Informazione
* ZASTO SE SUDI NATO-U / PERCHE' LA NATO E' SOTTO ACCUSA
* ASSIJUG: INIZIATIVA A PERUGIA IL 15 APRILE
* A-B-C SOLIDARIETA' E PACE: UN AIUTO PER PANCEVO
----
ZASTO SE SUDI NATO-u
Zoran Kraljevski wrote:
> (...) Ovom prilikom zelim da Vas informisem da 04.04.2000 u Skoplju
> ide promocija moje knjige "Zasto se sudi Nato-u". Na promociji ce biti
> prikazan i dokumentarni film "Sramna godina sile" ciji sam autor ja, a
> na promociji knjige govorice eminentni intelektualci iz
> Makedonije. Knjiga ovde izaziva interesantne i zasad povoljne
> reakcije.
Dalla Repubblica ex-Jugoslava di Macedonia ci scrivono comunicandoci che
il giorno 4 aprile 2000 sara' ufficialmente presentato a Skoplje il
libro "Perche' la NATO e' sotto accusa", di Zoran Kraljevski. Con
l'occasione si terra' un dibattito e sara' proiettato il video "Un
vergognoso anno di violenza". Per informazioni: <nadj@...>
---
Sabato 15 Aprile ore 19.00
CENA SOCIALE E MUSICA BALCANICA IN
SOLIDARIETA' CON LA IUGOSLAVIA
A tutti gli iscritti e simpatizzanti dell'Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia
(ASSIJUG)
A tutti i sinceri democratici e antimperialisti
Sarà l'occasione per ritrovarci di nuovo tutti assieme, in un clima di
cordialità, simpatia e
amicizia. Approfitteremo dell'occasione
(1) per ascoltare gli amici e compagni appena tornati da Belgrado,
(2) l'esperto Marco Saba, che ci relazionerà sull'uso dell'uranio
impoverito da parte della
NATO e le le devastazioni ambientali subite dalla Iugoslavia
(3) discutere assieme anche dei progetti che di recente abbiamo
intrapreso e che sono già a
buon punto:
(a) il gemellaggio che si sta realizzando tra il Comune abruzzese di
Pizzo Ferrato e la
cittadina iugoslava di Bogatic; cosa importante, alla cena saranno
presenti anche il Sindaco
ed alcuni rappresentanti della Giunta comunale di Pizzo Ferrato che ci
parleranno dei motivi
di questa scelta così significativa e coraggiosa;
(b) la prevista rassegna cinematografica sul cinema iugoslavo che
abbiamo intenzione di
concludere entro il mese di Maggio invitando il famoso regista iugoslavo
Kosturica;
(c) la campagna di raccolta di fondi per la Iugoslavia: "Un Fiore per la
Ricostruzione" che
avvieremo nel prossimo Giugno.
Di altre iniziative previste parleremo nel corso della serata. La cena
sarà inoltre
l'occasione per lanciare il tesseramento all'Associazione per l'anno
2000, invitando chi non
l'ha ancora fatto a tesserarsi e gli altri a rinnovare la propria
adesione. L'appuntamento è
dunque per il giorno:
Sabato 15 Aprile ore 19.00
c/o la Casa del popolo di Casa del Diavolo
Strada Tiberina Nord
Casa del Diavolo -PG-
(superstrada E45, uscita Ponte Pattoli)
Partecipa e fai partecipare tutti, diffondi questo invito ad amici,
parenti, compagni di lavoro,
conoscenti!
Con amicizia.
l'Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia (ASSIJUG)
Per informazioni puoi rivolgerti: Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia
(Assijug) Via Duranti,5
06100 Perugia.
Tel/Fax 075-42686. E mail: assijug@.... o direttamente in sede
dalle 17.00 alle
19.30.
---
UN AIUTO A PANCEVO PER LE ANALISI DI ARIA E DI ACQUA
AVVELENATE DALLA NATO
per chi sia interessato il sito web dell'Associazione è il seguente:
http://www.freeweb.org/volontariato/abcsolidarieta/index1.htm
Gentili amici,
volevamo richiamare la vostra attenzione sull'iniziativa di aiuto a
Pancevo
per le analisi di aria e acqua avvelenate dalla Nato, avviata dal
quotidiano
“il manifesto” e “A, B, C, solidarietà e pace”. Molti di voi aiutano già
generosamente i bambini serbi, altri i bambini brasiliani o quelli della
Guinea Bissau, ma riteniamo doveroso, da parte nostra, informarvi
comunque
su questo nuovo progetto:
si tratta di aiutare i bambini e le loro famiglie a sopravvivere in
un'area
geografica contaminata dai bombardamenti della Nato reperendo o
acquistando
alcune apparecchiature di cui ha urgente bisogno l’Istituto di igiene e
tutela ambientale del Banato del sud (dott.ssa Mica Saric Tanaskovic).
Ovviamente renderemo conto a tutti del lavoro svolto.
Grazie e cordiali saluti.
p. A, B, C, solidarietà e pace
Franco Della Marra
Questo e' l'elenco del materiale di cui ha bisogno urgente l'Istituto
di igiene e tutela ambientale del Banato del sud (dottoressa Mica
Saric Tanaskovic - Pancevo):
STRUMENTI PER L'ANALISI DELL'ACQUA:
- Attrezzature (portatili) per il rilevamento della contaminazione
batteriologica e chimica
- Strumenti da campo
- Tester (Ph, EC, T, ORP) dell'acqua
- Colorimetro, torbidimetro
- Strumenti per laboratorio
- Attrezzature per la purificazione dell'acqua in grado di rendere
potabile acqua a basso livello ionico, organico, con presenze
liquidi infiammabili e batteri
- Spettrofotometro (di basso costo)
- Dosatori (0,2-1, 1-5; 5-3° ml)
- Unita' di flusso laminare dell'aria
- Unita' di analisi microbiologica
- Veicoli 4x4 per il monitoraggio e la raccolta di campioni sul campo
MONITORAGGIO DELL'ARIA:
- Strumenti da campo
- Analizzatori PID portatili e GC (PID, FID, FPD, ECD) portatili
- Strumenti trasportabili per il monitoraggio dell'aria
- Rack encolsure da 19 piedi
- Bagno con termostato
- Attrezzi per la campionatura degli alimenti e dell'acqua
- Spettrofotometro UV-VIS
Chi disponesse di qualcuno degli strumenti suelencati, o potesse
procurarli, e' pregato di contattare l'Associazione "ABC solidarieta'
e pace" (tel-fax: 06/4067358; 06/4063334; e-mail:
abcsolidarieta@...), che ne sta curando la raccolta in
collaborazione col quotidiano "Il manifesto".
Altrimenti, chi volesse comunque contribuire al lor acquisto puo'
servirsi del conto corrente postale n. 75377002 intestato
"ABC SOLIDARIETA' E PACE - VIA UMBERTO CALOSSO 50 - 00155 ROMA",
causale PANCEVO, ovvero del conto bancario n. 410197871 (01020-03219)
Banco di Sicilia Ag. 16 di Roma.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
* ASSIJUG: INIZIATIVA A PERUGIA IL 15 APRILE
* A-B-C SOLIDARIETA' E PACE: UN AIUTO PER PANCEVO
----
ZASTO SE SUDI NATO-u
Zoran Kraljevski wrote:
> (...) Ovom prilikom zelim da Vas informisem da 04.04.2000 u Skoplju
> ide promocija moje knjige "Zasto se sudi Nato-u". Na promociji ce biti
> prikazan i dokumentarni film "Sramna godina sile" ciji sam autor ja, a
> na promociji knjige govorice eminentni intelektualci iz
> Makedonije. Knjiga ovde izaziva interesantne i zasad povoljne
> reakcije.
Dalla Repubblica ex-Jugoslava di Macedonia ci scrivono comunicandoci che
il giorno 4 aprile 2000 sara' ufficialmente presentato a Skoplje il
libro "Perche' la NATO e' sotto accusa", di Zoran Kraljevski. Con
l'occasione si terra' un dibattito e sara' proiettato il video "Un
vergognoso anno di violenza". Per informazioni: <nadj@...>
---
Sabato 15 Aprile ore 19.00
CENA SOCIALE E MUSICA BALCANICA IN
SOLIDARIETA' CON LA IUGOSLAVIA
A tutti gli iscritti e simpatizzanti dell'Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia
(ASSIJUG)
A tutti i sinceri democratici e antimperialisti
Sarà l'occasione per ritrovarci di nuovo tutti assieme, in un clima di
cordialità, simpatia e
amicizia. Approfitteremo dell'occasione
(1) per ascoltare gli amici e compagni appena tornati da Belgrado,
(2) l'esperto Marco Saba, che ci relazionerà sull'uso dell'uranio
impoverito da parte della
NATO e le le devastazioni ambientali subite dalla Iugoslavia
(3) discutere assieme anche dei progetti che di recente abbiamo
intrapreso e che sono già a
buon punto:
(a) il gemellaggio che si sta realizzando tra il Comune abruzzese di
Pizzo Ferrato e la
cittadina iugoslava di Bogatic; cosa importante, alla cena saranno
presenti anche il Sindaco
ed alcuni rappresentanti della Giunta comunale di Pizzo Ferrato che ci
parleranno dei motivi
di questa scelta così significativa e coraggiosa;
(b) la prevista rassegna cinematografica sul cinema iugoslavo che
abbiamo intenzione di
concludere entro il mese di Maggio invitando il famoso regista iugoslavo
Kosturica;
(c) la campagna di raccolta di fondi per la Iugoslavia: "Un Fiore per la
Ricostruzione" che
avvieremo nel prossimo Giugno.
Di altre iniziative previste parleremo nel corso della serata. La cena
sarà inoltre
l'occasione per lanciare il tesseramento all'Associazione per l'anno
2000, invitando chi non
l'ha ancora fatto a tesserarsi e gli altri a rinnovare la propria
adesione. L'appuntamento è
dunque per il giorno:
Sabato 15 Aprile ore 19.00
c/o la Casa del popolo di Casa del Diavolo
Strada Tiberina Nord
Casa del Diavolo -PG-
(superstrada E45, uscita Ponte Pattoli)
Partecipa e fai partecipare tutti, diffondi questo invito ad amici,
parenti, compagni di lavoro,
conoscenti!
Con amicizia.
l'Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia (ASSIJUG)
Per informazioni puoi rivolgerti: Associazione Italia-Iugoslavia
(Assijug) Via Duranti,5
06100 Perugia.
Tel/Fax 075-42686. E mail: assijug@.... o direttamente in sede
dalle 17.00 alle
19.30.
---
UN AIUTO A PANCEVO PER LE ANALISI DI ARIA E DI ACQUA
AVVELENATE DALLA NATO
per chi sia interessato il sito web dell'Associazione è il seguente:
http://www.freeweb.org/volontariato/abcsolidarieta/index1.htm
Gentili amici,
volevamo richiamare la vostra attenzione sull'iniziativa di aiuto a
Pancevo
per le analisi di aria e acqua avvelenate dalla Nato, avviata dal
quotidiano
“il manifesto” e “A, B, C, solidarietà e pace”. Molti di voi aiutano già
generosamente i bambini serbi, altri i bambini brasiliani o quelli della
Guinea Bissau, ma riteniamo doveroso, da parte nostra, informarvi
comunque
su questo nuovo progetto:
si tratta di aiutare i bambini e le loro famiglie a sopravvivere in
un'area
geografica contaminata dai bombardamenti della Nato reperendo o
acquistando
alcune apparecchiature di cui ha urgente bisogno l’Istituto di igiene e
tutela ambientale del Banato del sud (dott.ssa Mica Saric Tanaskovic).
Ovviamente renderemo conto a tutti del lavoro svolto.
Grazie e cordiali saluti.
p. A, B, C, solidarietà e pace
Franco Della Marra
Questo e' l'elenco del materiale di cui ha bisogno urgente l'Istituto
di igiene e tutela ambientale del Banato del sud (dottoressa Mica
Saric Tanaskovic - Pancevo):
STRUMENTI PER L'ANALISI DELL'ACQUA:
- Attrezzature (portatili) per il rilevamento della contaminazione
batteriologica e chimica
- Strumenti da campo
- Tester (Ph, EC, T, ORP) dell'acqua
- Colorimetro, torbidimetro
- Strumenti per laboratorio
- Attrezzature per la purificazione dell'acqua in grado di rendere
potabile acqua a basso livello ionico, organico, con presenze
liquidi infiammabili e batteri
- Spettrofotometro (di basso costo)
- Dosatori (0,2-1, 1-5; 5-3° ml)
- Unita' di flusso laminare dell'aria
- Unita' di analisi microbiologica
- Veicoli 4x4 per il monitoraggio e la raccolta di campioni sul campo
MONITORAGGIO DELL'ARIA:
- Strumenti da campo
- Analizzatori PID portatili e GC (PID, FID, FPD, ECD) portatili
- Strumenti trasportabili per il monitoraggio dell'aria
- Rack encolsure da 19 piedi
- Bagno con termostato
- Attrezzi per la campionatura degli alimenti e dell'acqua
- Spettrofotometro UV-VIS
Chi disponesse di qualcuno degli strumenti suelencati, o potesse
procurarli, e' pregato di contattare l'Associazione "ABC solidarieta'
e pace" (tel-fax: 06/4067358; 06/4063334; e-mail:
abcsolidarieta@...), che ne sta curando la raccolta in
collaborazione col quotidiano "Il manifesto".
Altrimenti, chi volesse comunque contribuire al lor acquisto puo'
servirsi del conto corrente postale n. 75377002 intestato
"ABC SOLIDARIETA' E PACE - VIA UMBERTO CALOSSO 50 - 00155 ROMA",
causale PANCEVO, ovvero del conto bancario n. 410197871 (01020-03219)
Banco di Sicilia Ag. 16 di Roma.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
PERICOLOSO CERCARE DI CONTRASTARE LA DISINFORMAZIONE IN OCCIDENTE:
IL CASO DI "LIVING MARXISM" E DEL COLOSSO MEDIATICO ITN
Alcuni anni fa il giornalista tedesco Thomas Deichmann in un articolo
aveva svelato la truffa mediatica del campo di concentramento di
Trnopolje, presso Prijedor, nel quale i serbi avrebbero arbitrariamente
rinchiuso civili musulmani, tenendoli in condizioni di indigenza e
maltrattandoli. Nel suo articolo Deichmann sosteneva che i giornalisti
della ITN autori del principale reportage ad effetto su Trnopolje
avevano in realta' costruito un caso "a tavolino", tra l'altro chiedendo
ad un detenuto malato di sistemarsi dietro al filo spinato della
recinzione di una centralina elettrica per ottenere una foto che
destasse indignazione (sul caso si vedano:
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/lm-f97/lm-f97.html
http://www.informinc.co.uk/ITN-vs-LM/story/LM97_Bosnia.html ).
L'articolo di Deichmann apparve originariamente su "Living Marxism"
(LM), e poi sulla stampa in Germania e sul libro, curato dall'IAC, "NATO
in the Balkans" (in italiano "La NATO nei Balcani", Editori Riuniti
1999). La vicenda viene anche egregiamente spiegata in un filmato
recentemente prodotto da Emperor's Clothes negli USA (si veda piu' sotto
per le modalita' di spedizione della videocassetta).
Evidentemente colta in fallo, la ITN dopo alcuni tentennamenti ha
provveduto a fare causa a LM. La causa e' stata vinta pochi giorni fa
NON perche' LM abbia scritto il falso, ma perche' non e' riuscita a
dimostrare "oltre ogni ragionevole dubbio" di aver detto il vero, e
cioe' che i giornalisti della ITN Penny Marshall e Ian Williams sono dei
bugiardi privi di ogni scrupolo, oltreche' privi di deontologia.
Cosicche' adesso LM rischia di chiudere. Deve infatti risarcire la ITN
con la bellezza di 375mila sterline... Un chiaro monito per chiunque
voglia mettere i bastoni fra le ruote ai signori della guerra a mezzo
stampa.
SOLIDARIETA' CON "LIVING MARXISM"!
CONTRIBUIAMO ALLA SOPRAVVIVENZA DELLA RIVISTA!
CRJ, 31/3/2000
---
>
> STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
>
> THE END OF LM MAGAZINE
> Statement by Mick Hume, editor
>
> On Tuesday 14 March, the High Court ordered the connections of LM
> magazine to pay ITN and two of its journalists a total of #375 000 in
> libel damages. The next day, we received a letter from ITN's lawyers,
> Biddle, demanding the money. Within a week they had sent another demand,
> with court order attached.
>
> As a consequence of this, Informinc (LM) Ltd, the company which
> publishes the magazine, is now having to go into liquidation, cease
> trading and make its employees redundant. Myself as editor, and Helene
> Guldberg as co-publisher, also face the threat of personal bankruptcy.
>
> The current April 2000 edition of LM will be the last monthly issue. We
> are trying to raise the finance to publish a final, bumper issue of LM
> in the summer, and go out with all guns blazing.
>
> The LM-initiated Institute of Ideas, a series of events planned to take
> place from June to July, will go ahead in partnership with major
> institutions in London, including the British Library, the Royal
> Institution, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Society of Arts,
> Tate Modern, and the Union Chapel Project. A new company, the Academy of
> Ideas, has been set up by Claire Fox to coordinate these events.
>
> We would like to thank all of our subscribers and Friends of LM for
> their support. They will be contacted directly about the implications of
> the magazine's closure.
>
> Anybody who can help to finance the final issue of LM should get in
> touch with Helene Guldberg on (020) 7269 9228.
>
> The LM Online website will continue to operate for the time being. As
> for the post-LM future of magazine publishing, watch this space.
>
---
From www.emperors-clothes.com - "JUDGEMENT" (Please forward!)
--- At last we have visual proof that the media lied about Yugoslavia
We have just finished production work on the English version of a
stunning
new film - "JUDGMENT." It exposes the tricks used to concoct phony
pictures
of a nonexistent Serbian 'death camp' in 1992. These doctored images --
especially the famous emaciated man behind barbed wire -- were broadcast
worldwide to dehumanize the Serbs. They led to the deaths of thousands
and
great suffering for millions of human beings.
"JUDGMENT" PROVES THOSE PICTURES WERE CYNICAL FABRICATIONS.
We urge you: Buy this film today Give a copy to a friend who doesn't
want to
believe the mass media would fabricate phony atrocity pictures. Show
this
film on TV stations, show it to local organizations, get it reviewed in
local
papers. It will change people's minds. It will change your mind.
TELLING THE TRUTH, AND OTHER CRIMES
Last week the British alternative magazine, LM, was fined over $500,000
US
for libel. LM had printed a story that that charged British news
station ITN
and reporters Penny Marshall and Ian Williams with fraud. LM said ITN
had
faked the "death camp" pictures to demonize the Serbs.
The Judge in the libel case admitted that ITN might have made some
mistakes.
But he argued: the LM people weren't in Bosnia that day. So how could
LM be
sure what was really happening there?
IN FACT another film crew was present the entire time. They filmed the
footage used in "JUDGMENT".
"JUDGMENT", proves LM was simply telling the truth. "JUDGMENT" proves
Penny
Marshall lied. "JUDGMENT" shows how Marshall produced the picture that
fooled the world and justified a war.
