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YUGOSLAV PM SAYS ARMY, POLICE TO RETURN TO KOSOVO-METOHIJA SOON
Yugoslavia's prime minister said on Sunday he hoped the Yugoslav army and the Serbian police would soon return to the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's U.N.-administered Kosovo-Metohija province.
Momir Bulatovic, who heads the Socialist People's Party (SNP) of the other Yugoslav republic, Montenegro, said that "the committee for cooperation with the United Nations daily insists on the implementation of the UN Security Council's Resolution 1244."
"We are counting the days before this should happen," Bulatovic told a convention of SNP members and sympathisers in Mojkovac, Montenegro.
He said that the 100,000 or so remaining Serbs and Montenegrins in Kosovo-Metohija would be able to live normal and peaceful lives only after Yugoslav forces returned to the province.
Speaking about the situation in Montenegro, Bulatovic said that the future status of that Yugoslav republic could be decided only by the people, who should "this time again demonstrate their historical maturity.
"A violent secession, if it should come to that, must be prevented by the people of Montenegro, they must oppose any such senseless attempt," he said.
He noted that Montenegro "is in chaos" and that the local government "has neither the knowledge nor the strength nor yet the economic instruments to prevent the impoverishment of the republic."
FINAL MOMENT TO PREVENT VIOLATION OF RESOLUTION 1244 - YUGOSLAV UN AMBASSADOR
This is the final moment for the UN Security Council to take the necessary steps to stop and prevent the further violation of Resolution 1244 on the international presence in Serbia's southern Kosovo and Metohija province, the head of Yugoslavia's UN mission, ambassador Vladislav Jovanovic, told a press conference in New York on Friday.
Jovanovic informed journalists about the content of a recent Aide Memorie by the federal government on the implementation of Resolution 1244.
He spoke about the serious situation in Kosovo and Metohija resulting from the unfulfilled tasks of the international mission in whose presence the ethnic Albanian terrorists are continuing the criminal persecution and extermination of the non-Albanian population.
The Yugoslav government's Aide Memoire contains irrefutable facts which directly confirm that the extremists, under the auspices of KFOR and the UN Civilian Mission in Kosovo and Metohija (UNMIIK), are freely continuing the terror against the Serbs and other non-Albanians, and even those ethnic Albanians who do not support them.
Jovanovic recalled that Resolution 1244 precisely defines the mandate of the international presence.
The key principle should be the respect of Yugoslavia's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Jovanovic set out adding that, however, inadmissible things are taking place in the field such as the fact that the security mission is not creating a safe environment for all inhabitants of Kosovo and Metohija or the inadmissible interference of UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner who is making illegal decisions.
Instead of consolidating the situation in the transitional period and creating conditions for a dialogue between the Yugoslav and Serb governments and the representatives of Kosovo and Metohija's population on autonomy, the situation in Serbia's southern province has become extremely serious, Jovanovic stated.
He criticized certain countries, primarily the United States, for attempting to apply a distorted interpretation of the international presence in Kosovo and Metohija.
The aim of such moves is to support the separatists and help them in the realization of their aim - the secession of the province, Jovanovic said.
Underscoring that, since the arrival of the international mission in Kosovo and Metohija, 500 inhabitants of the province have been killed, almost 700 kidnapped and 330,000 driven away by the terrorists, Jovanovic said that this entire process clearly aims to eliminate the non-Albanian population.
Yugoslavia has fulfilled all its obligations stemming from Resolution 1244 and is persistently sending warning signals to the Security Council about the deteriorating situation in Kosovo and Metohija and demanding an immediate halt to the violation of the adopted decisions and determined principles.
Unfortunately, the reaction of the Security Council is not encouraging, Jovanovic set out.
He pointed out that Yugoslavia would never agree to solutions and moves contrary to Resolution 1244 which directly violate the decision on the strict respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia, whose integral part Kosovo and Metohija is, nor will it ever agree to deliberations about this. This is why the Security Council should urgently take the necessary steps, including the signing with Yugoslavia of a comprehensive agreement on the realization of Resolution 1244.
