Die Bibel sagt  -  The Bible says
 

additional press news

Betreff:         [ALBANEWS] NEWS: 09-25.
Datum:         Fri, 25 Sep 1998 09:30:21 -0400
    Von:         Sokol Rama <sokolrama@sprynet.com>

Taken without permission, for fair use only.

                    KOSOVA
            ----September 24-----
NATO Sets Milosevic A Virtual Ultimatum
NATO Prepares Yugoslavia Attacks
Russian Official Leery on NATO Use
Germany Calls For Ultimatum To Milosevic
            ----September 25---
Yugo Chief Defiant on NATO Threats
Milosevic: Nato threat 'encourages' separatists
NATO Prepares Yugoslavia Attacks
Gunman wounds Kosovo Albanian leader's ally
UNHCR chief on mercy mission for Kosovo

                      TIRANA
              ----September 24-----
Albania hopes UN resolution will end Kosovo war
Albania PM Seeks Party Support, Details Plan
              ----September 25-----
Albanian PM promises law and order
__________________________________________________

Thursday September 24 4:03 PM EDT
NATO Sets Milosevic A Virtual Ultimatum
By Richard Waddington

VILAMOURA, Portugal (Reuters) - NATO issued Thursday what it said was a virtual ultimatum to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to stop the violence in Kosovo or face air strikes.
     Although only Germany went on record as saying a formal deadline should be set, Alliance defense ministers agreed Milosevic must quickly obey a United Nations' order to halt the crackdown on ethnic Albanians in the Serbian province or take the consequences.
     "Nobody has fixed a time, but time is of the essence," Defense Secretary William Cohen told journalists.
     Stressing that the credibility of NATO was on the line over Kosovo, Cohen said that the Alliance could decide to set such an ultimatum within a short period of time if the Yugoslav leader flouted the U.N. order.
     A meeting of defense ministers from the 16-nation alliance in this southern Portuguese resort formally set in motion plans for possible air attacks against Serbian and Yugoslav targets by asking members to ready their forces, bases and ships.
     That move followed Wednesday's toughly-worded resolution by the U.N. Security Council demanding that Milosevic stop his repressive actions against the ethnic Albanians, seek a political solution to the crisis, and immediately move to help the thousands of displaced.
     The mandatory U.N. resolution warns of unspecified "further measures" if the Yugoslav president does not comply.
     Albania said Thursday it hoped the U.N. Security Council resolution and negotiations in the neighboring Yugoslav province of Kosovo would end the conflict there.
     Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo thanked the Security Council for passing the resolution Wednesday.
     "We hope this document will bring about a cease-fire, stop the military and police violence in Kosovo and pave the way for a political solution of the conflict which has caused Albanians so much suffering and deprivation," Milo said in a statement.
     German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe said that Milosevic, whose drive against Kosovo separatists has forced hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians to flee their homes, should be given little more than a week to abide by the U.N. Security Council resolution.
     "We must move quickly to an ultimatum in the next 10 days or less...we must do something for the people on the ground and not just issue one more resolution after another," he told a news conference.
     While refusing to be drawn on deadlines, NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said the U.N. decision and the Alliance's plans together effectively amounted to an ultimatum.
     "The U.N. resolution could not be clearer. Our decision could not be clearer. If you want to define what an ultimatum is, then it would not be much different from this," he told journalists.
     But despite all the fighting talk, it was clear that NATO is divided on whether the Security Council order, which was approved 14-0, with only China abstaining, amounted to an international mandate to use force.
     Russia, which voted for the resolution despite previous refusals to back threats against its fellow Slavs in Yugoslavia, firmly denies that it does.
     Cohen admitted that there was still debate within the Alliance.
     "We believe that no mandate is required from the Security Council...but whether other countries share that (belief) at this point has not been resolved," he said.
     In Belgrade, Serbian political leaders remained publicly defiant, insisting that security forces would not be withdrawn from Kosovo.
     "We are not underestimating NATO's might but we have no other choice but to defend ourselves," deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj told a news conference held by his ultranationalist Radical Party (SRS).
     NATO threatened earlier this year to use force to stop attacks on civilians by security forces, but took no action.
     With the threat effectively shelved over the past three months, Milosevic pressed on with a major offensive, scattering thousands of people and burning villages as his troops battled separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas.
     Over 700 people have been killed and 280,000 driven from their homes in the past seven months. Some 50,000 are now living in the open with little food or shelter.
     Diplomats said the United States had warned some European allies that if they again hesitated to follow through on a threat to Belgrade, stalling the political pressure, Congress might demand that the Kosovo problem be dumped in Europe's lap.
     NATO has called repeatedly for a political settlement in Kosovo which would give its 1.6 million ethnic Albanian people a large degree of self-determination, although not the independence the KLA is fighting for and which most want.
     Ruehe quoted a "bitter" Solana as telling the defense ministers how the Serbs were mocking NATO inaction as their forces burned village after village in Kosovo. Solana had quoted one Serb diplomat as joking: "A village a day keeps NATO away.."
__________________________________________________

Thursday September 24 3:11 PM EDT
NATO Prepares Yugoslavia Attacks
JEFFREY ULBRICH Associated Press Writer

