Kosovo's uncertain future

"Quick, get the plan A-htisaari through the UNSC before everybody finds out how we messed things up and gave the ethnic-Albanians a false hope"

- a possible comment from a senior member of staff in the UN Kosovo & Metohija Negotiation [sic] team who wishes to remain anonymous.

Well what can be said that isn't painfully obvious? As much as I would lilke to believe otherrwise, Europe is now inheriting the Kosovo albatross that plagued Yugoslavia for so long, and the naive belief that independence will suddenly solve everything is about as stupid as Washington thinking removing Saddam Hussein will automatically bring peace to Iraq. Too much trust was placed with the Albanian elites in Pristina, and too much emphasis was made in dichotomizing the "good" Albanians with the "bad" Serbs. If some semblance of stability will come with Kosovo's independence, it will have to accompany a massive increase in sescurity services, a massive influx of trained professionals to add value to the institutions on the ground, and a Marshall Plan equivalent to keep the economy from bottoming out. Not to mention Serbia will look for the slightest setback to shout "I told you so" to the international community. If Kosovo becomes Europe's Iraq, attempts at democratization and nation-building will suffer a severe setback for at least 20 years.

Very good,honest and systematic report,as only Germans can do.I don't have what else to add,they said everything in it...i can't wait to see Albanian comments on this about "serbian propaganda" etc,etc:-)

any albanian violence should be stopped immediately, they simply have to learn that the times of violence as a means of politics is over.
and the international troops are there to give that lesson, if necessary.

Mike,

the EU budget for the coming year will just cover their staff and they have only set aside the huge sum of $24million - they will acheive very little of what you suggest - I doubt they wish to have this albatros suck away funds!

My absolute favorite and MOST important part of this report is, and I quote here: "The role of the United States is also deemed counterproductive: The IEP accuses Washington of being involved in helping criminals to flee, 'sometimes openly' hindering European investigations into war crimes and training former KLA fighters - an 'obvious' breach of the UN resolution."
WOW!!!
PERHAPS the training of former KLA fighters to destroy by explosions, over 150 Christian Churches and thousands of the homes of Serbian, anti-KLA Albanians and Roma families.
And lest we forget training them to blow up a busload of Serbian Christians on the way from Belgrade to lay FLOWERS on the graves of their loved ones in Kosovo!

...if the US hopes the Russians will stay calm...I am really confident!

The United States hopes Russia will back a U.N. plan putting Serbia's Kosovo province on the road to independence and does not expect a Russian veto in the Security Council, a U.S. official said on Monday...

source: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldnews&storyID=2007-03-13T002115Z_01_N12376905_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOSOVO-USA.xml

"Quick, get the plan A-htisaari through the UNSC before everybody finds out how we messed things up and gave the ethnic-Albanians a false hope"

- a possible comment from a senior member of staff in the UN Kosovo & Metohija Negotiation [sic] team who wishes to remain anonymous.

Well what can be said that isn't painfully obvious? As much as I would lilke to believe otherrwise, Europe is now inheriting the Kosovo albatross that plagued Yugoslavia for so long, and the naive belief that independence will suddenly solve everything is about as stupid as Washington thinking removing Saddam Hussein will automatically bring peace to Iraq. Too much trust was placed with the Albanian elites in Pristina, and too much emphasis was made in dichotomizing the "good" Albanians with the "bad" Serbs. If some semblance of stability will come with Kosovo's independence, it will have to accompany a massive increase in sescurity services, a massive influx of trained professionals to add value to the institutions on the ground, and a Marshall Plan equivalent to keep the economy from bottoming out. Not to mention Serbia will look for the slightest setback to shout "I told you so" to the international community. If Kosovo becomes Europe's Iraq, attempts at democratization and nation-building will suffer a severe setback for at least 20 years.

Very good,honest and systematic report,as only Germans can do.I don't have what else to add,they said everything in it...i can't wait to see Albanian comments on this about "serbian propaganda" etc,etc:-)

any albanian violence should be stopped immediately, they simply have to learn that the times of violence as a means of politics is over.
and the international troops are there to give that lesson, if necessary.

Mike,

the EU budget for the coming year will just cover their staff and they have only set aside the huge sum of $24million - they will acheive very little of what you suggest - I doubt they wish to have this albatros suck away funds!

My absolute favorite and MOST important part of this report is, and I quote here: "The role of the United States is also deemed counterproductive: The IEP accuses Washington of being involved in helping criminals to flee, 'sometimes openly' hindering European investigations into war crimes and training former KLA fighters - an 'obvious' breach of the UN resolution."
WOW!!!
PERHAPS the training of former KLA fighters to destroy by explosions, over 150 Christian Churches and thousands of the homes of Serbian, anti-KLA Albanians and Roma families.
And lest we forget training them to blow up a busload of Serbian Christians on the way from Belgrade to lay FLOWERS on the graves of their loved ones in Kosovo!

...if the US hopes the Russians will stay calm...I am really confident!

The United States hopes Russia will back a U.N. plan putting Serbia's Kosovo province on the road to independence and does not expect a Russian veto in the Security Council, a U.S. official said on Monday...

source: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldnews&storyID=2007-03-13T002115Z_01_N12376905_RTRUKOC_0_US-KOSOVO-USA.xml