The Balkans Continue To Heat Up

" Some damn fool thing in the Balkans" - German General Von Hindenburg's reply in 1911 when asked what would cause the next war.

There's major trouble brewing under the wire in Southeast Europe.

I've written before about the absolute disaster of Kosovo, with the US, the UK and others ignoring international law and backing what amounts to the enfranchisement of a jihadist Muslim enclave in Europe's soft underbelly while ignoring the widespread ethnic cleansing of Christian Serbs in Kosovo.

Not only that, but President Bush put some halal icing on the cake by clearing the way for the KLA and Kosovo to receive military aid from the US!

These moves undoubtedly placated the Saudis, who have spent millions turning Kosovo and Bosnia into hardline wahabi outposts...but it amounts to giving Islamism a foothold on one of the traditional invasion routes for jihad.

Now, the front has expanded, as Macedonia comes under Islamist pressure.

Macedonia saw The Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA)leave the ruling coalition in Skopje over recognition of Kosovo, as well as other demands that were essentially seperatist in nature:

Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and the leader of DPA Menduh Thaci had a telephone conversation today on the six demands of DPA, over which this party quit the ruling coalition.

"PM Gruevski and Mr. Thaci held talks today, during which Mr. Thaci requested discussions on the six demands of DPA," government's spokesman Ivica Bocevski said.

He pointed out that Gruevski "has never refused talks on any subject relating the future of Macedonia, but the Prime Minister won't accept talks based on blackmails and conditions."

The Democratic Party of Albanians left the government after the Prime Minister did not respond on the party's six ultimatum demands, including resocialization of NLA's fighters, making the Albanian language and flag official, urgent recognition of Kosovo, increasing of representation of Albanians in the public administration and closing of the four Hague cases.

The ethnic Albanians of the DPA are the largest Muslim faction in Macedonia, and are essentially the same ethnically as the Kosovars. Their demand that Macedonia recognize their militia, language and flag and recognize Kosovo would have heightened ethnic tension in the country itself as well as heightened tensions with neighboring Serbia.

Like the rest of the Balkan nations, including the Serbs, Macedonia suffered under the heel of the Ottoman Turks for five centuries. It was a brutal and despotic rule and non-Muslim Macedonians are not exactly in favor of allowing Muslims in the country what amounts to seperatism and autonomy.

As it is, Macedonia may have little choice.

The way the lines are drawn, Macedonia is almost one third Muslim, with ethnic Albanians composting the vast majority, and both Muslim Albania and Kosovo on its borders.

The ultimatum presented to Macedonia is to either legitimize what amounts to a state within a state in their own country or risk ethnic tension and probably terrorism if they refuse. Either way, it's easy to see what lies at the end of it - ethnic violence, UN action dominated by the Islamist bloc and a push for yet another Kosovo in Macedonia.

Or more properly, a Greater Albania, pointed towards Serbia and the Balkans...and ultimately, towards Central Europe.

The map tells it own story...even if it's just a reprise of the old one.



Hat tip to the Baron at Gates of Vienna