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CNSNews.com, VA
Feb 18 2008
Joy, Fury Over Kosovo Independence Declaration
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
February 18, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence has
sparked reactions that make it clear the final chapter in the
upheavals that roiled the Balkans at the end of last century has yet
to be written.
Within minutes of the announcement in the capital, Pristina, Serbian
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica called the newly declared entity a
"phony state" and said "as long as the Serbian people exist, Kosovo
remains Serbia."
In a televised statement, the nationalist prime minister criticized
"the president of the U.S." in particular, saying America had
shamelessly breached international law by supporting independence for
Kosovo.
Newly reelected president Boris Tadic in a statement appealed to
NATO's KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo to protect the Serb minority
there from possible outbreaks of violence by members of the Muslim
ethnic Albanian majority.
Angry protestors in Belgrade marched on the U.S. Embassy, chanting
"Kosovo is Serbia." At least 30 policemen were injured, local media
reported. The ultra-nationalist Radical Party is planning a mass
rally in the capital on Thursday.
Earlier, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim
Thaci set off celebrations by declaring an independent state, which
they said would be "democratic, secular and multiethnic."
The territory of two million people has been under U.N. supervision
since a NATO campaign in 1999 ended Serb atrocities against the
Albanians and forced the withdrawal of Belgrade's troops from the
province.
As Kosovar Albanians celebrated the announcement, Serbia's Russian
ally called an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting which
reflected the international split over the issue.
The U.S. and most European governments, including permanent council
members Britain and France, are supportive of "supervised
independence." Russia is firmly opposed, as is the remaining
permanent member, China.
"Kosovo's unilateral act can produce a series of results that will
lead to seriously negative influence on peace and stability in the
Balkan region," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in
Beijing on Monday.
Lui said the sides should continue to seek a proper solution through
negotiation.
Months of negotiations have, however, had little success, and
Sunday's announcement has been expected ever since a Dec. 10 deadline
on reaching an agreement on Kosovo's final status passed without
resolution.
Because Russia has vowed to use its Security Council veto to block
independence, Kosovo's international status will remain in limbo.
While it may boast trappings of statehood including a new
blue-and-gold flag, it will not immediately obtain membership of the
world body.
The forthcoming days will see some governments recognize the new
state, with the United States and many European Union (E.U.)
countries among the first, along with some Islamic nations, including
Saudi Arabia and Albania.
The E.U. is split, however, with at least six of the 27 member states
-- Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia -- unlikely
to recognize an independent Kosovo, largely because of concerns about
secessionist movements in their own neighborhoods.
A number of other countries, including Group of Eight members Canada
and Japan, have indicated that they will not recognize the new state
immediately.
'It creates no precedent'
One country that is more concerned than most is Georgia, which since
the early 1990s has grappled with two breakaway regions of its own --
the pro-Moscow enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia has
long hinted that if the West supports an independent Kosovo, it would
in turn throw its backing behind an independent Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.
The Interfax news agency quoted a top Georgian lawmaker as saying the
government of Georgia would not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Georgia's West-leaning President Mikhail Saakashvili has frequently
accused Russia of trying to destabilize Georgia by stirring up
tensions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In a statement released after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with
the leaders of the two territories, Russia's foreign ministry said in
a statement, "the declaration and recognition of the independence of
Kosovo will doubtless have to be taken into account as far as the
situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is concerned."
President Vladimir Putin has warned that independence for Kosovo will
set a legal "precedent" that could be cited elsewhere. Apart from
Georgia, other secessionist situations in the former Soviet region
remain unresolved in Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Moldova
(Transdnistria).
At Sunday's Security Council session, U.N. envoy Alejandro Wolff
disputed the argument, telling reporters "we have knocked it down
over and over again. This is an unprecedented situation, it creates
no precedent."
In an earlier statement, delivered to the Security Council late last
week, Wolff said the recent history of the region made Kosovo
different from other conflicts.
"The situation in Kosovo is sui generis and provides no precedent for
any other part of the world," he said. "It hasn't ever been, it
isn't, and it shall not be a precedent. There is no purpose served in
pretending otherwise, and the United States will act consistently
with this fact in how it looks at other conflicts."
