Kosovo post-independence

[RH]: I was just looking over this blog, and I noticed that I hadn't contributed anything since just before Christmas ... and that my last post was a description of a visit I made with Chelle to North Mitrovica, the Serb enclave in the north of Kosovo. I sort of disingenuously concluded that post with a "to be continued" tag. But the more time that passed, the less inclined I felt like revisiting that train of thought ... or maybe even with revisiting that whole trainwreck of Serbia-Kosovo relations, as bound up in ancient blood feuds, religious zealotry, and cynical reworkings of history as they are.

Anyway, a new historical event -- Kosovo's declaration of independence (on Sunday, February 17th) -- has prompted a return to some of those thoughts. To no one's surprise, North Mitrovica has been a flash point for Serb outrage over this "illegal" Kosovan declaration. As a result, the administrative border (the bridge over the river separating the two parts of Mitrovica) has been essentially closed due to the inflamed passions, posturing, and rioting of Serbian nationalist groups at the bridge. As far as I'm concerned, this New York Times editorial sums up the Serb predicament pretty succinctly:

"Serbian leaders have a clear choice: stoke this xenophobia and self-pity, and further isolate themselves, or tamp down these passions and accept Europe’s offer of economic and political integration."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/23/opinion/23sat1.html?scp=4&sq=editorial+on+serbia&st=nyt

For the time being, though, the Serb strategy has arguably succeeded in stalling the process by which EU nations formally recognize Kosovo. I haven't seen a current list of those nations that have joined the U.S. in Kosovo recognition, but I believe that most of the EU members have decided that it's only prudent to go slow here.* For one thing, Europe appears to be cowed by Russia, which, under the leadership of former KGB reptile Putin, has been using this crisis as an opportunity to throw its weight around. (Russia, of course, is Serbia's most important ally.) And its supply of Cold War era nuclear weapons aside, Russia's vast reserves of natural gas and oil have given it untold leverage in Europe and elsewhere in this age of Peak Oil.

Although Prishtina was flooded with international journalists during the week leading up to independence, and for several days afterward, it seems that most of the media imagery our friends and family in the U.S. have seen involved the aforementioned Serb rioters. And, granted, their torching of the U.S. Embassy was a pretty dramatic act that was just made for TV news. So I can understand the worried inquiries all this has triggered from folks outside of Kosovo. The fact is, though -- at least here in Prishtina -- the mood has gone from ecstatic exhilaration (during the amazing public celebration period, which lasted for about three days during the actual declaration period) to a mellower sense of well-being and goodwill during the past week or so. This later period has coincided with the onset of a warm, sunny early-spring interlude, where almost overnight the outdoor sections of cafes and restaurants became filled to capacity with happy, optimistic locals. It's difficult to square this upbeat atmosphere with the reports of protests, riots, and even the occasional bombing occurring as close as 50 kilometers away. For the time being, the Kosovo Albanians seem content to ignore those ominous drumbeats from North Mitrovica and Belgrade.

* After Serb nationalists torched the U.S. Embassy and vandalized other foreign embassies in Belgrade, the EU heaved a collective shudder and opted to put Kosovo recognition on the back burner for the time being.