Tagesnachrichten 23. September 1998
     von dpa, from ALBANEWS and others
     News of the day - September 23, 1998
     Kosova Information Center : Daily Report No

         Die Bibel sagt  -  The Bible says
 

If available you find on this page  -  Soweit verfügbar finden Sie auf dieser Seite     1. Meldungen von dpa    2. Remarks - Hints - Special informations    3. Reports about deportation and persons repatriated to Kosova  in deutsch und englisch     4. Daily Report from KIC  (Kosova Information Center)    5. news from ARTA  (Koha ditore)    6. news from RFE/RL NEWSLINE    7. news from Fr. Sava  (Decani Monastery)    8. Reports from Human Rights Organisations        especially CDHRF  (Council for the Defence of Human Rights and Freedoms, Prishtina)    9. news from ATA /ENTER  and so on  10. eventual additional press news  Link to Background-information  Link to earlier news - so far as room is given by my provider on the server  The Bible says  -  Die Bibel sagt

 

1. Meldungen von dpa

 

Siehe Teil 2  -  Go to  PART 2

......... 
 
 

3. Reports about deportation and persons repatriated to Kosova

....
erhaltene Berichte - received reports       Namensliste ==> Einzelheiten   /   list of names ==> details

Kennen Sie Fälle von Abschiebungen nach Kosova ? - Bitte senden Sie mir Ihren Bericht !
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Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1561-B
Prishtina, 23 September 1998

Second Edition: 18:00 hrs

Kosovar Delegation, Detained for Two days by the UÇK, Released
Head of delegation, Gjergj Dedaj, holds press conference in Prishtina Wednesday afternoon

PRISHTINA, Sept (KIC) - 13 members of a delegation of representatives of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova and representatives of the political parties, who were detained by members of the UÇK on Sunday, were released on Tuesday.
Gjergj Dedaj, vice-president of the Parliament of the Republic of Kosova, Agim Krasniqi, member of the presidency of the LDK (Democratic League of Kosova), Professor Jusuf Telaku, an MP from the LDK, Mehdi Bardhi, member of the LDK General Council, Veli Bytyçi, vice-chairman of the PSHDK (Christian Democrats), and Kurtesh Devaja and Simon Augustini, members of the PSHDK presidency, Sokol Blakaj, Halim Mujku, and Hasim Dërmaku, members of the presidency of the PLK (Liberal Party), Milaim Kadriu, chairman, and Musa Binakaj, vice-chairman of the PPSH (Albanian Popular Party), and Qaush Bajrushi, chairman of a Trade Unions branch, were in the delegation that was detained.
There were some 30 people in the convoy visiting Qirez village of Skenderaj ('Srbica') on Sunday, including members of the press.
Qirez was a village where thousands of displaced Albanian were camping out, after having been driven from their homes elsewhere in Drenica.
In a press conference in Prishtina Wednesday afternoon, after their return to the capital, Mr. Gjergj Dedaj, vice-president of the Parliament of Kosova, said they were arrested on Sunday after concluding a meeting with the representative of the village of Qirez. "They (members of the UÇK) came to the office, told the women members of the delegation and journalists to leave, and said we were arrested", Dedaj said.
"We were taken away from Qirez, to an unknown location", the deputy-president of the Parliament said, adding that "their (UÇK) behaviour was correct".
The UÇK questioned the delegation members about their political activities, "which are familiar to all", Dedaj said.
He said Tuesday morning, after the beginning of the Serb offensive against the Drenica villages, the Kosovar delegation was escorted by the UÇK to the village of Krasmirofc, and then to a hamlet in the Çiçavica mountains, where they spent the night and from where they contacted the Committee of International red Cross and the Kosova Diplomatic Observer Mission (KDOM) in Kosova.
Gjergj Dedaj said he saw yesterday (Tuesday), passing through the village of Qirez, people who were on the move, not knowing where to go in a bid to escape from an impending Serb attack.
In his press conference, Dedaj thanked the ICRC and KDOM representatives, as well as the UÇK members who had escorted abd taken care of them.
He took a number of questions.
Why did they detain you, what was their motive for this move? - a questioner asked. They (UÇK) said we had not sought and received permission for the visit, Dedaj said. We do not ask for such permission from anyone, nor there is any need for this as long as there is no restriction of movement declared.
Have you changed your stand on the UÇK after all this?, another questioned asked.
The views of our political parties are well-known: the pursuit of a political solution to the Kosova issue, Gjergj Dedaj said. He concluded, though, that "all states, inlcuding Kosova, have the right to have their armed forces, police and military, which operate within the legal and legitimate institutions".

Kosova Information Center
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Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1561
Prishtina, 23 September 1998

First Edition: 16:30 CET

Serb Forces Kill at Least 11 Albanians, Wound 20 Others in Three Villages of Mitrovica

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - At least 11 Albanian civilians were killed and around 20 others wounded during the shelling of Mitrovica villages by Serb military and police forces yesterday (Tuesday), the LDK chapter in Mitrovica said.
In the village of Vërnicë, Serb forces killed three Albanians, Nysret Ferati (60), Adem Azemi (38), and Sali Sejdiu (26).
In the village of Pirç, Serb forces killed Selim Sagaqi (65), and three other Albanians, whose names have not been made known yet.
The LDK chapter in Mitrovica said Serb military and police forces killed Sheremet Sheremeti (40), Rrahim Mehmeti (60), and two other civilians in the village of Oshlan. The identity of the last two ones has not yet been established.
Reports said Serb troops continued shelling the village of Oshlan today, whereas the villages of Vaganicë e Epërme, Vërnicë and Pirç were first looted then burned completely by Serb forces.

Serb Offensive against Drenica Villages Continues Unabated
Tens of thousands of Albanian refugees in the Çiçavica mountains

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - Serbian forces resumed today their heavy attack launched yesterday morning, which went throughout the day and overnight, against the villages in two municipalities, Skenderaj ('Srbica') and Gllogovc, in the region of Drenica.
Local LDK sources in Skenderaj said early in the morning today Serb forces were burning the villages of Polluzhë and Shtuticë, whereas at 6 a.m. shelling in the direction of Baks and Qirez, where tens of thousand of refugees had been camping out, as well as in the direction of Morinë and Rezallë villages.
Sources told the KIC early in the afternoon today Serb forces had entered the villages of Gllavotin, Bivolak and Beçuk, in the municipality of Vushtrri ('Vucitrn'). Beçuk is inside the Çiçavica mountains area.
Çiçavica is crammed with refugees, sources said, adding that the villages at the foot of Çiçavica were being shelled by Serb troops, including Gradica.
Serb shells have been landing in the mountains close to the area where tens of thousands of refugees have been camping, having been driven from their villages.
The population has fled from the village of Qirez, sources said, adding that the entire population is under a deadly siege.

Around 20,000 Displaced Albanians in the Meadows and Mountains of Vuçak

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - Yesterday's fierce Serb military offensive against tens of Albanian villages in several municipalities of Kosova has resulted in tens of thousands of people displaced and living rough in the open.
LDK sources in Klina said around 20,000 residents of the Skenderaj and Gllogovc villages who were driven from their homes yesterday have been camping out in the meadows and mountainous forests of Vuçak.
Most of the displaced people are women, children and elderly, among whom many sick, sources said.

