Tagesnachrichten 22. Juli 1998
von ALBANEWS und anderen
Daily Report No 1498 July 22, 1998
Kosova Information Center
Tagesnachrichten 22. Juli 1998
7. to call on the Commission and the Council to provide all necessary humanitarian aid to the victims of and the refugees from the acts of violence and call on member states to stop returning refugees and asylum seekers to Kosova where protection cannot be guaranteed;________________________________________________________________________
Augsburger Allgemeine 9. Juli 1998:
Still there is no stop of deportations !
newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine reports on July
9, 1998
16 More Albanians Said to Have Been Slain by
Serb Forces in Rahovec
Totalling at least 50
Albanians killed in Rahovec and vicinity
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - Eye-witness accounts
from Rahovec indicate scores of Albanians have been slain, among whom many
women and elderly.
The LDK and the Council for the Defense of Human
Rights (CDHRF) chapters in Prizren obtained accounts by many Rahovec residents
who had fled their homes.
Such accounts indicated 16 more Albanians are
known to have been killed. (The KIC had two reports yesterday which put
the kown death-toll by then at 34).
Eye-witnesses said 9 victims were first slain
and then burned by Serb forces. Ramadan Kërndali (72), Qemail Rama
(60), Faik Rama (52), Nesim Rama (30), Eqrem Rama (42), Sylka Rama, Fetije
Mullaabazi (f), Mejreme Mullaabazi (f) and Baki Shehu were first executed,
then covered with straw and burned.
Reports said at least six Albanians were found
killed in Rahovec: Mazair Mullaabazi (30), Nahit Shehu (60), Hasan Kafexhiu
(80), Qazim Sokoli, Nijazi Sokoli, and the 14-year-old daughter of Januz
Shehu. The daughter-in-law of Ramadan Abazibra is known to have been killed,
too.
Amongst the many wounded, the following have
mentioned by name: Ali Spahiu (65), Gëzim Shehu (26), Bilbil Rama
(19), Kimete Mejzini (f, 28), a pregnant woman, Rexhep Sylka (80) and Vehbi
Shehu (65). Eye-witnesses speak of a huge number of Rahovec residents having
been kidnapped by Serb forces. Amongst the kidnapped is also Rexhep Morina
and his entire family from the village of Bellacerkë.
Some 40-50 Albanians are being held in Serb police
detention as 'suspects', eye-witnesses said, adding that the detainees
have been subjected to brutal, inhumane treatment.
Meanwhile, heavy Serb military, police and paramilitary
re- enforcement have been sent in Rahovec, locals sources said. Private,
Albanian-owned lorries, seized by Serbs, have been reported used to transport
Serb paramilitaries into the area. In the shutters of a lorryload of Serb
paramilitaries, the four Cyrillic S's-sign was written with blood, just
like the name 'Serbia'.
Eye-witnesses said many houses, economic and
public community buildings have been destroyed or damaged by heavy Serb
artillery and other shells.
Amongst the burned-out buildings are the wheat
mill owned by Asllan Hoxha, a factory owned by Selman Osa, the "Isa Boletini"
elementary school buildings, as well as the town bus station in Rahovec,
accounts quoted by the LDK and CDHRF chapters in Prizren said.
More Detained Albanians Taken by Serb Forces from Rahovec to Prizren
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - At around midday today
(Wednesday), a lorryload of Albanians detained in Rahovec was taken to
Prizren, the LDK Information Commission said.
Local sources said last night Albanian families
in Prizren gave shelter to Albanians from Rahovec who had been taken to
Prizren jail and released.
Startling Testimonies about Serb Carnage in
Rahovec
"People were lynched
on telephone poles...some were tied to two cars moving in
opposite directions
until cut in two... others were thrown into stacks of straw,
doused with petrol and
set ablaze"
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - A senior member of
the Presidency of the LDK chapter in Rahovec said today that Serb forces
committed atrocities in the town last weekend.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the LDK official
told the KIC today that Serb forces advancing in the town first bombarded
the town and killed indiscriminately its residents, then they executed
and mutilated those who had failed to run away.
The LDK official said he could approach an edge
of his town on Monday. Throughout the neighboring municipality of Malisheva
he could see hundreds of his fellow residents in a bid to run to escape
the terror and find a shelter for women and children.
He recalled that the fighting had started on
Friday afternoon when the police opened fire in the streets and houses
of the town. The UÇK forces came to help the local population the
same afternoon and the fighting in the streets lasted until after midnight,
he said.
The fighting continued on Saturday morning at
around 5 a.m.
Heavy Serb forces were deployed in the area during
the whole night. Special police units were
even brought there in helicopters, he said.
"On Sunday morning, most of the population was
still in town. When the Serbs started pounding houses with mortars everyone
wanted to get out. The police shot at people indiscriminately," he said,
noting the town was bombarded for many hours from several bases. The Rahovec
LDK Presidency member said that by Saturday afternoon, at around 5, the
Serbs started advancing towards the town. En route to it they leveled to
the ground around 80 percent cent of the houses in the adjacent village
of Bellacërkë. Serb troops - army, police and paramilitaries
- moved into the town in tanks, armored vehicles in late Saturday afternoon.
"Albanian resistance fighters could repel the
Serb attacks until the army entered the town. The joint Serb forces were
destroying everything in the town. Most of the population had not fled
the town amidst continued shelling. The Serbs killed anyone they'd encounter
in the streets...Then the Serbs entered the basements and other places
people were hiding in, forcing them out and shooting them on their back.
The Serbs doused houses in petrol and set them ablaze," witnesses said.
The LDK activist said he believed the casualty-toll
in Rahovec is very high. The media have only reported about identified
victims. Other killed people still in the streets and houses in the town
have not yet been identified. "There are children, old people and even
pregnant women amongst the killed", he said.
He quoted witnesses as saying they had "seen
people lynched on telephone poles, others tied to the back of cars moving
on opposite directions until they were split in two. Mutilated people,
with limbs slashed, eyes pulled out... some were forces to lay down on
stacks of straw, then the police dousing them with petrol and burning them".
The LDK official said he believed that there
are several thousand residents of Rahovec still in the town, living under
constant fear of being massacred. Hundreds are feared dead, and many others
wounded and ill, he said, adding that it is impossible to have them evacuated
and treated. Those who were able to flee the town have found refuge in
the neighboring municipality of Malisheva as well as in relative safety
in other villages of Rahovec.
