Kosovo, from a Budding Democracy to a Hotbed of Extremism

Kosovo, in the Balkans, is a nation transformed in just eight years — and not all for the better.

US Marines from the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion set up a road block

to check for weapons near the village of Koretin, Kosovo, on June 16, 1999

Photo: Sgt. Craig J. Shell, US Marine Corps

After the breakup of Yugoslavia, Kosovo gained independence from Serbia, and it was one of most pro-American nations in the Muslim world. Now, it’s a hotbed of extremism and fertile ground for ISIS. That’s according to a lengthy investigation by Carlotta Gall, foreign correspondent for the New York Times.