NATO Generals Cautious on Kosovo - Associated Press, Oct. 8, 1999
 

NATO Generals Cautious on Kosovo - Associated Press, Oct. 8, 1999

NATO Generals Cautious on Kosovo

By George Jahn
Associated Press Writer
Friday, Oct. 8, 1999; 8:16 p.m. EDT

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia –– A German general took command of the NATO-led peacekeeping operation in Kosovo on Friday, promising safety for all residents, whatever their ethnic background.
     Gen. Klaus Reinhardt's new position marks a milestone in German efforts to shed an image as a perpetrator of two world wars, and the unsavory reputation of being responsible for atrocities in the Balkans during World War II.
     At a ceremony marking the handover, Reinhardt pledged to ensure "a secure environment for ... all the people of Kosovo – regardless of their ethnic origin, their religion, or where they live."
     "All too often it is said that the problems of this part of the world are insoluble. People say that the religious, cultural and political differences are too great," he said. "I do not believe that."
     Reinhardt replaces British Lt. Gen. Mike Jackson, under whose tenure large-scale conflict was eliminated but ethnic violence and mistrust have persisted – hampering the democratic reconstruction that the NATO-led Kosovo Force is meant to assist.
     Much of the violence is the work of Kosovo Albanians seeking vengeance for the 18-month Serb crackdown that left 10,000 people dead and ended with the arrival of the NATO-led peacekeepers in June.
     The Yugoslav government has renewed its appeal for the U.N. Security Council to send Yugoslav troops back to Kosovo to help preserve its multiethnic character.
     In addition, Yugoslavia has protested the construction of bases at Urosevac, Podujevo and Pec by the U.S. contingent of the peacekeeping force.
     "It is also a flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic Yugoslavia, which has never ceded any part of its territory, nor has it agreed to having it used for the construction of foreign military bases," Jovanovic said in an Oct. 6 letter to Russia's U.N. ambassador, Sergey Lavrov.
     The construction, Jovanovic said, "is telling proof" that the primary aim of the United States is not to seek a political solution, but to establish a long-term presence in the Serb province.
     Reinhardt, meanwhile, said NATO "will maintain a close watch" on the Kosovo Protection Corps, which local Serbs say is a disguised version of the disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army. The corps is supposed to be restricted to helping out during natural disasters and other civilian duties.
     In a worrying sign, peacekeepers in Orahovac arrested three corps members for beating an ethnic Albanian, the NATO-led command said. The three were released pending completion of investigations.
     During Friday's ceremony, Reinhardt indicated he was prepared to be tough.
     "It is important to remember that KFOR remains a military organization," he said, using the abbreviated name for the Kosovo Force. "I have on call the full range of NATO military capacity ... It is my fervent hope that I will not need to call on this capability for any other task than the peaceful support of the development of Kosovo."

© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press

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