Tagesnachrichten 19. Oktober 1998
     von dpa, from ALBANEWS and others
     News of the day - October 19, 1998
     Kosova Information Center : Daily Report No 1587

         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

 

Cook und Solana draengen Milosevic - UCK-Ueberfall kritisiert

Nato kann Aufschub des Aktivierungsbefehls jederzeit zuruecknehmen

Kaempfe im Kosovo stoppen UN-Konvois - Journalisten fordern Schutz

UN-Konvoi wegen Kaempfen im Kosovo gestoppt

Proteste nach Verschwinden von serbischen Journalisten im Kosovo

OSZE-Leute koennten es im Kosovo mit Guerilla-Krieg zu tun bekommen

Serbien will per Gesetz auslaendische Rundfunkprogramme verbieten

Deutsche Botschaft in Belgrad wieder geöffnet

Holbrooke: Nato behaelt den "Finger am Abzug" - Clark nach Belgrad

Zwei serbische Journalisten werden im Kosovo vermisst

Nato-Generalsekretär berät in Paris über Kosovo-Krise

Cook und Solana drängen Milosevic - UCK-Überfall kritisiert
London/Paris (dpa) - Der britische Außenminister Robin Cook und Nato-Generalsekretär Javier Solana haben den jugoslawischen Präsidenten Slobodan Milosevic aufgefordert, das Abkommen zu einer friedlichen Lösung der Kosovo-Krise zu erfüllen. Cook sagte am Montag: «Wir werden nicht nachlassen, bis er sein Versprechen des Truppenabzugs verwirklicht und bis die Menschen im Kosovo ohne Angst in ihre Häuser zurückkehren und mit dem Aufbau eines sich selbst verwaltenden Kosovo frei von Repressionen aus Belgrad beginnen können», versicherte er im Unterhaus in London.
     London hat nach seinen Worten die Bereitstellung von 150 Mitgliedern der internationalen Beobachtertruppe beschlossen und erwägt die Entsendung weiterer 200 Beobachter.
     Vor Beginn einer mehrtägigen Balkanreise kritisierte Cook vor den aus der Sommerpause zurückgekehrten Abgeordneten die albanische Untergrundorganisation UCK wegen der Tötung von drei serbischen Polizisten bei einem Überfall am Wochenende.
     Auch Solana forderte am Montag in Paris von Milosevic noch einmal die Verwirklichung seiner Zusagen im Kosovo-Konflikt. Nach einem Gespräch mit dem französischen Staatspräsidenten Jacques Chirac über diese Krise verurteilte er zugleich «alle Provokationen».
     Solana wies darauf hin, daß die Nato weiterhin mit einem militärischen Eingreifen drohe, wenn Milosevic nicht die UN-Forderungen etwa über einen Abzug der serbischen Truppen aus dem Kosovo umsetze. «Wir sind bereit zu handeln», sagte der Nato-Generalsekretär.
     Chirac plädierte nach Angaben seiner Sprecherin für die rasche Verabschiedung einer neuen UN-Resolution, in der die Zusagen Milosevics festgeschrieben werden. Diese müßten ohne Verzögerung angewendet werden, betonte auch er.
© dpa

Nato kann Aufschub des Aktivierungsbefehls jederzeit zurücknehmen
Brüssel (dpa) - Der Nato-Rat kann die am vergangenen Freitag bis zum 27. Oktober gesetzte Frist für den sogenannten Aktivierungsbefehl im Kosovo-Konflikt jederzeit wieder aufheben. Das verlautete am Montag aus Nato-Kreisen in Brüssel zu den neuen Kämpfen in der südserbischen Krisenprovinz.
     «Wenn die Dinge aus dem Ruder laufen, kommen die Nato-Botschafter zusammen und die Frist ist weg», sagte ein Nato-Beamter. Der Einsatzbefehl, der bereits am vergangenen Dienstag gegeben wurde, sei lediglich in seiner Ausführung aufgeschoben.
     Mit dem Aktivierungsbeschluß wurden die rund 430 Flugzeuge sowie die Schiffe der Nato-Partner dem Oberkommandierenden in Europa, Wesley Clark, unterstellt. Dieser kann in enger Absprache mit dem Nato-Rat genau festgelegte Luftschläge gegen serbische Ziele anordnen.
© dpa

Kämpfe im Kosovo stoppen UN-Konvois - Journalisten fordern Schutz
Pristina/Belgrad (dpa) - In der südjugoslawischen Unruheprovinz Kosovo sind am Montag neue Kämpfe entbrannt. Wegen der Gefechte stoppte das UN-Flüchtlingshilfswerk UNHCR zwei Konvois mit dringend benötigten Hilfsgütern. Ein UNHCR-Sprecher sagte, es sei denkbar, daß es sich um einen Vergeltungsangriff serbischer Einheiten handele. Serbische Medienverbände forderten unterdessen die Freilassung von zwei Reportern der jugoslawischen Staatsagentur Tanjug, die am Vortag im Kosovo verschwunden waren.
     UNHCR-Sprecherin Laura Boldrini bestätigte in Pristina, daß zwei Lastwagenkonvois mit humanitärem Hilfsgütern wegen neuer Kampfhandlungen aus Sicherheitsgründen gestoppt wurden. Die Organisation habe Berichte über Artilleriebeschuß in der Nähe von Komorane - 30 Kilometer westlich von Pristina - erhalten. Die Konvois waren für die Zivilbevölkerung im Umkreis von Pec und Klina bestimmt.
     Ein UNHCR-Sprecher in Genf sagte, nach Berichten unabhängiger Quellen seien die Dörfer Peterac und Streoc unter Beschuß geraten. Er sprach von möglicher Vergeltung. Bei einem Überfall der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK auf das Dorf Orlate, 30 Kilometer westlich von Pristina, waren am Wochenende drei serbische Polizisten getötet worden. In den serbischen Medien gab es keine Berichte zu den Kampfhandlungen.
     Trotz erster Anzeichen für ein Einlenken Belgrads im Kosovo-Konflikt behält die Nato nach den Worten des US-Unterhändlers Richard Holbrooke den «Finger am Abzug», bis die Kosovo-Vereinbarung erfüllt ist. Er teilte mit, daß Nato-Oberbefehlshaber Wesley Clark in dieser Woche nach Belgrad zurückkehren werde, um über den weiteren Abzug serbischer Truppen aus dem Kosovo zu sprechen.
     Die Nato und die OSZE hatten am vergangenen Wochenende mit der Überwachung der südserbischen Krisenregion Kosovo begonnen. «Wir sind bereit, Gewalt anzuwenden, falls das notwendig ist», bekräftigte Holbrooke am Sonntag in einem Gespräch mit dem US-Fernsehsender ABC. Zwar habe Belgrad etwa ein Drittel des vereinbarten Truppenumfangs bereits aus der Krisenprovinz abgezogen. «Wir sind aber noch nicht zufriedengestellt», hielt Holbrooke fest.
     Serbische Journalistenverbände forderten am Montag Schutz für alle im Kosovo tätigen Journalisten. Anlaß ist das Verschwinden von zwei Reportern der Staatsagentur Tanjug am Sonntag. Die Journalisten wollten über einen Angriff der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK auf serbische Polizei berichten.
     In dem in Belgrad veröffentlichten Protest der Unabhängigen Journalistenunion (NUNS) hieß es, die Vorgänge im Kosovo ließen sich nicht verbergen, indem Journalisten verschleppt werden. Der Verband der Unabhängigen elektronischen Medien (ANEM) rief die Parteien der Kosovo-Albaner auf, sich für die Freilassung der Reporter einzusetzen.
     Ende August hatte die UCK zwei Journalisten des serbischen Rundfunks aus der Kosovo-Hauptstadt Pristina entführt. Auch sie gelten seitdem als vermißt.
© dpa

UN-Konvoi wegen Kämpfen im Kosovo gestoppt
Pristina/Genf (dpa) - Das UN-Flüchtlingshilfswerk UNHCR hat am Montag im Kosovo wegen heftiger Kämpfe zwei Hilfskonvois gestoppt. Das bestätigte die Sprecherin des UNHCR, Laura Boldrini, am Montag in Pristina. Die Organisation habe Berichte über Artilleriebeschuß in der Nähe von Komorane - 30 Kilometer westlich von Pristina - erhalten. Die Konvois waren für Ziele im Umkreis von Pec und Klina (westliches Kosovo) bestimmt.
     Ein UNHCR-Sprecher in Genf sagte, nach Berichten unabhängiger Quellen seien die Dörfer Peterac und Streoc unter Beschuß geraten. Es sei denkbar, daß es sich um einen Vergeltungsangriff serbischer Einheiten handele, hieß es. Am vergangenen Wochenende waren bei einem Überfall der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK in dem Dorf Orlate, 30 Kilometer westlich der Provinzhauptstadt Pristina, drei serbische Polizisten getötet worden.
     Mit dem UN-Konvoi sollten Hilfsgüter für Flüchtlinge in der Nähe der beiden unter Beschuß geratenen Ortschaften transportiert werden. «Wir hoffen, daß wir die Hilfslieferungen morgen oder in den nächsten Tagen wieder aufnehmen können», erklärte das UNHCR.
© dpa

Proteste nach Verschwinden von serbischen Journalisten im Kosovo
Belgrad (dpa) - Serbische Journalistenverbände haben am Montag Schutz für alle in der südserbischen Krisenprovinz Kosovo tätigen Journalisten verlangt. Anlaß ist das Verschwinden von zwei Reportern der amtlichen jugoslawischen Nachrichtenagentur Tanjug am Sonntag. Die Journalisten wollten über einen Angriff der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK auf serbische Polizei berichten.
     Im Protest der Unabhängigen Journalistenunion (NUNS) hieß es, die Vorgänge im Kosovo ließen sich nicht verbergen, indem Journalisten verschleppt werden. Der Verband der Unabhängigen elektronischen Medien (ANEM) rief die Parteien der Kosovo-Albaner auf, sich für die Freilassung der Reporter einzusetzen.
     Ende August hatte die UCK zwei Journalisten des serbischen Rundfunks aus der Kosovo-Hauptstadt Pristina entführt. Auch sie gelten seitdem als vermißt.
© dpa

OSZE-Leute könnten es im Kosovo mit Guerilla-Krieg zu tun bekommen
Pristina (dpa) - Meist schlagen sie in der Nacht zu. Wie am Samstag, als das Guerilla-Kommando der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK im Kosovo den Polizei-Posten bei Orlate, etwa 40 Kilometer westlich von Pristina, mit Kalaschnikows und Gewehrgranaten überfiel. Drei Polizei-Reservisten starben, zwei wurden verletzt.
     Oder am Freitag, als eine Polizeiwache in der Kosovo-Provinzhauptstadt Pristina unter Beschuß kam. Es gab keine Verletzten, der Schußwechsel mitten in einem albanischen Wohngebiet dauerte aber mehr als zwei Stunden. Verängstigte Albaner zeigten am nächsten Morgen auf die Projektileinschläge in den Mauern ihrer Häuser.
     In den vergangenen vier Tagen wurden mehr als zwei Dutzend solcher Zwischenfälle gemeldet. Sie zeigen: die UCK lebt. «Einheiten der Befreiungsarmee reagierten auf Provokationen der serbischen Kräfte, wie sie auch in Zukunft auf derartige Provokationen reagieren werden», hieß es dazu in einer Erklärung des UCK-Generalstabs. Die Situation erinnert an den Bruch sogenannter Waffenstillstände während des Krieges in Bosnien. Niemand wollte zuerst geschossen haben.
     In den Bergen um Malisevo, wo Tausende Flüchtlinge unter freiem Himmel gestrandet sind, kam es zu Gefechten, weil die serbische Polizei sich näher an die Flüchtlinge vorkämpfen wollte, um dort nach UCK-Leuten zu suchen.
     In anderen Fällen ging die Initiative wohl von der UCK aus. Im Sommer war die Untergrundarmee, die schon fast 40 Prozent des Kosovo kontrolliert hatte, durch eine massive serbische Offensive zurückgedrängt und versprengt worden. Schon damals hatte Adem Demaci, langjähriger Dissident und politischer Sprecher der UCK, angekündigt: «Die UCK besinnt sich nun auf die Taktik des klassischen Guerillakampfes. Sie wird potentiell in jeder Ecke des Kosovo losschlagen.»
     Die 2 000 OSZE-Beobachter, die in den nächsten Tagen und Wochen im Kosovo eintreffen werden, sollen überprüfen, ob die serbische Seite den vom UN-Sicherheitsrat geforderten Teilabzug ihrer Polizei- und Militärtruppen vollzogen hat. Das Abkommen zwischen der OSZE und dem jugoslawischen Außenministerium, das Tätigkeit und Mandat der Mission regelt, steht aber auf wackeligen Beinen.
     Die Möglichkeiten der Beobachter zur Kontrolle der serbischen Polizei, die für Willkürakte gegen Kosovo-Albaner bekannt ist, sehr beschränkt. Dem Abkommen zufolge können sie Polizei-Einheiten bei ihrer Arbeit nur «auf Antrag» und «auf Einladung» begleiten. Zugang zu Gefängnissen und zu Wachstuben, in denen nach Angaben albanischer Menschenrechtsgruppen regelmäßig gefoltert wird, werden in dem Papier nicht genannt.
     Zum anderen ist die albanische Seite und damit auch die UCK in diese Vereinbarungen in keiner Weise eingebunden. «Die OSZE-Leute könnten sich schnell im Kreuzfeuer zwischen serbischen Kräften und der UCK wiederfinden und bestenfalls im nachhinein Verstöße gegen einen offiziell gar nicht existierenden Waffenstillstand melden», meinte ein westlicher Diplomat in Pristina.
     Auch John Sandlock, der Logistik-Chef der OSZE, der am Sonntag mit der 20köpfigen technischen Vorhut in Pristina eintraf, betonte: «Wir werden uns in kein Gebiet hineinbewegen, in dem eine unmittelbare Gefahr von Feindseligkeiten droht.»
© dpa

