Tagesnachrichten 3. November 1998
     von dpa, from ALBANEWS and others
     News of the day - November 3, 1998
     Kosova Information Center : Daily Report No 1602

         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

EU-Verteidigungsminister beraten ueber Strategien gegen Krisen
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F45FC.NL1/

Zwei Monate Haft fuer deutsch-franzoesischen Staatsbuerger im Kosovo
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F2C78.NL1/

Nato-Spion will aus "humanitaeren Gruenden" gehandelt haben
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F3F6A.NL1/

Nato-Spion verhielt sich auffaellig - Ziele im Kosovo verraten
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F1215.NL1/

Deutcshe Polizei griff 32 Fluechtlinge auf - Schleuser in Haft
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F1DE3.NL1/

Hill und Albanerfuehrer Rugova besuchten zerstoerte Doerfer im Kosovo
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363F1E54.NL1/

Ziele im Kosovo verraten: Nato-Spion blamiert Frankreichs Diplomatie
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363EEBF3.NL1/

Scharping: Bundeswehr beteiligt sich an "Notfalltruppe" fuer Kosovo
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363EED6A.NL1/

US-Diplomat Hill auf Inspektionsreise im Kosovo erwartet
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363ED39B.NL1/

Kosovo-Untergrundarmee zerschlaegt Raeuberbande
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363EE46F.NL1/

"24 Tschassa": Ende der Neo-Kommunisten in Mazedonien
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363EC94B.NL1/

Verteidigungsminister trifft Jelzin in Sotschi
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363EBAB0.NL1/

Oesterreich schickt 50 Mitglieder als Kosovo-Beobachter
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363E9C8F.NL1/

Fischer in Washington - Russland und Kosovo im Mittelpunkt
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363E68FE.NL1/

EU-Verteidigungsminister eroertern gemeinsame Sicherheitspolitik
   http://seite1.web.de/show/363E2B8C.NL1/
 

ONE has to begin    to STOP  oecumenic Decade for Peace  from November 8 until 18, 1998  30 minutes prayer for PEACE  30 Minuten Gebet für den Frieden  am  9./ 10./ 11./ 12./ 13./ 14./ 16./ 17. November  jeweils um 19.45 Uhr  in der Bethlehemkirche Wertingen  Jeder, der kommen moechte  - unabhaengig von Konfession oder Religion,  ist herzlich eingeladen !

LINK zu:  Vorschlag für den Ablauf den Friedensgebetes
                  - auch als WinWord97-Datei erhaeltlich !

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 !

* Nichtamtliche Übersetzung
   UNHCR-Positionspapier über die Behandlung von Asylsuchenden aus
   dem Kosovo in Asylländern: Maßgebliche Überlegungen
   25.8.1998 mit Anhang Stand: 13.8.1998
                    http://www.unhcr.de/news/statemen/misc/kosbob.htm

* UNHCR-Eckpunkte zu Problemen des Flüchtlingsschutzes in Deutschland
   Oktober 1998
                    http://www.unhcr.de/news/statemen/misc/eckpkte.htm

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT # 1602
Prishtina, 3 November 1998

President Rugova and Ambassador Hill Tour Central Kosova

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - The President of the Republic of Kosova Dr Ibrahim Rugova received today morning Ambassador Chris Hill, the U.S. envoy for Kosova, and his team.
The current situation in Kosova, steps to create an environment conducive to the return of Albanian refugees back to their homes, as well as measures to alleviate the grave humanitarian situation caused by the Serbian aggression in Kosova this year were discussed in the meeting.
The OSCE and NATO verification missions in Kosova should be put in place as soon as possible in order to create the preconditions for a negotiating process towards an interim settlement in Kosova, the President said.
After the meeting, President Ibrahim Rugova and Ambassador Hill toured the countryside in central Kosova.
In the village of Banjë e Malishevës, the two talked to the population which had started trickling back to their homes, whereas in Ostroazub they visited the local clinic and talked to the medical staff and patients alike.
President Rugova and Mr. Hill spent a little time in Rahovec, too.
In the town center, they met with citizens outdoors.
On their way back to Prishtina, President Rugova and Ambassador Hill passed through Suhareka, Shtimje and Lipjan.