Serb Police Rounds Up 100 Albanian Young Men in Mitrovica

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - The Serb police arrested today (Wednesday) in Mitrovica around 100 Albanians, local sources said.
The Albanians, by and large young men and teenagers, were rounded up at the local railway station in Mitrovica, when at around 13:00 hrs heavy Serb police forces clamped down on a train bound for Fushë-Kosova (Kosovo Polje).
The LDK chapter in Mitrovica said the Albanian detainees were taken to the Serb police station in the town.
By early afternoon today, no other details surrounding this incident have been made available.

Four Villages of Vushtrri Shelled by Serb Forces Today

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - Today, Serbian forces resumed shelling a number of villages in the municipality of Vushtrri, local sources said. The area came under Serb military and paramilitary forces's attack yesterday, too.
Since early in the morning, the villages of Bivolak, Strofc, Zhilivodë and Beçuk have been under Serb attack.
Just before seven o'clock in the morning, Serb forces paraded through the town center in Vushtrri. Gunfire was heard in the town late evening on Tuesday.
LDK sources reported Tafil Azemi (42), resident of Novolan village of Vushtrri, died Tuesday while fleeing his home. He had been operated on in the Mitrovica hospital, from which he was discharged on Monday, still in a bad health condition. He could not survive a tractor journey and the flight from home, sources said.

Two More Killed Albanians Found in Dobratin Village
20 Albanians killed by Serb forces last week in northern Llapi region

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - The bodies of two local Albanians killed last week by Serbian forces in Dobratin village of Podujeva were found today (Wednesday).
LDK sources said Islam Ali Rekaliu (26) and Selim Sabedin Rekaliu (25) were found killed in the forests up their family compound. Their bodies were reported mutilated. They had been probabbly killed while fleeing their homes.
Serb forces had been deployed in Dobratin and launched an attack there on Tuesday last week, targetIng this village as well as Kaçanoll and the Shalë e Bajgorës region.
Six Albanians were found burned in the village of Dobratin.
At least twenty Albanians are now known to have been killed by Serb troops during the three-day Serb offensive in two villages in the Llapi area last week.

Many Albanians Are Being Held Captive in Plant in Gllogovc, Witness Claims

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - Witnesses have told the local LDK chapter in Vushtrri ('Vicitrn') that a large number of Albanians are being held in the compounds of the Ferrous-Nickel "Ferronikeli" plant, near the town of Gllogovc. The LDK did not specify the number of people reported or presumed being held captive.
An eye-witness, who said he managed to escape from the plant yesterday, claimed that the captives were subjected to brutal torture in the hands of the Serb troops. He named one Albanian, Ramë Asllani (50) from Makërmal village, whom he knew being one of the detainees.
The "Ferronikeli" compounds, located only a couple kilometers south of the town of Gllogovc, has been for months turned into a huge Serb forces' base, from where the outlying Albanian communities have been repeatedly attacked.
Local human rights activists in Gllogovc have claimed they suspected that ten Albanians rounded up by Serb troops in the nearby Poklek village in June were cremated in the furnaces of the factory.

Albanian Arrested While Taking Wounded Woman to Hospital

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - A 26-year-old Albanian, Migjen Sadiku (26), resident of Sibovc village near Obiliq, has been reported in Serb police since Tuesday morning.
Sources in Obiliq, a town 8 km north-west of Prishtina, said Migjen Sadiku was driving on tractor a wounded neighbor, Ms Habibe Shaljani, whom she was taking to hospital.
At least nine Albanians were wounded in Sibovc on Tuesday, when the village and other villages north-west of Prishtina came under a fierce Serb attack.

At Least Three Villages of Gllogovc Shelled by Serb Troops Wednesday Morning

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - The village of Baicë, Verboc and Dobroshec came under renewed Serb fire today (Wednesday) morning, local sources told the KIC.
These three villages, along with at least 15 others at the Çiçavica mountain foot in central and north-west Kosova, were targeted by a huge Serb offensive since Tuesday morning.
The LDK Information Commission in Gllogovc said Serb troops advanced towards the village of Baica today morning, setting farmhouses ablaze.
During long hours of brutal attacks yesterday, Serb burned scores of houses in other villages of Gllogovc, Xhemë Binaku, head of the local Information Commission said. He named the villages of Gllavotin, Çikatovë, Tëstenik and Verboc, where the Serb arson campaign and pillaging of valuables and domestic appliances was focused on Wednesday.
Mr. Binaku said the population of these villages has been on the run since Tuesday morning. Most of them spent the night in the open.
A resident of Tërstenik said Serb forces attacked the village at dawn, when everybody was still asleep. "It was a terrible panic. All we could do was run towards the hills", she said.

At Least Nine Civilians Wounded in Sibovc, Obiliq, Tuesday

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - At least nine Albanians, of whom five women and three teenagers, were wounded in Sibovc village near Obiliq on Tuesday, when the village and a vast area north-west of Prishtina was pounded with Serb artillery fire.
In an account today morning, the LDK chapter in Obiliq said it had learned the 7 Albanians wounded in Sibovc yesterday were. The identity of two women was not made known.
The following Albanians were wounded in Sibovc on Tuesday: Ms Emine Shaljani (75), Abdullah Shaljani (40), Ms Habibe Shaljani (37), Ms Fikrije Shaljani (15), Ramadan Shaljani (15), Avni Shaljani (16), and Amir Shaljani (14).
The LDK said it believed other persons were wounded in the area.
It added that the Serb infantry entered today (Wednesday) into the villages of Lajthishtë (Leskosic), Sibovc and Hamidi, and that they have embarked on a wide-scale campaign of looting, destroying and burning property and houses of local Albanians, who fled homes yesterday in the wake of the Serb onslaught.

Armed Serb Civilians Hold Key Positions Around Village Near Mitrovica

PRISHTINA, Sept 23 (KIC) - Since Tuesday morning, armed Serb civilians, mainly with sniper guns, have been stationed in key positions along the Sintica river banks, near Kçiç i Madh.
The LDK chapter in Mitrovica said it could not learn what the Serbs were intent on, noting only that there has been a stepped up movement of both Serb troops and armed civilians in the town itself.
Serb police and civilians broke into the bakery owned by an Albanian, Binak Kabashi, at Shipol suburb of Mitrovica yesterday.
They took away a TV set, a satellite receiver and other appliances, the owner of the bakery said.
Meanwhile, sources in Mitrovica said the Serb police has arrested several Albanians in the street of the town over the past two day.

Kosova Information Center
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KOSOVA (IDPs – Blinajë)
"It seems there isn't one who knows of our agony"

Blinajë, 21 September (ARTA) 1945CET --
Deep in the forest of Blinajë, between Magurë and Shalë, amid the pouring rain that has not ceased for three days, some 8.000 Albanian IDPs live. "There is no humanitarian assistance, no food, no medicine - it seems there isn't one who knows of our agony", say people whose sole shelter are the woods of Blinajë.
It seems that dozens of humanitarian organizations and NGOs can't even find the location in the maps. Maybe, after continuous reiterations from Belgrade that "in Kosova there are no refugees out in the open" - they don't even try.

