After some consideration I have decided to support Kosovo's independence. Serbia's choice of allies and Kosovo's attitude towards America and Israel contributed to my decision.

It will be interesting to see how the Muslim world reacts to a country that

a) was carved out of another country

and is the result of occupation of parts of that country

c) has seen refugees leave the country who would probably be entitled to a “right of return”

d) and has the support of America and wins its wars because of that support.

I don't think the above really applies to Israel but it does apply to Kosovo.

And while I support Kosovo for the same reasons I support Israel, I will look forward to the Arab world showing their support for a fellow Muslim country without condoning occupation and the “refugee” problem.

Even funnier will be Syria's and Iran's reaction. Their great powerful ally is Russia, who has been handed a dismal defeat in Kosovo. Can Iran and Syria recognise Kosovo without angering Russia? Can they afford angering Russia?

Another aspect is that Kosovo's independence is a slap in the face of Islamic fundamentalists. An America-loving Muslim country that is in the international spotlight as such, that is allied with Turkey and friends with Israel is a terrible propaganda loss. Plus it supports the Europe-friendly secular elite of Turkey. The liberation of Muslim Kosovo is their victory, not the Islamists' and Kosovo appears to want to become a new Turkey, not a new Iran.

Just like Israel Kosovo has an enemy who wants to destroy it. Some people have compared Kosovo to the "Palestinians", but I don't think the comparison makes much sense. The Kosovars want independence but do not want to destroy Serbia. The "Palestinians" on the other hand want to destroy Israel but have consistently rejected actual independence (in 1948, 1967, 1994, 2000, and finally 2006 in Gaza).

Kosovo might set a precedent, that's true. But I would laugh if the West Bank declared itself independent again. The precedent now is that if you do, your former sovereign doesn't owe you anything. That'd be the day when Israel is no longer forced to provide electriticy and health care to "Palestinians".


And what is perhaps more interesting is that we have been focusing so much on "Islamic" fundamentalists (and to a degree Arab nationalism) that we have forgotten about the existing enemy, Russia. Russia has only been in the picture as a helper of Iran and Syria and Saddam's primary weapons source; but it doesn't look like Russia has given up superpower aspirations.

Losing Kosovo is defeat for Russia and in this case Russia cannot act militarily because confronting American or British or even French or German troops would mean admitting that the Russian army is useless.

Russia can use force against brake-away provinces in the Caucasus where she faces a few terrorists, but fighting the British would be different. If it turns nuclear it's the end of the world, if it doesn't, it will be the end of the legend of the Russian army and an economic disaster for Russia. Russia knows that and hence didn't react as violentely or angrily as was perhaps expected.


I wish Russia best of luck with keeping Iran and Syria inline. They have chosen their alliances and should stick to them, Russia deserves as much.

And I wish Kosovo and the Albanians all the best. Keep the American and European flags up and show to the world that another part of Yugoslavia has become part of the west. We need people like them.

As for Serbia, they have chosen the wrong allies and were disappointed by them. Russia is not as powerful as Serbia thought she was. Russia knew that and tried everything to stop this conflict. And yes, Kosovo was/is the core of the Serbian kingdom, but Kosovo was also a part of Albanian kingdoms and the Ottoman empire. The argument "we were here first" or "we were here longest" is not as powerful as "we are here now" and "we do not intend to harm anybody".

The Kosovars are not out to get Serbians and life and peace are more important than territory. Serbia does not need Kosovo to defend itself against her enemies because Serbia does not have any enemies now.