US Recognizes Kosovo
By LARRY MARGASAK

WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush on Monday hailed Kosovo's historic bid for statehood and the U.S. government extended formal recognition to it as "a sovereign and independent state."

More

The Balkans are getting re-Balkanized... How long until war breaks out? place your bets...

Pardon my ignorance but I wouldn't recognize Kosovo if I bumped into it walking down the street.

I have no sympathy for the Albanians in light of them joining the 21st SS Division in droves and systematically murdering the Jews of Kosovo and all of Albania during WWII.

Such a nation the world does not need.

Great another Muslim State...
I'm sure it will do wonders to add stability to the region. G-d willing it will almost as successful as the flourishing democracy the US donated to Iraq...

I would just like to remind everyone that one of the FEW nations that helped the Jews in WWII were the Serbs. They fought the Nazis tooth and nail and didn't hand over their Jews like everyone else.

At the same time Hitler recruited the Mufti of Jerusalem, our good friend Husseini (Ym"s), made him an SS officer and sent him to go recruit the Balkan Muslims (read Kossovars/ "Ethnic Albanians") to fight for the Nazis.... I shed no tears for their people nor am I inclined to help them in any way, certainly not at the expense of those who helped US in the past....

definitely

And I think the "world" (NATO and the EU) have picked on Serbia a bit too much.

And I suppose you all also think the reunification of Germany was a bad thing? Few nations have ever been kind to Jews, and if their politics have changed, why hold on to the grudge?

I personally think the unification of Germany was a mostly good thing (although some Ossies are a bit mental), and long over-due. 

QUOTE

I just feel that the Kosovar Albanians have been idealized as "eternal victims" and Serbia has been demonized ad nauseam and the whole thing just doesn't ring true/fair.

So Milošević was a good man?

There's plenty of late-20th century reasons to oppose the KLA, there's no need to reach back to the war to come up with material.

He fought for his people and his country and did to his enemies what they would have (and HAVE in the past) done to him were they in his place. There has been ethnic conflict in the Balkans for ages, and both sides are guilty of brutality. He was merely folloing a time old tradition.

Milosevic is a victim of political correctness and is nothing more than a whipping boy. And as I said above, I shed no tear for people who were willing collaborators with the Nazis and probably would be again tomorrow if the opportunity presents itself....

No. He was on the same level as Arik Sharon. And you of all people should know what the precedent of Kosovar independence means for my  your rtg...

Israel won't recognize Kosovo, for now

mosheshmeal
.

I have no particular sympathy for the Kosovars, but Milosevic was no victim. The Serbs were quite happy to rampage their way around the Balkans. They instigated the latest round of Balkan wars for nationalist reasons. They thought they would win easily and it came as a nasty surprise when they didn't. Goodness knows they weren't fighting such clean enemies--especially the Croatians--but they got themselves in their own mess.

The Israelis were quite happy to rampage their way around the Middle East. They instigated the latest round of Mid-east wars for nationalist reasons. They thought they would win easily and it came as a nasty surprise when they didn't in Lebanon.

Does every thread you participate in have to turn into your anti-Zionist obsession?

Not a shred of US propaganda spewed about Milosevic is remotely close to reality ...

Do enlighten us please

People also forget that at the time, Serbia was part of a proxy struggle against Russia for hegemony in the Balkans and former Warsaw pact nations. Saying which, I am quite disappointed that Václav Klaus was re-elected, but it's hard to fight city hall.

I happen to agree with you, krum, and k-rebbe. Who knew this day would come?

I feel really sorry for the Serbs. I hope they get Kosovo back eventually.