 

 

KOSOVA (Serb crackdown – Fushë Kosovë)
Serb forces crackdown on the villages near Çiçavicë - 16 dead – two children, five women, claims CDHRF

Fushë Kosovë, 22 September (ARTA) 2015CET --
A Serb force convoy took the road that links Bardh i Madh with Obiliq, to arrive in the direction of the village of Hade, sources from the ground claim.
The convoy that took the road leading to Sibovc immediately started shelling the surrounding villages.
The villages of Sibovc, Shipitullë, Graboc i Epërm, Zhilivodë and Leshkoshiq, were shelled from these positions. At the same time, these forces shelled several villages of Drenica, such as Gllanasellë, Godanc, and Dobroshec. These last attack on the villages of Drenica, was conducted by the police forces, settled in the "Ferronikel" factory in Gllogoc.
There is no confirmation on eventual casualties, however there is information about enormous material damage, particularly in the neighborhood of Krasniqi, the village of Shipitullë.
As a result of this offensive, a large number of the population of this region, fled in the direction of Sllatinë e Madhe.
It is assessed that about 200-300 grenades landed on these villages so far, while other heavy weaponry was used as well.
The KLA forces, stationed in the villages of Graboc i Ulët and Graboc i Epërm, along the Çiçavicë forest and in some other villages that are linked with the Çiçavicë forests and are under the administration of Vushtrri, attacked the Serb forces. So far the Serb infantry has not managed to enter any of the above mentioned places.
According to LDK sources, the police and military units, started a massive attack against the villages of one part of the Drenica region and around the Çiçavicë forest, from all sides.
Sources from the field say the attack started from the side of Mitrovicë, Vushtrri, Gllogoc, Obiliq, and Skënderaj.
Thousands of tanks, military, police and special unit vehicles have been driving along this side part of Kosova during recent days, including last night. Different sources notify about the shelling of the villages of Prilluzhë, Gllavotin, Bivolak, Stroc, Zhilivodë, Beçuk, Prekaz, Mikushnicë, Polac, Lubavec, Gllobar, Çikatovë e re, Çikatovë e Vjetër, Poklek i Ri, etc. Many of these villages are on fire. Albanian sources believe that the latest Serb offensive is an attempt to enter the village of Qirez, where tens of thousands of refugees, from different parts of Drenica are sheltered.
CDHRF sources from Skënderaj confirmed the death of at least 16 Albanians, in Mikushnicë and Prekaz. Two of the victims are children and five are women.
The same source claims that the Serb forces have entered the villages of Tërstenik, Gllobar, Prekaz etc, and that an operation of burning houses is underway.

                       Villages in the Obiliq region, 22 September

 KOSOVA (Serb offensive – Obiliq)
Over 100 tanks launch attack on the Çiçavicë area

Obiliq, 22 September (ARTA) 1945CET --
Albanian sources from Obiliq notify that the Serb forces started shelling the villages of Obiliq, near Çiçavicë, during the early morning hours. There are reports that large police forces, containing a great fighting arsenal, with over 100 tanks and other fighting weaponry, are stationed in the Serb held village of Plemetin, municipality of Obiliq. Sources from the ground inform that a pontoon bridge was set over the Sitnicë River in Plemetin.
Serb forces are also positioned in Prilluzhë, municipality of Vushtrri and in some other strategic points of this municipality. There is information that the Serb forces besieged Çiçavicë, while the villages of Hamidi, Sibovc, Shipitullë, Graboc and Lajthishtë, municipality of Obiliq, were shelled since 0500CET.
Albanian sources state that the Serb forces are shelling from the outskirts of Bardh i Madh, from the open mine pit in Dobrosellë, from their positions in the power plant "Kosova B", in Mazgit as well as from other positions.
A large number of houses in the neighborhood of Mirenë, in the village of Hade, have been burnt due to shelling.
There are claims that large Serb military forces, equipped with tanks and APCs, repositioned at the place called "Pishat e Sllatinës", in Fushë Kosovë.
In the village of Milloshevë, two trucks filled with Serb policemen and soldiers stopped the men of this village, ordering the women to go in the direction of the village of Obiliq. An information states that the Serb policemen and soldiers were ordering the Albanian women from the village of Plemetin, to go back to their homes.

KOSOVA (shelling – Klinë)
Villagers flee Serb shelling -- 40 villages now completely burned

Klinë, 22 September (ARTA) 1745CET --
A large number of Serb soldiers and fighting equipment, consisting of: tanks, APCs, large caliber fighting cannons, have been stationed by a boxit mine in Volljakë, today. There are reports that the village of Peçevë has been shelled throughout last night. Albanian sources confirm the death of one Serb policemen.
The Serb forces’ shelling continued today, as well. It resulted with the burning and destroying of 40 houses, and the fleeing of the population, in the forests of Llapuzhë and Koznik.
20 people, who are being held under the Serb police\military target are being shot at from different weaponry, and fear for their lives.
In the meantime, the arrested of the previous day, are still being held at the police station in Klinë.
Albanian sources state that 40 villages have now been completely burned and destroyed in this region.

KOSOVA (Serb offensive – Gllogoc)
Hundreds of tanks enter the town of Gllogoc

Prishtina, 22 September (ARTA) 2115CET--
The shelling of Prekaz i Epërm began at 0700CET. The village has been shelled from Serb positions in Tërnavc, Polac, and the Ammunition Factory in Skënderaj, it is said in a CDHRF statement.
Hundreds of tanks have entered Gllogoc this morning and have been positioned at different locations. A number of them is positioned in Çikatovë e Re, from what location the villages of Trubullova, Poklek, Domanek and Zabel i Ulët are constantly being shelled.
The village of Dobroshec is being shelled from the "Ferronikel" factory, a long time shelter of Serb armed forces, claims CDHRF.
Similar situation prevails in the region of Vushtrri as well, with the villages of Sibovc, Strovc, and others being shelled from early morning hours. The civilian population has fled the villages and is now sheltered in the nearby forests.

ALBANIA (assassination – Tirana)
Two masked persons assassinate Defense Minister of the Republic of Kosova, Krasniqi

Tirana, 22 September (ARTA) 1630CET --
Ahmet Krasniqi, Defense Minister of the Republic of Kosova, has been assassinated on 21 September, in Tirana. The assassination was conducted at 2325CET, as the Minister was going back to his apartment. The assassins, were two masked persons, whose identities are unknown.
Ahmet Krasniqi was born in 1948, in the village of Zhilivodë, municipality of Vushtrri. He finished high school education in Prishtina in 1969; graduated at Military-Infantry Academy, in Belgrade during in 1973.
He started his carrier in Zagreb, where he worked until he finished the Commanding Academy of the General Army Headquarters (1981-83). He was afterwards sent to serve as the commanding officer of the Gospiq Garrison Brigade.
After assisting Croat troops in the Croatian war, when Krasniqi among others handed over to the Croat forces the military barrack of Gospiq, he was arrested in Rijekë. Charged, based on the criminal code 121:1, with threatening the Defense capacity of the FRY armed forces he was transferred to Belgrade.
With the help of his friends from Kosova, Krasniqi managed to escape from Belgrade and settle in Croatia, thus escaping from the sufferings and imprisonment. Ever since, he was in contact with the Government of the Republic of Kosova, for which he made many military-politic evaluations.
Ahmet Krasniqi is the author of many studies on warfare, published in different newspapers and professional magazines.
On March of 1998, he was named the Defense Minister of the Republic of Kosova.