Rugova's and Hill's Remarks to the Press

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - We toured Malisheva, the Banjë e Malishevës, Ostrazub, Rahovec, Suharekë and Shtime, President Ibrahim Rugova told reporters in Prishtina today (Tuesday) afternoon, after having returned from the trip, in which he was accompanied by Ambassador Chris Hill and members of the KDOM (Kosova Diplomatic Observer Mission).
Rugova said he met many people in the countryside, especially in Banjën e Malishevës. "I saw a lot of destruction there", the President said, adding that the key issue now is for people to return back to their villages.
There should be more security, for there is fear amongst the people still, Rugova said, adding that he hoped the OSCE verification mission would contribute much in this regard.
He thanked Ambassador Hill and KDOM for this joint trip to the countryside. "I wanted to go there and see the situation first hand", President Ibrahim Rugova concluded.
Meanwhile, U.S. envoy Chris Hill had this to say in Prishtina today:
"Let me just say very briefly, it was a rare pleasure to be able to accompany Dr. Rugova out into the countryside. It's a fact that we are always shocked to see the amount of damage that has been done in these villages, house to house without roofs, many burned-out homes, and many crops that weren't harvested this year.
On the other hand, we could also see clearly that there are changes, and people have indeed begun to return to their homes. In Ostrozub, in particular, I met some whom only one month ago I had met out in a village nearby, sleeping under plastic tents. It was good to see them now in their homes. And now what we need to do is to make sure that they are able to stay in their homes, and that they are never driven from their homes again. And to do that we need a lasting settlement, and Dr. Rugova and I have had extensive talks today on the political settlement. And we are going to keep at this, and we are going to get a political settlement, and we are going to return Kosovo to a situation where people can be in charge of their lives, where people can run their own affairs, and Kosovo can once again be a prosperous place. Thanks a lot. Thank you Dr. Rugova."

Serb Forces's Presence Leaves No Hope of Peaceful Solution in Kosova, Demaçi Says

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - The huge presence of Serbian forces in Kosova leaves no hope of a peaceful solution, Adem Demaçi, the main political representative of the UÇK (Kosova Liberation Army), said in a press conference in Prishtina today (Tuesday).
The Serb military and police - 25,000 are to stay in Kosova according to the NATO commander Clark - is a stumbling block for the return of normality in the life of people, for the return of Albanian refugees and IDPs to their settlements "destroyed and devastated in Serb offensives", Demaçi said.
Serb forces have only partially withdrawn from Kosova. Many of them have stayed behind in the hills, in factories and back in the villages, the UÇK representative claimed. "The time is passing, and the beginning of the normalization of life is being delayed".
The UÇK political representative expressed the readiness to cooperate with the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosova.
The local LDK leaders in Malisheva, Jakup Kastrati and Cen Desku, were arrested by the UÇK because "according to some unconfirmed reports", they propagated capitulation, the handing over of weapons, Adem Demaçi said. "This is in violation of UÇK laws".
The UÇK political representative reiterated his position for the need to establish a broadly based Assembly and Government in Kosova.

Serb Troops Moving Along Kosovar Towns, Provoke Local Population

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - Sources in several municipal centers in Kosova reported today of further repositioning, regrouping and digging in of Serb troops. Mechanized Serb convoys drove along some of the Kosova towns during the morning hours today, provoking the local population.
Lipjan: The LDK chapter in Lipjan, a town 15 km south of Prishtina, said Serb troops in over 20 vehicles drove along the main street of the town today morning. Serb forces headed later towards the neighboring municipality of Shtime.
Klina: A local LDK activist in Sferka village of Klina told the KIC today at around midday that there was an increased presence of Serb troops in the area today. A. Gashi said that last night again, Serb forces manning a couple of posts around the Vuljaka bauxite mines, sprayed the outlying villages with machine-gun fire. The villages of Panorc, Llapçevë and Mrasor were pounded with machine-gun fire at around 23:00 hrs last night and in the small hours today, Tuesday. Less than half of the population has returned to Sferka village, the local LDK activist said. He added that out of 215 houses the village had, 122 were burned out during the Serb offensives earlier this year.
Rahovec: The LDK chapter in Rahovec ('Orahovac') said the Serb police manning a checkpoint at a location "Te Rrasat"  harassed several Albanians and beat up brutally at least one of them today. Saferim Zllanoga said he was on his way to work in his fields when halted and beaten up brutally by the Serb police. The police tortured him with no reason whatsoever, he said. Mr. Zllanoga suffered severe body injuries. The LDK said Serb forces have stepped up movements in the area over the past couple of days. Serbs manning a checkpoint at Xërxë-Prizren-Gjakova intersection have been harassing Albanians passing by. At least 250 Serb policemen have been housed in the "Park" motel in Rahovec. There were over 30 vehicles in front of the motel today morning, loaded with commodities plundered in Albanian homes in the area, the LDK Information Commission in the town said.
Vitia: At around 02:00 a.m. today, a group of Serb soldiers intruded into the courtyards of several Albanians at Lubishta village. The LDK chapter in Vitia said armed Serb soldiers intruded into the farmhouses of Bajram Xhymshiti, Izer Xhymshiti and Zymer Xhymshiti. No incident was reported.
Prishtina: A unit of Serb police forces was deployed today morning near the local school at Keçekolla village. Serb policemen raided later a local cafe in the village. After about two hours, the police left the village, local sources said.