It is also believed the many Albanians have been
arrested by Serb forces. Witnesses claim they had seen about 40 on board
of a Serb military truck heading in the direction of Prizren. In another
lorry of the "Progress" firm, 37 Albanians, men and women, were seen taken
to the same destination. Another truckload of men and women was seen entering
Prizren. Bodies of 12 men were taken to the town morgue in Prizren, the
LDK official said.
He said furthered he had interviewed some of
the Rahovec residents sheltered in Malisheva, who said they had no words
to describe their experiences. One of them said that on Sunday night a
group of 400 to 500 people who were hiding inside the town Tekke made an
attempt to leave the town, but run into Serb forces once they walked out.
The man said he believed he was the only one who could make it out of the
town. "I saw a Serb police armored vehicle running to the crowd. I run
away, so I do not know what happened to them, but I could hear painful
cries and firearm", he told the senior official of the LDK chapter in Rahovec.
Names of Five More Killed in Loxhë Made Known Two Weeks After Serb Attack
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - More than two weeks
after Serbian attack on the village of Peja, which left four Albanians
killed and many more wounded, the names of five people killed then have
been reported only now.
The LDK Information Commission in Deçan
reported yesterday that the following Albanians were killed that day, too:
Ryve Morina (80), and her husband Jashar Haxhia, Cyme Zeka and her husband
Zekë Shala (79), as well as a Slav Muslim woman in her mid-seventies.
LDK sources said Xhafer Sadik Baxhaj (32), resident
of Loxhë, is considered as missing.
Serb Forces Open Machine Gune Fire on Reshtan Village
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - For an hour yesterday
(Tuesday) afternoon, Serbian forces opened machine gun fire in the direction
of the village of Reshtan, LDK chapter in Suhareka said.
Serbs fired from their police station in Suhareka
as well as in Shiroka.
In the evening hours, from 21:00 through 22:00,
Serbs opened machine gun fire against Reshtan for a second time. Later
in the night, shooting was reported in the streets of the town of Suhareka.
Fresh Serb Military Troops Arrive in Kosova
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - Fresh Serbian military
troops arrived from Serbia to Kosova today (Wednesday), sources said.
Around midday today a convoy of 10 lorryloads
and 3 busloads of Serb soldiers drove from Serbia, along the Podujeva-Prishtina
roadway, inside Kosovar territory.
An eye-witness told the KIC that at 12:30 the
soldiers from the three buses of this convoy had gotten off and were taking
a rest near the police station in Lluzhan, 18 km north of Prishtina. The
area was sealed off by armed Serb forces which stood guard at the time.
Serb Military Convoys Move Around Kosova
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - Around 19:00 hrs on
Tuesday, a Serbian military convoy consisting of 20 lorries and 3 APCs
with Serb soldiers on board travelled on the Shkup (Skopje) - Prishtina
roadway, probably heading to Prishtina, LDK sources in Ferizaj ('Urosevac')
said. A bit earlier in the day, the convoy
was seen leaving Kaçanik, the south-eastern border town, for Ferizaj,
local LDK sources said.
Meanwhile, reports from Vushtrri ('Vucitern')
said a convoy of Serb military, consisting of two lorryloads, an PAC, a
liaison car, and a police car, left the town at 9 o'clock in the morning
for the village of Gojbulë, which is mainly inhabited by Serbs.
Heading the convoy was Vucina Janicievic, the Serb
police chief department in Vushtrri, LDK sources said.
Serb Police Convoy Heads for Village in Ferizaj, Police Builds up in Gjilan
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - At 10:00 in the morning
today, a convoy of Serbian police consisting of 3 APCs, 3 armored vehicles,
and a lorry, headed to the village of Nerodime e Epërme, the municipality
of Ferizaj ('Urosevac'), the LDK Information Commission said. A police
buildup has been reported there.
Serb police arrested yesterday Shabi and Halit
Reka, and their mother, while trying to leave their native village of Nerodime
e Epërme, LDK sources in Ferizaj said. Their fate or whereabouts are
unknown.
Meanwhile, a huge Serb police build-up has been
reported in the past couple of days in the town of Gjilan, LDK sources
there said, adding that they were by and large new arrivals from Serbia.
Two busloads of police, fully armed, settled in the police headquarters
in Gjilan last night.
Police patrols have roaming the town streets
today, local sources said.
The life of the population in Gjilan has been
further complicated by the shortage of staples amidst the Serb commercial
commodities blockade.
Flour, milk and cooking oil is in short supply
in the town, sources said.
Life Made Miserable for Gjakova Residents inside Serb Siege
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - The town of Gjakova
is under a tight Serb forces siege, the local LDK branch said today. It
is virtually impossible to learn what is going on in the villages of the
municipality and in neighboring Rahovec.
The LDK Information Commission in Gjakova said
the echo of huge explosions coming from Rahovec and border area villages
could be heard in the town overnight and today morning.
The Commission said fighting in the areas bordering
on Albania have been reportedly continuing. The fighting was of a lower
intensity today, it said.
Stepped up movement of Serb forces were reported
during the whole course of yesterday afternoon and evening and today morning
around Gjakova and the Gjakova-Prizren-Rahovec roadway in particular.
Serb police patrols manning up to 30 men roamed
Tuesday evening the streets in town. Police intruded into a few shops or
pubs still operating in Gjakova. A Serb police vehicle playing Serb Chetnik
songs from a loudspeaker drove for hours in the street of the town. Groups
of armed Serb civilians were seen walking around the part of the town with
blocks of flats in which Serb live too in the 98 percent Albanian inhabited
town.
There has been a sharp shortage of basic supplies,
including bread, in the town, reports said.
Serbian Police Shells Village of Jezerc in Ferizaj
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - At 5 o'clock in the
morning today, Serbian police forces started shelling the village of Jezerc,
the LDK Information Commission in Ferizaj reported.
Sporadic shelling continued later in the day,
the Commission added.