KOSOVA (kidnapping – Prishtina)
Serb inspectors kidnap Xhavit Haziri, CDHRF activist in Prishtina

Prishtina, 22 September (ARTA) 1900CET --
On 17 September, at 1130CET, in Prishtina, Serb Security inspectors kidnapped Xhavit Haziri, an ex-political prisoner and an employee at the CDHRF office in Prishtina.
According to the witnesses, Haziri was kidnapped by the Serb Security inspectors as he was on his way to work, respectively to the CDHRF office in Prishtina.

KOSOVA (war – Prizren)
30 burned in the Has region – women separated from men

Prizren, 22 September (ARTA) 2130CET --
The villages of the bordering region of Has of Prizren, have been placed under Serb siege since last Sunday. 21 houses in the village of Romajë have been set on fire and other 10 in the villages of Kushninë and Lugishtë.
Masar Shala, a human rights activist from Prizren, claims that the Serb army, on Sunday, trapped the women and children in the elementary school "Bajram Curri", blocking the men in an Albanian owned house. Since 1800CET, on Saturday, all the men were taken in for informative talks by a military officer and two civilians", notified Shala.
Sources from the village claim that on the same night they staged attacks, blamed on the KLA forces, during which time the Serb forces constantly shot in the direction of the school, where the women and the children were being held in.
Masar Shala states that after being left to stay outside on the rain, they were then loaded on a truck and taken in the direction of Prizren.
"50 residents of the villages of Has have been arrested. 33 of them were from Romajë", said Shala.
Witnesses tell how they were taken in for informative talks in the military barrack in Prizren as well. They were held there until 0100CET, from where they are being released in small groups.
Several women and children from Romajë were also taken for informative talks by the Serb forces. They were being questioned about arms possession and "the KLA actions in this bordering zone".
The Serb military forces, withdrew from the Has region, during the late afternoon hours, leaving behind some 30 burning, and destroyed houses.

KOSOVA (bogus-trials – Prizren)
10 charged with "terrorist activity" to be tried at the military Court in Nis

Prizren, 22 September (ARTA) 2000CET --
The Supreme Court of Serbia, refusing the appeal of the defense lawyer, Hazër Susuri, ruled that 10 defendants, out of which two are on the run and another has been shot by the Serb forces, are to be tried at the Military Court in Nis.
All charged were in detention in the prison of Prizren, since 1 August.
They are all accused for the crime of "association for hostile activities" and "terrorism", based on the "FRY" Criminal Code.
Since 19 September, they are being held in detention at the military Court in Nis.

KOSOVA (police ultimatum – Pejë)
Ultimatum to surrender weapons handed over to villages bordering Pejë

Istog, 22 September (ARTA) 1730CET --
Albanian sources from the municipality of Istog state that the Serb police forces continue looting and burning Albanian owned houses. There are reports that in the village of Padalishtë, alone, the houses of the Imeraj neighborhood have been completely burned. The Serb police rebuilt the house of Rexhep Hoti, where they are presently stationed, using the material they confiscated in the Loshaj neighborhood.
Special (tank) units, after roaming about this region, came to a halt at noon, in front of the police station in Istog. At around (1320CET), under the escort of the local police, they continued their way in the direction of the villages of Vrellë and Radavc.
Sources from the ground inform that, the villages bordering Pejë, Jabllanicë e Madhe and Radavc (Pejë) were handed over an ultimatum to surrender their weapons. This induced panic among the local residents, who fear a possible attack.

KOSOVA (raids – Suharekë)
Serb police threatens residents of the villages of Suharekë

Suharekë, 22 September (ARTA) 1945CET --
Last night, large Serb police\military forces, equipped with heavy fighting arsenal, cruised down the villages of Gjinoc, Sop, Mushtisht and Reqan, picking up a large number of civilian population they found in the centers of these villages, LDK and CDHRF sources from Suharekë inform. The police threatened these people and demanded that they hand over their weapons, until 1200CET, the latest.
The Serb police raided several Albanian families, with the pretext of arms' search. According to witnesses, some of the tanks and APCs had Albanian national flags, pictures of the Albanian national hero, Skënderbeg, KLA symbols and other provocative and offending subscriptions.
Serb forces were also evidenced in Suharekë proper today. Several tanks headed in the direction of the village of Reqan.
On the other hand, there are reports that a considerable number of residents from the burned villages of Semetisht, Peçan, Sllapuzhan etc, are seeking shelter in the town of Suharekë. Their houses are completely burned down.
 

KOSOVA (interview – CDHRF chairman, Pajazit Nushi)
Nushi: "The war has spread into over 17 municipalities of Kosova and claimed the lives of more than 1.100 Albanians"

Prishtina, 22 September (ARTA) 1800CET --
The CDHRF chairman in Prishtina, Pajazit Nushi, initially gives the general evaluations for the situation of the human rights and freedoms...

Nushi: The value of human personality and equality of Albanians in Kosova, in comparison to those of different nationalities in Europe and elsewhere, to the system of the Serb and "Yugoslav" policy and the policy of institutions of the self-proclaimed Federal "Yugoslavia", respectively Serbia and Montenegro, is at the lowest level out of all European countries. In Kosova, there isn't a single Albanian family, in which one or more family members haven't been subjected to devaluation, physical, psychic and moral revenge, or torture, including most severe brutality. Many Albanians died, due to direct terror they were submitted to. The investigation of gathering facts to prove the human rights violation by the Hague Tribunal, is the best proof of the violence and crimes that were, and are exercised by the Serb forces against the undefeated Albanians in their own land.

KOHA Ditore: Mr. Chairman do you have a more complete report of the consequences in the war afflicted areas?

Nushi: ... The war has taken over more than the half of the territory of Kosova and its people. Armed conflicts are taking place in 17 out of 29 municipalities of Kosova. The fighting zone extends from the villages of Skënderaj and Vushtrri, Klinë and Gllogoc, up to the villages of the bordering belt with Albania, including the outskirts of Prizren, Suharekë, Rahovec, and Ferizaj.
In this territory, from January until 14 September, 1,169 people were killed, among which the least in number were KLA soldiers. The majority is civilians of different ages. Out of them 12% are children ranging from infants to minor aged persons, respectively to 18 year olds. 32 % are of older age, starting from 55 year olds to 92 year olds. 45-46 % of the killed is aged between 18 and 55.
Serb sources confirm the death of only 60 policemen, not mentioning any other losses. This reflects the objective character of this war. It is a war aimed at terminating and eliminating the Albanian people. Such a character is proved by the destruction of the housing facilities and other buildings. It is estimated that 400 villages and localities are almost completely destroyed and ruined. The residents of these localities have no place to go back to. The number of the displaced from the war zones, seeking refuge in Albania and places outside Kosova, is increasing continuously.

KD: Based on the numerous contacts you have had with the representatives of the international organizations, can you tell us what kind of assistance are these organizations offering for the solution of the Kosova issue?

Nushi: The issue of human rights and freedoms in Kosova is inseparable from the political spectrum of Kosova. The Kosova issue is primarily a political issue. However, human rights and freedoms are in its political essence. We believe that without a just political solution for Kosova and for the Kosova Albanians, there cannot be any just solution of the human rights and freedoms.
On the other hand, we are also convinced that the solving the human rights and freedoms issue alone does not solve the substantial issue of Kosova - the issue of its status, although it assists it quite a lot. Thus, the international human rights organizations proved to be much more active on the political settlement of the Kosova issue, than any of the international political bodies.
 

