Rußland würde westliche Lebensmittelhilfe annehmen
Moskau (dpa) - Angesichts drohender Versorgungsengpässe im Winter würde Rußland nach Worten von Ministerpräsident Jewgeni Primakow Lebensmittelhilfe aus dem Westen nicht abschlagen. Das Land werde aber nicht in der Welt um humanitäre Hilfe «betteln», zitierte die Nachrichtenagentur Interfax Primakow am Samstag.
     Rußland sei eine «Großmacht, die sowieso wieder auf die Beine kommt», sagte Primakow später in einem Interview des russischen Fernsehsenders ORT. Es werde seine Interessen verteidigen, unabhängig davon, ob es die Kredite des Internationalen Währungsfonds (IWF) erhalte. Mit Blick auf die internationalen Bemühungen zur Lösung der Kosovo-Krise sagte Primakow, niemand solle im Westen denken, daß Rußland in der Politik die «zweite Geige spielen» werde.
     Die Vereinten Nationen (UN) sind nach Angaben des Katastrophenschutzministers Sergej Schoigu bereit, Rußland in diesem Winter humanitäre Hilfe zu gewähren. Auch die Europäische Union (EU) ist grundsätzlich zur Lebensmittelhilfe für Rußland bereit.
     Die Regierung in Moskau würde auch billige Kredite zum Kauf von Lebensmitteln aufnehmen, wenn sie langfristig und zu niedrigen Zinsen angeboten würden, sagte Primakow vor Jorunalisten. Die Regierung wolle erreichen, daß in diesem Winter kein Bürger weniger Nahrungsmittel habe als im vergangenen Jahr. «Es wird in diesem Winter keinen Hunger im Land geben», sagte Primakow.
     Nach einer schlechten Ernte und dem drastischen Einbruch der Importe infolge der Rubelkrise gibt es die Befürchtung, daß Rußland im Winter auf westliche Lebensmittelhilfen angewiesen sein könnte. Bislang hatte Rußland mehr als die Hälfte der benötigten Nahrungsmittel aus dem Ausland importiert. Unter anderem hat die Europäische Union (EU) Moskau Lebensmittelhilfe angeboten.
     Primakow versicherte, daß die geplante Geldemission zum Abbau des Haushaltsdefizits «minimalen Einfluß auf die Inflation» haben werde. Die Regierung werde alles tun, um einen dramatischen Fall des Rubelkurs zu verhindern. Das Antikrisenprogramm der neuen Regierung sei so gut wie fertig und werde bis zum Ende der Woche verabschiedet, sagte er weiter. Das Projekt werde auch dem IWF vorgelegt.
     Das Programm sei unter der Federführung des Ersten Stellvertretenden Ministerpräsidenten Juri Masljukow (Kommunistische Partei) ausgearbeitet worden. Es enthalte aber die Meinungen verschiedener Experten und Ministerien, betonte er. Masljukow bezeichnete am Samstag die Zusammenarbeit mit der IWF-Delegation in Moskau als «schwer».
     Der IWF hatte das Fehlen eines konkreten Wirtschaftsprogramms kritisiert. Die Freigabe der zurückgehaltenen Kreditrate in Höhe von 4,3 Milliarden Dollar (sieben Milliarden Mark) wird von der Umsetzung marktwirtschaftlicher Reformen durch die neue Regierung abhängig gemacht.
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Volmer und Beer: Stärke der Bundeswehr nicht zu halten
Bonn (dpa) - Der designierte Staatsminister im deutschen Außenministerium, Ludger Volmer, und die Verteidigungsexpertin der Grünen, Angelika Beer, gehen weiter davon aus, daß die derzeitige Stärke der deutschen Streitkräfte (Bundeswehr) von 340 000 Mann auf Dauer nicht zu halten ist.
     Beer sagte am Samstag auf dem Parteitag von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen in Bonn darüber hinaus, auch die Wehrpflicht werde auf lange Sicht abgeschafft.
     Nach ihrer Einschätzung seien sich auch die Soldaten über diese Entwicklungen im klaren. Beer forderte daher ihre Parteifreunde auf, einen Dialog mit den Bundeswehrangehörigen darüber zu führen.
     Beer kündigte an, die Grünen wollten in der Wehrstrukturkommission intensiv mitarbeiten. Angesichts der Haushaltslage sei jetzt schon klar, daß diese «überdimensionierte Armee" so nicht gehalten werden könne.
     Es bedürfe auch keines Kniefalls vor der Rüstungsindustrie, wenn entsprechende Änderungen umgesetzt werden müßten. Volmer betonte, er könne sich nicht vorstellen, daß die Bundeswehr im Jahr 2000 noch so aussehe wie heute.
     Beer wie Volmer verlangten ein rasches Umdenkens in der Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik. Auch die Rüstungsexporte müßten begrenzt werden. Solche Exporte in die Türkei würden sich erledigen. Volmer versicherte, daß die Grünen «frischen Wind" in die Außenpolitik bringen werden. Dies werde auch im Ausland so erwartet. Dabei würden Grünen-Grundsätze wie die Entmilitarisierung und eine aktivere Menschenrechtspolitik auf die Tagesordnung kommen.
     Trotz der Entscheidung des deutschen Parlaments über einen möglichen Kosovo-Einsatz unter deutscher Beteiligung werden die Grünen nach den Worten Volmers am Gewaltmonopol der Vereinten Nationen (UN) nicht rütteln lassen.
     Eine Selbstmandatierung der Nato dürfe es nicht geben. Auslandseinsätze der deutschen Streitkräfte dürfte nur auf Grundlage von Völker- und Verfassungsrecht erfolgen.
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UCK will im Kosovo keine «grenzenlose» Zurückhaltung üben
Belgrad/Pristina (dpa) - Die albanische Kosovo-Untergrundarmee UCK will sich im Hinblick auf Gewaltanwendung nicht «grenzenlos" zurückhalten. Das gab der Stab der UCK am Samstag in der Kosovo-Provinzhauptstadt Pristina bekannt, meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Beta in Belgrad.
     Die UCK werde immer die serbischen Streitkräfte angreifen, wenn diese sich in Richtung der von Albanern bewohnten Dörfer oder UCK-Stellungen bewegten. Von den Angriffen blieben diejenigen Truppen verschont, die sich von ihren Stellungen zurückzögen.
     Die UCK verpflichte kein Abkommen zu dieser Zurückhaltung, sondern das Interesse des albanischen Volkes, das für die Freiheit, Unabhängigkeit und Demokratie kämpfe und die internationalen Bemühungen um Frieden und Stabilität in der Region, heißt es in der UCK-Bekanntmachung, die in der kosovo-albanischen Zeitung «Bujku» veröffentlicht wurde.
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Radiosender in Belgrad meldet Truppenrückzug aus Kosovo
Belgrad/Pristina (dpa) - Jugoslawien hat nach Angaben des Belgrader Rundfunksenders B 92 am Samstag den Rückzug des Militärs aus den bisherigen Einsatzgebieten im Kosovo in die Kasernen fortgesetzt. Augenzeugen hätten einen langen Armeekonvoi in Begleitung von Polizeifahrzeugen gesehen, der sich aus Podujevo in die südlich gelegene Kosovo-Provinzhauptstadt Pristina bewegte, berichtete der Sender. Das Ziel sei die örtliche Armeekaserne, hieß es in jugoslawischen Militärkreisen in Pristina.
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Polizei entdeckt Panzerminen für das Kosovo in Garage
Zagreb (dpa) - Im Rahmen einer Aktion gegen den illegalen Waffenhandel hat die Polizei in der kroatischen Hafenstadt Split in einer Garage in einem dichtbesiedelten Wohngebiet 58 Panzerminen entdeckt. Die Sprengkörper sowie weiteres Zubehör für Schützenminen waren nach Ansicht der Behörden für die albanische Untergrundarmee UCK in der umkämpften südjugoslawischen Provinz Kosovo vorgesehen, wie die Zeitung «Slobodna Dalmacija» in Split am Samstag berichtete. Erste Nachforschungen der Polizei ergaben, daß die Minen aus dem benachbarten Bosnien-Herzegowina stammten.
     Die Polizei war den Waffenhändlern auf die Spur gekommen, nachdem vor wenigen Wochen in der italienischen Hafenstadt Ancona ein Lastwagen mit Waffen und Munition entdeckt worden war. Die für das Kosovo vorgesehene Lieferung war nach Vermutungen der Behörden mit der Fähre aus Kroatien über die Adria gebracht worden.
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OSZE-Vizepräsident warnt vor Militärschlag ohne UN-Mandat
Berlin (dpa) - Der Vizepräsident der Parlamentarischen Versammlung der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE), Willi Wimmer, hat die Vorgehensweise der USA und der Nato im Kosovo-Konflikt kritisiert. Wie Wimmer am Samstag im Deutschlandradio Berlin sagte, gefährdet der Einsatz von Nato-Truppen im Kosovo ohne Mandat der UN die Sicherheit in der gesamten Region.
     Wörtlich sagte Wimmer: «Ich persönlich vertrete die Auffassung, daß alle diese Fragen in der Charta der Vereinten Nationen dergestalt geregelt sind, daß Gewalt, die nicht der Selbstverteidigung dient, wirklich strikt an das Regelwerk der Vereinten Nationen gebunden ist. Das, was hier die Nato beschlossen hat und was durch den Beschluß des deutschen Bundestages für Deutschland umgesetzt worden ist, ist weit überdehnt. Wenn das, was hier beschlossen worden ist, künftig die Welt bestimmt, dann kehren wir zum Faustrecht zurück.»
     Wie Wimmer weiter sagte, würde ein Militärschlag der Nato unweigerlich zu einer Eskalation auf dem Balkan führen, die möglicherweise auch auf benachbarte Gebiete und Staaten wie beispielsweise Bosnien-Herzegowina übergreifen könnte. Dies würde «die Weltordnung insgesamt» gefährden.
     Provokationen auf dem Balkan müßten unbedingt verhindert werden, um die Sicherheit der rund 2 000 OSZE-Beobachter nicht zu gefährden. Wimmer kritisierte vor allem die Haltung der USA: «Nach den Erfahrungen der letzten Jahre müssen wir sehr sorgfältig prüfen, welche Möglichkeiten wir auf dem Balkan und im früheren Jugoslawien haben. Die Vereinigten Staaten behalten sich offensichtlich alleine das Recht vor, die zentralen Entscheidungen über Krieg und Frieden zu treffen. Und deswegen sind unsere Möglichkeiten ebenso intensiv wie limitiert.»