The ITN crew visited a POW center and a refugee camp. By sheer luck
they
were accompanied by a crew from Serbian television (RTS). The RTS crew
filmed the ITN crew at work. Using this RTS footage, a small Yugoslav
film
studio has recreated the events of that day. Emperors-Clothes edited
the
Yugoslav movie to produce the English language film, "JUDGMENT".
RTS is the TV station that NATO bombed in April, 1999, killing 20
people.
The film is dedicated to those dead, whose murders began with the ITN
pictures. We say this because the images that Penny Marshall fabricated
in
1992 began the dehumanization of the Serbian people. ITN and Penny
Marshall
laid the political basis for the bombing of the Bosnian loyalist
government
and of Serbia itself a year ago.
WHAT THIS FILM PROVES
1) The Loyalist ("Serbian") Authorities were humane.
>From the pictures that ITN produced one would think that Marshall and her
crew had sneaked into a death camp and shot their film when nobody was
watching. Not so. The ITN crew visited two surprisingly casual and
humane
locations. They were protected but not controlled by the loyalist
authorities whom they later compared to Nazi's.
2) Marshall KNEW the loyalists were humane.
She and the crew from RTS interviewed POWs', their wives, non-POW
refugees, a
doctor, at least one red cross worker, the commander of the POW Center.
The
film shows these interviews. Marshall simply suppressed this evidence
of
humane treatment. Instead she staged some pictures. These were then
doctored to produce Nazi-like images for mass consumption. The height
of
cynicism and dishonesty.
3) The refugees SAID they were treated decently.
Marshall is shown arguing with one refugee. She tries to coerce the man
to
say something anti-Yugoslav. He refuses. "No, no," he protests
vehemently.
"Not a prison. No, no. REFUGEE center. They treat us very kind. No,
no,
very kind." Undeterred, Marshall used this very location to stage her
phony
death camp shots.
4) Marshall staged the death camp sequence seen around the world.
She went out of her way to film from inside an awkward storage area.
Why?
Because one side had what she wanted: a fence, mainly chicken wire but
with a
few strands of barbed wire at the top. Shooting through the barbed
wire,
Marshall talked to refugees OUTSIDE the fence. She then doctored the
raw
footage to produce false images of prisoners behind barbed wire.
5) Marshall and Ian Williams were filmed in the act of lying.
The amazing thing is -- the RTS people were filming a few feet away.
They
caught the same shots from a slightly different angle. They got
pictures of
Marshall, Ian Williams, a cameraman, a man holding a mike. You will
see,
step by step, just how Marshall doctored her pictures to produce the
look of
a Nazi death camp. That is, the film takes footage shot by RTS and then
proceeds to alter it, as you watch, producing the phony ITN photos of
Nazi-like atrocities.
This film will change people's minds.
It documents that Marshall and ITN have committed the worst crime
against
humanity: they lied to millions of people in order to justify a war.
Order the film now for $19.95 plus shipping and handling. Show it to
everyone you can.
VHS TAPES NOW AVAILABLE (Prices on PAL and SECAM tapes as soon as
possible)
Base price, $19.95 plus $1 tax ONLY in Massachusetts
Cost including shipping and handling:
2-3 days within US - $25.00
1 day in Massachusetts - $26.00
Next day outside Massachusetts but within US add $11.00
Europe (5 days) $26.50
New Zealand, Australia and Japan (about 6 days) Total $30.00
Canada 2-3 days - $26.00
Rest of Asia, Africa, former Soviet Union, etc. - $22.00
(Special shipping available on request)
ORDER BY MAIL, BY SECURE SERVER OR BY PHONE
BY MAIL - send check and instructions to EMPERORS CLOTHES, PO Box
610-321,
Newton, MA 02461-0321 Please state how you heard about the film.
BY PHONE - call 617-916-1705 from 8:30 am to 4:30 PM Eastern Standard
Time
BY SECURE SERVER - go to http://emperors-clothes.com/howyour.html#donate
Pay the appropriate amount AS A DONATION. Then PLEASE email us stating
the
amount donated and the number of films desired. Send the email to
emperors1000@... This must be done so we'll know your donation is to
pay
for the film! Please also state how you heard about the film.
WE PRESENTLY HAVE FILMS IN STOCK. WE CAN REPLENISH STOCK WITHIN TWO
DAYS.
VIEW it. SHOW it to friends. MAIL IT to friends and relatives. SHOW
it to
organizations, churches, unions, at schools. GET it on TV.
NOTE TO WEBSITES, MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS AND TV STATIONS: IF YOU
ADVERTISE
THIS FILM YOUR ORGANIZATION CAN RECEIVE A COMMISSION FOR EVERY FILM YOU
HELP
TO SELL. Drop us an email for details. Emperors1000@.... So far
the
film is being distributed by emperors-clothes.com and antiwar.com. Care
to
join us?
---
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 23:42:57 +0000
From: Philip Hammond <hammonpb@...>
Reply-To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
Organization: South Bank University
To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
I imagine many people will have already seen the Thomas Deichmann
article; what you may not know is that Deichmann was in court today
(Friday) because of it, as was Mick Hume, the editor of the magazine
(LM, formerly Living Marxism) which originally published the story.
The libel suit brought by ITN is going through the High Court in London
at the moment, and will reach a conclusion soon. The judge is expected
to begin summing up early next week. If it is successful, ITN will
bankrupt the magazine, its publishers and editor.
For details of the case and some transcripts of court proceedings visit:
http://www.informinc.co.uk/itn-vs-lm/court/index.html
Interestingly, ITN appears to have lost a crucial videotape of the uncut
rushes from which the report was edited together -- an accident, of
course...
---
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 22:42:08 +0000
From: Philip Hammond <hammonpb@...>
Reply-To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
Organization: South Bank University
To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
Peter Bein wrote:
>
> Can you notify us of the court ruling, Philip? Or will it be on the site you
> link to?
-----------------
The verdict was today: ITN won, & was awarded damages amounting to
375,000 pounds. LM editor Mick Hume said:
'The only thing this court case has proved 'beyond reasonable
doubt' is
that English libel law is a disgrace to democracy and a menace to a free
press.
'As libel defendants, we were assumed to be guilty unless we
could
prove our innocence. The court threw out all of our expert witnesses,
including John Simpson of the BBC and a leading QC. The judge's summing
up was so one-sided that it made ITN's overpaid barrister redundant. And
even though the central fact in our article concerning the position of
the barbed-wire fence in relation to the journalists has never been
seriously challenged, we could not win because the law demanded that we
prove the unprovable.
'We apologise for nothing. But we will not be appealing. Life
is too
short, and other issues too important, to waste any more time in the
bizarre world of the libel courts.
'As I told the judge and jury, I believe in the right of people
to
judge the truth for themselves in the court of public opinion. What we
are allowed to read or hear should not be dictated by ITN, their
lawyers, or even the High Court.
'The future of LM magazine is now uncertain. But we are not
going away,
and we will not keep quiet about the concerns that led us to publish
Thomas Deichmann's article and, reluctantly, to fight this case: freedom
of speech, journalistic standards, and the exploitation of the
Holocaust.
'We would like to thank all those who have supported our stand
for free
speech over the past three years, and our legal team led by Gavin
Millar, who won everything except the verdict.
'In the meantime, if anybody needs a hard-working editor or has
some
cash to invest in an exciting magazine project....'
In due course, further details may become available at
http://www.informinc.co.uk/itn-vs-lm/court/index.html, but the site has
closed down for the moment.
Needless to say, the verdict is a blow for the truth about Bosnia, as
well as free speech. ITN has always admitted Trnopolje was not a
Nazi-style concentration camp: but when its pictures were broadcast
around the world as evidence that it was, ITN did not contradict this
impression. ITN has also not contested Deichmann's revelation that the
'camp' was not surrounded by barbed wire, as it seemed to be in the
reports. That's British justice for you...
---
------------------------------------
SUPPORT LM Magazine!
------------------------------------
(please forward this message as much as you can!)
There is a little book written by Mr. Michael Hume, the editor of LM,
called "Whose war is it anyway? The dangers of the Journalism of
Attachment." If you have not read it, you can get it via LM web page
(it's
about $7 -£5 and you would be supporting them against the libel with
ITN). I
will quote some paragraphs:
"Srebrenica became one of the world media's favourite symbols of Serb
aggression and Muslim suffering after the town was besieged by Bosnian
Serbs in 1993. Since Srebrenica fell in 1995 horror stories of massacres
and alleged mass graves have filled the news. Yet who can recall seeing
reports of the events which led up to the Serb assault on Srebrenica?
Between April 1992, when the war in Bosnia began, and January 1993,
muslim forces drove almost every Serb out of Srebrenica town, while 50
nearby Serbian villages were burned down and many of their inhabitants
killed. By March 1993, 1200 Serbs are estimated to have been killed and
about 3000 wounded, in this small corner of eastern Bosnia. (These
events
were the subject of Clive Gordon's award-winning documentary, "The
Unforgiving", Channel 4 UK, August 1993)
"Yet it was only when the ragtag local Serb army started to mobilise to
push the Muslim back to Srebrenica and away from nearby Bratunac that
the conflict hit the headlines. Suddenly journalists were flocking to
get to
the besieged Muslim enclave, having largely ignored the previous attack
on
Serbs. The Muslims of Srebrenica and the Serbs of Bratunac both
suffered.
But while many in the West have heard of Srebrenica, who has heard of
Bratunac?..."
Regards,
Francisco Javier Bernal
PS: The Merchandise page of LM's site can be found at
http://www.informinc.co.uk/LM/transact/bookstore/index.html
---
The Times (London), 17 March 2000
After ITN's libel victory this week over LM magazine Mick Hume, its
Editor, says the law is a menace to a free press
[PHOTOGRAPH]
Victory: ITN reporters Penny Marshall and Ian Williams
(Photograph: MICHAEL WALTER/PA)
Spare any change guv?
On Tuesday the High Court ordered the connections of LM magazine to pay
ITN and two of its journalists a total of #375,000 in libel damages. On
Wednesday we received a letter from ITN's lawyers, Biddle, demanding to
know when we are going to send them the money. Umm, can I owe you until
I get paid at the end of the month?
Forget about the big bill for legal costs, those damages are more than
enough to bankrupt the cash-strapped defendants: myself as Editor, LM's
co-publisher Helene Guldberg, and the publishing company. As I said on
the steps of the court, what this case has proved "beyond reasonable
doubt" is that English libel law is a disgrace to democracy and a menace
to a free press. The use of that law by a large news organisation
against a magazine with a circulation of 10,000 could have far-reaching
implications for independent and investigative journalism.
Under the libel law, we were assumed to be guilty unless we could prove
our innocence - the reverse of natural justice. Little wonder that only
one in ten libel defendants wins in court.
At the pre-trial review, Mr Justice Morland ruled that none of our
expert witnesses - including John Simpson of the BBC, the writer Phillip
Knightley and a leading QC - could give evidence. So when the case came
to trial, there were 18 ITN witnesses versus me and Thomas Deichmann,
the German author of the article in question, published in LM three
years ago. Presumably that is what the law means by "a level playing
field". Even when our barrister, Gavin Millar, scored heavily in
cross-examination, it did not seem to make any difference to the court.
As the BBC's Nick Higham reported on the evening of the verdict:
"Summing up, Mr Justice Morland told the jury that LM's facts might have
been right, but he asked, did that matter?"
That summing up was so one-sided that it made ITN's barrister redundant.
It reached its nadir when, having quoted extensively from ITN witnesses,
the judge told the jury that he was not going to mention anything that I
or Mr Deichmann had said, because we were not at Trnopolje camp in
northern Bosnia on August 5, 1992. But if eyewitness accounts cannot be
challenged after the event, where does that leave critical journalism?
Advising the jury on damages, the judge said that somebody who lost both
arms in an accident might receive compensation of #100,000, so awarding
the ITN journalists more than #150,000 each for their hurt feelings
would be "excessive". He also said that damages would be aggravated if
the defence had strenuously cross-examined the claimants. The more
robustly we defended ourselves, the higher price we would have to pay.
As a champion of the jury system, I do not blame the jurors who voted
against us after four hours of deliberation. We could not win because
the law demanded that we prove the unprovable - what was going on in the
ITN journalists' minds eight years ago. We have apologised for nothing
but we are not going to appeal. Life is too short to waste any more
time in the bizarre world of the libel courts. The dust-and-wood-polish
atmosphere of Court 14 is no place for journalists to debate important
issues. As I said in the witness box, I believe that people should have
the right to judge the truth for themselves in the court of public
opinion.
The future of our magazine is on the line. Those who know LM will
appreciate that we do not intend to go quietly into the night. Whatever
happens, the attempt to set a new agenda for discussion will carry on.
The LM-initiated events planned for the summer - the month-long
Institute of Ideas and the debates at the Edinburgh festivals - will go
ahead. There is life after a libel trial.
In the meantime, if anybody needs a hard-working editor or has some
money to invest in a magazine that stands up for free speech ...
Mick Hume is the Editor of LM magazine and a Times columnist.
---
Observer, Sunday March 19, 2000
Richard Ingrams' week
Grub St winds around the Inns of Court
Miss Penny Marshall, the ITN journalist who won #150,000 in a libel
action last week against the obscure left-wing magazine, Living Marxism,
or LM as it now calls itself, must have led a very sheltered life. In
the course of her evidence she said that the libel had upset her 'more
than anything that ever happened to me'.
Such evidence of extreme sensitivity on the part of a journalist comes
as no surprise to me, because it is a sad fact that a large number of
those who bring libel actions and then talk in this way in the witness
box are members of my own so-called profession.
Over the years I have had to listen to scores of journalists bearing
their sensitive souls before the jury. I remember, in particular, the
late Nora Beloff, once the political correspondent of this paper,
describing her deep shock and horror when Auberon Waugh wrote in Private
Eye that she had been to bed with every member of Harold Wilson's
Cabinet, though he added: 'No impropriety occurred.'
More shocking perhaps is the apparent belief of hacks that a victory in
the libel courts represents a complete vindication of their motives or
that the truth of any matter is best decided ultimately by a judge and
jury. You have only to call to mind the various rogues and scoundrels
who have won huge damages in recent years to realise that truth is the
very last thing to come out of a libel action.
As to the ITN report from Bosnia that caused all the trouble, I find the
picture of two smiling journalists on the Law Court steps, richer now
between them by #300,000, rather more shocking than the picture of
emaciated Muslims in a Serb detention camp.
[...]
---
Guardian, Saturday March 18, 2000
Lies and libel
As the Irving and ITN cases show, the court is no place to establish the
truth
Geoffrey Wheatcroft
Whatever the verdicts, neither action should have been brought. Whatever
the rights and wrongs in either case, the two libel actions which ended
in London this week show yet again how harsh and obscurantist our libel
laws are.
In the suit brought by Penny Marshall and Ian Williams of ITN, the jury
awarded the plaintiffs heavy damages against the magazine LM. The even
weirder action brought by David Irving against Deborah Lipstadt and her
publisher was heard by a judge without a jury. Judgment is reserved and
will be given later.
Both cases ostensibly concerned history and truth. The ITN reporters
claimed that LM had accused them of fabricating a story about the Serb
concentration camp at Trnopolje in Bosnia. Irving says Lipstadt had
accused him of being a "Holocaust denier". While we await the Irving
result, Marshall and Williams claim they have now been vindicated. But
have they?
Whether or not they should have been, neither case could have been
brought in the United States, not since an historic judgment a
quarter-century ago. A broad public-interest defence was extended so
that it is very difficult for a public figure - which plainly includes
the ITN reporters and Irving - to sue for libel.
So far from any such protection for the media, our own libel laws are
heavily stacked against the defendant. A plaintiff doesn't have to prove
any material loss, only that feelings have been hurt and reputation
damaged, something easy to assert but impossible either to quantify or
refute in court. Uniquely in law, the burden of proof is on the
defendant, who has to prove the truth of what was written.
Admirers of the law, like the late Lord Goodman, speciously say that
truth is an absolute defence. But exact truth is likewise very difficult
to demonstrate in court, and an attempt to do so may well be held to
aggravate the libel. As a result, the mere threat of libel is too often
used to silence a newspaper which understandably prefers the discretion
of an apology to the valour of a defended action. If a brazen or frankly
perjurious plaintiff has strong enough nerves, he can push all the way.
Neil Hamilton might have got away with it, Jonathan Aitken nearly got
away with it, and Jeffrey Archer actually did get away with it.
Not that this is a party-political question. One of the most shameful
of all such cases was the "Venetian blind", as it was jocosely known in
the Labour party. In 1957, an article in the Spectator skittishly
suggested that three Labour politicians had been drinking a good deal at
a Socialist conference in Venice. The three, Aneurin Bevan, Richard
Crossman and Morgan Phillips, sued, testified on oath to their sobriety,
and won large damages. Fifteen years later, Crossman boasted (in my
presence) that they had indeed all been toping heavily, and that at
least one of them had been blind drunk.
Apart from questions of truth and falsehood, the latest cases illustrate
the sheer oppressiveness of a law which can be used to punish or even
ruin a foe. Whatever the outcome, it is outrageous that Deborah
Lipstadt should have to give up years of her life to this case, and
spend many weeks in court, with nothing to gain.
While Irving has conducted his own case, the defendants retained the
usual array of solicitors, silk and junior. It has been obvious from the
start that Irving couldn't pay his opponents' costs if he lost. He can
only declare himself bankrupt and leave Lipstadt and Penguin with a bill
more likely in seven figures than six. What is the legal concept of the
vexatious litigant for if not to prevent such an abuse?
If anything, the other case was almost worse, and not just because of
the sight of a huge, rich news organisation using the law to crush a
tiny magazine, however cranky or even obnoxious. It's not often that
Noam Chomsky, Roy Greenslade and Auberon Waugh can be found on the same
side, but their round-robin letter saying that freedom of speech and
media criticism have been curtailed by the ITN case is surely correct.
According to Richard Tait, the editor-in-chief of ITN, the case was
necessary to defend the integrity of the two reporters, and according to
Ed Vulliamy "the law now records that Penny Marshall and Ian Williams
(and myself for that matter) did not lie but told the truth". These
claims are frankly absurd.
Personally (though I don't have to add a rhetorical "Am I alone ...?",
since I know I am not), my view of Bosnia, ITN and LM has been in no way
whatever affected by the case. If anything, I think the less of the
plaintiffs than before, not to say of David Irving. If there are
historical disputes about Auschwitz or Trnopolje, a law court is the
worst possible place to conduct them.
Does Vulliamy seriously believe that our libel courts always establish
the truth? And are Marshall and Williams really happy to find
themselves alongside Lord Archer, of whom the law also once recorded
that he did not lie but told the truth?
The best outcome of these wretched proceedings would a reform of the
law. It is too much to hope that the burden of proving the falsehood of
a statement should be placed on the plaintiff. But there should be a
much broader public-interest defence, and the law of libel - written
defamation - should be assimilated to the law of slander, spoken or
fleeting defamation, in which the plaintiff has to prove actual damage
or material loss.
The trouble is that a reform would have to be introduced in parliament.
And, as the names of Aitken and Archer, not to say Bevan and Crossman,
remind us, politicians have all too much partiality to the existing law.
