Mihailovich must be rolling in his grave. Stella
<http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7845/> http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/7845/ Serbia Army Chief Dispels Kosovo Fears 13 February 2008 Belgrade _ Serbia's top army commander says the country's military will not intervene if Kosovo declares independence, a Belgrade daily reported Wednesday. General Zdravko Ponos told daily Blic that the “declaration of Kosovo’s independence is an unfortunate political development, but not an issue that can be resolved militarily.” “The current security situation does not require additional military involvement,” he added. Serbia is staunchly opposed to Kosovo’s independence and on Monday the government announced it will undertake all legal and diplomatic steps to annul such a move. On Tuesday, Serbia’s President Boris Tadic met with members of the National Security Council, a body also comprised of Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, military and police chiefs and heads of intelligence and security agencies. Ponos said Kosovo’s declaration of independence scheduled for Feb 17 “would represent an act of political violence but not military aggression.” “Not a single serious politician in Serbia believes that the adoption of an illegal political decree can be prevented by force,” the general said. The Serbian government has already adopted a so-called action plan that envisions a set of measures that could be put in force when Kosovo secedes from Serbia. Although the key elements of the document remain secret, media reported that the plan calls for the downgrading of ties with countries that recognise an independent Kosovo, a potential trade embargo on Kosovo and refusing to honour Kosovan identification documents, passports and car registration plates. In the interview, Ponos also sought to dispel fears that the army could be involved in an eventual state of emergency that could be declared in Serbia after February 17. “State of emergency remains only a hypothesis. Anyway, it does not mean automatic military involvement, and for that matter, not a spectacular one,” he said. Kosovo is an United Nations protectorate and NATO peacekeepers have had a presence there since the end of a 1998-99 war. Recently, the European Union authorised the deployment of a 1,800 strong police and judiciary mission to Kosovo tasked with replacing the UN administration and monitoring the initial phases of its independence. Ponos emphasised that NATO remains responsible for the security in the province. “The Serbian Army is not provoking them (peacekeepers) and if someone does that, its for NATO and KFOR (the peacekeeping mission) to react accordingly,” he concluded.
