U.S. spy chief warns of possible confrontation in Kosovo
Director of U.S. national intelligence John McConnell said that the Balkans will remain unsettled in 2008 as Kosovo’s drive for independence from Serbia comes to a head and inter-ethnic relations in Bosnia worsen.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, February 07, 2008
"Kosovo leaders say they will declare independence early in 2008, a move that could trigger confrontation with rejectionist Serbs living in northern Kosovo and some retaliatory measures by Belgrade. A delay in independence could provoke a violent response from embittered Kosovo Albanian extremists," McConnell told Senate select Committee on Intelligence.
Presenting the regular annual report, McConnell said that the inter-ethnic violence that brings about intervention by NATO-led forces, is possible once Kosovo declares its independence, and any violence could spill over to neighboring states.
"However, once Kosovo's status is resolved, ethnic Albanian minorities in Macedonia and southern Serbia are likely to continue pressing for greater autonomy, and ethnic Albanian extremists will attempt to exploit public discontent and use small-scale violence to rally support for unification with Kosovo," McConnell said.
U.S. spy chief estimated that Serbia will not intervene with the regular army forces in Kosovo, but they have warned of political and economic responses that would probably harden Kosovo Serb's rejectionism of independence and hinder Kosovo's economic development.
Meanwhile, a poll by the Tirana-based Vision Plus Television showed only five per cent of Albanians opposed the idea of unification of all Albanian-dominated territories into single state.
Well above 90 per cent of people polled strongly supported the unification of all Albanian territories into single state, including Albania proper, Kosovo, western Macedonia, southern Serbia and parts of Greece and Montenegro.
"One natural state" was supported by viewers from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and southern Serbia, as well as former Albanian foreign minister Paskal Milo and analyst Koco Danaj.