VILAMOURA, Portugal (AP) - NATO instructed its generals Thursday to begin preparing for air strikes on Yugoslavia unless President Slobodan Milosevic ends his attacks on ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
     The big question now: Will the tough Yugoslav president be intimidated?
     The difference between this action and previous NATO tough talk is the tone and the timing, NATO officials asserted. A tough U.N. resolution Wednesday, combined with NATO's "activation warning" Thursday of phased air strikes and cruise missile attacks takes the 16-nation alliance to the brink of shooting.
     "Today, NATO sent a clear message to President Milosevic that it is time to stop the killing and destruction in Kosovo," said U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen after a meeting of allied defense ministers. "Our patience is running out."
     NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said the activation warning from the North Atlantic Council, NATO's top policy-making body, takes NATO "to an increased level of military preparedness."
     But he added, "Let me stress that the use of force will require further decisions" by NATO governments.
     Milosevic's massive attacks on ethnic Albanian villages in Kosovo have continued unabated since February, despite previous NATO threats. His seven-month crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists fighting for independence in Kosovo has claimed hundreds of lives and forced as many as 275,000 people from their homes.
     Previous threats of military action have failed to persuade Milosevic to mend his ways, and the latest saber-rattling from the alliance did not appear to have slowed his onslaught on Kosovo, a province of Serbia where ethnic Albanians make up 90 percent of the population.
     If the political decision is made to launch a NATO military action against Yugoslavia, it would be a phased campaign, gradually increasing in intensity.
     "The targets would be military targets," said Walter B. Slocombe, U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy. "Very, very effective and very, very strong blows would be aimed at the very instruments that Milosevic is using to carry out this repression."
     Asked if he thought NATO could bomb Milosevic into submission, Gen. Henry Shelton, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: "I believe that we have a wide range of options available to us, the end result of which will be that Milosevic will comply with the demands made of him by NATO."
     "Certainly we will start with the lighter of the options to give him a chance to respond," he added. "But it might not end with the light option."
     Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme allied commander in Europe, said it would take "just a very few days" to line up the necessary forces to begin a military operation. He has already surveyed what he will need; now, under the "activation warning," he will be asking for specific commitments.
     A number of countries indicated at Thursday's ministerial meeting they would participate, according to Slocombe. None said they would not.
     Clark noted that Milosevic is moving fast to complete the destruction of ethnic Albanian villages before winter sets in.
     "Belgrade is clearly conducting a war against its own people," said German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe. "Pictures of people camping out in the open ... are in themselves an ultimatum" to Milosevic.
     The NATO defense ministers made clear their call for a cessation of hostilities goes out to both sides. "All of the blame for this war does not entirely rest with the Serbian side," Slocombe said.
     NATO has no military assets of its own except for some communications hardware and airborne warning and control aircraft. But it has access to a wide array of equipment from the national armies of all its members except Iceland, which has no military force.
     The three candidate members, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, who will be welcomed into the NATO fold next April, have also said they are prepared to participate in the Kosovo operation.
__________________________________________________

Thursday September 24 2:36 PM EDT
Russian Official Leery on NATO Use
ROBERT BURNS Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Russia strongly opposes any foreign military intervention in Kosovo, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said Thursday after meeting with President Clinton.
     "In the view of Russia, it is only through a political solution that you can accomplish stability and peace in the Balkans," Ivanov told reporters after his White House meeting with Clinton and a separate session with National Security Adviser Sandy Berger and Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott.
     "Any power action can only lead to unpredictable consequences," the newly appointed foreign minister said, "and this is something that cannot be allowed to happen."
     In his remarks to reporters, Ivanov did not directly mention NATO's announcement earlier Thursday that it began preparing detailed plans for air strikes and cruise missile attacks in Yugoslavia to force President Slobodan Milosevic to end his offensive against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. The Russian foreign minister made it clear, however, that Moscow opposes military action.
     "I have in mind any type of interference," Ivanov said. "Power solutions, irrespective of where it comes from, cannot bring about the resolution of the Kosovo problem. What we're talking about is, indeed, a long-term settlement which would make it possible for the people of Yugoslavia to live in peace."
     Ivanov said Moscow was pleased by the Kosovo resolution passed Wednesday by the U.N. Security Council. The resolution, approved 14-0 with China abstaining, demanded a cease-fire in Kosovo and threatened further action if fighting continues.
     The resolution does not explicitly authorize NATO intervention to stop the Serb offensive on ethnic Albanian separatists.
     In a statement Wednesday evening after the Security Council vote, Clinton said the international community made "absolutely clear" that Milosevic must stop the violence and negotiate with the Kosovo Albanian separatists.
     "The United States and its allies are moving NATO activities from the planning stage to readiness to act," Clinton said. "With more than 250,000 Kosovars displaced from their homes and cold weather coming, Milosevic must act immediately to heed the will of the international community."
     At a NATO meeting in Portugal on Thursday, U.S. Defense Undersecretary Walter B. Slocombe told reporters "the international community has run out of patience. ... We expect any air campaign would be a phased campaign, the targets would be military targets."
     In his remarks after meeting with Clinton, the Russian foreign minister said Washington and Moscow see eye to eye on at least one aspect: maintaining cooperation among the six countries comprising the contact group on the former Yugoslavia - the United States, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and Italy.
     "What is very important now is to maintain unity in the contact group," Ivanov said, "so that through joint efforts a political settlement can be brought about, so that a situation can be prevented where developments would get out of control and lead to a new and dangerous conflict in the Balkans."
     "Both Russia and the United States share this position," he added.
     In a separate development, Clinton administration officials said they were not concerned by a Washington Times report of renewed activity at a Russian nuclear test range. White House press secretary Mike McCurry said the test was "consistent with" the experimentation that Russian officials said in July they would be conducting at the site. McCurry said the test was "sub-critical" and therefore not a nuclear explosion.
__________________________________________________

Thursday September 24 12:48 PM EDT
Germany Calls For Ultimatum To Milosevic
By Douglas Hamilton