(Der Beitrag wurde dpa in redaktioneller Fassung zur Verfügung gestellt.)
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Nato-Vertreter nach Belgrad - UN uneins über neue Kosovo-Resolution
Brüssel/New York/Moskau (dpa) - Hochrangige Vertreter der Nato reisen heute (Samstag) nach Belgrad, um erneut Druck für einen schnellen und vollständigen Abzug der serbischen Sondereinheiten von Armee und Polizei aus dem Kosovo zu machen. Nach einer Sitzung des Nato-Rates am Freitag in Brüssel verlautete, der Chef des Militärausschusses der Allianz, General Klaus Naumann, und der Oberbefehlshaber der Nato in Europa, General Wesley Clark, würden sich zu Gesprächen mit der jugoslawischen Militärführung treffen.
     Zuvor hatten die 16 Nato-Botschafter noch einmal festgestellt, daß der jugoslawische Präsident Slobodan Milosevic die UN-Bedingungen noch immer nicht erfüllt. Deshalb soll der militärische Druck des Bündnisses weiter aufrechterhalten werden. Die Nato hat bereits den Aktivierungsbefehl für Luftangriffe beschlossen, die Verwirklichung vorerst aber bis zum kommenden Dienstag ausgesetzt.
     Der UN-Sicherheitsrat in New York konnte sich am Freitag noch nicht auf eine neue Kosovo-Resolution verständigen. Hauptstreitpunkt war ein Formulierungsvorschlag westlicher Staaten, der nach Ansicht von Rußland und China eine Genehmigung für Militäreinsätze bedeutet. Nach Angaben von Ratspräsident Sir Jeremy Greenstock hielt Rußland darum an einem eigenen Resolutionsentwurf fest.
     Mit der neuen Resolution soll den Vereinbarungen Jugoslawiens mit der Nato und der OSZE über unbewaffnete Überwachungsflüge über dem Kosovo sowie über die Entsendung von 2 000 zivilen OSZE-Beobachtern Nachdruck verliehen werden. Gleichzeitig will der Sicherheitsrat auf die Erfüllung seiner Resolution 1199 vom 23. September dringen, die vor allem den serbischen Truppenabzug aus der Provinz vorsieht.
     Die Regierung in Moskau warnte unterdessen die Serben und Albaner im Kosovo davor, die Arbeit der internationalen Beobachter und humanitären Organisationen zu behindern. Die UN-Resolution 1199 müßten beide Seiten erfüllen, betonte der Sprecher des russischen Außenministeriums, Wladimir Rachmanin.
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Moskau warnt Albaner und Serben - Sicherheitsrat ohne Beschlüsse
Moskau/Brüssel/New York (dpa) - Rußland hat die Konfliktparteien im Kosovo am Freitag davor gewarnt, die Arbeit der internationalen Beobachter und humanitären Organisationen zu behindern. Die im September verabschiedete Resolution des UN-Weltsicherheitsrats müßten beide Seiten erfüllen, betonte der Sprecher des russischen Außenministeriums, Wladimir Rachmanin.
     Der UN-Sicherheitsrat hat am Freitag in New York trotz der von westlichen Diplomaten geäußerten Hoffnungen noch keine neue Kosovo-Resolution verabschiedet, weil Rußland und China harte Gegenpositionen bezogen. Der in diesem Monat amtierende Ratspräsident Sir Jeremy Greenstock teilte mit, Rußland halte an seinem eigenen Resolutionsentwurf fest. Damit gibt es keine gemeinsame Vorlage der Kontaktgruppe, deren Mitglieder außer Rußland die USA, Deutschland, Großbritannien, Frankreich und Italien sind.
     Hauptstreitpunkt ist ein Formulierungsvorschlag der westlichen Mitglieder der Kontaktgruppe, nach dem der Sicherheitsrat «bestätigen» soll, daß Mitgliedstaaten der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) und der Nato «möglicherweise zu Aktionen greifen müssen, um die Bewegungsfreiheit und Sicherheit» der zivilen Beobachter zu garantieren. Das wird von Rußland als Genehmigung für Militäreinsätze gesehen und strikt abgelehnt.
     Mit der Resolution soll den Vereinbarungen Jugoslawiens mit der Nato und der OSZE über unbewaffnete Nato-Überwachungsflüge über der serbischen Provinz Kosovo sowie über die Entsendung von 2 000 zivilen OSZE-Beobachtern Nachdruck verliehen werden. Gleichzeitig will der UN-Sicherheitsrat auf die Erfüllung seiner Resolution 1199 dringen, die am 23. September verabschiedet worden war und vor allem einen serbischen Truppenabzug vorsah.
     Die Militärspitze der Nato reist an diesem Samstag zu Gesprächen mit der jugoslawischen Militärführung nach Belgrad, um erneut Druck zu einem schnellen und vollständigen Abzug der serbischen Sondereinheiten von Armee und Polizei aus dem Kosovo zu machen. Nach einer Sitzung des Nato-Rates am Freitag in Brüssel verlautete, der Chef des Militärausschusses der Allianz, General Klaus Naumann, und der Oberbefehlshaber der Nato in Europa, General Wesley Clark, werden nach Belgrad fahren.
     Die 16 Nato-Botschafter stellten noch einmal fest, daß der jugoslawische Präsident Slobodan Milosevic die UN-Bedingungen noch immer nicht erfülle. Deshalb soll der militärische Druck des Bündnisses weiter aufrechterhalten werden. Die Nato hat bereits den Aktivierungsbefehl für Luftangriffe beschlossen, die Verwirklichung vorerst aber bis zum kommenden Dienstag ausgesetzt.
     Moskau forderte Serben und Albaner auf, weder die Beobachter der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) noch humanitäre Helfer zu behindern. Für die Rückkehr der Flüchtlinge müsse eine Atmosphäre des Vertrauens geschaffen werden, sagte Rachmanin.
     Der Leiter der OSZE-Beobachter, William Walker, sagte am Freitag abend in der Kosovo-Hauptstadt Pristina, die künftigen Beobachter der OSZE im Kosovo würden nicht in den potentiellen Kampfgebieten der Serben und Albaner eingesetzt. «Wenn zwei Seiten aufeinander schießen, wäre es verrückt, unbewaffnete internationale Beobachter zwischen sie zu schicken», zitierte die Belgrader Nachrichtenagentur Beta Walker.
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zurück zu    ==> Teil 1

