Posted on 02/22/2008 5:57:24 AM PST by jhpigott
Russia's ambassador to Nato, Dmitry Rogozin, has warned that Russia could use military force if the Kosovo independence dispute escalates. "If the EU develops a unified position or if Nato exceeds its mandate set by the UN, then these organisations will be in conflict with the UN," he said.
In that case Russia would "proceed on the basis that in order to be respected we need to use brute force", he said.
Many EU members have recognised Kosovo, but several oppose recognition.
Russia, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, backs Serbia, which has condemned the independence declaration issued by the Kosovo parliament on 17 February.
On Tuesday members of the Serb minority in Kosovo attacked two border posts staffed by UN personnel and Kosovo police.
The violence led the Nato troops in Kosovo - known as K-For - to reinforce the border with Serbia.
Kosovo's majority ethnic Albanians are following a plan drawn up by UN special envoy Martti Ahtisaari for "supervised independence", which was rejected by Serbia.
The EU will soon deploy 2,000 officials to strengthen law and order in Kosovo, which has a population of about two million. Russia argues that the mission has no legal basis.
The conflict between the largely Christian (Eastern Orthodox) Serbs and the Muslim Albanians in this region has been going on for about a thousand years. It didn’t start with Hitler and WWII. I know some Serbs who are still bitter about the outcome of the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. Kosovo is claimed by most Serbs to be the ancestral home of Serbia. There is a cauldron of national, ethnic, and religious animosity there that boils over from time to time, aided and abetted by self-interested “allies.”
I’m sure Russia would like to protect its “border of influence” but it lacks the ability to project enough military power to really do anything about it
I think that we may be taking the wrong side in Kosovo due to the influence of oil rich nations like Saudi Arabia.
We have gotten ourselves into a spot where we can be easily influenced or even blackmailed because of our dependence on ME oil at reasonable prices.
If we are responding to pressure from such sources then we can likely also be influenced by threats from Russia...after all, they can also do things that will impact the price of oil.
And when the price of oil increases it is a windfall to Russia.
I do believe this video... too many folks got their liberal heads in the sand... which will get their/our a$$es shot off... The United State Citizen should take this very seriously...
I love this country enough to die for it. Can NOT figure out our Pres Bush’s stand on Kosovo...Radical Islam folks want to kill and conquer US...
When I was in the Marines in the early 60’s films were being showed of the communist/socialist acomplishments and intentions... they stopped showing those films... now we have an election that is leaning in the Socialistic/Communist direction..it’s here.
I have 5 grandchildren... I’ll be dead and gone in less than 25 years.. what will my Grandchildren be facing when they visit my grave?
just hearing on CNN that they are recalling our embassay staff in Serbia
so now it is a race to the province.
If the EU reaches it first they control, if russia reaches it first the USA looks like a buffoon.
I believe the Russians will send troops into Kosovo.
The change in demographic can be tracked from 1455 (from a Turkish tax census) where about 1/260 of the populace were what we might call "Albanian", and today, when its about 80/100.
I contend that the bulk of this demographic change occurred during WWII, when Hitler and Mussolini tried to establish a Greater Albania. Using genocide.
GWBush never formulated Kosovo/Serbia policy is is all driven by the desk jockeys of the state department. Left over ussr hacks and commies in governemnt.
Rice was deposed over a year ago after 2006 elections.
The presidential administration is being lead, it is not leading.
Putin may send troops, but i just don’t see how logistics are going to support anything more than just a symbolic number of troops. As someone said earlier, the USSR isn’t around anymore, there are a number of nations that stand bwtn Russia and Serbia, not to mention Serbia is landlocked. So unless Putin is going to airlift some troops I don’t see how they get there.
I suppose if he was really serious he could send a few tank divisions thru Romania and into Serbia . . . but i’d rather not think about how that would play out
Because it is still (an autonomous) part of Serbia.
The World Wide Web? Not bad for a country of mud roads.
Bring em’ on.
Delusional?
Not enough data, but likely.
Yet another reason for me to become violently ill when I see Daddy Bush and the bent one chumming around. You know no good is afoot. To see them together is like seeing mafia bosses actively colluding.
Why are we backing Al Qaeda fellow-travelers?
You are correct in your assessment.
I misunderstood your post.
You know, it’s kinda ironic that a majority of the countries that have recognised or declared that they will be recognising Kosovo as an independent state in the near future are actually Western “Christian” countries.
“More and more countries are getting ready to recognize Kosovo’s independence, but many are hesitant, including some Arab and Muslim countries despite Washington’s appeals to display solidarity with Kosovo Muslims.
During a briefing on Kosovo after its declaration of independence, Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns welcomed the recognition of this step by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), and hence, by the governments of its member countries. He said: “And we think it is a very positive step that this Muslim state, Muslim majority state, has been created today.”
...Only three OIC members - Turkey, Afghanistan and Senegal - have recognized Kosovo’s independence out of almost 60 members of the organization. Others have adopted a wait-and-see attitude because of the potential threat of a domestic split, or destabilization in neighboring countries.”
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20080221/99818092.html
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