VILAMOURA, Portugal (Reuters) - Germany Thursday urged NATO to give Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic a one-week ultimatum to stop the violence in Kosovo or face air strikes.
     Diplomatic sources said the call reflected a sense of urgency shared within the Alliance that a rapid and convincing follow-up move was imperative to maintain the momentum of a renewed international drive to solve the crisis.
     But it was not clear if there would be quick agreement by all 16 allies on a fixed deadline.
     Talk of setting an ultimatum surfaced behind the scenes at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Portgual, immediately after the Western alliance formally told its members to offer aircraft for possible strikes, the sources said.
     That move followed Wednesday's resolution by the United Nations Security Council demanding that Milosevic stop his repressive actions against Kosovo's ethnic Albanian population, seek a political solution to the crisis, and immediately move to help the thousands of displaced.
     NATO Thursday had reinforced the mandatory U.N. resolution -- which warns of unspecified "further measures" if Milosevic does not comply -- with an order to allies to ready their air forces, bases and ships for possible military intervention.
     But no decision to use force was taken and no deadline set.
     "The North Atlantic Council approved the issuing of an activation warning for both a limited air option and a phased air campaign in Kosovo," NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said in a statement.
     NATO commanders would now identify the assets, including bases, aircraft and ships, required for strikes that could begin with a warning salvo of cruise missiles and move up if necessary to bombing waves using an armada of planes.
     "Let me stress that the use of force will require further decisions by the North Atlantic Council," Solana said.
     Only German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe made the call for an ultimatum in public.
     "We must move quickly to an ultimatum in the next 10 days or less...we must do something for the people on the ground and not just issue one more resolution after another," he told a news conference.
     If Milosevic failed to comply, the allies must strike, preferably with a United Nations mandate but without it if need be, Ruehe said. The U.S. shares the view that a U.N. mandate is "desirable but not essential," he pointed out.
     NATO's credibility was on the line as never before, he stressed, and the price of failing the test would reverberate much further afield than Kosovo.
     Russia, which voted for Wednesday's U.N. resolution despite previous refusal to back threats against its fellow Slavs in Yugoslavia, could not be used as a pretext for NATO inaction, even if it refused to condone a military strike, he added.
     NATO threatened earlier this year to use force to stop attacks on civilians by security forces, but took no action.
     With the threat effectively shelved over the past three months, Milosevic pressed on with a major offensive, scattering thousands of people and burning villages as his troops battled separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) guerrillas.
     Over 700 people have been killed and 280,000 driven from their homes in the past seven months. Some 50,000 are now living in the open with little food or shelter.
     Diplomatic sources said allies in favor of moving quickly to setting a deadline for a cruise missile strike, which could be followed by bombing, warned that NATO could not afford to squander the momentum that has built up over the past 24 hours.
     "They are saying that a deadline ought to be set for compliance with the demands of (Wednesday's) United Nations resolution by the end of this month," said one diplomat.
     The United States, without mentioning dates, said the alliance must be ready to consider issuing an ultimatum. Under- secretary of Defense Walter Slocombe noted that snow had already fallen in Kosovo, foreshadowing the "humanitarian catastrophe" the West now fears.
     Diplomats said the United States had warned some European allies that if they again hesitated to follow through on a threat to Belgrade, stalling the political pressure, Congress might demand that the Kosovo problem be dumped in Europe's lap.
     A NATO official told reporters that no specific deadline or ultimatum date had actually been discussed in the closed door ministerial talks, but he said it was "something the (NATO) Council will be considering."
     "Given the imminent arrival of winter we have to settle this now," he told reporters.
     NATO has called repeatedly for a political settlement in Kosovo which would give its 1.6 million ethnic Albanian people a large degree of self-determination, although not the independence the KLA is fighting for and which most want.
     Ruehe quoted a "bitter" Solana as telling the defense ministers how the Serbs were mocking NATO inaction as their forces burned village after village in Kosovo. Solana had quoted one Serb diplomat as joking: "A village a day keeps NATO away."
__________________________________________________

September 25, 1998
Yugo Chief Defiant on NATO Threats
Filed at 6:43 a.m. EDT
By The Associated Press

PRISTINA, Yugoslavia (AP) -- A defiant Slobodan Milosevic says NATO threats "only feed the illusions" of Kosovo's Albanian rebels, who appear powerless to stop a Serb onslaught that has sent thousands more desperate civilians fleeing their homes.
     Backed by a tough U.N. resolution, NATO instructed its generals Thursday to prepare for air strikes unless Milosevic, the Yugoslav president, halts attacks against the remnants of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
     But there was little sign that the international warnings will deter the government from its campaign to destroy the KLA, which is fighting for independence from Serbia, the dominant republic of Yugoslavia.
     During a meeting Thursday with the chief U.N. refugee official Sadako Ogata, Milosevic said that "pressures on Yugoslavia ... do not contribute to solving the problems."
     The government's Tanjug news agency quoted Milosevic as saying international threats "only feed the illusions of terrorist and separatist forces."
     In Pristina, a close aide of ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova was shot and seriously wounded Thursday night. Sabri Hamiti, 50, was attacked in front of his house in a suburb of Pristina, the provincial capital, sources close to Rugova said today.
     Two bullets lodged just above Hamiti's heart and one broke his arm. He was taken to a Pristina hospital.
     "This was an attack on Kosovo institutions and prominent public figures, not only in Kosovo, but in the whole region," a shaken Rugova said today.
     He said the attack "only further destabilizes the situation in Kosovo and the whole region."
     To reinforce Milosevic's message, the ruling Socialist Party, in a meeting chaired by him, blamed "Albanian separatism and terrorism" for the crisis and declared that "rooting out terrorism" is Yugoslavia's top national priority.
     Serb security forces, backed by armed Serb civilians, have formed a ring around the province's central region of Drenica. On the roads and trails that wind out of the region, about 12 miles west of the provincial capital, Pristina, Serbs with black ski masks and machine guns wait in ambush for guerrillas flushed out by tank and artillery fire.
     "We can't stop the Serbs," said a 23-year-old guerrilla, who refused to give his real name for fear of reprisal against his parents who live in a Serb-controlled area.
     Four months ago, he left his factory job in Germany to fight for Kosovo independence. "Really, I want to go back to Germany," he said, displaying a shrapnel wound in his back. "We can't leave. We can only live if we win or if NATO threatens Milosevic to stop."
     A U.N. spokesman, Fernando del Mundo, estimated about 15,000 refugees are fleeing the fighting in the Drenica area. But del Mundo said an accurate count was impossible because police refused to grant them access to the area.
     Albanian sources said Serb forces Thursday burned four villages on the eastern side of Cicavica mountain and took control of eight others on the southeastern slope near Obilic, about 12 miles northwest of Pristina.
     The Serbian Media Center said police had "closed the ring around strong groups of Albanian extremists," destroying their bases in 15 villages in the region.
     Milosevic launched the crackdown Feb. 28 to destroy the KLA. Albanians form 90 percent of Kosovo's 2 million people.
-------------

