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Intervention In Kosovo
THE BALKANS: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?
April 13, 2020
With NATO entering the second month of its military campaign against
Yugoslavia, there is little evidence that the effort to curtail the ambitions
of Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic is being effective, or that the refugee
problem in Kosovo is near any resolution. There are widespread reports of
Serbian atrocities, and the claim that Milosevic is attempting to starve or
drive out of the country nearly 700,000 ethnic Albanians trapped in the hills
and forests of Kosovo. The US has escalated its involvement in this crisis,
and has committed over 800 aircraft to the NATO effort. Military strategists
are widening their list of targets inside of Yugoslavia -- something which is
bound to generate more civilian casualties.
For the first time, there is now evidence that the conflict in Yugoslavia
has spilled over the border, into neighboring Albania.
Congress is only now beginning to debate the question of whether or not
the U.S. should be involved and, if so, to what extent. Polls show that the
American people remain divided over the Balkans question, though there
appears to be growing support for the use of ground troops if necessary. The
goal may be the establishment of a permanent international force to guarantee
the status of Kosovo as an independent state.
But can this be done? Is it realistic in view of the region's harsh
divisions over religion, ethnicity and other issues?
BACKGROUND: The American Atheist web site FLASHLINE section has a report
on the Balkan crisis, including a list of background sources. You can also
check Conrad Goeringer's talk on the Balkan crisis delivered last weekend at
the American Atheists National Convention. In addition, other news sources
including CNN, the BBC and the New York Times have extensive materials on
their web sites giving thorough coverage to the historical and cultural
forces behind the situation in Kosovo. (If you visit, be sure to come back
and vote!)
QUESTIONS: This American Atheist Magazine poll is designed to give some
sense of where Atheists and freethinkers stand on this issue. We feel that
the situation in the Balkans is an appropriate topic because of the
significant, often divisive role which religious belief has played for
centuries throughout this area. It is truly a civilizational fault line
separating western Christianity, Orthodoxy and Islam; it may well be that no
enduring military or political solution is possible without dealing with this
question of religious belief, along with other issues such as ethnic
identity, language and culture.
YOUR REMARKS: At the end of the ballot section is an entry form for you to
leave comments which others can read. We will be most interested in this.
Obviously, the crisis in the Balkans is a complex one. Let us know what you
think, and don't be afraid to "sound off" on this issue!
Polling is now closed, but you can still see the final results. Thanks for visiting this American Atheist Magazine poll!
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- Read selected readers’ comments
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Previous polls:
The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence
Public Piety in Sports
The Pope’s Agenda for America
Halloween
Blasphemy and the law
Church bulletin Discounts
Assisted Suicide
Paranoid Nation?
Boy Scout Discrimination
The Religious Freedom Amendment
The execution of Karla Faye Tucker.
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