My advise to Serbia will be to hand over war criminals as soon as possible and integrate into Europe.
Also, to treat Vojvodina people with respect, before it is too late.

Freddy, Oxford, UK

Those of you who believe that Serbia committed genocide and attempted to ethnically cleanse the Balkans are living in a fantasy land created by professional liars.

While I understand the propaganda from Albanian Nationalist in support of this land grab, I am bewildered by those Europeans who rewrite history in such a manner as to make Goebbels blush.

Sudantenland=kosovo and you support this new Munich at your own peril.

joel, Cleveland, USA /Missouri

So lets see if I got some things right.
It was right to bomb Serbia because its army and/or police breached human rights of Albanians on Kosovo and Metohija, but when Albanians on Kosovo and Metohija do it to Serbs they should be awarded independence.

Hallo wake up! True, there were war crimes committed by Serbian government against Albanians, but you seem to ignore that KLA was terrorist organisation (by State Department) and that there was no military activities by Serbian government before they started killing policemen and civilians. Crimes committed by Albanians are conveniently forgotten. There are some 2.000 Serbian civilians still "missing", probably dead, Churches and cemeteries have been demolished and 200.000 Serbs and other non-Albanians ethnically cleansed from Kosovo.

And by the way, Kosovo (not Kosova) was never independent state. It was in Serbia by early XV century, than it was part of Turkish Empire (as whole Serbia was), and then it was part of Serbia again.

RATMashine, Novi Sad, Serbia

The issue of Kosova from the International Law point of view is one of balancing Sovereignty Principle over the rights for Self-determination. Considering the behavior of the former Yugoslavia/Serbia in 1990’s – they started 4 wars, committed worst atrocities and genocide since the WWII; specifically killed over 10,000 unarmed Kosovars including children and pregnant women, droved over 1 mil Kosovar people from their homes - the issue boils down to if this kind of state sponsored and directed behavior toward its citizens is “excused” by the “immunity” granted by the Sovereignty Principle. Sovereignty is a right but also a responsibility. If a party deliberately neglects its responsibilities then that party should loose its rights. One can delve further into historical facts and argue that this deliberate oppressive behavior of Serbian government and military is consistent since the inception of their state. See for example Noel Malcolm’s “Kosovo: A Short History”.

Veton Kepuska, Cocoa Beach, Florida

Having spent time in Kosova very recently I'm disturbed by the continuing political debate in this area.
There are so many conflicting issues about ownership, is there a watermark of ownership prior to which ownership is forgotten?
This beautiful fertile land has been owned by many nations and powers of the last 2000 years, to stake a claim for ownership is difficult and will not be resolved easily.
Too many internal questions still remian. Would an independent Kosova become an Islamic "terrorist state"? Potentially, but churches exist in Kosova, many just seek peace in Kosova, many Muslims in Kosova are so by tradition only.
There is also the problem of the neglect of the Roma people nationally and internationally. Recent UN reports suggest these are some of the poorest people in Europe. Who will look after them?
Would an indepenedent Kosova seek the forceful removal of the native Serbs? (And vice-versa) Kosova is a beautiful fertile place.
While it is will it ever know peace?

Tru Tian Schu, North West England,

As Australians, how would we feel if a group of people from another country with strong religious belief, moved to Victoria (for example) and wanted to break away from Australia and make that state theirs. This is what is happening in Serbia.

Narelle, Sydney, Australia

I profoundly believe that Kosovo will be independent. There is no one to stop it. Russia has no say over the fate of Europe. In this sense it does not have any saying over Kosovo's independence either. Russia has never done an investment of whatsoever in Kosovo. In 1999 they sent Russian army troops to Kosovo to colonize this country thinking that they would be left to do so by EU and US. They were wrong. They left soon after Kosovo, as they had no money to serve food to their soldiers, They did not even pay 400.000 euros for the electricity they used in Kosovo. I know that South Africa might have many reasons to questions the independence plan for Kosovo proposed in UN. SA should vote pro this plan because Kosovars will never again live within a state that killed 15.000 of their most beloved people, burned 500.000 houses and chased 1 million people out of the country. It will not happen. SA should prevent failure of this plan because if it happens Europe will see a new war!

John Brown, Dublin, Ireland

This is what the financial elite is really concerned with:

World Bank survey puts Kosovo's mineral resources at 13.5bn euros

Kosova [Kosovo] mine [mineral] resources are worthy of 13.5 billion euros, according to a joint survey conducted by the Directorate for Mines and Minerals and the World Bank [WB].

The director for mines and minerals, Rainer Hengstmann, said in a press conference that those resources could generate 35,000 new jobs and would attract new investments.