So we will be stuck with a law which grossly infringes free speech while
producing no real winners. Apart from the lawyers, that is, who have
enjoyed the real victories these past weeks.
As Ogden Nash so well put it: "Professional people have no cares -
Whatever happens, they get theirs."
---
Question and be damned
The case of ITN vs LM only goes to show that it doesn't pay to challenge
a journalist
By Helene Guldberg, LM's Publisher
The Independent, 21 March 2000
In an article headlined "ITN sued journalists to strike a blow for free
speech", published in the Daily Telegraph on 17 March, Richard Tait, the
editor-in-chief of ITN, argues that "attempts to ruin the reputations of
honest journalists are a far greater threat to freedom of speech than
the use of the law to protect those who have been libelled".
In summing up, ITN's silk Tom Shields argued that the recognition in
law of the importance of reputation indicates the democratic nature of
our society. So, in this case, has English libel law struck the correct
balance between the right to a reputation and the right to free speech?
First, let's get some things straight. It has been suggested that there
was a campaign orchestrated by LM magazine against ITN and its two
journalists, Penny Marshall and Ian Williams, and that this is why ITN
felt compelled to sue LM. There was no such campaign. There was an
article - "The picture that fooled the world" - published in February
1997 and there was a press release. Both were critical of the two
journalists concerned, and many of Ms Marshall's colleagues subsequently
phoned her enquiring about the allegations. These phone calls were cited
in the witness box as evidence of the distress she suffered. But all
that has happened is that the journalists' actions in relation to a
particular news broadcast have been criticised. As Thomas Deichmann, the
author of the article, said outside the High Court: "The job of
journalists is to investigate and criticise. If they cannot stand the
heat without running to the High Court, they should get out of the
kitchen."
Journalists, more than most, have means to rebut allegations they feel
are unjust. Ian Williams and Richard Tait have had articles published
since their libel victory. Could they not have done so in 1997 rather
than taking legal action? The use of libel law as a last resort may be
understandable, when all other avenues have failed. As a first resort,
it is inexcusable.
If LM magazine went running to the High Court whenever libelled, we
would be multimillionaires by now (as would many other journalists).
Were we foolhardy to risk our future by taking the principled stance of
refusing to back down and apologise? ITN has since suggested that it
offered us a way out back in September 1997. But the truth is that ITN
gave us no other option. Before even having read the article, ITN
instructed its solicitors to demand we apologise, destroy all copies of
the magazine and pay costs and damages. ITN dragged us to court. It was
prepared to waive damages; but it still demanded that we apologise in
Open Court and in our magazine, as well as footing ITN's legal bill,
which we could have hardly afforded then. In the end, the journalists
were awarded "aggravated damages" for the additional "hurt" of being
subjected to strenuous cross-examination - amounting to a total of
#375,000.
Within 24 hours of the verdict a letter arrived from ITN's solicitors
stating any delay in payment would entitle them to interest. But setting
damages and interest aside, ITN's legal bill alone could bankrupt the
magazine's publishing company, Mick Hume and myself. As many
commentators pointed out last week, the High Court is not the best place
to establish the truth of allegations. The odds are overwhelmingly in
favour of those who sue - therefore having a chilling effect on free
speech. It is presumed that the defamatory statement is false - and the
burden falls on the defendant to prove its truth - a reverse burden of
proof that is almost unique to English libel law. The defendant not only
has to defend the literal meaning - but also possible interpretations or
unintended meanings. It is no wonder defendants only have a one in 10
chance of success!
In Court 14 last week the jury was asked: "Have the defendants
established that Penny Marshall and Ian Williams had compiled television
footage which deliberately misrepresented an emaciated Bosnian Muslim,
Fikret Alic, as being caged behind a barbed-wire fence at the
Serbian-run Trnopolje camp on 5 August 1992 by the selective use of
videotape shots of him?" And the word "deliberately" was emphasised by
the judge. The answer from the jury was "no". In other words, we were
unable to prove what went on in the journalist's heads. In his summing
up, the judge said: "Clearly Ian Williams and Penny Marshall and their
television teams were mistaken in thinking they were not enclosed by the
old barbed-wire fence, but does it matter?"
The implications of this trial for journalism are far-reaching. If
journalists' reputations and feelings are more important than a free
press then the message is not to question the word according to
reporters. If libel is the guarantor of free speech and democracy, then
journalism is the tame creature of bland inoffensiveness.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
IL CASO DI "LIVING MARXISM" E DEL COLOSSO MEDIATICO ITN
Alcuni anni fa il giornalista tedesco Thomas Deichmann in un articolo
aveva svelato la truffa mediatica del campo di concentramento di
Trnopolje, presso Prijedor, nel quale i serbi avrebbero arbitrariamente
rinchiuso civili musulmani, tenendoli in condizioni di indigenza e
maltrattandoli. Nel suo articolo Deichmann sosteneva che i giornalisti
della ITN autori del principale reportage ad effetto su Trnopolje
avevano in realta' costruito un caso "a tavolino", tra l'altro chiedendo
ad un detenuto malato di sistemarsi dietro al filo spinato della
recinzione di una centralina elettrica per ottenere una foto che
destasse indignazione (sul caso si vedano:
http://www.srpska-mreza.com/lm-f97/lm-f97.html
http://www.informinc.co.uk/ITN-vs-LM/story/LM97_Bosnia.html ).
L'articolo di Deichmann apparve originariamente su "Living Marxism"
(LM), e poi sulla stampa in Germania e sul libro, curato dall'IAC, "NATO
in the Balkans" (in italiano "La NATO nei Balcani", Editori Riuniti
1999). La vicenda viene anche egregiamente spiegata in un filmato
recentemente prodotto da Emperor's Clothes negli USA (si veda piu' sotto
per le modalita' di spedizione della videocassetta).
Evidentemente colta in fallo, la ITN dopo alcuni tentennamenti ha
provveduto a fare causa a LM. La causa e' stata vinta pochi giorni fa
NON perche' LM abbia scritto il falso, ma perche' non e' riuscita a
dimostrare "oltre ogni ragionevole dubbio" di aver detto il vero, e
cioe' che i giornalisti della ITN Penny Marshall e Ian Williams sono dei
bugiardi privi di ogni scrupolo, oltreche' privi di deontologia.
Cosicche' adesso LM rischia di chiudere. Deve infatti risarcire la ITN
con la bellezza di 375mila sterline... Un chiaro monito per chiunque
voglia mettere i bastoni fra le ruote ai signori della guerra a mezzo
stampa.
SOLIDARIETA' CON "LIVING MARXISM"!
CONTRIBUIAMO ALLA SOPRAVVIVENZA DELLA RIVISTA!
CRJ, 31/3/2000
---
>
> STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
>
> THE END OF LM MAGAZINE
> Statement by Mick Hume, editor
>
> On Tuesday 14 March, the High Court ordered the connections of LM
> magazine to pay ITN and two of its journalists a total of #375 000 in
> libel damages. The next day, we received a letter from ITN's lawyers,
> Biddle, demanding the money. Within a week they had sent another demand,
> with court order attached.
>
> As a consequence of this, Informinc (LM) Ltd, the company which
> publishes the magazine, is now having to go into liquidation, cease
> trading and make its employees redundant. Myself as editor, and Helene
> Guldberg as co-publisher, also face the threat of personal bankruptcy.
>
> The current April 2000 edition of LM will be the last monthly issue. We
> are trying to raise the finance to publish a final, bumper issue of LM
> in the summer, and go out with all guns blazing.
>
> The LM-initiated Institute of Ideas, a series of events planned to take
> place from June to July, will go ahead in partnership with major
> institutions in London, including the British Library, the Royal
> Institution, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Society of Arts,
> Tate Modern, and the Union Chapel Project. A new company, the Academy of
> Ideas, has been set up by Claire Fox to coordinate these events.
>
> We would like to thank all of our subscribers and Friends of LM for
> their support. They will be contacted directly about the implications of
> the magazine's closure.
>
> Anybody who can help to finance the final issue of LM should get in
> touch with Helene Guldberg on (020) 7269 9228.
>
> The LM Online website will continue to operate for the time being. As
> for the post-LM future of magazine publishing, watch this space.
>
---
From www.emperors-clothes.com - "JUDGEMENT" (Please forward!)
--- At last we have visual proof that the media lied about Yugoslavia
We have just finished production work on the English version of a
stunning
new film - "JUDGMENT." It exposes the tricks used to concoct phony
pictures
of a nonexistent Serbian 'death camp' in 1992. These doctored images --
especially the famous emaciated man behind barbed wire -- were broadcast
worldwide to dehumanize the Serbs. They led to the deaths of thousands
and
great suffering for millions of human beings.
"JUDGMENT" PROVES THOSE PICTURES WERE CYNICAL FABRICATIONS.
We urge you: Buy this film today Give a copy to a friend who doesn't
want to
believe the mass media would fabricate phony atrocity pictures. Show
this
film on TV stations, show it to local organizations, get it reviewed in
local
papers. It will change people's minds. It will change your mind.
TELLING THE TRUTH, AND OTHER CRIMES
Last week the British alternative magazine, LM, was fined over $500,000
US
for libel. LM had printed a story that that charged British news
station ITN
and reporters Penny Marshall and Ian Williams with fraud. LM said ITN
had
faked the "death camp" pictures to demonize the Serbs.
The Judge in the libel case admitted that ITN might have made some
mistakes.
But he argued: the LM people weren't in Bosnia that day. So how could
LM be
sure what was really happening there?
IN FACT another film crew was present the entire time. They filmed the
footage used in "JUDGMENT".
"JUDGMENT", proves LM was simply telling the truth. "JUDGMENT" proves
Penny
Marshall lied. "JUDGMENT" shows how Marshall produced the picture that
fooled the world and justified a war.
The ITN crew visited a POW center and a refugee camp. By sheer luck
they
were accompanied by a crew from Serbian television (RTS). The RTS crew
filmed the ITN crew at work. Using this RTS footage, a small Yugoslav
film
studio has recreated the events of that day. Emperors-Clothes edited
the
Yugoslav movie to produce the English language film, "JUDGMENT".
RTS is the TV station that NATO bombed in April, 1999, killing 20
people.
The film is dedicated to those dead, whose murders began with the ITN
pictures. We say this because the images that Penny Marshall fabricated
in
1992 began the dehumanization of the Serbian people. ITN and Penny
Marshall
laid the political basis for the bombing of the Bosnian loyalist
government
and of Serbia itself a year ago.
WHAT THIS FILM PROVES
1) The Loyalist ("Serbian") Authorities were humane.
>From the pictures that ITN produced one would think that Marshall and her
crew had sneaked into a death camp and shot their film when nobody was
watching. Not so. The ITN crew visited two surprisingly casual and
humane
locations. They were protected but not controlled by the loyalist
authorities whom they later compared to Nazi's.
2) Marshall KNEW the loyalists were humane.
She and the crew from RTS interviewed POWs', their wives, non-POW
refugees, a
doctor, at least one red cross worker, the commander of the POW Center.
The
film shows these interviews. Marshall simply suppressed this evidence
of
humane treatment. Instead she staged some pictures. These were then
doctored to produce Nazi-like images for mass consumption. The height
of
cynicism and dishonesty.
3) The refugees SAID they were treated decently.
Marshall is shown arguing with one refugee. She tries to coerce the man
to
say something anti-Yugoslav. He refuses. "No, no," he protests
vehemently.
"Not a prison. No, no. REFUGEE center. They treat us very kind. No,
no,
very kind." Undeterred, Marshall used this very location to stage her
phony
death camp shots.
4) Marshall staged the death camp sequence seen around the world.
She went out of her way to film from inside an awkward storage area.
Why?
Because one side had what she wanted: a fence, mainly chicken wire but
with a
few strands of barbed wire at the top. Shooting through the barbed
wire,
Marshall talked to refugees OUTSIDE the fence. She then doctored the
raw
footage to produce false images of prisoners behind barbed wire.
5) Marshall and Ian Williams were filmed in the act of lying.
The amazing thing is -- the RTS people were filming a few feet away.
They
caught the same shots from a slightly different angle. They got
pictures of
Marshall, Ian Williams, a cameraman, a man holding a mike. You will
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step by step, just how Marshall doctored her pictures to produce the
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proceeds to alter it, as you watch, producing the phony ITN photos of
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This film will change people's minds.
It documents that Marshall and ITN have committed the worst crime
against
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Order the film now for $19.95 plus shipping and handling. Show it to
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BY MAIL - send check and instructions to EMPERORS CLOTHES, PO Box
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BY SECURE SERVER - go to http://emperors-clothes.com/howyour.html#donate
Pay the appropriate amount AS A DONATION. Then PLEASE email us stating
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VIEW it. SHOW it to friends. MAIL IT to friends and relatives. SHOW
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---
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 23:42:57 +0000
From: Philip Hammond <hammonpb@...>
Reply-To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
Organization: South Bank University
To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
I imagine many people will have already seen the Thomas Deichmann
article; what you may not know is that Deichmann was in court today
(Friday) because of it, as was Mick Hume, the editor of the magazine
(LM, formerly Living Marxism) which originally published the story.
The libel suit brought by ITN is going through the High Court in London
at the moment, and will reach a conclusion soon. The judge is expected
to begin summing up early next week. If it is successful, ITN will
bankrupt the magazine, its publishers and editor.
For details of the case and some transcripts of court proceedings visit:
http://www.informinc.co.uk/itn-vs-lm/court/index.html
Interestingly, ITN appears to have lost a crucial videotape of the uncut
rushes from which the report was edited together -- an accident, of
course...
---
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 22:42:08 +0000
From: Philip Hammond <hammonpb@...>
Reply-To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
Organization: South Bank University
To: "STOP NATO: NO PASARAN!" <STOPNATO@...>
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
Peter Bein wrote:
>
> Can you notify us of the court ruling, Philip? Or will it be on the site you
> link to?
-----------------
The verdict was today: ITN won, & was awarded damages amounting to
375,000 pounds. LM editor Mick Hume said:
'The only thing this court case has proved 'beyond reasonable
doubt' is
that English libel law is a disgrace to democracy and a menace to a free
press.
'As libel defendants, we were assumed to be guilty unless we
could
prove our innocence. The court threw out all of our expert witnesses,
including John Simpson of the BBC and a leading QC. The judge's summing
up was so one-sided that it made ITN's overpaid barrister redundant. And
even though the central fact in our article concerning the position of
the barbed-wire fence in relation to the journalists has never been
seriously challenged, we could not win because the law demanded that we
prove the unprovable.
'We apologise for nothing. But we will not be appealing. Life
is too
short, and other issues too important, to waste any more time in the
bizarre world of the libel courts.
'As I told the judge and jury, I believe in the right of people
to
judge the truth for themselves in the court of public opinion. What we
are allowed to read or hear should not be dictated by ITN, their
lawyers, or even the High Court.
'The future of LM magazine is now uncertain. But we are not
going away,
and we will not keep quiet about the concerns that led us to publish
Thomas Deichmann's article and, reluctantly, to fight this case: freedom
of speech, journalistic standards, and the exploitation of the
Holocaust.
'We would like to thank all those who have supported our stand
for free
speech over the past three years, and our legal team led by Gavin
Millar, who won everything except the verdict.
'In the meantime, if anybody needs a hard-working editor or has
some
cash to invest in an exciting magazine project....'
In due course, further details may become available at
http://www.informinc.co.uk/itn-vs-lm/court/index.html, but the site has
closed down for the moment.
Needless to say, the verdict is a blow for the truth about Bosnia, as
well as free speech. ITN has always admitted Trnopolje was not a
Nazi-style concentration camp: but when its pictures were broadcast
around the world as evidence that it was, ITN did not contradict this
impression. ITN has also not contested Deichmann's revelation that the
'camp' was not surrounded by barbed wire, as it seemed to be in the
reports. That's British justice for you...
---
------------------------------------
SUPPORT LM Magazine!
------------------------------------
(please forward this message as much as you can!)
There is a little book written by Mr. Michael Hume, the editor of LM,
called "Whose war is it anyway? The dangers of the Journalism of
Attachment." If you have not read it, you can get it via LM web page
(it's
about $7 -£5 and you would be supporting them against the libel with
ITN). I
will quote some paragraphs:
"Srebrenica became one of the world media's favourite symbols of Serb
aggression and Muslim suffering after the town was besieged by Bosnian
Serbs in 1993. Since Srebrenica fell in 1995 horror stories of massacres
and alleged mass graves have filled the news. Yet who can recall seeing
reports of the events which led up to the Serb assault on Srebrenica?
Between April 1992, when the war in Bosnia began, and January 1993,
muslim forces drove almost every Serb out of Srebrenica town, while 50
nearby Serbian villages were burned down and many of their inhabitants
killed. By March 1993, 1200 Serbs are estimated to have been killed and
about 3000 wounded, in this small corner of eastern Bosnia. (These
events
were the subject of Clive Gordon's award-winning documentary, "The
Unforgiving", Channel 4 UK, August 1993)
"Yet it was only when the ragtag local Serb army started to mobilise to
push the Muslim back to Srebrenica and away from nearby Bratunac that
the conflict hit the headlines. Suddenly journalists were flocking to
get to
the besieged Muslim enclave, having largely ignored the previous attack
on
Serbs. The Muslims of Srebrenica and the Serbs of Bratunac both
suffered.
But while many in the West have heard of Srebrenica, who has heard of
Bratunac?..."
Regards,
Francisco Javier Bernal
PS: The Merchandise page of LM's site can be found at
http://www.informinc.co.uk/LM/transact/bookstore/index.html
---
The Times (London), 17 March 2000
After ITN's libel victory this week over LM magazine Mick Hume, its
Editor, says the law is a menace to a free press
[PHOTOGRAPH]
Victory: ITN reporters Penny Marshall and Ian Williams
(Photograph: MICHAEL WALTER/PA)
Spare any change guv?
On Tuesday the High Court ordered the connections of LM magazine to pay
ITN and two of its journalists a total of #375,000 in libel damages. On
Wednesday we received a letter from ITN's lawyers, Biddle, demanding to
know when we are going to send them the money. Umm, can I owe you until
I get paid at the end of the month?
Forget about the big bill for legal costs, those damages are more than
enough to bankrupt the cash-strapped defendants: myself as Editor, LM's
co-publisher Helene Guldberg, and the publishing company. As I said on
the steps of the court, what this case has proved "beyond reasonable
doubt" is that English libel law is a disgrace to democracy and a menace
to a free press. The use of that law by a large news organisation
against a magazine with a circulation of 10,000 could have far-reaching
implications for independent and investigative journalism.
Under the libel law, we were assumed to be guilty unless we could prove
our innocence - the reverse of natural justice. Little wonder that only
one in ten libel defendants wins in court.
At the pre-trial review, Mr Justice Morland ruled that none of our
expert witnesses - including John Simpson of the BBC, the writer Phillip
Knightley and a leading QC - could give evidence. So when the case came
to trial, there were 18 ITN witnesses versus me and Thomas Deichmann,
the German author of the article in question, published in LM three
years ago. Presumably that is what the law means by "a level playing
field". Even when our barrister, Gavin Millar, scored heavily in
cross-examination, it did not seem to make any difference to the court.
