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[This] article written for the [Bosnian Institute] website argues that Western politicians have been mistaken in accepting the notion that Kosova is 'an integral part of Serbia', so that Belgrade must necessarily be involved in discussions about Kosova's statusAs negotiations between Serbia and Kosova about the latter’s status are about to begin under UN auspices, one is prompted to pose the obvious question: ‘Why is Serbia involved at all?’ Or, to put it in another way: ‘Why do Western governments assume that the wishes of Kosova’s inhabitants are insufficient grounds for recognising its independence, and that such a step requires also Belgrade’s acquiescence?’Answers to such questions refer...

rom the muddy fields and torched villages of Kosovo six years ago, the struggle of its Albanian majority for independence from Serbia is moving to the political battlegrounds of Washington. ADVERTISEMENT <A TARGET="_blank" HREF="http://ads.ft.com/event.ng/Type=click&FlightID=40451&AdID=57424&TargetID=18309&Segments=3099,6198,6235,9122,9179,9630,10158,11057,11059,11353,11471,11693,12817,13043,13212,13306,13522,13590,14052,14109,14316,15245,15536,15545,16157,18041,18316,18348,18446,18469,18489,18876,18952,18961,18962,19119,19313,19724&Targets=3099,15407,7972,6224,18699,20103,20316,18309,16107,19353,20096,19703,19845,18516,20511&Values=30,51,63,77,85,94,102,150,165,239,249,253,494,547,559,575,600,639,663,931,2155,3614,4431,4548,4570,4646,4704,5633,6186,6206,6380,6391,6396,6617,8072,8177,8179,8429,8453&RawValues=&Redirect=http://news.ft.com/Common/SiteTour/newspaper"><IMG SRC="http://www.image.ft.com/adimages/banner/marketingcontainermpu.gif" WIDTH=300 HEIGHT=250 BORDER=0></A> Although Martti Ahtisaari, the special United Nations envoy and former Finnish president, launched his shuttle diplomacy in the Balkans last week in a bid to negotiate a final settlement, all sides recognise the critical importance of lobbying the US now that the Bush administration has decided it will actively push the process to a resolution. All sides involved in the "final status"...

THE US military ran a Guantanamo Bay-type detention centre in Kosovo as an investigation by the organisation into alleged CIA-run secret prisons gathered pace. The camp resembled "a smaller version of Guantanamo", he told France's Le Monde newspaper, referring to the US centre at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where hundreds of terrorism suspects remain detained without trial. More recently, it has also been accused of maintaining a network of so-called "black sites", covert CIA detention centres in foreign countries, notably in Asia and in eastern Europe, where suspects are subjected to vigorous interrogation techniques some critics say amount to torture. Mr...

DJAKOVICA -- Monday – A bus with forty Serbian people inside was pelted with stones while trying to visit a cemetery in Djakovica this weekend. The Serbian refugees from Djakovica visited the Orthodox cemetery located near the village. Many of the monuments that have been desecrated recently have been successfully restored and a fence has been put in place around the cemetery. A commemoration ceremony for the deceased was held in front of what remains of the Holy Prince Lazar church. While the Serbian refugees were visiting the grave sites, several cars drove around the cemetery grounds playing Albanian music...