Serbien will per Gesetz ausländische Rundfunkprogramme verbieten
Belgrad (dpa) - Serbien will per Gesetz den einheimischen Medien die Ausstrahlung oder teilweise Übernahme von ausländischen Rundfunk- und TV-Programmen verbieten. Dies sieht der von der Regierung vorgelegte Gesetzenturf vor, über den das Parlament in Belgrad am Dienstag im Eilverfahren abstimmen soll. Für die Mißachtung des Verbots sind Geldstrafen von bis zu 400 000 Dinaren (umgerechnet knapp 70 000 Mark) angedroht, heißt es im Entwurf.
     Das neue Informationsgesetz soll den in der vergangenen Woche veröffentlichten Regierungserlaß ersetzen, der die Verbreitung von Meldungen und Sendungen mit `staatsfeindlichen, unpatriotischen und defätistischen Inhalten" unter Strafe gesetzt hat. Aufgrund dieses Beschlusses wurden am vergangenen Wochenende drei unabhängige und regimekritische Belgrader Tageszeitungen, sowie zwei populäre Rundfunkprogramme verboten.
© dpa

Deutsche Botschaft in Belgrad wieder geöffnet
Bonn (dpa) - Die deutsche Botschaft in Belgrad hat am Montag nach einwöchiger Schließung ihren Dienstbetrieb wieder aufgenommen. Das teilte ein Sprecher des deutschen Außeministeriums in Bonn mit.
     Die Vertretung war mit Verschärfung der Kosovo-Krise zunächst ausgedünnt und am vergangenen Montag geschlossen worden. Botschafter Wilfried Gruber wird an diesem Dienstag zurückerwartet.
© dpa

Holbrooke: Nato behält den «Finger am Abzug» - Clark nach Belgrad
Washington/Belgrad (dpa) - Trotz der Anzeichen für ein serbisches Einlenken behält die Nato nach den Worten des US-Unterhändlers Richard Holbrooke den «Finger am Abzug», bis die Kosovo-Vereinbarung erfüllt ist. Er teilte mit, daß der Nato-Oberbefehlshaber Wesley Clark an diesem Dienstag nach Belgrad zurückkehren werde, um über den weiteren Rückzug serbischer Truppen aus der Kosovo-Provinz zu sprechen. Die Nato und die OSZE hatten am vergangenen Wochenende mit der Überwachung der südserbischen Krisenregion Kosovo begonnen.
     «Wir sind bereit, Gewalt anzuwenden, falls das notwendig ist», bekräftigte Holbrooke am Sonntag in einem Gespräch mit dem US-Fernsehsender ABC. Zwar habe Belgrad etwa ein Drittel des vereinbarten Truppenumfangs bereits aus der Krisenprovinz abgezogen. «Wir sind aber noch nicht zufriedengestellt», hielt Holbrooke fest.
     Der jugoslawische Präsident Slobodan Milosevic gehe gegen unabhängige Medien vor, «damit das serbische Volk nicht erfährt, welche enormen Zugeständnisse er der Nato und dem Westen gemacht hat», sagte Holbrooke.
     Holbrooke verteidigte die angestrebte «hohe Zahl» von 2 000 internationalen Beobachtern im Kosovo. «Es können notfalls noch mehr werden», sagte er. Holbrooke hatte die Vereinbarungen zum Kosovo mit Milosevic getroffen. Die unbewaffneten Beobachter haben überwiegend die Aufgabe, den jugoslawischen Truppenteilabzug aus dem Kosovo sowie die Rückkehr der Flüchtlinge zu überwachen.
     In der Hauptstadt des Kosovos, Pristina, trafen am Sonntag 20 Mitglieder eines Vorauskommandos der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) ein. Sie sollen die Arbeitsbedingungen erkunden und Unterkünfte für die erwarteten 2 000 Beobachter organisieren. «Wir sind hier, um technische Details zu klären und den Weg für die Mission zu ebnen», erklärte der Leiter der Logistik- Abteilung der OSZE, John Sandrock.
     Sonntag abend traf ferner eine Delegation der Vereinten Nationen in Belgrad ein. Die zehn UN-Diplomaten wollen sich über die Lage im Kosovo «aus erster Hand» informieren, meldete die Belgrader Nachrichtenagentur Beta. Vorgesehen waren Treffen mit jugoslawischen Regierungsvertretern, Repräsentanten der Kosovo-Albaner sowie der in Jugoslawien tätigen internationalen Organisationen.
     Seit Sonntag werden zwei Journalisten der amtlichen jugoslawischen Nachrichtenagentur Tanjug im Kosovo vermißt. Das habe die serbische Polizei am Abend bekanntgegeben, meldete Tanjug. Die Journalisten wollten in den Mittagsstunden aus der Provinzhauptstadt Pristina in das etwa 20 Kilometer entfernte Dorf Magura fahren, um über einen Angriff der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK auf serbische Polizei vom Samstag zu berichten. Die UCK hatte Samstag abend drei serbische Polizisten mit Granaten getötet.
© dpa

Zwei serbische Journalisten werden im Kosovo vermißt
Belgrad (dpa) - Zwei Journalisten der amtlichen jugoslawischen Nachrichtenagentur Tanjug werden seit Sonntag in der südserbischen Krisenprovinz Kosovo vermißt. Das habe die serbische Polizei am Abend bekanntgegeben, meldete Tanjug.
     Die Journalisten wollten in den Mittagsstunden aus der Provinzhauptstadt Pristina in das etwa 20 Kilometer entfernte Dorf Magura fahren, um über einen Angriff der albanischen Untergrundarmee UCK auf serbische Polizei vom Samstag zu berichten.
     Bis kurz vor Mitternacht fehlte von ihnen jede Spur. Ende Juli hatte die UCK nach serbischen Angaben zwei serbische Journalisten entführt. Auch sie gelten seitdem als vermißt.
© dpa

Nato-Generalsekretär berät in Paris über Kosovo-Krise
Paris (dpa) - Nato-Generalsekretär Javier Solana spricht heute (Montag) mit der französischen Regierung und Staatspräsident Jacques Chirac über die Entwicklung im Kosovo-Konflikt. Solanas Besuch erfolge im Rahmen regelmäßiger Beratungen zwischen der Nato und Paris, teilte der Elysee-Palast mit.
     Solana wird auch mit Außenminister Hubert Vedrine und Verteidigungsminister Alain Richard zusammentreffen. Außer über die Kosovo-Krise will er in Paris auch über den nächsten Nato-Gipfel sprechen, der im kommenden Jahr in Washington tagt.
© dpa

Wer nichts tut, macht keine Fehler.             - Oder ist gerade das ein Fehler ?  Was wird die NATO am Samstag (nicht) tun ?   Doing nothing means making no mistakes.             - Or ist exactly this a mistake ?  What will NATO do or not do on Saturday ?   Das ist die Antwort - THAT's the answer   Meldung vom 16.10.1998 18:16  http://seite1.web.de/show/3627715F.NL1/  Nato-Rat setzt Einsatzbefehl bis 27. Oktober aus     Meldung vom 18.10.1998 15:34 http://seite1.web.de/show/3629EE87.NL1/  Washington sieht «klare Anzeichen» für serbischen Rückzug  ... Belgrad ziehe offensichtlich mindestens zwei der erforderlichen sieben Bataillone aus dem Kosovo zurück und erleichtere die humanitäre Hilfe. ...

NEUE KARTE NEW MAP Kosova00.htm

"... Die OSZE-Beobachtertruppe soll insgesamt 2.ooo Mitglieder umfassen ... es ist unklar, ob so eine grosze Zahl an Beobachter in so kurzer Zeit zusammenkommen kann." Zeitungsmeldung vom Fr. 16. Okt. ´98

Zivildiener in Oesterreich fordern schon seit laengerem eine 1-monatige Ausbildung waehrend ihres Dienstes, um anschlieszend genau fuer solche OSZE-/UNO-Einsaetze freiwillig zur Verfuegung stehen zu koennen.
Das Konzept des DiplomZIVIs dazu:   http://www.zivildienst.at/Texte/diplomzivi.htm

Fuer naehere Informationen zum Zivildienst am besten persoenlich am ZiviTAG am Freitag den 23. Oktober vorbeischauen:   http://www.zivildienst.at/zivitag98.htm
Wir bitten die Medien den ZiviTAG ´98 in ihren Veranstaltungskalender aufzunehmen !

Umfassende Informationen über den Kosov@ mit Texten von:
Dr. Irmtraut Karlsson; Dr. Alois Mock; Alexander Lange; Dardan Gashi; Reinhard Laurer; Dr. Vojislav Seselj
und Spendenkonto:
http://www.zivildienst.at/kosova/zivinfo.htm

mit zivilen Grueszen
Christopher Temt
ZivINFO
0663 / 97 090 59

*************************************************************
        Diskussionsforum zum Zivildienst (BlackBox):
        news://news.blackbox.at/at.blackbox.zivildienst
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Offene Fragen:

     Ein ethisches
           Ein juristisches
                 Ein politisches Problem ?

                        Wenn sich jemand nicht an seine Zusagen,
                                an getroffenes Vereinbarungen,
                                an geschlossene Verträge,
                                an Gesetze hält,
                        kann der dann von anderen die Einhaltung genau
                                dieser Absprachen und Regelungen einfordern ?
                        ist der - sind die - Vertragspartner
                                dann noch an ihr Wort gebunden ?

Open questions:

     An ethical
           A juridical
                 A political problem ?

             If someone keeps not his promises,
                    incured agreements,
                    contracts,
                    laws,
             can this one call in from others to keep
                    even these agreements and arrangements ?
             is the - are the - partner of contract
                    in theses circumstances liable to keep his - their - word ?

Kennen Sie Fälle von Abschiebungen nach Kosova ? - Bitte senden Sie mir Ihren Bericht !
Do you know cases of deportations to Kosova ? - Please send me your report !

Kaum zu glauben:     s o  handelt das Land des Oktoberfestes !

dpa- Meldung vom 02.10.1998 11:16  http://seite1.web.de/show/36149A07.NL1/      Bayern wollte Kosovo-Albaner per Flugzeug via Schweiz abschieben  Bern (dpa) - Nach Inkrafttreten des Landeverbots für die jugoslawische Fluggesellschaft JAT in Deutschland versuchen die Behörden des Bundeslandes Bayern nun, abgewiesene Asylbewerber aus dem Kosovo via Schweiz abzuschieben. Das erklärten Vertreter der Schweizer Flüchtlings-Bewegung am Freitag in Bern.       Ein erster Abschiebungs-Versuch scheiterte nach den Angaben der Flüchtlingshilfe am 21. September - allerdings nicht an den Schweizer Behörden. Ein jugoslawischer Staatsangehöriger sei von Frankfurt über Zürich mit der JAT nach Belgrad geflogen worden, wo ihn die jugoslawischen Behörden aber zurückwiesen.       Die Schweiz hatte sich dem vor vier Wochen von der EU beschlossenen Landeverbot für die JAT nicht angeschlossen. Sie fliegt immer noch einmal täglich ab Zürich.       Zur Begründung hieß es, selbst die EU-Länder wollten sich nicht alle an das Verbot halten. Belgrad akzeptiert keine abgeschobenen Asylbewerber, die auf dem Landweg nach Jugoslawien gebracht werden.       Das bayerische Innenministerium soll sich in der Schweiz nach Angaben der Flüchtlings-Bewegung eingehend über Möglichkeiten informiert haben, in Zukunft Kosovo-Albaner mit Maschinen der Fluggesellschaft JAT von Zürich nach Belgrad zu bringen.       Der bayerische Versuch, das JAT-Embargo zu umgehen, zeige, daß der Schweizer Alleingang hochproblematisch sei, erklärte der Zentralsekretär der Schweizerischen Flüchtlingshilfe, Markus Loosli.       Die Nationalrätin Vreni Müller-Hemmi aus Zürich richtete in der Sache eine Dringliche Einfache Anfrage an den Schweizer Bundesrat. Darin fordert sie die Landesregierung unter anderem zu einer Erklärung darüber auf, warum die Schweiz ein einzelnes deutsches Bundesland dabei unterstütze, einen Entscheid der gesamtdeutschen Regierung zu unterwandern.       Das Außenministerium nannte dagegen die Schweizer Haltung zum Milosevic-Regime «sehr kritisch». Ministeriums-Sprecher Livio Zanolari verwies auf die Schweizer Sanktionen gegen Belgrad, die von der Regierung am Montag weiter verschärft worden waren. Er ließ erkennen, daß man in Bern erneut über eine Teilnahme an dem EU-JAT- Embargo nachdenken wolle.  © dpa

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1587
Prishtina, 19 October 1998

Serb Army Redeploys Near Podujeva, in Komoran, Skenderaj
The Milosevic regime has used international TV crews to film troops moving out, but not moving in, Kosova

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Serbian military troops were re-stationed today (Monday) at a location called 'Tabet e Llapashticës', between the villages of Llapashtica and Obrançë, near the northern town of Podujeva. Serb military forces pulled out from that area last Friday, after a two-month deployment there. LDK sources in Podujeva said the Serb military convoys which arrived from Prishtina consisted of around 70 vehicles, 50 of which tanks. It is presumed the very same forces that had pulled out Friday came back to re-take the same position threatening the 99 percent Albanian region in northern Kosova.
Meanwhile, Reuters news agency quoted a Western diplomat as saying the Serbian ('Yugoslav') army had moved a battalion-sized task force including tanks, artillery and infantry units, into an area near Komoran. "I saw at least 50 vehicles moving into the Komoran area west of Prishtina,"  the diplomat, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.
Belgrade has taken pains to offer TV shows of troop withdrawals from Kosova in a bid to persuade the world it is abiding by the UN Security Council Resolution 1199, as well as the deal Milosevic and Holbrooke made early last week.
The Milosevic regime has used international TV crews to film troops moving out, but not moving in, in Kosova.

