The arc lights glowing in the night from the heavily-guarded perimeter of Camp Bondsteel, America's big military base in southern Kosovo, give the impression, at least, that the western commitment to keeping the peace in the southern Balkans is deep-rooted and enduring. But how real is that commitment and how much longer will such a military force, still 38,000-strong, be needed? Three years after NATO'S troops marched into Kosovo, in the wake of an 11-week bombing campaign which forced the Yugoslav army to withdraw, the prov- ince is inching, at best, towards stability and security. But its political future remains wide open, and many of the locals still prefer international tutelage to most of the likely alternatives. So the day when Kosovo can say goodbye to its overlords and live happily ever after is a long way off.
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