Hengstmann said that the wealth of the mine in Sibofc [Sibovac] is estimated at 6.5 billion euros, wealth of Trepca at 3 billion, wealth of Feronikel 2 billion, whereas the wealth of the resources in other parts of Kosova were estimated at 2 billion euros.

ThinkTwice, London,

Ross, (or Radovan, maybe?), it\s incredible how much rubbish you managed to spew in a single post. White Al Qaida in Bosnia? What a load of mindless chetnik propaganda but what else is new. I presume your wanna-be, failed nazi chetnik cowards were liberating Europe from those in Slovenia and Croatia as well? One would think that after 15 years of this apologethic, self centered rubbish and being isolated, then bombed, isolated then bombed again, that the failure of a nation we know as Serbia would get a hint.

Edin, Newbury, UK

Kosovo is a unique case because the country (Serbia) who wants sovereignity over it tried to expell all its population and kill as many as possible. I mean, which country in the world tries to kill or expell part of its population? Furthermore, you cant compare Republika Srpska with Kosovo because Republika Srpska is a product of serbian genocide in Bosnia and never existed before whereas Kosovo used to be part of Yugoslavia with accepted borders. It even had these political borders for centuries.
Would you like to live in a country that tried to expell and kill you but it did not succeed only because civilized world intervened and did not let them do so? Kosovans diserve to be seperate from Serbia and the only way to be seperate is to be independent. This is a compromise solution because Kosovan albanians are restraining themselves from joining Albania. Kosovan serbs should do the same.

Nick, Perth, Australia

I find the hypocrisy of the West's actions quite disgusting. The ideologies of such NATO member states as the pointedly UNITED Kingdom and UNITED States are fundamentally multiethnic and inclusionary, as are the new governments they attempt to erect in Iraq, Afghanistan, and even neigboring Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, this model is clearly being ignored in the criminally-occupied Kosovo, where scheming Western politicians are threatening to steal Serbia's cultural heart and oldest province into a state of "internationally-monitered independence" which is diplomatic jargon for NATO satellite-hood. KFOR forces will be withdrawn from essential guard stations around Kosovar Serb neighborhoods, churches, and monasteries, and Albanian mobs will essentially butcher them into historical obscurity. Western politicians will express "concern" and "criticize" the Kosovar government, but will certainly not take the kind of action that drove Belgrade to surrender its province in the first place.

Sean Heyneman, Rochester NY,

Kosovo was forced into Yugoslavia by brutal means. Among the federation members, Kosovo was the first to revolt. This was not a surprise considering the way she was forced to join and kept in Yugoslavia. It's only proper that what started in Kosovo should end in Kosovo. The case is two million Kosovars strong.

Ari, Los Angeles, CA

Anyone know what the people living in Kosovo want? I ask this question because the answer to 'Does anyone care what the people living in Kosovo want?' seems obvious.

James, Oxford,

Davegeber: "It will also be the death knell of immigration to the West. Surely we will not allow millions of third world people into our lands if we realize that when they become a majority in a particular area they can take it."
Now that's what I'd call an observation that makes the difference.
At a first thought, I might have said - why turn an enclave without any history as an independent nation and rife with Islamic fanaticism into an independent state.
As a second thought, however, I'd rather be tempted to say - why not help our proud, beloved Kosovan sisters and brothers find as quickly as they can their way to a much-deserved independence...

Paul, Hamburg, EU

Aren't these countries in the "break-up Serbia" brigade the same "powers" that created Yugoslavia to prevent a recurrence of WW1? We are breaking up a country that my grandfather fought to support just 90 years ago, being wounded in the process.

Politics may be an ever-resteless sea, but are we so hapless that we can't resolve this issue. Will the Balkans be the cause of yet another conflict in Europe?

Following the example of other European countries over the last half-century, how about a Balkans free-trade zone of partner states, later to be incorporated into the EU as members? It stopped the constant warring in Western Europe!

KR, Stockport,

We should not recognize the independence of Kosovo nor any other secession that is not accepted by the larger state involved. This is a position consistent with the principles of self-determination. For example, through much of the 19th century, the US government dealt with the Sioux nation, the Navajo nation and other American Indian nations state to state. Their autonomy was recognized. Nevertheless, by general agreement, the British and French and other nations had no direct state-to-state contact with the pre-Columbian nations within US territory. This is how we should deal with secessionist movements around the world. We should champion their rights but avoid direct diplomatic relations of full recognition as independent states.

Doug Forbes, Wheeling, USA

Errm, what then about Republica Srpska, which has long been denied independence despite its clear lines of separation from the rest of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Justifying such obviously different treatment will strain even the monumental hypocrisy of Paddy Ashdown - the most evil man in Europe.