                           Religion and Kosovo
                      A Christian and a Moslem View

Having read the text by Mr. Qemajl Morina, the lecturer at the Islamic Faculty in Pristina, I found it necessary to comment some of his positions which will, I am sure, clarify the positions of our Church and our Orthodox people in Kosovo on the role of Religion in this region. With due respect for Mr. Morina and his freedom to think what he feels, I can't help observing that this article is very different in tone from my text. I tried more to speak about the future and what we as religious representatives and people of good will can do now to make things better. I am afraid Mr. Morina got stucked in the controversial historic arguements and unfounded accusations to which I feel necessity to respond.

Fr. Sava
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                              Qemajl Morina

*For some Serb circles the conflict in Kosovo may even be a "Crusade," but for the Albanians it has an exclusively ethnic and national character

***Comm: The very first sentence of Mr. Morina is directly in collision with my crucial argument, that is - Kosovo conflict is not a religious war but a conflict between two extremist nationalist ideas.

There is no doubt that religion, as one of the most important components of the spiritual life of every nation, was a key factor in shaping the consciousness of the Albanian nation. Since Albanian territories lie on a strategic crossroads, where the interests of the East and West meet, during history they became the arena in which many battles were waged and the different interests of the East and West clashed. The result of these clashes, and of the political, military, and religious dominance of one or another great power, is the fact that in regard to faith, the Albanians belong to various denominations.

***Comm: The expression "Albanian territories" is rather relativistic. "The territories where Albanians live" would be much more objective expression.

This is why Albanians, wherever they live - be it in Albania proper, or in their ethnic territories in Kosovo, Macedonia, or Montenegro - are mostly Muslims, though there are also Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Christians. However, it has to be stressed that the Albanian nation, though not strong in numbers and though divided by two great religions and a number of religious rites, never experienced a single religious clash in its long history. To the contrary: it is renowned for its enormous religious tolerance, and for respect shown towards religious monuments of other religious groups, which have been preserved for generations.
This tolerance and generosity demonstrated by the Albanians was probably initiated by their religious leaders, who properly understood and preached religion as a mission of God which strives for equality of people regardless of nationality, race, or creed. The Koran says: "People! We have created you from a single man and a single woman and made you into nations and tribes to differ one from another. The noblest among you are the most devoted."
There is no doubt that after the Second World War, with the advent of the communist system in Albania and in other places populated by the Albanians, religious feelings began to weaken, primarily among young people. For many, religion was but a formality that could be deduced from names and surnames. However, even this was gradually eliminated because traditional Albanian names were abandoned and instead of them were adopted ideological or international names.
Maybe this introduction was necessary as a response to the question posed by a number of media and which involves the role played by religion in the ongoing Kosovo conflict. But, first of all, we have to say that this conflict has a long history. It started in 1878, when the Ottoman Empire was declining and when the first ethnic cleansing of 600 Muslim villages in the region of Nis, Pirot, Vranje, Leskovac, and other towns was carried out. At the time, Serbia and Montenegro enjoyed the support of Russia, and even of Great Britain and France.

***Comm: I wonder that Mr. Morina is silent about the period before 1878 when many Orthodox Serbs were driven away from Kosovo, many Orthodox churches converted into mosques or simply destroyed. The fact that once dominant Christian population of Kosovo became a minority in the 19th century clearly shows that Mr. Morina argument is not very convincing. When we speak of history I must say that it did not start in 1878. We must also know the historic background of the more recent events. Since the fall of the Serbian Medieval state in Kosovo at the end of the 14th century the number of the Serb Christian population was diminishing on expense of the growing Moslem population.

The Albanians realized they were threatened by their neighbors, and consequently formed the Albanian League in Prizren to defend Albanian territories from their neighbors' hegemonistic aspirations. But later, at the London Conference in 1913, and the Versailles Conference in 1918, Albanian territories fell prey to the Great Powers, and the greed of their neighbors.