Albanian Killed by Serb Sniper Fire Sunday

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Serb snipers manning the police checkpoint at Rrezallë village of Skenderaj ('Srbica') killed yesterday (Sunday) Ali Muharrem Ahmeti, 23, resident of Rrezallë. The young Albanian had gone back to his home to fetch personal belongings. Serb snipers shot at and killed Ali Ahmeti on the spot, the local chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) said.
The killed Albanian was buried in Tushilë village Sunday.

Serbs Open Fire in Mitrovica and Vushtrri Towns

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - For several hours Sunday night, Serb civilians opened fire in the neighborhoods of "7 Shtatori", "Kroi i Vitakut" and "Kodra e minatorëve" in the town of Mitrovica, LDK sources in Mitrovica said. These neighborhoods have a mixed ethnic population, Albanian and Serb.
Meanwhile, Serb military and police forces opened sporadic fire Sunday evening in the town of Vushtrri, LDK sources said. The sound of gunfire could be heard today coming from the villages at the foot of the Çiçavica mountains, sources in Vushtrri said.

Serb Military and Police Step Up Movement, Deploying in Kosova

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Rather than withdrawing, as demanded by the international community, Serbian military and police forces have been stepping up their movement, repositioning and deployment all over Kosova, local sources indicate.
In Malisheva area, in the town itself as well as in the villages of Dragobil and Carrallukë, fresh Serb troops have arrived, LDK sources said. Serb forces have been barricaded in Malisheva and in the villages of Kijevë, Bubavec, Balincë, Llazicë, Plloçicë, Gurbardh, Drenoc, Carrallukë, Shkorashnik, Dragobil, Astrazub and Banjë. In some villages, Serbs have been staying in Albanian houses alongside the roads, the LDK chapter in Malisheva said.
On Sunday evening, 80 Serb military vehicles left the Prishtina garrison and headed to Komoran area. A source in Sllatina village said a foreign organization car escorted the convoy for some time.
Gunfire was heard Sunday evening, around 22:00 hrs, coming from the villages of Korroticë and Sankovc of the municipality of Gllogovc, a local source said.
There have been no signs of Serb troop withdrawals from the Fushë- Kosova area. They are concentrated at Vrellë, Pomozotin, in the Sllatina airport, but also at a location known as the Pishat e Sllatinës.
At midday today (Monday), seven lorries and other cars full of Serb police left Mitrovica for Skenderaj, LDK sources said. Three Serb military lorries travelled the same road at the time, they added.
Heavy Serb military and police forces have been concentrated in the villages of Ferizaj and Kaçanik, local sources said.
On Sunday evening, around 100 Serb tanks and other motorized vehicles were deployed in the villages of Soponicë and Semajë of the municipality of Kaçanik, LDK sources said.
Some forty Serb vehicles, tanks and lorries included, originating from Ferizaj arrived at Doganaj village of Kaçanik late Sunday afternoon, sources said.
Meanwhile, a Serb military convoys passed through the town of Ferizaj today (Monday) around 11:00 hrs. Several tanks and other vehicles headed for Kaçanik. While patrolling the roads, a Serb tank run into a Renault car with the license plates UR 232-36, LDK sources said. There were no victims. The car was destroyed.
Serb forces were heavily building up and repositioning in the region of Drenica Sunday, local sources said.
The village of Polluzhë has been turned into a heavy Serb military base, the local chapter of the Council for the Defense of Human Rights and Freedoms (CDHRF) in Skenderaj said. Some 50 tanks have been deployed and fortified in the village, eye-witnesses said.
Serb bulldozers have been digging in the courtyard of the "Emin Duraku" school in Likoc for three days now. Tanks and other heavy Serb armament is being dug in there. Ground-to-ground rockets were sent to the village yesterday, too. Most of the Serb forces have been staying in deserted Albanian houses in Likoc, Makërmal and Polluzhë, the CDHRF said.

Serb Army Plant Landmines in Prishtina Resort

PRISHTINA, Oct 16 (KIC) - The Serb army has planted mines in several places in Gërmia, a wooded resort a couple of kilometers north-east of Kosova's capital Prishtina.
The Prishtina-based Bujku newspaper said in its today's edition that signs reading 'MINE' (mines) were seen hung since Sunday morning on the trees on both sides of the road leading to the mountain top. A couple of signs were also placed at the lane to the "Gërmia springs", a site the residents of Prishtina use for picnics and jogging.
Referring to eyewitness accounts, Bujku daily said landmines in Gërmia were planted over the past couple of days. Serb army units have dug in in several strategic places in the hillsides of the resort, witnesses said.

Serb Soldiers Run down 13-Year-old Albanian Girl in Mitrovica

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Early afternoon today (Monday), two Serb soldiers driving a lorry run down the 13-year-old Valentinë Kadri Vojvoda in Mitrovica. The Serbs' lorry had the license plates M. 2100, whereas the seriously injured Albanian girl originated from Llaushë village of Skenderaj ('Srbica'). LDK sources in Mitrovica said the Serb soldiers did not stop at all to offer the girl the first aid. Valentinë Vojvoda was initially taken to Mitrovica hospital, and ultimately transferred to Prishtina for treatment of serious injuries.

Wife Loses Track of Wounded Husband Taken Out of Hospital by Serbs Ten Days Ago

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - The whereabouts of a wounded Albanian taken out of the Prishtina hospital about ten days ago are unknown, his wife said.
Bislim Bislimi's wife from Dobresh village of Vitia claimed that her wounded husband was taken out of the Surgery clinic in Prishtina on 11 October, and she has lost any track of him ever since. Mr. Bislimi, wounded somewhere near Ferizaj, had stayed for one week in the Prishtina hospital before being removed by the Serb police.
Sources in the Prishtina hospital said on 12 October seven wounded Albanians were taken out of the Surgery Clinic in Prishtina the previous day. They named four of them as Gjok Ndrecaj, Arbër Spahiu, Bislim Bislimi, and Avdi Krasniqi, while the identity of three others could not be learned. The Serb police officers who escorted the wounded Albanians said they were to be taken to the Lungs Disease Clinic in Prishtina.
Mrs Bislimi said she went to see her husband in the lungs disease clinic in Dragodan neighborhood in Prishtina, but her husband was not there. She learned three Serb security officers had taken him out of the clinic, but she failed to know where he was taken to.

Serb Soldiers Torture Albanian, Spray With Fire Farmhouses in Zhur

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Lutfi Badallaj, resident of Vermica village in Zhur region, western Kosova, was tortured badly by Serb soldiers on Sunday, local sources said.
The LDK chapter in Prizren said Serb army forces remained dug in around Albanian communities in the Zhur region, including the villages of Vërmicë, Shkozë, Dobrusht and Murademë.
Lutfi Badallaj was attacked by Serb soldiers near his village and was beaten brutally without any pretext whatsoever, the LDK said.
Serb soldiers intruded into the farmhouses of Izet Badallaj, Hashim Vezaj and Fehim Muja.
Local residents said that Serb soldiers on board of a motorized convoy sprayed with fire the outlying villages yesterday afternoon.
The local Albanian population in Zhur has found itself inside a virtual siege, unable to move in or out because of the continued presence of Serb army waging campaigns of intimidation.

Serbs Bring Charred Bodies of Two Women in Gjakova Morgue

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Last evening (Sunday), Serb policemen brought the charred bodies of two women to the town morgue in Gjakova, local sources reported.
The local LDK chapter in the town said it could not yet learn the identity of the two women. They could both be around 35-40 years of age, with their heads and bodies carbonated, according to sources in the hospital morgue.
The area around the Gjakova hospital is being strictly guarded by Serb police, the LDK said. It added that yesterday the Serb police ordered the employees of the town cemetery to bury the remains of an unidentified Albanian. The man in his early twenties was brought by Serb forces to the town morgue on Saturday.
The Serb regime media center in Prishtina said on Sunday that the Serb troops had killed an Albanian near Krelan village of Gjakova on Saturday.

Infant Dies for Lack of Medical Treatment in Pagarushë

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - On Sunday evening, the three-month infant boy of Islam Krasniqi, a native of Pagarushë village of Malisheva, died for lack of adequate medical treatment, LDK sources said.
An appalling humanitarian situation is reported in the Malisheva municipality.

Serb Truckloads Take Away Looted Goods from Albanian Houses

PRISHTINA, Oct 19 (KIC) - Serb vehicles loaded with domestic appliances were seen today travelling the Skenderaj-Mitrovica roadway, witnesses told the KIC.
Local sources in Skenderaj ('Srbica') and Mitrovica said Serb troops had raided abandoned houses of Albanians in the area, where they took away large amounts of commodities and appliances, including television sets, satellite dishes, video players, ovens, etc. Part of the pillage game was laden on huge TAM-made trucks.
A convoy of Serb forces consisting of 20 trucks, 5 tanks and other vehicles was seen moving on the Skenderaj-Mitrovica at around 13:00 hrs today.

Kosova Information Center
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KOSOVA (Serb shelling – Malishevë)
Shelling from Carallukë and Kleçkë – five-year-old dies due to lack of medical treatment

Malishevë, 19 October (ARTA) 1900CET --
Serb forces from Carallukë, shot for about a half an hour from their APC, in the direction of the village of Tërpezë, on Sunday at around 1100CET. After 1700CET, these forces from the same positions shelled the village of Lladrovc.
     "KOHA Ditore" local sources inform that during the evening hours, the Serb forces from Carallukë and Kleçkë shelled the villages of this area, such as Novosellë and Lladroviq. There is no information concerning the eventual victims. According to witnesses, occasional shooting was heard today also, causing great insecurity among the civilian population.
     The Serb special units continue to remain in their positions and to even reinforce them. In Dragobil, Malishevë municipality alone, the Serb forces are concentrated in 18 points, while all over the municipality they are positioned in 50 spots, where they have deployed all kinds of weaponry.
     In the Mraçer hill, the Serb army erected a large military base, which seriously threatens the local residents. According to the locals, they have been working for over a month to open the camps, where they have stored a whole arsenal of artillery weapons.
     A large number of dislocated continue to live under plastic tents, as others live in school buildings, destroyed houses, cellars, warehouses and different garages.
     Blerina Bajramaj (5), from the village of Panoc, died yesterday, due to the lack of medical treatment. Two days ago a five-week-old baby died from the same reasons.

KOSOVA (reinforcement – Podujevë)
Military forces recently deployed in Obranqë and in Tabet e Llapashticës

Podujevë, 19 October (ARTA) 1700CET --
Fresh Serb military forces and technique were deployed today in the military field base in Obranqë. This recent deployment happened just after the previous Serb military forces withdrew from this base two days ago.
     According to the information sources in Podujevë, inform that, these forces came from the direction of Prishtina at 1000CET and were installed just two kilometers far from the town of Podujevë. These military convoys were comprised of more than 70 military vehicles, units with full military hardware, as well as over 50 armored vehicles and tanks.
     Military trucks, terrain vehicles, and other equipment were part of them.
     The anew deployment of these military troops blocked again the road which connects the villages of Llapashticë e Epërme and Llapashticë e Poshtme, Velikoreka etc. Also, these forces induced a new flux of IDPs from their homes.
     The information sources inform that, police forces have been reinforced in Podujevë, Kërpimeh, Lluzhan and Orllan, while five tanks are stationed in Vranidoll.

KOSOVA (repositioning – Klinë)
Six-month old baby dies due to lack of medicine

Klinë, 19 October (ARTA) 1600CET --
Four buses carrying policemen drove from Klinë towards an unknown direction. It must be emphasized that, they have not withdrawn at all, but have just repositioned. A six months old baby Qëndresa Emin Balaj from Gllarevë, died in the Tërdevc Mountains lacking the medical treatment and medicaments.
     The shooting conducted by Serb forces against the villages of Çabiq, Dobërdol, Leskoc, and others has continued also today. The Serb forces have not withdrawn yet from the Sverkë region. The Albanian population that has returned into the Asllanaj suburb was compelled to flee again in the neighboring forests, because of the continuous shooting during the course of the last night. Dozens of thousands of residents from this region have remained without basic assistance since 13 of August. Police stopped a part of them, while the humanitarian organizations in Kosova did not dare go on the field because of the land mines.
     Xhemajl Raci, in charge for the distribution of the aids in CHA "Mother Theresa" in Klinë claims: "We have expected today a convoy with the assistance, but it did not come at all. We don’t know why".
     Numerous Serb police and military forces are installed in the Seeds' and Leather factory in Klinë, while a large number of the looted vehicles are parked in the yard of these objects.

KOSOVA (shooting – Graboc)
Constant shooting in the village

Graboc, 19 October (ARTA) 1700CET --
"They shoot in our direction every day", says commander Dini, ordering the soldiers not to fire. "If they attempt to enter the village, we will be forced to fire".
     The police was constantly shooting in the direction of village of Graboc, during the entire night we spent there, but also during the following day. The civilian population was once more forced to leave the village, even though the Serb police promised a group of villagers that they could stay in their homes in peace.
     "Yesterday they tried to loot one of the neighborhoods of the village of Graboc, thus we were forced to open fire, in which case we killed two and wounded one policemen of the group that attempted to enter the village", said commander Dini.
     He also says that two days ago they caught a man in this territory, who admitted to have been sent by the police to spy on them.
     He was immediately arrested. "We have had such cases, several times before", claims commander Dini, "but now we have set rules about what we should do in these cases".
     Several hundred meters away from the front line, we met many villagers who were trying to build shelters to go back home.
     So far, none of them were assisted to create conditions to go back. They have already lost the hopes that somebody will help them and they started managing on their own.

