Dutch FM: Hague key to integrations

Why are the Dutch so obsessed with picking on the Serbs,have they nothing else to do? I know the Netherlands is the most pro-USA nation in the EU, with is special tax concessions to US expats and love of all things American,but who cares what the Dutch think? No offence to ordinary Dutch people, but the Netherlands is hardly a nation famed for courage or heroic opposition to foreign aggressors. Indeed, it has a shameful colonial history of its own and is currently struggling to accommodate its own ethnic muslim communities.

So we can read into this that on condition Tadic promises the Dutch that Mladic will be delivered to the Hague, they will allow the SAA to be offered?

We shall see what Tadic decided if the agreement is offered.

Still if the EU is looking to offer something I can think of something better. A European promise that Serbian EU integration will not be tied to recognising Kosovo.

Make that in writing. Once we have that under way we can begin to have a mature debate about the merits and pitfalls of joining the EU.

And perhaps if we are lucky we can try to have a joint Serbian strategy for Kosovo, rather than parties competing to be the most patriotic one on the issue, rather than actually doing something constructive.

And perhaps if we are lucky we can try to have a joint Serbian strategy for Kosovo, rather than parties competing to be the most patriotic one on the issue, rather than actually doing something constructive.
(bganon, 10 April 2008 20:00)

sorry bganon, but your logic is: let's shoot next goal (SAA) without the ball (Mladic) - less metaphorical: next constructive move should come from Serbia, don't you think?

"Why are the Dutch so obsessed with picking on the Serbs,have they nothing else to do?"
(Kevin,Belfast,Ireland, 10 April 2008 23:57)

Kevin, the UN soldiers in Srebrenica were Dutch.
Their government even fell, or resigned, I don't remember now, because of Srebrenica.

"who cares what the Dutch think"

Obviously the rest of the EU cares.

"the Netherlands is hardly a nation famed for courage or heroic opposition to foreign aggressors"

Heroism is the wrong criterion to judge a nation. It is very intangible and can't be measured. It has the property of always growing.

So we can read into this that on condition Tadic promises the Dutch that Mladic will be delivered to the Hague, they will allow the SAA to be offered?

We shall see what Tadic decided if the agreement is offered.

Still if the EU is looking to offer something I can think of something better. A European promise that Serbian EU integration will not be tied to recognising Kosovo.

Make that in writing. Once we have that under way we can begin to have a mature debate about the merits and pitfalls of joining the EU.

And perhaps if we are lucky we can try to have a joint Serbian strategy for Kosovo, rather than parties competing to be the most patriotic one on the issue, rather than actually doing something constructive.

Why are the Dutch so obsessed with picking on the Serbs,have they nothing else to do? I know the Netherlands is the most pro-USA nation in the EU, with is special tax concessions to US expats and love of all things American,but who cares what the Dutch think? No offence to ordinary Dutch people, but the Netherlands is hardly a nation famed for courage or heroic opposition to foreign aggressors. Indeed, it has a shameful colonial history of its own and is currently struggling to accommodate its own ethnic muslim communities.

And perhaps if we are lucky we can try to have a joint Serbian strategy for Kosovo, rather than parties competing to be the most patriotic one on the issue, rather than actually doing something constructive.
(bganon, 10 April 2008 20:00)

sorry bganon, but your logic is: let's shoot next goal (SAA) without the ball (Mladic) - less metaphorical: next constructive move should come from Serbia, don't you think?

"Why are the Dutch so obsessed with picking on the Serbs,have they nothing else to do?"
(Kevin,Belfast,Ireland, 10 April 2008 23:57)

Kevin, the UN soldiers in Srebrenica were Dutch.
Their government even fell, or resigned, I don't remember now, because of Srebrenica.

"who cares what the Dutch think"

Obviously the rest of the EU cares.

"the Netherlands is hardly a nation famed for courage or heroic opposition to foreign aggressors"

Heroism is the wrong criterion to judge a nation. It is very intangible and can't be measured. It has the property of always growing.