John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and American
Enterprise Institute senior fellow, joined former Secretary of State
Lawrence Eagleburger and senior Bookings Institution fellow Peter
Rodman late last month in calling for a reassessment of U.S. policy
on Kosovo.
They noted that notwithstanding the U.S. insistence that Kosovo would
not set a precedent, ethnic and religious minorities in other
countries have already signaled their intention to follow Kosovo's
example.
Bolton, Eagleburger and Rodman also voiced concern about what they
called "the dismissive attitude displayed toward Russia's
objections," and asked, "On an issue of minor importance to the
United States, is this a useful expenditure of significant political
capital with Russia?"
'Stand up to threats'
Critics of U.S. policy on Kosovo include the non-profit American
Council for Kosovo, whose director, James George Jatras, warned in a
recent op-ed article for UPI that the issue "could transform into a
full-blown global crisis."
Kosovar Serbs' concerns about what independence would mean for them
were "well-founded."
"Since 1999, some 150 Christian shrines have been destroyed or
desecrated," Jatras said. "At the same time, hundreds of mosques have
been built, mainly with Saudi money and propagating the intolerant
Wahhabi brand of Islam."
He argued that there was no clear U.S. interest in supporting
independence for Kosovo.
"Why should we provoke a needless fight with a newly muscular Russia?
Especially after Sept. 11, why should America want to be midwife to
the birth of a new Islamic country in Europe?"
Heritage Foundation scholars Nile Gardiner and Sally McNamara called
for the West to be united in supporting full independence for Kosovo.
"The Western powers must stand up to any threats coming from Belgrade
and Moscow and support full membership for Kosovo in the United
Nations as a sovereign state," they wrote in a weekend memo.
Gardiner and McNamara said the U.S. and E.U. should encourage Serbian
leaders to seek E.U. membership, while making it clear that any
attempt to sabotage Kosovo's sovereignty would only isolate Belgrade
and weaken its chances of joining the E.U.
Among the most recent declarations of independence by territories
without the consent of legal governing authorities are the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, and Rhodesia in 1965. Neither
won international recognition.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBu reaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200802/INT2 0080218a.html
Feb 18 2008
Joy, Fury Over Kosovo Independence Declaration
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
February 18, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence has
sparked reactions that make it clear the final chapter in the
upheavals that roiled the Balkans at the end of last century has yet
to be written.
Within minutes of the announcement in the capital, Pristina, Serbian
Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica called the newly declared entity a
"phony state" and said "as long as the Serbian people exist, Kosovo
remains Serbia."
In a televised statement, the nationalist prime minister criticized
"the president of the U.S." in particular, saying America had
shamelessly breached international law by supporting independence for
Kosovo.
Newly reelected president Boris Tadic in a statement appealed to
NATO's KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo to protect the Serb minority
there from possible outbreaks of violence by members of the Muslim
ethnic Albanian majority.
Angry protestors in Belgrade marched on the U.S. Embassy, chanting
"Kosovo is Serbia." At least 30 policemen were injured, local media
reported. The ultra-nationalist Radical Party is planning a mass
rally in the capital on Thursday.
Earlier, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim
Thaci set off celebrations by declaring an independent state, which
they said would be "democratic, secular and multiethnic."
The territory of two million people has been under U.N. supervision
since a NATO campaign in 1999 ended Serb atrocities against the
Albanians and forced the withdrawal of Belgrade's troops from the
province.
As Kosovar Albanians celebrated the announcement, Serbia's Russian
ally called an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting which
reflected the international split over the issue.
The U.S. and most European governments, including permanent council
members Britain and France, are supportive of "supervised
independence." Russia is firmly opposed, as is the remaining
permanent member, China.
"Kosovo's unilateral act can produce a series of results that will
lead to seriously negative influence on peace and stability in the
Balkan region," foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in
Beijing on Monday.
Lui said the sides should continue to seek a proper solution through
negotiation.
Months of negotiations have, however, had little success, and
Sunday's announcement has been expected ever since a Dec. 10 deadline
on reaching an agreement on Kosovo's final status passed without
resolution.
Because Russia has vowed to use its Security Council veto to block
independence, Kosovo's international status will remain in limbo.
While it may boast trappings of statehood including a new
blue-and-gold flag, it will not immediately obtain membership of the
world body.
