am with kozovos independence, and any other oppressed minority should have the right to choose their destiny, to save the blood...


but what i dont get is why they are living with double standards,thousands of the palestinians are dying, but they stand still, they are contradicting themselves, what's behind this move and why are they by kosovo's side..only time will show us.

sherihan mohamed, Cairo, Egypt

Where ever ethnic minorities living under authoritarian or oppressive majority rule, need their freedom, if they wish or choose to live on their own.

Hats off to UK and US for their timely intervention and recognition of the independents Kosovo, this rule should be applied to anywhere to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and encourage countries in dispute progress towards prosperity, and democracy.

Tamils in Srilanka and Dafur in Sudan need immediate attention.

mahin, london, uk

I do not agree with my government in recognising Kosova I believe it is part of Serbia. I cannot agree with the US on this matter either. What gives other countries the right to declare Serbia's territory to others. This was done in 1948 with Israel and we have had trouble ever sinc e in the middle east.

christine marshall , cambridge, England

In Croatia in action Oluja 250 000 Serbs are exiled 2.500 killed. From 1990. ‘till 2000. the number of exiled Serbs is 450 000 – 650 000.The most in Oluja and Bljesak. In 1990. the many of them were exiled from their workplaces, from 1991. started a massive exiled from Croatia. Today, everything that were belong to the Serbs, apartments, houses, aren’t return to the Serbs, yet.

Denda, Belgrade, Serbia

Its bizarre how most of the posts are anti independance. We forget that the sole reason for this is Serbia & what Serbia has done in the past. Do we forget Sinj, Dubrovnik, Vukovar and Srebrinica that quickly, also the creation of the mini state of Republika Srbska which the Serbs recognised within another sovereign state, Bosnia. Serbia is coincidently the ONLY isolated European state, Tito has gone, Milosovic has gone, Serbia needs to move on into the 21st century, Serbia`s future is in Europe not with a regressive & paranoid Russia.

Philip , Oxford.

philip blandy, oxford, england UK

Damir, you are right, but too many people claim some very dubious things like Serbia started WWI, the Serbs were always the persecutors and buthcers and so on.
This act is illigal, but hey, the same could be said about Slovenia in 1991. Nowdays, Slovenia is ex-Yugoslav succes story. Again, the sad truth is that Slovenian teritorial militia commited some war crimes against the still existing and legal Federal Yugoslav army (which still consisted of Serbs, Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Macedonians etc.) in the summer of 1991. Today, Slovenia is a member of NATO and EU and you cannot legally pursue the truth about these now distant events.
On the other side, everyone know about the Serbs as the bad boys of the Balkans. The truth about how Albanians colonised, settled and finally took over Kosovo will be known one day. But there will be no non-Albanians on Kosovo to witness that, nor much traces of let say Serbian medieval artistic and cultural heritage despite it's place on UNESKO list.

Uros, London, United Kingdom

Any debate or arument needs to be consice and focuse just on one topic, we cannot argue parallely who has more historical, ethnical or whatever right., that leads nowhere!
The only topic here is:
Is this act legal or not?

Damir, Munich,

Is there any possibility that those who support Serbs organize some protests. Why don't people in every state which government broke the international law, organize protests against the crime acts of their government.
This is not only about Serbia, this is about all of us. These governments humiliate UN , and one they will lose their rule position, but whole nation will be marked for their unmoral, illegal acts.
I know that one day will be a lot of regrets, but maybe it will be late...So act, and show to your government that you have to be asked too.

Denda, Belgrade, Serbia

Another thing about history. If you read ANY GSCE book in Modern history, you will see that for example UK started it naval race with the Germany in the early 1900's. The Germany planned the Schlieffen Plan in 1905 to atack France and then Russia, while France made Plan XVII in order to recapture Alsace and Lorraine lost to Germany in 1870/1. Anyway, if the Great Powers already made wasr plans much before 1914 how can you claim that tiny Serbia caused WWI ?
Secondly, after Yugoslav government, centered in Belgrade, backed British war efforts agains the Nazi Germany in 1941, Yugoslavia was crushed and occupied. Serbia was devided between German allies including Albania and Kosovo Albanians filled notorious 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderberg (1st Albanian). This unit persecuted local Serbs and Jews.
Now, are we, after great headlines about peace, democracy, "new born nation" etc. again speak about Great Powers' plans which will Serbia had to pay with its territory?