KOSOVO-METOHIJA SERB OFFICIAL: SITUATION WORSE THAN BEFORE UN CAME
The situation in Kosovska Mitrovica, Zvecan and U.N.-administered Kosovo-Metohija as a whole is much worse now than before UN forces were deployed in mid-June, according to a local Serb official on Friday.
Oliver Ivanovic, who heads the Serbian National Council in Kosovska Mitrovica, told a news briefing that officials of the town of Zvecan and the Serbian National Council for Kosovska Mitrovica had met with the UN civilian mission to Kosovo-Metohija (UNMIK).
The Serbs had informed UNMIK that the overall security situation was absolutely bad, that electricity and water supply was poor, and the postal and telephone services, transport and heating did not function, Ivanovic said.
For four months now, UNMIK had been unable to repair two high- voltage pylons, and the equipment ordered from France would not be there for another two months, he added.
Elektrokosovo Power Company Director Radoje Petkovic said that the main problem was that north Kosovska Mitrovica was getting electricity from the ethnic Albanian-populated south section of the town and was directly dependent on their good will.
Ivanovic said that Zvecan's water supply had been cut off for 20 days, and that high-rise buildings in Kosovska Mitrovica, too, were without water.
He stressed that telephones in Serb homes and businesses in Kosovska Mitrovica were being cut off, while the ethnic Albanian postal workers' incompetence further complicated the working of the telephone service.
THERE IS STILL NO SAFETY, SECURITY IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA - OFFICIAL
The people, especially non- Albanians in U.N.-administered Kosovo-Metohija still have no safety or security, a Belgrade paper quotes the president of the committee for cooperation with the United Nations in Kosovo-Metohija as saying.
Gangs of ethnic Albanian extremists are everywhere in that province of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia, committing murders and other crimes, Stanimir Vukicevic said for the weekend issue of the Borba newspaper.
The violence of the ethnic Albanian terrorists and separatists has resulted in an "ethnic cleansing" of Kosovo-Metohija, with about 330,000 people, 250,000 of them Serbs, driven out of the province, Vukicevic said, describing the situation as highly complex.
He went on to say that the UN Security Council's Resolution 1244 and the Kumanovo military-technical accord of early June envisage for returning the Yugoslav army and police to Kosovo- Metohija.
"They will certainly act as a factor of stability," he said.
However, he added, KFOR is putting off the implementation of this provision, with the explanation that the situation is not right, he said, adding that the true reason is that the KLA's demilitarisation has not been done properly.
He drew attention also to the violation of Resolution 1244 by UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner.
So far, Kouchner has issued some 20 regulations, which practically set aside some Yugoslav and Serbian laws, overstepping his mandate, Vukicevic averred.
"The Security Council resolution clearly guarantees the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the (Yugoslav) federal state.
"Kouchner's regulations, on the other hand, grossly violate this," Vukicevic said.
In illustration, Vukicevic quoted Kouchner's disruption of the Yugoslav tariffs system in Kosovo-Metohija and introduction of the German mark as legal tender there, and his drafting of the province's budget.
Vukicevic stressed that the committee which he heads is still open to cooperation with UNMIK in Kosovo-Metohija, which is its purpose and which is why it was set up in the first place, and that UNMIK would be more successful if it cooperated with the committee.
SERBS IN DIVIDED KOSOVSKA MITROVICA PROTEST WITH KFOR COMMANDER
Serbs in Kosovska Mitrovica protested on Sunday with the commander-in-chief of the international KFOR force over KFOR's insufficient protection of the Serbs in the north of the divided city.
Meeting with General Klaus Reinhardt at the Serbian National Council (SNV), SNV President Oliver Ivanovic said it had not been KFOR but the Serbs themselves and their organisation that had provided the necessary protection against ethnic Albanian assaults.
