The Kosovo Problem Because I spent a short time there back in 2000, I have an interest in Kosovo, the small province that just declared its independence from Serbia.

I'm glad that the United States has recognized Kosovo, but this is a very delicate situation; Russia and Serbia, among others, are rejecting Kosovo's claim to independence.

Kosovars take a long-term view of things, and so I went back and looked at the article I wrote for Salon.com about the situation there. It's still pretty relevant.

Serbs and Albanians live divided in Kosovo, separated by centuries-old hatreds and more recent bloodshed. Standing awkwardly between the two, compelled to prop up the very barriers of separation, are the bureaucrats and soldiers of the United Nations. More than a year after the NATO bombing, the world has turned its attention elsewhere. George W. Bush has even called for the return of the 7,000 American troops in the region. The U.N., meanwhile, is struggling to keep the peace in a desolate part of the world where violence has never been conquered.

Kosovo is a small place and it's a small story for most Americans, but it would be a mistake to forget how much blood was shed in Yugoslavia during the 1990s....  ¶ 8:00 AM