In Serb Show Trial, 11 Albanians of Extended Family Sentenced to 53 Years of Imprisonment

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - Eleven Albanians from the municipality of Gjakova were sentenced to 53 years in prison in a show Serb political trial in Peja on 29 and 30 October, LDK sources said.
They were accused of having committed terrorist actions.
The eleven Albanian defendants were members of the extended Jetishi family.
Qerim Jetishi was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Fadil Jetishi to 8 years, Hekuran Qorri to 8 years, Valdet Jetishi to 5 years, Burim Jetishi to 3 years, Agim Jetishi to 3 years, Kastriot Jetishi to 3 years, Behar Jetishi to 3 years, Kujtim Jetishi to 3 years, Zenel Jetishi to 3 years, and Avdyl Jetishi to 2 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, sources said Dr. Fehmi Vula, member of the LDK chapter presidency in Gjakova, was acquitted today.
Dr. Vula was arrested on 26 May 1998 on charges that he had helped UÇK fighters. He was in pre-trial prison ever since and the Serb court in Peja released him today.
Mrs Mevlude Saraçi, an LDK chapter presidency member in Gjakova, and a member to the Parliament of Kosova, also arrested in late May, is still in Serb custody.

Serb Police Raids Homes of Albanians, Detains LDK Activists in Gjilan

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - Jusuf Aliu (1951), a local LDK activist in Gjilan, has been reported in Serb police custody since yesterday (Monday) morning. Sources in Gjilan said over a dozen heavily armed Serb policemen searched and demolished Mr. Aliu's home early in the morning Monday.
The Serb police authorities have failed to explain the reason for Jusuf Aliu's arrest. His family members made inquires yesterday at the local police station in Gjilan, but were told by Serb police officers that they "can only be informed in three days' time" about his whereabouts.
The Serbian police raided also yesterday morning the home of Tefik Hashani at Vërbica village of Gjilan. The police searched thoroughly Mr. Hashani's house and questioned him about his son, Ismet Hashani, chairman of the local LDK organization, who has been in Serb custody for twenty days now.
Ismet Hashani was arrested on 15 October, when Serb police cracked down and arrested also a dozen LDK activists in the town of Gjilan and surrounding villages, including Lutfi Haziri, vice-chairman of the LDK chapter in Gjilan.
Lutfi Haziri's lawyers have claimed that their client was subjected to brutal torture while in Serb custody.

Serb Policeman Threatens Albanian in Podujeva
'Cipiripi' wants a 20,000 DM 'indemnification' on absurd grounds!

PRISHTINA, Nov 3 (KIC) - A Serb policeman, known as 'Cipiripi', who has been notorious for his aggressive attitude towards Albanians, has been threatening the family of Isuf Selmani, proprietor of "Fortuna" cafe in the town of Podujeva.
This Serb policeman was wounded in yet unsolved circumstances in Selmani's cafe shop two years ago.
Mt. Selmani told the KIC the Serb policeman wants that he pays to him 20,000 DM in "indemnification", on obscure charges that the Albanian had orchestrated his wounding!
On Sunday, the Serb policeman's brother and another Serb entered the family house courtyard of Isuf Selmani. They threatened the family, and vowed to come back.

Kosova Information Center
Last page!

