By Jaksa Scekic, Serbian journalist

If 20 years ago somebody had written that in 2008 Slovenia would hold EU presidency and Kosovo would become independent, nobody would have paid any attention.

But now it is reality.

From Sunday, Europe has gained a new state - the Kosovo republic.

All the Balkan troubles started in Kosovo in the late eighties - bloody wars followed - and now everything has finished in Kosovo.

The final stage of disintegration of the country known as Yugoslavia has come to an end.
Serbia has become the biggest loser of all ex Yugoslavian countries in the Balkan tragedy.

From today Serbia is 15% smaller and Kosovo, which is for most Serbs cradle of their civilisation, is another country.

According to the Serbian prime minister and president, who has travelled to New York to attend the UN Security council session, Serbs will never accept the fact that Kosovo is not part of Serbia.

Serbia will now help the Serbian community in Kosovo much more and will take every possible legal action - even maybe taking some countries which recognise Kosovo's Independence to the International Court in The Hague.

But the irony is that the Serbian democratic government now has to pay the price for what the Slobodan Milosevic regime did to Kosovo Albanians in late nineties.

Maybe this is the reason why most of the Serbs feel betrayed by the West, and especially by the United States.

For a lot of Serbs who were against Milosevic, Kosovo was a different issue.

Too complex, and maybe for a westerner, too irrational.

But Serbian history belongs to Kosovo. Serbian roots are from Kosovo, and now Kosovo has gone for ever.

Serbia will take no military action. For most Serbs, their country has been humiliated. Some hooligans showed their anger through violent demonstrations at the US embassy in Kosovo.

The Serbian nation now has a choice: either will stay and live in history based on Kosovo myth, or start looking into the future, towards the Europe.

But it will not be easy, because that same Europe took Kosovo from them.

But, at the same time, Serbs know that Kosovo had been lost a long time ago.

Maybe that is the reason why there will be no clashes or hot military rhetoric. Life in Serbia will go on, but the feeling of injustice will remain.

Comments

[Bee bee Norway 16 Mar 2008 19:45:30]

You western guys who write here don`t know squat about the history or about the situation. Manipulated headlines are going so easy in to your heads even if they do not make sense. Bulgarians and Serbs started to fight the Turks first, then the Russians came and fought for their cause together with them. Actually the Russians did the greatest job kicking out the Turks. Then the Turks lost their foothold in the Balkans and faded away. At that time a man called Skenderbeg in Albania was opposing the Turks, and he got the credit for kicking out the Turks from Albania. The Turks would still be there if it was not for Russia "cleaning up" the Balkans. And Kosovo has nothing to do with Albania, the old churches that are everywhere there are Bulgarian and some Serbian. It is one of the most important places for christianity in the Balkans, and now the muslim Albanians are burning them. The Albanians are not constructive people, they even have special types of revenge in their culture, which means killing the man that you have been offended by, even if you have to wait 10 years for it. And to the Norwegian guy, can you tell me who are some of the most criminal people in Oslo, running the whorehouses, selling drugs, killing for money etc? Yes... the Albanians, they act the same way there as they do everywhere else. Its not about being a racist, but a realist. Their country is like a 3 world country located in Europe, they know how to take not to give. Biggest problem in Macedonia and Greece are Albanian or Shiptars as they are called too. All neighbouring countries are suffering from them. How can a so small nation do so much harm? Its a good thing they are not more than they are. They are hostile, aggressive and there is no way you can tell them to behave in a proper way, kind of like the Palestinians. One way only, by using brutal force. These are not people you can sit on a table and talk with, make deals etc. Westerners are naive and it is killing them. The muslims are invading Europe at full speed ruining the infrastructure, countless cities in the states turned to ghettos cause of Blacks and other "invaders". And even tough America have had almost unlimited ressources trough their wars, they still can`t win a war. The Chinese/koreans beat them, the Vietnamese, the Afghans and now even Iraq. Open up you eyes in the west, life is not a fairytale.

[Jim UK 8 Mar 2008 12:37:45]

Some good points from Vik in Germany, here's another slant on it, if these countries around the world want to squabble about what happened from the beginning of time onwards, then why not let them get on with it, build a wall around the areas in question, if they wish to live in the past then let them get on with it, if they want to fight it out, throw in a few million rounds of ammunition and when they are finished they can give the rest of us a shout and we can take it from there!! As for religion , it is used as a tool to perpetrate war and act like "Barbarians" sorry if I have upset any "Ethnic Barbarians" out there!!