KOSOVA (Serb forces – Ferizaj)
Serb military stationed in "Silcapor" factory

Ferizaj, 19 October (ARTA) 1820CET --
Numerous convoys, composed of all kinds of Serb military weaponry, cruise up and down and eventually return to strategic points of the region of Ferizaj, creating confusion as to whether they are withdrawing or just demonstrating their forces. According to CDHRF and LDK sources in Ferizaj, on Sunday at around 1250CET, Serb military forces were witnessed moving from the military barrack in the town in the direction of Shtime.
     On the other hand, the convoy composed of 21 trucks, 11 tanks and 8 APCs, that departed from Ferizaj at around 1750CET, is reported to have stationed in the "Silcapor" factory, at the place called "Fusha e Pajtimit", in the municipality of Kaçanik.
     Today during the morning hours, Serb forces, consisting of trucks, tanks, APCs and many soldiers, were repositioned at the place called "Gungaj" near the village of Smajë. On Monday a tank ran through and completely destroyed a parked car, during the cruise of a military convoy, at around 1130CET. This very convoy continued its way in the direction of Viti, passing through Gërlicë.

KOSOVA (repositioning – Prizren)
Added Serb police and military movements - 18 OSCE observers arrive in Prizren

Prizren, 19 October (ARTA) 1800CET --
Large Serb police and military movements were witnessed in the region of the municipality of Prizren, on Sunday and Monday, witnesses state. Sources from the ground claim to have seen large forces on the border belt with Albania, in Has, Vërmicë and Zhur.
     These forces also move down the streets of the town proper, going in the direction of Gjakovë, Suharekë, and Brezovicë, and returning to their previous positions in the military barrack in Prizren. Recently, in Prizren and the outskirts, there were many cases of arrests and maltreatment of the residents, particularly at the police checkpoints that remain there.
     The humanitarian situation has deteriorated because after the last offensive in Suharekë and Malishevë, 4 thousand people were sheltered in the villages surrounding Prizren.
     In the meantime, it was found out that 18 OSCE observers arrived in Prizren on Monday. 200 observers are soon expected to arrive, hopefully to follow the situation on the ground and in the Serb judicial organs, where 350 Albanians are arrested for 2 months and are expected to go out in front of the Municipal Court under the charge of "terrorism".

FYROM (elections – Albanian parties)
In the first round, Albanian parties ensure 19 deputies

Shkup, 19 October (ARTA) 1830CET --
In the first round of the third Parliamentary elections in Macedonia, Albanian political parties, as a joint political subject, ensured 19 deputies in the new construction of the Macedonian Parliament. The Party for the Democratic Prosperity, in the list of the majority ensured 10, while the Albanian Democratic Party (PDSH) 3 deputies. The four PDSH candidates, in the second round of the elections came out with a large number of votes, which leave no doubts for their victory in the respective elective units, since in the first round of the elections, were left behind for only 200, 300 or 400 votes. In the joint proportional list, the Albanian parties have elected 6 deputies. It is evaluated that the vote of the Albanian electorate in these Parliamentarian elections has finally approved the agreement for cooperation between two main Albanian parties in Macedonia. This thesis is supported by the ignorance of the Albanian electorate, directed to several independent Albanian candidates, in several election units. Based on the results published by the party election headquarters, in these elections, the Macedonian electorate gave its vote to the largest opposition party VMRO - the Democratic Party for the Macedonian National Unity, which in these elections came out in coalition with the party called the Democratic Alternative. These parties together, in the first round ensured 44 deputies from the list of the majority and the proportion. VMRO alone, in the first round of the elections, ensured 27 deputies, then the Social Democratic League of Macedonia, presently with 5, the Democratic Alternative with 3 and the Socialist party of Macedonia with 1 deputy.
     The state election commission evaluated that the elections went successfully and that the small incidents that took place in several voting places did not have any direct effect on the general results of the voting. The international observers of the third parliamentary elections have evaluated them as correct, well organized, and successful. The overall turn out is more than 70%.

KOSOVA (Serb shelling – Malishevë)
Seven villages of Malishevë municipality and two of Drenica under shelling

Prishtina, 18 October (ARTA) 2010CET --
The villages of Carallukë, Tërpezë, Senik, Lladroviq, Kleçkë, Novosellë, in Malishevë municipality and the suburb of Malishevë town, are being shelled on Sunday evening, Kosova Liberation Army sources claim to "Koha Ditore".
     The same sources state that, at the same time, two villages in the Drenica region, Tërdevc, and Obri, are being shelled, as well.
     New reinforcement of the Serb forces is taking place in the direction of Komoran, while these sources claim that the foreign journalists were asked to leave the area. There are no details on the causalities up to now.

KOSOVA (clashes – Malishevë)
Three policemen killed and several other wounded

Malishevë, 18 October (ARTA) 1900CET --
Three Serb policemen, of the reserve formations were killed and two others were severely wounded, on Saturday night, at around 2130CET, near the Orllat village, on the Prishtina-Malishevë road, the Serb radio informs, blaming the attack on armed Albanians.
     The same source informs that in the village of Magurë, municipality of Lipjan, the "Albanian extremists" wounded two Serb policemen. Serb sources of information notify that the Serb police was also attacked at the police checkpoint in Komoran and in the village of Kleçkë, Lipjan municipality, but no victims resulted from these attacks.

KOSOVA (Serb shelling - Klinë)
Serb forces shell several Albanian villages

Serb forces positioned in the villages of Dollc and Dollovë shelled several Albanian villages (Gremnik, Çupevë, Volljakë, Këpuz, and Çeskovë), Saturday afternoon.
     Villages of Perçevë, Sverkë, and Dush were subjected to Serb fire coming from the direction of the Serb police\military base situated by the Volljakë mine.
     Albanian sources claim there was no Serb troops withdrawal from the Klinë municipality. However, reinforcements were registered.
     Thus, Sunday at 1100CET, by the village of Sverkë, claim Albanian sources, two tanks 4 APC and three military trucks were seen.
     The village of Mrasor was also a site of Serb forces repositioning on three strategic points, wherefrom the village of Kralan and several other villages were shelled. All 30 houses in the village are burned.

KOSOVA (shooting – Mitrovicë)
Heavy machine gun shooting in the direction of several villages

Mitrovicë, 18 October (ARTA) 1500CET --
Heavy machine gun shooting was heard from the Serb military barracks in the village of Kutlloc, municipality of Mitrovicë, in the direction of the villages of Mazhiq, Rashan, Trepçali, Medenicë and along the Stantërg-Bare road, on Saturday night at around 2100CET.
     In the forest surrounding this base, the Serb forces have stored a large military arsenal, such as tanks, APCs and many other fighting vehicles, equipped with heavy artillery weaponry, which from Mitrovicë go in the direction of this village and do not come back, states the LDK information commission.

KOSOVA (shooting – Obiliq)
Shooting in the direction of the villages of Lajthishte, Shipitull, Graboc, Sibovc and Hamidi

Obiliq, 18 October (ARTA) 1515CET --
Albanian sources state that Serb military\police forces, fired in the direction of Plemetin and the heat system "Kosova B", in the direction of the villages of Lajthishte, Shipitull, Graboc, Sibovc and Hamidi, on Sunday at around 1100CET. These shootings were reported to have lasted until 1400CET.

KOSOVA (victims – Gjakovë)
A young corpse brought to the hospital morgue

Gjakovë, 18 October (ARTA) 1530CET --
On Saturday evening, the Serb police brought a corpse of an Albanian male (of about 22 years) at the Hospital morgue of Gjakovë. It is supposed that he originates from Kralan village, municipality of Gjakovë, claims KIC.
     LDK information sources, inform that the Serb police and army are setting fire on the few remaining houses in the Reka e Keqe region, such as in the villages of Ponoshec, Molliq, Brovinë, Smolicë etc.
     There is information that the situation of the dislocated is deteriorating, due to the lack of the food, clothing, and medicine.

KOSOVA (victims – Malishevë)
The recently born twins die due to the lack of medical care

Malishevë, 18 October (ARTA) 2015CET –
After 22 years, the wife of Rexhë Gashi, from Sverkë, gave birth to 2 twin boys, who died due to the lack of medical care and medicine. Her health condition is also very critical.
     On the other hand, Arif Marmullaku (56), from Dush of Gjurgjevik, also died as a result of the bad living conditions outside under the open sky.

KOSOVA (raids – Mitrovicë)
Serb police raids several Albanian houses in the Bair neighborhood

Mitrovicë, 18 October (ARTA) 2100CET --
A police expedition, composed of 2 trucks and 4 APCs filled with policemen and two police vehicles with Serb security inspectors, raided the houses of Hetem Gjinovci (67), Halil Gjinovci (48), Enver Prekazi, Adem Prekazi and Shaban Prekazi, in the Bair neighborhood in Mitrovicë, on Friday at around 1100CET.
     In Halil's house, the Serb police was searching for him and his son in law, Sejdi Demaku, from the village of Obri e Poshtme, who had temporarily sheltered his family there. At Enver Prekazi's house, who had just buried his brother on Friday, the police evidenced all the people who had gone to express their condolences, to the family.
     The police arrested one person, whose name remains unknown. For the other house raids, the police gave no reason.
     In the meantime, on Friday at around 1630CET, a Serb force convoy, made of 43 different Serb army vehicles, including a missile unit and mobile radar, headed from Mitrovicë to Zubin Potok. The same convoy returned to Mitrovicë again, at around 2100CET, and settled in the town's military barrack.

KOSOVA (IDPs – Rahovec)
3,000 people still out in the open

Rahovec, 18 October (ARTA) 1910CET --
In 20 villages of the Anadrini region, Gexhë, Malësi të Vogël, Denjë, Çifllak, Ratkoc, Dobërdol, Kramovik, Britain, Guri i Keq, Koznik, Polluzhë, Sopniq, Senovc, Noshpallë, Potoçan i Poshtëm, Potoçan i Epërm, Drenoc, Pastasel, Vranjakë, Zatriq, Bellacerkë, Zoçishtë, Opterushë and Reti, 90% of the Albanian owned houses are burned, while the remaining ones were looted.
     In the villages, such as Zoçishtë, Opterushë, and Reti, where virtually all houses are burned down, the residents are not allowed back to even to set tents and bring other items for restarting their lives.
     Based on the information issued by Albanian subjects in this municipality, out of 62,000 residents of the municipality, a large part of them are still sheltered at their relatives in Krushë e Madhe, Celinë, Pagarushë, Rogovë, Prizren, Gjakovë, Brestovc, Hoçë e Vogël, Nagac etc. Whereas a number of the residents of the attacked villages have managed to somehow find shelter in some of the repaired buildings or in the ones that survived from the burning and the destruction.
     An activist from Krushë e Madhe stated that over 3,000 people from the war afflicted region, are sheltered in this village alone. They all have great shortage of basic food items, such as kitchen oil, sugar, but also clothing and medicine.

KOSOVA (opposition LBD – Prishtina)
LBD: "We were invited, but KLA wasn't"

Prishtina, 18 October (ARTA) 1745CET --
According to the United Democratic Movement (LBD), the Government of the Republic of Kosova, did not invite a single member of the KLA or of the Independent Student's Union of the University of Prishtina, in the meeting organized in Istanbul with the representatives of several political parties of Kosova.
     This is one of the reasons LBD did not reply to the Government invitation to attend this meeting. LBD sources state that its members saluted this initiation of the meeting of the political forces in Kosova, and they refused the invitation with the justification, that they do not want to participate in meetings, that as they state "send messages of discrimination and secession in Kosova". Of course, certain sources state, the fact that the students were not invited, would not have prevented the LBD representatives to attend the meeting. What really prevented them from going was that the fact that KLA members were not included in the list of those invited.
     It was initially stated that the main reason that the LBD did not go to Istanbul is the existing relation between this "opposition" party and the parliamentarian parties. Members of this party state: "We have nothing against a joint meeting with the political forces in Kosova, if it represents or at least invites all the relevant forces of the national movement".
     On the other hand, LBD claims that they have asked the Prime Minister to postpone this meeting for another date, so that it could be better organized, and so that the invitations would not be addressed only two days before the scheduled date of the meeting. This subject compiled of four joined parties stated that its representatives would prefer that the meeting be held, somewhere in the Albanian grounds, a demand which was initially set by the LDK members themselves.
     Nevertheless, the consultative meeting in Istanbul, was attended by the representatives of the parties represented in the Parliament, respectively those of LDK, Albanian Christian Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party, the Liberation Party of Kosova, the Republican Party of Kosova and the Albanian National Democratic Party.

KOSOVA (LBD – Prishtina)
LBD: "Kosova and Albanians continue to be the object and not the creating subject"

Prishtina, 18 October (ARTA) 1920CET --
Holbrooke’s agreement for the realization of the UN Security Council Resolution #1199 is a small step forward, yet it is still far from the complete realization of the resolution referred to, it is stated in a LBD information the political subjects, constituting this union.
     "Following an effective debate, it was evaluated that, regardless to the fact that the Kosova issue has been made sensible to the highest level, Kosova and Kosova Albanians continue remaining the object and not the subject of creation", it is stated.
     It was also claimed that the "projects offered for an interim settlement of the issue, have no constitutional, political, historical or international support, thus as such they cannot serve as basis for the solution of the Kosova issue".
     LBD makes an appeal to all the political forces to support "the initiation for the foundation of a temporary government, made of the wide political spectrum and including KLA".
     The attendants made an appeal to the people to show maximal solidarity for the population directly threatened by the war and also for the dislocated and persecuted, it is stated at the end of this LBD information.

