one of the few people in the current administration who can think outside of the box !
30 posted on 02/03/2008 4:06:06 AM PST by Snake Plisskenowski
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To: Snake Plisskenowski

What can I say? Completly true.
But I must add even more:

Whoewer winns tonight elections in Serbia, he WILL cooperate with Russia. Why? US and EU choosed not to cooperate with Serbia. Serbia got nothing wrom those two. There is no choice.

One serbian officer said to me couple a days ago:
“How can we trust US that can lead when US cant protect themselves and are beaten-by-day in Iraq not by insurgents but by its own politicians in Washington? If Washington back-stabbs its own troops, what can we expect?”

Further more, Russia gain acess to Greece, Greece bought 450 russian APCs and are kicking out- US and NATO equipment replacing it with Russian.

Shanghai Pact? Man, that is so great subject that I cant even define it...


31 posted on 02/03/2008 1:24:36 PM PST by kronos77 (Kosovo is Serbian Jerusalem. No Serbia without Kosovo.)
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To: kronos77
We believe an imposed settlement of the Kosovo question and seeking to partition Serbia's sovereign territory without its consent is not in the interest of the United States. The blithe assumption of American policy — that the mere passage of nine years of relative quiet would be enough to lull Serbia and Russia into reversing their positions on a conflict that goes back centuries — has proven to be naive in the extreme.

A massive understatement.
32 posted on 02/03/2008 1:28:08 PM PST by rottndog (McCain....We don't need no stinkeen' McCain....)
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To: kronos77

Warning not heeded, unfortunately. Bad precedent set, to understate the matter.


33 posted on 02/22/2008 10:05:02 AM PST by Mr. Mojo
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