I and the rest of the civilised people in the world have had enough of it.

[vik germany 23 Feb 2008 00:13:24]

so many serbs denying the genocide they comitted in kosovo saying theres no evidence, where they all on holiday when the whole world saw the evidence splashed all over the news for weeks???

talk about mass denial
good luck for the future kosovo

and to serbia, instead of infighting with your neighbours how bout moving on from kintergarten like squabbling, and try helping them to get on their feet and promote peace with them, when i see poeple and especialy politicians crying about nothing more than lines on a map, when they shoudl be working to make the world greener, i feel embarrased to read about it , that we humans (suposedly the most intelligence species on the planet squabbling like childeren over who lives where and who believes in what
heres a thought...
outlaw religion
share our recources
and work to better mankind instead of working to destory iit, or is that too complicated for the worlds supposedly university educated politicians to comprehend

[Andres, Oslo, Norway 22 Feb 2008 09:57:22]

Ladies and gentleman, the history of mankind has shown that states rises from the necessity of their people to live in freedom. The history has not been fair to everyone but at least we, inhabitants of the civilized world are trying to correct it. And that was what happened Sunday the 17 of February 2008. Some will not accept it, some are celebrating and that is how it is going to be for at least some time. But Kosovo is an independent state and that’s a fact. Everyone has to live with it.

The thing I do not understand is that Serbian people claim Kosovo to be the “cradle” of their nationhood. And the argument for this is the battle of Kosovo from 1389. And the most ridiculous fact which is thrown is that this battle saved the Christian Europe from the Ottoman Empire. I have to disappoint you all. The historical facts(from someone with phd in Balkan history) is that Serbian prince Lazar lost that battle. The battle ended in a Turkish victory, the collapse of Serbia, and the complete encirclement of the crumbling Byzantine Empire by Turkish armies. It was prince Skanderbeg of Albania(backed by the catholic church and Venetians) who put a more revived resistance 50 years later and actually stopped the forces of Sultan Murat before their reached the gates of Vienna.

But that is not all. How can Kosovo be the cradle when we all know that those lands were populated by Illyrians(Dardan tribe) during the roman empire and after that. The only historical fact about these people is that Albanians are their descendents(even though Slavic historians denies it).

I heard here the word “precedent”. Well indeed this is a precedent. It is a precedent which dictates that genocide, ethnic cleansing is not tolerated anymore. That human beings whom this atrocities were committed upon has the right to live free and not in fear anymore.

Salute Kosovo! At least you are free

[Uros, Belgrade 20 Feb 2008 16:31:07]

It is not fair that a few of the people above to discuss about topics that thay are not very well acquianted. It was your mass media that talked about the genicide, the same governments that "accidentaly" bombed busses full women and children, Chinese embasy, etc.
As one said above "i do not understand the Serbs"...don't judge us befor you understand well. Kosovo is SERBIA!
How about the foreign communities (that you dislike so much, I know i lived in UK) wanted to separate? how would you react? How do we react to a unified Europe that is making new borders?

Remember the US financed Afganistan's independency? the same people found them to be the enemy no.1.

Peace for all........

[adi bufi, london 19 Feb 2008 11:53:21]

I feel sorry for the ones who think that genocide did not happen in Kosovo. Please turn on the news every once in a while!!!
I understand that a country like Russia would like to defend the interests of Serbia, after all, Russia is where serbians came from ( only about 10 centuries ago).
What I don't understand is, what is Slovakia's problem with Kosovo's independence?
Didn't they have the same issues only about a week ago, when they became a country of their own?
The bottom line is that all the goverments who opose Kosovo's independence, are scared that the same, will eventually happen in their own countries.
THEY ARE ACTING LIKE THIS FOR SELFISH REASONS!!!!

[Solenn Brussels 19 Feb 2008 08:51:09]

It all goes back to one question : "Should the AVNOJ borders change or not ?". Obviously if Kosovo is recognized, AVNOJ borders are not respected any more. This opens the discussion for serbs in Bosina to claim for their independence too, and for Krajina also. Why don't the Scots, Catalans or Corsicans have their independency too then ? Kosovons should have fought for their human and civilian rights, which they didn't have, and for the recognition of the genocide serbs perpetrated on them in the nineties, but the AVNOJ borders should have stayed. Maybe there will be no clashes now but it will burst one day or the other. I hope I'm wrong. Wish you peace.

