Divide and rule was and is a common strategy used by empires or superior political entities to control those of weaker political, militaristic or economic strength by breaking up the larger concentrations of those entities into individual ones with less power.
Rioting has been rocking the northern half of Mitrovica, the Republic of Kosovo’s most divided town. The River Ibar is the demarcation line over which an architecturally charming bridge cloaked in barbed wire acts as the rather poor symbol of relations between the two communities. In fact it is a fitting symbol, the beautiful facade nothing more than a showpiece since the bridge is rarely used by the majority of locals who keep to their own river bank and the barbed wire reminding everyone of both the security presence which is necessary as well as the potential for conflict were these outsiders not there.
Northern Kosovo continues to be the headline news story of the world media. Everyone is trying to carefully observe and explain this ‘rocket science phenomenon’ dominating the northernmost Kosovo.
The international community is deploying a new mission to Kosova [Kosovo] with a more acceptable name than the previous one. But, the powers of the new mission remain the same as the old one's. EULEX will have the power to replace the president, prime minister, and other more junior officials.
Remnants of a the historical castle of Artana/Novo Brdo
During the recent months and even years, the issue of resolving the Kosovo conflict and giving it a proper political status, whether as an independent state or as an integrated part of Serbia, has been a burning topic for many of the leading nations and organizations of the world.
As a Republican, I voted with President Clinton consistently in our efforts to bail out our European friends in Kosovo to stop genocide. I am proud of those votes. I am proud of President Clinton for that.