The Republic of Srpska will not declare independence later this month. Whew, The Hound was worried about that one. Just one more thing to ponder what with Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela on our foreign policy plate.
But apparently some folks were worried about Srpska becoming the latest Balkan government to become free in Bosnia and Herzegovina if Kosovo declares its independence from Serbia, as expected next Monday. We've sort of ignored what's been going on in the former Yugoslavia even though U.S. troops remain there as part of a peacekeeping force.
To be honest, The Hound always thought those countries were like the Grand Duchy of Fenwick, which in the Peter Sellers film, "The Mouse That Roared" declares war on the United States --- mainly to get U.S. aid after the war. But after the Bosnian War of the '90s, they showed they're not. Srpska, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, make up the country of Bosnia Herzegovina.
There are shifting ethno-demographic politics in the region which always plays a role in the future of federalism in the Balkans. Kosovo being the key because Kosovo remains entrenched in Serbs' hearts because of the stand against the Turks there. Kosovo today is mainly Albanian; Srpska, mainly Serbian. Throw in the Bosnians and you've got a lethal mix.
So, just a quick primer in geopolitics and what could be another global hotspot. We're not only just about hanging out at the Dog Pound here, you know.
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