Bush: US will work with allies to prevent Kosovo backlash

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
US President George W. Bush said Sunday that the US would work with its allies to try to prevent violent clashes after the expected declaration of independence by Kosovo. Kosovo is expected to declare its independence from Serbia on Sunday, a move that has outraged Serbia and its ally Russia, which has warned it would set a dangerous precedent for separatist groups worldwide. "We are heartened by the fact that the Kosovo government has clearly proclaimed its willingness and its desire to support Serbian rights in Kosovo," Bush said in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, during his five-nation African tour. "We also believe it's in Serbia's interest to be aligned with Europe, and the Serbian people can know that they have a friend in America," he said.