Kosovo Breaks Free

Serbia's president declared victory today as voters favored his pro-West bloc by 10 points in early returns, BBC reports. President Boris Tadic called the election a vote for EU integration but maintained his stand against an independent Kosovo. If Tadic's party wins, it still must forge a wider coalition—which rivals say they can beat with a larger nationalist alliance. More »

The UN's tribunal in the Hague has acquitted a former commander of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army of all charges of war crimes. Ramush Haradinaj, who also briefly served as the breakaway province's prime minister, was cleared of murder, persecution, rape and torture of Kosovo Serb civilians. The verdict threatens to inflame anti-Kosovo sentiment in Serbia, writes the New York Times . More »

Kosovo has won recognition as an independent state from three dozen countries, but a call to the world's newest nation is a reminder of its history. Telephone numbers in Kosovo still begin with the old Serbian dialing code, and the breakaway republic now wants its own international prefix. It's not an isolated case, writes the Wall Street Journal : from Palestine to Taiwan, a country code can inspire as much patriotic fervor as a flag. More »

A Ukrainian UN police officer has been killed and at least 40 UN or NATO personnel were injured as Serbs continued to exchange gunfire with NATO and UN forces, reports AFP. Some 70 Serbs were also wounded as yesterday's fighting in ethnically charged Mitrovica spilled over to today, including a man who fell into a coma after being shot in the head. More »

UN police trying to retake a courthouse were forced to withdraw from the Kosovo city of Mitrovica after clashes with ethnic Serbs, reports the BBC. NATO troops were left in charge of security after the worst violence since Kosovo declared independence; AFP reported at least 100 police and protesters were injured in struggles that included rocks, tear gas, and at least one grenade blast. More »

Hundreds of Serbs smashed down gates at two United Nations-run courthouses in northern Kosovo yesterday and stormed the buildings, AFP reports. The mob, opposed to Kosovo's independence, hauled down the UN flag and hoisted the Serbian one. They clashed with UN police, pelting them with rocks and metal objects. NATO's secretary-general condemned the violence as an unacceptable provocation. More »

The president of Serbia dissolved parliament today, paving the way for early elections on May 11 that many are calling the country's most critical vote since the fall of strongman Slobodan Milosevic. Serbia's government collapsed over the weekend due to infighting over the fate of Kosovo and the country's prospect of membership in the European Union, reports Reuters. Early polls suggest the election will be close. More »

Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica dissolved the government today, saying it had become paralyzed over disagreements on how to deal with Kosovo and EU membership. He proposed new elections for May. "We are lacking government unity,” said Kostunica, charging that his pro-Western coalition partners aren't being adamant enough about rejecting Kosovo's recent independence. More »

Workers were still cleaning up damage from last week’s violent demonstrations when the US embassy in Belgrade reopened today, Reuters reports. Protesters set fire to and ransacked the building last Thursday to protest the US’ support of Kosovo in the province's declaration of independence. Now, though the building still bears scars, it is once again open for business. More »

Unrest and uncertainty marked the one-week anniversary of Kosovo's independence as ethnic Serbs within Kosovo and around the world continued to protest, and Serbian ally Russia deployed top officials to Belgrade to meet with Serbian leaders, BBC reports. Serb protesters in northern Kosovo brandished posters of Vladimir Putin and a sign reading: "Russia Help!" More »

After the violence and looting that gripped Belgrade on Thursday night, a video available on YouTube has become a Serbian phenomenon—and provoked near-universal disapproval. The clip features two female looters grabbing everything from chocolates to designer handbags and shoes while the American embassy burned. Entitled "Swapping Kosovo for a pair of sneakers," the video heaps scorn on the "Belgrade bimbos" who "are so greedy they even have to carry things in their teeth." More »

Thousands protested peacefully in the streets of Kosovo today, chanting “Kosovo is Serbia” as officials blamed the US for the violence that has marred earlier demonstrations. “The United States is the main culprit for all those violent acts,” said Serbia's minister for Kosovo. Meanwhile the US cleared out its embassy, inviting other Americans to join staffers in a convoy fleeing Belgrade. More »

Mobs of Serb nationalists chanting "Kosovo is ours!" threw stones, bottles, and firecrackers at UN police yesterday as a bridge in northern Kosovo separating Serbs from ethnic Albanians became a flashpoint for conflict over the fledgling independent state. The State Dept. meanwhile ordered non-essential diplomats and all dependents of US personnel to leave Serbia after rioters torched the US Embassy in Belgrade Thursday. More »

The UN and US have strongly condemned attacks on the American and Croatian embassies in Belgrade during riots that erupted yesterday at a state-sponsored demonstration against Kosovo's independence. "Our embassy was attacked by thugs," said a White House spokeswoman. Rioters torched the embassies and had running battles with police in violence that killed one and injured more than 100. Some local politicians have accused members of the nationalist Serbian government of inciting the attacks, AP reports. More »

Serb protesters angry about Kosovo independence set the US embassy in Belgrade on fire today, and at least one charred body has been found, the Los Angeles Times reports. The victim apparently is a protester because all US personnel have been accounted for. The fire, now under control, came after an estimated 150,000 marched through the city to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence Sunday. More »

NATO peacekeepers have sealed off Kosovo's northern borders after angry mobs torched border posts, the BBC reports. US troops have blocked the main road to Serbia, and French and Estonian troops have cut off the crossing to Montenegro. The move is bound to infuriate Serbs both in Kosovo and Serbia, where the foreign minister yesterday vowed that Kosovo would be a part of his nation forever. More »

Hundreds of Serbs torched government and UN buildings in Kosovo today in the worst violence since the country declared independence on Sunday, raising fears of an ethnic split, Reuters reports. Seemingly well-organized gangs rampaged near the border, driving off peacekeepers who tried to intervene. No injuries were reported. “We are inches from partition,” said one Western official. More »

Serbia called home its US ambassador today to protest America's recognition of Kosovo's independence, the BBC reports. Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica called the move Serbia's "first urgent measure," and warned that envoys in other countries that recognize Kosovar autonomy will soon be withdrawn. More »

The US and major European states recognized Kosovo as an independent state today, reports Reuters. Condoleezza Rice issued an official statement several hours after President Bush jumped the gun by saying in a speech in Africa that Kosovo is "now independent." His Secretary of State said later: "We congratulate the people of Kosovo on this historic occasion." More »