Albanians Tortured on Obscure Charges of Being Associated with the UÇK
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - On Monday, near Radusha
of Istog, Serbian police arrested four Albanians, Zenel Hoxha (1968), Dritan
Mavraj (1973), Besnik Bajraktari (1979), and Fehim Ademaj (1976), all from
villages of Istog and Peja, who were then taken to Tutin and Novi Pazar
(Serbia) police stations, where they were tortured Ali Daci, an activist
with the LDK in Montenegro in Rozhaje told the KIC the four Albanians were
badly tortured under obscure charges of being associated with the UÇK.
During the 30 hours of detention in Novi Pazar,
the Albanians were denied food, Daci said. The injuries the Albanians received
are evident in their hematomas about the face and body, he said. The four
Albanians have hospitalized in Rozhaje, the Albanian activist in Montenegro
told the KIC.
Albanian Detainee, Tortured in Serb Police Hands, Dies in Hospital
PRISHTINA, July 22 (KIC) - Rexhep Bislimi
(32) from Ferizaj died Tuesday in the Prishtina hospital, the LDK chapter
in Freizaj said.
The late Rexhep Bislimi, activist with the Ferizaj
chapter of the Prishtina-based Council for the Defense of Human Rights
and Freedoms (CDHRF), was arrested by the Serb police on 6 July. He was
later taken to the Prishtina hospital in a critical condition - with several
broken ribs and hematomas all over his body - apparently as a result of
brutal torture while in custody.
During the whole time in the intensive care ward
of the Prishtina hospital the Serb police has been strictly guarding the
room Rexhep Bislimi was being held in. He underwent a kidney surgery and
was for days under a comma before passing away.
The funeral of Rexhep Bislimi is due for Wednesday
afternoon in his native town of Freizaj.
Rexhep Bislimi, who served several years in Serb
jails for his political beliefs, was father to three children.
A number of Albanians have died of torture while
in Serb custody in Kosova over the past years.
Kosova Information Center
Last page!
Italy calls on Milosevic to stop violence in Kosova_______________________________________________________________________TIRANA, July 21 (ATA) - The Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini sent a letter to the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic calling on him to stop use of force in the conflict between Serbia and ethnic Albanians in Kosova.
The Albanian Foreign Ministry issued a press release saying that Dini had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Yevgeni Primakov and had also sent a message to the Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo on "very concerned" fighting in Kosova.
Dini called on Milosevic "to stop immediately the use of weapons and start negotiations with the warring side based on the elements decided by the Contact Group."
He underlined to Milosevic particularly the violence used in the recent fighting and the risk that it could destabilise other parts of the Balkans.
He and Primakov discussed the need for a "determined international initiative" to guarantee the borders of neighbour Albania but refused to elaborate.
Milo is expected to hold talks with Dini in Rome on July 23. /das/ak/Anti-mine friends committee calls on ICBL to stop use of landmine
DURRES, July 22 (ATA) --By S. Gjordeni: Durres-based committee of Anti-mine friends has sent an appeal to the International Anti-Landmine Campaign expressing the indignation that the Yugoslav armed forces have mined hundreds of fields with groups of mines and special ones along the border with Albania and other areas in Kosova, Besnik Alibali, head of the association said to ATA.
"Yugoslav military forces are the only ones in the world who are laying anti-personnel mines openly challenging all the International Anti-Mine Campaign," the appeal said.
The committee calls for an urgent international conference in Tirana to stop laying of landmines and charge a ICBL temporary representative in Albania to coordinate international activities.
It asked ICBL to urge the Yugoslav government to hand over the technical documentation on landmine to international organisations such as the United Nations, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, NATO and Contact Group.
The committee called on the Yugoslav Anti-Mine Campaign to intensify its actions on the ground to prevent use of mines in Kosova by the Yugoslav army.
The ICBL honoured with the Nobel Prize for Peace, has 1.100 organisations all over the world. ake/das/ak/KLMDNJ urges stop of Serb massacres
PRISHTINE, July 22 - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reported that the Council for the Human Rights and Liberties in Kosova (KLMDNJ) called on the international factor to intervene and stop further escalation of Serb massacres in Rahovec and other regions in Kosova.
"The red line we have defined has been violated brutally and changed into a river of blood of massacred Albanians by the Serb killers. We call on you to intervene immediately in order to prevent the repetition of Srebrenica in Rahovec. pta/das/ak/Over 120 civilians killed in Rahovec, press
PRISHTINE, July 22 - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reported that over 120 civilians have been killed in Rahovec and the number of victims would have been higher "but the KLA have managed to evacuate and save a great number of inhabitants," the daily Koha Ditore said on Wednesday.
Referring to the sources on the ground, the paper quotes the commander of the KLA as saying that "Rahovec has not been defeated" and "liberation forces control 65 percent of the territory, including the suburbs."
"Bosnia is being repeated in Kosova" and "Rahovec is turned into another Srebrenica" these are the main titles in today's daily "Bujku" of Prishtina.
"Many Albanians were massacred, killed and burnt in Rahovec and suburbs. Children, women and men are being massacred everywhere they face Serb military-police or paramilitary and armed civilians," the daily said. pta/das/ak/
RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC_______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 139 Part II, 22 July 1998UN RENEWS MANDATE FOR MACEDONIAN PEACEKEEPERS.
The Security Council voted unanimously in New York on 21 July to extend the mandate of UNPREDEP until 28 February 1999. The leading UN body also agreed to add about 350 soldiers to the current nearly 750-strong mainly U.S. and Scandinavian contingent. Norway will supply most of the additional troops. The vote came hours after three bombs exploded in three different locations in Macedonia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 July 1998). On 16 July, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in New York that UNPREDEP is stretched too thin to be able to monitor effectively Macedonia's borders with Albania and Yugoslavia. UNPREDEP is the first mission in UN history that seeks to prevent a conflict from spreading rather than keep the peace in a war-torn area. PM
MACEDONIA TIGHTENS BORDER SECURITY.
Defense Minister Lazar Kitanovski said in Debar on 21 July that the government is closely monitoring events in Kosova and that "because of possible movements of groups from Albania into Macedonia, we will additionally reinforce" troops along the Albanian border. Debar is near one of the main border crossings between the two countries. In Skopje, Kitanovski's spokesman told Reuters that "there have been 30 armed incidents along the border with Albania in the past three months, in which Albanians tried to enter Macedonian territory to smuggle weapons" bound for Kosova. "So far there have been no casualties on the Macedonian side but two Albanians were killed and over 10 wounded in these incidents," he added. Ethnic tensions run high in Macedonia between the Macedonian majority and the ethnic Albanian minority. PM
FIGHTING CONTINUES IN RAHOVEC.