BBC09/25
Milosevic: Nato threat 'encourages' separatists

The Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, says Nato threats to use force to end the Serb military offensive in the province of Kosovo will only encourage ethnic Albanian separatists.
     The state news agency Tanjug quoted Mr Milosevic as saying international threats "only feed the illusions of terrorist and separatist forces in their efforts to break away Kosovo from Serbia and Yugoslavia".
     The Serb offensive, which has created hundreds of thousands of refugees, is reported to be continuing.
     Mr Milosevic was responding to a statement by Nato defence ministers on Thursday warning him that he may face military action unless he stops the campaign.
     Nato Secretary-General Javier Solana said: "The North Atlantic Council has approved the issuing of an activation warning for both a limited air option and a phased air campaign in Kosovo."
     The use of force will require further discussions by the North Atlantic Council but Mr Solana said the first step was an important signal of intent to Serbia.
     On Wednesday, the UN adopted a strong resolution calling on Serbia to halt its offensive against ethnic Albanians and to start negotiating with them.
     "The Security Council resolution and the resolution that was taken by Nato together mark an approach of the international community as a whole in order to change the situation on Kosovo," Mr Solana said in a BBC interview.
     Serb forces were reported to be continuing their offensive against the last villages controlled by ethnic Albanian separatists in the northern region of Drenica.
     Backed by armed Serb civilians, the forces have formed a ring around Drenica.
     Serb police are reported to have split the Kosovo Liberation Army forces in two by taking control of a main road passing through the group's last stronghold.
     The Western alliance has repeatedly called for a political settlement in Kosovo which would give its 1.6 million ethnic Albanian people a large degree of self-determination but not the independence most want.
     President Milosevic insists that his forces have a right to tackle secessionist insurgency from the Kosovo Liberation Army within Serbia's borders.
     But Western powers say he has used excessive force, deliberately destroying ethnic Albanian villages and creating a humanitarian emergency for 275,000 people.
__________________________________________________

September 25, 1998
NATO Prepares Yugoslavia Attacks
Filed at 9:09 a.m. EDT
By The Associated Press

VILAMOURA, Portugal (AP) -- The NATO allies are raising the stakes in their standoff with Slobodan Milosevic, promising air strikes and cruise missile attacks unless the Yugoslav leader ends his crackdown in Kosovo -- and ends it quickly.
     "It is time to stop the killing and destruction in Kosovo," said Defense Secretary William Cohen. "Our patience is running out."
     Cohen and his NATO counterparts agreed Thursday to begin assembling their firepower to strike against targets in Yugoslavia, though set no specific date for an attack.
     In the days ahead, each of the 16 NATO allies will say if and how they can contribute to an allied air campaign against Milosevic that will seek to check his brutal onslaught against ethnic Albanian rebels in the province of Kosovo.
     If the political decision is made to launch a military action against Yugoslavia, it would be a phased campaign, gradually increasing in intensity.
     "The targets would be military targets," said Walter B. Slocombe, undersecretary of defense for policy. "Very, very effective and very, very strong blows would be aimed at the very instruments that Milosevic is using to carry out this repression."
     If Milosevic does not back down by agreeing to a cease-fire and seeking a negotiated solution, the military campaign would be stepped up -- though officials won't say how far they will go.
     Flouting months of international warnings, Milosevic's forces have killed hundreds of separatists and civilians and prompted a humanitarian crisis that is bound to worsen as winter sets in.
     The U.N. Security Council issued a warning to Milosevic on Wednesday, though it did not specifically authorize NATO action. However, the resolution opened the way for international approval of NATO involvement.
     Still up in the air, however, is whether the U.N. resolution is a sufficient mandate to launch military action or if further U.N. action is required.
     The United States believes nothing more is necessary, but a number of the allies, including the French, have problems with the U.S. position.
     Today, French Defense Minister Alain Richard refused to commit himself on whether more specific U.N. approval was needed. "It is a serious decision," he said. "It would be irresponsible to say what the next step is going to be."
     Tackling rogue leaders like Milosevic -- to prevent them from destabilizing their neighbors in fragile areas -- illustrates the sort of action the NATO alliance is preparing for in its post-Cold War strategy.
     The standoff with Milosevic is of particular interest to NATO's three candidate members -- Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic -- who will be welcomed into the NATO fold next April.
     Fighting in the Balkans has threatened to trigger wider instability in Eastern Europe.
     Participating fully in a NATO meeting for the first time, the three said they are prepared to take part in the Kosovo operation.
__________________________________________________

Gunman wounds Kosovo Albanian leader's ally
04:54 a.m. Sep 25, 1998 Eastern

PRISTINA, Serbia, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Kosovo Albanian writer and politician Sabri Hamiti was seriously wounded by an unidentifed gunman outside his Pristina home, ethnic Albanian sources said on Friday.
     The sources said Hamiti, an ally of moderate Kosovo leader Ibrahim Rugova, was hit by three bullets, two close to his heart, late on Thursday.
     Hospital authorities refused to give details of his injuries but said they were not life threatening.
     Hamiti sits on the general council of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), the largest ethnic Albanian political party, is a member of the self-styled Kosovo Albanian Parliament, and is president of the Kosovo chapter of the writers' association PEN.
     Western diplomats in Pristina told Reuters the shooting could be a warning to Rugova himself.
     Rugova has been at odds with political hardliners among Kosovo Albanians who say his non-violent campaign for the independence of the southern Serbian province has not worked.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
__________________________________________________

