[note: this was originally in an email message to a friend, who said to me that she didn't really know what was happening in Kosovo, and she wasn't coming to any better understanding of the situation through American media]
You know, it is really surprising how little most Americans know about things that aren't created in Hollywood or don't take place during prime time. Last weekend, a friend and I got to talking about Ireland (as a place we'd like to move to), and she confessed she really had no idea what all was going on over there with Northern Ireland, Ireland, England, the IRA, the Sein Finn, and everyone else. I told her as much as I knew, which was not in any way complete, and it seems to me that the stuff going on in Kosovo is an identical example. Although, I must admit that I have been actively trying to avoid exposing myself to media coverage, for the very reason you cited- media coverage is about as valuable as a skinhead at a Klan rally. But, I do listen to national public radio every morning on the way to work, so I have, nonetheless, picked up on a lot of what (supposedly) is really going on over there, and why. Here's what I think (and keep in mind this is all just my opinion):
The major reason that so much conflict is going on over there in recent years is a direct result of the end of the cold war. Before the Berlin wall came down, Yugoslavia (which at the time I think included the areas of Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, and some other territory) was a communist nation, with very close ties to the Soviet Union (which accounts for Russia's "support" of Yugoslavia now). After the wall came down, though, and communism collapsed on a global scale, many of the provinces or whatever in Yugoslavia, like Russia, decided that a democratic government was the way to go, and somehow got their independence from the central Yugoslav government, which is now even a pseudo-democratic government. The United States, of course, poured support and things into these new democracies, partly to aid new allies, and party to make sure that communism would not regain control in these areas. The central Yugoslav government, though, communist or not, was pretty pissed at losing these territories (and the money and power that went along with them), so they've been trying to get back (and in some cases hold onto) as much as they can- which is what happened in Bosnia a few years ago, I think. Either they were rebelling against Yugoslavia for independence, or fighting off some reoccupation attempt by Yugoslavia, but the basic reason for the fighting was that the United States was aiding an otherwise practically defenseless democratic country in a struggle for independence from an oppressive government. Which, today (April nineteenth, nineteen-ninety-nine), is basically also what is going on in Kosovo. This time, though, Kosovo was not an independent country, but a "region" of Yugoslavia (like "southern California" is a region of the united states). Be that as it may, some democratic-revolutionaries decided they had had enough of Milosovich and his Yugoslavian government, and started fighting for Kosovo's independence. Initially, it was just a fight between the rebels and the local police, but as the fighting continued, the Yugoslav military became involved (and to an even greater degree when the NATO air attacks started). This is where we're at today (April nineteenth, nineteen-ninety-nine)- all the western, NATO nations are pushing for a resolution, peace treaty or otherwise, that will result in one more democratic nation in the world, and Yugoslavia, backed by longtime ally communist-USSR-turned-"democratic"-Russia are fighting to retain as much power as they can. a significant point of note, however, is one that is often over looked (and completely misunderstood by most Americans). The war itself is very intertwined with the racial and ethnic history of the area, and it is a primary underlying force. The largest group of people in Kosovo who are wanting to be independent of Yugoslavia are the "ethnic Albanians," which is a group of people who are not considered "real Yugoslavians," much like how many of the Latin American people who migrate, legally or illegally, to southern California are not considered "real Americans." at some point in history, probably a long time ago and in a slow but constant rate, the "ethnic Albanians" came from areas outside of Yugoslavia (probably Albania, I guess, but not necessarily) and settled in and around Kosovo, for whatever reason. Eventually, this became a significant portion of the population, and I'm sure resentment was felt by the resident Yugoslavians, for all these outsiders coming in and taking their jobs and ruining their neighborhoods and stuff like that. However, number of these "outsiders" became so large that they became the majority in that region, and posed bigger and bigger problems to the "real Yugoslavians," or "Serbians," both in that area as well as the ones in the government who were in charge of that area. All through the cold war, I think, bad things were done by the government to these "outsiders," even to the extent of holding rallies of "real Yugoslavians/Serbs" to build up anti-"outsider" sentiment in that region. After the cold war, though, when many of these regions became independent, there wasn't too much Yugoslavia could do, especially since it was under the microscope of established western democracies. Long-standing Yugoslavian feelings didn't change, though, and the hatred towards the non-Serbians was still there. In addition, further rallies were being held, and now were attended and conducted by members of the democratic Russian government (most notable the current Russia prime minister, who is obviously very militant and very anti-democracy), telling the Serbians that these "outsiders," the "ethnic Albanians," have stolen land that rightfully belongs to them, that these people are nothing but marauding gypsies, inferior to Yugoslavians, and should be kicked out of Yugoslavia. So finally, when the tension ran so high and the Kosovo rebels (the Kosovo liberation army, the KLA) began attacking Yugoslavian police stations in Kosovo, it wasn't just oppressed people attacking the government, but it almost was one race attacking another. This again is where NATO stepped in, to keep the KLA from being completely destroyed by the Yugoslavian military (which it very easily would have), and to keep the hope of democracy alive in this part of the world. And that is again, I think, where it stands today (April nineteenth, nineteen-ninety-nine)- an ethnic war, loosely based on politics, which is being escalated by countries looking to promote their own forms of government wherever they can. What it boils do to, though, is that a group of people moved into a foreign country and said they want to rule themselves, and the government of that country is simply saying "you can rule yourselves all you want, but you're not going to steal our land to do it." to draw an analogy that Americans can relate to, it would be just as if the Latin American population of southern California became the majority, claimed the region of southern California as their own, and decided that it wanted its independence from the united states. Of course, the American government would not allow this, and would send in military troops to restore order in the region; and if the Latin American rebels kept fighting for this independence, the us army would most likely try to push them out of the country and back into Latin America. But then, a bunch of other government of the world band together to bomb the crap out of the American military, and try to keep them out of this region of their country. I think the conflict in Kosovo takes on a whole new aspect when you look at it in that light, but that's what it seems to be to me. I really have no opinion as far as who or what is right and who or what is wrong in this situation. I don't see how I can, as I don't really see that there is a right or wrong. The media just sees conflict, and conflict sells, so they've jumped all over it, and are also not looking for a right or wrong in the situation, but instead focusing on the conflict itself to build audiences and make money. Oh well.
