Difference between revisions of "Kosovo"
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On 17 February 2008, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, former KLA commander [[Hashim Thaci]], declared independence from Serbia.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/world/europe/18kosovo.html?ex=1360990800&en=579b01366cbc2ea5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Kosovo Declares Its independence From Serbia]</ref> | On 17 February 2008, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, former KLA commander [[Hashim Thaci]], declared independence from Serbia.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/world/europe/18kosovo.html?ex=1360990800&en=579b01366cbc2ea5&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss Kosovo Declares Its independence From Serbia]</ref> | ||
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| + | In a joint statement signed by the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. [[John Bolton]], former U.S. Secretary of State [[Lawrence Eagleburger]] and former Assistant Defense Secretary [[Peter Rodman]] warned that Western recognition of Kosovo independence would create "an avoidable confrontation with [[Russia]]" and "turn what is now a relatively small problem into a large one."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/jan/31/warning-light-on-kosovo/|title=Warning light on Kosovo|publisher=[[The Washington Times]]|date=2008-01-31|accessdate=2008-02-12}}</ref> | ||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
Revision as of 13:48, August 29, 2008
Kosovo is a region in the south of Serbia. The area has been under United Nations administration since 1999 because of conflict stemming from the desire for independence. Kosovo's population is mostly ethnic-Albanian, a stark contrast to the rest of the population of Serbia.
Kosovo was once an almost totally Serbian land. Under the long Ottoman rule, the land became more and more inhabited by Albanian migrants. The Turkish dominators favored the arrival of Albanians which ended up turning a Christian region into a Muslim-majority one. By the early 20th century, the Serbs were still in the majority, but because of demographic changes such as a high Albanian birth rate and Serb migration, they became the minority.[1] Enver Hoxha, the Stalinist dictator of Albania from 1944 to his death in 1985, took advantage of this and created the precursor to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in 1979.[2]
Like Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia, the Albanians in Kosovo tried to break off from the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Serbian resistance to the KLA led to the Kosovo War, with both the United Nations and NATO intervening to stop violence.
On 17 February 2008, the Prime Minister of Kosovo, former KLA commander Hashim Thaci, declared independence from Serbia.[3]
In a joint statement signed by the former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger and former Assistant Defense Secretary Peter Rodman warned that Western recognition of Kosovo independence would create "an avoidable confrontation with Russia" and "turn what is now a relatively small problem into a large one."[4]
Further reading
- Bosnia II: The Clinton Administration Sets Course for NATO Intervention in Kosovo, United States Senate, 1998-08-12
- Clinton Wag the Dog -- No Kosovo Genocide, German Foreign Office Report, January 6, 1999.
- The Kosovo Liberation Army: Does Clinton Policy Support Group with Terror, Drug Ties?: From 'Terrorists' to 'Partners', United States Senate, 1999-03-31
References
- ↑ Serbs fear losing soul of their nation in Kosovo
- ↑ BEATING SWORDS INTO PLOWSHARES: Reintegration of Former Combatants in Kosovo, United Nations Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Resource Centre
- ↑ Kosovo Declares Its independence From Serbia
- ↑ "Warning light on Kosovo", The Washington Times, 2008-01-31. Retrieved on 2008-02-12.