UNHCR chief on mercy mission for Kosovo

The Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, has dismissed warnings of an imminent humanitarian disaster in Kosovo because of the fighting there.
     He said the warnings were part of a campaign against his country.
     The Yugoslav newsagency said Mr Milosevic made his comments during a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, who's visiting the country to assess the plight of of more than two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand ethnic Albanians displaced by the fighting.
     The meeting comes a day after the UN called on Mr Milosevic to halt his military offensive against Kosovar separatists and to start talks with them. Diplomats said renewed fighting in the west of the province this week and the deliberate burning of homes by Serbian forces has further exacerbated the refugee problem

>From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
________________

Albania hopes UN resolution will end Kosovo war
02:00 p.m Sep 24, 1998 Eastern

TIRANA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Albania said on Thursday it hoped a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire and negotiations in the neighbouring Yugoslav province of Kosovo would end the conflict there.
     Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo thanked the security council for passing the resolution on Wednesday.
     "We hope this document will bring about a ceasefire, stop the military and police violence in Kosovo and pave the way for a political solution of the conflict which has caused Albanians so much suffering and deprivation," Milo said in a statement.
     The resolution, which targets Yugoslav federal President Slobodan Milosevic, allows for possible punitive measures in the event of non-compliance.
     Milo said Albania was pleased that the security council was addressing the status of Kosovo.
     "We would like to believe the nature of an improved status will have a concrete definition, which would come out of a process of negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina," Milo said.
     NATO has been making contingency plans for possible intervention in Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians make up 90 percent of the population, and Washington contends the council resolution edges closer towards permitting the use of force.
     Albania is host to about 15,000 ethnic Albanians from Kosovo who have fled the fighting between Serbian security forces and the separatist guerrillas of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
     Ahmet Krasniqi, the defence minister of the self-styled Kosovo government, was buried in Albania earlier on Thursday after being assassinated in the capital on Monday by masked gunmen.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
__________________________________________________

Thursday September 24 11:20 AM EDT
Albania PM Seeks Party Support, Details Plan
By Lesley Wroughton

TIRANA (Reuters) - Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, reeling from a brief opposition-led uprising last week, Thursday sought a vote of confidence from his party's leadership in him and his coalition government.
     Nano met senior members of his ruling Socialist Party in Tirana, saying he wanted to reaffirm their trust in his authority before releasing a three-month plan to strengthen governance in the chaotic, poor Balkan country.
     The plan targets law and order, economic stability, corruption and the constitution as a way of tackling chronic instability.
     "I want to reconfirm my mandate as prime minister and to continue the work with the partners of the coalition," he told reporters. "I am convinced that I have not lost the confidence and trust of the party.
     "This confidence vote is not personal. This situation will be overcome through strengthening governance and the necessary improvement in the government," he added.
     Nano's 14-month-old government barely escaped opposition violence last week when supporters of the Democratic Party, which is led by former President Sali Berisha, looted shops and burnt government buildings.
     The unrest flared after the murder of a senior Berisha aide, Azem Hajdari, on September 12. The opposition has blamed the government for his death.
     Nano said Berisha incited the violence and accused him of attempting a coup, a charge Berisha has rejected.
     Detailing his plan of action to restore political order, Nano said his government would continue their search for Hajdari's killers and create special investigation teams to root out opposition collaborators in the police.
     "We will cleanse the police of elements who became collaborators in the coup (attempt) and review the criteria and procedures for new recruits," he said.
     On the economy, Nano said the priority was macro-economic stability by maintaining control of the budget deficit and implementing a program to tackle smuggling and tax evasion.
     "We are aiming for a generally improved financial situation in the country and will not undertake any fiscal policy which does not guarantee respect for the budget deficit or which brings inflationary effects on the country," he said.
     Since Nano came to power, inflation has fallen steadily. The International Monetary Fund said in July Albania's 1998 growth target of 10 percent was in reach but crime would have to be addressed swiftly if the recovery was to be maintained.
     Nano said corruption, which he admitted had not been addressed effectively and had paralyzed state structures, would be dealt with through reforms in the judiciary, customs and taxation network.
     European organizations have publicly scolded Nano's government for dragging its heels on political and economic reforms, but said it did not justify violence by the opposition.
__________________________________________________

Friday, September 25, 1998 Published at 10:42 GMT 11:42 UK
Albanian PM promises law and order

The Albanian Prime Minister, Fatos Nano, has announced plans to restore law and order and combat corruption.
     He told members of his ruling Socialist party that the measures -- including a possible cabinet reshuffle -- will eliminate the consequences of last week's unrest, which was triggered by the murder of an opposition leader.
     The government has accused opposition leaders of fomenting unrest to seize power, and parliament voted to deprive them of immunity from prosecution.
     The Interior Ministry says it has arrested the leader of the opposition Monarchy Party Ekrem Spahia on suspicion of participation in an armed uprising.

