Hundreds of Thousands gather in Belgrade to protest controversial Kosovo independence

Hundreds of Thousands gather in Belgrade as riots flare across the Balkans to protest controversial Kosovo independence

www.russiatoday.ru

Hundreds of thousands of Serbs have gathered in the capital Belgrade for a massive demonstration in protest against Kosovan independence. Several hundred Serb students have also been demonstrating in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Earlier, violence broke out on the Kosovo-Serbia border.

The motto of the demonstration in Belgrade, which is partly government-sponsored, is “Kosovo is Serbia".

All railway transportation has been free on Thursday, with the authorities providing more than 500 buses to bring people in from all over the country.

Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and the country’s prominent politicians will address the people later. It's also expected that celebrities such as film director Emir Kusturica will appear.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.sofiaecho.com
afp.google.com
www.earthtimes.org
www.balkaninsight.com

[edit on 21-2-2008 by ergoli]

[edit on 21-2-2008 by ergoli]

As it turns out, the independent Kosovo, which encomprises hundreds of thousand of Serbs, was a premature an unwise thing to do. Serbs seem unwilling to abandon their brothers to foreign rule.

www.russiatoday.ru
(visit the link for the full news article)

Just caught some coverage of this on CNN. Not a pretty site. I get the feeling that a few years from now, we'll look back at Kosovo's "declaration of independence", and the U.S. backing of such, as a major catalyst for war on a global scale.

Russia is bound to get involved here, which will provoke U.S. involvement, which in turn, may present a perceived "window of opportunity" for Syria and Iran to take action against Israel.

Any way you color it, this situation can do nothing but decline...

reply to post by Unit541


I feel the same way. I don't want to sound like some drama queen, but I really don't have a good feeling about how this situation is going to turn out. I don't see how this can get better before it gets worse. This isn't just some standoff with tension. Serbia wants Kosovo back, and Kosovo will never accept being taken back. That's how it is and that will not change without conflict.

And of course, conflict will involve Russia and NATO.

I hope we're all wrong, but I think a lot of us here see this for what it really is: a potential global war.

Existing ATS News Thread found here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Please add comments and opinions there.

Closed.

Apologies, this is the original news thread,

It is now open for comment.

[edit on 2/21/2008 by JacKatMtn]

What the world needs now is some good negotiators. There is no reason this should erupt into a wide spread war. People are sick of war. How is Russia supposed to drum up support for any battle with the west? How is the US going to round up support for any war even one magnitude greater than the wars we are already in?

I just don't see it.

I can see an Israel/Iran war and maybe a spastic 1 2 punch between India and Pakistan.

Only the second time today a post was eaten... cool. '92-95 wasn't exactly pleasant over that way.

If I was upset, and I was them, I'd hope they'd burn the US Embassy to the ground and then go looking for the staff... CBC radio in Canada (not the United States of data management) is reporting running street battles and that the embassy of the US of instabilty has been cleared with tear-gas. Situation normal. Blue Ridge highway.

Gonna be some further "Us and Them" pontification rhetoric from the Yanks... Yup. With us or agin us. Uni-digit salute. The US foreign policy is so lame, not just some of the time but ALL OF THE TIME.... JMHO.

Want something to go badly? Get advice from an American diplomat.

Vic

When you see that Russian troops are being sent to Serbia, all hope to avoid war is lost.

România will gladly join Serbia and go to war against Kosovo (and look for the government of România to kick the USA and its various "projects" out of România). I can see this like writing on the wall at the king's banquet...

If there really are skilled negotiators who could manage a peace, there would still need to be a massive rewriting of borders in the region -- as hard as that is to imagine.

If there is another war in the Balkans we can thank President Bush for giving the world yet another war before leaving office. His decision to recognise Kosova as an independent nation is insane. And the bureaucrats in the EU are just as guilty of madness and stupidity.

The only one who will really benefit from all of this is future Tsar Vladimir Putin and Mother Russia.

[edit on 21/2/08 by Pellevoisin]

I am so angered about this. Bush HAD to *snip* up right before leaving from the office, he cannot not to *snip* up.

Mod Edit: Profanity/Circumvention Of Censors – Please Review This Link.


[edit on 2/21/2008 by JacKatMtn]

Fox is reporting that there was a charred body found in the US Embassy, a press conference is forthcoming but the initial report that the embassy staff was already evacuated so it is unknown at this time who the victim is.

Maybe more info when the presser starts.

No press conference yet, but the US Embassy official confirms a body was found in the part of the embassy that was breached.

They say the body is that of a protester, not any of the embassy staff.

Anyone who still thinks Bush is not trying to ignite a new Cold War before leaving office, please raise your hands

With the failure of the "War On Terrorism" to motivate the populace, the defense industry that put Bush in office needs a new enemy so they can continue gouging the American taxpayer to support a massively oversized military.

The fact that there is a non-zero chance of it resulting a nuclear holocaust is an "acceptable risk" to those who make their living off of such things - after all, do you have any idea what the payments on a new Mercedes S-Class are like?

Don't blame Kosovo on the President Bush. This will still would had happen. Even if Gore or Kerry were the president instead of Bush. But Gore most likely wouldn't invaded Iraq. That's for sure.

Interview with a journalist on the ground live, click quick, cbc/aih Link should open in WMP. Sorry I was too slow. The live part is over. But here. Larry Eagleburger on the sitch...

Vic

[edit on 21-2-2008 by V Kaminski]

Well, the reason why those serbs marched and rioted Belgrade is to create some kind of instability in the region. Serbs have been warning that Kosovos independence would cause a region destabilization, which in fact they are trying to induce now by organizing protests, marches and riots. We all saw what they did to US and other country embassies and later they started to break stores and other buildings, in their own country. Imagine if these people, serbians, ran loose in the cities of Kosovo.