Implications of Kosovo: Another Balkans War?
R� from AUSA 's Institute of Land Warfare Implications of Kosovo: Another Balkans War? For centuries the Balkan Peninsula has been the more violent eruption has increased since 1989, when geographic crossroad for ethnic, religious and the autonomy of the province under the former .· nationalistic fervor - where East meets West. The Yugoslavia was rescinded and it was placed under region includes Albania, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, virtual martial law; in response, ethnic Albanians have European Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia put into effect their own state structure and openly Herzegovina, Macedonia and the Federal Republic of advocate independence from Serbia. This situation, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro). leading to periodic violent clashes between the Serbian government and the ethnic Albanian majority, has Shortly after the end of the Cold War, the former continued throughout the process· of international Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Macedonia were peacekeeping fostered by the Dayton Accords. The able to break away from Yugoslavia, essentially Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) emerged and has without open conflict. Croatia and Bosnia initiated a paramilitary campaign to challenge Serbian Herzegovina, however, dissolved into civil war, pitting authority. the centuries-old Muslim, Croat and Serb communities against one another. Both Serbia and Croatia actively In early March, the Serbian government deployed supported their ethnic brothers in the fighting. forces to Kosovo to root out KLA leaders, in apparent response to previous incidents involving loss of life 1995 The Dayton Accords, along with the strong among Serbian policemen. The extensive violence and show of force exhibited by NATO subsequent to the loss of life visited by the Serbian force upon ethnic United Nations effort, brought the fighting to an end.
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