>From the newsroom of the BBC World Service

Thursday September 24, 8:03 PM
Kosovars bury military chief in Albania
By Benet Koleka

TIRANA, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Ethnic Albanians from Serbia's Kosovo province on Thursday buried Ahmet Krasniqi, the military commander of their self-styled government who was shot dead by masked men in Albania on Monday.
     His coffin, draped in the Albanian national flag and wreaths, was carried shoulder-high by men in a blue uniform and black berets with the insignia of the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
     A military band accompanied the funeral procession through Tirana to the same suburban cemetery where Albanian politician Azem Hadjari was buried last week after opposition violence ignited by his murder on September 12.
     Krasniqi was shot dead in an alley close to his home.
     Earlier on Thursday his body lay in state at the Albanian army's central house where mourners paid tribute to him.
     Ibrahim Shala, a senior Kosovo Albanian official, said Krasniqi's vision of an independent Kosovo would live on.
     "The killing of Ahmet Krasniqi comes at a time when Kosovo and its army needed him most, when things started to move ahead. This is a big loss for us," he said.
     Later at the grave, Shala blamed Serb forces for Krasniqi's assassination and questioned the circumstances of his death.
     "It is unbelievable that when Ahmet Krasniqi was killed no gun was found -- neither on him nor on his bodyguards," he said.
     Krasniqi's daughter fainted at her father's grave during Shala's speech.
     Albanian newspapers have claimed that Krasniqi and his bodyguards were apparently disarmed by Albania's secret service the day before the assassination.
     The government has so far failed to react to the allegation and a spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
     Shala said an attempt on Krasniqi's life was made on June 22 on his way to Tirana from the northern Albanian region of Tropje where the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo (FARK), which Krasniqi headed, has bases.
     Albanian national guardsmen fired a gun salute before Krasniqi's coffin was lowered into the ground.
     On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council demanded an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end the Kosovo conflict.
     Albania has been drawn to the edge of the conflict on its northern border with Kosovo, where guerrillas have supply bases.
     Albania recognised Kosovo as a republic in 1991 and has allowed a representative "embassy" in Tirana.
     Albanian officials have denounced Serbian actions against Kosovo Albanian civilians and endorsed the idea of autonomy for the Albanian-majority province.
     But the Socialist government does not back outright independence for Kosovo and has not joined right-wing emigre Albanian groups in supporting the KLA for fear of isolation by Western powers, on whom Albania depends for aid in its struggle to overcome chronic economic and political turmoil.
     In fact, the government accused Kosovo Albanians of participating in an opposition-led coup attempt last week, sparked by the murder of a senior member of the Democrats, led by right-wing former President Sali Berisha.

HOLGER JENSEN: Time for U.S. to pay up

Copyright © 1998 Nando.net
Copyright © 1998 Scripps Howard

  The Web site of the United Nations.

(September 24, 1998 12:25 p.m. EDT http://www.nandotimes.com) -- Plagued by money woes and a strange paralysis in its Security Council, the 53d session of the United Nations General Assembly has set itself an ambitious agenda of 160 global problems ranging from brush-fire wars to the international economy.
     But few if any will be solved.
     Many will be aired in the general debate that allows heads of state to express their particular concerns. Monday, for example, President Clinton asked the 185-member assembly for an "international front to combat terrorism."
     Over the next two weeks, other presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers and ambassadors will address the stalled Middle East peace process, Balkan instability, African conflicts, the looming war between Iran and Afghanistan, the financial meltdowns in Asia, Russia and Latin America, the computer millennium bug, disarmament and trade rules for banana growers.
     As the world's sole remaining superpower, the United States should play a pivotal role in most of these issues. But it cannot.
     That's because the richest and most powerful member of the United Nations is also its biggest deadbeat; it owes more than $1.5 billion in unpaid dues. As a result, the United Nations is nearly broke and U.S. influence in the world body has sunk to the point where it risks losing its General Assembly voting rights.
     At his inaugural as the assembly's new president earlier this month, Uruguayan Foreign Minister Didier Opertti Badan, warned: "It must be said frankly that it will be possible to do little or very little if states do not fulfill their commitments to the organization."
     He did not name the United States but U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan has been more outspoken, telling Washington that failure to pay its bills was "offending friends and foes alike."
     Congress, seemingly unconcerned, has thrown up a host of roadblocks to the Clinton administration's repeated requests for release of the funds. First it demanded staff and budget cuts at the U.N., which Annan implemented last year. Then it demanded anti-abortion provisions that Clinton is sure to veto. Now it wants to change the dues structure and offset the arrears with our peacekeeping costs, meaning the U.N owes us money instead of the other way around.
     Sen. Jesse Helms, for one, says the military expense we incurred in confronting Iraq and supporting the Bosnia peacekeeping operations far surpass our U.N. dues, which he called "money we do not owe and should never pay."
     If that attitude prevails, the United States will soon be in violation of Article 19 of the U.N. Charter, which strips a country of its vote when its debt outstrips the amount past due for the preceding two years. As far back as March, chief U.N. financial officer Joseph Connor said the United States is "approaching that red line."
     Loss of General Assembly voting rights would put us in the company of 18 nations such as Burundi, the Congo, the Dominican Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Iraq, Liberia, Somalia, Togo and Vanuatu. It would not affect the U.S. seat on the U.N. Security Council, but that hardly affects the only body charged with safeguarding world peace.
     Lately, the Security Council has been remarkably passive on Iraq, Kosovo, Congo, Angola, Afghanistan and other trouble spots. A stinging resignation letter from, U.S. weapons inspector Scott Ritter said the council's failure to punish Iraq for violating the terms of its surrender in the Persian Gulf War would result in Saddam Hussein maintaining banned weapons of mass destruction.
     Without U.S. leadership, the Security Council appears rudderless and the broader General Assembly is reduced to commemorating such meaningless anniversaries as World Book and Copyright Day, International Tolerance Day, World Television Day and No-Tobacco Day. That's just a sample of 44 dates earmarked this year.
     As usual, Congress appears to be out of step with American voters. An opinion poll conducted by the United Nations Association indicates that 72 percent of Americans believe it is "very important" for the United States to remain part of the United Nations, and 73 percent say our government should pay its past dues.
     So what are our lawmakers waiting for? Do they really like being international pariahs?

HOLGER JENSEN is international editor of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. He can be reached at hjens@aol.com.