Ivanovic said that all Serbs and Romanies had been driven out of the south, ethnic Albanian-populated part of the city, while the north part remained multiethnic, with Serbs, ethnic Albanians, Muslims and others living in harmony.
He went on to repeat the request for setting up a Serbian Defence Corps for Kosovo-Metohija.
However, General Reinhardt said this was unnecessary, and that the (ethnic Albanian) Kosovo Protection Corps was not a defence force, but a civilian body.
According to Reinhardt, a Serbian Kosovo-Metohija Corps should form part of the Kosovo Protection Corps, which the Council resolutely refused, stressing they would continue to insist on the setting up of a Serbian corps.
SERBS IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA'S GNJILANE FEAR COMING WINTER
The about 3,000 Serbs living in Kosovo- Metohija's town of Gnjilane fear the coming winter, because freedom of movement restrictions have prevented them laying in a store of heating fuel, according to reports on Sunday.
Also, power-cuts are frequent, mostly in the Serb-populated parts of the town, which precludes their using electricity for heating, amateur radio operators in this U.N.-administered province of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia reported.
The town has electricity only for between two and five hours a day, with power-cuts lasting for up to 30 hours and more, the reports said, quoting the Serbian Church Council in Gnjilane.
Power-cuts cause also cuts in water supply, with the lower town areas spending between 10 and 15 hours a day without water, and the higher parts of the town and high-rise buildings staying without water for up to five days in a row.
There is a threat of infectious diseases, compounded by the settling in the town of tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians over the past five months.
Ethnic Albanians control nearly all municipal services, and their incompetence jeopardises the functioning of the infrastructure system of Gnjilane, threatening the lives of the people.
ANTI-TANK MINE KILLS TWO, INJURES SIX SERBIAN POLICE
Two Serbian policemen were killed and six were seriously injured at dawn on Sunday when their vehicle hit an anti-tank mine planted by ethnic Albanian terrorists in south Serbia (Yugoslavia), a police statement said.
The police station in Prokuplje said that terrorists of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) had attacked a police patrol out of Kursumlija at the village of Prepolac at around 3 a.m. on Sunday.
Reinforcements were immediately sent out to the ambushed patrol.
As the policemen were returning to Kursumlija after a successful intervention, at 6 a.m., their vehicle hit one of two anti-tank mines planted meanwhile by ethnic Albanian terrorists on the Prepolac-Kursumlija road.
An examination of the crime scene established that the mines were from the arsenals of the army of neighbouring Albania, the police statement said.
SERBS LANGUISH IN PRISONS UNDER FALSE CHARGES
Many Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija are imprisoned under false charges brought by ethnic Albanians, Tanjug has learnt from the subcommittee for judicial affairs of the Yugoslav committee for cooperation with the UN mission in Pristina.
Serbs stand accused of the most serious criminal acts, such as genocide, murder, rape, arson, and the proceedings are conducted without any control.
As the charges and proceedings are being trumped-up, the consequences could have much wider implications, and the Serbian Chamber of Lawyers and the Belgrade Chamber of Lawyers should go in there as soon as possible.
Lawyer Zoran Despotovic, who is representing seven Serbs suspected of genocide in Kosovska Mitrovica said that "the interrogations of suspects so far indicate that none of his clients are perpetrators of the criminal act of genocide, and there are no indications that they have perpetrated some less dangerous criminal acts."
He added that the proceedings are conducted by ethnic Albanian judges because Serb judges, due to the impossibility of cooperation and the ratio between the number of judges, had resigned, and there is also the problem of selecting the jury for the trials, so that we have a situation where in a number of cases the investigations have been completed and the indictments issued while trials are not being held to see whether the indicted are guilty of not."
The UNMIK administration is to blame for everything, first and foremost administration chief Bernard Kouchner who insisted that the number of judges be in proportion to the number of inhabitants, and if there is no parity in the number of judges, there is no guarantee that the trial will be held in keeping with the law, Despotovic said.