[milan 19 Feb 2008 02:58:36]

There was never any genocide committed by Serbs, most of you are not even checking the facts before you write on here. Albanians were allowed into Kosovo by Serbia (then Yugoslavia). They then decided it was their nation and began killing off Serbs, in retaliation the government decided to do the same, on a larger scale, in defense of their country and historical heartland. As for saying that Kosovo was populate by the dardanians, that is true, but there is nothing to say that Albanians are descendants if these people, the earliest known nationality to live there is Serbian. As for the claim that the Balkans are a different people to Serbians, take a look at it more closely, Serbia is surrounded by nations that are genetically nearly identical to it, the exception being Greece and Albania. How does a nationality like Albanian wind up between so many Slavic nations?

Stop reading headlines on Sky News and pretend to know what is happening in the country. The fact is many of you know absolutely nothing about the situation but blindly support anything America does. By the way, whoever mentioned that America wasn't in Kosovo, you are misguided, the biggest American base is situated in Kosovo.

I thank and respect those who have looked into the situation and history of the area and realize the truth of the matter.

[fmprogrammin, Republic of Kosovo 18 Feb 2008 23:59:55]

Here in Kosovo 80% of Albanian are Muslims, another 20% are Catholics, in Albanian 60% are Catholics, 10% are Orthodox and 30% are Muslims.

For US (Albanian) Are religion is Albania.

The war and genocide wasn’t about religion, because Serbs killed lot of Catholics in Gjakova.

[alfie london 18 Feb 2008 22:05:12]

serbs lost montenegro, which they have same religion, church, language. it is serbs fault cos they been brain washed by their butcher's millosheviq, karagjic, radiq and the rest.Albanian's are educated and working class. bye bye srbijo

[milos pantic oxford 18 Feb 2008 22:04:24]

Albanians in former yugoslavia had all right and much better life then in neighboring Albania and all Yugoslav republics was giving help to undevelop areas but they no,they was refuse to integrate and they was just make babies.every each family had 10 kids and they was complained how hard they live.we have saying,you cant give me how much i can spended

[Kristoval, Barcelona 18 Feb 2008 21:45:33]

This is illegal.

The UN found no evidence of genocide and yet the politicians continue to spout this lie as justification for their betrayal of the Serbs.

The US has acted in a criminal way, it had no right to interfere with the affairs of a soveriegn nation.

And what if Mexicans become a majority in Texas and demand independence? Will the yanks accept this in the same way they've accepted the ethnic cleansing of the Serbs in Kosovo?

The UN has acted against its own charter too - what a disgraceful state of affairs and I hope the Serbs forgive us for our betrayal.

[Arber Katallozi, London 18 Feb 2008 19:11:42]

In the forthcoming days, weeks and months the majority of the countries in the world will recognise Kosovo as an independent state. Why does Serbia seem to always have a backward thiking political ideology. The artocities their governments have carried out such as attempted ethnic clensing in Bosnia as well as Kosovo and their wars with Slovenia and Croatia seem to highlight the fact that they have been the cause of instability in all the balkan region for numerous decades. Serbia have not lost anything with Kosovo declaring independence, because it wasnt theirs to lose in the first place. They were the occupiers and the Kosovan people have finally taken back a part land that historically and undoubtedbly belongs to them. So why does Serbia still seem to adopt backaward politics including useless propaganda, when the majority of the world is ready to accept the Republic of Kosovo. Accepting the new nation and looking forward to a more prosperous future by joining the EU would be best for Serbia and for the stability of the balkans. But i guess they like to make things difficult for themselves, which is a shame!

[John 18 Feb 2008 17:35:05]

This is a sad day for Serbia, and I am deeply sympathetic. Who in the UK wouldn't howl with indignation if for example Bradford in a few years time, mainly populated by muslims, wanted independence? Using Kosovo as an example toe EU would support them.

having spent some time in the Balkans I learnt enough to know that the media doesn't paint the proper picture, but likes casting "villains" and "goodies", it makes a good story. the reality is somewhat different. I hope the Serb people don't blame the people of the UK - we are not the same thing as the govt.

