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WORLD NEWS Thursday 13 december 2018

Kosovo’s plan to build an army revives old Balkan tensions

By DUSAN STOJANOVIC constitution, which makes
Associated Press no reference to an army.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — This, however, would re-
Kosovo is moving to build quire support from ethnic
itself a regular army, an- Serbian lawmakers, who
gering neighboring Serbia strongly oppose the move.
enough to talk of military ___
intervention — a seemingly THE RUSSIAN FACTOR
empty threat. Russia has strongly support-
In a vote set for Friday, Koso- ed Serbia, its only real ally in
vo’s 120-seat parliament is Europe, and said the Koso-
expected to approve draft vo army formation “may
government-submitted leg- lead to the most severe
islation to turn an existing consequences not only for
4,000-strong paramilitary the region’s Serbian popu-
force, known as the Koso- lation but also for the secu-
vo Security Force, into an rity of the entire Balkans.”
expanded, lightly armed But Moscow is unlikely to
army. join Serbia in any military
Belgrade does not recog- action against NATO in
nize the independence of Kosovo. Furthermore, Rus-
Kosovo, a landlocked for- In this photo taken on Thursday, March 22, 2018, members of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) line up sia’s military has no real ac-
mer Serbian province lost for a flag raising ceremony inside the barracks in the southern part of the ethnically divided town cess to Serbia and Kosovo,
two decades ago after of Mitrovica. which are practically sur-
an uprising by ethnic Alba- Associated Press rounded by NATO-member
nians and a campaign of Kosovo’s remaining ethnic army. Russia has recently light infantry weapons and states.
NATO airstrikes. Serbs, chief consumers of been arming Serbia with 3,000 reservists. Kosovo of- ___
Serbia says the proposed the affected goods, out of fighter jets and tanks, but ficials said it will handle cri- THE U.S. FACTOR
army’s main purpose would the country. The European the 1999 bombings devas- sis response and civil pro- President Donald Trump
be to take over and ethni- Union, the United States tated the country’s military tection operations — es- has shown little interest in
cally cleanse Kosovo’s Ser- and Russia have all urged capability, which remains sentially what the current Balkan tensions, but Koso-
bian-dominated north. Of- lifting of the tariffs. negligible compared to paramilitary force does. Its vo is virtually an American
ficials in Pristina deny that. ___ NATO’s. main tasks would be search protectorate thanks to the
Warning last week of a po- HOW SERIOUS IS THE SERBI- __ and rescue, explosive ord- former Clinton and Bush
tential military intervention, AN THREAT? WHAT IS NATO’S POSITION? nance disposal, firefighting administrations that helped
Serbian Prime Minister Ana Although Serbia has in- Alliance Secretary-General and hazardous material it gain independence. The
Brnabic said she hopes “we creased its saber-rattling, Jans Stoltenberg said Koso- disposal. U.S. has some 600 soldiers
won’t ever have to use our it is highly unlikely to take vo’s plan for an army is “ill- ___ in Kosovo and any Serbian
army” but that it is “current- military action. That would timed, goes against the ad- HOW LEGITIMATE IS THE attack would likely be met
ly one of the options on the trigger a direct confronta- vice of many NATO allies, MOVE? with fierce retaliation.
table.” tion with some 4,600 NATO- and can have negative A UN Security Council reso- ___
___ led peacekeepers, includ- repercussions on Kosovo’s lution from 1999 specifies WHAT’S NEXT?
WHAT TRIGGERED THE CRI- ing U.S. troops, stationed prospects” of eventually that Kosovo is under the Serbia has refused to take
SIS? in Kosovo since 1999. It joining the alliance and the authority of the United Na- part in EU-mediated nego-
Long-simmering ten- would also almost certainly EU. If Kosovo goes ahead, tions Interim Administration tiations in Brussels to nor-
sions soared after Kosovo prompt Western sanctions Stoltenberg said, “NATO will Mission in Kosovo with secu- malize the two countries’
slapped a 100-percent tax and Serbia’s isolation. have to examine the level rity provided by the NATO- relations until Kosovo lifts
on Serb imports last month ___ of our engagement with led peacekeepers. NATO the imposed taxes. Koso-
— in apparent retalia- WHAT IS THE MILITARY the Kosovo Security Force.” and the U.S. have helped vo’s government says it will
tion after Serbian lobbying MATCHUP? __ train the current Kosovo Se- not lift the tariffs until Serbia
thwarted Kosovo’s bid to Disregarding the NATO WHAT IS KOSOVO’S ARMY curity Force. The U.S. backs recognizes Kosovo’s state-
join Interpol, the interna- presence in Kosovo, Serbia FOR? formation of the new army hood. It will take a lot of
tional police organization. has a much stronger mili- The new army will have a through a long process international lobbying to
Serbian officials claim the tary — some 30,000 profes- 98-million-euro ($111 mil- leading to multiethnic rep- restart the talks, which are
tariffs are a virtual em- sional troops, compared to lion) annual budget, with resentation, starting with crucial for both countries in
bargo designed to force 5,000 of the new Kosovo 5,000 troops armed with a change to the country’s their desire to join the EU.q