SOURCE: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

Commission Leaders Call on Clinton to Take Action to Stop the Killing of
Civilians in Kosovo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe today released a copy of a letter to President Clinton signed by Commission Chairman Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY), Co-Chairman Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), Ranking Members Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) calling for him to ``obtain NATO agreement to take action to stop those attacking and killing civilians in Kosovo and destroying their homes and livelihoods.''
     The letter follows a Commission hearing on the situation in Kosovo held September 17 where former Sen. Robert Dole and Assistant Secretary of State and Commissioner John Shattuck reported on their recent trip to the region.

    Full text follows:

    September 23, 1998

We write once again to urge that you obtain NATO agreement to take action to stop those attacking and killing civilians in Kosovo and destroying their homes and livelihoods.
     We commend you and Secretary of State Albright for requesting that Senator Bob Dole join Assistant Secretary of State John Shattuck in a fact-finding mission to Kosovo, both to investigate the reported atrocities and to assess the humanitarian crisis. On September 17, the Senator and Secretary appeared together before a hearing of the Helsinki Commission, and their testimonies about the situation on the ground in Kosovo were alarming. We and seemingly all the Members present concluded that war crimes and crimes against humanity are without question taking place regularly in Kosovo and that Slobodan Milosevic will only stop this carnage when confronted with NATO action, or the fact of concrete preparations for action.
     At the hearing, we noted that the use of armed force is not something to be taken lightly, and we are not easily convinced that such action is prudent. You know, Mr. President, of the need to weigh the risks and responsibilities that would arise from any NATO intervention in Kosovo. We believe strongly, however, that horrors like those reported by Secretary Shattuck and Senator Dole must be addressed when deciding whether or not to act. Bosnia taught us that delayed action costs lives. In the case of Kosovo, we are convinced that action must be taken soon in order to avert a more severe humanitarian crisis and catastrophe.
     Mr. President, we hope that we and the American people will hear from you soon on this important issue.

SOURCE: Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe

24 September 1998

TRANSCRIPT: PENTAGON SPOKESMAN'S REGULAR THURSDAY BRIEFING EXCERPTS

TEXT: SOLANA ANNOUNCES NATO ACTWARN DECISION SEPT. 24
TEXT: SOLANA STATEMENT TO PRESS AT NATO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL
------------

24 September 1998

TRANSCRIPT: PENTAGON SPOKESMAN'S REGULAR THURSDAY BRIEFING EXCERPTS
(Hurricane Georges, Kosovo/NATO, Bosnia/OSCE, Liberia, defense bill, THAAD test, defense budget, China) (3470)

Pentagon Deputy Spokesman Mike Doubleday briefed.
Following is the Pentagon transcript:
(begin transcript)

DoD News Briefing Thursday, September 24, 1998 -- 1:55 p.m. (EDT)
Captain Mike Doubleday, DASD PA

Captain Doubleday:  Good afternoon.
.....

Q: Has the United States designated forces that it would be willing to pony up in an operation in Kosovo?

A: I think what you're referring to here is the actions that have been taken regarding Kosovo. Let me, before I answer your specific question, let me go back and kind of review where we stand on this at this point.
     Most of you know that late yesterday the UN Security Council passed a resolution regarding Kosovo and this morning our time, but this afternoon in Europe, the NATO Defense Ministers meeting in Portugal authorized the NATO military authorities to issue an activation warning.
     This is an important step inasmuch as it moves from talking about this very complex and frustrating issue to actually taking steps to implement the military planning which NATO has been doing for some time. This has the effect of pulling the plans off the shelves and identifying the forces which would be required if those plans are implemented.
     To answer your specific question, we have not yet received what is called the force generation message from NATO military authorities, but we would anticipate that. What this has the effect of doing is providing to countries which may be participating in any military action regarding Kosovo, it gives them an opportunity to specify the forces that they would be willing to identify for use in these NATO military plans.
     I want to stress a couple more things. Number one, NATO has not made a decision at this point to use military force. And as Secretary General Solana made clear this morning, any kind of a decision to use military force would require another NAC decision before that could be done.

Q:  Are they scheduled to meet any time soon, do you know?  The NAC?

A: The NAC can meet at any time. They meet regularly, at least every week. By the way, I should point out just for the sake of clarity, the NAC can meet at the ambassadorial level which occurs on a recurring basis at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. What we had today was NATO Defense Ministers meeting to make the determination on this important step.

Q:  When is the response due from the United States?

A: As I say, we haven't received it, and I don't know that there is a specific time table that has been established at this point. But I think the actions, if you put the UN Security Council action of late yesterday together with the NATO action of today together, I think you can see that what they're looking for is some movement to address the problems that we have in Kosovo.
     The other thing I should point out is that we certainly still hope for, and I know that most of the other nations that have been working on this still hope for a diplomatic solution to this problem. But Milosevic at this point has not complied with any of the promises he's made before, so this action has been taken.

Q:  Are we looking to give them something before the weekend?

A: I can't predict for you a time table. I think that most of you know there was an informal process that occurred late in the summer where forces have been looked at before, but this is a more formal process and it requires a decision by the national command authorities to actually identify these forces to NATO for continued planning.

Q: I just want to clarify something in my own mind. We have the activation warning that's been approved, or the decision...

A:  To issue an activation warning.

Q: Is that synonymous with the force generation, or is force generation the next step?

A: Force generation is all a part of this, and that is to say an activation warning is the overall term that NATO applies to this stage of the process. This stage of the process is kind of the last stage of planning. It is not the first stage of action. But it will result in force generation.

Q: Right now this is aimed at airstrikes, but if they do have some sort of agreement on the ground, then it would possibly go to bring in ground forces. Would this whole process have to go over again?