Uros, London, United Kingdom

Kosovo's declaration of independence is 100 % legal and we strongly recognise independence declaration of Kosovo. I believe this is the beginning of period of stability in the Balkans area. Kosovo has a bright future ahead and i am sending my best wishes to all the citizens of Kosovo and as a Pakistani our moral support will be always with Kosovo.
I hope other nations must recognise and respect independence of Kosovo.
I am confident this independence declaration will enable Kosovo to move forward with long-term rebuilding and significant economic and social progress. We must urge the international community to support this new state's efforts to build a peaceful and prosperous future for all of its citizens.

Rashid Ali Awan, Oslo, Norway

There is no historical, legal or moral basis for supporting Kosovo's independence.

Albanians in Kosovo have been systematically driving Serbs out of Kosovo for the best part of a century. NY TImes reported Albanina pogroms against Serbs as far back as 1874.


Serbia's claim on Kosovo goes back to 7th cenbtury. It secured its own independent state from the Byzantines in early 12th century. Since that time, Serbia's orthodox Church has made a rich contribution Christianity, with Kosovo as its epicentre.

Kosovo's declaration of independence is illegal. Albanians 90% majority in Kosovo was built on the back of illegal immigration from Albania, ethnic cleansing of Serbs and a very high birth rate. More than fifty percent of Kosovo's Albanian population was born after 1987.

sirivanhoe98, Sydney, Australia

I see that some supporters of independence use the (pseudo) historical arguments such as the claim that Albanians are decendants of Ilyrians. I'm afraid that this theory is not based on facts. In fact it is not even a logical one. Between the disappearance of Ilyrians and the appearance of the first traces of (what will later become) Albanians, there is an eight century gap. This huge gap can be filled with vivid imagination, but in reality it is filled with other nations. There is no evidence whatsoever that could establish a link between Albanians and Ilyrians. To claim that Albanians are decendants of Ilyrians is just as absurd as claiming that, for example, Normans built the Stonehenge.

Mickey, BP, Serbia

a failed state has been created: I wonder how long will the europeans be willing to keep a peacekeeping force in Kosovo? As soon as they leave, the Serbs will return to their historic lands.

nick, london, UK

Anyway, couple of facts that I mentioned already prove the pressure on Serbia during WWII.
Concerning the Albanian orgin story of Illyrians it is completely unfounded because we do not have anything left from the original Illyrian language except couple of names. So, the French could claime that they descended from the Gauls but today French is Romance language brought by the Romans and later spiced with Frankish, Norman etc words. Also, between mighty cultures of Greece and Rome, poor Illyrians, just like many other iron age tribes, did not left anything of the material culture or other traces which could identify the modern Albanians as their grandgrand children.

Yes, Scotland or Whales could today and only today claim independence, but only after the centuries of the English occupation and suppresion. And let us not mention the Great Irish Famine and other cases in which English/British authorities did not have much emphaty nor help for their citisiens.

Uros, London, United Kingdom

Dear writer, When Serb raise his hand with 3 fingers it is not NAZI salute (shame on you for more than 2 millions serbs killed in WW2) we use this 3 fingers for baptize after pray (as other orthodox christians). See some information on http://www.orthodoxlinks.info/ , and ask some of collegs if you have who is orthodox. If you really want to writing the truth.

Jelena Dobanovacki, Novi Sad, Srbija

I made one mistake, when I said that Albanian area was under italian 'till 1912. I meant Turcs. 'Cause Serbs and Montenegrins set free that area from Turcs in Balcan war. And, Serbia get the exit on the Adriatic sea. That's why western states decidade to establish Albania, just against Serbian exit to the sea.
Any was Serbs set free Albanians three times: in Balcan war, in I WW, and in II WW 1944. So... who is good guys? Serbs, of cours.