As the BBC's Nick Higham reported on the evening of the verdict:
"Summing up, Mr Justice Morland told the jury that LM's facts might have
been right, but he asked, did that matter?"
That summing up was so one-sided that it made ITN's barrister redundant.
It reached its nadir when, having quoted extensively from ITN witnesses,
the judge told the jury that he was not going to mention anything that I
or Mr Deichmann had said, because we were not at Trnopolje camp in
northern Bosnia on August 5, 1992. But if eyewitness accounts cannot be
challenged after the event, where does that leave critical journalism?
Advising the jury on damages, the judge said that somebody who lost both
arms in an accident might receive compensation of #100,000, so awarding
the ITN journalists more than #150,000 each for their hurt feelings
would be "excessive". He also said that damages would be aggravated if
the defence had strenuously cross-examined the claimants. The more
robustly we defended ourselves, the higher price we would have to pay.
As a champion of the jury system, I do not blame the jurors who voted
against us after four hours of deliberation. We could not win because
the law demanded that we prove the unprovable - what was going on in the
ITN journalists' minds eight years ago. We have apologised for nothing
but we are not going to appeal. Life is too short to waste any more
time in the bizarre world of the libel courts. The dust-and-wood-polish
atmosphere of Court 14 is no place for journalists to debate important
issues. As I said in the witness box, I believe that people should have
the right to judge the truth for themselves in the court of public
opinion.
The future of our magazine is on the line. Those who know LM will
appreciate that we do not intend to go quietly into the night. Whatever
happens, the attempt to set a new agenda for discussion will carry on.
The LM-initiated events planned for the summer - the month-long
Institute of Ideas and the debates at the Edinburgh festivals - will go
ahead. There is life after a libel trial.
In the meantime, if anybody needs a hard-working editor or has some
money to invest in a magazine that stands up for free speech ...
Mick Hume is the Editor of LM magazine and a Times columnist.
---
Observer, Sunday March 19, 2000
Richard Ingrams' week
Grub St winds around the Inns of Court
Miss Penny Marshall, the ITN journalist who won #150,000 in a libel
action last week against the obscure left-wing magazine, Living Marxism,
or LM as it now calls itself, must have led a very sheltered life. In
the course of her evidence she said that the libel had upset her 'more
than anything that ever happened to me'.
Such evidence of extreme sensitivity on the part of a journalist comes
as no surprise to me, because it is a sad fact that a large number of
those who bring libel actions and then talk in this way in the witness
box are members of my own so-called profession.
Over the years I have had to listen to scores of journalists bearing
their sensitive souls before the jury. I remember, in particular, the
late Nora Beloff, once the political correspondent of this paper,
describing her deep shock and horror when Auberon Waugh wrote in Private
Eye that she had been to bed with every member of Harold Wilson's
Cabinet, though he added: 'No impropriety occurred.'
More shocking perhaps is the apparent belief of hacks that a victory in
the libel courts represents a complete vindication of their motives or
that the truth of any matter is best decided ultimately by a judge and
jury. You have only to call to mind the various rogues and scoundrels
who have won huge damages in recent years to realise that truth is the
very last thing to come out of a libel action.
As to the ITN report from Bosnia that caused all the trouble, I find the
picture of two smiling journalists on the Law Court steps, richer now
between them by #300,000, rather more shocking than the picture of
emaciated Muslims in a Serb detention camp.
[...]
---
Guardian, Saturday March 18, 2000
Lies and libel
As the Irving and ITN cases show, the court is no place to establish the
truth
Geoffrey Wheatcroft
Whatever the verdicts, neither action should have been brought. Whatever
the rights and wrongs in either case, the two libel actions which ended
in London this week show yet again how harsh and obscurantist our libel
laws are.
In the suit brought by Penny Marshall and Ian Williams of ITN, the jury
awarded the plaintiffs heavy damages against the magazine LM. The even
weirder action brought by David Irving against Deborah Lipstadt and her
publisher was heard by a judge without a jury. Judgment is reserved and
will be given later.
Both cases ostensibly concerned history and truth. The ITN reporters
claimed that LM had accused them of fabricating a story about the Serb
concentration camp at Trnopolje in Bosnia. Irving says Lipstadt had
accused him of being a "Holocaust denier". While we await the Irving
result, Marshall and Williams claim they have now been vindicated. But
have they?
Whether or not they should have been, neither case could have been
brought in the United States, not since an historic judgment a
quarter-century ago. A broad public-interest defence was extended so
that it is very difficult for a public figure - which plainly includes
the ITN reporters and Irving - to sue for libel.
So far from any such protection for the media, our own libel laws are
heavily stacked against the defendant. A plaintiff doesn't have to prove
any material loss, only that feelings have been hurt and reputation
damaged, something easy to assert but impossible either to quantify or
refute in court. Uniquely in law, the burden of proof is on the
defendant, who has to prove the truth of what was written.
Admirers of the law, like the late Lord Goodman, speciously say that
truth is an absolute defence. But exact truth is likewise very difficult
to demonstrate in court, and an attempt to do so may well be held to
aggravate the libel. As a result, the mere threat of libel is too often
used to silence a newspaper which understandably prefers the discretion
of an apology to the valour of a defended action. If a brazen or frankly
perjurious plaintiff has strong enough nerves, he can push all the way.
Neil Hamilton might have got away with it, Jonathan Aitken nearly got
away with it, and Jeffrey Archer actually did get away with it.
Not that this is a party-political question. One of the most shameful
of all such cases was the "Venetian blind", as it was jocosely known in
the Labour party. In 1957, an article in the Spectator skittishly
suggested that three Labour politicians had been drinking a good deal at
a Socialist conference in Venice. The three, Aneurin Bevan, Richard
Crossman and Morgan Phillips, sued, testified on oath to their sobriety,
and won large damages. Fifteen years later, Crossman boasted (in my
presence) that they had indeed all been toping heavily, and that at
least one of them had been blind drunk.
Apart from questions of truth and falsehood, the latest cases illustrate
the sheer oppressiveness of a law which can be used to punish or even
ruin a foe. Whatever the outcome, it is outrageous that Deborah
Lipstadt should have to give up years of her life to this case, and
spend many weeks in court, with nothing to gain.
While Irving has conducted his own case, the defendants retained the
usual array of solicitors, silk and junior. It has been obvious from the
start that Irving couldn't pay his opponents' costs if he lost. He can
only declare himself bankrupt and leave Lipstadt and Penguin with a bill
more likely in seven figures than six. What is the legal concept of the
vexatious litigant for if not to prevent such an abuse?
If anything, the other case was almost worse, and not just because of
the sight of a huge, rich news organisation using the law to crush a
tiny magazine, however cranky or even obnoxious. It's not often that
Noam Chomsky, Roy Greenslade and Auberon Waugh can be found on the same
side, but their round-robin letter saying that freedom of speech and
media criticism have been curtailed by the ITN case is surely correct.
According to Richard Tait, the editor-in-chief of ITN, the case was
necessary to defend the integrity of the two reporters, and according to
Ed Vulliamy "the law now records that Penny Marshall and Ian Williams
(and myself for that matter) did not lie but told the truth". These
claims are frankly absurd.
Personally (though I don't have to add a rhetorical "Am I alone ...?",
since I know I am not), my view of Bosnia, ITN and LM has been in no way
whatever affected by the case. If anything, I think the less of the
plaintiffs than before, not to say of David Irving. If there are
historical disputes about Auschwitz or Trnopolje, a law court is the
worst possible place to conduct them.
Does Vulliamy seriously believe that our libel courts always establish
the truth? And are Marshall and Williams really happy to find
themselves alongside Lord Archer, of whom the law also once recorded
that he did not lie but told the truth?
The best outcome of these wretched proceedings would a reform of the
law. It is too much to hope that the burden of proving the falsehood of
a statement should be placed on the plaintiff. But there should be a
much broader public-interest defence, and the law of libel - written
defamation - should be assimilated to the law of slander, spoken or
fleeting defamation, in which the plaintiff has to prove actual damage
or material loss.
The trouble is that a reform would have to be introduced in parliament.
And, as the names of Aitken and Archer, not to say Bevan and Crossman,
remind us, politicians have all too much partiality to the existing law.
So we will be stuck with a law which grossly infringes free speech while
producing no real winners. Apart from the lawyers, that is, who have
enjoyed the real victories these past weeks.
As Ogden Nash so well put it: "Professional people have no cares -
Whatever happens, they get theirs."
---
Question and be damned
The case of ITN vs LM only goes to show that it doesn't pay to challenge
a journalist
By Helene Guldberg, LM's Publisher
The Independent, 21 March 2000
In an article headlined "ITN sued journalists to strike a blow for free
speech", published in the Daily Telegraph on 17 March, Richard Tait, the
editor-in-chief of ITN, argues that "attempts to ruin the reputations of
honest journalists are a far greater threat to freedom of speech than
the use of the law to protect those who have been libelled".
In summing up, ITN's silk Tom Shields argued that the recognition in
law of the importance of reputation indicates the democratic nature of
our society. So, in this case, has English libel law struck the correct
balance between the right to a reputation and the right to free speech?
First, let's get some things straight. It has been suggested that there
was a campaign orchestrated by LM magazine against ITN and its two
journalists, Penny Marshall and Ian Williams, and that this is why ITN
felt compelled to sue LM. There was no such campaign. There was an
article - "The picture that fooled the world" - published in February
1997 and there was a press release. Both were critical of the two
journalists concerned, and many of Ms Marshall's colleagues subsequently
phoned her enquiring about the allegations. These phone calls were cited
in the witness box as evidence of the distress she suffered. But all
that has happened is that the journalists' actions in relation to a
particular news broadcast have been criticised. As Thomas Deichmann, the
author of the article, said outside the High Court: "The job of
journalists is to investigate and criticise. If they cannot stand the
heat without running to the High Court, they should get out of the
kitchen."
Journalists, more than most, have means to rebut allegations they feel
are unjust. Ian Williams and Richard Tait have had articles published
since their libel victory. Could they not have done so in 1997 rather
than taking legal action? The use of libel law as a last resort may be
understandable, when all other avenues have failed. As a first resort,
it is inexcusable.
If LM magazine went running to the High Court whenever libelled, we
would be multimillionaires by now (as would many other journalists).
Were we foolhardy to risk our future by taking the principled stance of
refusing to back down and apologise? ITN has since suggested that it
offered us a way out back in September 1997. But the truth is that ITN
gave us no other option. Before even having read the article, ITN
instructed its solicitors to demand we apologise, destroy all copies of
the magazine and pay costs and damages. ITN dragged us to court. It was
prepared to waive damages; but it still demanded that we apologise in
Open Court and in our magazine, as well as footing ITN's legal bill,
which we could have hardly afforded then. In the end, the journalists
were awarded "aggravated damages" for the additional "hurt" of being
subjected to strenuous cross-examination - amounting to a total of
#375,000.
Within 24 hours of the verdict a letter arrived from ITN's solicitors
stating any delay in payment would entitle them to interest. But setting
damages and interest aside, ITN's legal bill alone could bankrupt the
magazine's publishing company, Mick Hume and myself. As many
commentators pointed out last week, the High Court is not the best place
to establish the truth of allegations. The odds are overwhelmingly in
favour of those who sue - therefore having a chilling effect on free
speech. It is presumed that the defamatory statement is false - and the
burden falls on the defendant to prove its truth - a reverse burden of
proof that is almost unique to English libel law. The defendant not only
has to defend the literal meaning - but also possible interpretations or
unintended meanings. It is no wonder defendants only have a one in 10
chance of success!
In Court 14 last week the jury was asked: "Have the defendants
established that Penny Marshall and Ian Williams had compiled television
footage which deliberately misrepresented an emaciated Bosnian Muslim,
Fikret Alic, as being caged behind a barbed-wire fence at the
Serbian-run Trnopolje camp on 5 August 1992 by the selective use of
videotape shots of him?" And the word "deliberately" was emphasised by
the judge. The answer from the jury was "no". In other words, we were
unable to prove what went on in the journalist's heads. In his summing
up, the judge said: "Clearly Ian Williams and Penny Marshall and their
television teams were mistaken in thinking they were not enclosed by the
old barbed-wire fence, but does it matter?"
The implications of this trial for journalism are far-reaching. If
journalists' reputations and feelings are more important than a free
press then the message is not to question the word according to
reporters. If libel is the guarantor of free speech and democracy, then
journalism is the tame creature of bland inoffensiveness.
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
ALBA 30/3/2000 -----------------------------------
LA MARINA GRECA HA SPARATO SUI SOLDATI ALBANESI?
Albanian Daily News March 30, 2000
Greek Navy Shoots Against Albanian Ground Soldiers
TIRANA- Greek military forces opened Tuesday a
ten-minute fire against Albanian soldiers, serving
their compulsory military term in the south of
country, press reports said.
The Albanian Ministry of Order said in a press release
that "on March 28, 2000, a Greek navy boat has fired
several automatic bursts at our territory over a
period of about 10 minutes from its position in the
middle of the channel between Saranda and Corfu, about
two miles off our coast."
Under these circumstances the border police responded
by firing back, a spokesman of the Public Order
Ministry said in a first moment. That information was
later denied by the ministry.
The reasons for the incident are still unclear, and
additional information is not released by Greek
authorities, nor by Albanian ones.
Furthermore, the case remains unclear, while Albanian
border guards have reported that similar incidents
have been repeatedly rendered by Greek soldiers. The
gravest incident was registered five years ago, when
Greek extremists stormed an Albanian army barracks
near the Albanian-Greek border killing an officer and
two soldiers.
Press reports echoed the spiral of Greek-Albanian
military "friendship", taking into account that a
couple of hundreds Greek soldiers are serving their
duties in the heart of Albania to offer assistance and
training to the Albanian police and army.
The opposition has repeatedly opposed the presence of
Greek troops in Albania, and has demanded that the
mission's deadline be fixed.
The ministry of foreign affairs is currently trying to
clarify the latest incident, at the request of the
ministry of public order.
Greek diplomats have repeatedly stated that, despite
certain incidents committed by some soldiers, the
"relations between Greece and Albania are at their
best."
B92 29/3/2000 --------------------------------------
NON E' L'ARMATA JUGOSLAVA A CERCARE LA GUERRA CIVILE
IN MONTENEGRO
Army will never attack Montenegro: Bulatovic
BELGRADE, Wednesday - The Yugoslav Army would not move against the
legally
elected Montenegrin government for any reason, even the case of the
republic's secession from the federation, Federal Prime Minister Momir
Bulatovic said today. Bulatovic, the Belgrade aparatchik who was ousted
as
president of Montenegro in 1998, told media in Italy that Montenegro had
the
right to independence if its people chose that in a free and democratic
referendum.
TERRORISMO IN SERBIA MERIDIONALE
Bomb in southern Serbia
KRALJEVO, Wednesday - A security officer was injured when a bomb
exploded on
the premises of the state-owned company Progres in the southern Serbian
town
of Raska last night. The guard, Dragan Lukovic, suffered minor injuries
in
the explosion and was admitted to hospital in Kraljevo. The incident was
the
second bomb attack in the town in the past week. On March 22 a bomb was
thrown at the local office of the Democratic Party.
UNA DELEGAZIONE ONU PER "MONITORARE" IL FALLIMENTO DELL'ONU
UN monitoring delegation for Kosovo
NEW YORK, Wednesday - The UN Security Council has resolved to appoint a
delegation to monitor the work of the UN civilian administration in
Kosovo,
Council Chairman Anwarul Chowdhury said today. The delegation is to
observe
the implementation of Security Resolution 1244 in the province, assess
the
difficulties facing the UN's civilian mission and deliver a stern
message to
all parties to cease hostilities and commit themselves to establishing a
civilian society in Kosovo.
20 MILIONI DI EURO DAL "PATTO PER LA STABILITA'", CIOE' DALLA
TRILATERAL, DRITTI NELLE TASCHE DEL SECESSIONISMO MONTENEGRINO
Pact for Stability donors snub Serbia, give 20 million Euros to
Montenegro
BRUSSELS, Wednesday - A Montenegrin delegation to the Pact for Stability
in
Southeast Europe's donors conference today signed an agreement for
assistance
of twenty million Euros. Opening the two-day conference, European
Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten reiterated the West's
message
that assistance would not be available to Serbia under the Pact's
programs
while Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic remained in power.
Representatives of the Serbian opposition attended the conference today
as
observers, discussing the democratisation of Serbia and the independence
of
Kosovo with European and US representatives in the Trilateral
Commission.
AIM 29/3/2000 --------------------------------------------------
ANCORA VELENI NEL DANUBIO DALLA ROMANIA
ROMANIAN GOLD MINING COMPANY POLLUTES RIVERS AGAIN
BUCHAREST, Romania, March 29, 2000 (RFE/RL)
Some 10,000 tons of lead residue has spilled into the Rivers
Vaser and Viseu, tributaries of the Tisa River. The incident was
caused by the Aurul company in Baia Borsa that was responsible for
the cyanide spill in early February. The company failed to notify the
authorities of the spill, which occurred on 27 March during heavy
rainfalls that resulted in the breaking of a five-meter stretch of a
dam, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau and Reuters reported.
Samples of water from the Tisa show lead is 2.7 times over
permitted levels. Environment Minster Romica Tomescu visited the area
on 28 March, together with World Bank director for Romania Andrew
Vorkink, who is currently in Romania to see how the bank can help
that country cope with ecological problems as well as improve health
care and wildlife conservation.
BOMBA DISINNESCATA A PRISTINA
UNMIK SABOTAGED
PRISTINA, March 29, 2000 (SRNA)
United Nations' and KFOR police officers deactivated a bomb
today in Pristina, near the UN civil mission building. No one was
injured in the incident and the bomb was placed in a box which was
spotted on time. The traffic in that part of the city was blocked
temporarily until there was no more danger.
An explosive device went off on Tuesday in downtown Pristina,
the device was located in a container. No material damage was caused
by the explosion which happened at 13:20, near the sport center 'Boro
i Ramiz'.
DIENSTBIER (ONU) CRITICO SULLA SITUAZIONE IN KOSMET
UN EXPERT: NATO SHOULD ACCEPT ITS BOMBING OF YUGOSLAVIA FAILED
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 29, 2000 (The Associated Press)
NATO should admit that its bombing of Yugoslavia failed and
send in ground forces to battle extremist Albanians and restore the
ethnic balance in Kosovo, a U.N. expert said Wednesday.
"The bombing hasn't solved any problems. It only multiplied the
existing problems and created new ones," Jiri Dienstbier said after
presenting his report to the 53-nation U.N. Commission on Human
Rights.
Dienstbier, a former foreign minister of Czechoslovakia, listed
the results of NATO's 78-day air campaign to stop Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic's repression of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians. "The
Yugoslav economy was destroyed. Kosovo is destroyed. There are
hundreds of thousands of people unemployed now," he said. "There is
a very general pessimism."
Peacekeepers in the province have only one option now _ to be
prepared to fight on the ground against extremist Kosovo Albanians
so that the ethnic balance with Serbs and others in the province can
be restored, he said.
He said he found United States officials in the region generally
share his pessimistic view.
