Kosovo Independence. A good thing or a bad thing.

At first I thought that maybe this would be a good thing, short term it most likely is.

But long term I just see too many parallels to the partition of Ireland and the resulting violence in the North, and I wouldnt wish that on anyone.

As with Ireland, Kosovan Serbs have now been isolated, with little to no guarantees that their rights and culture will be protected.

With a majority now of the Muslim faith, I find it incredible that so many nations have recognised the new state so quickly.

Talk about history repeating itself.

Bad idea.

If we condone the unilateral declaration of independence of a part of a sovereign nation we open a can of worms. What is to prevent Vermont or Northumbria, or Yucatan from doing the same. When Biafra tried to declare independence from Nigeria it was stopped. It sets a very bad precedent to condone breakaway provinces simply because it is the popular thing to do and we dislike the Serbs.

Kosovo has been part of Serbia far longer than much of the United States has not been part of Mexico.

The attack on Serbia allowed Albanians to illegally enter Kosovo and now these interlopers have declared independence as the first step to becoming part of Greater Serbia.

Why should I care about Kosovo.?
Or Serbia.
I doubt they even manufacture good Vodka.
Y'know like deep within the Eastern Carpathian Mountains.

Bad idea.

If we condone the unilateral declaration of independence of a part of a sovereign nation we open a can of worms. What is to prevent Vermont or Northumbria, or Yucatan from doing the same. When Biafra tried to declare independence from Nigeria it was stopped. It sets a very bad precedent to condone breakaway provinces simply because it is the popular thing to do and we dislike the Serbs.

Kosovo has been part of Serbia far longer than much of the United States has not been part of Mexico.

The attack on Serbia allowed Albanians to illegally enter Kosovo and now these interlopers have declared independence as the first step to becoming part of Greater Serbia.


I was going to say that. I'm not joking.
Just like Bush to be one of the few people to acknowledge their existance.

Why should I care about Kosovo.?
Or Serbia.
I doubt they even manufacture good Vodka.
Y'know like deep within the Eastern Carpathian Mountains.
Why should you care about Kosovo.

US Troops have already been active in the region for sometime.

This has the potential to destabilise the region.

Where within the Eastern Carpathian Mountains do they make good vodka?

Why should you care about Kosovo.

US Troops have already been active in the region for sometime.

This has the potential to destabilise the region.

Where within the Eastern Carpathian Mountains do they make good vodka?

That's ok paul the euro weenies will step up and deal with the problem won't they? It's their backyard. You don't need the yanks to help you.

That's ok paul the euro weenies will step up and deal with the problem won't they? It's their backyard. You don't need the yanks to help you.
The euroweenies as you call them, wouldnt go on an exercise weekend if the US wasnt training with them and paying the hotel bill.

In NA when you've kicked someone's ass all over the court the derisory compliment often extended is thanks for coming out. The implication that it was a waste of the victors time.
So the euroweenies want the US to bail them out, again. Pay the bill in blood and treasure? My first thought is "Thanks for coming out."

Well waldo, there are a few European nation which still have illusions of Imperial grandeur.
The UK being the main one, with possibly France in second place.

Do you think that UK Forces would be in Iraq or Afghanistan if America wasnt there-no chance.

Back to the Balkans. I remember Dutch Troops standing idly by as thousands of men and boys were led away to be exterminated by Serb militias, so whats the point of them being there, you can bet your ass a Marine Battalion would have stepped in.

I find these military alliances all a bit false. The US have rubber stamped Kosovan Independence, which is all that matters, I just hope they dont regret being so hasty in doing so.

Why would the US regret it?

Why would the US regret it?
Because like I said earlier, a portion of a state is partitioned to ensure a ethnic majority, which may or may not abuse that majority.

No matter, 30% of Kosovan population has effectivly been cut off from Serbia, which will lead to resistance groups and bombing campaigns,
I can see Ireland 1922 written all over it.

It took the Brits 38 years, vast amounts of money and resources to bring the IRA to a stalemate,then persuade them into politics, I hope the US doesnt find itself in a similar position.

It's the euro's problem, not the US'. They should fix it.

The U.S. had no business recognizing Kosovo independence. We did it only to ingratiate ourselves with the Muslems who make up the majority of the Albanian population. We have effectively thrown the Serbians living in Kosovo to the wolves.

It's the euro's problem, not the US'. They should fix it.
Your right they should, but they wont, unless big brother is leading the charge.

So,already the first signs of resent and anger are starting to show, among Kosovan Serbs and Serbs themselves.

Hundreds of protesters have burned customs and police posts at Jarinja and Banja.

UN Police have closed the border, pouring fuel on the fire.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7252874.stm

Why should you care about Kosovo.

US Troops have already been active in the region for sometime.

This has the potential to destabilise the region.

Where within the Eastern Carpathian Mountains do they make good vodka?


******* PravdA *******

-- Luxury Vodka.With Rare,late harvest," sweet rye ".

Pravda, right I'll take your word for it,not being a conissieur of the stuff.

I was wondering how you came to that conclusion about a spirit with no taste, thanks.

Pravda, right I'll take your word for it,not being a conissieur of the stuff.

I was wondering how you came to that conclusion about a spirit with no taste, thanks.

Vodka isn't as easy to come to like or get used to as one would think.
I started Likin Cognac,then Bourbon LONG before I could ever drink
Vodka straight.I like good Vodka on the rocks.
I relish drinkin Cognac and Bourbon in a warmed snifter...straight.
The advantage to Vodka is immense.It's THE most easily and quickest
digestable spirit around.It also flushes out of one's system fastest.
In other words,If one wants to get a good buzz,quick and efficient,
than Vodka is best.Vodka is also THE most Mixable of all spirits.
Goes with almost anything.I wouldn't dilute with anything but
a dollop of orange juice or maybe Tomato juice.
I recently heard of an Irish gal who loved her Vodka.But she mixed it
with Coke.Double Yuck.
Same with Bourbon & Coke.
It's the coke that'll make you sick the next day.All the sugars.

