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"Unique" Kosovo Starts a Domino Effect

Ticking Kosovo Bomb

Costa Rica Recognizes "State of Palestine"

According to the AP, Israeli diplomat has postponed a planned meeting with Costa Rican officials over the Central American nation's decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

"We would like to express our disappointment over this regretful decision of the government of Costa Rica to establish full diplomatic relations with the 'state of Palestine,'" Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel said. "This act of Costa Rica totally contradicts the traditional friendship that characterized its relations with Israel since its establishment."

Earlier, the P.A.’s U.N. mission chief Riyad Mansour said Palestinians are "trying to expand their network of relationships” after it became clear that Washington is encouraging unilateral secessions along the ethnic lines:

“There is no doubt that the new U.S. stance has had a role in the decision of the countries who take their cues from Washington to be encouraged to take new steps,” Mansour said.

That Costa Rica has clearly taken a page from the US State Department's book about imposed dismemberment of states as a means of weakening and prying them open, while sucking up to jihadists across the globe, was confirmed by Costa Rica’s foreign minister Bruno Stagno, who explained in a statement that decision to establish diplomatic relations with the "State of Palestine", “deepens our gradual normalization of diplomatic relations with the Arab and Islamic world, as part of a foreign policy of opening borders, geographically and mentally, which reinforces an intelligent insertion of Costa Rica in the world.”

No, severing Serbian Kosovo province is not setting a precedent and yes, it is quite unique.

Cartoon by Petar Pismestrovic (Austria)

Posted by Svetlana on February 27, 2008 06:04 PM |

Comments

This is incredible.
[link removed]
If this is really the case, that the Serbs are determined to become the latest members of the EUssr, no wonder the EU and the USA believe they can kick you around with impunity.
We in Britain would vote to get out if we were ever allowed the chance.
It is an EVIL EMPIRE!!
Be glad to be self governing and FREE.
Elizabeth

Posted by: Elizabeth | February 28, 2008 04:37 AM

The above article seems to make a comparison between Palestine (the occupied non-Israeli territories and Gaza) and Kosovo (a province of Serbia). Although it seems like the same sort of situation, it is definitely not. I prefer to ignore Mansour's comment, the more because I doubt that he is factually quoted.
I welcome CR's decision, which brings the Israel-Palestine problem back into the news as a legal issue.
It should have been mentioned that both the Kosovo conflict and the fate of the Palestinians have as basis America's foreign policy.

Posted by: JJ | February 28, 2008 08:54 AM

Elizabeth, I have removed the link to that site from here precisely because the owner of that site insists on presenting the same wrong picture of Serbia as B92 does, focusing on very few and far-between figures who are pushing against the grain and for "euroatlantic integrations".

These people are right now in such minority that they have no chance to impose their objectives on Serbian people. The government is split, but Kostunica, supported by the Radicals, Serbian students, youth and patriotic NGOs will absolutely not cave in. So, pushing these kind of "articles" down people's throats is only creating additional confusion.

Because I have no time to respond to every single comment and explain every piece of AP, Reuters or B92 crap and say why the picture they are creating is false, I have to ask you to refrain from linking to articles like this here. Thank you.

Posted by: Svetlana [TypeKey Profile Page] | February 28, 2008 12:48 PM

JJ, the point here is that this is not the way to solve the conflicts - there can be no place for unilateralism and one-sided decisions cannot be allowed to override the international law, that is the point. What nerve to recognize a state within someone else's state, outside the negotiations and completely on one's own! Where are the borders of this "State of Palestine" Costa Rica recognizes? Who decided on those borders? Do Israelis have any say? Without getting into the entire conflict - there are whole libraries of books written about it and literally millions of web sites covering the issue - I just find it unconscionable and totally irresponsible to treat UN member states like this, cutting off parts according to someone's "feel" and opinion. Surely this is not the right way to go about it!

Why doesn't Costa Rica open up its own borders the same way ("geographically and mentally" - what a bloody moron!), who gave them the right to go around the world "opening" other people's borders?! But this is what you get - they see Washington doing it with impunity, so they think they can too "insert themselves intelligently into the world". Absolutely unacceptable, this cannot be allowed to go on.

Posted by: Svetlana [TypeKey Profile Page] | February 28, 2008 02:28 PM

Just a shorty, my friend. In principle Israel's border is Palestine's border (1967?) -- about the details ought to be negotiated. Serbia's border is fixed. Israel occupies, Serbia does and did not. This is why I think the comparison is false.
Kindly - JJ

Posted by: JJ | February 29, 2008 02:41 AM