The Case of Kosovo.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

Readers of Denis MacShane's June 16 column rejected his views on Kosovo's independence. One wrote, "It's a one-sided, biased piece." Another said, "Balkanization can only be avoided by negotiation and compromise." A third argued, "It's odd to blame others when America is the obvious troublemaker."

Kosovo's Problematic Independence

THE UNITED STATES, BRITAIN AND OTHER countries have violated the U.N. Charter and the Helsinki Final Act guaranteeing the territorial integrity of states by recognizing Kosovo's supposed independence from Serbia (" 'The Balkanization of Europe'," June 16). Not only Serbia and Russia, but EU members Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia and Romania, and most non-European countries representing a majority of the world's population--including China, India, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and Indonesia--have rejected this action. The "creeping Balkanization" that Denis MacShane deplores can be avoided only by negotiation and compromise, not compulsion and contempt for international standards and opinion.

JAMES GEORGE JATRAS

DIRECTOR, American Council for Kosovo

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Why do you publish such a one-sided and biased piece without giving equal space to an opposing viewpoint? As usual, Denis MacShane bashes the European countries he dislikes without offering any convincing, or at least sensible, reasons for doing so. He has evolved from a tireless France-basher to a bigoted critic of all European Christian orthodox states. And, to keep up appearances, he adds Spain to a kind of European axis of evil that exists only in his mind. What is their fault? As sovereign states, they have legitimately tried and largely succeeded in safeguarding their national interests in the ways they deem suitable. Why should they imitate the Americans or the British by recognizing an unlawful state that was violently grabbed from Serbia in plain disregard of international law? It is really bizarre how MacShane failed to utter a single word of disapproval of the March 2004 pogrom organized by Albanian extremists against theahelpless Serb population of Kosovo. Many innocent civilians were murdered, historical Christian monuments were desecrated and even the KFOR troops were fired upon. As far as the name dispute between Greece and the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia is concerned, he's right in calling it "surreal." How else could one name the unsubstantiated claims of a bunch of Slavic and other Balkan people residing in Skopje that they are authentic Macedonians, descendants of the soldiers of Alexander the Great, while everyone knows that ancient Macedonians were ethnic Greeks? They were the ambassadors who spread Hellenismato distant placesalike Afghanistan and India.