BELGIUM (KD correspondent – Brussels)
Milosevic between the enemy and the partner
Augustin Palokaj

Brussels, 18 October (ARTA) 1930CET --
As in the Dayton agreement, also today after the Agreement Milosevic-Holbrooke, the list of the winners is unlimited: NATO - won many political points because it proved it is capable of making decisions for intervening in the European soil even without the OSCE mandate despite categorical refusal from Russia.
     NATO also thinks that a new chapter of the system of the international security is opened.
     Russia; won maybe even more, for it attested that it could halt NATO strikes and in this it could persuade its poor public opinion that it is still a super-power in the international scene.
     Holbrooke: won, because he proved that there is no danger that he cannot prevent from expanding, and there is no problem that can be solved without his engagement.
     UN: has the satisfaction because its resolutions were nevertheless adopted, and regardless whether they will be implemented or not, none could say that the UN SC is not engaged enough in the Kosova problem.
     Milosevic was the biggest winner. He is given the opportunity to avoid the NATO attacks, to address to his compatriots that "the aggression against the fatherland is by-passed", to close down the independent media, to receive maybe promises that he will be intact for the Hague tribunal for war crimes, but the biggest irony is that, he turned from NATO's enemy, into its partner.
     He is now claiming to his nation that: "The Kosova issue will be resolved with peaceful means and this western Serb province will remain into the territorial entity of the Serbia and Yugoslavia".
     The demand for withdrawing his forces was postponed because of his request. NATO postponed the deadline for ten days
     NATO top officials presided by the Secretary General, Solana, went to Belgrade in order to hand out "a clear message to Milosevic".
     In the aftermath of this visit, NATO and the "Yugoslav" Army mutually exchange radio-connection officers, inform each other who will fly over the Kosova territory, who will switch on and off the radar, what kinds of aircrafts will be used etc.
     On the other hand, the Albanians remain "on earth", in the mountains, in the ruined houses.
     Their ‘benefit’ was that the world would have to deal with securing the 2.000 OSCE verifiers (who will at some time come to Kosova) more than for 50.000 people who still sleep outside. The Albanians won, the mediators who come to their president Ibrahim Rugova only inform him what kind of the agreement is achieved with Milosevic, neglecting the viewpoints of the Albanians.
     Of course, the Albanians hail all those who come to Kosova, as well as those who do not come to Kosova, but just mention its issue.
     The entire engagement of NATO, EU, UN, USA, Russia, UK, Germany, Vatican etc, is made just to result with "the current number of the Serb forces in Kosova being reduced back to the level as it was in the March 1998" after the Belgrade fulfills all their requests.
     Such a thing will be achieved by the Serb police and military because the number of the Albanians in Kosova cannot be brought to the same level as it was in March; thousands of the killed cannot be returned; hundreds of thousands emigrants could not be returned soon; dozens of years are necessary for the ruined houses to be restored. The experience from Croatia (which is far richer than Kosova) shows it best. Therefore, the Serb police, numerous as it was in March, will be more than sufficient to continue the repression, same as it did then. The Serb police will find a new reason for staying in Kosova, for it will be engaged in "protecting 2.000 OSCE verifiers from the Albanian terrorists".
     It seems that the game will continue.

KOSOVA (OSCE verifiers – Prishtina)
OSCE verifiers arrive - they are fixing telephones and satellites

Prishtina, 18 October (ARTA) 1700CET --
A team of the OSCE technical staff, arrived in Kosova on Saturday, to pave the way for the small "army" of 2000 "verifiers", who are scheduled to arrive on Sunday.
     The OSCE verifiers are being sent to evaluate whether the police and "Yugoslav" army units are retreating from Kosova, as it was demanded by the UN Security Council Resolution #1199.
     "We are a team of eight OSCE technicians in Bosnia and we were sent here to find an office where the main team of verifiers, whose members will be coming tomorrow, will reside", claimed Peter Erben, the head of the staff and the director of the OSCE operations in Bosnia.
     "We are only the technicians, the people who ensure the offices with maps, phones, satellites and radios, so this office will be properly fit for the main team".
     During recent weeks, NATO came close to launching air attacks against Serbia, because of the repression it is exercising in Kosova, but the agreement between Richard Holbrooke and the Serb President Slobodan Milosevic, managed to freeze these attacks.
     The agreement foresees the observation of the withdrawal of the Serb security forces from the NATO airports and the deployment of the 2000 OSCE verifiers.
     Erben arrived in Prishtina along with his chiefs of logistics, security, and communication in Bosnia, but also escorted by a construction engineer and translators in Albanian and Serb.
     He stated that the first verifiers, who are presently in Belgrade, are expected to arrive in Prishtina on Sunday. Erben noted that to ensure residencies, vehicles, phones, radios, translators and drivers, for such a large contingent of people, is a very big task, although he does not think it is impossible.
     "I can honestly say that there is very little difference from the surveillance of the elections we had in Bosnia, where there were 2600 observers in the terrain, while 30,000 were employed".
     Erben and his crew, settled in the "Grand" Hotel on Saturday evening, where they immediately started equipping the office, which as they state will be opened on Sunday.

KOSOVA (KD reportage – Semetisht)
Tired with "the faltering West", villagers say "We’ll just wait and see"
Garentina Kraja

Semetisht, 17 October (ARTA) 1700CET --
"It was very cold in the hills... Here, we hear shooting all night, but we are forced to stay here because the winter is approaching", said 40 year-old Mursel Bytyçi, while removing some bricks that were strengthening a plastic sheet that was on the top of what was left from the roof. His 13-member family and some relatives have returned to the village. In fact, they returned to something that used to be their rich compound.
     This family fled the village on August 27th, when the Serb forces were headed towards the village. They sought refuge in the village of Pagarushë, but have returned to their village 20 days ago - despite the fear.
     According to some members of Bytyçi family, they all loaded the tractors and carts and the only member that remained in the village was Izet Bytyçi, 42. His grave now was just outside the village.
     "Izet did not want to flee... He came with us for two kilometers, but than returned, saying that 'you cannot leave your house alone'", says Mursel.
     Some days later, some men of this family went to see what was left from their lives. They found Izet dead. The police first looted the village, than set everything on fire stabbed him with a knife just below his eye and shot him in the upper part of his head. He left three children, all under 10 and his wife. His house was one of the totally destroyed houses of the villages in Suharekë municipality.
     Despite the offered aid and the damage that will be evaluated in the future by numerous foreign commissions, what these villagers have suffered proves unredeemed.
     "We had other plans. The house, that now needs a huge rebuilding took almost mine and my three brothers half a lifetime to build it. I have no hopes, no faith that I can build another one", said Mursel, while adding that almost the whole village has the common story.
     In the biggest house of Bytyçi neighborhood in the village of Semetisht, three men were nailing the boards to put a temporary roof over the burned black walls.
     Twenty-four members of this house after returning to the village are living in the old house, made of mud. Before the Serb offensive, that house was regarded as unusable, family member says.
     "I never thought I could come back and live in this old house. But...", she says while picking pears from the garden trees.
     Once with windows and doors, the house now has boards, bricks, and plastic covers as replacement. Inside, only a sponge or two can be seen, while the floor remains uncovered. Outside, children's clothes are hanged out to dry.
     Despite everything, the Bytyçi family says it will stay the winter in the house. They were hoping to make the best out of two remaining rooms. Thirteen members shall spend the winter crowded in the rooms...
     There is no electricity, no doctor, and just a small amount of aid in Semetisht. According to the locals, "Mother Theresa" has distributed aid once in three weeks they've returned. The pale war stricken faces of the children, here as everywhere else in Kosova, tell the story of the difficulties of survival and unbearable conditions. They don't go to school because many of them are missing, the teachers are displaced, and a wall is all that remains from the school.
     Although burdened with other worries, the villagers stay in touch with the latest happenings about Kosova. Avoiding the formal ways for communication, they expect the verifiers with reserve. Thinking still that their number will be 2.000, they stress that "we've heard so much, we've been promised so much... we are tired from their faltering, but anyway, we have to wait and see".

*NEWS REPORT*
******************************************************************************************************
The views expressed in the news reports and messages posted to the List by the List members are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policy or position of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Quoting is allowed only if the source of the information  is specified.
******************************************************************************************************

Serbs Say Kosovo Guerrillas Fighting Back
07:10 a.m. Oct 18, 1998 Eastern
By Julijana Mojsilovic

KOMORANE, Serbia (Reuters) - Serbian police at a road checkpoint in western Kosovo ducked as tracer bullets ripped into the night sky above their heads from two directions Saturday night and Sunday morning.
     "This has been going on every night since we (Serbia) agreed to withdraw police and army from most positions we held," a police chief said.
     Police and the Yugoslav army say they have been pulling out of western Kosovo's battlefields under an agreement negotiated by President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke.
     The ethnic Albanian separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) had previously announced a period of "self restraint" -- interpreted as an effective cease-fire -- to help the West gain Milosevic's consent.
     But, with 2,000 unarmed international monitors due in to ensure Milosevic is keeping his word, fighting has continued.
     Three policemen were killed and two wounded late Saturday at Orlate near Malisevo, three km (two miles) from Komorane and the checkpoint.
     On Thursday, in the same region, one policeman was killed and three more were wounded.
     Each side blames the other.
     "That's how they (the KLA) keep their own promise. The world is waiting for us to retaliate and will then punish the Serbs," a traffic policeman said at Komorane. "The Albanians can do whatever they want, the world is protecting them."
     The deal to end eight months of fighting between security forces and the KLA was reached under the threat of NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia, now suspended until October 27.
     The Serbians fear that the KLA, which claimed control of up to 50 percent of Kosovo before Belgrade pushed them back in a summer offensive, will swarm back into the areas vacated by the security forces.
     The checkpoint came under fire several times throughout Saturday night.
     "During the day it's like real peace. At night, it's hell," said one policeman who was supposed to go home Monday at the end of his tour of duty.
     Monday seemed far away as automatic rifle, sniper and heavy machine gun fire came from the direction of the villages of Kisna Reka and Komorane and from Lapusnik in the Drenica region, forcing policemen to take cover every half hour.
     "Fire back only if they come with 50 to 30 meters, not before," the police chief radioed to his outposts. The outposts reported that police had been driven back from some positions.
     Other policemen at the checkpoint complained. "If it was up to me I would know how to fire back. I hope our guys are not waiting that long before acting," one said.
     The police chief added: "The KLA haven't been this close to this road since before summer. Now, after the so-called cease-fire, they are coming to within 100 meters (yards) of here, always at night. They want to regain control of this road. I don't want to think what that would mean."
-END-
--
Decani Monastery               tel +381 390 61543
38322 Decani, Serbia           fax +381 390 61567
http://www.decani.yunet.com   e-mail: decani@EUnet.yu

KËSHILLI PËR MBROJTJEN E TË DREJTAVE DHE TË LIRIVE TË NJERIUT
COUNCIL FOR THE DEFENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS
Rr. Vellusha 46, 38000 Prishtinë - Kosovë; tel&fax: 381 (0) 38 36 965
http:www.albanian.com/kmdlnj e-mail: kmdlnj@albanian.com

QUARTERLY REPORT ON THE VIOLATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN KOSOVA IN THE COURSE OF JULY-SEPTEMBER 1998

             The text you can read at  JulSep98.htm

Majko convenes government; Kosova on the agenda

      TIRANA, Oct 19 (ATA)-By I.Luto,
      The latest developments in Albania as well as the measures taken about the situation on the border with Yugoslavia (Serbia, Mongtenegro), were the main topics discussed Sunday by the government, presided over by the chairman of the Council of Ministers, Pandeli Majko, the Ministry of Information told ATA.
      Minister of Foreign Affairs Paskal Milo spoke of the latest developments in Kosova, while the ministers of Defence and Public Order, Luan Hajdaraga and Petro Koci, provided information about the measures taken by the ministries they run to enhance readiness along the border with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
      Minister of Local Government Arben Demeti presented the urgent measures underway for a better treatment of the refugees, who have left Kosova due to Serb genocide.
      The examination of four draft-laws were also on the agenda. The draftlaw on the people's lawyer, institutionalizes for the first time in Albania the defence of citizens' rights and freedoms from illegal and irregular actions by social sector bodies.
      The government also approved the draftlaw "On asylum to the Republic of Albania," several supplements and amendments to the Law "On organising Justice in the Republic of Albania" (changes carried out in consultation with experts of the Council of Europe), as well as another package of decisions dealing with public order.
      According to these decisions, all individuals or juridical persons who provide accurate information on large amounts of weapons and ammunition are rewarded five percent of the value of the uncovered weapons, and are guaranteed anonymity.
      The approved package also includes the decisions "On the protection and security of state institutions", "On financial food quotas in canteens, state scholarships and payments from the students' families" and two decisions on expropriation in the interest of the public of real estates, which will create the possibility of building the first subway in the Tirane-Vlore main road. /pas/lm/

Ten international organisations in Has in aid of Kosova refugees

      KRUME, Oct 19 (ATA)-By R. Hoxha,
      Ten international organisations are active in the district of Has (Northeastern Albania) to help overcome the difficult situation created form the daily arrival of refugees from Kosova.
       Among the main organisations are the OSCE, which deals with the border checking, UNHCR, with the enrolment of the refugees and distribution of emergency aid for them, HCC, with the first aid for them, THW with the reconstruction of buildings and the refugees' accommodation, and other organisations.
      The aid provided by these humanitarian organisations have been of priority in coping with the situation created after the influx of refugees in this district. Now they are helping to resolve the problem of heating and medical assistance as soon as possible.
      Meanwhile, in this district, the tiniest in Albania, with 24 thousand inhabitants, although with a daily influx of around 30 refugees, the number of the installed there does not exceed 900. /pas/lm/

UNHCR SAYS HUMANITARIAN CHALLENGES STILL REMAIN IN KOSOVO

VOA INTERVIEW WITH PICKERING ON KOSOVO

OCT 16 WORLDNET WITH STATE'S MALLOY ON KOSOVO

NATO STATEMENT OCT. 16 ON COMPLIANCE ON KOSOVO

-----

16 October 1998
UNHCR SAYS HUMANITARIAN CHALLENGES STILL REMAIN IN KOSOVO
(Says staff is now back to full-strength in Kosovo) (540)
Wendy Lubetkin
USIA European Correspondent

