I say this for three reasons. First and foremost. continued repression. violence. and instability in Kosovo directly threaten the national security interests of the United States. Kosovo is a tinderbox in the heart of one of the most unstable and critical regions of the world. Balkan history has clearly demonstrated that a spark in this region can rapidly spread into a blaze that engulfs the world. We have already seen refugee outflows into Albania and Macedonia. Two NATO allies. Greece and Turkey. with their competing regional interests. could easily and quickly get enmeshed in this crisis if it continues and widens.