EURO CORPS TO TAKE OVER IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA
The European Union plans to send early in 2000 its special corps to Kosovo and Metohija to take over control of the international forces from NATO, London said on Saturday.
The Euro Corps was formed as a European counterpart to NATO and is made up of troops from France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg. In the first stage, the Euro Corps should take over from NATO in at least one KFOR sector in Serbia's southern province.
London's Daily Mirror daily learned that the Euro Corps is also scheduled to replace the U.S. KFOR contingent thus placing the international mission in Kosovo and Metohija under total European control.
The paper said that the plan for the deployment of the Euro Corps in Kosovo and Metohija would most probably be approved at the NATO ministerial meeting in Brussels on Dec. 2.
The Euro Corps has limited experience in military actions and peace missions although its Franco-German brigade spent some time in Bosnia-Herzegovina following the signing of the peace agreement there.
Many believe that the official three-language command system (French, German and Spanish) of the Euro Corps renders it a bad example of the military efficiency of European defence cooperation.
ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS DESTROYED 77 SERB CHURCHES SINCE KFOR ARRIVAL
Since the arrival of KFOR in Kosovo and Metohija on June 10 ethnic Albanian terrorists have pulled down, torched or desecrated 77 Serb churches and monasteries and plundered or destroyed more than 10,000 icons and other religious objects, the director of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments in Serbia, Mileta Milic, has said.
Such vandalism on the threshold of the 21st century, is unprecedented in Europe, Milic set out adding that the international forces and UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner are fully aware what is going on in Serbia's southern province but are not doing anything on purpose.
Underscoring that such destruction of the cultural heritage of the Serb people was not recorded even during the 500-year Turkish rule, Milic said that the majority of the destroyed churches date from the Middle Ages, but that there are also those built in the past ten years.
One of the oldest to be completely destroyed by the terrorists is the Church of the Holy Trinity built in 1316 and located in the village of Musutiste, near Suva Reka.
Totally destroyed have also been many temples dating from the 14th century as well as more than 150 auxiliary church buildings and other facilities.
The destruction of the Serb cultural heritage is at the same time the destruction of the cultural heritage of Europe since the ancient Serb sites in Kosovo and Metohija are a part of the European and world heritage and civilization. The majority of Serb monasteries, such as Decani, the Pec Patriarchate, Gracanica and others, have been included in world encyclopaedias because of their architectural and artistic values.
The Institute for the Protection of Monuments has appealed for help to more than 150 addresses in Europe and throughout the world, including UNESCO, the Parliament of Europe, NATO foreign ministers and numerous influential political and cultural figures.
SERBIAN CHURCHES DEMOLISHED IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA SHAME NATO - PRESS
Serbian churches demolished in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's province of Kosovo-Metohija are monuments to ethnic Albanian vandalism and NATO's indifference and incompetence, according to a London newspaper on Saturday.
The Independent newspaper writes that this is, above all, a shame for NATO, adding that the international KFOR force and NATO are not telling the truth when they say that ethnic Albanians are motivated by emotions, i.e., "revenge," in their campaign of destruction.
This is not the case, insists the author of the article, and goes on to say that, in truth, the destruction is deliberate vandalism, pure and simple.
He quotes specific instances that prove that Serbian churches were demolished by experts.
The explosives were planted by professionals and the preparations must have taken days, according to the newspaper, which suggests that this is not the type of emotional crime.
Since June 13, when first KFOR troops deployed to Kosovo-Metohija, 74 Serbian churches have been plundered and demolished.
BRATISLAVA MORINA RECEIVES MALCOLM FRAISER
Yugoslav minister in charge of refugees, displaced persons and humanitarian aid, Bratislava Morina, received Monday Malcolm Fraiser, president of the Australian humanitarian organization Care.