The forthcoming days will see some governments recognize the new
state, with the United States and many European Union (E.U.)
countries among the first, along with some Islamic nations, including
Saudi Arabia and Albania.
The E.U. is split, however, with at least six of the 27 member states
-- Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia -- unlikely
to recognize an independent Kosovo, largely because of concerns about
secessionist movements in their own neighborhoods.
A number of other countries, including Group of Eight members Canada
and Japan, have indicated that they will not recognize the new state
immediately.
'It creates no precedent'
One country that is more concerned than most is Georgia, which since
the early 1990s has grappled with two breakaway regions of its own --
the pro-Moscow enclaves of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia has
long hinted that if the West supports an independent Kosovo, it would
in turn throw its backing behind an independent Abkhazia and South
Ossetia.
The Interfax news agency quoted a top Georgian lawmaker as saying the
government of Georgia would not recognize Kosovo's independence.
Georgia's West-leaning President Mikhail Saakashvili has frequently
accused Russia of trying to destabilize Georgia by stirring up
tensions in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
In a statement released after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with
the leaders of the two territories, Russia's foreign ministry said in
a statement, "the declaration and recognition of the independence of
Kosovo will doubtless have to be taken into account as far as the
situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia is concerned."
President Vladimir Putin has warned that independence for Kosovo will
set a legal "precedent" that could be cited elsewhere. Apart from
Georgia, other secessionist situations in the former Soviet region
remain unresolved in Azerbaijan (Nagorno-Karabakh) and Moldova
(Transdnistria).
At Sunday's Security Council session, U.N. envoy Alejandro Wolff
disputed the argument, telling reporters "we have knocked it down
over and over again. This is an unprecedented situation, it creates
no precedent."
In an earlier statement, delivered to the Security Council late last
week, Wolff said the recent history of the region made Kosovo
different from other conflicts.
"The situation in Kosovo is sui generis and provides no precedent for
any other part of the world," he said. "It hasn't ever been, it
isn't, and it shall not be a precedent. There is no purpose served in
pretending otherwise, and the United States will act consistently
with this fact in how it looks at other conflicts."
John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and American
Enterprise Institute senior fellow, joined former Secretary of State
Lawrence Eagleburger and senior Bookings Institution fellow Peter
Rodman late last month in calling for a reassessment of U.S. policy
on Kosovo.
They noted that notwithstanding the U.S. insistence that Kosovo would
not set a precedent, ethnic and religious minorities in other
countries have already signaled their intention to follow Kosovo's
example.
Bolton, Eagleburger and Rodman also voiced concern about what they
called "the dismissive attitude displayed toward Russia's
objections," and asked, "On an issue of minor importance to the
United States, is this a useful expenditure of significant political
capital with Russia?"
'Stand up to threats'
Critics of U.S. policy on Kosovo include the non-profit American
Council for Kosovo, whose director, James George Jatras, warned in a
recent op-ed article for UPI that the issue "could transform into a
full-blown global crisis."
Kosovar Serbs' concerns about what independence would mean for them
were "well-founded."
"Since 1999, some 150 Christian shrines have been destroyed or
desecrated," Jatras said. "At the same time, hundreds of mosques have
been built, mainly with Saudi money and propagating the intolerant
Wahhabi brand of Islam."
He argued that there was no clear U.S. interest in supporting
independence for Kosovo.
"Why should we provoke a needless fight with a newly muscular Russia?
Especially after Sept. 11, why should America want to be midwife to
the birth of a new Islamic country in Europe?"
Heritage Foundation scholars Nile Gardiner and Sally McNamara called
for the West to be united in supporting full independence for Kosovo.
"The Western powers must stand up to any threats coming from Belgrade
and Moscow and support full membership for Kosovo in the United
Nations as a sovereign state," they wrote in a weekend memo.
Gardiner and McNamara said the U.S. and E.U. should encourage Serbian
leaders to seek E.U. membership, while making it clear that any
attempt to sabotage Kosovo's sovereignty would only isolate Belgrade
and weaken its chances of joining the E.U.
Among the most recent declarations of independence by territories
without the consent of legal governing authorities are the Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus in 1983, and Rhodesia in 1965. Neither
won international recognition.
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBu reaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200802/INT2 0080218a.html