Denda, Belgrade, Serbia

Edison, hungarians came from URALe, Kosovo is a Serbian motherland.

Alex, Warsaw,

Lots of you, most of all Americans and British, keep talking about Albanians' long range historical rights, as well as the atrocities of the Serb paramilitaries during the '90s. This way, you try to explain and defend USA's and GB's position. This is really hilarious. You Americans have proved that the UNO is just a marionette in your hands, that you break any international law whatsoever, as long as you strategic interests demand it. This time, in Kosovo, you just broke the International Right by NOT taking into consideration a UN Security Council Resolution. All that USA wants is to control part of the Balkans, and the whole Eastern Europe by extension, and to show the whole world that they are the only international "gendarme". Of course, if this meets their strategic goals...

Mike, San Sebastián, Spain

So now Albanians have two states, and it doesn't look like they intend to stop there. I don't see how this is helping the stability in the Balkans.

Mickey, BP, Serbia

TO Rui Borges, Sintra, Portugal,

OBRIGADO!!! Yes, I agree with you that there are still Independent minds in the world. In such difficult times for my country, trust me that even this small kind of support means a lot.

Tijana, Belgrade, Serbia

RE:"Dear croatian friends!

What about the idea of dividing the western balkans in two big states Albania in the south and Croatia in the North?

Arian, Tirana, Albania"

With respect for the Croatians who are unvoluntarily named here, this comment from Albania does not need a comment. It speaks for itself...

Tijana, Belgrade, Serbia

I want to say Denda from Belgrade. You have been very bad student in school. All the world know seems the light, in the Ambassador Conference of London, Kosovo give Serbia. Kosovo is a part of Albania and Serbia take it from this conference in 1912. Let's go serbian peoples in the Urale mountains in Russia. They come from this part of the world and stay in Balcan. All the world know that. How mile peoples from Kosovo has killed Serbia at 1999 ? If you don't know just see on internet or just surch from others. They just want to be independent, because Serbia didn't give nothing, just war, no dirit and nothing else. So, dear Denda, you must study history very well and just try to be clear in what think before said. Ask first the serbian, where they come from before stay in Balcan? Sure from Ural mountains in Russia and Belarus place.
Thanks for everything. Forever free and independent Kosovo.

Edison , Beijing, China

have you people ever heard about illyrians.we albanians respectively kosovars are descedants of them.Peple of serbia feed their minds that their state was create in kosova.they are wrong they have come from karpats mountain and they invaded kosova.I don't know why this thing happen to serbian people.we've never done any bad thing to serbians but they did.Remember the last war in 1999 when they made genocide above kosovars and all the world saw it.thank you very much UK and USA.Owing to you we declared our independence.thank you so much god bless you.

shpetim, gjakova, kosova

For those who are trying to explain the historical rights of Albanians,1. there is no historical facts that Albanians are Illyrians 2.Albanians came in Kosovo in XIX century, as refuges from present Albanian mountain. In history, the tribes from present Albania area where christians with Greek and Slavic names. Kosovo is in Serbia from the end of XI century.Before than Kosovo was in Byzantia. So, there is no evidence that Kosovo is Albanian. But, Albanians is used to lie about their history, even now they say that Serbian ortodox churches and monasteries are Albanians, and if that is not lie, what it is? Any way there is lot of naive people who believed in Albanian words, like John from Liverpool, and some man from London. It's a shame that USA, France, UK, states which ancestors formed UN, betrayed their ancestors. They know that they broke the International law, but no one try to punished them for that. The next time some other state would be in position as Serbia...

