Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Public International Law & Policy Group

Serbs consider Kosovo to be the heartland of their nation. In 1998, Serbia launched a brutal
crackdown to curb a separatist rebellion by Kosovo's Albanian majority. The war ended in
1999 when NATO bombed Serbia to force it to relinquish control over Kosovo to the United
Nations.
The region declared independence last year winning swift recognition from the United States
and most EU nations.
In Serbia, the declaration triggered a wave of anti-Western protests when nationalist
extremists set on fire parts of U.S. and other Western embassies.
On Tuesday, several hundred extremists took to the streets in the northern city of Novi Sad,
chanting nationalist slogans and carrying banners reading "Kosovo is Serbia."
Kosovo marks 1 year of independence from Serbia
Nebi Qena, Associated Press, 2/170/9
Jubilant ethnic Albanians poured into the streets Tuesday to celebrate the first anniversary of
Kosovo's independence from Serbia, as nationalist Serbian lawmakers joined their ethnic kin
in northern Kosovo to try to undermine the tiny country.
The twin moves highlighted the division that has plagued Kosovo and threatens to split it
along ethnic lines. It also underscored the challenge Kosovo's authorities face in asserting
control over areas where Serbs live.
In the capital of Pristina, thousands of people sang, blared traditional music, and waved flags
and banners that read "Happy Birthday Kosovo!" The mostly ethnic Albanian territory
declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17, 2008.
One newspaper plastered its front page with a photo of 1-year-old Pavaresi Sopa under the
headline: "She grows." The child, whose first name means independence, was the first ethnic
Albanian born after last year's declaration.
In Serbia, President Boris Tadic was quick to dismiss Kosovo's statehood.
"Kosovo is not a country," Tadic said in a statement, pledging not to recognize the
independence of its former province. But he dispelled fears of a new conflict over Kosovo,
saying Serbia will defend its "legitimate rights by legal and diplomatic means, not force."
Serbia considers Kosovo part of its territory and has vowed to block its quest for
international recognition. So far, 54 countries have recognized Kosovo including the United
States and many European Union nations but that's just half the number that Prime Minister
Hashim Thaci had predicted a year ago.
Still, there was no dampening the mood Tuesday in Pristina.