Yugoslavia disintegrates. (Insider Report).

The precarious federation of republics that made up Yugoslavia was reduced to Serbia and Montenegro as a result of years of fierce civil wars. Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, and the fiercely divided Bosnia-Herzegovina achieved complete independence from the federation. Now, because of a new agreement, the last two members of the old federation of Yugoslavia are dropping the national appellation. As Memphis's The Commercial Appeal reported on March 25th, "Under the agreement, the two mismatched states ... will have the right to hold referendums on independence in three years." Although loose political connections remain between the two remaining republics, Montenegro favors complete independence. The Commercial Appeal continued: "The fact that Serbia and Montenegro will remain uncomfortably together for the moment is a break for the United States and the European Union, which feared that a breakup would fuel secessionist sentiment in Kosovo." That the U.S. and EU oppose Kosovo's independence is ironic, since th e U.S. initially supported the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army which had instigated a civil war with Yugoslav troops to achieve independence from Yugoslavia.