Denda, Belgrade, Serbia

There are multiple reason for the creation and recognition of the temporary state of Kosovo by the West. I say temporary because Kosovo will, probably within 10 years, join Greater Albania. The three main reasons are as follows: 1) the West wants to show to Muslims around the world that there will be spoils for them if they submit to the Western leadership in the global pillage called globalisation, 2) it is to show the powerlessness of Russia to Russia and its potential allies or even to provoke Russia into reacting when it is not fully on its feet yet, and 3) to punish the Serbs for their resistance during two world wars and also during the West driven destruction of Yugoslavia. Other reasons are: Albanian important strategic position, a chance for the US to impose its leadership on Europe etc. In the long run, this is only sawing the seeds of another war in Europe.

Kiza, Sydney, Australia

Dear croatian friends!

What about the idea of dividing the western balkans in two big states Albania in the south and Croatia in the North?

Arian, Tirana, Albania

"This one sided publishing of the story means there is no independent media in the world."

Tijana, there are no independent media but there are STILL independent minds...
My government may recognize Kosovo but that will not be made in my name.

From Europe's nation with the ancient borders here's my support to you all in brave Serbia.

Força!

Rui Borges, Sintra, Portugal

Maybe the Serbs will win next time around. Shouldn't have to wait long to find out.

Ellen Morris, Leeds,

Now that Bush has given the Albanians Kosovo will the Albanians give him his watch back?

Tim, Zürich, Switzerland

I think that the rapid recognition of Kosovo independence by the US, followed by its closer European allies, is just a plan to annoy the Russians and diminish their influence in Europe.
In my opinion the EU support to the secession of an historic part of a sovereign European state is an enormous mistake which Europe will regret very soon.

Fernando Aldana, Barcelona, Spain

I agree with many of the comments supporting serbia - I am fed up with putting up with accusations of racism against the muslims - the serbs have been punished enough and have ALSO suffered under presumed muslim rule. This is an illegal declaration of independance - let us NOT forget that. It is simply a result of Albanian Muslims pouring over the border and creating a majority population and then breaking away from Serbia (A Serbia which has defined it's own territory/political social and economic infrastructure)and then to have some of it's territory taken away is wrong. Imagine how we in the UK would react if 15% of our nation was sliced??
I hope that Nato can now deliver its promises and protect the Serbs living in Kosovo because there will be blood on all our hands if they cannot... please remember this.

Luke Davies, Reading, UK

I am really sick of always reading that Serbs are singing nationalist songs, etc. What do you think Albanias sing? Madonna's tunes? This one sided publishing of the story means there is no independent media in the world.
Will you please publish that the PM Tachi that declared Kosovo independence was the political leader od KLA that killed Serbs? I never supported Milosevic, but he went on trial as the political leader but Tachi is named PM? This are dangerous double standards. The first proclaimed PM of Kosovo, Haradinaj, is currently in The Hague accussed of war crimes against Serbs in Kosovo,why hasn't any of this ever been published? Not only the Serbs killed in Kosovo...Never mind if Kosovo is the heartland of the Serbs or not. What is important is that it was taken ilegally from Serbia and broke all international law. Of course, there is a huge American military base there that was built in the last 9 years. Maybe this is the reason USA supports them? But I can not get UK and EU.

Tijana, Belgrade, Serbia

"what if the scotts say :"we want our own country back!"
would you support them? -- rui almeida, lisboa, portugal

The last time i looked, i did not see any 'scotts' being 'ethnically cleansed' by Gordon Brown or anyone else for that matter. Infact, our Prime Minister is a Scott.

jayil, london, Britain

scotland,corsica and all the rest,will never be able to do what albanins did as USA is never going to bomb england,spain,france .....if and when they would send their armies to shut those down...
but serbia?! They can bomb Serbia whenever they want and anyway albanians drug money gave USA politicians so much money ,they are well protected.

nobody loved USA forever,this love will end and kosovo's already destroyed churches will all be replaced by many more mosques,kosovo is pure muslim country in europe ,don't worry,saudis will make sure that albanians become more religious,as turkey will be,foreget secular muslim states.