ALBANIA (visa – Tirana)
Tirana applies visas for Kosovars

Zurich, 21 September (ARTA) 2055CET --
An employee of the "Kosova Reisen" travel agency, based in Zurich, stated for "KOHA Ditore" that last Friday the Embassy of the Republic of Albania in Bern has notified travel agencies from Kosova, based in Switzerland, that in future course all Kosovars are to have visas for entering Albanian territory.
According to the employee, a number of Albanians were not allowed to board the Zurich-Tirana flight, for they were not in possession of visas.
"This same day, a large number of travelers have come back to the office to cancel their tickets because they were not allowed to depart", says the "Kosova Reisen" employee.
"Swissair" spokeswoman, Tschanz, confirmed to "KOHA Ditore" that the company was sent instructions by the Albanian Civil Air Transport General Manager, Pëllumb Hoxha, that Albanians from Kosova need to be granted visas in order to enter Albania. The visa can obtained at the Albanian diplomatic office in Bern "Swissair" was instructed.
An Albanian employee of "Swissair", in Tirana, also the representative for "Austrian Airlines", also confirmed the necessity of possessing visas, in order to enter Albania.
"After recent events, official Albanian authorities have sent instructions stating that all Kosovars travelling to Albania should be in possession of visas when entering Albania", said the "Swissair" employee in Tirana.

Monday, September 21, 1998

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN KOSOVA IS BECOMING CATASTROPHIC
AND IS BEING DEVELOPED WITH A WITNESSES OF  INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

        HERE ARE SOME OF HEADLINES:
 

* "...Humanitarian disaster in the making will become a full-scale catastrophe...".
   Sadako Ogata The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

* "...I am just warning the international community that there is no possibility on pure humanitarian grounds to overcome winter for all this population if there is no political solution..."
 European Community Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Emma Bonino

* "... Children are already dying from dysentery and dehydration...".
 United Nations official in Kosova

* "There are many, many tens of thousands of people who have been dislocated from their homes, but somewhere between 50 (thousand) and 100,000 -- it's hard for us to know for sure -- are above the -- I want to say æabove the tree line' -- at least at very high levels in the mountains, which means it will get colder there much more quickly than in the rest of the country. Winter is coming on; you could have a major humanitarian disaster."
US President Bill Clinton warned of a "humanitarian disaster" in Kosova.
 Washington, D.C.9/16/98

* "There is substantial evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law...subject to the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia."
John Shattuck, US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy,  Human Rights and Labor, Belgrade, 9/7/98

* "This is a political and military crisis, whose most visible symptoms are humanitarian. There should be no doubt that this is a war against civilians for political purposes...If we can provide a cease-fire and a pull-out of Serbian police and Yugoslav army forces...Only under conditions where civilians are not under attack can Serb and Albanian political leaders engage in negotiations and achieve a permanent and lasting peace based on democratic institutions.
Former US Senator Robert Dole, Belgrade, 9/7/98

* "...In Kosova, thousands of Albanians are being ethnically cleansed by Serbian troops, and the administration seems paralyzed."
 US Senator John McCain, Republican response to President Clinton's radio address, 8/22/98

* "Winter in Kosova can start as early as mid-October while maybe more than 100,000 people are still seeking refuge in the forests and mountains and a humanitarian catastrophe looms."
 German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, interview with ADTV, 8/23/98
 
The diseases are particularly striking the young children, because of the catastrophic living conditions.

* Washington Post: "...A great shortage of food, medicine and hygienic items...".
Humanitarian action must once again, as happened in Bosnia for four years, not become a substitute for political action...";
Assistant United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Soren Jessen-Petersen

* The Washington Post(8/21/98):"...aid workers say most of those in the hills do not have access to safe drinking water, and they fear epidemics of diarrhea, cholera and typhus...";

* The New York Times quoted The Catholic Relief Services (8/22/98):"...there will be a humanitarian catastrophe...";

* The Washington Post (8/21/98) quoted an ethnic Albanian builder: "They shell the villages to make civilians flee...then come the tanks. They loot and put everything in trucks and then set fire to the houses.";

* Agence France Presse: "...Serb-led Yugoslav forces unleashed...warplanes and helicopters...";

* Financial Times:"...On July 24 the town of Rahovec was "... the scene of a massacre of civilians by police forces...";
 
* The Guardian (London) said (8/25/98) the most recent offensive has brought "the estimated total of displaced people to more than 400,000 - almost a quarter of the entire Albanian population of the Serbian province. Three quarters of them are women."

* The New York Times reported (8/26/98) that "international relief workers estimate as many as 20,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed by government forces."..."The humanitarian situation will amount to a catastrophe in the fall and winter," unless refugees are allowed to return to their homes."
Gerhard Jandl,  political director in the Foreign Ministry of Austria, which currently holds the EU presidency

* The UN Security Council in a Monday (8/24/98) statement warned it is "gravely concerned that given the increasing numbers of displaced persons, coupled with approaching winter, the situation in Kosova has the potential to become an even greater humanitarian disaster."

* A high-ranking United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) official warned Monday (8/24/98) that some people will be "dying of starvation" in Kosova.

* Reuters (8/24/98) reported: [Deputy chief of mission in former Yugoslavia Eduardo] "Arboledo warned that diarrhea, dehydration and disease are widespread among the displaced population. Should the situation continue to deteriorate until winter sets in, the UN administrator said he feared for the lives of many displaced people, particularly the young and elderly. "People will freeze to death, especially the more vulnerable groups," Arbodelo said. "(And then) there's the lack of adequate food. It seems almost surreal to have people dying of starvation in Europe...but they could." UNHCR spokesman Kris Janowski on uesday(8/25/98) denounced "the continuing violence in Kosova which is causing more people to flee...the situation is getting worse and worse."

* Three new reports issued (8/26/98) by Amnesty International drew attention to the "deliberate and arbitrary violence against civilians, the...terror and mass displacement of people" in central and western Kosova.  One report noted that women in particular are bearing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis, citing one ethnic Albanian woman shot in the leg by snipers as she tried to return home to find a safe place for her daughter. Amnesty also called the disappeared and missing the "hidden victims" of Kosova, saying that "ethnic Albanians have  disappeared' in Serbian police hands;

* Associated Press reported (9/11/98) that "one official said the current refugee situation threatens to create as many as 25 new ghost towns in Kosova."

* Mother Theresa Society, the main local humanitarian NGO in Kosova, estimates that 100-150,000 IDP's are living in the woods and hills.

* Associated Press (9/7/98) cited a nurse working with humanitarian NGO Doctors Without Borders: " I've had women and children die in front of me'...[he] said a woman with a complicated pregnancy tried to pass [a] heavily fortified Serbian police checkpoint, but was turned back... there's little chance she survived,' " he said. AP also reported that health care is still a problem for those who are able to get to medical facilities: "In one recent case, wounded women and children lay groaning on the cold floor of a truck for nearly two hours until doctors at the Serb-run Pristina hospital agreed to admit them...without proof of medical insurance. Relief workers call demands for such documentation from emergency cases absurd."
        AP cited a Kosova Albanian doctor working with IDPs in the Nekovc Valley, who said "12% of the Nekovc Valley refugees suffer from diarrhea. Pneumonia and ear infections are also on the rise, particularly among kids. Two infants who died in the past 48 hours could have been saved with basic medication."