A: I'm not sure that I can get into a lot of detail as to the process that would be required there. I think we've talked before about the fact that there is a plan that NATO has worked on in the event that there is a ceasefire and NATO is called upon to play some role in implementing that. But there also are a range of air options which have been looked at. This activation warning which was authorized to date is with the air side of this.
.....
--------------

24 September 1998

TEXT: SOLANA ANNOUNCES NATO ACTWARN DECISION SEPT. 24

(For limited air option and phased air campaign in Kosovo) (350)

Vilamoura, Portugal -- NATO Secretary General Javier Solana released a statement at the informal NATO defense ministerial in Portugal September 24 announcing the North Atlantic Council's approval of an ACTWARN decision for "both a limited air option and a phased air campaign in Kosovo."
     Solana said, "The ACTWARN will take NATO to an increased level of military preparedness. In particular, the ACTWARN will allow NATO commanders to identify the assets required for these NATO air operations."
     He stressed that "the use of force will require further decisions by the North Atlantic Council. But today's decision is an important political signal of NATO's readiness to use force, if it becomes necessary to do so."

Following is the text of Solana's statement:
(Begin text)

Press Statement
Vilamoura
24 Sept. 1998

Statement by the Secretary General following the ACTWARN decision

Just a few moments ago, the North Atlantic Council approved the issuing of an ACTWARN for both a limited air option and a phased air campaign in Kosovo.
     The ACTWARN will take NATO to an increased level of military preparedness. In particular, the ACTWARN will allow NATO commanders to identify the assets required for these NATO air operations.
     Let me stress that the use of force will require further decisions by the North Atlantic Council. But today's decision is an important political signal of NATO's readiness to use force, if it becomes necessary to do so.
     Finally, let me express the strong support of all Allies for firm Resolution that was adopted in New York last night by the UN Security Council. This Resolution makes it clear what President Milosevic must do: He must stop his repressive actions against the population; he must seek a political solution to the Kosovo crisis based on negotiations, as must the Kosovar Albanians; and he must take immediate steps to alleviate the humanitarian situation.
     The Resolution and today's decision by NATO underline the unity of the international community and our resolve to find a solution to the Kosovo crisis.
-----------

24 September 1998

TEXT: SOLANA STATEMENT TO PRESS AT NATO DEFENSE MINISTERIAL

(Discusses Balkans, Russia, NATO 50th Anniversary Sept. 24) (790)

Vilamoura, Portugal -- NATO Secretary General Javier Solana gave a statement to the press at the informal NATO defense ministerial September 24 in which he discussed the situation in Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania, NATO's defense relations with Russia, and the NATO 50th anniversary summit meeting.
     On Kosovo, Solana said, "the North Atlantic Council has today authorized the ACTWARN for both limited air options and a phased air campaign. The ACTWARN is an important political signal of NATO's readiness to use force if it becomes necessary to do so. I hope that President Milosevic will heed this message."
     Regarding the elections in Bosnia, he said that "whatever the final outcome, we must continue to press for a pluralist democracy in Bosnia."
     About Russia, he said, "At this time of uncertainty in Russia, our Permanent Joint Council and NATO-Russia cooperation are important poles of stability. It is all the more important to build on them now."

Following is the text of Solana's statement:
(Begin text)

Defense Ministers Meeting
Vilamoura
24 Sept. 1998
Statement to the Press by NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

We have just completed the first day of our informal meeting of Allied Defense Ministers. The Defense Ministers of the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland also took part -- another important step in integrating them fully into NATO's activities.
     Today we discussed three broad topics:
-- First, the situations in Kosovo, Bosnia and Albania;
-- Second, our defense relations with Russia;
-- Third, the Alliance's military and defense agenda as we prepare for our 50th anniversary Summit meeting next April in Washington.
     Let me say a word about each of these topics.
     First Kosovo. As I announced earlier this morning, the North Atlantic Council has today authorized the ACTWARN for both limited air options and a phased air campaign. The ACTWARN is an important political signal of NATO's readiness to use force if it becomes necessary to do so. I hope that President Milosevic will heed this message.
     Second, Bosnia. The election results have not yet been announced. But whatever the final outcome, we must continue to press for a pluralist democracy in Bosnia. This is not a time for the international community to hesitate. Bosnia has no future if it returns to the extremism and suspicions of the past. Those who expect to be elected in Bosnia all say that they support Dayton and will cooperate with the international institutions. We will hold them to their word.
     SFOR [NATO-led Stabilization Force] will continue to play a pro-active role in upholding security and supporting the civilian agencies. We will not abandon Bosnia.
     Against this background, we exchanged views on the first of our six-month reviews of SFOR operations. The first review should be completed by December. It will determine the future size and shape of SFOR.
     Let me also mention Albania. We welcome the fact that the democratically elected government of Albania has been successful in regaining control of the situation. However, that situation remains volatile. I call on all political leaders in Albania to exercise restraint and to join a meaningful dialogue.
     NATO is providing significant assistance to Albania. We already have an active PFP [Partnership for Peace] assistance program, a fully operational cell in Tirana, and have held exercises in that country. NATO is currently looking at ways to accelerate and reinforce its cooperation with Albania.
     Our second main agenda item was our defense cooperation with Russia. At this time of uncertainty in Russia, our Permanent Joint Council and NATO-Russia cooperation are important poles of stability. It is all the more important to build on them now. Over the past few months we have made good progress in developing our military to military relations. Russia is participating in PFP exercises. It is sending officers to NATO courses and to NATO commands. We are on track to establish a NATO Military Liaison Mission in Moscow by the end of the year.
     Our third main agenda item was the preparation of the Washington Summit next April. We discussed the various aspects of NATO's internal adaptation, for instance, ESDI [European Security and Defense Identity], CJTF, and the new command structure. We also discussed the future challenges to successful Alliance multinational operations, in particular, the need to enhance the interoperability of our forces.
     Tomorrow, we will complete our review of Summit preparations by considering what needs to be achieved in time for that meeting, and indeed to prepare the Alliance for the challenges of the first decades of the new century. Ministers will exchange ideas on the ongoing work to update the Strategic Concept.
     So, as you can see, we have a very full and intensive agenda and have already had some very important discussions.

(End text)

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