Dirty politics and ignorance of Kerry Katona's people...as long as there are sales and celebreties,who cares what happens in the world,so don't be angry when they say sharia law should be addopted here,it's only your fault that you are ignorant and think that you can learn history by watching news.

kim, london,

Kosovo is nothing but a new US banana republic

Mr T.T, Barnsley,

Ops! major misunderstanding by Catherine Philp your reporter from Mitrovica. Apology please, remove the offending remark and make it quick or else I might have to take legal action for misrepresentation. The Serbian sign of the raised holy trinity described as a 'Nazi salute' has no Nazi connotations what so ever a better analogy would be Churchills victory sign. As I have explained the troika is the sign of the holy trinity. I am quite happy to use the sign myself and am insulted that I'd be labelled a Nazi as a result.

Pera, London, UK

Good luck Kosovars! Soon we will be filming your story.
www.kesulat.com

Alan Trow, London, UK

I wonder if these countries would support a declaration of independence by, say, Bradford or Birmingham.

Pete, Cov,

what if the scotts say :"we want our own country back!"
would you support them?

rui almeida, lisboa, portugal

A seed of evil has metastased into cancer that is killing our planet and once proud nations and it is getting bigger by the day. May all deities and gods help us survive and weather what is to come in next few years. History, if there is one, will record Iraqi war and independence of Kosovo as a turning point. I would like to hope for the best, but somehow picture is getting darker and darker.

Scott G., Tri-city area, Canada

Well, before WW2 Serbs were that 90% population. Kosovo Albanians came over from Albania in search for jobs and to excape comunims.

Maximilian, Oxford, UK

What if Indians say: "We want to have our own country?" Will you support them? They were in America long before Europians migrated to America.

Evgeny, Chelyabinsk, Russia

for john and james-my friends like John Mcain says , you are an example of an ignorance at its best. Please go back to high scool and riview your elementary history, you might learn something.

Scott G, Tri-ciity area, Canada

This is a worrying move and recognition by countries including the UK is not good. Independence needs to be earned by demonstrating good government, respect for minorities and the foundation and identity of a state - Kosovo doesn't demonstrate any of these qualities. I'd have no problem with an independent Scotland or Northern Ireland as the UK is a kingdom of nations and neither country is the "heartland" of Britain. Plus both British nations have demonstrated a respect for human rights and a clear and distinct identity. 'Kosovo is Serbia' even though I don't ally myself with the hardline nationalists who have taken to rioting in the streets of Belgrade and Novi Sad to express their views and in turn made Serbia look like the bad man of Europe again. Partitioning along ethnic lines will get us nowhere and punishing Serbia for their actions in Bosnia and Serbia is not disimilar to the treatment of Germany after World War I and look where that led to.

Karl, Manchester, UK

It is quite disturbing how misinformed fellow commentators seem to be on the Kosovo question.
Firstly, Sam you refer to the albenians occupying Kosovo! That is their homeland since antiquity, the Slavs (Serbs) were invaders and NOT the other way around.
Secondly, those who keep refering to Kosovo as the heartland of Serbia because of the battle against the Ottoman empire should be reminded that it was a christian army of hungarians, albanians, serbs etc that mady up that army and fought the ottomans in Kosovo Polje!
Thirdly, the Scots, Northern Irish (and Basques to some degree) have devolutionary powers for governing themselves and are not under the constant threat of murder, rape, burning of their houses etc. How can you compare those scenarios?
The Kosovars are well deserved of their independent status; they have long strugled by peaceful means, and when that failed miserably, shed blood to defend THEIR homeland. I for one am glad the tragedy has a happy ending.

James Donnelly, London, UK

I don't get all the fuss.
Albanians are Illyrians. They were in Kosovo long before slavs migrated to the Balkans. Kosovo was their kingdom(dardanian kingdom) since antiquity and they continued living there to this day. They make 95 % of Kosovo whilst serbs make less than 5%.
What is there to oppose?

