“In Russia even more than in America, ‘Kosovo’ rhymes with ‘I told you so.’ Many Americans don’t realize that the former Serbian province of Kosovo, which broke away in 1999 after US-led NATO forces bombed Serbia for 78 days, helped set the stage for the recent conflict between Russia and neighboring Georgia. But Russian leaders, who like most leaders care intensely about what happens at their borders (Georgia) and to their longtime allies (Serbia), warned earlier this year that support for Kosovo’s independence would set a precedent that could trigger separatist conflicts in places like Georgia. It was a warning that Washington and several of its European allies foolishly, even recklessly, failed to heed.” (08/22/08)