Vodka isn't as easy to come to like or get used to as one would think.
I started Likin Cognac,then Bourbon LONG before I could ever drink
Vodka straight.I like good Vodka on the rocks.
I relish drinkin Cognac and Bourbon in a warmed snifter...straight.
The advantage to Vodka is immense.It's THE most easily and quickest
digestable spirit around.It also flushes out of one's system fastest.
In other words,If one wants to get a good buzz,quick and efficient,
than Vodka is best.Vodka is also THE most Mixable of all spirits.
Goes with almost anything.I wouldn't dilute with anything but
a dollop of orange juice or maybe Tomato juice.
I recently heard of an Irish gal who loved her Vodka.But she mixed it
with Coke.Double Yuck.
Same with Bourbon & Coke.
It's the coke that'll make you sick the next day.All the sugars.

Id say nearly every vodka I see being sold in the bar is sold with a bottle of coke.

One coke usually goes with two vodkas, mostly women drink it.

Cocktails are rarely ordered in Ireland either, I dont know if its a price thing or what.

Smirnoff is the most popular vodka.

I used to buy one in Spain called Styleslioff I think, fuck me, it was like TNT.

About an hour ago the US Embassy in Belgrade was attacked by a rioting mob and set on fire, along with the Croatian Embassy next door.

Across the city over half a million Serbs are holding a peaceful protest against Kosovan UDI.

Vodka and coke?? Only if I'm desperate... I prefer to use the coke as a chaser anyways. Bourbon and coke is fine mixed.

Kosovo Serbs have clashed with NATO riot police at the river which divides the ethnically split town of Mitrovica.

The protesters converged on the river Ibar, singing patriotic Serb songs and defiantly waving Serb flags.

They taunted the security forces at the bridge, and hurled insults and fireworks at Albanians on the southern side of the river.

I don't blame the Serbs. How would Americans living in California react if Mexicans illegally entered the state and then convinced the United Nations to declare California to no longer be part of the United States.

The Kosovo decision was wrong on more than one count.

Yes, I was listening to Gen.Wesley Clarke [ret] on radio today,and no harm to him but he is simply out of touch with reality.
Basically he kept referring back to the atrocities inflicted on the Kosovan Albanians during the breakup of Yugoslavia.

We are all aware of what happened and seen the awful pictures on our TV screens, but thats no reason to dissect the country.

Moderate Serbs in Belgrade have been slowly moving away from their Slavic brothers the Russians, hoping to eventually join the EU.

What happens, all their efforts are thrown in their faces and the hardliners come back to prominence.

If anyone thinks this is a good deal and a settlement their very much mistaken.

Not only that, nationalist across Europe will be watching and saying well if they can do it,so can we, The Basques, Turkish Cypriots, Flemish, half a dozen peoples in southern Russia.

This has the potential to be the biggest mistake the US has made in Europe.

agreed, Paul. It was a shortsighted decision made for shortterm advantage.

And the problems begin. The first group within a multi-national European countriy is using the example of Kosovo to call for secession.

Next on the list, Basque in Spain, Greeks in Italy, Austrians in Italy, Flemings in Belgium. Then there are the minorities in Hungary, Poland, Russia, France and other countries.



Bosnian Serbs threaten new split Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Correspondents in Banja Luka, Belgrade and Washington | February 23, 2008
THE Bosnian Serb parliament yesterday claimed the right to secede from Bosnia if a large number of the UN and most EU countries recognised Kosovo's independence.

"If a significant number of the UN members, notably the EU members, recognise the independence of Kosovo ... the Republika Srpska assembly believes it has the right to launch a referendum to reconsider (the Bosnian Serb entity's) statehood status," a resolution adopted by an overwhelming majority in the parliament said.

Kosovo's independence proclamation has raised concerns about the future of Bosnia, which since its 1992-95 war has been split into two entities -- the Serbs' Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Each has its own government, parliament and police, while they share weak central institutions.

Many Bosnian Serbs feel their entity should follow Kosovo's lead and be allowed to secede from Bosnia and eventually attach itself to Serbia, which they see as their "motherland".

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23259459-2703,00.html

Its strange that the Balkans are now in fact roughly were they were around a thousand years ago politically. A bunch of small state-lets.

Northern Cyprus has been demanding recognition for years now,and mostly because Greece is an EU member it simply hasnt happened,and many wanted criminals from around the EU have found a haven there as it has no extradition treaty with anyone.

[Irish Peacekeepers have manned observation posts and run education and food programs around the Nicosia area for years]

To me they have a better case for cessation than Kosovo had.

A quick glimpse at a disappearing country.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7251376.stm

Can the EU and the United States be more hypocritical? They divided Serbia along ethnic lines by allowing Kosovo to declare independence but will not allow the Serbian Kosovars the same right of secession.

EU special envoy Pieter Feith has said Kosovo will not be split in two because of the divide between ethnic groups. ''There will be no partition of the country, that is not foreseen,'' he told a news conference in Vienna. Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, delegations from Kosovo and Serbia met face to face for the first time since Kosovo declared independence. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic told Balkan foreign ministers that as long as Serbia existed, Kosovo never would.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7269194.stm

I find it incredible that so many nations have recognised the new state so quickly.


I agree. I was suprised by that as well.