John, Liverpool, England

The Serbs are paying the price for their mistakes of previous years, which have neither been forgotten nor forgiven in the rest of ex-Yugoslavia or in western Europe. The atrocities committed by their paramilitaries in Bosnia and Croatia in their attempt to forge a "greater Serbia" have taken a lot from their moral capital. Even today, they still harbor Karadzic and Mladic, two war criminals from the 1990's. When you try unsuccessfully to commit genocide against a people (like expelling half of the Albanians from Kosovo), you forfeit rights to rule over them in the future. Thus, there is no comparison between what the Serbs did in Kosovo with the position of the Basque provinces, Corsica, or Scotland. There is a certain "boy who cried wolf" flavor to their protestations. Remember how some footage of the Srebrenica massacre was shown on Serb TV? There was a national outpouring of denial -- the same denial that motivates Serb nationalists to claim that they are the eternal victims

Paul, FL, USA

It is disheartening to read so much of missinformation in the comments here.
Kosovo is not a serbian land. It never was. Kosovo is not serbs' Jerusalem since that was never the case.
Albanians are illyrians. They have lived in Kosovo at least 2000 years before slavs came from Asia. This was their homeland and their kingdom of Dardania was in place long before slavs had any idea where Europe was.
Serbs were occcupiers. Albanians are reclaiming what is theirs.
God bless.
Try and go out more since this bitterness in not healthy.

John, Liverpool, England

Well,
who wants to live under Serbian rule?!
I bet, there're no takers.
The people of Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, had their very loud say, and do not regret it.
All these nations are prospering free of the Serbian albatros.

Kosovo has a bright future ahead, while Serbians will need a very long time to pick up their pieces and patch up their shattered image throughout the civilized world.

Maltin, Minneapolis, USA

I feel we have let the serbs down, nobody has listened to their point of view, I hope they know that a lot of people in the west are on their side, but nobody listens to us either.

MARIE LAMB, stockport, england

The independence of Kosovo will endanger all chances of a long-term peace in the Balkans; there is no chance that any government in Belgrade, event the current quite moderate, will accept secession from this province. Kosovo is the cradle of the Serbian state since the Middle Ages, and has lots to do with their history. In Kosovo the first Kings of Serbia started the formation of their Kingdom and was there where the Ottomans smashed the Serbs in the late XIV century. I don’t have any sympathy towards the ultra nationalistic Serbs, they were partially responsible for the horrendous Great War which finished with the destruction of that master piece of international politics which was the Habsburg monarchy, in her times the most advanced state of Europe. But we are playing with fire, I don't share the recognition of the independence of this Serbian enclave, this action will start a perilous trend for many other states in Europe, like Spain, Belgium, Romania, the UK and France.

Wetzvonken, Buenos Aires, Argentina

If the US thinks that this enclave in the middle of Europe, racked by unemployment, corruption, organized crime, a real hotbed of Islamic terrorism, that needs tens of years of international supervision and massive financial aid to survive is useful to anyone , they are sadly mistaking!
One of the obvious reason for supporting this declaration is that the US needs a foothold in the Balkans and needs to stick it to the Russians!
It's the same crazy strategy that lead in the '80s to the creation of the Mujahhadins and Osama bin Laden to fight the Soviets. The outcome will most likely be the same, as the US cannot control the region for a long period of time.
The US thinks that it can keep the pressure on the majorities by using the minorities, in the same manner it is doing it on American soil, through POSITIVE discrimination.
What shall we then do with the UN charter? Do UN resolutions mean anything anymore? Do we still have the rule of International Law?

Kosovo je Srbija!

Mihai Mortan, Timisoara / Temeschwar, Romania

There are some seriously bizarre comments here. First off sam, I'm having some difficulty in recalling the Albanian civil war of the 80s, principally because it occurred entirely in your imagination. So what if Kosovo is the "cradle of Serbia"? The cradle of England is in Normandy! Are you going to go to war to ask for it back!

Secondly santi, if the Scottish people voted for independence, then they would get it. No problem. Same thing for Northern Ireland Michal. In a democratic state government depends on the consent of the governed, if they withold that then the state is finished.