Geneva -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata has welcomed the agreement between Slobodan Milosevic, president of Serbia and Montenegro, and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke as "an important first step" toward addressing the plight of an estimated 300,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes in Kosovo.
     According to a UNHCR spokesperson, Ogata hopes the agreement will be implemented rapidly and completely, but is concerned that there are "still great challenges ahead."
     UNHCR spokesperson Judith Kumin told a press briefing October 16, "Since it is the implementation of the agreement which is important, UNHCR will have to observe the situation on the ground carefully over the coming days and weeks to assess the possibilities for large-scale return of the displaced."
     With the onset of winter, UNHCR staff in Kosovo have seen "fairly significant numbers" of displaced people leaving their makeshift shelters in the hills and coming down to the villages, Kumin said. "But it is very difficult to pinpoint the numbers because people are so scattered."
     Asked about Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK or KLA, as it is called here) claims that villages continued to be shelled following the agreement, Kumin said she did not have any reports from the villages which had been named, and "in general, it is not the role of UNHCR to monitor compliance, nor to report on compliance."
     After temporarilly withdrawing its staff, UNHCR says it is now back to full-strength in Kosovo and intends to significantly increase its presence on the ground and intensify the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the displaced and to those who decide to return home.
     The first snows fell in some hillside regions of Kosovo on October 14, and with the colder weather, assistance has become particularly urgent, Kumin said. "When we visited the Kisna Reka region on Wednesday, we saw 2000 people living in tents. It was very cold, children were sick with bronchitis, vehicles were stuck in the mud ... so clearly the humanitarian situation is a very serious one."
     Over the coming weeks, UNHCR plans to focus on attempting to procure and deliver materials to help people to repair at least part of their homes so that they can stay warm during the winter, Kumin said, adding, "Shelter is going to be a priority over the coming months because many, many people don't have shelter to go back to."
     The World Food Program (WFP) also said its three international staff members -- who had been briefly relocated to Skopje -- are now back in Pristina. A fourth staff member is scheduled to return on Monday.
     WFP spokesperson Christiane Berthiaume said governments, including the United States, Germany, Denmark, Israel, Norway and Sweden, have been generous in responding to WFP's appeal for Kosovo. "The good news is that 74 percent of our $20.5 million appeal has been met."
     The problem remains one of access, and the fact that the population is so mobile that convoys sometimes arrive in one place only to discover that the population which had been there a few days earlier has moved on.
-----

16 October 1998
TRANSCRIPT: OCT 14 VOA INTERVIEW WITH PICKERING ON KOSOVO
(VOA news correspondent Nick Simeone queries ambassador) (4460)

Washington -- Ambassador Thomas Pickering, under secretary of state for political affairs, said "very little" of the agreement signed by "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" President Slobodan Milosevic has been implemented so far, and that the United States and NATO are watching his actions "very, very carefully."
     Pickering was interviewed at the State Department October 14 by Voice of America (VOA) News Correspondent Nick Simeone.
     Milosevic must complete the withdrawal or cantonment of army and special police units from Kosovo, and permit unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations and supplies to Kosovo, as called for in United Nations Resolution 1199, Pickering said.
     He must also honor the agreement he signed October 12, following talks with U.S. Special Envoy Richard Holbrooke, to begin negotiations with Kosovar Albanians toward increased autonomy and to allow refugees and internally displaced persons to return to their homes. Milosevic also accepted two verification regimes: non-combat aerial surveillance, conducted by NATO; and up to 2,000 international verifiers, organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Yugoslav leader signed an agreement with NATO October 15 and one with OSCE the following day.
     Originally, Milosevic was given 96 hours to make substantial progress in implementing the agreement; on October 16, NATO announced that it was extending the deadline until October 27.
     Pickering said NATO air strikes could be triggered if it is discovered that Milosevic "hasn't moved the forces he's supposed to move, or he hasn't cantoned the forces that he's supposed to canton, or that he is harassing or otherwise making difficulties and problems for the Albanian citizens of Kosovo outside the areas permitted in the agreement, including the setting up of roadblocks that are not dedicated either to traffic control or to crime prevention."
     He compared the threat air strikes in Kosovo with the threat of force against Iraq for failure to implement United Nations resolutions. "In each case, we are using diplomacy as the primary means to resolve the problem, but backed up by the threat of the use of force," Pickering said.
     Asked what will happen if Milosevic pushes the United States and NATO to the brink again, Pickering said, "If he did, like Saddam [Hussein], who already has found out, he would be making the worst mistake of his life."
     He said he believes the Kosovo Liberation Army, "having declared a cease-fire and declared its willingness to support and do everything it could to assist in the humanitarian relief of the Albanian people in Kosovo, is not going to violate this agreement. But we have told them ... they would be on their own if they violate the agreement."
     While Russia said the use of force would be a "serious mistake," Pickering said, "It is also our firm impression after many consultations with the Russians, that they understood perfectly well, particularly in dealing with somebody like Mr. Milosevic, that the threat of the use of force had to be present in order to bring him to the kind of diplomatic solution that has been worked out."
     He added, "Our interest is not in using force. Our interest is in diplomatic settlement. And thus far we have managed the problem to bring about a diplomatic settlement. Now we, of course, believe that the threat of the use of force is critically important for implementation, to insure implementation, and so that remains a centerpiece of our policy."

Following is a transcript of the interview:

(Begin transcript)

U.S INFORMATION AGENCY
INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR THOMAS PICKERING
SUBJECT: KOSOVO

The Voice of America
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, October 14, 1998

NICK SIMEONE: Ambassador Pickering, thank you for joining us today. The situation in Kosovo is our subject. ["Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" President] Slobodan Milosevic is now in the process, I take it, of implementing this agreement that he signed with [U.S. Special Envoy] Richard Holbrooke. Where do we stand on that? How much remains to be implemented, and how much already has been?

AMBASSADOR THOMAS PICKERING: The information I have is that very little thus far has been implemented. The major areas that we're concerned about, of course, is the presence of Yugoslav army forces, who either have to be removed or go back to the cantonments they were in in March. And similarly with the Ministry of Interior special police. And we are seeing some of his forces move into assembly areas. They have been for some time. But they don't seem to be in large numbers where they should be moving out of Kosovo. And so we're watching that very, very carefully.

SIMEONE:  Is that worrisome?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: It is, of course, worrisome. The NATO hold on air strikes is for a 96-hour period. And NATO will be examining this very carefully. We expect to see the NATO Secretary General visit Belgrade in the very near future, and we hope that that will result in a formal agreement, formal signing of the agreement insofar as it relates to NATO. We hope and expect that the chairman-in-office of the OSCE will visit Belgrade on Friday, and that will result, we hope, as well, in a signing of that agreement. That particular process will then officially put those agreements in place.
     But in the meantime, we have been encouraging the return of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observation Mission people, and three teams were there today. We expect that the European mission and the Russian mission will also become active in the next 24 hours to begin to verify what I've told you is not happening.

SIMEONE:  Does that represent any backsliding at this point?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I don't think it represents any backsliding. It represents no forward movement, which is what we're interested in, because a principal part of the resolution that [Milosevic] has said that he will be in compliance with, has this withdrawal arrangement or the cantonment of these forces. And that's extremely important.
     The second piece that's important is the humanitarian assistance piece. And we understand that non-governmental organizations and international organizations will begin delivering assistance again to Kosovo with their international staff tomorrow. And we hope that that will move ahead. As these two things move ahead, obviously, we hope that at least the humanitarian part of the assistance will be assured, that people who have left their homes and are afraid to return will, with the cantonment of military and police forces, also be able to begin returning. We're terribly worried about up to 70,000 people now in the forests and in the woods and in the hills not being able to return until they get winter snows. And that would complicate what is already a serious tragedy.

SIMEONE: He, the President of Yugoslavia, Mr. Milosevic, has 96 hours in which he has to implement this entire agreement? Or how does that exactly work? Once we hit the 96-hour mark, if it's [not] completely implemented does that clear the way for NATO?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: No, I think that there is a rule of reason and common sense here. The U.N. Resolution is a very sweeping resolution. It involves lots of commitments, including commitments with respect to war crimes, commitments with respect to political negotiations which he's provided a timetable for as a result of Ambassador Holbrooke's negotiations. Commitments added to that as a result of the new agreements, to accept a verification arrangement, both in the air and on the ground. A lot of those involve modalities that will take time to work out.
     I pointed to the two major concerns that we have. We hope that we will see a good faith effort to make a serious beginning and real progress before the 96 hours runs out. After that, NATO will have to decide what to do and obviously has a number of options. It can continue to keep the U.N. force commander, the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, in a position to move ahead and carry out air strikes if it feels compliance hasn't been enough. It can postpone the removal of the order to carry out air strikes for another period. Or it could lift the order immediately if it felt there was full compliance. But I think the latter is highly unlikely.

SIMEONE:  Full compliance?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING:  Yes.

SIMEONE: How long do you think it will take to get the 2,000 OSCE observers on the ground?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: Well, the agreement says up to 2,000. We believe that 50 can be in almost immediately, because they were already conducting activities. They were the so-called Kosovar Diplomatic Observation Mission. And they, in our view, and in accordance with the planning that's gone on, will become the advanced element of the new group of observers. We expect to see those strengthened by perhaps up to another 100 or 150 very, very quickly. We expect that the rest of the mission will take time to organize. But we believe this initial increment within another week or two will provide a good deal of transparency and a good deal of observation, not what everybody would like. Then it will be up to the mission to plan on the appropriate number to insure that Albanians in Kosovo can return to the villages from which they were driven or burned out and begin to resume their lives, and have regular contacts with the verification mission to assure that they're not being shot at or forcibly removed from their villages or otherwise punished.

SIMEONE: Now, surely, if you're putting in civilian, unarmed observers on the ground, you couldn't then at the same time be contemplating an air strike if need be, could you?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: Well, as you saw over the last week, when we were contemplating an air strike, when that became a reality we arranged for the people to leave. And that always is possible in the future. I don't think that's a very complex task. It will serve as a further, stiff reminder to Milosevic that he is not in compliance and he better get in compliance.

SIMEONE: Do you feel that these -- I understand there're going to be diplomats and lawyers that make up part of the OSCE mission on the ground.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I don't think the exact composition has been derived. But they're people who are adequate and -- put it this way, people who are adept because of past experience at conducting verification missions. And so some of them might be former military officers with real experience in observing military movements, if that's what's required, and people who can take the rugged countryside, who can move around on foot, if necessary. We hope that they'll be recruited from all across the spectrum of the 53 countries in the OSCE. We hope that they will work closely together.
     As Ambassador Holbrooke announced this morning, the arrangement is for an American, we expect, to be the mission director. And he will have individuals from many countries working on his staff and in his headquarters and out in the field. We expect there will be Americans among them. There are Americans in the KDOM, in the Kosovo Diplomatic Observation Mission, now.

SIMEONE: But you're not putting any restrictions in the future on the possibility of American troops?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: The President has sent a letter to the Congress saying that he is not going to support the sending of American ground combat forces to Kosovo. American combat forces will participate in the sense that the non-combat aerial reconnaissance aircraft which might come from the United States come, in our view, from combat forces. But they will be regular aviation reconnaissance units, not equipped to carry on fighting, but to carry out real reconnaissance.

SIMEONE: In February, the United States, through the U.N., helped negotiate an agreement with Iraq to avert war there when Iraq was not complying with U.N. resolutions. Iraq's now violated that, and we've done nothing.
     Why do you feel people should be confident that this agreement, if Milosevic chooses to do so and break it, will be upheld?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: We've done a great deal in Iraq -- I happen to be working on that as well -- including a unanimous resolution of the Security Council, making it very clear to Iraq where the world community stands. Missions undertaken this week by the Special Representative of the Secretary General, work by the Secretary General himself with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, and a very clear sense on the part of Iraq, which should not be mistaken, that there are very significant American forces in the region, much more significant than when the last crisis started in the autumn of 1996, and forces that are fully prepared to act if we feel that's necessary.
     So in each case, we are using diplomacy as the primary means to resolve the problem, but backed up by the threat of the use of force.

SIMEONE: But you don't think that Slobodan Milosevic might sense a weakness on the part of Iraq since the U.S. has not responded militarily, and push this accord to the brink again?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: If he did, like Saddam, who already has found out, he would be making the worst mistake of his life.

SIMEONE:  But Saddam hasn't found that out yet.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: Saddam has already found it out. He's found it out on many occasions in the past. And if he wants to test the United States, I'm sure he'll not find us wanting.

SIMEONE: Now we have these observers that are going to go in there. What sort of thing could they find that would trigger NATO action?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: They will find that he remains in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1199, that he hasn't moved the forces he's supposed to move, or he hasn't cantoned the forces that he's supposed to canton, or that he is harassing or otherwise making difficulties and problems for the Albanian citizens of Kosovo outside the areas permitted in the agreement, including the setting up of roadblocks that are not dedicated either to traffic control or to crime prevention.

SIMEONE: And you're convinced he's going to remove all of those and comply fully?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: That is his obligation. I wish I could say I was convinced, that I believe Mr. Milosevic would do all that willingly and gratuitously. He hasn't gotten to where he's gotten now without the threat of the use of force. The reason why we will maintain the threat of use of force is precisely to assure implementation because we don't trust him of his own free will necessarily fully to comply.

SIMEONE: Did Ambassador Holbrooke do any negotiation on this agreement with the KLA [Kosovo Liberation Army]? Are they a part of this? And what happens if they decide to continue attacking?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: The KLA are not a part of this. But the KLA have been told by the United States through many different channels that if they seek to use military force to disrupt this agreement, they're really on their own. They have to accept the responsibilities...