Desmond Persaud, Wimbledon, London , UK

I think that those who object the status of Kosova (full independence one) are either ignorant about the history of that place or economically blind. The pro-independent countries are very conscious about the historical injustice done to Albanian people by annexing Kosova to former Yugosllavia after the collapse of Ottoman Empire. Now all they are doing is puuting the record of history straight.
This is a long overdue time for bringing Albanian Nation together.

Bajram, London,

I think that your readers should read some histury books. Kosovo was never in the same postition as the ex Yugoslav republics. It was allways and only a PROVINCE. And I would like to ask your readers do they ever think of the posiible situation in which thousends of Albanians that live in the Southern Serbia may come. And do they think thet Albanians in Macedonia, Montenegro and reece should allso ask for independence.

slobodan, Belgrade, Serbia

Speaking about 100 000 Serbs in Kosovo, why don't you mention the 200 000 who were expelled from their homes by the "liberators" and now reside in Serbia? The Clinton administration collaborated with Islamist terorists and Iranian ayatollahs to provide arms for Bosnian Jihadists. And now this administration says: Well maybe it is a nice idea to create another Gaza strip in Europe, 400 km from Vienna. As if the Bosnian training camps for the white Al-Kaida shaheeds are not enough. Go on fellas. You will feel Albanian gratitude. In Fort Dix few days ago 4 Kossovars, a Turk and a Jordanian were arrested for planning a terrorist act. And of course the nationality of the thugs was so politically correctly announced (coming from "former Jugoslavia" - from Slovenia or Vojvodina maybe) that one had to scroll through ten sources to understand who's who

Ross Theodor, Kuwait,

With all due respect Ms Bronwen Maddox, but you left out that South Africa’s insecurities have nothing to do with the reality in Kosovo; that of the past when 1 million people were forced out of their homes, over 450 000 houses were demolished by the Serbian army, drunken and drugged by its government, when massacres beheading and limb amputation of children, men, women, elderly were committed in the name of the Greater Serbia, when the leaders of that country planned to HIV infect the local population en masse and the list extends as far as the distance between South Africa and Kosova, nor does South Africa understand that these scars of war are still fresh and vivid in people imaginations.

Kosova today exists independently of Serbia, and has done so for the at least, past 9 years. Any attempt to bring any kind of Serbian rule over it will upset the people whose imaginations of destruction and rape by the powers of the Serbian army are fresh and vivid.

Yours

Alban
A BritAlb

Alban Bytyci, London / Tirana / Prishtina, Uk / Albania / Kosova

Serbia deserved what it got in 1999 over Kosovo, but as ever the intervention was done without a firm idea of an end product (look at Jones Parry's comments for proof).
The same can be said of all sorts of interventions, not least of all Bosnia and the Dayton agreement that has kept that 'country' such a divided mess since 1995.
This is all made worse by the muddled thinking that it is right to take Kosovo away from Serbia, but not right to divide Kosovo on the basis of majority areas of Serbs such as north of the Ibar.
If you're going to intervene and mess around with borders you might as well make your imposed solution durable, rather than the source of more of the same.
Well done in 1999, Tony, but less well done for 2007.
(NB Most British would happily have got rid of Northern Ireland many years back.)

Nicholas, Newcastle,

Kosovo was part of former Jugoslavia. All other countries of former Jugoslavia are now independent, why should Kosovo not be? Where was Russia and South Africa when Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia etc declared independence? The people of Kosovo (including all minorities) have deserved independence.

Besnik, London, UK

It's all very simple:
1. Unlike Britain, Serbia tried to keep its empire by commiting mass murders and genocides in Croatia, then Bosnia (has any of you "experts" even heard of, say, Vukovar, Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Foca, Visegrad or Srebrenica, for example). They failed, not because they weren't ruthless enough.
2. Years later, they tried the same in Kosovo, and after expelling Albanians, constituting most of it population, from their jobs, schools, etc. Even the Nazis failed in doing so much.
3. They still haven't learned their lessons. A few weeks ago the Radical party, proud of their chetnik fascist heritage and whose leader is currently sweating in The Hague on a war crimes trial, won the popular elections and have just appointed their nr 1 idiot chairman of the Parliament.

Kosovo is one of Blair's few right moves. The only mistake is that he and the Americans believed that this naion deeply corrupted with fascism and pathetic dreams of their own grandeur could be made democratic.

