Russia to Kosovo: No U.N. For You!

Russia, in a return to true iron fist form, not only used its veto power to thwart Kosovo independence through the Security Council, but promised to do all it can to shut Kosovo out of all international groups, such as the United Nations.  Put another way, Russia said to Kosovo, “No U.N. for you!”  When the [...]

Serbia: It’s Not All About Kosovo

With so much talk about the future status of Kosovo and Serbia’s stance on it, people outside of Serbia sometimes forget that there are living, breathing, reasonable people there.  More importantly, there are many people in Serbia who are not living and breathing Kosovo every minute of every waking hour.  Rather, as a recent poll has [...]

Russia’s NATO Ambassador — Dmitry Rogozin — to Kosovo: Pay, You Terrorists!

Russia’s newly appointed ambassador/attack dog to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, demanded a special UN conference when Kosovo declares independence.  The purpose of this conference would be dedicated to “setting up of rules in cases where secessionist movements” seek independence. 
Viewed in the light most favorable to Rogozin, his concern for the “setting up of rules” is surely a laudable [...]

Serbia’s “X” Factor: Oil (Or: How The EU Is Trying To Sell Serbia a Seat At the Table)

In its potential path toward membership with the European Union, Serbia’s cooperation with handing over war criminals, particularly Gen. Ratko Mladic, is most often discussed as a necessary precursor.  But looming beneath the surface of EU idealism is a more bottomline concern that should serve as no surprise:  Serbia’s oil monopoly. 
Put another way, Serbia has an oil company, and [...]

Serbia Says “Get Out” To American and British Election Monitors

In an apparent attempt to improve their image abroad, Serbia’s electoral commission barred observers from the United States and Britain from monitoring its presidential election later in the month, because both countries have backed Kosovo’s drive for independence. Slavoljub Milenkovic, the electoral commission’s representative from the Serbian Radical Party, reasoned that the United States and Britian “want to destroy [...]

Administration Is Rebuffed in a Ruling on Deportation (Or: A Small Win For Due Process)

It’s about time that a U.S. court insisted on transparency when it came to matters of the Bush administration.  Earlier this week, Thomas Vanaskie, a federal judge for Pennsylvania, prevented the government from deporting Sameh Khouzam to Egypt until the government was willing to subject itself to an “independent review” of Egypt’s torture practices.
The case, which will surely be appealed by the Bush [...]

Two Days, 500 Tombstones Toppled At Jewish Cemetery. Police Say: Not “Necessarily” Bias Attack. (Or: What the hell?)

Over the course of about a week, 500 tombstones at a Jewish cemetery in New Brunswick, N.J., were unceremoniously toppled.  First, on January 1, seventeen tombstones were toppled.  Three nights later, to finish the job they started, about 75% of the remaining tombstones were desecrated.
Four teenagers have been identified and charged with “vandalism” and “mischief.”  But, according [...]