POLEMICHE TRA MESIC (EX-HDZ) ED I SOCIALDEMOCRATICI
SUL RUOLO DEL PRESIDENTE IN CROAZIA
MESIC THREATENS REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENCY
ZAGREB, Croatia, March 29, 2000 (RFE/RL)
Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on 28 March that he will
call a referendum on whether to limit or "abolish" the powers of the
president if unnamed members of the government persist with what he
called moves to "abolish" his powers.
Mesic charged that the initiatives to limit his authority come
from members of the larger two-party coalition, who are unhappy that
a member of the smaller four-party coalition won the presidency.
Earlier this year, before the presidential vote, all political
parties agreed on the need to reduce the powers enjoyed by the late
President Franjo Tudjman. Since his election, Mesic has stressed that
he will use the presidency as a check on the government.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I RUSSI SEMPRE PIU' INSODDISFATTI DELLA SITUAZIONE IN KOSMET
WEDNESDAY MARCH 29 2000
Russians plan Kosovo intervention, warns general
Yugoslav army to launch ground offensive against NATO?
By I. J. Toby Westerman
2000 WorldNetDaily.com
A high-ranking Russian general has warned that Russia is preparing plans
for military intervention in Kosovo, and that the Yugoslav army could
launch a ground offensive against NATO troops in the war-ravaged
province, according to an official Russian news report.
Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov's comments were broadcast on the "Voice
of Russia" World Service Short Wave Radio Broadcast, the official
broadcasting service of the Russian government.
Ivashov condemned the growing violence in Kosovo and warned the turmoil
there could spread into the Balkans and into Europe. Ivashov called for
emergency measures to end the violence in the region, and to suppress
what he referred to as "Albanian terrorists." He also demanded that NATO
follow U.N. resolution 1244, which calls for a settlement of the
conflict that includes continued Yugoslav rule in Kosovo.
Well acquainted with the politics of the region, in June 1999 Ivashov
conducted Russia's negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense
regarding Russia's role in the peacekeeping operations following NATO's
air war against Yugoslavia.
In the midst of these negotiations, Russian paratroopers seized the
airport in Kosovo's capital city of Pristina.
Until the Russian paratroopers came into Pristina, NATO had avoided
giving Russia any kind of "zone of responsibility."
The Voice of Russia added its own warning to that of Ivashov, stating,
"Clearly these words are a signal of approaching disaster, and Moscow is
not exaggerating."
In order to avoid war in Kosovo, the Voice of Russia demands that NATO
end sanctions against Yugoslavia and that the alliance holds direct
talks with the Belgrade government.
At present, the leader of the Belgrade government, Slobodan Milosevic,
is an indicted war criminal.
"Delay is fraught with danger," the Russian broadcasting service stated
gravely. In addition to the people of Yugoslavia, the threat of war
hangs over "nationals of other countries" who believe they are
unaffected by the region's events.
Ivashov's remarks follow by less than two weeks similar statements made
by the Russian Defense Minister, Igor Sergeyev. In an address to a
special session of the lower house of the Russian legislature, the State
Duma, Sergeyev stated that Yugoslav troops could confront NATO, and that
Russian forces could find themselves in a standoff with the Western
alliance.
Since the end of the air war against Yugoslavia, Moscow has consistently
decried the treatment of the Kosovo Serbs at the hands of NATO. Moscow
cites the large number of refugees, most of whom are Serbs, fleeing
Kosovo, and the ill treatment of the remaining Serb population at the
hands of the ethnic Albanians.
The situation in Kosovo has become so disordered that NATO leaders find
themselves in a precarious position.
Moscow's support of Yugoslavia is deeply rooted in history and remains
intense. Yugoslavia has been granted permanent observer status at the
parliament sessions of the union state of Russia and Belarus, and there
has even been discussion in some political circles in Moscow and Minsk
of admitting Yugoslavia into the Russian/Belarussian union.
One year after NATO's victory over Yugoslavia, any real resolution to
Kosovo appears as remote as ever.
I. J. Toby Westerman is a contributing editor to WorldNetDaily.com and
WorldNet magazine.
LA REPUBBLICA 28/3/2000 ----------------------------------
"IL TIMES" URLA AL COMPLOTTO SERBO PER UCCIDERE I CAPI NATO,
"LA REPUBBLICA" RILANCIA, LA NATO STESSA SMENTISCE
L'elicottero su cui viaggiavano il segretario
e il generale Clark rischiava di essere abbattuto da missili
Complotto di Belgrado per eliminare i vertici Nato
Sarebbe stata la Cia a sventare l'attentato
Ma l'Alleanza non conferma: "Rinvio per motivi operativi"
LONDRA - Non sarebbero state "ragioni di ordine pratico" a far saltare
venerdì scorso la visita a Mitrovica del segretario generale della Nato
Lord George Robertson e del generale Wesley Clark, ma un complotto.
Organizzato dai serbi e sventato in extremis dalla Cia, per abbattere,
nell'anniversario dello scoppio della guerra dei Balcani, l'elicottero
che trasportava i vertici della Nato in Kosovo. La notizia, che non è
stata cenfermata dall'Alleanza atlantica, è uscita oggi sulle pagine
della versione online del Times di Londra. Una rivelazione che farebbe
rientrare tutte le critiche che la mancata missione aveva suscitato:
non era stata la tensione, ancora alta nella cittadina, a sconsigliare
la visita dei due diplomatici, ma un complotto di Belgrado.
L'episodio non trova però riscontri sul fronte Nato. "Non abbiamo
alcuna informazione in questo senso", ha detto oggi un portavoce della
Nato. "L'itinerario è stato cambiato per motivi operativi in quanto
c'era stato un forte ritardo in partenza dal Belgio".
Secondo il Times, invece, i missili erano pronti per abbattere
l'elicottero sui cieli balcanici. Una tragedia evitata all'ultimo
minuto con un cambiamento di programma organizzato in tutta fretta.
Robertson e Clark avrebbero dovuto partire dal Belgio per raggiungere
Skopje, in Macedonia e quindi arrivare a bordo di un velivolo militare
a Pristina, dove erano attesi alle 9 del mattino. Sono invece atterrati
in Kosovo con cinque ore di ritardo alle 2.30 del pomeriggio,
percorrendo un itinerario completamente diverso e assolutamente top
secret. Tagliato anche il programma: le nove ore di visita previste
sono quattro.
E a Pristina ci sono arrivati partendo da una base aerea statunitense,
quella di Ramstein, in Germania. Da lì, a bordo di un Hercules C130
sono arrivati nei Balcani. Evitata la tragedia, l'allarme rimane.
Sebbene i servizi segreti statunitensi, sottolinea il Times, non
abbiano reso noto tutti i dettagli del fallito attentato "ci sono
ragioni sufficienti per mantenere l'allerta", anche perché gli alti
ranghi occidentali che si recano a Pristina percorrono di solito la
stessa rotta.
AP 28/3/2000 --------------------------------------------
PROTESTE IN GRECIA CONTRO LE MANOVRE DELLA NATO
http://www.newsday.com/ap/topnews/ap463.htm
Greek Protesters Delay NATO Convoy
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) -- Left-wing demonstrators
stopped a convoy of NATO military trucks early Tuesday
as they tried to head to Kosovo, spray painting
slogans on the vehicles and smashing one window,
authorities said.
A group of about 80 protesters rushed the British,
French and Italian vehicles as they were leaving this
northern Greek city's main port and heading to Kosovo
to resupply the NATO-led peacekeeping force there.
The incident, which delayed the convoy for about 2{
hours, reflected deep opposition in Greece to the NATO
air campaign against Yugoslavia.
The demonstrators clambered over the 65-vehicle
convoy, which mainly carried supply containers, and
smashed the windshield of an Italian vehicle with a
rock. No injuries were reported.
A first group of 25 vehicles, all French, managed to
leave the port before the protesters gathered, said
Maj. Stamatis Lazarou, a Greek army spokesman.
The vast majority of Greeks vehemently opposed NATO's
78-day airstrikes against fellow Christian Orthodox
Serbs last year, and held almost daily protest
rallies, some of which turned violent.
Communist-led protesters have frequently disrupted
military convoys in Thessaloniki, a major resupply
point on the route to peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Demonstrators often block the exits to the port from
where the troops and vehicles depart, and have also
blocked rail lines and roads and attacked vehicles.
B92 28/3/2000 ------------------------------------------
DJUKANOVIC ATTRIBUISCE AD ALTRI LE SUE STESSE INTENZIONI
Milosevic seeking Montenegro secession: Djukanovic
PODGORICA, Tuesday - Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic today accused
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic of seeking to create an
independent
Serbia in order to retain the position of president. The Yugoslav
president
had two options for retaining power, said Djukanovic, either to replace
the
legitimate authorities in Montenegro with a puppet government which
would
enable him to change the federal constitution and secure a new mandate,
or to
return to the position of president of a new, independent Serbia.
Djukanovic
told media today that Milosevic knew he could not succeed in the first
option
and so was nervously preparing the ground for the break-up of the
federation.
The New York Times today quotes Djukanovic as accusing Milosevic of
recruiting a special battalion for the Yugoslav Army whose task would be
the
ousting of the Montenegrin government.
BOMBA A PRISTINA IN UN CASSONETTO
Bomb in central Pristina
PRISTINA, Tuesday - Central Pristina was in panic today after a bomb
planted
in a rubbish container exploded. United Nations civilian police took
over
control of the central city area, searching the UN headquarters on the
suspicion that another device had been set in the building. There were
no
casualties in the explosion.
MENO MALE, IL KOSOVO NON E' RADIOATTIVO, E' SOLO TOSSICO...
Kosovo toxic but not radioactive
PRISTINA, Tuesday - UNHCR spokesman Chris Janowski said today that there
was
no danger from radioactive material at Kosovo sites where depleted
uranium
bombs had been used by NATO. However, he added, there was a danger to
health
from toxic materials at the same sites. Janowski said that UNHCR staff
in
Kosovo were not taking any personal protective measures but that it was
necessary that local bodies and health institutions faced the problem of
a
long-term danger to human health.
A PARIGI SI DECIDE SE IN KOSOVO SI FARANNO LE ELEZIONI
Contact Group meets
PARIS, Monday - The political directors of the Contact Group member
countries
met in Paris today to discuss preparations for local government
elections in
Kosovo. French Foreign Ministry representative Anne Gazeau-Secret told
media
that election planning was complicated by the issue of voter
registration for
Serbs who fled Kosovo last year.
I-NET 28/3/2000 ---------------------------------------------
IL COMITATO HELSINKI DELLA CROAZIA HA TENUTO NASCOSTE
PER DUE ANNI LE INFORMAZIONI SULLA "OPERAZIONE TEMPESTA"
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
00:05 Hrvatski helsinski odbor (HHO) za ljudska prava krio je, pune dve
godine, podatke o
zlocinima pocinjenim nad civilnim srpskim
stanovnistvom nakon hrvatske vojne
akcije "Oluja" u
Kninskoj krajini, pise u najnovijem broju
splitski nedeljnik "Feral tribjun". Ovu
tvrdnju izrekao je
sadasnji predsednik HHO, Vjekoslav Vidovic,
prenosi Srna.
Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO)
for the Human Rights, was hiding, the
informations about the crimes over Serbian
civils, made
after the Croatian military action "Storm", in
Kninska krajina, for two years, reports
Split's weekly
"Feral tribjun". This allegation stated the
current HHO president, Vjekoslav
Vidovic, reports Srna.
(Source: Inet news)
AFP 27/3/2000 --------------------------------------------------
TENSIONE PER IL TRASFERIMENTO DI UN TERRORISTA
DAL KOSMET IN MACEDONIA
http://www.centraleurope.com/yugoslaviatoday/news.php3?id=146120
Kosovo Albanians Protest Transfer of Murder Suspect to
Macedonia
PRISTINA, Mar 27, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse)
Several hundred Kosovo Albanians blocked the main
highway between Pristina and the Macedonian border
late Sunday in protest at the planned hand-over of a
man wanted for murder in Macedonia, a KFOR official
said.
Some 400 people blocked the intersection leading to
the southeastern US base of Camp Bondsteel where
Xhavit Hasani had been detained by KFOR peacekeepers,
while 200 more turned out with 50 vehicles at the
border crossing of Djeneral Jankovic, spokesman Ian
Fitzgerald said.
An unspecified number of people also cut the road in
the southern town of Kacanik near the border.
The protests started around 6:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) and
several people were detained although the
demonstrations were mostly peaceful, the US first
sergeant said.
U.S., Polish and Greek peacekeepers were controlling
the crowds, which were still on the road late Sunday,
Fitzgerald added.
Hasani, arrested on charges of murder and illegal
weapons possession on January 9 in the southeastern
town of Vitina, was also known as a hero of the former
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), a western diplomatic
source said.
He was held under the custody of UN police in Kosovo
at Camp Bondsteel's detention facility and was due to
be handed over Sunday to Macedonian police, Fitzgerald
said.
One diplomatic source told AFP Hasani was wanted in
Macedonia on multiple charges of killing police.
Kosovo Albanians protested in Vitina at the time of
Hasani's arrest, Fitzgerald said. ((c) 2000 Agence
France Presse)
B92 27/3/2000 --------------------------------------
ATTACCHI DEI NAZIONALISTI PANALBANESI A BUJANOVAC
Attacks in Bujanovac
VRANJE, Monday - Albanian extremists struck twice in the south Serbian
municipality of Bujanovac today, according to Vranje District Court
investigating judge, Slavoljub Mihajlovic. Court representatives have
completed a preliminary investigation of an incident on Veliki
Trnovac-Brezovica road in which a freight vehicle was shot at from a
rocket
launcher. One unfired Chinese-made rocket was discovered. The second
attack
took place at a checkpoint near the village of Koncuj and came from
territory
under KFOR control.
ARMI CONFISCATE A MITROVICA NORD
French troops confiscate weapons
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Monday - French KFOR troops this morning confiscated
a
number of weapons in the Bosnjacka mahala settlement in northern
Kosovska
Mitrovica. A representative of French Command in Mitrovica told media
that
three rocket launchers, one Russian rifle, one automatic rifle and one
Kalashnikov had been confiscated. KFOR also said that gunfire had been
heard
early this morning south of the central bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica but
its
source had not yet been determined.
CINQUECENTO FINORA GLI ALBANESI RILASCIATI IN SERBIA
Kosovo Albanians released from prison
PRISTINA, Monday - Fifteen Kosovo Albanians were released from Serbian
prisons during the weekend, the International Red Cross announced in
Pristina
today. The Red Cross told media that it had collected the prisoners in
Serbia
proper and transported them to Kosovo. Quoting incomplete data the
International Red Cross said that five hundred Albanian prisoners had so
far
been released from Serbian prisons while about another 1,500 remained in
detention.
Serbian President Milan Milutinovic has granted presidential pardons to
a
number of convicted criminals, according to a statement issued by his
office
today. No further details were given.
INIZIATA LA NUOVA PROVA DI FORZA DELLA NATO
NATO manoeuvres enter operational phase
PRISTINA, Monday - The NATO military exercise Dynamic Response 2000
which
began on March 19 entered its operational phase this morning according
to
KFOR spokesman Hoening Philip. Philip told media in Pristina that troops
and
vehicles from the strategic reserve forces under the tactical control of
KFOR
would be included in the exercise in several areas of Kosovo, adding
that
real ammunition would not be used during the exercise.
DJUKANOVIC MINACCIA LA GUERRA IN MONTENEGRO
Djukanovic warns of new war
PODGORICA, Monday - Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic warned today
of the
danger of a new war in Yugoslavia. Djukanovic told Sarajevo daily Dnevni
avaz
that Yugoslavia's neighbours and key figures in the international
community
were concerned about possible conflict in Montenegro. The Montenegrin
president added that the danger was certainly present because the
Belgrade
regime was the same which had begun four wars in the former Yugoslavia
and
had kept itself in power by constantly producing new crises.
OPPOSIZIONE FILO-OCCIDENTALE IN TOURNEE A BRUXELLES
Opposition delegates to Pact for Stability conference
BELGRADE, Monday - The Serbian opposition will send observers to the
Pact for
Stability in South-eastern Europe's donors conference which begins in
Brussels next Wednesday. Alliance for Change Coordinator Vladan Batic
told
media that representatives of the Alliance for Change, the Alliance of
Democratic Parties, the DAN Coalition and the Serbian Renewal Movement
would
attend the conference. The conference, which includes the European
Commission, the World Bank, and Assistant US Secretary of State Strobe
Talbot
is expected to discuss projects proposed by the Pact. According to Batic
the
Serbian opposition representatives will present projects for assistance
to
Serbs in Kosovo and refugees from Croatia as well as a repatriation
project
for Kosovo Serbs and a project to assist media in Serbia.
THE TIMES 25/3/2000 ---------------------------------------
PROBLEMI NEL CONTINGENTE FRANCESE IN KOSOVO
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
March 25 2000 EUROPE
French feud boils over
FROM CHARLES BREMNER IN PARIS
BAD blood between the French military and Bernard
Kouchner, the French United Nations administrator of
Kosovo, has emerged to embarrass the Government here
after a bizarre street brawl in Paris between a
gendarmerie colonel and officers of the military
security.
The Monday night fist-fight, involving Colonel
Jean-Michel Méchain and some of the eight-strong
surveillance team, exposed a feud between the
gendarmerie and France's army contingent in the Kfor
Kosovo UN force. The gendarmerie, a military
organisation and France's provincial police force, is
supervising civilian security and criminal
investigation in the French zone of Kfor.
Colonel Méchain, 46, was being followed by the Defence
Ministry's security force because he was suspected,
with a 27-year-old French-Albanian translator, of
leaking military documents critical of M Kouchner. In
one published memorandum to General Louis Le Mière,
the French contingent commander, army officers
complained that the UN chief displayed an anti-Serbian
bias. The French military have long been held to have
pro-Serbian sympathies.
The colonel, acting as legal adviser to the Kfor
command, had made no secret of his anger against the
military after superior officers refused a request by
M Kouchner in February to second him to his staff as
special adviser for the fight against organised crime.
He was brought back to Paris that month. Like other
gendarmerie members, Colonel Méchain had been critical
of the legally questionable methods used by the
military when arresting suspected KosovoAlbanian
criminals.
The fight broke out in the 20th arrondissement of
Paris after the colonel accompanied the woman
translator to her home and challenged the surveillance
team, which had been on his tail all day. Police
arrested two military agents.
Alain Richard, the Defence Minister, said that the
case was being investigated but the military had had
good reasons to refuse Colonel Méchain's posting. "He
showed a certain agitation against his own service,"
he said. Colonel Méchain said yesterday that he was
seeking permission to publicise his version of the
affair.
DETTAGLIATI PIANI BRITANNICI PER L'ATTACCO DI TERRA
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
March 25 2000 EUROPE
Britain had detailed plan for ground war
BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE EDITOR
Nato's five options
1. NORTHERN OPTION
The most politically sensitive and least realistic
plan was to advance from Hungary into Serbia, with
maximum air support, manoeuvring round Belgrade to
reach Kosovo. But this would have meant taking on the
whole Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and would have
required up to 600,000 troops.