Soros finances text for pupils from Kosove

      TIRANE, Nov.2 (ata) - By P Shuteriqi:
The publication and distribution of the supplementary text books for the pupils displaced from Kosove is being financed by Soros Foundation and is estimated at 3.3 million lek.
      This is the first instalment by the project "Albanian Education Development Project" of the Soros Foundation used for the publication and distribution within a record time of about 3 000 text books for every class of the 8th form and secondary schools to be given free of charge to the children displaced from  Kosove and settled mainly in the districts of Tropoje and Durres,  as well as in Shkoder, Elbasan, Kurbin and Kukes, Ilmi Brace, director of the text book trading enterprise told ATA.
      According to a report by the chief of the cabinet in the Ministry of Education and Science, Vaso Qano, the general number of the Kosova children of the school age who came to Albania to escape Serb aggression and genocide, varies from 7 500-8 000 people.
/a.ke/xh/

A delegation of U.S. Congress in Kosove

      PRISHTINE, Nov.3 (ata) - A U.S. congressmen group and members of the Foreign Relations Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress will visit Kosove at the beginning of this month in the context of a tour of the Balkans, the Information Centre of Kosove reports. The delegation will be led by congressmen John Herzberg and Mark Kerk and will visit Belgrade, Prishtine, Podgorice, Sarajeve and Banja Luka from November 5-11, 1998.
/p.ta/xh/

New juridical processes against Albanians in Peje

      PRISHTINA, Nov. 3 (ATA) - The Serb court of Peje condemned with 5.6 years in jail four other Albanians under the charge of "terrorism."
      According to the Kosova Information Center, this court condemned on 29 and 30 October under the same charge 11 Albanians from the commune of Gjakova, 10 of them members of Jetishi family.
/p.ta/mt/

CONTENTS

• News:03
• Rugova Tours Kosovo for First Time since 1989
• Opposition Declared Winner of Macedonia Election
• Osce to Monitor Albanian Vote on Constitution
• Press-Release: ACTION ALERT: Let Kosovars Decide for Kosova (fwd)
• News:02
• Opposition Poised to Form New Government in Macedonia
• U.S. Official Hears Albanian Fears Firsthand
• French NATO Official Arrested for Allegedly Spying for Serbs

Taken without permission, for fair use only.

1. Rugova Tours Kosovo for First Time since 1989
2. Opposition Declared Winner of Macedonia Election
3. Osce to Monitor Albanian Vote on Constitution

__________________________________________________

Rugova Tours Kosovo for First Time since 1989
Reuters  03-NOV-98

BANJA, Serbia, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Ibrahim Rugova, regarded by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians as their president, hitched a ride with an American envoy on Tuesday and toured the countryside in the Serbian province for the first time since 1989.
     Accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Macedonia Chris Hill in a two-car convoy of green armoured Chevrolet Suburbans emblazoned with U.S. flags, Rugova visited people and places previously off-limits during a decade of harsh Serbian rule.
     Observers said the fact Rugova was willing and able to risk travelling through rural areas of central Kosovo, past Serbian police and Yugoslav army positions, signalled that a fragile U.S.-led peace process is beginning to take root here.
     "We saw quite a lot of people, especially in Banja, Malisevo and Ostrozub that have started to come back to their homes," Rugova told reporters after his tour.
     "I did see lots of destruction of property and houses, but still I saw the beginning of the return of people to their homes. Of course we have to give them a deeper sense of security as there is still some fear."
     Serbian security forces mounted a massive offensive against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo over the summer, driving more than a quarter million people from their homes and leaving many towns and villages in ruins.
     A last-minute deal between U.S. special envoy Richard Holbrooke and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic two weeks ago averted NATO air strikes and led to a pullback of Belgrade forces that has enabled refugees to begin returning home.
     Working in tandem with Holbrooke, Chris Hill is mediating an interim political accord between Belgrade and Kosovo's ethnic Albanians that is intended to restore self-government without changing Yugoslav borders.
     Hill was in Pristina, Kosovo's capital, for talks with Rugova on the accord on Tuesday when the two men decided on the spur of the moment to take a tour of the countryside.
     "We were chatting about the need to make the public understand that things have begun to change, have entered a new phase," Hill told Reuters. "The idea of a quick tour came up and Rugova said 'why not?', so we did it."
     Western diplomats told Reuters that Rugova's movements have been severely curtailed ever since Belgrade revoked Kosovo's status as an autonomous province of Yugoslavia in 1989-- the move that triggered his entry into politics.
     "The issue has always been security. Rugova occupies what Belgrade sees as an illegal position as 'president' and he does not want to be detained by the security forces," said a Western diplomat who asked not to be identified.
     A Sorbonne-educated intellectual, Rugova has won worldwide respect for his commitment to non-violence in pursuit of independence for Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians make up 90 per cent of the population.
     Dishevelled, spectacled and always wearing a trademark neck scarf, Rugova does not pass himself off as a man of the people.
     But surprised ethnic Albanians on Tuesday greeted with real affection the man who twice won their vote for President of the Republic of Kosovo-- an entity recognized only by Albania.
     Rugova hugged and was hugged in the village of Banja, visited a clinic in Ostrozub and chatted with Serbs in the centre of Orahovac before heading back to Pristina.
     A few bursts of automatic weapons fire sounded from the hills outside Ostrozub while Rugova was there. Several men in civilian clothes, toting Kalashnikovs, were visible in town. Both were reminders that some here prefer action over talk.
     While the United States opposes independence as a potential destabiliser of the Balkans, Washington has supported Rugova as the best available alternative to separatist guerrillas of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).
     Even if Hill and Rugova agree an interim deal for self-rule in Kosovo that sidesteps the issue of final status, both men will have a huge selling job in the countryside where the KLA is strong and destruction is widespread.
     Analysts expect to see more of Hill and Rugova together in the field, promoting the peace process on a personal basis.
     "We're going to keep at this and we're going to get a political settlement and we're going to return Kosovo to a situation where people can be in charge of their lives, where people can run their own affairs," Hill said.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.
__________________________________________________