Bratislava Morina said that thanks to cooperation with Care a significant humanitarian aid has been secured for refugees and temporarily displaced persons in our country. Australian humanitarians, as the executive partner of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, made possible the provision of food for 638 collection centers in Serbia and in Montenegro, and fuel has also been secured for the heating of nearly 36,000 people sheltering in those centers, and for 23,000 living in social institutions in Serbia, the Yugoslav minister said.
Particularly significant, Bratislava Morina said, is the program of medical aid organized over the Care branch from Germany, providing for 54 mobile medical teams to visit 367 collective centers and medical care for thousands of refugees and displaced persons.
Malcolm Fraiser said that Care, knowing about the grave humanitarian situation in Yugoslavia, is expanding the existing programs of aid and launching new ones, in the attempt to help the greatest number of those in need.
GREECE'S SIMITIS WARNS OF DANGEROUS BALKAN SITUATION
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis said after meeting with visiting U.S. President Bill Clinton on Saturday that the current Balkan situation was dangerous, and that the region needed stability and respect for the existing borders.
Simitis told a news conference it was necessary to invest fresh efforts towards initiatives for a reconstruction and rehabilitation of the entire Balkan region.
Clinton, for his part, told reporters the talks had touched on Greece's role in the Balkans, Greek troops' participation in the international forces in Bosnia and Kosovo-Metohija, and the region's economic development.
Asked to comment on Friday's protests in Athens and give a message to the Greeks who protested against his visit, he replied that the Greek people had the right to protest, as that was a basic principle of democracy.
He went on to say he was aware that nearly the entire Greek nation had opposed the Kosovo-Metohija and Bosnia campaigns, while most Americans had upheld them.
This did not mean, however, that the friendship and support for the Greek government and people should be withheld because of this, he added.
Simitis, too, commenting on late Friday's protests in Athens, said that Greece was a democratic country where the people could express their views freely, but the Constitution dictated that they must do so peacefully and with respect for the law.
SAME MID-EAST MENTALITY IN TURKEY AND KOSOVO- METOHIJA - SAYS RUSSIAN MINISTER
Russian Minister for Special Situations Sergei Shoygu described on television, upon returning from the OSCE summit in Istanbul, his own difficulties with the Turkish hosts who "feel for the Chechens" and have, as he said, the same "mid-East mentality" as the Kosovo Albanians.
Shoygu, who was a member of the Russian delegation at the summit, expressed understanding for the complaints by the Russian journalists who said that their colleagues in Istanbul's press centre "did not have a friendly attitude" towards them.
Shoygu was able to personally experience this when the links with Moscow were cut only seconds before he was due to appear live from Istanbul on Moscow television's (ORT) first channel.
According to Shoygu, only "after exhausting talks" with the OSCE representatives was the Russian delegation able to prove that Moscow's position on the Chechen crisis was justified, although it encountered "minor revenge" of the Turkish specialists who feel for the Chechens.
"This, just like in Kosovo and Metohija, is the result of the mid-East mentality," Shoygu set out.
He recalled that the Kosovo Albanians have for several months been maintaining a blockade of the Serb population of Orahovac refusing to allow Russian peacekeepers to enter this town because they, as opposed to the Americans, do not have huge dollar sums to spend there.
CLINTON CHASED AWAY
US President Bill Clinton found himself in very embarrassing situation in Greece, where there were organized massive anti-American demonstrations, but also very unpleasant messages could be seen, which were directed at him, Washington Post writes.
In contrast to earlier attempts to ignore anti- American atmosphere and protests in Greece
This time even the US TV stations broadcast the demonstrations. The most TV stations covered the massive and peaceful protests only briefly, concentrating much more on incidents.
Protests of the Greeks had been so strong that Clinton made his already shortened visit even shorter, so it lasted only 22 hours. He left Athens without making a previously scheduled speech in the Greek parliament.
At least 16 persons were injured and dozens of protesters were arrested, while a great material damage has been inflicted in huge street protests, which culminated Friday night prior to Bill Clinton's arrival to Athens. One of the main slogans during the protest was "The butcher of the Balkans, you are not welcome", Reuters reports.