Serbian forces clashed with the Kosova Liberation Army (UCK) in Rahovec on 21 July for the fourth straight day. The town was "in flames and smoke" and the fighting left a total of 36 ethnic Albanians dead, the Kosovar KIC news agency. In a statement, shadow-state President Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic League of Kosova (LDK) criticized "violence and massacres by Serbian forces in Rahovec" and urged the international community to react "forcefully." The LDK called on foreign governments to bring the Belgrade authorities before the Hague-based war crimes tribunal because of what Serbian forces have done in Kosova. Rugova discussed the situation in the province with Christopher Hill, who is U.S. ambassador to Macedonia and who met the previous day in Belgrade with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. PM
SERBIAN PRIEST COMFORTS KOSOVARS, SERBS.
A humanitarian aid worker from Kosova told Reuters on 21 July in Prishtina that fighting in western Kosova near the Albanian border has left great material destruction. He added that in many places quantities of human and animal remains lie unburied. The aid worker said that his work is difficult because "the Serbs hate us, and the Albanians are very disappointed in us." He noted that "there is a Serbian Orthodox priest there, a remarkable man called Sava, who is doing all he can to help the Albanians against the odds." Father Sava is a deputy of Bishop Artemije. Both men are committed to the welfare of ordinary Serbs and to reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians. The two men blame Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for the current conflict. PM
UNHCR COMPLAINS ABOUT ALBANIAN ORGANIZED CRIME.
A representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees told journalists in Tirana on 20 July that local gunmen in northern Albania continue to hamper aid efforts. He said that thefts of cars and aid supplies by "organized local criminal groups are a major problem" and that criminals are trying to make money from the crisis situation. He noted that they "steal aid shipments and even pressure us to employ them." The spokesman pointed out that there is a constant risk of UNHCR personnel being caught in crossfire in random shooting. Another aid worker stressed that "people are armed and police are reluctant to intervene and restore law." Northeastern Albania has traditionally been considered lawless. Tirana has been unable to fully restore law and order there since the country succumbed to anarchy in early 1997. FS
OSCE OPENS NEW FIELD OFFICE IN NORTHERN ALBANIA.
The OSCE opened a field office in Koplik on 21 July, its fifth such office in the north. The bureau is part of an effort to expand monitoring of the border region. Meanwhile in Tirana, Socialist Party legislator Spartak Braho told "Koha Jone" that he will go to Kosova later this week to join the UCK. Braho said he wants to help the guerrillas with logistics, but he did not rule out eventually taking part in military operations. Braho also called on legislators, "intellectuals, and [former] soldiers to make their contribution to Kosova." He criticized Albanian politicians for what he called their "idleness" with regard to the conflict. FS
ALBANIA DEPORTS REPUTED TERRORIST.
The authorities on 21 July deported suspected Egyptian terrorist Muhamed Hasan Mahmud to the U.S. Mahmud had worked as director of the Islamic Revival charity organization in Tirana until his arrest on 17 July. The FBI helped Albanian police identify Mahmud, whom the U.S. suspects of being behind the 1990 murder of Egyptian parliament speaker Rifaat el Mahgoub in Cairo as well as attacks on an aircraft and a supermarket in the U.S. Albanian authorities expelled two other suspected Egyptian terrorists to the U.S. last month. FS
BOSNIAN POLITICIANS DECLARE ASSETS.
Candidates in the September general elections have filed declarations of their assets with the election commission. That move is in keeping with a ruling by the OSCE, which is supervising the vote, "Oslobodjenje" reported on 20 and 21 July. The wealthiest politician is Fikret Abdic, the controversial kingpin of the Bihac pocket, who declared property worth $250,000. Kresimir Zubak, who is the Croatian member of the joint presidency, and his Serbian counterpart, Momcilo Krajisnik, both own what the paper called "an impressive amount of real estate." Alija Izetbegovic, their Muslim opposite number, declared savings of $50,000. Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic reported her salary of $200 per month plus two garages in Sarajevo, although the newspaper states that she also owns an apartment in the Muslim-controlled capital. Observers say that many politicians on all sides amassed great wealth during the 1992-1995 war. PM
Prizren, 21 July (ARTA) 1715CET --
The CDHRF branch in Prizren, reported about the
state of terror and the numerous massacred bodies in the town of Rahovec
yesterday. Women, children and elders who has sought shelter in the Muslim
shrine of Sheh Myhedini in Rahovec, were massacred in the most barbaric
way. Many bodies, of people who had been massacred, could be seen tied
to electric posts on the street sides of the town, the Council reports.
The Council states that witnesses have seen the
massacred bodies of professors Haxhi Sharku and Ali Percaj, as well as
six other burnt bodies, at a place called "Tumba". The identity of the
other six was impossible to be determined because they were carbonated.
The CDHRF branch claims that the following were
also killed: Ramadan Abazibra (58), his wife, Bula Abazibra (22), Emsale
Shala (27), Abdullah Bugari (37), Kadri Cena (43), Sakip Bugari (37), Hysen
Bugari's wife, Hasan Stavileci, Faik Syla, Xhemajl Ramçaj. The corpses
of these victims were all lying on the streets of the town. The Council
reports that five unidentified corpses were found at a place called "Bllata",
near a local lake.
The following have been wounded: Shani Sylka
(imam), Luan Vuçitërna and Vllaznim Canziba.
The following have been detained: Merita Mustafa
(25), her two month baby, Ali Mustafa (35), Liridon Mustafa (3), Veton
Mustafa (7), Satkie Mustafa (23), Muharrem Mustafa (42), Vezire Mustafa
(35), Xhemile Mustafa (75), Myhedin Mustafa (65), Iliaz Shala (55), Xhemajl
Iska with his family, Maliq Iska with his family, Nait (Sali) Musa and
his son, Abaz Mullavda (42), Rasim Vuçitërna (68), Xhevdet
Vuçitërna with his wife and two sons, Fahredin Merxha (56),
Mejreme Merxha (52), Hidajete Merxha and her daughter, Ali Shala and eight
members of his family, Mejdin Qemajli (47), Muharrem Bekeri (37) and Bekim
Bekeri (35), with their families.
