Understanding Kosovo

The Article

The UN approach to settling the Serbia-Kosovo dispute fails to take account of the fallout of an ‘independent’ Kosovo. The way this issue is resolved will set the paradigm to address similar conflicts.

Slobodan Milosevic has settled his score with the Hague Tribunal. He died the death of a martyr in a prison cell of causes that are not quite clear. This is the best route to creating a myth about an unflagging fighter who cared for the interests of his country and managed to pass a verdict against his foes at his own trial. This is exactly how the charismatic leader wanted to go down in Serbian history. His goal was to justify himself morally and politically, at least in Serbian eyes, if not in world opinion.

But only successful rulers can expect forgiveness for ‘too much’. The losers should not hope for mercy. Politically, Milosevic went bankrupt in 2000, when the wave of popular anger swept away, in a matter of hours, his 13-year long authoritarian regime. It was no surprise that Yugoslavia ceased to exist shortly after his downfall.........(continued).......