The deep discontent and opposition to NATO aggression on Yugoslavia is in essence of Greek anti-American protests, the US media conclude.
CLINTON IS NOT WELCOME IN SKOPJE
U.S. President Bill Clinton is not welcome in Skopje will be a message sent from a rally planned for Saturday evening in the Macedonian capital, although his Sunday visit is as yet officially unconfirmed.
The rally will send a message to Clinton not to come to Macedonia, Saturday's Skopje press said.
"Criminals tend to return to the scene of the crime where they bloodied their hands and this is why Clinton has come to the Balkans," said the Democratic Party of Serbs of Macedonia (DPSM) which is one of the organizers of the rally.
DPSM set out that the Macedonian people have shown a number of times in the past year their bitterness towards Clinton's Balkan policy.
At numerous rallies held during the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia, the people of Macedonia condemned Clinton's crimes, even demolishing the U.S. embassy in Skopje, DPSM stated.
26TH INTERNATIONAL FOOD FAIR OPENS
Thanks to the stimulating measures of the Serbian government, this year we have realized food self-sufficiency of all basic agricultural products, ensuring sufficient quantities of food for the population, food reserves and a significant increase of food intended for export, said Monday Serbian Agriculture Minister Jovan Babovic.
Opening the 26th fair of food and the 7th international wine fair in Belgrade, Babovic said that in this year of unprecedented sanctions and NATO aggression, we have realized significant exports of food products totalling 272 million dollars.
Babovic stressed that our country has comparative advantages and that with appropriate technology, it can produce ecologically clean food.
At the food fair are presented over 130 exhibitors from the country and abroad.
IN FOCUS
When a lion turns into a rabbit
By Dr. Zivorad Djordjevic
American president's trip to some Balkan countries turned into a sad story about weakness and senselessness of the so-called New World Order, impersonated in the new totalitarianism and a tragic-comic figure of Bill Clinton. After the unsuccessful military and then political aggression on our country, the arrogant world's sheriff should have with this trip, diminished the failure of NATO aggression.
But the power of protest and resistance of the Greek, Macedonian, Turkish and Bulgarian citizens, who courageously and wonderfully demonstrated support to our just fight against aggression of NATO barbarians, opposed the demonstration of might and arrogance. They have convincingly showed to the world that our fight for freedom, independence and dignity is not in vain, that we are not alone. What is the most important, the arrogant Bill Clinton, who sees himself as a lion among the mice, was very scared and over the night became a frightened rabbit. In Athens he did not dare to stay 24 hours, or to get out of his hotel suite, he went to Sofia with nine planes, in order to discourage the local assassins. In Istanbul he limited meeting with his European vassals, which most hit the representative trio of traitors - Draskovic, Djukanovic and Djindjic. Namely, after Clinton was not in the mood to greet the Serbs, even from 20,000 feet, the already mentioned trio of bootlickers went to Istanbul to express to him a humble respect, to be given just a disappointing tip.
And when a lion suddenly turns into a rabbit, what is there for us then to say: 'run for home, rabbit'! The Oval office is for, even without Monica in it, the nicest and most secure place in the world.
All this is happening after NATO aggression on Yugoslavia, because we have, with out heroic, brave and defiant fight, stirred the conscience of mankind and awakened the hope of the free world into the possibility that David can resist Goliath. With our resistance to the new totalitarianism and a beginning of a colossal struggle, in which Goliath turns into a rabbit, we shall mark the bright side of history of 20-th century. Future historians and sociologists shall study the miracle from the end of this century, made of a successful ten-year-long fight of a small country, chained in sanctions, militarily destroyed and politically and media wise vilified, and finally, a country that, under the bombs, reconstructs and thinks of reforms.
On the other side, the dark side of the 20th century history shall be marked by totalitarianism and disgrace from the Oval Office of the White House.