And Benedict, lets not forget that although we were on the same side as the Serbs in WW1, they actually started the conflict in the first place. Throughout most of WW2, Serbia was ruled by a loyal Nazi puppet regime, resistance was centred in Bosnia and Montenegro and led by Tito, a Croat.

Lyndon, Caerdydd, Cymru

if the ethnic albanians ocuppying serbia southern province of kosovo want and have always wanted independence .how come they wave the eagle of albania and only yesterday revealed the token kosovo flag .majority is no reason for statehood or the majority of the whole of serbia would be counted .the US covertly armed and trained the kla which would sugest terror does pay and can be justifed now the very same militia stand as political leaders .would the british gov conceed independence to say the midlands along the same ethnic lines or the usa california .the major difference is religious and can never be changed lets not forget the albanian civil war of the 80s which swelled the population of kosovo.which inturn under autonomy forced out more serbs .is it morally right to have one nations cradle severed without un approval .there are many minorities who think they are majorities who claim independence depending on which way we look at them . the serb flag flew over the white house 1918

sam, wycombe, uk

It is funny to see that history repeats itself.
1991 War in Irak 1993-4 War in the Balkans.
2003 War in Irak 2008 ?? who knows, the first domino piece just have fallen.

JoseBelgica, Brussels, Belgium

Serbians are in anger, and they have good reasons for it. Let's remember that Kosovo is a part of the Serbian homeland, and it has a very deep religious and historic meaning for them. They were the original inhabitants from Kosovo. And now that piece of land is going to be wrenched from them by people who came later en masse from Albania and that still use the Albanian flag as their own. And they are doing it with the EU's aid, our shameful aid.
The UK is going to give an early recognition to the new country, along with France and Italy. I wonder if the UK would act the same way if the Scottish Parliament decided to become independent. Would the French government accept the independence of Corsica?
Of course, Serbia made many mistakes in recent history (and not so recent). Human rights have been ignored constantly in the Balkans mainly, but not only, by the Serbians. I am afraid this is not the end of it, but just the beginning of another period of instability in the area.

Santi, Madrid, Spain

Britain is Kosovo

The "EU" is our Yugoslavia.

The Kosovans are entitled to be free and so are we.

REFERENDUM!!!

Tony Robinson , Ipswich, UK

Russia will pose a ban on any UN resolution about Kosovo. As it has a right to do so.

Semjon, Oxfod, UK

OK Britons. Support Kosovo but don`t occupy North Ireland.

Michal, Breclav, Czech republic

This is bollocks. Brown says this is part of the 'healing process", does he? Prime Minister, this isn't some kind of reality TV soppy instant psychiatrist show for your kind of "alienated" socialist - it is the real world. I am disgusted with my own government doing this to an ally of two World Wars. As for the French, laughable Belgians and the Germans - they are obviously terrified of the moslem populations of their own Euro-trash countries. I have nothing whatsover against the Albanians living in the Serbian province of Kosovo, and I agree that Milosovic, Arkan and their gang of thugs deserve lynching, but carving off a piece of a country and giving it away is NOT the answer.

Benedict Carter, Moscow, Russia

US Plan to destabilize Europe is working.
As they fear we are getting closer in Europe, they planned some years ago to create a situatuion like Israel in the middle east.
I understand the wish for Freedom of Albanian, but the Serbs got their right too. Instead of splitting Kosovo, which would be painful at the moment, but could create a peaceful base for the future.
No, the US throw the ethnic bomb. They know that will create a chain reaction and bring Europe to further splitting. What else are they doing together with Afganistan during these hours.
The only thing what they really want is to rule the world.
What what would be better than the Ethnic bomb for Europe with his multitude ethnics spread over most countries. "Divide and impere" is still actual now. I hope Europe will realize this and not accept the Independace for Kosovo as a seed for new conflicts. Instead we should split Kosovo and make the Albanian part Independant and take Serbian minority they fears away.

marcus, zürich, switzerland