2. AIRBORNE OPTION
High on the list of priorities was to get thousands of
airborne troops into the heart of Kosovo by helicopter
and transport aircraft, many of them possibly by
parachute, landing well beyond the ambush territory of
the Kacanik Pass. Their role would have been to
harrass the Serb forces, backed by Apache attack
helicopters, and hold ground until the main armour
arrived.
3. ALBANIAN OPTION
Using the main Albanian ports to offload troops and
equipment, the Americans planned to build a highway
into Kosovo, beside the existing minor roads, in a
huge engineering project; then advance directly into
the province.
4. KACANIK PASS OPTION
Despite the formidable challenge of advancing through
the mountain pass, often through narrow tunnels, much
of the armour would have had to take this direct route
from Macedonia into Kosovo. But the advance would have
been preceded by extensive special forces operations
to secure the tunnels and bridges.
5. PRESEVO VALLEY OPTION
Copying the strategy used in the 1991 Gulf War
campaign, the intention was to advance into Serbia to
the east from Macedonia and then carry out a left hook
into Kosovo. The Serbs were aware of this possibility
and began deploying troops east of Kosovo.
BRITAIN'S planning for a ground war against President
Milosevic's forces in Kosovo was so far advanced that
the Ministry of Defence had even worked out how many
artillery shells would be required, according to
military sources.
Underlining the pressures the British military were
under to find resources for the potential battle, it
was estimated that the division earmarked for battle
in Kosovo needed to take the entire war reserve of
155mm artillery shells. The precise number of shells
is classified, but it is clear that the planning of
the Kosovo ground campaign forced the MoD to revise
its strategy on ammunition stocks. War reserves were
reduced under the previous Government's defence cuts.
One of the most alarming lessons for Nato from the
Kosovo campaign, which began a year ago yesterday, was
that most alliance members were not prepared or able
to contemplate a high-intensity war with Yugoslavia.
Senior MoD sources said yesterday that towards the end
of Nato's 78-day bombing campaign, some alliance
members were beginning "to come round" to the idea
that a ground war might be necessary. But the Kosovo
terrain and the prospect of high casualties remained
key obstacles in the way of any consensus. British
planners knew that a ground war against an army of
about 30,000 Serb troops in defensive positions would
lead to significant casualties.
Cabinet Office papers circulated to ministers
reflected the fears of a high casualty toll, but Tony
Blair supported the British military view that
planning for a land campaign had to begin. One senior
Army officer said that the ground war would have
presented a greater challenge than 100,000 Russian
troops faced in ejecting less than 10,000 rebels from
Chechnya. The operation, he said, could have led to
much higher casualties than the Russians had suffered.
One British source said the French had estimated that
there could be 2,000 Nato casualties a day. Operation
B Minus, as the campaign plan was codenamed, would
have involved up to 175,000 troops, mostly American
and British.
Britain told Washington that its maximum contribution
was 54,000 troops and about 100 tanks. That would have
required calling up the regular reserves and the
Territorial Army. The Pentagon was confident that the
US Corps of Engineers would be able to build new roads
into Kosovo from Albania and the necessary
infrastructure in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia to bear the weight of armoured vehicles.
The US also planned to improve port facilities in
Albania. "Whenever we expressed doubts about the scale
of the improvements needed, the Americans told us not
to make mountains out of molehills," one British
military source said.
A small team of mostly American officers, under the
overall command of General Wesley Clark, the Supreme
Allied Commander, came up with five options:
Airborne: sending thousands of troops by helicopter
and transport aircraft over the border mountains into
the heart of Kosovo.
Presevo Valley: advancing from Macedonia into Serbia
to the east of Kosovo and then swinging in a "left
hook" to attack the Serb troops.
Kacanik Pass: driving armour through the mountain pass
from Macedonia.
Albanian: advancing from Albania into Kosovo along a
route constructed by American engineers.
Northern: assembling an army in Hungary and advancing
into Serbia from the north.
The aim would have been to get all the troops into
theatre within 90 days and to defeat the Serbs by the
end of October, using a combination of the listed
options.
REUTERS 23/3/2000 ---------------------------------
LA RUSSIA SI RIFIUTA DI INVIARE ALTRI UOMINI
PER L'UNMIK IN KOSMET
http://www.foxnews.com/world/0323/i_rt_0323_8.sml
Russia Refuses to Send Police to Kosovo
6.15 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) March 23, 2000
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia Thursday accused the U.N.
mission in Kosovo of failing to establish law and
order in the province and said it was withdrawing its
agreement to join an international police force to be
sent there.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Moscow
had more than once expressed worries over tensions in
Kosovo between the majority ethnic Albanian and
minority Serb population.
It said it did not understand the position of the U.N.
secretariat and the Kosovo U.N. civil administration,
known as UNMIK, on deploying police officers.
"On the one hand, attention is continually drawn to
the fact that there is a critical lack of policemen
and on the other, under various pretexts, the
reception of Russian Interior Ministry workers for
service in the UNMIK special police has been delayed
for several months,'' it said.
"Under these circumstances, we are forced to cancel
our agreement to the U.N.'s request to send a Russian
detachment of special police,'' it said.
The U.N. administration is responsible for running the
province and policing it. But tensions remain high and
the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force has struggled to
contain them.
"The whole responsibility for the unsatisfactory
situation with the guaranteeing of security in the
province, preventing inter-ethnic clashes and the
growth of crime wholly and fully rests with the
current leadership of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo,''
the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russia fiercely opposed NATO's 11-week campaign of air
raids against Yugoslavia but joined the KFOR force. It
has continuously complained that the West was ignoring
acts of violence by ethnic Albanians against the local
Serbs.
Russian news agencies quoted Leonid Ivashov, the head
of the Defense Ministry's international relations
department, as saying the situation in Kosovo was
getting worse and a new conflict might flare up.
AIM 22/3/2000 ------------------------------------------
CINQUE SOLDATI USA SOTTO INCHIESTA PER MALTRATTAMENTI IN KOSMET
FIVE U.S. SOLDIERS DISCIPLINED FOR ABUSE IN KOSOVO
FORT BRAGG, N.C., March 22, 2000 (Reuters)
Five U.S. soldiers in the same battalion as a soldier charged
with raping and murdering an 11-year-old ethnic Albanian girl have
been disciplined for using excessive force against civilians in
Kosovo during a peacekeeping mission in January, a military spokesman
said on Tuesday.
The five paratroopers were ordered to take a reduction in rank,
forfeiture of pay, perform extra duty and have their activities
restricted in the decision handed down earlier this month for
incidents that took place in January, said Maj. James Marshall, a
spokesman for the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
Civilians in Vitina, Kosovo, complained that the soldiers had
assaulted and threatened them during interrogations and crowd-control
duties on Jan. 9 and 10. Some women also charged that the soldiers
had touched them inappropriately.
The U.S. military is still investigating two battalion officers
with Task Force Falcon in Kosovo who were on duty during the
incidents in question, Marshall said.
LENTA GRADUALE RIPRESA DEL TRAFFICO AEREO SULLA JUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA'S JAT EYES EU SLOTS AFTER AIR BAN GOES
BELGRADE, March 22, 2000 (Reuters)
Yugoslavian flag carrier Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JAT) said
on Tuesday its first flights in the European Union would be to
Germany after the 15-nation bloc suspended an air ban.
"A day after the EU decision on suspending the flight ban is
published in their Official Journal, JAT will resume flights to
Duesseldorf," the head of JAT, Zika Petrovic, told reporters.
The Yugoslav airline will also soon start flights to France,
Italy and the Netherlands, Petrovic said. Initially, JAT will fly
three times a week to Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London
and twice a week to Berlin, Duesseldorf, Milan, Copenhagen,
Stockholm-Goeteborg and Athens-Thessaloniki.
The first foreign carrier due to land in Belgrade on Wednesday
at 1045 GMT is the Greek carrier Olympic Airways. It will be followed
by Swissair, scheduled to arrive at 1310 GMT, the head of Belgrade's
international airport, Ljubomir Acimovic, said.
British Airways and Alitalia are expected to resume services to
Belgrade in early April, he added.
EU foreign ministers decided on Monday to lift a ban on air
links with Yugoslavia but the bloc also agreed to tighten financial
sanctions to increase pressure on President Slobodan Milosevic.
JAT's Petrovic said the airline had suffered losses of $300
million due to the flight ban imposed in September 1998 and after the
NATO defense alliance's air campaign last year grounded flights for
several months.
SWISSAIR RENEWS FLIGHTS TO BELGRADE
BELGRADE, March 22, 2000 (BETA)
'Swissair' is the first air transporter to renew flights to FRY
after the last year's bombing. Flights to Belgrade will be renewed on
Wednesday, after a one-year long pause.
The decision of European Union to lift the air-traffic ban on
Serbia will last till August 18th, since the agreement on the matter
was achieved on February 28th.
-------------------------------------------------------------
LA NATO CONFERMA ALL'ONU DI AVER USATO ARMI NUCLEARI
(URANIO IMPOVERITO) CONTRO LA JUGOSLAVIA
UNEP/UNCHS News Release. For information only. Not an official
record.
Jointly issued by UNEP/UNCHS
NATO CONFIRMS TO THE UNITED NATIONS, USE OF
DEPLETED URANIUM DURING THE KOSOVO CONFLICT
GENEVA, 21 March 2000 - The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) has confirmed to the
United Nations that depleted uranium (DU) was
used during the Kosovo conflict. But, according
to the Joint UNEP/UNCHS Balkans Task Force (BTF)
the information provided is not of sufficient
detail to facilitate an accurate field
assessment of the environmental and human health
consequences of its us
at the present time.
The new information on DU was sent to the United
Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan from NATO
Secretary-General, Lord Robertson and states:
"DU rounds were used whenever the A-10 engaged
armour during Operation Allied Force.
Therefore, it was used throughout Kosovo during
approximately 100 missions... A total of
approximately 31,000 rounds of DU ammunition
were used in operation Allied Force. The major
focus of these operations was in an area west of
the Pec-Dakovica-Prizren highway; in the area
surrounding Klina; in the area around Prizren;
and in an area to the north of a line joining
Suva Reka and Urosevac. However many missions
using DU also took place outside these areas."
This information was reviewed yesterday by
scientists from the BTF's Desk Assessment Group
on Depleted Uranium - an interagency group that
was established last year as part of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-led
assessment of the environmental consequences of
the Kosovo conflict. Whilst welcoming the
positive cooperation of NATO, the group, which
includes experts from the World Health
Organization (WHO), the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Department for
Disarmament Affairs (DDA), and the Swedish
Radiation Protection Institute, concluded that
despite the additional information there was
still
insufficient data available on the exact
location of the DU ordnance to comprehensively
carry out an objective and scientifically based
environmental and
human health impact assessment in Kosovo.
The Group emphasized that the new information on
DU should not be a cause of widespread alarm.
However, it also concluded that because of
NATO's confirmation that DU was used, the
recommendations made in their October 1999
report should be followed. The Group's report,
which was based on the then best
available information, a hypothetical scenario
and unverified assumptions, recommends that at
places where contamination has been confirmed,
measures
should be taken to prevent access. Local
authorities and people concerned should be
informed of the possible risks and appropriate
precautionary measures.
The conclusions of the BTF expert group have
been forwarded to the UN Secretary-General and
the heads of other concerned UN agencies, as
well as UNMIK in
Kosovo.
In the report, "The Kosovo Conflict -
Consequences for the Environment and Human
Settlements", the BTF raised the issue of the
consequences to human health and the environment
by the possible use of depleted uranium. The
report recommended that a thorough review of the
health effects of exposure to DU should be
undertaken.
At yesterday's meeting in Geneva, the Desk
Assessment Group was advised that WHO is
preparing a more general, "generic" report on
the health effects of DU. That report should be
available by the middle of May, 2000 and is not
specific to Kosovo. The Royal Society (UK) is
also preparing an independent report on the
DU topic.
The issue of depleted uranium was only one part
of last year's assessment and the BTF's overall
report concluded that the Kosovo conflict did
not cause an environmental catastrophe affecting
the Balkans region as a whole, but that
pollution detected at four environmental "hot
spots" (Pancevo, Kragujevac, Novi Sad and Bor),
is serious and poses a threat to human health.
As part of the second phase of its work, the BTF
is currently preparing detailed environmental
clean-up feasibility studies (for submission to
donors) at the four mentioned sites in Serbia.
The BTF was set-up by Klaus Toepfer, Executive
Director of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and UN Centre for Human
Settlements, UNCHS
(Habitat), in May 1999, to assess the
environmental and human settlement consequences
of the Balkans conflict. Under the leadership of
the former Finnish
Environment and Development Cooperation
Minister, Pekka Haavisto, the BTF acted on the
recommendation of an earlier UN mission to the
region that a detailed
assessment of the full extent of the
environmental impact of the conflict be urgently
carried out. The BTF report is available on
the Web at http://www.grid.unep.ch/btf.
For more information, please contact: Tore J.
Brevik, UNEP Spokesman/Director of
Communications and Public Information, P.O. Box
30552, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: (254 2) 623292;
fax: 62-3692; Email: cpiinfo@... or
Robert Bisset, Office of the UNEP Spokesman and
BTF Press Officer in Geneva on: +41-22-917-8598,
Nairobi +254-2-623084, email:
robert.bisset@....
UNEP News Release 00/33
B92 21/3/2000 ----------------------------------------------
IL CRIMINALE DI GUERRA NALETILIC DOPO ANNI ESTRADATO ALL'AIA
Croatia extradites Tuta to The Hague
ZAGREB, Tuesday - Croatia today handed over Bosnian Croat Mladen "Tuta"
Naletilic to the Hague Tribunal. Naletilic has been indicted on charges
of
ethnic cleansing of Muslims in central Bosnia in 1993. Justice Minister
Stepan Ivanisevic handed Naletilic over to a Hague medical team at
Zagreb
airport. The indicted war crimes suspect has twice undergone heart and
lung
surgery in the past few months but the Hague medical team deemed him fit
to
travel and to stand trial. Croatian Foreign Minster Tonino Picula
demanded
that the international court provide special conditions for the
53-year-old
Naletilic.
---------------------------------------------------------------
LA ROMANIA PRESENTA IL CONTO PER I DANNI ECONOMICI SUBITI
LA ROUMANIE A PERDU 100 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS PAR L'OBSTRUCTION DU DANUBE
BUCAREST, Roumanie, le 20 mars 2000 (Globe Boston)
La Roumanie a perdu $100 millions de revenus et est forcée de licencier
la
plupart des employés de la navigation à cause de l'obstruction soutenue
du
fleuve le DANUBE, selon les dires du premier ministre pour qui '' le
nettoyage du Danube est un problème d'importance extrême pour la
Roumanie''.
Les dires de Mugur Isarescu ont été cités par l'agence d'informations
privée
Mediafax. Le fleuve est bloqué depuis que l'OTAN a détruit des ponts
dans
Novi Sad pendant son 78e jour de bombardement de la Yougoslavie teminé
en
juin 1999.
Isarescu a été cité à Bruxelles où il est venu présenter la stratégie
économique de son pays à l'Union Européenne. La Roumanie veut être un
membre
de l'UE. Il est possible qu'Isarescu demandera une aide financière pour
nettoyer les effets des deux fuites chimiques récentes provenant des
mines
roumaines et qui ont pollué les rivières majeures gauches du fleuve en
Europe de l'Est. Isarescu a dit que les agences maritimes ont perdu
$100
millions et que les quatre-cinquièmes des employés dans le transport
industriel ont été lienciés en raison de l'obstruction. Il a aussi dit
que
la crise de la rivière mettait en danger "les chances" de la Roumanie de
privatiser sa flotte.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
KOSOVO- RUSSO SPENA (PRC): "VIAGGIO FASSINO PER FAVORIRE INDIPENDENZA DI
PRISTINA DA BELGRADO?"
Il sen.Giovanni Russo Spena del Partito della Rifondazione Comunista ha
presentato una interrogazione urgente al Presidente del Consiglio per
sapere i veri scopi della imminente missione diplomatica del Ministro
del Commercio estero Fassino in Kosovo. Nell'interrogazione si chiede:
" Se corrisponde a verità che scopo di questa missione sia l'apertura di
un ufficio dell'ICE (Istituto per il commercio estero) nella città
kossovara di Pristina. In caso di risposta affermativa si chiede di
sapere se tale ufficio è da considerarsi una succursale della sede
centrale presente in Jugoslavia a Belgrado o se si tratta invece di un
ufficio autonomo. Non sfuggendo infatti la gravità politica di questa
seconda ipotesi , che vedrebbe l'Italia contribuire attivamente alla
secessione del Kosovo ed alla sua indipendenza, si chiede un immediato
chiarimento da parte del governo sulla imminente missione del Ministro
Fassino"
Roma 20 Marzo 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LE TRUPPE SPECIALI BRITANNICHE SONO GIA' IN MONTENEGRO
PER PREPARARE IL CONFLITTO
Sunday Telegraph March 19 2000 EUROPE
SAS is ordered to guard Britons in Montenegro
SAS troops have moved into Montenegro as western fears
grow about the possible disintegration of what remains of
Yugoslavia, writes Tom Walker.
The elite unit is preparing contingency plans for the removal
of British nationals, and is learning the lie of the land in case
there is a confrontation between forces loyal to pro-western
President Milo Djukanovic and Slobodan Milosevic, his
adversary in Belgrade.
Civil war in Montenegro, Serbia's tiny sister state in the
Yugoslav federation, would almost certainly involve the West.
Djukanovic has been told not to provoke the Yugoslav
president. However, Madeleine Albright, the American
secretary of state, has warned Belgrade that Nato would
back Djukanovic in any showdown.
As Britain and America prepare the largest naval exercise
since Nato's air strikes against the former Yugoslavia last
year, Milosevic has tightened the economic blockade around
Montenegro. The action is apparently intended to discourage
Djukanovic from going for independence.
Military sources said it was "entirely natural" in such
circumstances that the SAS would be relaying intelligence
back to Britain. They added that four SAS officers entered
Montenegro two weeks ago.
One diplomat said the sabre-rattling in the Mediterranean and
the Adriatic, along with the SAS presence in Montenegro,
showed that western governments favoured pre-emptive
action to avoid another conflict in the Balkans.
REUTERS 18/3/2000 ---------------------------------------------
SCONFINAMENTO DI SETTE SOLDATI CECHI DAL KOSMET
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20000319/t Sunday, March 19, 2000
7 Peacekeepers Held for Hours by Serb Police From Reuters
PRISTINA, Yugoslavia--Serbian police detained seven Czech
peacekeeping soldiers for more than eight hours Saturday when they
crossed from the Kosovo border, the NATO-led KFOR peace force said.
The Czechs, in an armored vehicle, were stopped about 10
a.m. and were released after nightfall, a KFOR spokesman said.
Another KFOR spokesman initially said four Czech soldiers
had been arrested.
News of the arrests was given by Lt. Col. Henning
Philipp, who said the patrol had lost its way and inadvertently crossed
the demarcation line. Kosovo is a province of Serbia, the dominant
Yugoslav republic.
The patrol members were detained near the village of
Merdare, close to the main road north from Pristina, the provincial
capital, Serbian sources in the area said. "The KFOR
patrol was patrolling along the boundary to Serbia proper on the
northeastern part of Kosovo, lost its way, inadvertently crossed the
boundary and was stopped by local police," Philipp said.