SIMEONE: So you are saying you would tolerate retaliation by Serbian forces against the KLA if something's initiated by the KLA while this agreement is in place.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I think that "They're on their own" is pretty clear. You've made one definition of it.

SIMEONE: So we could see conflict renew itself, but conflict that doesn't go against this agreement?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I think that we're not looking for more conflict. We believe the KLA, having declared a cease-fire and declared its willingness to support and do everything it could to assist in the humanitarian relief of the Albanian people in Kosovo, is not going to violate this agreement. But we have told them, because there's no way that we can enforce this agreement other than allow it to become self-enforcing, so to speak, that they must take their own chances; they must recognize that they would be on their own if they violate the agreement.

SIMEONE: In the negotiations between Ambassador Holbrooke and Mr. Milosevic, did the Yugoslav leader demand that, the right to retaliate?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I can't tell you for certain that that is the case.

SIMEONE: At what point does this become, if NATO does, in fact, have to act, war on the former Yugoslavia by NATO? This is part of Yugoslavia, Kosovo. So at what point do we actually declare war on the former Yugoslavia?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I think that the issue is not at this stage to declare war. The issue...

SIMEONE:  But it would be, though...

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: ...is to assure that Mr. Milosevic meets his obligations in an international agreement that will be between him and the OSCE, all 53 states of Europe, on the one hand, and between him and the 16 states of NATO, on the other. The 16 states of NATO in a very solemn decision on Sunday -- Monday night -- made clear that they were prepared to enforce this agreement. They remain ready to do so. And until, in fact, he fully complies, we would hope and expect that NATO will continue to maintain that posture.

SIMEONE: What is Russia telling you about this situation? They were against any sort of NATO force in this.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: Russia has made it clear that it felt that it would be a serious mistake to go to the use of force. It is also our firm impression after many consultations with the Russians, that they understood perfectly well, particularly in dealing with somebody like Mr. Milosevic, that the threat of the use of force had to be present in order to bring him to the kind of diplomatic solution that has been worked out. What they haven't answered and what is seemingly troublesome for them, is how you can have a valid threat of the use of force if you're, at the beginning, unwilling or unable to use it.
     And so we have continued to, I think, persuade them that it's extremely important for the success of diplomacy here, as it was in Iraq, and as it will continue to be in both places, to be able to have a credible threat of force to reinforce the diplomacy. Our interest is not in using force. Our interest is in diplomatic settlement. And thus far we have managed the problem to bring about a diplomatic settlement. Now we, of course, believe that the threat of the use of force is critically important for implementation, to insure implementation, and so that remains a centerpiece of our policy.

SIMEONE: And has the Russian government dropped its threat to intervene on behalf of the Serbs if NATO attacks?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: There are several statements to that effect that now apparently have been disowned by the Russian Foreign Minister.

SIMEONE:  So which one do you stick by...

AMBASSADOR PICKERING:  I like the Foreign...

SIMEONE: ...do you believe?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I like the Foreign Minister's statement. I think he represents a rationale view in Russia, that the answer to the question of Slobodan Milosevic is not to go to war on the side of Serbia or against the rest of Europe.

SIMEONE: There's other situations around the world, aren't there, where people in a country are being attacked or displaced and the United States or any outside power has not set such an example or threat. For example, Chechnya. The Western powers never threatened Russia with intervention or any attack if Russian forces moved against Chechens, and to this day in Sudan where we have thousands of people who have been killed in the south by a repressive government in the north. In neither case has Western powers or the United States decided to draw the line.
     Why Kosovo?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: Kosovo, I think, represents a particularly abhorrent case and one that's of great concern to the international community, in part because the international community has assumed in the Bosnian instance a serious responsibility through, particularly, European consultation with the United States for dealing with the really deleterious results of the collapse of the former Yugoslavia. That's important. And clearly it's been a follow-on to what we have, in fact, been engaged in using military force when necessary in Bosnia to deal with that particular problem, which really threatened the long-term stability and cohesion all over Europe. It threatened, in fact, to cross borders and affect the interests of many members of the alliance. Kosovo has also raised the question of a serious threat to the Dayton settlement and to Bosnia. It also represented a pretty horrendous use of untrammeled force against innocent civilians in a way that became clearly notorious and threatened to set off further complications around.
     We are deeply engaged in Sudan. We are the major donor of assistance. We have worked very hard with the parties to resolve the issue. We believe that there is a negotiating process engaged, but that the parties need to be more seriously involved in that. We believe diplomacy still has a role to play in that problem.

SIMEONE: Did the United States act too late on Kosovo? Should this have been done perhaps months ago before we got on the verge of a humanitarian crisis?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: The United States, I think, acted in a way in which the cohesion and the present state of European concurrence on this issue permitted. It took us quite a while, as you recall, to get the original Security Council resolution. We'd been working on it for quite a while. Our deep concern with this situation was expressed as early as last spring when the depredations started and when the troop build-up started. And we worked very hard diplomatically to see if we could bring it under control. That clearly wasn't possible. It was clear that the international community was divided and only came together this autumn with the idea that it would support a situation in which diplomacy could be backed up with the use of force.

SIMEONE: Doesn't this also, though, further push an ultimate resolution of the Kosovo crisis down the road? We're not settling here, are we, the fundamental problem of whether Kosovo should have independence or not.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I think in the contrary, because one of the critical questions in the U.N. resolution and one of the major elements in Ambassador Holbrooke's negotiation was to develop a timetable for the political settlement of Kosovo, the interim agreement that the United States has put forward and that President Milosevic and his regime agreed, on their own, without negotiation with the Kosovar Albanians, to guarantees of self-government, to guarantees of elections as part of a settlement process, to commitment to see a development of a Kosovar police force, and so on. These are very important steps. These were unilateral on this part. They came about as a result of the effort on the part of Ambassador Holbrooke not only to negotiate a timetable, which is also in place for an early conclusion of an agreement, early November, but also to set forward a series of basic principles which he felt would help to unlock the present set of arrangements.
     You talked about Kosovo independence. As you know, the United States has not taken that position. The United States believes that we ought to move to an interim agreement for the next three years that can provide a very large measure of self-government, what we have called enhanced status for the people of Kosovo.

SIMEONE: But if the KLA, the Kosovo rebels continue to fight, aren't all bets off, and then we see Serb retaliation?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I don't believe so. I don't think that that's necessarily in the best interests either of the Albanians or perhaps even the KLA. Some isolated radicals may try to do that. But even there, as I pointed out, a number of the KLA have committed themselves to a cease-fire and to assisting in the humanitarian assistance of the people in Albania, which is clearly important and is a backing, if you like, of the arrangements we have worked out.

SIMEONE: Are you worried that Kosovo may ultimately become another American protectorate in Balkans, like Bosnia?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I don't think so. I think that, first, we're not putting, as I said, ground combat forces in. Neither is NATO. NATO may have a force in the region which can help to extract the OSCE verification monitors if they get into difficulty in a way that then would open the door for the use of air power to enforce the implementation of the agreement. But there is not, in the same sense of the word, a similar situation to Bosnia.
     Secondly, Bosnia, as you know, with SFOR, represents the contributions of a wide number of countries. The American military commander is in charge in only one area. It is a strong and cooperative effort. And I think, clearly, it represents a significant European, American and other interest in resolving the difficult Bosnian situation, not an American protectorate.

SIMEONE: A final question. Is Slobodan Milosevic an American ally or enemy?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: I think that Slobodan Milosevic is shown by every action and by every statement, and indeed almost by every move that he has been brought along only under very, very severe pressure and that he doesn't consider the United States an ally, friend, mentor or controller, in that sense, except in the most extreme sort of situation. He began the negotiations by publicly calling Ambassador Holbrooke a criminal. He is clearly an individual who only understands the threat of the use of force in negotiations. It's not a pleasant way to have to negotiate. Ambassador Holbrooke spent many long, tedious and trying hours bringing him along with this particular agreement.
     But the fact that we have emerged with an agreement that we consider to be a serious and important step forward in no way implies that somehow Mr. Milosevic is a ... ally of the United States. Quite the contrary.

SIMEONE: But he is an ally on the Dayton Accords. We clearly need him. If we anger him on the issue of Kosovo, does that threaten to unravel?

AMBASSADOR PICKERING: He is a signatory of the Dayton Accords. He knows what will happen if he doesn't respect his signature. He is a signatory on these agreements, and he knows what will happen if he doesn't respect his signature.

SIMEONE:  Ambassador Pickering, thank you very much for your time.

AMBASSADOR PICKERING:  Thank you very much.

(End transcript)
-----

16 October 1998
TRANSCRIPT: OCT 16 WORLDNET WITH STATE'S MALLOY ON KOSOVO
(U.S. wishes only for peaceful future for Serbs and Kosovars) (3950)

Washington -- "A sincere desire to put Kosovo on the path to some kind of peaceful future where a Kosovar Albanian and a Serb living in Kosovo can look forward to the future ... for themselves, their families, their children -- that's our only desire," a senior State Department official said in an October 16 Worldnet with journalists in Kiev.
     "We have no desire to set precedents for NATO or to use force," said Eileen Malloy, deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian affairs.
     The United States is hoping that the agreement Richard Holbrooke brokered with Slobodan Milosevic will "set the stage for real negotiations on the ground in the FRY ["Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"] for a peaceful political solution to the terrible problems that have been complicating the lives -- and indeed ruining the lives -- of the people of Kosovo for so long," Malloy said. "So it is not a final solution by any means to the problems."
     The agreement, she added, "is trying to stop the violence, stop the bloodshed, and create a situation that can actually allow these talks to go forward."
     In the event that NATO was obliged to use military force, Malloy said, "what you would see would be attacks whose purpose would be to diminish the ability of the government in Belgrade to conduct offensive military operations against the civilian population in Kosovo. There was never any consideration of attacking the people of Kosovo."

Following is transcript of Malloy's Worldnet

(Begin transcript)

MR. FOUCHEUX: Good afternoon, and welcome to Worldnet's "Dialogue," I'm Rick Foucheux.
     After almost 10 days of intense negotiations to resolve the crisis in Kosovo, U.S. Envoy Richard Holbrooke brokered an agreement Tuesday with President Slobodan Milosevic. The agreement was negotiated under the threat of NATO air strikes, and requires specific commitments from Serbia, including troop withdrawal from Kosovo, international monitors, and the safe return of the tens of thousands of refugees.
     Joining us to discuss the agreement is Ambassador Eileen Malloy, deputy assistant secretary for European affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Ambassador Malloy has played an important role in helping to resolve the crisis in Kosovo. Ambassador Malloy, thank you very much for joining us today.

AMB. MALLOY:  Good morning.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Let's begin, if we may quickly, with an overview of the agreement. Could you provide some of the highlights? And what does it mean for the Serbian government and for the Kosovars?

AMB. MALLOY: Certainly. There are three parts, or three separate pieces of paper that came out of Dick Holbrooke's most recent mission in Belgrade. One is an agreement between the government of the FRY ["Federal Republic of Yugoslavia"] with NATO on an air surveillance regime -- and I believe that was signed yesterday in Belgrade between NATO and President Milosevic, signed by NATO Secretary General [Javier] Solana. The second document is an agreement between the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] for an on-the-ground verification regime, and we are hopeful that that will be signed today in Belgrade. And the third component is a unilateral statement put out by the president of Serbia, and that includes a number of unilateral commitments on the part of the government to provide a level of autonomy for the Kosovars, to provide for local government institutions and to provide for a local police force, among a number of other important items.
     So what this does, we hope, is set the stage for real negotiations on the ground in the FRY for a peaceful political solution to the terrible problems that have been complicating the lives, and indeed ruining the lives, of the people of Kosovo for so long. So it is not a final solution by any means to the problems, to the political problems on the ground. What it is, is trying to stop the violence, stop the bloodshed, and create a situation that can actually allow these talks to go forward.

MR. FOUCHEUX: All right. Once again, we thank you very much for joining us, Ambassador Malloy, and we are looking forward to your comments on today's program.
     We are pleased to have a large group of journalists and members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs gathered in Kiev for today's program. Welcome to WorldNet. We ask you to please go ahead with your questions and comments for Ambassador Malloy. Our first question will be from the National Ukrainian Television. Please go ahead.

Q: Vitaly Burokov (sp), Ukrainian Television News. Mrs. Malloy, in the last statement of Javier Solana, he said without a doubt he drove a hard line with regard to Serbia, notwithstanding Milosevic's statement to meet NATO's demands. Do you agree with his position, or do you think that all peaceful measures to resolve the crisis in Kosovo have been used? And, if yes, then how do you tie this in with the agreement about the international observer group which would include Ukrainian citizens? This could threaten their lives directly.

AMB. MALLOY: If I understand the question correctly it is do I agree with NATO Secretary General Solana's statement that all peaceful methods or all diplomatic, economic sanctions -- all of those were exhausted before NATO moved to a threat of force? And I have to say "yes." And I personally have been involved in this effort for many, many months. And, as a matter of fact, the United States and a number of the Western countries, NATO allies, have been accused and criticized of dragging their feet and taking too long, while we did try to work intensively through these peaceful diplomatic methods of persuasion.
     So I personally do agree with NATO Secretary General Solana that the only reason that we have these agreements rights now is because there was a credible threat of force.
     Now, how does that work? Is that consistent with the OSCE on-the-ground verification regime? And your question is will these verifiers, the people that will go to work for OSCE on the ground -- will they be in danger? That is a very, very good question, and a very valid one. This will only work if this regime is implemented in a permissive, good-will environment. In other words, if the government in Belgrade is not determined to follow through on their commitments, is not willing to implement this agreement, it isn't going to work -- it's that simple. So right now what we are trying to do is test their willingness.
     Now, at the same time we are looking at ways in which we can ensure the safety and security of these people on the ground -- we are not simply putting them in there and abandoning them. Number one, there is a commitment from Belgrade to be responsible for their safety and security. Number two, they have all been given full diplomatic status. And, number three, we are looking at what is called a quick reaction force, which is -- it will be a NATO element outside of the FRY that will be responsible for coming in and removing these people on short notice if necessary.
     So it is not a perfect system, it is not a guaranteed system, and it does rely to a large extent on the willingness of Belgrade to fulfill their commitments.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Our next question for Ambassador Eileen Malloy of the U.S. State Department comes from newspaper Den (sp). Please go ahead.

