NATO closes Kosovo’s border
Things are literally heating up between Serbia and Kosovo with the former being blamed for setting several border checkpoints ablaze.
NATO-led peacekeeping forces in Kosovo on Wednesday blamed Serb leaders for arson attacks on two border checkpoints by gangs of Serbs angry about Kosovo’s independence.
The border crossings at Banja and Jarinje remained sealed after at least 1,000 Serbs from Kosovo and Serbia on Tuesday ransacked and torched both sites, two days after Kosovo unilaterally declared independence. “Some local leaders took a huge responsibility yesterday (Tuesday),” said General Xavier Bout de Marnhac, the commander of NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) peacekeepers.
“The leaders should think deeply of their responsibility when they trigger this type of demonstration,” said the French general.
While not naming names, De Marnhac said the ringleaders could be discerned by watching video images of the incident on Serbian television. “You will know what I am talking about.” In statements Tuesday, KFOR and the UN mission that has administered Kosovo since 1999 said the two border crossings would remain closed for 24 hours. Others, including those into Albania and Macedonia, stayed open. “Kosovo is not closed. Other gates are not closed,” said Joachim Ruecker, the German head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), which still oversees Kosovo’s borders.
Lets hope that these skirmishes don’t lead to a full blown crisis.
Hmmm… interesting thought… if this isn’t resolved by the time our next president is elected and Hillary (God forbid) is elected, things could get interesting. I only say this because many people accuse Bush as finishing his father’s work in Iraq and if Hillary would have to deal with Kosovo with military intervention, well that would just be ironic. I pray that this won’t come about though because no one deserves what might happen if Hillary tries to intervene.
