Kosovo and U.S. Policy Page: 1 of 6
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96-790 F
Updated June 16, 1998Kosovo and U.S. Policy
Steven Woehrel
Specialist in European Affairs
Foreign Affairs and National Defense DivisionSummary
Kosovo, a region in southern Serbia, has been the focal point of bitter struggles
between Serbs and Albanians for centuries. Leaders of the ethnic Albanian majority in
Kosovo say their people will settle for nothing less than complete independence for their
region, while almost all Serb political leaders have been adamantly opposed to Kosovo's
independence or even a substantial grant of autonomy to Kosovo. Conflict between
ethnic Albanian rebels and Serb police has resulted in over 300 deaths since late
February 1998. The United States has spoken out repeatedly against human rights abuses
in Kosovo, but does not support Kosovar demands for independence, only an "enhanced
status" within the Serbia-Montenegro (the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) that would
include meaningful self-administration. The United States and its allies in the
international Contact Group (the United States, Russia, Germany, France, Britain and
Italy) have used a "carrot-and-stick" approach of sanctions and inducements to stop Serb
attacks against civilians and get the two sides to the negotiating table. NATO is
reportedly examining options to use force against Serbia-Montenegro if diplomacy and
sanctions fail. This report will be updated as events warrant.
Background
Kosovo, a region in southern Serbia, has a population of 2 million and is one of the
poorest regions of the former Yugoslavia.' It has been the focal point of bitter struggles
between Serbs and Albanians for centuries. Serbs view Kosovo as the ancient cradle of
Serbian civilization. Albanians point to the fact that they make up over 90 percent of the
current population of the area. In 1989 and 1990, the Serbian parliament passed
amendments to the Serbian Constitution that eliminated the wide-ranging autonomy
Kosovo had enjoyed under the 1974 Yugoslav Constitution. These actions touched off
protests and riots among ethnic Albanians that were suppressed by Serbian security
forces, with the loss of dozens of lives. Many ethnic Albanians were fired from their jobs.
Serbian police arrested thousands of ethnic Albanians for allegedly engaging in nationalist
'Albanians spell the name of the region as "Kosova." The Serbian spelling "Kosovo" is used by
U.S. officials, as well as by most U.S. and international media.Congressional Research Service + The Library of Congress
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
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Woehrel, Steven. Kosovo and U.S. Policy, report, June 16, 1998; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs757/m1/1/?q=%22congress%22: accessed May 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.