He said the mountainous terrain made it easy to get lost.
Peacekeepers patrol the demarcation line between Kosovo
and the rest of Serbia to prevent the return of Serbian forces who
withdrew last June after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 78-day
air war.
AP 18/3/2000, REUTERS 17/3/2000 -------------------------------
PROTESTE ANTI-NATO IN GRECIA
Anti-NATO Protest in Greece
The Associated Press
Saturday, March 18, 2000; 6:12 p.m. EST
THESSALONIKI, Greece –– About 300 people chanting "Clinton Killer"
rallied Saturday against NATO plans to land 2,000 troops in this
northern port city on their way to Kosovo for a military exercise.
The protests, backed by Greece's small but defiant Communist Party, were
expected to swell Sunday, when 1,100 U.S. troops and about 900 from
Argentina, The Netherlands, Poland and Romania were scheduled to arrive.
The soldiers are to travel overland to neighboring Macedonia and into
Kosovo to take part in the exercise, nicknamed Dynamic Response 2000.
"This invasion by American ... marines is a provocation for the Greek
people," Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga said.
The Communists led rowdy rallies across Greece last year, during NATO's
78-day bombing of Yugoslavia. They also held protests during President
Clinton's visit to Athens in November.
Although Greece is a NATO member, many Greeks condemned the bombing,
appearing suspicious of the motives of the U.S.-led intervention and
sympathizing with the fellow Orthodox Serbs.
More anti-NATO protests were planned in Athens and other cities for next
week to mark the anniversary of the start of the bombing. The
demonstrations could place renewed pressure on Greece's Socialist
government ahead of general elections April 9.
http://www.centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=143451
Greek Communists Call For Anti-NATO Demonstrations
ATHENS, Mar 17, 2000 -- (Reuters) Greece's Communist
Party (KKE) leader on Thursday called on left-wing
groups to demonstrate against NATO forces passing
through northern Greece this weekend ahead of a
military exercise in Kosovo.
Speaking at a rally ahead of general elections on
April 9, KKE General-Secretary Aleka Papariga also
called for Greek troops serving in Kosovo as part of
NATO's peacekeeping force to be recalled.
She said the Greek troops had become "occupying forces
engaged in ethnic cleansing against the Serbs".
Papariga called for demonstrations against U.S.
Marines when they pass through the northern Greek port
city of Thessaloniki en route to the military exercise
in the Yugoslav province.
A Greek defense ministry official told Reuters the
NATO military exercise, between March 19 and April 10,
was planned more than a year ago. It was likely to
involve about 1,600 troops from a number of NATO
countries, including an estimated 1,200 Americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------
ANCORA INDISCREZIONI SUL PROGETTO DI ATTENTATO A MILOSEVIC
Crown forces hone skills "with a bomb... " perfected in Ireland
How the SAS was going to assassinate Milosevic
By Paul Lashmar
17 March 2000
British security agents plotted to assassinate Yugoslavia's President,
Slobodan Milosevic, in the early Nineties using an SAS hit squad, the
intelligence historian Stephen Dorrill claims.
Mr Dorrill says that a secret MI6 file explored three options in which
the Serbian leader could be killed during the Bosnian war. His book
quotes
claims by a former MI6 officer, who worked in the Balkans in the early
Nineties, that an ambitious colleague who was responsible for developing
and
targeting operations in the Balkans had produced the file.
"It was approximately two pages long, and had a yellow card attached to
it which signified that it was an accountable document rather than a
draft
proposal," the unnamed source claims. "It was entitled 'The need to
assassinate President Milosevic of Serbia', and was distributed to
senior MI6 officers, including the head of Balkan operations, the
controller of
East European operations, the security officer responsible for eastern
European operations and the service's SAS liaison officer.
"The targeting officer justified the assassinating of Milosevic on the
grounds that the 'Butcher of Belgrade' was supplying weapons to
[Radovan] Karadzic, who was wanted for war crimes, including genocide,"
says the
source.
Mr Dorrill claims in his book that United States and French intelligence
agencies were considering assassinating Karadzic. Three scenarios were
suggested by MI6. The first was to train a Serbian paramilitary
opposition group to carry out the attack. This, the targeting officer
argued, had
the advantage of deniability but the disadvantage that control of the
operation would be difficult and the chance of success low.
The second plan was to use the small cell of SAS/SBS personnel which
conducts operations exclusively for MI6 and MI5. This team would kill Mr
Milosevic with a bomb or sniper's bullet. The targeting officer thought
that this
would be the most reliable option, but would be impossible to deny if it
went
wrong.
The third plot was to kill Mr Milosevic in a staged road accident. In
the end, no action was taken by MI6.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Europe/2000-03/sas170300.shtml
IWPR --------------------------------------------------------
NONOSTANTE TUTTE LE PRESSIONI OCCIDENTALI I MUSULMANI
DEL SANGIACCATO RESTANO FAUTORI DELL'UNITA' JUGOSLAVA
THE SANDZAK DILEMMA
Sandzak's future looks grim whatever the outcome of the escalating
conflict
between Serbia and Montenegro.
By Miroslav Filipovic in Novi Pazar
[...]
Rasim Ljajic, the second most powerful Muslim politician in the region,
says
war would be disastrous for Sandzak, " It will lead to the
disintegration of
Yugoslavia and the partition of Sandzak. The war will be waged here and
the
experiences of civil and religious conflict in former Yugoslavia have
been
terrible so far."
For the time being, though, Muslim leaders are urging their
250,000-strong
community to stay. Sulejman Ugljanin, a prominent Sandzak political
figure,
says relations between local Montenegrins, Albanians, Serbs and Muslims
remain calm despite attempts by leaders in Belgrade and Podgorica to
stoke
tensions. [as you will see later the only people trying to stoke
tensions
are Djukanovic's men!]
"The residents of Sandzak should stay together with their families,
neighbours and fellow citizens to demonstrate their solidarity and
allegiance to Sandzak, " he said
Sandzak's geographic location could hardly be more precarious.
Internally
divided, it also borders Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia - and has been
affected
by all the recent Yugoslav wars. [it is also the missing link that would
connect all the US puppets in the region!] [...]
The latest wave of refugees are fleeing new conflict brewing in southern
Sandzak. It is widely believed that Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic
may send his paramilitary units to the region. His Montenegrin
counterpart
and rival, Milo Djukanovic, meanwhile, is creating his own security
forces, made up mainly of Muslims from the area
[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!].
[...] Tensions are greatest here. The Yugoslav Army and the Montenegrin
police occupy two neighbouring hotels in the town. An uneasy stand-off
exists.
"Once incident could spark a war in Montenegro, " said one Rozaje
resident.
Local leader Harum Hadzic said residents " are expecting war, but hoping
for peace."
But Muslims in the region fear Sandzak will be partitioned whether the
two Yugoslav republics part company by force or by peaceful means.
For this reason they are anxious to preserve the Yugoslav federation. So
much so that despite their identification with Bosnia, they disapprove
of
Sarajevo's backing for Montenegrin independence.
One of Sandjak's main spiritual leaders, Mufti Muamer Effendi Zukorilic,
insists no patriotic Muslims could support the secession of Montenegro.
"It's unacceptable for us," he said. [...]
Being ruled by two quarrelsome states leads to severe practical
problems.
Recently, for instance, Montenegrin police prevented Muslim clerics from
attending a meeting in Novi Pazar, in the Serbian part of Sandzak.
Faced with the real prospect of being caught up in a new war between the
Serbia and Montenegro, some Sandzak Muslims are frantically trying to
defuse
the tensions in the hope of not only averting a war but preventing the
further disintegration of Yugoslavia. Others though have lost hope.
The immediate impact is clear. The bus operator in Novi Pazar says
tickets
for the buses bound for international destinations have been sold out in
advance for the next three weeks [seeing as most of Yugoslavia is
jittery
about war this isn't such a big thing...].
Miroslav Filipovic is a correspondent for Danas in Kraljevo.
(from stopnato@... )
LA REPUBBLICA 18/3/2000 -----------------------------------
KOUCHNER BECCHINO DELLA MULTIETNICITA' DEL KOSOVO
Kosovo: Kouchner (Onu): "Oggi riconciliazione impossibile"
PARIGI - L'amministratore dell'Onu in Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, ritiene
che
"l'opzione multietnica sia impossibile" in Kosovo. "Oggi - ammette
Kouchner
in un'intervista pubblicata dal giornale comunista L'Humanité" - la
riconciliazione è assolutamente impossibile". "La questione - dice
Kouchner
- è sapere se bisogna separare la popolazione per proteggerla o se
bisogna
metterla insieme senza poterla proteggere. E' una domanda, questa che
pongo, politicamente non corretta". "La risoluzione 1244 dell'Onu -
aggiunge - non contiene la parola multietnia. Si tratta di un'opzione
impossibile in Kosovo". Bisogna arrivare a quella che lo stesso Kouchner
definisce "coesistenza pacifica", una condizione che necessita la
"garanzia
di sicurezza delle popolazioni". Secondo l'amministratore dell'Onu, "i
serbi devono sapere che la Kfor (la forza internazionale) e la Minuk
(Missione delle Nazioni unite) non li cacceranno dalla parte nord del
Kosovo". E "quanto agli albanesi, bisogna dire loro ciò che
diventeranno.
Lo statuto del Kosovo deve essere più chiaro". Il Kosovo "è un problema
politico - afferma Kouchner - non un problema di ricostruzione". "Chi è
così folle - conclude - da aver pensato che in otto mesi si sarebbe
potuto
realizzare ciò che in Irlanda non sono riusciti a fare in 30 anni?".
====================================================================
NOTA DEL CRJ:
Le nostre selezioni di notizie non pretendono di informare
esaurientemente su tutti gli aspetti della problematica
jugoslava e balcanica, che e' vastissima, ma solamente di gettare
luce su alcune sfaccettature che non vengono trattate adeguatamente,
ne' potrebbero esserlo, dalla pubblicistica guerrafondaia attiva nel
nostro paese come in tutto l'Occidente.
Le notizie in lingua straniera sono sempre introdotte da un nostro
titolo in italiano per facilitarne la consultazione.
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<info@...>
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TUTTE LE FONTI SONO CITATE
Distribution of copyright-protected materials is for general
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--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
LA MARINA GRECA HA SPARATO SUI SOLDATI ALBANESI?
Albanian Daily News March 30, 2000
Greek Navy Shoots Against Albanian Ground Soldiers
TIRANA- Greek military forces opened Tuesday a
ten-minute fire against Albanian soldiers, serving
their compulsory military term in the south of
country, press reports said.
The Albanian Ministry of Order said in a press release
that "on March 28, 2000, a Greek navy boat has fired
several automatic bursts at our territory over a
period of about 10 minutes from its position in the
middle of the channel between Saranda and Corfu, about
two miles off our coast."
Under these circumstances the border police responded
by firing back, a spokesman of the Public Order
Ministry said in a first moment. That information was
later denied by the ministry.
The reasons for the incident are still unclear, and
additional information is not released by Greek
authorities, nor by Albanian ones.
Furthermore, the case remains unclear, while Albanian
border guards have reported that similar incidents
have been repeatedly rendered by Greek soldiers. The
gravest incident was registered five years ago, when
Greek extremists stormed an Albanian army barracks
near the Albanian-Greek border killing an officer and
two soldiers.
Press reports echoed the spiral of Greek-Albanian
military "friendship", taking into account that a
couple of hundreds Greek soldiers are serving their
duties in the heart of Albania to offer assistance and
training to the Albanian police and army.
The opposition has repeatedly opposed the presence of
Greek troops in Albania, and has demanded that the
mission's deadline be fixed.
The ministry of foreign affairs is currently trying to
clarify the latest incident, at the request of the
ministry of public order.
Greek diplomats have repeatedly stated that, despite
certain incidents committed by some soldiers, the
"relations between Greece and Albania are at their
best."
B92 29/3/2000 --------------------------------------
NON E' L'ARMATA JUGOSLAVA A CERCARE LA GUERRA CIVILE
IN MONTENEGRO
Army will never attack Montenegro: Bulatovic
BELGRADE, Wednesday - The Yugoslav Army would not move against the
legally
elected Montenegrin government for any reason, even the case of the
republic's secession from the federation, Federal Prime Minister Momir
Bulatovic said today. Bulatovic, the Belgrade aparatchik who was ousted
as
president of Montenegro in 1998, told media in Italy that Montenegro had
the
right to independence if its people chose that in a free and democratic
referendum.
TERRORISMO IN SERBIA MERIDIONALE
Bomb in southern Serbia
KRALJEVO, Wednesday - A security officer was injured when a bomb
exploded on
the premises of the state-owned company Progres in the southern Serbian
town
of Raska last night. The guard, Dragan Lukovic, suffered minor injuries
in
the explosion and was admitted to hospital in Kraljevo. The incident was
the
second bomb attack in the town in the past week. On March 22 a bomb was
thrown at the local office of the Democratic Party.
UNA DELEGAZIONE ONU PER "MONITORARE" IL FALLIMENTO DELL'ONU
UN monitoring delegation for Kosovo
NEW YORK, Wednesday - The UN Security Council has resolved to appoint a
delegation to monitor the work of the UN civilian administration in
Kosovo,
Council Chairman Anwarul Chowdhury said today. The delegation is to
observe
the implementation of Security Resolution 1244 in the province, assess
the
difficulties facing the UN's civilian mission and deliver a stern
message to
all parties to cease hostilities and commit themselves to establishing a
civilian society in Kosovo.
20 MILIONI DI EURO DAL "PATTO PER LA STABILITA'", CIOE' DALLA
TRILATERAL, DRITTI NELLE TASCHE DEL SECESSIONISMO MONTENEGRINO
Pact for Stability donors snub Serbia, give 20 million Euros to
Montenegro
BRUSSELS, Wednesday - A Montenegrin delegation to the Pact for Stability
in
Southeast Europe's donors conference today signed an agreement for
assistance
of twenty million Euros. Opening the two-day conference, European
Commissioner for External Affairs Chris Patten reiterated the West's
message
that assistance would not be available to Serbia under the Pact's
programs
while Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic remained in power.
Representatives of the Serbian opposition attended the conference today
as
observers, discussing the democratisation of Serbia and the independence
of
Kosovo with European and US representatives in the Trilateral
Commission.
AIM 29/3/2000 --------------------------------------------------
ANCORA VELENI NEL DANUBIO DALLA ROMANIA
ROMANIAN GOLD MINING COMPANY POLLUTES RIVERS AGAIN
BUCHAREST, Romania, March 29, 2000 (RFE/RL)
Some 10,000 tons of lead residue has spilled into the Rivers
Vaser and Viseu, tributaries of the Tisa River. The incident was
caused by the Aurul company in Baia Borsa that was responsible for
the cyanide spill in early February. The company failed to notify the
authorities of the spill, which occurred on 27 March during heavy
rainfalls that resulted in the breaking of a five-meter stretch of a
dam, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau and Reuters reported.
Samples of water from the Tisa show lead is 2.7 times over
permitted levels. Environment Minster Romica Tomescu visited the area
on 28 March, together with World Bank director for Romania Andrew
Vorkink, who is currently in Romania to see how the bank can help
that country cope with ecological problems as well as improve health
care and wildlife conservation.
BOMBA DISINNESCATA A PRISTINA
UNMIK SABOTAGED
PRISTINA, March 29, 2000 (SRNA)
United Nations' and KFOR police officers deactivated a bomb
today in Pristina, near the UN civil mission building. No one was
injured in the incident and the bomb was placed in a box which was
spotted on time. The traffic in that part of the city was blocked
temporarily until there was no more danger.
An explosive device went off on Tuesday in downtown Pristina,
the device was located in a container. No material damage was caused
by the explosion which happened at 13:20, near the sport center 'Boro
i Ramiz'.
DIENSTBIER (ONU) CRITICO SULLA SITUAZIONE IN KOSMET
UN EXPERT: NATO SHOULD ACCEPT ITS BOMBING OF YUGOSLAVIA FAILED
GENEVA, Switzerland, March 29, 2000 (The Associated Press)
NATO should admit that its bombing of Yugoslavia failed and
send in ground forces to battle extremist Albanians and restore the
ethnic balance in Kosovo, a U.N. expert said Wednesday.
"The bombing hasn't solved any problems. It only multiplied the
existing problems and created new ones," Jiri Dienstbier said after
presenting his report to the 53-nation U.N. Commission on Human
Rights.
Dienstbier, a former foreign minister of Czechoslovakia, listed
the results of NATO's 78-day air campaign to stop Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic's repression of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians. "The
Yugoslav economy was destroyed. Kosovo is destroyed. There are
hundreds of thousands of people unemployed now," he said. "There is
a very general pessimism."
Peacekeepers in the province have only one option now _ to be
prepared to fight on the ground against extremist Kosovo Albanians
so that the ethnic balance with Serbs and others in the province can
be restored, he said.
He said he found United States officials in the region generally
share his pessimistic view.
POLEMICHE TRA MESIC (EX-HDZ) ED I SOCIALDEMOCRATICI
SUL RUOLO DEL PRESIDENTE IN CROAZIA
MESIC THREATENS REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENCY
ZAGREB, Croatia, March 29, 2000 (RFE/RL)
Croatian President Stipe Mesic said on 28 March that he will
call a referendum on whether to limit or "abolish" the powers of the
president if unnamed members of the government persist with what he
called moves to "abolish" his powers.
Mesic charged that the initiatives to limit his authority come
from members of the larger two-party coalition, who are unhappy that
a member of the smaller four-party coalition won the presidency.
Earlier this year, before the presidential vote, all political
parties agreed on the need to reduce the powers enjoyed by the late
President Franjo Tudjman. Since his election, Mesic has stressed that
he will use the presidency as a check on the government.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I RUSSI SEMPRE PIU' INSODDISFATTI DELLA SITUAZIONE IN KOSMET
WEDNESDAY MARCH 29 2000
Russians plan Kosovo intervention, warns general
Yugoslav army to launch ground offensive against NATO?
By I. J. Toby Westerman
2000 WorldNetDaily.com
A high-ranking Russian general has warned that Russia is preparing plans
for military intervention in Kosovo, and that the Yugoslav army could
launch a ground offensive against NATO troops in the war-ravaged
province, according to an official Russian news report.
Colonel-General Leonid Ivashov's comments were broadcast on the "Voice
of Russia" World Service Short Wave Radio Broadcast, the official
broadcasting service of the Russian government.
Ivashov condemned the growing violence in Kosovo and warned the turmoil
there could spread into the Balkans and into Europe. Ivashov called for
emergency measures to end the violence in the region, and to suppress
what he referred to as "Albanian terrorists." He also demanded that NATO
follow U.N. resolution 1244, which calls for a settlement of the
conflict that includes continued Yugoslav rule in Kosovo.
Well acquainted with the politics of the region, in June 1999 Ivashov
conducted Russia's negotiations with the U.S. Department of Defense
regarding Russia's role in the peacekeeping operations following NATO's
air war against Yugoslavia.
In the midst of these negotiations, Russian paratroopers seized the
airport in Kosovo's capital city of Pristina.