[indrit jakupi 18 Feb 2008 16:49:43]

serbia and its people are not realistic. they have to wake up to the reality and see with their eyes kosovo is independent now. the serbian people belong to russia and not in the ballkans. if there is a serb person readin this story they should know the truth that they are people who have migrated from russia 13 centuries ago when they came in kosovo there were allready people living there in kosovo these people were the dardanians they were the natives. and their descendant are the kosovons. the serbian people have migrated in kosovo. most serbians most probably have never been to kosovo and and yet they say that kosovo ( a country where there live other people ) is mine. with all due respect but how can my house be yours? it doesnt make any sence so wake up and live in peace

[Leonard London 18 Feb 2008 16:21:38]

can I just remind to all serbs thar history did not start on 1244 or whenever the battle of kosovo has taken place. So for them to say that Kosovo is Serbia..!!?? I just dont get it. and the fear of muslim albanian is only part of their dirty propaganda. Albanians are the most moderate muslim you can find in all world. Just get on with it leave people to live in peace.

[Jim Mack Chile 18 Feb 2008 14:24:04]

the cration of yet another country in the world does nothing for peace, look at East Timor! What difference does it make who runs the country if that they rule it properly and for the good of all. What it says to me is that this is another opportunity for the ruling elite to skim off the top of the cash in the country so they can live in relative luxury while the rest live in abject poverty.

I'd just like to see Europe united against corruption. This move for independence is nothing short of one more step in the direction of mismanagement and future conflict.

[Filip Simic Belgrade 18 Feb 2008 13:08:12]

There was no genocide in Kosovo, unless you mean the WWII genocide that Serbs suffered in Kosovo.

[Brian Wisconsin 18 Feb 2008 13:03:30]

None of the news stories I've read have made any sense of the situation in that none have helped give a real grasp of what is at issue here. All I know is that Kosovo -- a place where Ethnic Albanians predominate in over 70% of the land -- wanted independence, Serbia didn't want to give it to them, Kosovo took it, and Serbia blames the US.

This is strange because, judging by the paucity of news stories on Kosovo since the war 11 years ago, the region hasn't even been on the radar. I didn't even know we were still involved in Kosovo, much less to blame for its declaring independence.

And why aren't the EU countries coming in for blame? Seems if anyone is supporting Kosovo independence, it's them. Here's what I know about Serbia now, though: They committed genocide, they hid murderers (Milosevic and his generals and Radazan K... whatever his name was), and now they're whining about losing a territory that hasn't been theirs for over 600 years.

The only downside I can see to this declaration of independence is if the government allows radical Islamists to gain a toehold. But it hasn't happened in Albania, which is majority Muslim, so why would we think it will happen anytime soon in Kosovo? When I see pictures of Kosovans (?), I see people who look like my neighbors (i.e., of European descent).

Someone please explain why this is a threat to me in rural Wisconsin or why I should even care? If the Kosovans were butchering people like the Serbs did 11 years ago, it might be one thing. I don't see that happening.

[Slavko Kilibarda, Belgrade 18 Feb 2008 12:32:30]

Who says it is over?
Do not say it twice. That land was fought over for centuries, and now sponsored by vicious sanctimonious western leaders we shall have their banana-country, a poligon for drugs, weapons and people traffing. Well, congratulations on that.

If it is without Kosovo, I vote for Serbia out of EU!

[Dave Newcastle under Lyme 18 Feb 2008 12:00:14]

So the Serbs have a feeling of injustice do they? Well they should remember it was their leaders who allowed and encouraged the "genocide" of Muslim Kosovans, 11 years ago. It was Serbs who were the murderers of innocent women and children then and this is the price that Serbis has to bear for it's part in these atrocities.
Serbia still has a lot of blood on it's hands from the 90's.

[Filip Simic Belgrade 18 Feb 2008 11:57:11]

I don't mean spoil the party, but Mr. Scekic can not express the views of majority of Serbs because he is simply not qualified for the that. BTW, how can a country join the same group of nations that took its territory? A nation dies without its cultural roots. This is not over.

[Eagle in NYC, USA 18 Feb 2008 07:36:45]

My condolences. The Serbs fought on the side of the Allies in World War II, hiding downed American pilots from the National Socialist German Workers Party and their Albanian Muslim allies. Now, through NATO bombings and protection of the KLA terrorists, America has helped the Islamofascist jihadists conquer their first European country; Kosovo.

This is a sad day for all freedom loving people.

http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Policy/CI/kosovo-slike/index.html
http://www.savekosovo.org/
http://www.ex-yupress.com/evnovosti/evnovosti13.html
http://members.tripod.com/Balkania/resources/terrorism/kla-drugs.html