Balkanblog: current issues in the Balkans
Here is the latest news on the situation in the Balkans. Check the chronology for a complete overview of the conflict between 1991-2001.
US to reduce troops in Kosovo
balkanblog — March 11, 2010 - 19:49
The US Army announced it will reduce its troops in Kosovo by 570 in the next two months. By the end of May, about 830 US troops will be left as part of Multi-National Brigade East. The reduction is part of an overall NATO restructuring.
KFOR resumed cooperation with KSF
balkanblog — March 11, 2010 - 13:42
KFOR and the Kosovo Security Force (KSF) have resolved their disagreement and have resumed its training and mentoring role with the KSF.
KFOR suspended cooperation with Kosovo Security Force
balkanblog — March 7, 2010 - 15:05
KFOR commander Lieutenant General Markus Bentler has halted training of the Kosovo Security Force (KSF). During a ceremony celebrating the former KLA, KSF displayed a military style, armed guard of honor, while KSF has a non-military status. During the festivities, a NATO flag was displayed.
Source: Earth Times.
Kosovo PM rejects possible Kosovo partitioning
balkanblog — March 7, 2010 - 10:26
Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaci does not consider a possible partitioning of Kosovo a serious option. He said that Kosovo's main security challenges are the integration of the northern part into Kosovo and to establish the rule of law in the province.
He said: "Kosovo Serbs will achieve their rights in the most affirmative way while fully respecting the territorial integrity of the Republic of Kosovo, strengthening the sovereignty of the state of Kosovo, and fully respecting the Ahtisaari plan."
Source: B92.
Karadzic called shelling of Sarajevo a myth
balkanblog — March 6, 2010 - 02:19
Radovan Karadzic started his defense today that the Serbian cause in the Bosnian war was "just and holy". He tried to show that there was no criminal enterprise to carry out ethnic cleansing, but that Serbs were only defending themselves against Muslim aggression. He called the shelling of Sarajevo during the 1992-1996 siege of the city a trick by Bosnian Muslims for which the Serbs were blamed. Prosecutors have accused Karadzic of attempting to systematically destroy Muslim and Croat communities in eastern Bosnia to create an ethnically pure Serbian state.
Belgrade court indicts Miladin Kovacevic
balkanblog — March 6, 2010 - 02:03
A Belgrade court has indicted Miladin Kovacevic for inflicting severe injuries to Bryan Steinhauer during a fight in New York May 2008. Kovacevic was also accused of using fake ID to gain entry to Serbia.
The former consul and deputy consul of Serbia in New York Igor Milosevic and Slobodan Nenadic were also accused of helping Kovacevic escape to Serbia.
Veselin Vlahovic arrested in Spain
balkanblog — March 2, 2010 - 23:46
Spanish police have arrested Veselin Vlahovic from Montenegro in Alicante. He is accused of 50 cases of war crimes during the 1992-1995 war.
Karadzic denies attrocities
balkanblog — March 2, 2010 - 23:39
Karadzic said that Bosnian city of Sarajevo was "not a city under siege, it was a city divided". Some 12,000 people were killed between 1992-1996. He said that Bosnian Serb gunfire and shelling was restricted to legitimate targets.
Karadzic also said that the Srebrenica massacre was based on false myths. Some 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed in 1995.
Mandate of EU Special Representative extended
balkanblog — February 25, 2010 - 23:26
The EU extended the mandate of its Special Representative in Kosovo, Pieter Feith, until August 31, 2010.
Slovak foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak said that Feith must respect individual views of all EU member-states when it comes to Kosovo.
Home Mladic raided
balkanblog — February 23, 2010 - 10:11
Serbian police raided a house belonging to family of fugituve Ratko Mladic. The property was surrounded while a search was conducted.
