Monday, June 11, 2007

The Balkans

President Bush calls for Kosovo's independence in a statement which suggests he views the Balkans principally through the prism of US-Russia relations. "U.S. President George W. Bush said on Sunday the United Nations should grant independence quickly to the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, and if Russia continued to block it then the West would act." Some regard it as part of the President continuing appeasement of the worldwide Muslim constituency. Austin Bay notices that Bush is actually continuing Clinton's Balkan foreign policy -- but even that wins him no credit with the Democrats.

And as I noted, Brzezinski didn't cover Kosovo in his Time Magazine essay. Why the blind spot? Some of the comments on that post offer speculations. Following Occam, there are too likely reasons: either it didn't fit with his anti-Bush tirade or he forgot about it. The Bush Administration is "following the arc" of the Clinton Administration's Kosovo policy. In other words, the Bush Administration is pursuing a multi-administration policy goal — one crossing party lines. I think it very likely that a Democrat administration will do the same on Iraq.

What's the President got to do win applause? Visit Albania, maybe, which is 70% Muslim.

6 Comments:

Blogger PeterBoston said...

I am opposed to the creation of another Muslim country regardless of the ancillary politics. Double so that Kosovo would be considered part of Europe.

And that is notwithstanding that the Albanian Muslims seem to like GWB and America. It can be difficult to distinguish between Muslims, whom I regard as neutral, and Islam, which is inherently evil and should be destroyed, but it must be done. Absolutely nothing must be done which could advance the cause or the legitimacy of Islam.

6/11/2007 01:59:00 PM  
Blogger Doug said...

Amen,

"Is there any limit to this man's foolishness? What strategic interest does the US have in encouraging a narco-criminal Islamic state appearing in Western Europe?

There surely are enough things stirred up in enough places without President Bush proving once again he belongs somewhere else far from any office of responsibility.

Does he not see the irony in his support for open US borders and amnesty, and what has happened to Kosovo?"

- Deuce @ the Elephant Bar

6/11/2007 02:23:00 PM  
Blogger Whiskey said...

Democrats are torn. On the one hand they'd love to bash Bush and paint Kosovo and Albania as backwards, Muslim-fanatical, monstrosities.

On the other hand, they support the policies, particularly Holbrooke, Shrillary, Obama, Dodd, Edwards, Biden, and Richardson.

Hence the silence.

6/11/2007 02:59:00 PM  
Blogger rab said...

Albania is 75% agnostic. The other 25% is spread among several religions.

6/11/2007 04:00:00 PM  
Blogger ricpic said...

The Western death wish continues.

6/11/2007 04:18:00 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Extremely disappointed with the decisions made by The Great Decider. Though to be fair, one's distinct feeling is that the real decisions are made in Riyadh.

6/12/2007 06:19:00 AM  

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