***Comm: Unfortunately, this view is rather one sided. The local Serbs equally understood the threat from the Albanian League which worked on making of Greater Albania in which the Serbs would be the second rate citizens as they were under the Ottomans. As Kosovo was for the Albanians "an Albanian territory", the Serbs with equal right considered Kosovo their own native territory, which was a heart of the Serbian state and the cradle of its culture and religion in pre Ottoman period.
Therefore the wish for freedom cannot be so easily branded as "hegemonistic" and "greedy". I am personally sorry that Mr. Morina fails to understand that Kosovo is neither Serb or Albanian but belongs to all peoples living here. Supporting the 19th century ideas at the treshold of the 21st century is really very outdated.

The Albanians were disappointed by this injustice committed against them by the Great Powers, and had never accepted it. Because of that the present conflict between Albanians and Serbs should not be seen as accidental. Certain changes took place in the territory of the former Yugoslavia - several new states have been created along ethnic lines, and it is entirely normal for the Albanians to choose their own path, knowing that they differ from the Serbs in regard to nationality, language, culture, and religion.

***Comm: It is understandable that the Albanians were dissatisfied with the course of events and could not accept easily the new political realities in the Balkans. But the new states which appeared were not created along ethnic lines. The political borders in the Balkans never completely reflected the ethnic or religious realities. After all the Albanian people was granted an independent state of Albania. The fact that certain number of Albanians was found outside of their mother state was not an isolated case. There were also substantial Serb groups outside of Serbia and Montenegro which also caused dissatisfaction among the Serbs. It is important to know that one of the main reasons why Kosovo became a part of Serbia was that the most important cultural and religious monuments of our people were found exactly in Kosovo and Metohija. Their number far exceedes the number of other religious monuments.

Therefore, when analyzing the role and influence played by religion in the ongoing Albanian-Serb conflict, we come up with entirely opposed results. On the one hand we have the Serbs, who always used religion when they needed to mobilize their forces for any holy "Crusade" of cleansing "Serb lands" of Muslims. But, this argument is used also to mobilize the European and Western public for the defense of Christian Europe from Islam, as Serb propaganda puts it, against the "Green Belt" -- Turkey, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Sandzak, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

***Comm: The idea about the Serb Orthodox "Crusade" is completely unfounded and untrue. The Serbian Orthodox Chruch never incited religious hatred but worked more on preservation of its spiritual heritage. I must admit that I personally regret that Mr. Morina in his essay is going more and more to the past instead of looking to our common future. But nevertheless, I cannot but mention that the idea of ethnic cleansing in these areas was first applied by Moslems who forcefuly displaced and converted the Christan population, ruining their churches and converting them into mosques. The ideas of the "Green Belt" threat come mostly from the nationalist and not religious circles. After all, having in mind all what the Christians of the Balkans suffered during the Ottoman rule makes it quite understandable why they felt fear.

There is no doubt that the main force that sets this propaganda in motion in the Serbian Orthodox Church, with all its institutions. Orthodox Churches in general -- the Serb, the Greek, the Romanian, etc. -- as opposed to the Roman Catholic Church, are also national churches, close to the national interests of their respective countries.

***Comm: This accusation by Mr. Morina is simply not true. In fact, if one took it for granted and did not know the historic background of this region, he would think that all the history of the Balkans was suffering of the Moslems under the repressive Christian yoke and not the opposite.

The Orthodox Chruches are organized on national principle but they are not nationalistic. They have played a very important role in preserving of ethnic, religious and cultural identity of these peoples under the Turkish yoke. Of course, within these Churches there were individuals who prefered their national interests to spiritual ones, but we must have in mind that ethnofyletism (chauvinist nationalism) was condemned by the Orthodox Church as a heresy and any kind of violence and murder is a grave sin.

Historic data provides the best evidence that the Serbs are engaged in a religious war. Towards the end of the last century, for example, Belgrade had 275 mosques, but they were all destroyed and there is only one left standing in the city, and it is a frequent target of attacks. During their horrible war in Bosnia, the Serbs destroyed about 1,000 mosques, massacred tens of thousands of civilians, and raped thousands of Muslim women.

***Comm: It is true that Belgrade had many mosques but it is also true that before the arrival of the Moslems it had double more churches and chappels which had been ruined or converted into mosques by the new Moslem rulers. Belgrade and central Serbia did not have native Moslem population and with withdrawal of Turkey from these areas the Turks fled with their army. By the way, Prizren, the old capital of the Medieval Serb Kingdom was a flourishing Christian city before the arrival of Ottoman armies. According to existing historical evidence it had more than 300 churches. Now there are only 4. The largest mosque in Prizren was built out of stones from the ruined St. Archangels monastery by Sinan Pasha who was of the Albanian origin, by the way.

Concerning the war in Bosnia with great regret I must admit that nationalist and atheist Serbs destroyed many mosques. But that was not organized by the Church and our Patriarch spoke many times against these barbarous acts. As for the killed and massacred people, with same regret we must admit that all three sides engaged in similar things more or less. But compared to Mr. Morina's very quick attribution of these crimes to the Serbs in general, I would be more cautious and ascribe these crimes to extremists on all three sides and these extremists and criminals are definitely not true representatives of their peoples.

Almost the same scenario is being repeated in Kosovo. Since the revoking of Kosovo's autonomy, but even since earlier times, Serbia waged a "Crusade" in Kosovo, pretending to "defend Europe from Islamic invasion," because the majority of the Kosovo's population are Muslims.

***Comm: Unfortunately the idea of the "Crusade" is a light-motive of Mr. Morinas text. The Orthodox Church has NEVER in its long history been engaged in any kind of a Crusade. It is very well known that the relationship between the Christian Orthodox and Moslem population in the Middle East was relatively tolerant until the Crusaders from the West came and comitted many slaughters there. The brunt of the Moslem revange was felt especially hard by the native Orthodox population which was found between two warring sides. Therefore the idea of a "Crusade" does not exist in Orthodoxy, which any objective historian may confirm. On the other hand Mr. Morina forgets that many Kosovo Serbs and Christians in general suffered from the consequences of the Moslem "Jihad" (Sacred war). It was not unusual in the Ottoman period that young Christian boys were forcefully taken to Turkey and converted to Islam (Yannissars). The Moslem beys (noblemen) in the Balkans enjoyed the priviledge of "the right of the first night" (ius primae noctis) and could sleep the first night with every new Christian bride.

But, let us leave the dark pages of history behind. What sounds rather unusual for me is the statement that even before the Kosovo atonomy was revoked by Milosevic the Serbs "waged a Crusade in Kosovo". I say this because after the WW2 the Albanians were granted a very wide autonomy within Yugoslavia and under the Albanian dominated provincial administration it was the Serb Orthodox who felt as a second rate citizens and not the opposite. The best evidence of that was that the number of the Albanian population in that period was increasing while many Serbs had to leave Kosovo under various subtle pressures and threats. Therefore Mr. Morina's arguement is quite unfounded and may be understood only as his private opinion but not as a historical fact.