The following are missing: Haki Sokoli (32),
Hivzi Shehu (30), Sabit Shehu (26), Sedat Shehu (27), Esat Shehu (20) with
his family, Jonuz Jupa with his family, Muhamet Kollari with five members
of his family, Hafize Kollari (70), Ilir Hasku and members of his family,
Osman Mullabazi (68) with his family, Jonuz Jupa with his family, Muhamet
Sulejmani, Eqrem Dërguti with his wife, Bademe Tahiraga (70), Nesim
Shala with his family, Ramadan Dina with his family, Fahredin Dina with
his family, Latif Veliu with his family, Qerim Cena (32), Shefqet Dërguti
(52) with his wife, Sadik Dërguti (32), Muzair Mejzini, Fatime Kasapi,
Qazim Kasapi, Lirie Kasapi, Sanie Kasapi with her two sons and one daughter.
The Council states that the houses belonging
to the following have been destroyed: Xhemajl Mustafa, Gani Jahaj, Hidajet
Haxhijahaj, Xhemajl Kadiri, Dervish Lamaj, Xhelal Jupaj, Sali Rama, Hasan
Dema, Haxhi Topalli, Idriz Bytyçi, Ramiz Bytyçi, Sali Shala,
Bashkim Tara, Qerim Cena, Hasan Jeminhazeri, Xhemajl Canziba, a building
close to the post office, hotel "Park", the local motel and the gas station
"Haxhijaha".
The Council notifies that the police brought
two trucks loaded with Albanians detained in Rahovec to Prizren. The women
and children have been released, but the men are still being kept under
arrest. Another truck, carrying 20 young Albanians that were detained,
were brought to Prizren today, at 0700CET.
The CDHRF branch adds that two trucks, one of
which had police license plates, took 30-40 Albanian civilians from the
police station in Rahovec, in the direction of Prizren at around 1000CET,
today.
A truck belonging to the firm "Progres" brought
another group of 31 detained Albanian from the municipality of Rahovec,
to Prizren at 1130CET.
Some of the detained were wounded. All of them
were placed in the hall of the fire brigade in Prizren.
In the meantime, the CDHRF branch in Skënderaj,
issued a report saying that the IDPs that arrived from Rahovec, claimed
that the town was still being shelled. The IDPs say that police, military
and paramilitary forces, lead by Arkan's paramilitary units entered the
town and are massacring every Albanian they catch. They also claim to have
seen the massacred bodies of three men, presumably a father and his two
sons, and the massacred bodies of a mother and her two children.
KOSOVA (KD reportage - Rahovec)
Many civilians killed
Malishevë, 21 July (ARTA) 2130CET --
"'We will not execute them, but poke their eyes',
the policeman told us through the walkie-talkie, as we could hear someone
screaming - oh my God'", a KLA soldier said in a soft tone, with his green
eyes looking weary because of nights spent without sleep. There is still
fighting in Rahovec. More than 300 grenades were thrown on Rahovec today,
until 1500CET. KLA elite units entered the center of town (passing between
Serb military tanks which are stationed every 100 meters) and evacuated
much of the civilian population from this town.
The KLA commander in Malishevë claims that
the KLA has 65 % of the territory under control, including the periphery.
The battle is now taking place between snipers and KLA units for fast intervention
on one side, and Serb police, military and paramilitary forces on the other.
The Serb forces that are in Rahovec are burning houses belonging to Albanians,
says the KLA commander in Malishevë.
Observers of the terrain say that the Serb police
shot at the civilian population and crushed a KLA soldier with a tank.
"They emerged with hands raised and said that
they surrender and that they have no weapons, but just as they started
walking, someone opened fire and seven persons were shot dead. We, the
others, returned to the cellar in an attempt to find shelter. They opened
the door of the cellar and threw a hand grenade, which wounded one of the
children when it exploded. We were able to avoid much of the harm by crawling
into the deeper end of the cellar", says a man from Rahovec who was able
to flee and enter Malishevë at around 2300CET.
Another witness of the execution, said that the
bodies were later covered with hay and set on fire. "The ones that were
unable to flee are being massacred still", says the CDHRF branch in Malishevë,
adding that around 1,100 civilians are still in town.
On the other hand, Serb civilians from Rahovec
and Hoçë, have joined the paramilitary formations. 34 Albanian
civilians who were killed, have been identified, 12 of which were sent
to the hospital morgue in Prizren and 48 were wounded during the fighting
that took place in Rahovec these past few days. The number of victims is
believed to be twice as big. "We have had reports from witnesses, that
corpses of civilians cover the streets", says a human rights activist.
The police denied entrance to Rahovec to the ICRC team aiming at confirming
reports on the killings and torture of civilians. The CDHRF in Prizren
claims that two trucks, loaded with arrested Albanian civilians arrived
from Rahovec. There were 40 men on one of the truck, which had police license
plates, while 31 men were counted on the other truck, with the inscription
of the enterprise "Prima".
The CDHRF in Malishevë, says that there
are 12-13 thousand IDPs from Rahovec already.
"We traveled 20 hours through fields and vineyards,
trying to avoid Drenoc, which was also being shelled, with shooting following
us every step", claims the Balaj family from Rahovec, which had to pass
20 km to get to Malishevë. "KLA forces entered Rahovec on Friday evening.
We were told to go home", says a member of the Balaj family. "KLA soldiers
were stationed only in the parts of the town, that were inhabited by Albanians.
Serbs began to shell the next day at 1200CET", he adds.
"The police was unable to enter Malishevë
because we focused on all strategic points", said the KLA soldier, who
also claimed that KLA's positions in Rahovec can be maintained for a very
long time. "It is now a sniper war".
However, with the flux of IDPs in Malishevë,
it is now a question of whether the population, deprived of food and medicine
supplies, can even survive. It would not be surprising if the whole region
was struck by some epidemics, considering that the water system does not
function and that there is also no electricity.
Two trucks, loaded with armed men who had dust
all over their uniforms and who looked like they had a long way behind
them, arrived in Malishevë as the soldier talked.
KOSOVA (clashes – Rahovec)
Nobody is left in the village
Bellacerkë, 21 July (ARTA) 2200CET--
The checkpoint set in the village of Bellacerkë,
which had been previously controlled by the KLA units, is now in the hands
of the police.