Opposition Declared Winner of Macedonia Election
Reuters  03-NOV-98

SKOPJE, Nov 3 (Reuters) - A centre-right opposition bloc has ended leftist rule in Macedonia after 53 years but needs the support of ethnic Albanian parties for a governing majority, final official election results showed on Wednesday.
     Hit by a backlash over economic decay since independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia's socialists conceded defeat after Sunday's second round of general elections. The state electoral commission made it official on Wednesday.
     Commission president Liljana Inghilizova said the "For Change" coalition won 58 of 120 parliament seats, the Social Democratic Alliance for Macedonia (SDAM, formerly communists) 29, ethnic Albanian parties 24, Liberal Democrats four, Socialists two and the Alliance of Romas (gypsies) one.
     Voting in two districts is to be repeated because of irregularities.
     The VMRO-DPMNE opposition bloc is unlikely to have much trouble attracting ethnic Albanian backing as its rightist bent has been moderated by an election alliance with the centrist, multi-ethnic Democratic Alternative (DA).
     Ljubco Georgievski, president of VMRO-DPMNE, is expected to be nominated by President Kiro Gligorov, an 81-year-old Social Democrat, to form a new government. The outgoing parliament's term expires on November 19.
     Communists and their socialist successors had ruled Macedonia since 1945. The latest elections brought the first change of government through the ballot box in Macedonian history.
     Gligorov, although a symbol of the past, has steered Macedonia on a pro-Western course since 1992 and he says the constitution obliges him to choose and work with a prime minister from the party with the most votes.
     Gligorov was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt three years ago but recovered. Who targeted him remains a mystery.
     Stability in the poor, landlocked Balkan country has been a matter of international concern since it won independence.
     Macedonia, with a large ethnic Albanian minority, borders on Albania and has been rattled by fighting involving Albanian separatists in the adjoining Yugoslav province of Kosovo.
     But Georgievski is expected to pursue a course of stability and continuity, pursuing Macedonian integration into the European Union and NATO.
     Severe economic decline in Macedonia, dividing society into an impoverished majority and a small rich minority, played the biggest role in the left-wing defeat.
     The opposition has pledged to rehabilitate the economy in part by attracting substantial foreign investment.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.
__________________________________________________

Osce to Monitor Albanian Vote on Constitution
Reuters  03-NOV-98

TIRANA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on Tuesday it would monitor Albania's referendum on a new constitution to ensure it was democratic.
     Europe's poorest nation will vote on November 22 on a draft constitution prepared by a commission of the ruling Socialist Party-dominated parliament.
     Albania has made do with a package of constitutional laws since 1991 after student protests toppled the Communist regime in late 1990.
     A draft worked out by the then ruling Democratic Party in 1994 was rejected in a referendum after opposition parties said it gave too much power to the president.
     The current government asked the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to set up an Election Observation Mission "to assess the referendum process against OSCE commitment," mission head Kare Vollan told reporters.
     Vollan said they had requested a team of 150 observers from OSCE member countries in addition to staff already resident in the Balkan country.
     Daan Everts, OSCE's ambassador in Tirana, said additional observers would come from the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE "to assure a proper observation."
     The Democrats of former President Sali Berisha, who have boycotted parliament since July, have urged Albanians not to take part in the vote, denouncing the draft as "anti-democratic and anti-nationalistic." They have vowed not to recognise it.
     An international donors' conference on Albania last week stressed the need for a new constitution and urged the country's opposition Democratic Party to end its boycott of parliament and participate in the constitutional referendum.

