March 10, 2007:
Serbia, to no ones
surprise, said they would not accept a proposed UN plan to make the Serbian
province of Kosovo independent.
March 9, 2007: Greek Cypriots began knocking down part of the wall that
splits the Cypriot capital of Nicosia into Greek and Turkish zones. The wall in
central Nicosia is regarded as the most "readily identifiable symbol" of the
island's division. A Greek Cypriot spokesman said the destruction of the wall
was meant to be a "sign of goodwill." Greek Cypriots hope that Turkey will
eventually withdraw its troops from the northern half of Cyprus. A Turkish
Cypriot spokesman said that Turkish Cypriots were "surprised" by the toppling
of the wall.
March 5, 2007: The Albanian government asked the Greek government to deal
with "anti-Albanian prejudice" in its armed forces. The Albanian government
said that a short video available on the Internet showed Greek soldiers singing
an insulting song about Albanians. A Greek spokesman agreed that the conduct
was inappropriate. Greece said it is investigating the video's authenticity.
This incident shows how what may have been a prank, joke, or outright fraud
video on the web can have real political consequences. Moreover, the troops
involved will get in trouble with their own defense ministries.
March 3, 2007: Kosovar Albanian nationalists held an anti-UN rally in
Pristina. The rally, unlike the one held on February 10, was peaceful. Two
protestors died in the February 10 demonstrations.
March 2, 2007: Turkey said that the US and NATO supported its decision to
cancel a small-scale military training exercise with Greece. The exercise would
have included a Greek island that Turkey says is in a demilitarized zone.
Greece claims otherwise. The issue involves an interpretation of the 1923
Treaty of Lausanne. Treaty interpretations over the Aegean shelf frequently
spark disagreements between Greece and Turkey.
February 28, 2007: KFOR headquarters said that its investigations have
concluded that the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was not responsible for an
attack on UN vehicles in Pristina. The attack occurred on February 20. The
statement did not specify who KFOR and UNMIK investigators thought was
responsible for the attack.
Serbian officials said that Serb security forces should protect "Serbian
cultural and religious sites" in Kosovo. The UN plan for Kosovo suggests that
"international troops" protect the sites. Serbian officials are particularly
interested in protecting churches and monasteries. Religious sites have
frequently been the target of terror attacks in Kosovo.