The houses surrounding the checkpoint, were burned,
shelled and stricken with anti-aircraft weapons.
The police, that is presently there, prevented
the journalists from entering the village. However, some villagers, that
managed to escape from Bellacerkë that once had 3.000 inhabitants,
say that nobody is left there except for a number of corpses, some of which
were buried during the night.
KOSOVA (witnesses accounts on border tragedy -
Deçan)
Over sixty Albanian feared killed at the border
Deçan, 21 July (ARTA) 1815CET --
The CDHRF branch in Deçan issued a report
today, which included the eye-witness accounts of Sali Binak Gashi (24),
Nezir Haxhi Gashi (21), Bekim Zhujë Krasniqi (31) and Agron Deli Gashi
(24), on the tragedy at the Kosova-Albanian border on 18 July.
"We crossed the border at the crossing point
of Padesh at 0130CET", the witnesses claim. "First, two mines were activated
at 0230CET and then, about a minute later, the Serb forces began shooting
and shelling. We were subjected to an attack, which the Serb forces carried
out using all kinds of weapons. The attack came from three points. By this
time, we were a little beyond a place called Rrasa e Zogut. There were
hills on both sides of a plain, where we were walking. The people began
running when the mine exploded and heavy artillery was used against us.
This lasted for about half an hour and it was impossible to make out what
was happening exactly. Even "dum-dum" bullets were used", the witnesses
said.
"We were attacked by machine guns from behind,
by grenade launchers from up ahead and cannons from the right side", they
told the CDHRF branch in Deçan.
"The attack lasted about half an hour and then
ceased for five minutes. Flares were lit and the attack began anew", the
witnesses state.
"Most of the column consisted of uniformed soldiers,
but there were women and children as well", the witnesses recall. "There
were women and children from the municipality of Deçan among the
crowd, who were returning to their homes from Albania. Most of the women
and children were on horsebacks and were also caught in the line of fire.
We do not know the exact number of victims, but there were many women and
children among them. At least 20 Albanians, from the first group of 120
that arrived in Junik, were wounded", they recollect.
"When we entered the woods, it was 0400CET. That
is when the attack of Serb forces ceased for another 30 minutes. The break
was followed by clashes between both sides, the KLA units and Serb police\military
forces", they add.
..."We saw about 60 corpses lined up near the
border post. There were women and children among them", say the witnesses
of the border tragedy.
KOSOVA (intense fighting - Gjakovë)
Villages Nec, Ramë and Smolicë are
attacked from the village Duzhnjë
Gjakovë, 21 July (ARTA) 1630CET--
Harsh clashes took place last night, at the bordering
zone towards Albania, after 2200CET.
The Serb army is shooting in the direction of
the villages Nec, Ramoc and Smolicë, from strategic positions and
now also from the asphalt road Gjakovë-Batushë, starting from
the village of Duzhnjë.
There are still no official reports about the
eventual human victims, but the material damages are considered to be very
high. The situation in the town is very disturbing.
KOSOVA (embargo - Gjakovë)
No bread in town for two days
Gjakovë, 21 July (ARTA) 1700CET--
The situation in the municipality of Gjakovë
is alarming. The population of this area has not been provided bread for
two days. Ever since the flour stopped being delivered to "Zhitopromet"
(state-owned company), almost all the bakeries are closed down.
Lack of flour, kitchen oil and sugar is evident
in every warehouse. The assistance coming from the humanitarian association
"Nëna Tereze" does not cover even the minimal needs.
KOSOVA (shelling – Klinë)
One killed eight wounded
Klinë, 21 July (ARTA) 1700CET--
One Albanian was killed and eight others were
wounded, as a result of the shelling of the villages Volljakë, Çupevë
and Gremnik, by the Serb forces stationed in Dollovë.
In Sverkë të Gashit, 5 grenades were
thrown, killing Luan Gashi (19). Whereas in Çupevë, 31 grenades
were thrown, wounding Jahir Morina (22), an IDP from Gremnik, Elmi Gashi
(25) from Çupevë and Elmi Gashi (10), an IDP from Zajmi.
Nine grenades were thrown in Volljakë and
13 in Gremnik. There is no information about any other victim, but the
material damages are big.
The checkpoint of Dollovë, was shelled with
a 120-mm caliber mine launcher. The villages of Rigjevë, Gllarevë
and Çupevë were also subjected to shelling, last night.
KOSOVA (reinforcements - Lipjan)
New police\military forces arrive in Magurë
Lipjan, 21 July (ARTA) 2000CET --
Three buses loaded with policemen arrived in
Magurë, following the first clashes between Serb police\military forces
and KLA units, which took place yesterday in the villages around Blinajë
from 1300CET to 1400CET.
Sources from Magurë, state that the police
reinforcements were stationed at the local elementary schools and the cafeteria
of the Magnetite mine of Golesh. They say that there had been sporadic
shooting in the village last night, but added that the local Albanian population
refuses to leave, despite the odds.
The situation in Magurë is explosive, according
to the inhabitants, who are surrounded by the Serb police and paramilitary
forces of armed local Serbs. There is a case of siege on siege in Lipjan,
with the Serb forces around Lipjan, surrounded by the KLA.
Sources claim that the locals face another danger:
snipers who are positioned on top of "Golesh" and who are observing every
move.
KOSOVA (fighting - Suharekë)
Clashes between the KLA units and the Serb
forces continue
Suharekë, 21 July (ARTA) 1800CET--
Sources from the ground inform about lower intensity
clashes between the KLA units and Serb forces, this morning.
KLA units, helped by the local population remain
in their positions. The Serb forces, on the other hand, are shelling from
a distance in the direction of the villages Luzhnicë, Grejçec,
Bllacë and Duhël. Besides the material damages, there were no
victims. The most dangerous situation is presently in the town of Suharekë.
There, the inhabitants are under a constant threat from the shooting of
the Serb snipers. The town itself is completely sealed off.
The food stocks are running out, while those
that can still be bought, have astronomic prices – the price of one liter
of oil is 5 German Marks, while a kilo of sugar costs between 3 and 4 German
Marks.
