Thursday, December 14, 2006

Kosovo: Eternally Dependant?

Part of the railway system in Kosovo last Friday was destroyed when a bridge exploded.  The Freedom of Movement train, primarily used by Serbs, was most likely the target of the blast but it did not reach the bridge before the blast.  Had the train reached the bridge, it would have fallen into the river below. 
Politicians are again in a frenzy of statements saying that Kosovo's status must be resolved quickly, blah, blah, blah.  There was an article in Reuters though titled "UN warns on Kosovo delays, Moscow sees blackmail" that outlines the differences in point of view within the Security Council and negotiation teams.  Of course, the Albanians want nothing short of independence and have threatened civil unrest should they not have their status decided soon.  The Serbian delegation from Belgrade has offered substantial autonomy but insists that Kosovo remain part of Serbia as the Serbs look on Kosovo as the birthplace of their culture.

The Guardian printed an article about a Serbian basketball team in Kosovo that has been playing against Albanians.  The players are from central Serbia rather than Kosovo as some believe that it is too big of a step to be taken at this time to have the Kosovo populations play against each other.
There was a good article on Kosovo in the Washington Post that asks questions about Kosovo and the politics of the peacekeeping mission.