This propaganda of the Serbian Orthodox Church is frequently joined by leaders of political parties, even the communists. The former secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Serbia, Milomir Minic, accuses the Albanians "of Islamic fundamentalism because of their high birth rate."

***Comm: That is the statement by a former communist leader and he has not got to do anything with our Church. The Serbian Orthodox Church was very much persecuted in Kosovo by the communist authorities. Among them were both Serb and Albanian atheist officials. In my article I never mentioned Islamic fundamentalism nor the high birth rate. In fact we very often criticize our own people for the low birth rate and abortions.

On the other hand, in 1992, the former head of the Kosovo district said at a meeting with a delegation of Russian parliamentarians: "In Kosovo were are not only defending the Serbs, but primarily Eastern Orthodox Christianity from the Albanian Islamic invasion."

***Comm: Well, Mr. Morina himself is trying to push forward a very similar theory of an alleged Serb "Crusade". In my opinion, both theories are untrue and only incite hatred instead of love and tolerance. We must have in mind that many Serbs talking about the "Islamic threat" are not religious themselves. But we cannot evade the historic fact that Prince Lazar together with his Christian Serb and Albanian knights defended a Christian Civilization. After all both Serbs and Albanians in that time were Christians. Whether Mr. Morina liked that or not, it is well known that Islam came to the Balkans with the Turkish invasion and force and not through a peaceful and free conversion or missionary work. That can be read in any historic book and encyclopaedia.

Recently, the leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, Vuk Draskovic, said at a press conference that "the foundations of European democratic principles cannot rest on the standards of Sharia - the Muslim religious law - and that Europe cannot be joined by constructing high walls around one's houses."

***Comm: Despite my personal disagreement with Mr. Draskovic in many points I cannot but agree that a modern society must be based on secular laws. Our Church Canon law is restricted only on our Church affairs. There are many Moslem countries where the modern laws are observed. The Turkey for example is a modern secular state although the majority of the population are Moslems. I only believe that Mr. Morina did not want to say that he would like a state like Iran or Sudan in the middle of Europe. The today's Europe is ready to accept all peoples of different ethnicity and religion but not the customs according to which certain sins are punished by a public linch. With all respect for the freedom of Moslems to profess their religion we, as Europeans, must strive towards modern civilizational values and not towards the decadent laws of the past. In the Middle Ages some European states had also the laws which were very brutal but that time has passed and we must think now in a different way. I am sure that Islam has much other important things to offer to the modern world beside the Sharia law.

The "fear" of Albanian Islam is the main target of the Serbian establishment and the Orthodox clergy. The loudest of all is the bishop of Raska and Prizren, Artemije, as well as the bishop, Lavrentije, who according to Nasa Borba, which, in turn, quoted the Macvanske Novine newspaper, said: "Bishop Artemije might have been right in proposing, with great pain, that we should give away a part of Kosovo that we love the least to Albanians. Maybe this part of Kosovo would become a challenge for Serbia's future, and the future of all of Europe, because it will serve as an obstacle to the Islamic thrust northward. If this is not done, I fear that the Albanians will rather soon get as far as Sumadija, and even reach the gates of Belgrade, because in only two decades they will be the most numerous nation in Serbia. If ethnic Albanians served in the Yugoslav Army, every third recruit would be Albanian, as would every third representative in the Serbian Legislature," concluded Lavrentije.

***Comm: During eight years of being an Orthodox Christian Bishop in Kosovo, Bishop Artemije never said anything against the Islam. I wish Mr. Morina could produce a single original and authentic statement of that kind. Therefore, the uncontrolled and rather vile accusations against this man of peace are very humiliating. The statement by Bishop Lavrentije is first of all a second-hand statement and not an authentic statement by Bishop Artemije. If Bishop Artemije really thought in that way it is impossible that in all these years only this statement from a provincial newspaper could be produced as a proof. Mr. Morina himself has already several times accused our Church of waging a Crusade which is equally or even more "heavy" statement than that by Bishop Lavrentije. I would be pleased to see any other proof of Bishop Artemije's alleged anti-Islamic positions. But to disappointment of those who are trying to accuse this man of what he is not quilty there are no other statements because he simply does not think that way.

While over 40 mosques were the target of the latest Serb offensive and were completely destroyed, a number of imams were massacred, while Shah Muhedin was killed in his tekhe (dervish school) in Orahovac, together with all the civilians who took refuge there. Because of this, as far as the Serb side is concerned, the conflict in Kosovo has the character of a religious war, as all the signs point in that direction. The Serbian Orthodox Church should be considered the mastermind behind all these acts as long as it does not condemn them.

***Comm: Our Church sincerely regrets for the damage made on certain number of Islamic religious monuments in Kosovo. Many times so far we have condemned such acts and our Church has officialy expressed its condolances to the Islamic community on occasion of the tragic death of Shat Muhedin from Orahovac. But I must add that compared to Bosnia were the religious facilities were systematically razed to the ground the damage on the religious facilities in Kosovo appeared only in the areas where there was fighting. As far as we know neither of the mosques has been mined or completely pulled down in the "Bosnian" style. Of course, saying this I do not want at all to find any justification for this but I dare say that the damage on the mosques IS NOT a result of a "Religious war" against the Islam but a consequence of tragic events and fighting between the government forces and the KLA.

The statement that our Church "should be considered as the mastermind behind all these acts" is simply outrageous and extremely unjust. So far our Church and our Bishop have condemned violence so many times, on both sides while on the other hand no one from the Islamic Community ever gave any statement of that kind. Quite on the contrary, the Bishop and our Church were many times accused by the Islamic community completely unjustly and the extremism was supported. Despite our attempts to open a dialogue with the Islamic community our faxes have never been answered. I am afraid that all this shows that FOR MR MORINA THIS REALLY IS  A RELIGIOUS WAR. But for us it will never be. The efforts of our Church in direction of development of multiethnic, modern, democratic society based on tolerance and rule of law have been recognized from Washington, to London and Paris. The peace missions of Bishop Artemije are very well known to all people of good will. We can only regret that Mr. Morina remains closed in his "time capsule" of intolerance.

Unfortunately, the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Pavle, blessed such criminals as Karadzic and Mladic, instead of distancing himself from their misdeeds in Bosnia. As far as the other side in the conflict is concerned, that is, the Albanian side, except for one small minority, the conflict is exclusively ethnic and national. Precisely because of that, the entire Albanian establishment is turned towards Europe and the U.S., which hold the keys to the Kosovo problem in their hands.