Edin, Newbury, UK

The article rightly points out to falacy of seeing Kosovo as sorted out. What we have heard a lot about is the 78 days of war, but little has been written of the situation for people in the country since then. Indeed, the South African point is worth making here. If one finds over some period of time, say 60 years, that due to vastly larger natality rate one ethnic group outnumbers another on the same territory, does that give them automatic rights to seek independence? Especially if while this was going on this ethnic group maintained schools in its own language and aggitated for special status.

Independence has to be earned. A country needs to be able to stand on its own feet. It should be able to coexist in peace and cooperate with its neighbours. It should protect and treat equally all its citizen. Much of this is far off. Also, I do not see anything that points to a thriving economy. So, who will pay for all this?

Lilly Evans, UK

Lilly Evans, Virginia Water, UK

Serbia deserved what it got in 1999 over Kosovo, but as ever the intervention was done without a firm idea of an end product (look at Jones Parry's comments for proof).
The same can be said of all sorts of interventions, not least of all Bosnia and the Dayton agreement that has kept that 'country' such a divided mess since 1995.
This is all made worse by the muddled thinking that it is right to take Kosovo away from Serbia, but not right to divide Kosovo on the basis of majority areas of Serbs such as north of the Ibar.
If you're going to intervene and mess around with borders you might as well make your imposed solution durable, rather than the source of more of the same.
Well done in 1999, Tony, but less well done for 2007.

Nicholas, Newcastle,

With all due respect Ms Bronwen Maddox, but you left out that South Africa’s insecurities have nothing to do with the reality in Kosovo; that of the past when 1 million people were forced out of their homes, over 450 000 houses were demolished by the Serbian army, drunken and drugged by its government, when massacres beheading and limb amputation of children, men, women, elderly were committed in the name of the Greater Serbia, when the leaders of that country planned to HIV infect the local population en masse and the list extends as far as the distance between South Africa and Kosova, nor does South Africa understand that these scars of war are still fresh and vivid in people imaginations.

Kosova today exists independently of Serbia, and has done so for the at least, past 9 years. Any attempt to bring any kind of Serbian rule over it will upset the people whose imaginations of destruction and rape by the powers of the Serbian army are fresh and vivid.

Yours

Alban Bytyci, London, Uk

What Driton Zhubi and the Albanian community conveniently fail to say is the reason why the Serbian army invaded Kosovo in the first place. It was in direct response to extensive terrorist attacks by the KLA on the local police,army and serbian civilians. It was beautifully orchestrated as the USA and it's allies encouraged the terrorism knowing full well what Milosevic's response would be giving them the green light to bomb Serbia and occupy it's land. And the reason for the US's staunch support for Kosovo independence are twofold - it has the largest US base outside of the US territory, and secondly the Trepca mines which have billions of pounds worth of mineral wealth which is the reason why the US flatly refuses to partition Kosovo on ethnic grounds as the mines are in the Serb part. Also, why should the albanians who constitute roughly 15% of Serbia's population be allowed independence, yet the Bosnian Serbs who comprise 30% of Bosnia are flatly refused independence? Prejudice.

PB, YORK,

It's a very bad idea to encourage Kosovo to declare independance. It was always a part of Serbia. The so-called "Albanian" population is largely of Serb origin. Many Serbs converted to Islam during ther Ottoman rule and are now called Albanians. The true Albanians are descended of the,tribal Ghegs and the Tosks (the spelling may be off but I am not making this up!) The "albanian" birthrate is higher than the "Serb" birthrate in Kosovo, hence the "Albanian" majority. What if French Moslems want to declare their enclaves as independant? What if British Moslems do the same? Or more to the point, the Scots and the Welsh. What if Hispanic-Americans want to take over the US Southwest? It could be the end of nation states as they slide into fractured tribal entities.l It will also be the death knell of immigration to the West. Surely we will not allow millions of third world people into our lands if we realize that when they become a majority in a particular area they can take it.

davegaber, los angeles, california

Kosovo is a province of Serbia. It is not and cannot be an independent state. Yes the Serbs treated their citizens of Albanian origin appallingly. It was a civil war.
Serbia was rightly punished for this when the UN & NATO took over control of Kosovo. That does not mean the UN & NATO can now take Kosovo permanently away from Serbia. It should be granted special autonomy within Serbia guaranteed under the Serbian constitution, with a permanent resident UN office to monitor matters.

Hector, Bristol,

Remove UNMIK and leave 120,000 Serbs to be butchered by the KLA? Nothing would surprise me. When the Beeb covers Kosovo, they never mention the 200,000 displaced people whom we bombed out of their homes. They remain homeless, jobless and dependent on soup kitchens.

