Serb Nationalist Flyers Decry KFOR 'Occupation,' 'Killings'

Leaflets in German and Serbian have been targeting German troops serving in the NATO-led Kosovo Force.

In a land of high tensions, short fuses, and long memories, one Serbian nationalist group seems bent on throwing another log on the fire.

The extreme-nationalist, pro-Russian organization Nasi has begun distributing leaflets in German and Serbian, targeting German troops serving in the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) contingent in Kosovo.

The leaflets show photographs of German soldiers from World War I, World War II, and KFOR with the captions: "We killed your great-grandfather. We killed your grandfather. We will defeat you as well." And under it all is the general slogan: "Kosovo Is Serbia!"

In an October 20 press release announcing the new propaganda campaign, Nasi said its purpose is to "encourage the Serbian people to resist the occupation of NATO forces."

The group said the campaign was "accelerated" because of recent clashes between KFOR troops and ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo.

"The aim of the German-language posters is to influence German soldiers to understand they are making the same mistake and committing an injustice against Serbs and their ancestors and to remind them that Serbia will not be conquered," the press release states.

Earlier this month, Nasi launched a "1,001 Candles" campaign to remember what the group claims are "the 1,001 ethnic Serbs who have been killed in Kosovo since the beginning of the occupation."

-- Robert Coalson