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.All rights reserved.

        +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
        !!!     READ & DISTRIBUTE FURTHER       !!!
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Kosova Task Force
Action Alert
October 30, 1998

Let Kosovans Decide for Kosova.

³We have been misled a lot in the past by that [Serb] government.² said a  senior NATO official as the Serbian army forces slowly began their  symbolic withdrawal from Kosova as the October 27,  NATO deadline  approached.

International news agencies cautiously acknowledged the zero sum movement  of  Serbian troops (where they move from one place to the next while  maintaining their presence in and around Kosova, making it difficult to  verify their compliance to the NATO agreement). In this way,  President  Milosevic has won yet another round in the deadly international game of  inaction in Kosova.

This was the exact pattern Milosevic followed in his destructive policies  in Bosnia, where the struggle continues till this day.

Brothers and sisters, we must remain on guard and not let the tricks and  deception of Milosevic lull us into a dream world of false promises and  lies.

The Albanian Muslims of Kosova who make up 93% of the population and have  voted overwhelmingly  for independence from brutal Serb rule.
 
The Kosova Task Force, USA is encouraging  Muslims and non-Muslims to  assist the Kosovar people by writing  and faxing letters to your local  Senator, Congressperson, Secretary  of State and the American President  demanding the following:

* Recognize the Kosova¹s right to self determination.
* Allow Kosovans to arm themselves in self-defense.
* Allow relief organizations immediate access to the 400,000 refugees.
* Conduct extensive and sustained air strikes to force a permanent Serb army withdrawal from Kosova.
* Allow journalists to visit areas of ethnic cleansing.
* Arrest Serb war criminals in Belgrade.

************************************
How to Use 5 Minute for Kosova Today
************************************
Please take five minutes of your time to:
1. Forward this email to 20 of your friends.
2. Call at least one leader per day.
3. Send an email or letter to President Clinton demanding immediate
action.
===================================

====================================
Kosova Task Force, USA
730 W. Lake St., Suite 156
Chicago, IL 60661, USA
Phone: 312-829-0087 Fax: 312-829-0089
Email: Kosova@justiceforall.org
Internet: http://www.justiceforall.org
====================================

The following organizations constitute the Kosova Task Force, USA:
Albanian Islamic Cultural Center, American Muslim Council, Balkan Muslim Association, Council of Islamic Organizations of Chicago, Council of Islamic Organizations of Michigan, Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Islamic Council of New England, Islamic Medical Association, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Islamic Society of Greater Houston, Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), Majlis Shura New York, The Ministry of Imam W.D. Muhammad, Muslim Students Association of US and Canada, The National Community.

without permission, for fair use only.

1. Opposition Poised to Form New Government in Macedonia
2. U.S. Official Hears Albanian Fears Firsthand
3. French NATO Official Arrested for Allegedly Spying for Serbs