***Comm: Whoever knows personally Patriarch Pavle he could easily see that he is a man of peace, tolerance and love. During the previous war in Bosnia, he spoke many times against the violence and worked for the peace. Of course, due to the complexity of the situation in Bosnia he could not just leave the Serb people there and ignore them, especially when they were suffering. As far as I have heard, whenever he met Karadzic and Mladic, which he could not evade in his official visits and audiences, he appealed that everything was resolved in peace and Christian love. There is not a single statement by Patriarch Pavle in which he "blessed" the Bosnian attrocities and crimes and there are many statements in which he distanced himself from violence and war. I can only say that I am sorry that Mr. Morina is ignorant of this fact.

The opinion that for the Albanians, "except for a small minority", the conflict in Kosovo is ethnic and national is quite in disagreement with the previous attitudes by Mr. Morina in which he insisted so much that the conflict was a religious war. The only conclusionn might be that he belongs to that minority of which he was speaking about

To show that they are close to the West, in 1991 the Albanians formed the Democratic Christian Albanian Party, whose members are chiefly Muslims. Ibrahim Rugova said once that he was "a symbolic Muslim." During his frequent meetings with Western representatives, he also met on several occasions with Pope John Paul II and keeps his portrait in his office, and has never visited a single Muslim country. All symbols of the Kosovo Liberation Army have only a national character. And, finally, proof that the conflict in Kosovo for the Albanians has only an ethnic character, is that it is seen by all Albanians as a common resistance and a common struggle, regardless of whether they are Muslims or Christians. The Serb army killed a number of Christian Albanians and their villages and settlements have met the same fate as those of their Muslim brothers. The author is a lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Culture in Pristina)

***Comm: Well, all I can add at the end is that for the Serbs this war is not a religious war or a "Crusade". That is why our Chruch is calling all people of good will to cooperate on restoration of the lasting peace and tolerance in Kosovo. The perpertrators of crimes on both sides must be identified for the sake of future peaceful life and every kind of generalization and hate speech shouold be evaded.

I can only pray to God that Mr. Morina changes his rather tough positions and cooperates together with his community with us in our common peace efforts. That is the only way for us all to find the road to the 21st century and the modern Europe to which both of our peoples strive. If we really want to live in Europe we must accept the European standards of democracy, tolearance and respect of freedom. From our painful and controversial past we must preserve and remember only that which will help us to live together in the present time and future.

The author of the comments is Fr. Sava Janjic, the monk of Decani Monastery and the Secretary to the Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren.

For those who have not had opportunity to read my text on the same topic I am enclosing it here.
  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           RELIGION IN KOSOVO
                             Hieromonk Sava Janjic

As opposed to Bosnia and Herzegovina, where abuse of religion directly or indirectly caused the escalation of inter-ethnic conflicts, the religious communities in Kosovo and Metohija can play a much more constructive role in achieving peace and making possible coexistence, and thus preventing the existing conflict from acquiring religious characteristics.

People of the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Islamic faiths have been living in Kosovo and Metohija for several centuries, sharing the tumultuous historic experiences that took place in this part of the Balkans. These communities have played a very important role in building and preserving the national and cultural identity of the region's ethnic groups. Thus, for instance, the Serbian Orthodox Church created and maintained the spiritual identity of the Serb nation, especially during the hardships of Ottoman rule. Furthermore, in Kosovo and Metohija there are over 1,300 Serb Orthodox churches and monasteries of the greatest importance, along with other cultural and historic monuments of extreme significance not only to the Serbs, but also to the other peoples that live here, and to the world as a whole.

Unlike the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serb-Albanian conflict in Kosovo and Metohija is primarily a clash between two national ideologies, and not a clash of two peoples or religions. Religion played a secondary role in the formation of contemporary national consciousness, especially in the case of the Albanians, among whom are members of all three major denominations. On the other hand, the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church has never incited national intolerance, but primarily limited itself to protecting Serb spiritual tradition and culture. The Albanian and Serb Christians frequently rebelled together against the Ottoman occupiers. Because of this and despite all the antagonism and occasional exceptions, there has been a relatively high degree of religious tolerance in the region.

Until recently, the Albanians, both Muslim and Roman Catholic, frequently visited Orthodox holy places and large gatherings and fairs. In addition, many Serbs and Albanians established strong personal ties and visited each other on religious holidays. Unfortunately, owing to increased ethnic tensions in the past several years, all contacts have been reduced to a minimum. However, despite the present grave conditions, representatives of religious communities can now play a very important part in resolving the Kosovo problem and establishing peace.

Activities of religious communities towards establishing peace and advancing coexistence could develop in the following directions:

1. Despite all their religious differences, religious communities ought to clearly demonstrate readiness to pursue a lasting peace based on truth, justice, and respect of human rights. This goal can be achieved only by developing cooperation, personal contacts, and organizing symposiums and debates in the spirit of tolerance and mutual respect for tradition and customs. Religious communities could make an active and sincere contribution to building trust and furthering coexistence.

2. Parallel with the official negotiating process, members of religious communities, academicians, scientists, humanitarian activists, crisis-solving experts, could, by way of unofficial meetings, assist the negotiating process by proposing solutions as well as contribute to the implementation of the agreements reached. Religious communities should distance themselves from all forms of ethnic extremism and religious intolerance, which requires refraining from unbalanced statements, unfounded charges and referring to members of other ethnic groups in a derogatory manner, as well as reducing ethnic animosities by promoting peace and respect for one's fellow men.

3. It is essential to establish cooperation in the area of humanitarian work, especially by creating conditions for the return of refugees and other displaced people. The work of humanitarian organizations and their free access to endangered areas should be openly supported and direct cooperation with them established.

4. In no way should religious communities directly or indirectly incite or justify any use of violence against innocent people, and they should condemn every abuse or violation of basic human rights. In doing so, appeals, official announcements of certain events, and active efforts within their respective communities in fighting violence would be of great assistance. It should be particularly stressed that human life is the greatest gift of God, and that human beings and their dignity should be respected as required by both earthly and divine laws.

5. There should be intense activity against discrimination along ethnic or religious lines. This could be achieved by increasing humanitarian activities and making aid available to all in need of it, regardless of nationality or faith, as well as by protecting ethnic groups which are minorities in certain areas or are otherwise endangered.

6. Special, strong appeals should be made against the destruction and desecration of sacred places (mosques, churches and cemeteries) and cultural monuments. To destroy that which has been preserved for centuries is an act of ultimate barbarism. On the other hand, such places should under no circumstances be used for military purposes.

7. In the area of humanitarian activities, acts of personal vengeance and retaliation, together with the abduction of people and other forms of illegal detention, should be particularly condemned. Strong appeals should be launched against the unnecessary and deliberate destruction of private property: the torching of houses and crops, and slaughter of livestock, and at the same time all assistance available should be offered for the renewal of areas ravaged by the clashes.

8. Religious communities should appeal to news media to prevent provocative and biased reporting on the activities of religious communities, as such reporting often fans the flames of inter-ethnic hate and intolerance. Educational programs on electronic media should not promote quasi-historic theories denying religious and cultural identity to any ethnic group. Abusing and forging history for the sake of political objectives is an injustice which seriously undermines inter-ethnic and inter-religious relations.

