U.S. forces getting set for events in Kosovo

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U.S. forces getting set for events in Kosovo
By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, February 14, 2008

With ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan claiming thousands of lives, U.S. and NATO efforts in the Balkans haven’t received a lot of attention lately.

That could change, though, if reports of Kosovo’s impending independence are accurate. Kosovar Albanian leaders are expected to declare a permanent separation from Serbia in the coming days, despite opposition in Belgrade and from its staunch ally, Russia.

The 1,400 U.S. soldiers in the Balkan nation are watching the situation carefully.

“We are expecting independence day will be quite interesting,” said Col. Richard Hayes, deputy commander of Task Force Falcon, the U.S. contingent in the 15,000-strong Kosovo Force. “We don’t expect it to get crazy, though.”

The vast majority of U.S. troops are stationed outside of Urosevac at Camp Bondsteel. A company-size element is based at Camp Nothing Hill, a military compound near the border with Serbia.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52476