Word: kosovo
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...laws are made. The same applies to countries. In less than two decades, I've seen no less then six new nations born in my immediate neighborhood, the Balkans, and it was a messy process every time. So please forgive me if I'm not greeting the latest one - Kosovo, which declared independence on Sunday, Feb. 17 - with the respect and admiration it probably deserves...
...Just like its slightly older siblings - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro - Kosovo rose from the ashes of the former Yugoslavia, whose destruction was caused by the brutal policies of Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic. But there are key differences. Unlike the others, Kosovo was not a Yugoslav republic, but an autonomous province within Serbia. It is mostly populated by ethnic Albanians, while the other post-Yugoslav states have Slavic majorities. And Kosovo has been effectively ruled by the United Nations since 1999, when Milosevic's troops were forced to pull out under NATO bombs, although Serbia was allowed to retain...
...that this sovereignty is being voided by Kosovo's elected government, Serbia is furious, blaming the Kosovars and their Western backers, especially the United States, one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo's independence. This anger reflects the special place Kosovo holds in Serbs' hearts and minds, as the birthplace of their culture and religion. But it is fueled as well by memories of the U.S.-led bombing campaign, described at the time as "humanitarian intervention" but viewed in Belgrade as part of a cynical plan to rip off a piece of Serbia...
...Russia, China and several European countries claim that an independent Kosovo sets a dangerous precedent, encouraging separatist movements throughout the world, from Taiwan to Nagorno-Karabakh. To this, the United States and its European allies reply that Kosovo is a unique case, and that other regions would not be allowed to use it as a precedent...
...issue is most volatile in in Europe, where the collapse of Yugoslavia reignited conflicts that date from the Crusades and the Ottoman advance into Europe - conflicts in which European leaders appeared incapable of intervening to stop repeated crimes against humanity. Last November, I went to Kosovo to visit Ramadan Ilazi, who was 14 when I'd met him during the war in a refugee camp in Macedonia. He supported Kosovo's independence for historical reasons, but mostly because he thought it was the best bet for a peaceful future. "I want the path with the least amount of conflict...