9. Religious communities should demand normal contact with their congregations. All attempts to jeopardize religious freedom should be openly condemned and unobstructed activity of spiritual leaders and institutions secured, as well as free access for believers to their places of worship.

We, the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, are ready and willing to do everything possible to ensure that these principles are respected and implemented in the spirit of peace and tolerance, and thus create conditions for the restoration of trust. For example, the fraternity of the Visoki Decani Monastery has appealed for peace and a cessation of hostilities on a number of occasions. In addition, the Monastery organized humanitarian aid not only for Serb refugees, but for the Albanian population as well. This could help the monastery bridge the gap between the Serbs and Albanians in the Decani region. We are planning a more ambitious humanitarian project with the IOCC and other humanitarian organizations, both at home and abroad, to assist a greater number of displaced people on both sides.

With a rational and sober attitude, our Church -- and we hope this applies to all other religious communities -- might become a key factor in finding a peaceful resolution and establishing a modern, democratic society in this region. Though deeply bound to their tradition, religious communities must encourage all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija to seek their common interest in the future and in the integration of this part of the Balkans with Europe and the world. Throughout this period, our bishop, Artemije, on many occasions has pleaded with the government to start negotiations as soon as possible, while representatives of our Church presented our peaceful platform in many places, from Washington, to London, to Paris, having been met everywhere with support for our peaceful and non-violent position. It is our deep conviction that the problem of Kosovo and Metohija should be perceived within the context of the wider problem of democratization and human rights in the Balkans, instead of as a local, territorial problem that should be resolved by force. Therefore it is necessary that all citizens of the province actively contribute to finding a solution, acceptable to all the people who live here. This solution should also be in accordance with international charters and law.

The Holy Scripture teaches us that one cannot love God without first loving one's neighbor, and that we should treat other people in the same way that we would like them to treat us. Guided by these basic Christian principles, the Serbian Orthodox Church sincerely believes that all people of good will in this region will find enough strength and will to emerge from this nightmare of war and intolerance, and seek to give an active contribution to democratization and the improvement of everyday life, taking care to preserve their spiritual tradition and cultural and historic heritage.

Or, in the words of Eleanor Roosevelt: "It is not enough to talk about the peace. One must believe in it. And it is not enough to believe in it. One must work at it."

(The author is a hieromonk in the Serb Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Decani. )
--
Decani Monastery               tel +381 390 61543
38322 Decani, Serbia           fax +381 390 61567
http://www.decani.yunet.com    e-mail: decani@EUnet.yu

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Betreff:         [ALBANEWS] NEWS: 24.
Datum:         Sat, 24 Oct 1998 10:10:07 -0400
    Von:         Sokol Rama <sokolrama@sprynet.com>

Without permission, for fair use only.

• Village Buries Refugees Killed by Soldiers
• Albanian refugee family shot by army unit
• Kosovo Combatants Face off despite NATO Ultimatum

----------

Village Buries Refugees Killed by Soldiers
AP  24-OCT-98

GRCINA, Yugoslavia (AP) -- They were so close, just one more hill to climb on the rugged mountain path from Albania to home. Five adults carried some of the 11 children, with older kids helping the younger ones in the pre-dawn darkness.
     After a month in exile, they could return to their Kosovo village because last week's political agreement would halt Serb attacks -- or so they thought.
     Then came the gunfire, killing one man, his two young sons and his niece. On Friday came the grief, with sobbing villagers burying the four in a hillside cemetery.
     "Why didn't you take your uncle with you?" Xhafer Sylmetaj moaned into the ear of his dead 2-year-old nephew, Mazlummi, lying in a tiny wood coffin with a gaping bullet wound in his left cheek.
     Caressing the stiffened hands and arms, he softly said, "We loved you. You loved us."
     The deaths Thursday in the mountainous border region between Kosovo and Albania showed the enormous gulf between last week's agreement by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, which averted NATO airstrikes on his forces, and the reality of daily life in the war-torn Serbian province.
     Despite the agreement's provision for the safe return of refugees from the more than seven-month Serb and Yugoslav offensive, continuing violence -- including attacks by ethnic Albanian guerrillas on Serb forces -- and intimidation by Serb police hinders progress.
     "We thought it would be better now with Holbrooke," said Hamez Sylmetaj, 73, the father and grandfather of three of the dead, referring to U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke's agreement with Milosevic. "If we are not helped by America and Europe, then the Serbs will continue to do this."
     A Yugoslav army statement issued in Pristina described the killings as a shootout between border guards and ethnic Albanian guerrillas, who were using women and children as shields for smuggling weapons.
     The army said the alleged smugglers fired first after being warned to stop, and that four people were killed and two wounded, all of them Albanians.
     Survivors related a far different story.
     Fadil Sylmetaj, his eyes swollen from weeping, said no warning was issued as he and his brother led their wives and six children, along with their sister-in-law and her five children on the final steps of an eight-hour journey from Albania.
     "They didn't even say 'stop,' or 'do this or that.' They just started shooting," he said. "I couldn't protect the children. It was so awful."
     In a room of moaning, wailing women wearing the white scarves of grief, Lindita Sylmetaj, 15, also described the shooting as sudden. She had a small cut under her left eye and stitches on her left ear from a bullet graze, and her hands nervously tied and untied her scarf as she spoke.
     "We didn't see anybody, they just started shooting at us," she said above the grieving din. "The children were screaming and my uncle yelled, 'Stop firing, stop shooting us!' While I was getting up to help my cousin, another shot hit me. They were shooting again."
     When it stopped, Ramiz Sylmetaj, 27, and his sons Muharremi, 6, and Mazlummi were dead. His wife Ashja, 23, was seriously wounded. Lindita's sister, Leonora, 12, also was critically wounded and died soon after the shootings.
     "We carried her, but ... she died," Lindita said.
     Mourners packed another room where the bodies lay, Leonora's ashen face cradled by her mother and grandmother. When little Mazlummi's coffin was opened, several women screamed and some were carried out, convulsed in grief.
     "I'm 75 years old," muttered Fetah Thaci, wearing the traditional white dome cap of an Albanian elder. "I remember World War II. Milosevic is worse than Stalin or Hitler, to massacre women and children."
     The Sylmetaj brothers took their families to Albania on Sept. 20, fearing attack in a Serb police and Yugoslav army offensive in the area south of Jakovica in southwestern Kosovo, relatives said.
     After the Oct. 12 agreement between Holbrooke and Milosevic, they decided to return, even though more police and soldiers were seen in the region.
     "After we crossed the border, I felt like I was home," Lindita said. "I wasn't afraid of anything."
     Until the shots began.