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

Opposition Poised to Form New Government in Macedonia
AP  02-NOV-98

SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) -- An opposition coalition claimed victory over Macedonia's ruling former communists after weekend elections and pledged Monday to work for more democracy and continued close ties to the West.
     Unofficial results released Monday showed that the conservative, center-right coalition of VMRO-DPMNE and Democratic Alternative parties won 59 of 120 seats in the parliament.
     "Macedonia will see serious changes from the current situation," said coalition leader Ljupco Georgijevski. He promised "further democratization of society and economic recovery of the country."
     Georgijevski said there would be "no radical changes" in the existing government's foreign policy: to join NATO and the European Union and to strive for better relations with neighboring Balkan countries.
     According to unofficial results, the ruling Social Democrats headed by President Kiro Gligorov secured 29 seats. A coalition of two major ethnic Albanian parties won 24 seats and the remainder went to a few smaller parties.
     Georgijevski said a final count could give his coalition an outright majority. If not, the small Liberal Party, which has four seats, could join the alliance, or some ethnic Albanian deputies could pledge support.
     Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia six years ago, the only former republic to have done so without a war. But tensions are high due to the large ethnic Albanian community and a border with Kosovo, a predominantly ethnic Albanian province of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia.
     The outcome of the elections is important to NATO's plans for verifying the pullback of government troops in neighboring Kosovo.
     NATO wants to use Macedonia as a base for its aerial surveillance of Kosovo and for a security force to protect the 2,000-member ground verification force in the province.
     During the election campaign, the opposition coalition said it opposed the stationing of foreign military forces in Macedonia. After the first round, however, it softened that position, saying it would maintain "continuity" in international agreements reached by the current government.
     The Kosovo issue played big in Macedonian elections because of the country's large and restive ethnic Albanian community, nearly one-quarter of the country's 2.2 million people. Unlike in Serbia, however, Macedonia's ethnic Albanians do not boycott elections and have been included in the government.
     The Democratic Alternative leader, Vasil Tupurkovski, pledged the coalition will "improve ethnic relations in the country" and that ethnic Albanians "will find themselves among our equal rights for all."
     Although official results have not been released, Georgijevski already declared victory. He spoke to thousands of euphoric supporters who celebrated for most of the night in downtown Skopje, honking car horns and waving party flags.
     Hours after polls closed Sunday evening, Premier Branko Crvenkovski appeared on state-run television to concede defeat.
     Top campaign issues also were the country's weak economy and the state's ongoing disputes with most of its neighbors.

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

U.S. Official Hears Albanian Fears Firsthand
AP  02-NOV-98

STREOC, Yugoslavia (AP) -- U.S. envoy Julia Taft got some ethnic Albanian hospitality -- walnuts and pudding -- and a taste of the fear that permeates the daily life of villagers in Kosovo.
     The assistant U.S. secretary of state, on a one-day visit Sunday to the embattled Serbian province, was offered a dish of white, creamy rice pudding.
     Then came a helping of perspective, Kosovo-style. Family members gave their names but asked journalists not to publish them, for fear of retribution by Serb police.
     "Yes I feel threatened," the hostess told Taft. "I sleep with my clothes on because that's how we think. We may have to flee."
     Others complained that police and soldiers who withdrew from some areas a week ago have returned to harass and arrest people. When Taft said that despite such incidents, she sensed things were getting better in Kosovo, the head of the family replied: "We don't sense that."
     He said only international troops, not an unarmed foreign verification force being created, could solve their problem.
     "The Westerners are not going to solve the problem," Taft responded. "The people who live here must come to an agreement to solve their problem."
     But the man shook his head, saying: "I don't think that it will be possible."
     Taft later told a news conference that fear of Serb police and Yugoslav soldiers continues to prevent people from reclaiming their normal lives.
     She said the situation in the war-torn Yugoslav province was much better than during her previous visit two months ago, but thousands of refugees still were staying away from their homes out of fear.
     While she noted a reduced Serb police presence at checkpoints, she acknowledged that even a small police presence was intimidating.
     Creating a civilian police force in Kosovo, as envisioned by the Oct. 12 agreement between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, was a "high priority" for the international community, Taft said.
     "My sense is that until there is a credible civilian police presence in the villages and towns, you won't have the confidence necessary" for people to move back for good, she said.
     Western powers led by the United States threatened NATO airstrikes to force Milosevic to reach the agreement, which calls for him to withdraw police and military forces to levels before a February crackdown on Albanian separatists.
     The crackdown killed hundreds and forced 300,000 to flee their homes.
     The agreement also demands full access for relief agencies and a 2,000-member unarmed observer mission that will verify compliance with the deal. NATO spy planes also will overfly the country, and a rapid-reaction force is being set up in neighboring Macedonia.
     In Italy, U.S. Navy spokesman Capt. Steve Burnett said Navy P-3C Orions would begin regular surveillance flights over Kosovo this week.

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

French NATO Official Arrested for Allegedly Spying for Serbs
AP  02-NOV-98

(Paris)-- A French NATO commander has been arrested for allegedly supplying information on planned airstrikes to Serb authorities.
     Judicial officials say the commander gave Serbian officials a list of areas that NATO was targeting for airstrikes during October's standoff over Kosovo.
     Pierre Bunel, a 46-year-old French army official posted in Brussels, Belgium, faces charges of supplying "intelligence to a foreign power."
     Sources close to the investigation say Bunel admitted to handing over the information, saying he did it because of pro-Serb sympathies.
     He has been placed under formal investigation-- one step short of being charged -- and faces up to 15 years in jail.

Copyright 1998& The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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