Q: Alexa Pulutski (sp), Den (sp). Probably everybody agrees that to resolve the Kosovo crisis there is a contradiction between two general principles -- human rights and non-intervention in the sovereign affairs of a foreign state. And in the given case it was resolved for the benefit of human rights. But there are dozens of countries where human rights are abused to some extent. And who will determine to what extent how much human rights should be abused in one country so that NATO can interfere? So has NATO taken upon itself the right that it can be the arbiter about human rights in a given part of the world?

AMB. MALLOY: Again, a very valid question. I can tell you that the countries that form NATO have absolutely no desire to take on that role that you just described. And indeed part of the reason it's taken so long for the international community to come to grips with the need for a credible threat of force is because no one wants to do that. We all recognize the precedent that could potentially be established here.
     But this is not simply a question of human rights -- you are absolutely right that in a number of countries, far too many countries around the world, there are horrible human rights abuses. But what the U.N. Security Council came together and determined in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1199 is that this indeed is a threat to regional stability, regional peace, and that indeed is what NATO is reacting to -- not simply the awful human rights violations that were going on, but the fact that this conflict had the potential to spread outside the borders of the FRY -- and indeed was already involving virtually all of Europe, and involving your own country. There are many, many people there who are greatly concerned. It is not a conflict that was solely confined within the borders of the FRY.
     I know from the United States government's point of view, not only were we deeply involved in the humanitarian efforts, but we were involved at the U.N. Security Council within the OSCE, within NATO, within the Permanent Joint Council, within our Partnership for Peace. So I want to make clear that this is not NATO saying they have the right to intervene in human rights violations wherever they choose, but rather NATO reacting to a regional threat to security.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Returning to Kiev, our next question comes from the Segodnya Newspaper. Please go ahead.

Q: Valentin Kavalski (sp), Segodnya Newspaper. Mrs. Malloy, why do you think that NATO should be the one who decides -- council crisis, and not the U.N. Security Council? And won't that lead to in the future that a third world war could erupt? Because, as you know, Ukraine, for example, wants to solve the problem by peaceful means, and Russia is against the NATO position. Won't that lead to a conflict between NATO and Russia in the future, and certain consequences that European stability will be disrupted?

AMB. MALLOY: Again I go back to my earlier response that there was a great deal of thought, a great deal of agonizing that went into this. But it is not NATO deciding. First of all, it was the U.N. Security Council that decided that this was a threat to regional peace and stability. Now NATO must internally decide how to react to a threat of this nature. And I have to be clear here that U.S. policy, our position, is that NATO, once it makes that decision, has the power to take a response to act. It does not require a U.N. Security Council resolution. Now, I recognize that that is not a position that is shared by every other country in the world -- indeed not by all the other members of the Security Council. I'm just articulating the U.S. government's position. But there is no desire on the part of NATO to do what you are describing.
     However, your position that doesn't this potentially cause severe problems in NATO's relationship with Russia, with your country, between the permanent Joint Council arrangement -- yes, you are right, the potential is there and requires very careful management, and I assure you that the United States and all the other NATO allies have been consulting very closely with Russia, and also consulting with your government on a regular basis so that we all understand each other's positions, work through it very carefully, and try to find common ways to resolve the situation. And I give the Russian government tremendous credit for working in constructive and positive ways as far as they could go. And they certainly set down lines that they could not cross. But within those limits we have worked together very hard to make sure that this situation did not erupt into violence. We've also worked with your government, and will continue to do so. So the potential -- yes, it's out there. It's [a] very difficult precedent. But so far it's being managed.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Ambassador Malloy, our next question comes from the Intel News Service. Please go ahead in Kiev.

Q: Intel News, Ukrainian English news agency, Nataly Marchiko (sp). Ms. Malloy, could you tell us why NATO didn't participate in such, you might say terrible circumstances, where people were killed in Chechnya or Africa? Why did Europe turn its attention towards NATO? And also, don't you think that innocent people would be killed if there is an attack on Belgrade?

AMB. MALLOY: There are two parts to your question -- one, why Kosovo and not Chechnya, and the other one is: wouldn't a use of force by NATO in Kosovo end up hurting the very people it's trying to protect. So let me answer those in sequence.
     Chechnya was an awful, awful circumstance, but there are differences, and let me cite just a couple. One of our -- the most frustrating things about Kosovo is that the normal methods that the European community would work -- would use to resolve a situation like this couldn't be used here. For instance, President Milosevic adamantly refused to allow the OSCE to enter and do the kinds of conflict prevention, human rights monitoring that they would normally do. [In] Chechnya there was no OSCE mission.
     Another big difference is the U.N. Security Council actually passed a resolution asking -- insisting, demanding that President Milosevic comply with the demands of the international community, which included engaging in serious negotiations, a cease-fire, allowing full and complete humanitarian access. You did not have that in Chechnya. So there are a number of differences between the situations, and I am not sure you could draw an exact parallel.
     Now, on your second question, would there not perhaps be the danger of collateral damage hurting innocent people within Kosovo or anywhere in the FRY, because NATO military action was not solely going to be directed at Kosovo? You're absolutely right.
     But you have to look at it from another calculation, not to take action. If the international community simply shut its eyes to what was going on in Kosovo, the death and destruction and potential for all sorts of abuses would have ended up hurting a far greater number of people. So you can't simply look at the potential for loss of lives had NATO taken action without taking that into calculation as well.

(Audio break.)

Q: If a decision is adopted on air raids on villages, what would the political consequences be of such an action? And in such an instance will there be any chance for a political resolution?

AMB. MALLOY: Let me see if I understand your question. When you say what would the political consequences be of air raids on villages -- if you mean use of force by NATO, let me make clear that the military planning at NATO was never directed at the civilian population. What you would see would be attacks on FRY military installations, on the special police forces, attacks whose purpose would be to diminish the ability of the government in Belgrade to conduct offensive military operations against the civilian population in Kosovo. There was never any consideration of attacking the people of Kosovo.
     So my previous answer, when I talked about collateral damage, it's because you cannot exclude that in attacking a military facility there may be a civilian that gets hurt. I certainly wouldn't pretend that that's not a possibility. But there's nothing in any planning to attack villages, whether they were ethnic Kosovar Albanian or ethnic Serb. So let's be very clear about that.

MR. FOUCHEUX: All right, ambassador, our next question from private TV channel STB. Please go ahead.

Q: Good day. Natalia Markardov (sp), television channel STB. How would you comment on the fact that last week the hardening of the position and the position of the United States and NATO to begin to start a U.N. resolution to have an air raid? And how does this relate to a possible impeachment of President Clinton? Is this true, or is it an attempt to divert attention from the impeachment proceedings in the House?

AMB. MALLOY: The U.S. has always taken the position that we would go back to the U.N. Security Council and support a Chapter Seven resolution that would move the process forward. In other words, if the result of that discussion in New York, what came out of it sent a strong signal to President Milosevic that the international community was united, that he had to comply with the demands from the international community, we would support that. But our calculus was that we had indeed achieved that message at the U.N. We had gotten everything that we were going to get, that everything was clear -- there was no question in the mind of the FRY government as to what they needed to do, and that what was really missing was a credible threat of force, that the only thing that would change the calculus of the government in Belgrade was a credible threat of force. And therefore we were concentrating our efforts in NATO, because that was the only place to produce a credible threat of force.
     In connection with the political internal process going on in the United States, I can assure you the amount of time I have spent in meetings with high level officials there is absolutely no connection whatsoever.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Ambassador Eileen Malloy of the U.S. State Department is dialoguing with journalists and members of the foreign ministry in Kiev. Our next question, ambassador, comes from Young (sp) Ukrainian Newspaper. Please go ahead.

Q: Mrs. Malloy, I have a question like this: It will be a little more than 10 hours to the ultimatum, and President Milosevic has taken steps to make sure that the bombing doesn't happen. In other words, he is adhering to certain demands. So what assurances can you give that there will be no bombing tomorrow, and how does this situation look now?

AMB. MALLOY: Well, I would be remiss if I attempted to take a decision here, because that is a decision that has to be taken in the North Atlantic Council of NATO. In other words, they are meeting this morning, as I understand it -- this morning Washington time, this afternoon Brussels time -- to decide on the extent of compliance that has already been taken in the FRY. I can tell you that our analysis is we are not there yet.
     There has been some compliance, you are absolutely right, but there are still significant numbers of military units in Kosovo which need to be removed. There are still all sorts of issues with humanitarian access. So there has been some progress -- I give you that. But the position is that this is not a cafeteria-style list that the government in Belgrade can pick and choose, but rather they must comply. They have to begin complete cooperation with the Tribunal that will be investigating war crimes. There is still a long way to go.
     So what NATO has to do is evaluate all the information on compliance and decide either we're on the road to compliance and we should keep moving in a positive direction, or we are not on the road to compliance and there is a need for action. I am not going to speculate on how that comes out right now. I think we need to let NATO make that very tough decision.
     Let me maybe review the process a little bit of the 96 hours that you are referring to. NATO on Monday, October 12, took the political decision to move to what's called ACTORD, which is activation order. And that is the power to actually implement a limited air campaign. However, they said that would be in advance. In other words, there would be no action taken within the 96-hour time frame to give the political process time to verify compliance -- willingness to comply.
     It's very clear to everybody that 100 percent compliance cannot be achieved within the 96-hour time period. But what we are looking for are signs that indeed the government in Belgrade has understood the depth of seriousness of concern on the part of the international community and the absolute fact that they have to comply. So it's going to be a very tough judgment call, and I am afraid we all are just going to have to wait a few hours and see how that comes out.

MR. FOUCHEUX: We return once again to the journalists from Segodnya for another question. Please go ahead again in Kiev.

Q: Valentin Kavalski (sp), Segodnya Newspaper. Tell me please - until we resolve other hot-spots, is it possible this year yet that NATO will participate? Is it also possible that NATO, for example, if there is a problem in the Crimea or the Black Sea Fleet, in hot-spots between Ukraine and Russia, if there will be an eruption of a crisis will NATO intervene to resolve problems between Ukraine and Russia on the Crimean Peninsula?

AMB. MALLOY: It's very difficult to talk about hypotheticals. I have to assume that both the government of Russia and the government of the Ukraine would work closely with the international mechanisms that exist to help mediate disputes. It's hard for me to imagine such a situation. I do not discern any desire on the part of NATO to play the role that you are describing, but it's really difficult to comment about hypotheticals. So I would prefer to just leave that if you don't mind.

MR. FOUCHEUX: Well, I believe that's -- yes, Ambassador Malloy, as we approach the end of our time together, would you have any closing comments for our guests in Kiev and those watching around the world as well?

AMB. MALLOY: Well, first of all, I'd like to say that I am really pleased that we have this opportunity today, because I think it's extremely important for the people of Ukraine to understand what's motivating the United States government, and that is a sincere desire to put Kosovo on the path to some kind of peaceful future where a Kosovar Albanian and a Serb living in Kosovo can look forward to the future, that there is something there for themselves, their families, their children. That's our only desire. We have no desire to set precedents for NATO or to use force. Unfortunately, that may be the only way to achieve what I believe is our ultimate goal, a goal that all of us share. So I am very pleased that we had this opportunity, and we will continue our dialogue with your government, and hopefully continue this type of interaction, because I think it's very important.

MR. FOUCHEUX: And our discussion ends there. Ambassador Eileen Malloy, we thank you very much for spending time with us today in this informative discussion.

AMB. MALLOY:  You are very welcome.

MR. FOUCHEUX: And my thanks to all our participants in Kiev. In Washington I'm Rick Foucheux, good day.

(End transcript)
--------

16 October 1998
TEXT: NATO STATEMENT OCT. 16 ON COMPLIANCE ON KOSOVO
(Extends deadline for compliance to Oct. 27)  (300)

Brussels -- NATO October 16 extended the deadline for the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" to come into compliance with terms of the accord on Kosovo, giving President Slobodan Milosevic until October 27 to honor the agreement.
     "We are still at some distance from full compliance," NATO spokesman Jamie Shea said in Brussels. He said the alliance had "clear evidence" that an unacceptable number of Serb troops and police remained in the province.
     "While in Belgrade," the spokesman said, "the Secretary General impressed upon President Milosevic the urgent need to comply fully with UNSCR 1199."

Following is the NATO text:

(begin text)

STATEMENT BY THE NATO SPOKESMAN ON THE NAC OF 16 OCTOBER 1998

The North Atlantic Council at its meeting today took stock of the State of Compliance in Kosovo.
     We are still at some distance from full compliance. There is a clear evidence that many army and special units, that are normally based outside Kosovo, are still deployed in Kosovo. As the Secretary General made clear in Belgrade, the North Atlantic Council expects these unite to be withdrawn immediately.
     While in Belgrade, the Secretary General impressed upon President Milosevic the urgent need to comply fully with UNSCR 1199.
     The NAC therefore decided to maintain its readiness to launch air operations against Yugoslavia, including the deployment of substantial air forces in the region.
     The NAC has decided that the period before execution of air strikes will be extended until 27th October.
     The Council will continue to monitor developments very closely.
     The NAC calls on President Milosevic to take urgent steps to ensure that full compliance is achieved in this time period.
     (end text)
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