KOSOVA (kidnapping - Suharekë)
Serb police sends two buses to an unknown
direction
Suharekë, 21 July (ARTA) 1815CET--
The Serb police stopped yesterday, on the Prishtina-Ferizaj-Brezovicë-Prizren
road, respectively at the exit of Ferizaj, a bus belonging to "Arbëria"
enterprise and a "Fati-Tours" bus near Prizren. Both of them were filled
with Albanian passengers. The buses and the passengers were taken to an
unknown direction, inform sources from Suharekë.
According to unconfirmed data, all the passengers
were from the region of Malishevë and from the surrounding municipalities.
"KOHA Ditore" sources, on the other hand inform
that the Serb police abducted several Albanians from the village of Studeçan,
municipality of Suharekë. Nothing is still known about any of the
kidnapped, for none of them was released yet.
KOSOVA (attacks - Ferizaj)
The village Jezerc shelled for four hours
Ferizaj, 21 July (ARTA) 2000CET--
The police forces started shelling in the direction
of the village Jezerc, which is presently under KLA control. The inhabitants
of Nerodime e Epër that managed to escape from the village claim that
the shelling lasted for four hours uninterruptedly. The neighborhood of
Prerok was shelled the most. According to them, the Serb police forces
are settled near the places called "Bashkimi i dy lumenjëve" and "Mademi
i Gurëve". This zone continues to be held under control and nothing
is known about the consequences of these shelling. LDK local information
sources and CDHRF in Ferizaj inform about large police movements in the
direction of Nerodime. The same sources inform that at 1230CET, an APC,
a terrain vehicle and an ambulance ("carrying a wounded policeman"), were
seen coming back.
It is claimed that Serbs have evacuated their
families from this zone. The shelling can be heard as far as in Ferizaj
proper, adding to the insecurity of the local population.
KOSOVA (detention - Ferizaj)
In a state of come after tortures
Ferizaj, 21 July (ARTA) 2045CET --
Members of the family Bislimi, notified the LDK
Information Commission and the CDHRF branch in Ferizaj, that their son,
the arrested Rexhep Bislimi, is in a very difficult health condition.
Rexhep Bislimi was arrested on 6 July and has
been kept in detention since. He was taken to "intensive care in the hospital
of Prishtina" on Sunday and is still being guarded by policemen despite
the fact that he is unconscious. His family claims that "he was subjected
to a surgical operation on his kidneys because of the internal bleeding
that resulted from tortures". He was given 15 doses of blood as well as
different kinds of medicine so far. The family as well as the LDK branch
in Ferizaj, appeal to the ICRC in Prishtina "to intervene in this case".
KOSOVA (attacks - Mitrovicë)
Automatic bursts in Zveçan and Rudar
Mitrovicë, 21 July (ARTA) 1830CET--
Automatic bursts were heard last night coming
from Zveçan and the surrounding, particularly from the village Rudar,
inhabited by Serbs, "KOHA Ditore" sources inform.
At the center of Stantërg, in the neighborhood
called "Livadhi", the police built a checkpoint, making the movements of
the people moving from Shala e Bajgorës to Mitrovicë difficult.
The policemen told the local Albanians to take off their white hats, because
the Serb snipers, posted at the surrounding forest -- around the "Trepça"
river, could kill them.
On the other hand, 4 police trucks went from
Mitrovicë in the direction of Zubin Potok (25-km west of Mitrovicë)
and of the former Dubravë jail (in Istog municipality).
KOSOVA (LDK communiqué)
"We condemn the violence and massacre of the
Serb forces in Rahovec"
Prishtina, 21 July (ARTA) 1700CET--
LDK leadership, in a press release that was issued
today, "condemns the violence and massacre of the Serb combined police\military
and paramilitary forces in Rahovec and in other zones affected by the undeclared
war.
The reports from Rahovec speak of a massacre
conducted against the Albanian civilians", it is stated in the communiqué,
and added that "the rigid blockade of Rahovec, by the Serb forces, makes
it impossible to monitor the situation and help thousands of people, victims
of the Serb aggression.
The Serb forces are killing children, women,
elderly and young. They are burning and destroying houses, conducting ethnic
cleansing, and committing crimes against humanity", evaluates the LDK leadership.
Hence, LDK makes an appeal to the people to resist
and stay in Kosova. "Different individuals are demanded to be very careful
and moderate in their statements, in order to avoid inducing fear and thus
contribute to the fleeing of the people from Kosova. Leaving home and going
abroad, is in the function ethnic cleansing", it is stated in the communiqué.
The LDK leadership makes an appeal to "the US,
the Contact Group, the European Union and NATO to undertake an energetic
action and stop the Serb aggression.
The War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague is asked
to start the investigations on the massacres in Kosova and indict the war
criminals".
KOSOVA (Ambassador Hill visits Prishtina)
Hill "We are holding confidential talks"
Prishtina, 21 July (ARTA) 1900CET --
"We are holding confidential talks. I would rather
not go into detail because it is making work difficult for me", stated
the American Ambassador to Macedonia, Christopher Hill, in Prishtina today.
The American diplomat stated that he had a good
talk with "FRY" President Milosevic, just before meeting with Kosova Albanian
leader, Ibrahim Rugova. However, he refused to say "anything more about
the meeting". Asked whether it had to do with signs of progress in his
mediating mission, he said that he doing his best in that aspect.
"There are many issues which have to do with
the political paths that we are working on", he said.
Before meeting with Rugova, Ambassador Hill had
met with the G-15 spokesman, Blerim Shala, at the USIS premises. Hill talked
about the meeting saying that they had exchanged analyses on the situation.
As for the next Contact Group meeting, the American
Ambassador stated that he did not know when it would be held.
*****ACTION ALERT******
The following "Dear Colleague" letter was sent to the House on Tuesday, July 21 by Representative John Olver from Massachusetts. It calls for a stronger US policy towards Kosovo and makes connections between the massacre at Srebrenica three years ago, Milosevic's role in the genocide in Bosnia, and the current violence in Kosovo.
A similar letter to the President was sent out by Friends of Bosnia last week to NGOs and the grassroots community. Friends of Bosnia is still accepting organizational endorsements from NGOs for this letter to the President.
PLEASE call your representatives in Congress by Thursday and urge them to support the letter. Friends of Bosnia will issue a press release on Friday listing all members of Congress and NGOs that have signed on to the letter.
