Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stormweaver who wrote (3256)	4/10/1999 2:18:00 PM
From: D. Long	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

All joking aside, I think nihil is correct and I was very surprised that the EU has proposed this. How they will get around the very thorny issue of proposing membership to Balkan states while continuing to refuse longstanding candidates such as Turkey is questionable. It is also questionable at this junction how we can get these people to cool off and live with each other amicably to get development under way and introduce opportunity. I stick by my conclusion that any talk of an independent Kosovo has to be thrown out the window. Autonomy, yes, but an independent nation of Kosovo will not, IMHO, fly. Greek, Romanian and I believe Bulgarian officials have already stated that they oppose any furthur changing of borders in the region. The mess started with a revokation of Kosovar autonomy, lets see if we can arrange it so both parties can be happy with a return of autonomy, and a return of refugees. Autonomy has to come at the price of no Yugo army or police in Kosovo, as this can only lead inevitably to furthur friction. I still dont know about the KLA, but given Gustave's points in earlier posts, it may not be all that bad. But then again, is there a KLA left? One additional plus to the EU plan: it will help bring the Balkans back into the Western fold and mitigate Russian influence there. The Russians have historically tried to secure a Medditeranean sphere of influence and I believe it is still imperative that the West keep them out of the "European Sea."

To: Stormweaver who wrote (3256)	4/10/1999 2:26:00 PM
From: nihil	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17770

Sorry, but its not about money or land ownership, but political power and ancient hatreds. The Kosovars and Serbians cannot both have their first choices, because they are incompatible. Any outsider can see a dozen solutions that could be imposed when the parties have been beaten up enough. NATO and EU and US have enormous resources -- military and economic. They are growing willing to use them. Public opinion looks favorable enough in EU and US to settle this damned thing once and for all. The German initiative on EU membership is the key. This would be a powerful inducement for most of the younger Serbs and Kosovars. The free movement in EU means that each could expect to get a job exactly suiting his skills and abilities. The emigrants (Serb and other) will be lured back by promises of reconstruction. A few refugees will be permanent settled abroad -- probably within EU. But to accomplish this Serbia must be willing to be bought off. Milosevic must convert or leave. NATO I expect to continue to apply pressure by bombing. Collateral damage from insertion of troops until a ceasefire would be unaccaptable. One does not want civilians close to a modern ground war. I expect us to continue to bomb until Serbia 130,000 troups are standing in the sun waving none-too-clean pocket handerkerchiefs like the late stages of Desert Storm. The effect of bombardment once they are driven to ground and the exact location (within 30' is known) will shatter any troops morale. The 4th Marines surrendered at Corregidor in 1942. The German 6th Army surrendered at Stalingrad. And these bombardments were merely 4th of July Fireworks compared to what happens with modern bombs. Eventually every one surrenders if they are bombed and shelled enough. If they do not, they die.