* "What we have seen is tremendous suffering, suffering that will only increase dramatically once winter sets in a month from now...we also hear testimony from eyewitnesses to some of the crimes and atrocities...these accounts were chilling."
Former US Senator Robert Dole (9/9/98)

* "The families that have absorbed people in their own homes" and those who are living under Belgrade's months-long food blockade."¥"There's no capacity in the world for the international community, under the best of times, to be able to take care of 2 million people in Kosovo. They're starving their people to the extent that this blockade continues."
 Julia Taft, US Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration, Washington, DC, 9/9/98

* The New York Times: "Making a  partner of Mr. Milosevic is not an acceptable way to help the displaced. . .Most crucial. . .is to get Mr.  Milosevic to stop shooting.  This will requite intense pressure on Belgrade, with the credible threat of  military force if necessary."

* Agence France Presse noted that "despite UN statements regarding the situation in Kosova, neither the council nor Annan has recommended any action to end the conflict and avert the humanitarian catastrophe."

* NATO announced (9/10/98)it has completed contingency planning for a full range of military options in Kosova. "NATO has adopted three scenarios for military action: one provides for large-scale air strikes, another, limited air strikes, and a third would see a large ground force deployed to back up a cease-fire or peace deal...limited air raids seem the only feasible option. There would be little risk to Allied troops as US Tomahawk missiles shot from ships or submarines in the Adriatic would be the weapon of choice. Such a series of warning shots would be credible, NATO sources have said. They have chosen targets, most likely in Serb military communications centers or headquarters."

* "The only other place I have seen as eerie as this is in Rwanda."
Former US Senator Robert Dole, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights John Shattuck was quoted by Associated Press (9/9/98)

* "Instead of ultimatums and deadlines, instead of firing up the engines, NATO is postponing decisions and firing up excuses. American and European diplomats hide behind official statements that the situation in Kosova is "complicated" and that NATO needs UN Security Council authorization to act.
        Both of these assertions are dead wrong. First, the situation is not complicated. Indeed, it could not be clearer: This is a war against civilians, and we know who is responsible: Slobodan Milosevic. Second, NATO does not need and should not seek a UN Security Council resolution authorizing it to take action to respond to a crisis in Europe that threatens stability in the region. All NATO needs is some leadership from the United States first and foremost, and then from Britain, France and Germany."

Former US Senator Robert Dole, Washington, 9/17/98

* Former Senate majority leader Bob Dole -- who had just returned from a three-day visit to Kosova -- sharply criticized US Kosova policy at a hearing (9/17/98) held by the Congressional Commission for Security and Cooperation in Europe:
         "Instead of acting forcefully, America is asking the victims to negotiate with those who are attacking them. In addition, there is a real attempt impose a moral equivalence between Serbian forces and the small band of Albanians who have taken up arms." Dole went on to say that "the bottom line is that once again, Western diplomats are trying to avoid the tough decisions and are desperate not to take on the person most responsible for the misery, suffering and instability in the region: Slobodan Milosevic...while more humanitarian aid is desperately needed, such assistance will not solve the problem. The time is long overdue for the US to embrace a policy that will end Milosevic's reign of terror in Kosova."

* "It's pretty calm now, the police just shelled and shelled and left."
Ibrahim, Kcic, Kosova, 9/18/98

Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-09-22
Taken without permission, for fair use only,
from: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS

•[01] Support for legal ways to consolidate Albanian institutions
•[02] Democratic Alliance Party of Albania denounces failed coup in Albania
•[03] Legislative and executive coordinate work to eliminate coup aftermath
•[04] Albanian Centre Right decides to boycott Parliament
•[05] We are discussing efficient ways to assist Albania - Kinkel
•[06] Defence attorneys reject charge against six former senior officials
•[07] Director of "Kontakt" radio in Tirana lawcourt on Tuesday
•[08] There is no suspension of projects for Albania - World Bank
•[09] Albania signs Reviewed European Social Charter
•[10] Technical meeting between Albanian government and foreign donors begins
•[11] Defence Minister of Kosova government killed in Tirana
•[12] Some 450 packages of explosive found in citizen's house in Durres
•[13] Offensive of Serb forces in Rrafsh of Kosove and in Drenice
•[14] 321 public works projects underway in Albania
•[15] Ure Vajgurore town-hall to provide 10 million leks of investment
•[16] News that Albania risks to be ousted from CE is false
        -Fischer: Albanian delegation has ist own seat at CE Parliamentary Assembly
•[17] Meidani says he cannot take part in session on Albania in Strasbourg
•[18] Tirana currency rates
•[19] Albanian minister to attend preparation session on education
•[20] Turkey ready to contribute to Kosova issue
•[21] Police patrol national roads
•[22] Some 3.000 persons employed in foreign companies
•[23] Six thousand new telephone numbers for Vlora
•[24] Journalist, former ATA director to report to judicial police

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[11] Defence Minister of Kosova government killed in Tirana

TIRANA, Sept 22 (ATA)-Kosova Government's Defence Minister Ahmet Krasniqi was killed in Tirana on Monday night.
The spokesman of the Public Order Ministry on Tuesday told ATA that Krasniqi, aged 50, born in Kosova and with temporary residence in Tirana, currently Defence Minister of the Kosova Government, was shot dead by still unidentified persons.
He was gunned down near the house No. 32/2 of citizen Sh.T., on "Haxhi Hysen Dalliu" street on Monday at 21.15.
The police carried out the first investigations on the spot and are intensively working to clear up the event and track down the culprits.
/s.s/lm/

[13] Offensive of Serb forces in Rrafsh of Kosove and in Drenice

PRISHTINE, Sept.22 (ata) - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports: Today in the morning a great number of Yugoslav military forces and Serb police and military units started a new broad offensive in the regions of Drenice and Rrafsh of Kosove and are hitting Albanian dwelling places round Mount Qyqavice.
Fierce fighting is taking place 10 km northwest of Prishtine while Serb forces from Rrafsh of Kosove tempt to penetrate in Albanian villages at the foot of Qyqavice. In the region between village Prilluzh and village Gllavotin, where KLA forces are putting up resistance, fierce fighting is taking place. According to first reports from the field, two Serbs are killed and a tank has been ruined.
According to Murat Musliu, activist of the Human Rights Council in Kosove who is following closely the fighting in Drenice, the village Prekaz, in outskirts of Skenderaj is being hit today in three directions: the Serb positions in the factory of Ammunition in Skenderaj, from Ternafc and Polac.
Serb forces have also attacked villages Gllanaselli and Dobroshete and are trying to go into villages Qirez and Mount Qyqavice, in which thousands of refugees are sheltered.
 Serb paramilitaries and armed civilians are reportedly being mobilized in Rrafsh of Kosove. /p.ta/pas/xh/

[20] Turkey ready to contribute to Kosova issue

TIRANE, Sept 22, (ATA) By E.Koraqi: Turkish president Sulejman Demirel sent a letter to Albanian president Rexhep Meidani praising his principled and constructive stand concerning the Kosova issue.
"Turkey is ready to contribute by all means to resolve this problem," Demirel said in his letter.
"With the same dedication, I sent letters to all leaders of the Contact Group and some regional countries expressing my growing concern for the grave situation in Kosova. I also sent a letter to President Milosevic stressing the importance for a withdrawal of the Yugoslav police forces from Kosova, safe return of refugees and kickstart of a dialogue for a peace solution to the issue," said Turkish President.
President Demirel also thanked his Albanian counterpart Meidani for the reception during his July visit to Albania, and stressed that visit was a precious occasion to discuss and exchange opinions on regional and bilateral cooperation. /pas/lola/