On Tuesday, July 28, these letters will be presented at a press conference in front of the Capitol building by members of Congress and human rights activists. Current NGO signers include Physicians for Human Rights, the Coalition for International Justice, the Balkan Institute, Association Sarajevo, and the Committee of the Dispossessed from Srebrenica and Zepa
Also presented at the press conference will be the Bosnet petition with over 18,000 names demanding for the arrest of Karadzic and Mladic.
For further information, contact:
Friends of Bosnia
47 East Street
Hadley, MA 01035
Tel: 413-586-6450 Fax: 413-586-2415
fob@crocker.com www.crocker.com/~fob
====================================================================
John W. Olver
1st District, Massachusetts
Congress of the United States
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-2101
July 21, 1998
URGE A STRONGER POLICY TOWARD KOSOVA
Dear Colleague:
July 1998 marks the third anniversary of the slaughter of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica in Bosnia. Though the Bosnian War has ended, Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic has not halted his campaign of ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. Early this year, the Milosevic regime renewed its violent tactics, this time against its own citizens -- ethnic Albanians in the Serbian province of Kosova. Since February 1998, 300 ethnic Albanians have been killed, while 70,000 have fled to neighboring Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.
The stabilization of Kosova is of great importance to the United States. We assumed a leadership role in the process to bring peace to the warring republics of the former Yugoslavia. Since the signing of the Dayton Accords, we have invested heavily in the economic development efforts in the region. However, our policy of reconciliation and reconstruction is being threatened by the Serbian regime's continued attacks on Kosova's Albanian population.
Over the past seven years, the U.S. and its allies have pursued a series of compromising agreements with Slobodan Milosevic. As the current situation in Kosova shows, these agreements have not deterred Milosevic from waging his campaign of terror in the former Yugoslavia. We must develop a stronger, more effective policy to challenge the Milosevic regime if peace is to survive in this embattled region.
I urge you to join me in writing to President Clinton to urge him to adopt a firm and comprehensive foreign policy strategy toward Kosova. If you would like to sign the letter (printed on reverse), please contact Kelly Bovio, of my staff, at 5-5335.
Sincerely,
_________________________
John W. Olver
Member of Congress
Current Cosigners: Tom Lantos (CA), Steny Hoyer
(MD), Chris Smith (NJ), Howard Berman (CA), Robert Menendez (NJ), Robert
Wexler (FL), Steven Rothman (NJ), Maurice Hinchey (NY), Peter King (NY),
Donald Payne (NJ), Lynn Woolsey (CA), Elizabeth Furse (OR), Jim Moran (VA),
Peter Deutsch (FL), George Miller (CA), Nita Lowey (NY), Carolyn Maloney
(NY), Alcee Hastings (FL), Bill Pascrell (NJ), Frank Pallone (NJ), Tom
Davis (VA), Bernie Sanders (VT), Nancy Pelosi (CA), Carrie Meek (FL), Eddie
Bernice Johnson (TX), Jerrold Nadler (NY), Patrick Kennedy (RI), Marcy
Kaptur (OH)
====================================================================
July 20, 1998
The Honorable William J. Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
On this third anniversary of the brutal massacre at Srebrenica in Bosnia, we urge the United States to stop Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic from pursuing his campaign of ethnic cleansing in the Serbian province of Kosova. It is time for the U.S. to send a clear message to Milosevic that NATO will intervene if Serbian forces do not stop attacking ethnic Albanian citizens and destroying their villages. It is also time to demand the prosecution of those responsible for the war crimes committed throughout the Balkans.
In 1991, Slobodan Milosevic launched his regime's campaign of terror across the former Yugoslavia -- beginning in Vukovar and the Krajina region of Croatia, then crossing over the border into Bosnia where they committed the gravest war crimes in Europe since WWII. The apex of their criminal acts occurred three years ago in Srebrenica. In July 1995, 8,000 unarmed men and boys were murdered in this small Bosnian town. The chief architects of this massacre, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, both indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), remain free. Yugoslav President Milosevic, the mastermind behind the genocide in Bosnia, has not even been indicted.
Over the past seven years, the U.S. and its allies have responded to this bloodshed through a series of compromising agreements with Milosevic. These agreements have served to bolster his position as Serb leader, and solidify his power in the region, to the extent that he is again killing and displacing large numbers of civilians -- this time in Kosova. Today, 700,000 Yugoslavian citizens of Albanian descent are living under siege in Kosova, 80,000 have been internally displaced, tens of thousands have fled to neighboring countries, and hundreds have been tortured and killed.
We urge the United States to lead the international community in recognizing that the Milosevic regime's violent pursuit of nationalistic aims is the primary cause of the continuing bloodshed and instability in the Balkans. Specifically, we urge you to adopt the following measures as part of a comprehensive policy to ensure long-term peace and stability among the nations of the former Yugoslavia:
-- Demand that Milosevic immediately halt all attacks by Serbian special police, military and paramilitary units against civilians in Kosova or face swift NATO intervention.
-- Demand that Milosevic begin the complete withdrawal of all special police, military and paramilitary units from Kosova, and allow immediate access to food and medical convoys, independent human rights monitors, and the International War Crimes Tribunal.
-- Demand that the Kosova Liberation Army cease all attacks against Serb civilians.
-- Establish a NATO no-fly zone over Kosova to neutralize Serbian air superiority and prevent escalation of the conflict by any party.
-- Pursue the immediate arrest of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic for war crimes committed in Srebrenica as required by UN Security Council Resolutions.
-- Actively support the indictment of Slobodan Milosevic by the ICTY and release any evidence of his role in the Bosnian genocide.
-- Maintain full economic sanctions on Yugoslavia until significant progress has been made in restoring full autonomy and human rights to Kosova.
In remembering the victims of Srebrenica, we believe the continued, conciliatory response of the international community toward Milosevic is ineffective and dangerous. We are strongly in favor of resolving violent conflict by diplomatic negotiation. However, Milosevic has demonstrated -- both in Croatia and Bosnia -- that his aggression will only be deterred by the credible threat of force.
We urge you to adopt the above proposals in order to stop the conflict in Kosova and bring an end to the campaign of terror that has been waged by the Milosevic regime throughout the pre-1991 Yugoslavia.
Sincerely,
____________________
____________________
John W. Olver
Tom Lantos
Member of Congress
Member
of Congress
____________________
____________________
Steny H. Hoyer
Christopher H. Smith
Member of Congress
Member
of Congress
LINK to further press news
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