Copyright 1998& The Associated Press. All rights reserved
---------------

Albanian refugee family shot by army unit
October 24, 1998
Web posted at: 12:54 a.m. EDT (0454 GMT)

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (CNN) -- Three days ahead of its deadline for Slobodan Milosevic to comply with Western demands, NATO is sending two top generals to Belgrade on Saturday to demand more Kosovo withdrawals by the Yugoslav president.
     Gen. Wesley Clark, the alliance's supreme military commander, and German Gen. Klaus Naumann were seeking more pullbacks of police units and equipment from the separatist province, where scattered skirmishes continue.
     NATO says it will reimpose the threat of airstrikes on Serbian military targets if Milosevic doesn't back up all his pledges from an October 12 agreement by Tuesday. With Western nations only beginning to organize a 2,000-strong group of unarmed monitors to verify Yugoslavia's actions in Kosovo, the deadline is widely expected to be pushed back for a second time. But no official action by NATO is expected until Monday.
     A NATO official, briefing reporters in Brussels, Belgium, on condition of anonymity, said Friday, "We have seen great progress, but we are far from adequate compliance."
     Echoing Western claims, Kosovo's main ethnic Albanian leader said Friday that Yugoslavia has not removed its troops from the embattled province and that little progress has been made to defuse the crisis.
     Ibrahim Rugova told reporters that "the Serbian forces have not yet withdrawn from Kosovo," despite Yugoslav statements to the contrary
     The Serb-led Yugoslav government reiterated claims that it has fulfilled its terms of the agreement with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke and that ethnic Albanian rebels are responsible for continuing violence.
     Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic said it was time the West realized that the crisis in Kosovo was caused by "terrorism of Albanian separatists."
     While fighting in Kosovo effectively halted in late September, there is sporadic gunfire and almost nightly shelling in different locations -- evidence the conflict has not ended.
     On Thursday, four members of a refugee family crossing from Albania into Kosovo to return to their village were shot by Yugoslav troops along a path sometimes used by guerrillas and arms smugglers, family members said. Their guide was also killed, and two other people were wounded.
     In a statement, the Yugoslav army said family members were the unwitting dupes of ethnic Albanian rebels who sent them across the border to cover an armed infiltration.
     Under the agreement, Milosevic pledged to withdraw special police and army units sent to the province after he cracked down on the Kosovo Liberation Army February 28. Hundreds of people have been killed and an estimated 300,000 driven from their homes.
     Milosevic also agreed to let refugees return home safely and to let international relief agencies bring them aid. He pledged to negotiate with ethnic Albanian leaders on the future of Kosovo, a province of the main Yugoslav republic Serbia.
     Ethnic Albanians make up about 90 percent of the province's 2 million inhabitants, and most favor independence or self-rule.
     The KLA issued a statement Friday reiterating that it is keeping to a general cease-fire but saying it would respond and defend villages if Serb and Yugoslav forces move on them.
     U.S. envoy Christopher Hill was in neighboring Albania to brief government officials and urge them to support the U.S.-led peace effort. Albania had permitted rebels to set up sanctuaries in the north.
     "We are looking for full compliance," Hill told reporters. "We'd like to see full compliance. I don't want to predict when exactly we'll see it, but we are working very hard to ensure it."
     At the United Nations, China and Russia continued to block a proposed Security Council resolution endorsing the Kosovo peace deal because of language threatening the use of force if it falls apart.
     The American head of the Kosovo ground verification mission, William Walker, arrived Friday in Kosovo after meeting Milosevic, vowing to improve conditions for refugees and help guarantee success of the peace agreement.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
-------------

Kosovo Combatants Face off despite NATO Ultimatum
Reuters  24-OCT-98

BELGRADE, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Serbian troops and ethnic Albanian rebels were dug in for possible fresh fighting in parts of Kosovo on Saturday as NATO generals prepared to tell Belgrade once more to withdraw by Tuesday or face air strikes.
     General Wesley Clark, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, and General Klaus Naumann, chairman of its military committee, were to meet Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic later on Saturday to issue an apparent last warning.
     NATO sources said the generals would rebuff any attempt to bargain and would not accept alleged rebel activity as an excuse for stalling a substantial withdrawal of Yugoslav federal troops and Serbian military police from the majority-Albanian province.
     Clark was making his third trip to Belgrade in 10 days, underlining NATO's stated determination to get the combatants to disengage and let Kosovar refugees return home before they start dying in wretched mountain camps as winter sets in.
     But diplomatic observers found security forces and Kosovar guerrillas bolstering emplacements in some pockets of Kosovo.
     "The atmosphere remains tense. Both sides appear to be strengthening positions in several areas including Malisevo," a Western official close to the Kosovo Diplomatic Observers' Mission (KDOM) said by telephone from the region.
     "The KLA (Kosovo Liberation Army) there seems to fear imminent attack, so they're preparing."
     Reuters staff saw Serbian tanks moving back and forth across Kosovo's main east-west highway in the Lapusnik Pass area, not far from the turnoff to Malisevo to the southwest. Police on the Lapusnik-Malisevo road were seen reinforcing their positions.
     The observers had not reported serious ceasefire violations sice Thursday, when Serbian artillery fire thudded into a valley in the volatile central Drenica region.
     But Serbian police told the observers three of their officers had been injured in a KLA grenade attack near Dragovilje. About half a dozen Yugoslav army soldiers and Serbian special police have been killed in the past week.
     A Reuters news team that spent the night at a Serbian police outpost near Lipljan, 15 km (nine miles) south of the provincial capital Pristina, said it had come under KLA gunfire three times.
     However, a large army combat group was seen returning to its garrison near Pristina on Saturday morning after pulling out of Podujevo, one of two chronic flashpoints pinpointed by the observers in mid-week.
     The convoy consisted of some 70 vehicles including around 20 tanks as well as Praga armoured combat vehicles carrying anti-aircraft cannon. This unit appeared to be on a NATO list of Serbian forces earmarked for withdrawal.
     Despite the continued intimidating presence of security forces, more and more ethnic Albanian refugees were venturing back to their villages because of intensifying cold and deteriorating health conditions in the wooded hills.
     "Charitable aid groups estimate the number of internally displaced people without shelter is now down to 35,000," the Western official said.
     Western monitors believe Serbian withdrawals have been slowed in some cases by provocative KLA attacks on police at night and attempts to occupy land vacated by security forces complying with NATO's U.N.-backed directive.
     Both sides have denied starting skirmishes that have eroded an informal ceasefire in the separatist province over the past week.
     Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic said on Friday that Belgrade had fulfilled all commitments to disengage combat forces but would hit back at "remnants of terrorist bands trying to halt this process."
     But NATO's Clark and Naumann planned to tell Milosevic he must withdraw more forces or risk bombing.
     "This is not a poker game, this is not a negotiation. He has very little time left," a NATO official told reporters on Friday. "He doesn't have the option to take things to the wire."
     Belgrade has drawn international condemnation for indiscriminately attacking Kosovar rebels and civilians alike in a summer offensive, destroying and pillaging scores of towns and putting more than 250,000 inhabitants to flight.
     NATO ambassadors will meet on Tuesday to decide whether to go ahead with air strikes, postpone action for a further period, or rescind the order for aerial intervention.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.
 

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