Monday, February 18, 2008

What do the Kosovars have that we don't?

The US has recognized the Kosovo independence. Since Karabakh situation looks very much like the Kosovo situation, there is a valid point in why the West was so much interested in the well being of the Kosovar Albanians and not Karabakh Armenians.

Number one: Serbia is/was a close ally of Russia. Since the West is out to get Russia, it makes sense to weaken the Serbs by partitioning their country. Serbia has now become a landlocked backwater of Europe and as a Russian proxy doesn't present much threat.

Similarly, Armenia is the proxy of Russia in the Caucasus, and Middle East in some sense, so it is very logical that the West would try to do to Armenia what they did to Russia. Fortunately, Armenia is not in an as important location as Serbia and so far we have spared this fate.

Number two: Serbia has no natural resources but Azerbaijan has a little bit of oil. More significantly, they are an alternate route for transporting oil from Middle Asia to the West. The Azeris have been very skillful at delivering that message to the Europeans and the US.

So what has prevented us to have a different fate so far from Serbia?

1. We are located in a less significant portion of the world.
2. Our enemies are more unsavory characters than the Albanians.
3. Our Diaspora is a lobby channel to educate the decision makers of the Western countries and influence their national interests.
4. We have had the balls to stand up to the enemies and secure a military victory.
5. We are friendly with the West.

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