James, Scotland,

I suspect a Russian veto on the Security Council is a given, and hardly likely to be susceptible to diplomacy. Particularly if it feels that it can use South Africa's argument (admittedly a very thoughtful and delicate one, probably put from the best of motives) as a fig leaf.

I regularly visit a Russian photo-sharing website, and yesterday amid all the pictures of 9th May marches around the country were too many pictures of young activists holding up banners with "Sebastopol front (against NATO)" etc. to allow one to remain sanguine about the hopes for diplomacy.

Ian Kemmish, Biggleswade, UK

If Kosovo is given independence on ethnic grounds then why not apply these principles to other parts of the world? This is clearly a case of Muslim aggression against Christian Serbs and should be viewed as such.

However, if independence goes ahead, then we can expect the result to be used as justification by Russia for settling its scores with Georgia. Would it not be better to establish a rapprochement with Russia in order to bring some consistency in our dealings with Islam? Surely the same principles could be applicable to some UK cities where there are high proportions of Muslims.

Constantinople_1453, Hastings, England

Kosovo intervention was supposed to stop creation of terrorists in the region. Interestingly, noone says anything about this now. Perhaps this has to do with 4 out of 6 recently apprehended Al Quaeda terrorists aiming to bomb USA Army base were immigrants (3 illegal) from Kosovo. Though, New York Times conveniently refered to them as being from 'Former Yugoslavia'. Which country/place is that now?

MIlo Tausan, Bedford, UK

Good to hear that South Africa has decided to question the wisdom of this irresponsible and callous act. There is no excuse or justification for the sanctioning of forcible theft of sovereign territory. Shame the same cannot be said of Tony Blair or HM government at the UN. One wonders what has to happen in this country before people wake up to the fact that they will feel the fallout of these actions. Would the people of this country be willing to give up part of their territory? Northern Ireland?

Branka Perry, London, UK

tribal divisions will only make tribal wars.Devide and rule still continues but will it bring peace to this world?.No it will cause more misery to all. The civil war in afganistan instigated by the west is a striking example.We never learn.

jan, London, UK

"Kosovo is still controversial. "

Yes, I would say it's pretty controversial to carve out a large chunk of a soverign country's territory.

And let's remember that the main facilitators of this came from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the (then recently) re-United Germany; you know, the same countries that speak with such nationalistic fervor of the strength derived from unity.

Their rush to support the fragmentation of Yugoslavia and to this day, as another commetator noted, lie about the war, only speaks to their moral depravity.

Travis , Klamath Falls, Oregon

However well arguable is the case against it, creating an independent state out of Kosovo is the only feasible solution. The argument that this might set a dangerous precedent is ridiculous! Especially if one puts it as a case of an ethnic group (suddenly) deciding it is “intolerable to share a nationality.” It could if we had any other country that pursues policy of expulsion of the entire homogenous ethnic group in parts of its territory. At the time being we don't. But you know what? In case we did then we should applaud a precedent! Any country that tries to accomplish what Serbia tried in 1999 in Kosovo should face losing the territory for good. It is only fair.
The NATO intervention did put a final nail in the coffin of the wars in what the world knew as Yugoslavia and it led to the demise of the last tyrant in Europe. So I really do not see where the problem is with Mr. Blair counting it as a success?!

P.S. I liked the article on Virginia Tech shooting much better.

Driton Zhubi, Pristina, Kosovo

I remember when the campaign against Yugoslavia was prepared how the media hyped it up by printing things like "Million people inside Kosovo feared dead", "Sattelite pictures show mass graves - Millions missing", "Genocide" and similar things. True or not? It was all part of the Western agenda and still it is to demolish Serbia as a dominant player in the region and to 'show to Russia' what NATO could do. The elite is trying to sacrifice Sebs to 'show to the Muslim world' that they are not 'racist' or something. True or not? The public did not see it in Kosovo but now the whole world can see it in Iraq. True or not? The financial elite is behind it all aren't they? They make billions out of wars and misery no matter who wins. It's all a big financial sham isn't it? They say 'you have democracy what do you want?' but 1% of the population owns 80% of the wealth. That's not democracy. That's a financial dictatorshop isn't it?

ThinkTwice, London,

"It is afraid that independence for Kosovo would set a precedent for wiping out old state boundaries in favour of tribal divisions."

This is totally wrong. The question of Kosovo's indipendence is not a tribal division, it is a national question. It will not set a precedent because it conforms to the right of nations for selfdetermination garanteed by the UN chart. Only last 10 years there are many (at least 30) new countries that gained indipendence from another country.

Driton, Mtl, Ca

I pray Kosovo finally gets its independence!

Ajla, Dallas, Texas