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| Europe |
| Kosovo independence in 10 days |
| 2008-02-07 |
| KOSOVO appears set to declare independence in 10 days' time, just ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, sources in Pristina and observers say. The authorities were "awaiting the green light from the West and consider the weekend before the EU meeting as the most probable date," according to a source close to the Kosovo government. The European Union meeting on February 18 could approve the start of the deployment of an EU mission charged with supervising the initial phase of independence for the Albanian-majority southern province of Serbia. "We are assuming (February) 17th or 18th," said a source close to the United Nations, which has run Kosovo since the end of its 1998-1999 war. A US diplomat said independence was likely to be proclaimed on a Sunday, when the UN Security Council does not meet. Russia is a permanent member of the Security Council, where it has warned it will use its veto powers to block any such declaration in support of its ally Serbia, which staunchly opposes Kosovo independence. "The 17th is a possible date," says Alex Anderson of the International Crisis Group, a think-tank close to Euro-Atlantic powers. That would "enable the EU ministers to formally adopt the operational plan (for the EU mission) and agree for a common response to the declaration, which then enables those EU countries ... to recognise" independence before New York wakes up, said Mr Anderson. The UN Security Council would find itself confronted with Kosovo's already declared independence, and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would be in a better position to resist Russian pressure, he said. A European diplomat says that, in any event, the declaration should occur before March 1, the date on which Moscow takes the chair of the Security Council. Another option was a two-phase process: the announcement of the date of the proclamation of independence, which would become effective only after a transitional period. "Everything is prepared. The only problem is coordination with the European Union," according to local analyst Shkelzen Maliqi, who also predicted an independence declaration would come on February 17 or 18. "Rumours say that weekend. It would be an announcement, but independence would be frozen for a few months. The European Union (mission) would come, the United Nations one would leave," said Mr Maliqi. Whatever the process, a transitional period of 120 days would follow as envisaged in a plan devised by UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, who recommended independence under "international supervision," according to the European diplomat. The government and EU mission would only come to power "on day 121," said the source close to the UN. The Ahtisaari plan, rejected by Belgrade and Moscow, was approved last year by Kosovo's parliament and was supported by the United States and several major EU countries, which want Kosovo authorities to respect it, according to analysts. "The adoption of the provisions of the Ahtisaari plan is a condition of the countries ready with a recognition," said the European diplomat. "The International Civilian Office of the EU mission will ensure that the plan is well applied" by Kosovo's authorities, the diplomat added. The ICO and the mission's police and justice component would be technically "ready" to function at this stage. A Kosovo constitution, which according to the Ahtisaari plan envisages a "multi-ethnic" society, is already practically completed. But that is not the case for the text of the declaration, nor the laws suggested by Mr Ahtisaari, a former Finnish president who recommended broad autonomy for Kosovo Serbs. "Certain laws are far from being completed, particularly those on the rights of the communities," said Mr Anderson. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #10 Comments from Madame Clinton? Any from that bag of shit Albright? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-07 19:43 |
| #9 The USA has played a shameful role in getting to this point. |
| Posted by: SR-71 2008-02-07 17:44 |
| #8 Unfortunately, by bombing Serbia into submission, we are involved up to our eyeballs. |
| Posted by: ed 2008-02-07 17:18 |
| #7 I do NOT want American troops involved. Me either. If the Europeans have an issue with it, THEY can do something about it. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-02-07 16:45 |
| #6 I do NOT want American troops involved. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-02-07 15:57 |
| #5 Else we will be looking at a wholesale slaughter of "infidels", starting the very next day after "independence". Not many infidels, or for that matter non-Albanian Muslims left. They've been ethnically cleansing right under NATO noses ever since the Serb military left. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-02-07 14:32 |
| #4 Actually, the divide does not run betwee Albanians and Serbs, but between muslims (99% Albanians) and eastern-orthodox christians (Serbs and Albanians--a curious factoid: Serbs were supplying weapons to orthodox Albanians to defend themselves against KLA). Independent Kosovo = Jihadi foothold in Yurop (beside lukewarm Bosnian muslims). I hope Russians will veto it and block it in any conceivable way, their motives nothwithstanding. Else we will be looking at a wholesale slaughter of "infidels", starting the very next day after "independence". |
| Posted by: twobyfour 2008-02-07 13:11 |
| #3 Responses from the U.S. presidential candidates in 3..2..1.. Ah maybe not. I am surprise Madeleline Allbright did not get honorary mention in this story. |
| Posted by: Delphi 2008-02-07 12:56 |
| #2 War with Serbia in 11 days. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2008-02-07 10:16 |
| #1 Changing masters from Belgrade to Brussels? Same situation, just new management. The Eurocrats in Brussels will be as concerned about your 'opinion' as the old ones were in Belgrade. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-02-07 09:52 |