On the other hand, the rebels also have to gain. "They're able to end a war they can't win in the short term, having succeeded in restoring Kosovo's autonomy," says Calabresi. "While some in the KLA will think they have nothing to lose by fighting on for independence, many recognize the need for an interim stage to stabilize the region -- and that's what the autonomy plan would give them." Rebel HQ seems to have decided that the cup is half full.
Kosovo Rebels Agree to Talks
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Some in the Kosovo Liberation Army smell a rat, but they'll attend Kosovo peace talks anyway. The rebel movement's political spokesman Adem Demaci on Tuesday recommended a boycott of the negotiations, but hours later rebel HQ announced they would be attending this weekend's talks in France. The confusion reflects suspicion over the Serbs' bona fides as well as concern over the framework outlined by NATO. "The Kosovo autonomy plan may actually allow Milosevic to put NATO to work for him, because the West's opposition to independence for Kosovo makes peacekeeping troops the guarantors of Yugoslav sovereignty," says TIME Central Europe bureau chief Massimo Calabresi.