“Almost eight months after the US — followed by most NATO members — recognized the occupied Serbian province of Kosovo as a dependent state, the Serbian government finally did something about it. On October 8, the UN General Assembly approved Serbia’s request to seek the opinion of the International Court of Justice about the legality of Kosovo’s separation. Albania, the US and four Pacific island nations in its orbit were the only votes against. For a moment, Belgrade basked in victory, no matter how feeble or immaterial. The Empire would not be denied, however; within hours, recognitions of Kosovo’s ‘independence’ came from Portugal, Montenegro and Macedonia. A day after that, the announcement came that this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner was none other than Martti Ahtisaari; the official explanation listed Ahtisaari’s peacemaking activities in Namibia, Aceh and Iraq (!?) but it is plain as day that the Nobel was a direct reward for his efforts to establish occupied Kosovo as a separate state.” (10/16/08)