------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 98-09-21
Taken without permission, for fair use only,
from: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONTENTS

•[01] Serbia will not accept a referendum of Albanians for status of Kosove - Nikolic
•[02] Leader says US proposal unlikely to resolve Kosova issue
•[03] Charred bodies in Dobratin like in Serb crematoriums - Sejdiu
•[04] 700 new students enrolled in Shkoder university
•[05] Cooperation between Australian University Viktoria with Tirane polytechnic university established
•[06] Nearly 150 000 ECU for post-university European studies
•[07] Fighting in Drenice between KLA and Serb forces
•[08] Decree on free entry of foreign citizens of Albanian origin in Albania in force
•[09] Legal norms and regular functioning of rule of law should be respected - Albanian Helsinki Committee
•[10] Prosecutor's house grenaded - Berisha accused
•[11] The Albanian Defence Minister says: Army out of politics
•[12] Latest crisis, result of destructive stand of Berisha- speaker
•[13] National Environment Agency's appeal for Clean Cities' Day
•[14] Police arrest citizens charged with participation in armed uprising and violation of institutions
•[15] Nano asks closer cooperation of prefectures with police
•[16] Import: 80.6 billion leks in 8 months
•[17] District Court: Prison arrest for traffickers
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[01] Serbia will not accept a referendum of Albanians for status of Kosove - Nikolic

PRISHTINE, Sept.21 (ata) - Serbia will not accept a possible referendum of the Albanians for the status of Kosove, three years after an eventual agreement for a provisional solution in Kosove, Serb Government vice chairman and deputy chairman of the Serb radicals, Tomisllav Nikolic, stated accordign to reports of Kosove Information Centre.
Nikolic said that "the fate of this part of Serbia will never be solved with a referendum of the Albanians in Kosove." He refuted such a possibility saying that nobody from Serbia will sign such a thing, which would be a treachery.
He considered as unofficial the talks of the U.S. mediator Christopher Hill and Albanian representatives for the project forwarded by the U.S. on a provisional solution in Kosove, saying that only "the Government of Serbia may draft an agreement which belongs to Serbia." /p.ta/xh/

[02] Leader says US proposal unlikely to resolve Kosova issue

PRISHTINE, Sept 21 (ATA) - The US proposal for a temporary accord on Kosova is unlikely to ease or resolve the complicated issue of Kosova, Center for Information in Kosova (CIK) quoted Vojislav Kushtunica, leader of the Democratic party of Serbia, as saying.
"The proposal is fully contrary to stands adopted by international organisations and forums, especially the Contact Group attitudes, which exclude the possibility for Kosova to be independent," he said.
This proposal, the way it was published and presented by Serbian media, offered a limited independence to Kosova, CIK quoted him as saying. /pta/ak/

[03] Charred bodies in Dobratin like in Serb crematoriums - Sejdiu

PRISHTINE, Sept.21 (ata0 - "What we saw in Dobratin is a model of Serb crematoriums," said the Secretary of the Kosove Assembly, Fatmir Sejdiu in a statement for the Kosove Information Centre.
"In the home of Fehmi Rekaliu we saw three or four charred bodies, whose traces showed they were first hit by fire weapons or massacred and later were completely burnt in the building were they were," said Sejdiu. He underlined that such massacres are practiced by Serb forces towards Albanian civilians of all ages and added that these acts are after the patterns of Serb crematoriums. /pas/xh/

[07] Fighting in Drenice between KLA and Serb forces

PRISHTINE, Sept.21 (ata) - ATA correspondent Behlul Jashari reports: Fierce fighting are taking place today between the KLA and Serb forces in Drenice (northwest of Prishtine,) and in the strategic village of Likovc, in Makermal, Polluzhe, etc. Likoc and its nearby zone, according to sources of the Human Rights Council in Skenderaj, has been hit by Serb forces today at about 7 a.m.
Dangerous developments are noticed today in the outskirts of Podujeve (northeast of Kosove) with rounds of bullets and blasts heard since early in the morning in the direction of village Llapashtice, while the road leading to Podujeve was blocked by Serb forces.
Yugoslav forces stopped on the road today the professor Hasan Potra and gave him the ultimatum that today until 2 p.m. he had to gather the parties of villages Llapashtice and Obrance under the Serb command, warning him that if he did not do what was told the villages would be attacked. In the mean time Albanian civil population are fleeing these regions. /pas/xh/
------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

U.N. ready to demand end to Kosovo fighting

Copyright © 1998 Nando.net
Copyright © 1998 Reuters News Service

UNITED NATIONS (September 23, 1998 2:25 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) -
The U.N. Security Council was set to adopt a resolution on Wednesday demanding an immediate ceasefire and negotiations in Kosovo, Serbia's heavily ethnic Albanian province.
A crackdown in the province against separatists has claimed hundreds of lives and made 250,000 flee their homes.
Council members said after closed-door consultations that adoption of the resolution was certain at a meeting later on Wednesday.
Several said China was likely to abstain, as it did when the council on March 31 imposed an arms embargo on Yugoslavia -- now comprising only Serbia and Montenegro -- to try to force a settlement of the Kosovo crisis.
The new resolution, aimed at Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, invokes the mandatory provisions of Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter. It says if the resolution is not carried out, the council would "consider further action and additional measures to maintain or restore peace and stability in the region."
NATO has been making contingency plans for possible intervention in Kosovo, and the United States regards the resolution as a step toward permitting use of force.
But almost all other council members insist a further decision would have to be taken before that could happen.
The council has been worrying over the Kosovo crisis for months but Russia, Serbia's traditional ally, prevented decisive action.
But with the onset of winter and an estimated 50,000 refugees living in the open, Russia said on Tuesday it would support the resolution.
In addition to a ceasefire and the immediate start of negotiations, the resolution demands that both the Yugoslav and Kosovo Albanian leadership take immediate steps to "avert the impending humanitarian catastrophe."
The resolution demands that Yugoslavia cease all action by the security forces affecting the civilian population and order the withdrawal of "security units used for civilian repression."
In a knock at the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), whose guerrillas are spearheading the separatist drive, the resolution insists that the "Kosovo Albanian leadership condemns all terrorist action" and renounce violence.
It demands that Yugoslavia provide access and full freedom of movement for international monitors. It also calls on the Yugoslav authorities and Kosovo Albanian community to cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, which up to now has been concerned mainly with atrocities during the war in Bosnia and Croatia.

By ANTHONY GOODMAN, Reuters

West and Russia Reach Accord on Kosovo Actions
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/world/092398un-assembly.html

Related Article
U.S. Envoy Pays Visit to Refugees in Kosovo
Issue in Depth: Conflict in Kosovo

Forum
Join a Discussion on The Conflict in Kosovo

By BARBARA CROSSETTE

UNITED NATIONS -- Western diplomats said Tuesday night that they had reached agreement with Russia on a Security Council resolution that could be interpreted as allowing the use of force to stop the fighting in the Serbian province of Kosovo.
     The agreement came within hours of a speech to the General Assembly by the new Russian Foreign Minister, Igor S. Ivanov. Mr. Ivanov appeared to rule out Russian support for military action in Kosovo, where Serbian forces are waging an increasingly deadly campaign against ethnic Albanian separatists.
     Western nations, fearing a Russian veto in the Council, worked hard in the last few days to persuade the Russians to back the resolution, more as a warning to the Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, than as a prelude to attack.
     Mr. Milosevic has broken understandings with the Russians, making their task more difficult in dealing with this issue.
     Western nations hope the resolution, proposed by Britain and France, will be adopted on Wednesday. It restates demands that Moscow has made on the Serbs, including warnings that they have to allow European Union observers into Kosovo, guarantee access for relief agencies and provide for the safe return of refugees.
     The main thrust of the resolution, however, is its demands that the Serbs and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo cease hostilities immediately and begin a serious dialogue. The resolution also calls for an end to Serbian attacks on the civilian population. The demands made in the resolution are supported by its status as a Chapter 7 resolution, which under the United Nations Charter makes it militarily enforceable.
     The resolution is part of a two-pronged campaign being mounted this week by Washington, which has taken the position that it does not need Security Council backing for military action in Kosovo. The North Atlantic Council, NATO's decision-making arm, has been asked to begin contingency planning for action in Kosovo. That planning includes the lining up of pledges of military support.
     An American official took pains today to describe this NATO action as a last step in planning, not a first step to war.
     Administration officials are also insistent that present plans are a very long way away from any introduction of American ground troops.
     In his speech today Mr. Ivanov also warned against the use of military force in Iraq and raised the possibility that Russia would argue in the coming months that Iraq was no longer a threat to its neighbors and therefore deserved some relief from sanctions.
     Mr. Ivanov is a former deputy to Yevgeny M. Primakov, the new Russian Prime Minister, who some Western diplomats expect to take a consistently harder line on foreign policy issues of importance to Moscow.
     Mr. Primakov, a former Foreign Minister, has had a long relationship with Iraq, and the Russians consider themselves indispensable players there and go-betweens with Iraq's enemies.
     On the former Yugoslavia, Russians have long been opposed to the intrusion of NATO, which is now threatening to intervene in Kosovo.
     In his speech to the 53d session of the United Nations General Assembly today Mr. Ivanov spoke out generally against military solutions and seemed to be indirectly criticizing the United States for usurping the power of the United Nations.
     "What I have in mind are attempts to undercut the charter-stipulated powers of the Security Council to use coercive measures," he said. "We must not allow creation of a precedent involving the use of military power in a crisis without the support of the Security Council."
     Narrowing in on Kosovo, Mr. Ivanov said that "political logic must prevail" in solving the civil conflict.
     In his speech, he went out of his way to praise regional organizations that he said were useful in solving problems, mentioning the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, but conspicuously leaving out NATO.
     Turning to Iraq, Mr. Ivanov said Russia was concerned about rising tensions in the region, where Iran and Afghanistan are now armed against each other over a common border. He called for a new look at the embargo that has crippled Iraq since its invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
     Mr. Ivanov also made a strong plea to India and Pakistan, without mentioning them by name, to adhere to treaties banning the testing and spread of nuclear weapons and arms technology.
     He repeated Mr. Primakov's pledge to press the lower house of the Russian Parliament for ratification of the Start II arms treaty with the United States.

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to self-determination for the people of Kosova, and for other purposes. (Introduced in the House)

HCON 313 IH

105th CONGRESS
2d Session

H. CON. RES. 313

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to self-determination for the people of Kosova, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 30, 1998

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Mr. KING, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, and Mrs. KELLY)
submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations
------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to self-determination for the people of Kosova, and for other purposes.

Whereas under the United Nations Charter, friendly relations among nations are based on the principles of equal rights and self-determination of peoples;

Whereas under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the United States and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are parties, all peoples have the right of self-determination;

Whereas equal rights and self-determination of peoples are among the Principles Guiding Relations Between Participating States enshrined in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, to which the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a party;

Whereas the Helsinki Final Act states that `all peoples have the right, in full freedom, to determine, when and as they wish, their internal and external political status, without external interference, and to pursue as they wish their political, economic, social, and cultural development';

Whereas the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was founded upon the right of every nationality to self-determination, including the right to secede;

Whereas in the Constitution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, adopted in 1946, and the amended Yugoslav Constitution, adopted in 1974, Kosova was described as one of the 8 constituent territorial units of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

Whereas until 1989 Kosova had a representative on the Yugoslav Federal Presidency, a constitutional entity consisting of members from each of the constituent territorial units of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

Whereas several former constituent territorial units of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, have exercised their rights to become independent, and Montenegro retains the right to do so in the future;

Whereas the borders of Yugoslavia were altered in the 1990's when Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia became independent;

Whereas the United States and the international community do not recognize the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as the successor state to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia;

Whereas the political rights of the people of Kosova were curtailed on March 23, 1989, when the Government of Yugoslavia revoked the autonomous status of Kosova by amending the Yugoslav Constitution without the consent of Kosova, as was constitutionally required, and by other unconstitutional actions including further amendments to the Yugoslav Constitution obtained by unconstitutional means;

Whereas in September 1990, in a referendum on the question of independence for Kosova, 87 percent of those eligible to participate voted and 99 percent of those who voted supported independence for Kosova;

Whereas throughout the 1990's, the people of Kosova have peacefully operated a shadow government separate from the Serbian and Yugoslav authorities, and that shadow government has governed the majority of the population of Kosova;

Whereas since 1989 the majority of the population of Kosova, 92 percent of whom are ethnically Albanian, has been subject to official discrimination including the removal of ethnic Albanian students from public schools and the University of Pristina and the firing of more than 100,000 ethnic Albanians from the civil service and police;

Whereas since 1989 the people of Kosova have been subject to egregious human rights abuses, and according to the Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997, the most widespread and worst abuses in Serbia and Montenegro were committed by the police against the ethnic Albanian population of Kosova;

Whereas on July 17, 1998, the Senate passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 105 declaring that it is the sense of the Congress that `the United States should publicly declare that it considers that there is reason to believe that Slobodan Milosevic, President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), has committed war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide'; and

Whereas the United States has opened an office of the United States Information Service in Pristina, the capital of Kosova: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that--

(1) by illegally revoking of the autonomy of Kosova in 1989 and undertaking other unconstitutional actions, by subsequently promoting official policies of harsh discrimination against the majority ethnic Albanians in Kosova, and by flagrantly violating the human rights of the people of Kosova, Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, especially as ruled by Slobodan Milosevic, have forfeited the legitimate right to govern or to determine political status of the territory of Kosova;

(2) the United States should support the right of self-determination for the people of Kosova;

(3) the United States should support any resolution of the question of the status of Kosova, including independence, if such resolution is arrived at by means of legitimate acts of self-determination, including a free and fair referendum in Kosova;

(4) the United States should support the same right of self-determination for Kosova that the international community has recognized for the other former constituent territorial units of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, some of which have become independent;

(5) the United States should encourage other countries, especially members of the Contact Group of Nations for the Former Yugoslavia, to support the right of self-determination for the people of Kosova; and

(6) the United States should support such representation of Kosova in international institutions as is consistent with the exercise of the legitimate right of self-determination by the people of Kosova.

	Wolfgang Plarre		Homepage  Inhaltsverzeichnis - Contents  Seite erstellt am 21.9.1998   Mail   senden
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