Until the Russian paratroopers came into Pristina, NATO had avoided
giving Russia any kind of "zone of responsibility."
The Voice of Russia added its own warning to that of Ivashov, stating,
"Clearly these words are a signal of approaching disaster, and Moscow is
not exaggerating."
In order to avoid war in Kosovo, the Voice of Russia demands that NATO
end sanctions against Yugoslavia and that the alliance holds direct
talks with the Belgrade government.
At present, the leader of the Belgrade government, Slobodan Milosevic,
is an indicted war criminal.
"Delay is fraught with danger," the Russian broadcasting service stated
gravely. In addition to the people of Yugoslavia, the threat of war
hangs over "nationals of other countries" who believe they are
unaffected by the region's events.
Ivashov's remarks follow by less than two weeks similar statements made
by the Russian Defense Minister, Igor Sergeyev. In an address to a
special session of the lower house of the Russian legislature, the State
Duma, Sergeyev stated that Yugoslav troops could confront NATO, and that
Russian forces could find themselves in a standoff with the Western
alliance.
Since the end of the air war against Yugoslavia, Moscow has consistently
decried the treatment of the Kosovo Serbs at the hands of NATO. Moscow
cites the large number of refugees, most of whom are Serbs, fleeing
Kosovo, and the ill treatment of the remaining Serb population at the
hands of the ethnic Albanians.
The situation in Kosovo has become so disordered that NATO leaders find
themselves in a precarious position.
Moscow's support of Yugoslavia is deeply rooted in history and remains
intense. Yugoslavia has been granted permanent observer status at the
parliament sessions of the union state of Russia and Belarus, and there
has even been discussion in some political circles in Moscow and Minsk
of admitting Yugoslavia into the Russian/Belarussian union.
One year after NATO's victory over Yugoslavia, any real resolution to
Kosovo appears as remote as ever.
I. J. Toby Westerman is a contributing editor to WorldNetDaily.com and
WorldNet magazine.
LA REPUBBLICA 28/3/2000 ----------------------------------
"IL TIMES" URLA AL COMPLOTTO SERBO PER UCCIDERE I CAPI NATO,
"LA REPUBBLICA" RILANCIA, LA NATO STESSA SMENTISCE
L'elicottero su cui viaggiavano il segretario
e il generale Clark rischiava di essere abbattuto da missili
Complotto di Belgrado per eliminare i vertici Nato
Sarebbe stata la Cia a sventare l'attentato
Ma l'Alleanza non conferma: "Rinvio per motivi operativi"
LONDRA - Non sarebbero state "ragioni di ordine pratico" a far saltare
venerdì scorso la visita a Mitrovica del segretario generale della Nato
Lord George Robertson e del generale Wesley Clark, ma un complotto.
Organizzato dai serbi e sventato in extremis dalla Cia, per abbattere,
nell'anniversario dello scoppio della guerra dei Balcani, l'elicottero
che trasportava i vertici della Nato in Kosovo. La notizia, che non è
stata cenfermata dall'Alleanza atlantica, è uscita oggi sulle pagine
della versione online del Times di Londra. Una rivelazione che farebbe
rientrare tutte le critiche che la mancata missione aveva suscitato:
non era stata la tensione, ancora alta nella cittadina, a sconsigliare
la visita dei due diplomatici, ma un complotto di Belgrado.
L'episodio non trova però riscontri sul fronte Nato. "Non abbiamo
alcuna informazione in questo senso", ha detto oggi un portavoce della
Nato. "L'itinerario è stato cambiato per motivi operativi in quanto
c'era stato un forte ritardo in partenza dal Belgio".
Secondo il Times, invece, i missili erano pronti per abbattere
l'elicottero sui cieli balcanici. Una tragedia evitata all'ultimo
minuto con un cambiamento di programma organizzato in tutta fretta.
Robertson e Clark avrebbero dovuto partire dal Belgio per raggiungere
Skopje, in Macedonia e quindi arrivare a bordo di un velivolo militare
a Pristina, dove erano attesi alle 9 del mattino. Sono invece atterrati
in Kosovo con cinque ore di ritardo alle 2.30 del pomeriggio,
percorrendo un itinerario completamente diverso e assolutamente top
secret. Tagliato anche il programma: le nove ore di visita previste
sono quattro.
E a Pristina ci sono arrivati partendo da una base aerea statunitense,
quella di Ramstein, in Germania. Da lì, a bordo di un Hercules C130
sono arrivati nei Balcani. Evitata la tragedia, l'allarme rimane.
Sebbene i servizi segreti statunitensi, sottolinea il Times, non
abbiano reso noto tutti i dettagli del fallito attentato "ci sono
ragioni sufficienti per mantenere l'allerta", anche perché gli alti
ranghi occidentali che si recano a Pristina percorrono di solito la
stessa rotta.
AP 28/3/2000 --------------------------------------------
PROTESTE IN GRECIA CONTRO LE MANOVRE DELLA NATO
http://www.newsday.com/ap/topnews/ap463.htm
Greek Protesters Delay NATO Convoy
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) -- Left-wing demonstrators
stopped a convoy of NATO military trucks early Tuesday
as they tried to head to Kosovo, spray painting
slogans on the vehicles and smashing one window,
authorities said.
A group of about 80 protesters rushed the British,
French and Italian vehicles as they were leaving this
northern Greek city's main port and heading to Kosovo
to resupply the NATO-led peacekeeping force there.
The incident, which delayed the convoy for about 2{
hours, reflected deep opposition in Greece to the NATO
air campaign against Yugoslavia.
The demonstrators clambered over the 65-vehicle
convoy, which mainly carried supply containers, and
smashed the windshield of an Italian vehicle with a
rock. No injuries were reported.
A first group of 25 vehicles, all French, managed to
leave the port before the protesters gathered, said
Maj. Stamatis Lazarou, a Greek army spokesman.
The vast majority of Greeks vehemently opposed NATO's
78-day airstrikes against fellow Christian Orthodox
Serbs last year, and held almost daily protest
rallies, some of which turned violent.
Communist-led protesters have frequently disrupted
military convoys in Thessaloniki, a major resupply
point on the route to peacekeepers in Kosovo.
Demonstrators often block the exits to the port from
where the troops and vehicles depart, and have also
blocked rail lines and roads and attacked vehicles.
B92 28/3/2000 ------------------------------------------
DJUKANOVIC ATTRIBUISCE AD ALTRI LE SUE STESSE INTENZIONI
Milosevic seeking Montenegro secession: Djukanovic
PODGORICA, Tuesday - Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic today accused
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic of seeking to create an
independent
Serbia in order to retain the position of president. The Yugoslav
president
had two options for retaining power, said Djukanovic, either to replace
the
legitimate authorities in Montenegro with a puppet government which
would
enable him to change the federal constitution and secure a new mandate,
or to
return to the position of president of a new, independent Serbia.
Djukanovic
told media today that Milosevic knew he could not succeed in the first
option
and so was nervously preparing the ground for the break-up of the
federation.
The New York Times today quotes Djukanovic as accusing Milosevic of
recruiting a special battalion for the Yugoslav Army whose task would be
the
ousting of the Montenegrin government.
BOMBA A PRISTINA IN UN CASSONETTO
Bomb in central Pristina
PRISTINA, Tuesday - Central Pristina was in panic today after a bomb
planted
in a rubbish container exploded. United Nations civilian police took
over
control of the central city area, searching the UN headquarters on the
suspicion that another device had been set in the building. There were
no
casualties in the explosion.
MENO MALE, IL KOSOVO NON E' RADIOATTIVO, E' SOLO TOSSICO...
Kosovo toxic but not radioactive
PRISTINA, Tuesday - UNHCR spokesman Chris Janowski said today that there
was
no danger from radioactive material at Kosovo sites where depleted
uranium
bombs had been used by NATO. However, he added, there was a danger to
health
from toxic materials at the same sites. Janowski said that UNHCR staff
in
Kosovo were not taking any personal protective measures but that it was
necessary that local bodies and health institutions faced the problem of
a
long-term danger to human health.
A PARIGI SI DECIDE SE IN KOSOVO SI FARANNO LE ELEZIONI
Contact Group meets
PARIS, Monday - The political directors of the Contact Group member
countries
met in Paris today to discuss preparations for local government
elections in
Kosovo. French Foreign Ministry representative Anne Gazeau-Secret told
media
that election planning was complicated by the issue of voter
registration for
Serbs who fled Kosovo last year.
I-NET 28/3/2000 ---------------------------------------------
IL COMITATO HELSINKI DELLA CROAZIA HA TENUTO NASCOSTE
PER DUE ANNI LE INFORMAZIONI SULLA "OPERAZIONE TEMPESTA"
STOP NATO: NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG
00:05 Hrvatski helsinski odbor (HHO) za ljudska prava krio je, pune dve
godine, podatke o
zlocinima pocinjenim nad civilnim srpskim
stanovnistvom nakon hrvatske vojne
akcije "Oluja" u
Kninskoj krajini, pise u najnovijem broju
splitski nedeljnik "Feral tribjun". Ovu
tvrdnju izrekao je
sadasnji predsednik HHO, Vjekoslav Vidovic,
prenosi Srna.
Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO)
for the Human Rights, was hiding, the
informations about the crimes over Serbian
civils, made
after the Croatian military action "Storm", in
Kninska krajina, for two years, reports
Split's weekly
"Feral tribjun". This allegation stated the
current HHO president, Vjekoslav
Vidovic, reports Srna.
(Source: Inet news)
AFP 27/3/2000 --------------------------------------------------
TENSIONE PER IL TRASFERIMENTO DI UN TERRORISTA
DAL KOSMET IN MACEDONIA
http://www.centraleurope.com/yugoslaviatoday/news.php3?id=146120
Kosovo Albanians Protest Transfer of Murder Suspect to
Macedonia
PRISTINA, Mar 27, 2000 -- (Agence France Presse)
Several hundred Kosovo Albanians blocked the main
highway between Pristina and the Macedonian border
late Sunday in protest at the planned hand-over of a
man wanted for murder in Macedonia, a KFOR official
said.
Some 400 people blocked the intersection leading to
the southeastern US base of Camp Bondsteel where
Xhavit Hasani had been detained by KFOR peacekeepers,
while 200 more turned out with 50 vehicles at the
border crossing of Djeneral Jankovic, spokesman Ian
Fitzgerald said.
An unspecified number of people also cut the road in
the southern town of Kacanik near the border.
The protests started around 6:30 p.m. (1630 GMT) and
several people were detained although the
demonstrations were mostly peaceful, the US first
sergeant said.
U.S., Polish and Greek peacekeepers were controlling
the crowds, which were still on the road late Sunday,
Fitzgerald added.
Hasani, arrested on charges of murder and illegal
weapons possession on January 9 in the southeastern
town of Vitina, was also known as a hero of the former
Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), a western diplomatic
source said.
He was held under the custody of UN police in Kosovo
at Camp Bondsteel's detention facility and was due to
be handed over Sunday to Macedonian police, Fitzgerald
said.
One diplomatic source told AFP Hasani was wanted in
Macedonia on multiple charges of killing police.
Kosovo Albanians protested in Vitina at the time of
Hasani's arrest, Fitzgerald said. ((c) 2000 Agence
France Presse)
B92 27/3/2000 --------------------------------------
ATTACCHI DEI NAZIONALISTI PANALBANESI A BUJANOVAC
Attacks in Bujanovac
VRANJE, Monday - Albanian extremists struck twice in the south Serbian
municipality of Bujanovac today, according to Vranje District Court
investigating judge, Slavoljub Mihajlovic. Court representatives have
completed a preliminary investigation of an incident on Veliki
Trnovac-Brezovica road in which a freight vehicle was shot at from a
rocket
launcher. One unfired Chinese-made rocket was discovered. The second
attack
took place at a checkpoint near the village of Koncuj and came from
territory
under KFOR control.
ARMI CONFISCATE A MITROVICA NORD
French troops confiscate weapons
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, Monday - French KFOR troops this morning confiscated
a
number of weapons in the Bosnjacka mahala settlement in northern
Kosovska
Mitrovica. A representative of French Command in Mitrovica told media
that
three rocket launchers, one Russian rifle, one automatic rifle and one
Kalashnikov had been confiscated. KFOR also said that gunfire had been
heard
early this morning south of the central bridge in Kosovska Mitrovica but
its
source had not yet been determined.
CINQUECENTO FINORA GLI ALBANESI RILASCIATI IN SERBIA
Kosovo Albanians released from prison
PRISTINA, Monday - Fifteen Kosovo Albanians were released from Serbian
prisons during the weekend, the International Red Cross announced in
Pristina
today. The Red Cross told media that it had collected the prisoners in
Serbia
proper and transported them to Kosovo. Quoting incomplete data the
International Red Cross said that five hundred Albanian prisoners had so
far
been released from Serbian prisons while about another 1,500 remained in
detention.
Serbian President Milan Milutinovic has granted presidential pardons to
a
number of convicted criminals, according to a statement issued by his
office
today. No further details were given.
INIZIATA LA NUOVA PROVA DI FORZA DELLA NATO
NATO manoeuvres enter operational phase
PRISTINA, Monday - The NATO military exercise Dynamic Response 2000
which
began on March 19 entered its operational phase this morning according
to
KFOR spokesman Hoening Philip. Philip told media in Pristina that troops
and
vehicles from the strategic reserve forces under the tactical control of
KFOR
would be included in the exercise in several areas of Kosovo, adding
that
real ammunition would not be used during the exercise.
DJUKANOVIC MINACCIA LA GUERRA IN MONTENEGRO
Djukanovic warns of new war
PODGORICA, Monday - Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic warned today
of the
danger of a new war in Yugoslavia. Djukanovic told Sarajevo daily Dnevni
avaz
that Yugoslavia's neighbours and key figures in the international
community
were concerned about possible conflict in Montenegro. The Montenegrin
president added that the danger was certainly present because the
Belgrade
regime was the same which had begun four wars in the former Yugoslavia
and
had kept itself in power by constantly producing new crises.
OPPOSIZIONE FILO-OCCIDENTALE IN TOURNEE A BRUXELLES
Opposition delegates to Pact for Stability conference
BELGRADE, Monday - The Serbian opposition will send observers to the
Pact for
Stability in South-eastern Europe's donors conference which begins in
Brussels next Wednesday. Alliance for Change Coordinator Vladan Batic
told
media that representatives of the Alliance for Change, the Alliance of
Democratic Parties, the DAN Coalition and the Serbian Renewal Movement
would
attend the conference. The conference, which includes the European
Commission, the World Bank, and Assistant US Secretary of State Strobe
Talbot
is expected to discuss projects proposed by the Pact. According to Batic
the
Serbian opposition representatives will present projects for assistance
to
Serbs in Kosovo and refugees from Croatia as well as a repatriation
project
for Kosovo Serbs and a project to assist media in Serbia.
THE TIMES 25/3/2000 ---------------------------------------
PROBLEMI NEL CONTINGENTE FRANCESE IN KOSOVO
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
March 25 2000 EUROPE
French feud boils over
FROM CHARLES BREMNER IN PARIS
BAD blood between the French military and Bernard
Kouchner, the French United Nations administrator of
Kosovo, has emerged to embarrass the Government here
after a bizarre street brawl in Paris between a
gendarmerie colonel and officers of the military
security.
The Monday night fist-fight, involving Colonel
Jean-Michel Méchain and some of the eight-strong
surveillance team, exposed a feud between the
gendarmerie and France's army contingent in the Kfor
Kosovo UN force. The gendarmerie, a military
organisation and France's provincial police force, is
supervising civilian security and criminal
investigation in the French zone of Kfor.
Colonel Méchain, 46, was being followed by the Defence
Ministry's security force because he was suspected,
with a 27-year-old French-Albanian translator, of
leaking military documents critical of M Kouchner. In
one published memorandum to General Louis Le Mière,
the French contingent commander, army officers
complained that the UN chief displayed an anti-Serbian
bias. The French military have long been held to have
pro-Serbian sympathies.
The colonel, acting as legal adviser to the Kfor
command, had made no secret of his anger against the
military after superior officers refused a request by
M Kouchner in February to second him to his staff as
special adviser for the fight against organised crime.
He was brought back to Paris that month. Like other
gendarmerie members, Colonel Méchain had been critical
of the legally questionable methods used by the
military when arresting suspected KosovoAlbanian
criminals.
The fight broke out in the 20th arrondissement of
Paris after the colonel accompanied the woman
translator to her home and challenged the surveillance
team, which had been on his tail all day. Police
arrested two military agents.
Alain Richard, the Defence Minister, said that the
case was being investigated but the military had had
good reasons to refuse Colonel Méchain's posting. "He
showed a certain agitation against his own service,"
he said. Colonel Méchain said yesterday that he was
seeking permission to publicise his version of the
affair.
DETTAGLIATI PIANI BRITANNICI PER L'ATTACCO DI TERRA
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
March 25 2000 EUROPE
Britain had detailed plan for ground war
BY MICHAEL EVANS, DEFENCE EDITOR
Nato's five options
1. NORTHERN OPTION
The most politically sensitive and least realistic
plan was to advance from Hungary into Serbia, with
maximum air support, manoeuvring round Belgrade to
reach Kosovo. But this would have meant taking on the
whole Yugoslav National Army (JNA) and would have
required up to 600,000 troops.
2. AIRBORNE OPTION
High on the list of priorities was to get thousands of
airborne troops into the heart of Kosovo by helicopter
and transport aircraft, many of them possibly by
parachute, landing well beyond the ambush territory of
the Kacanik Pass. Their role would have been to
harrass the Serb forces, backed by Apache attack
helicopters, and hold ground until the main armour
arrived.
3. ALBANIAN OPTION
Using the main Albanian ports to offload troops and
equipment, the Americans planned to build a highway
into Kosovo, beside the existing minor roads, in a
huge engineering project; then advance directly into
the province.
4. KACANIK PASS OPTION
Despite the formidable challenge of advancing through
the mountain pass, often through narrow tunnels, much
of the armour would have had to take this direct route
from Macedonia into Kosovo. But the advance would have
been preceded by extensive special forces operations
to secure the tunnels and bridges.
5. PRESEVO VALLEY OPTION
Copying the strategy used in the 1991 Gulf War
campaign, the intention was to advance into Serbia to
the east from Macedonia and then carry out a left hook
into Kosovo. The Serbs were aware of this possibility
and began deploying troops east of Kosovo.
BRITAIN'S planning for a ground war against President
Milosevic's forces in Kosovo was so far advanced that
the Ministry of Defence had even worked out how many
artillery shells would be required, according to
military sources.
Underlining the pressures the British military were
under to find resources for the potential battle, it
was estimated that the division earmarked for battle
in Kosovo needed to take the entire war reserve of
155mm artillery shells. The precise number of shells
is classified, but it is clear that the planning of
the Kosovo ground campaign forced the MoD to revise
its strategy on ammunition stocks. War reserves were
reduced under the previous Government's defence cuts.
One of the most alarming lessons for Nato from the
Kosovo campaign, which began a year ago yesterday, was
that most alliance members were not prepared or able
to contemplate a high-intensity war with Yugoslavia.
Senior MoD sources said yesterday that towards the end
of Nato's 78-day bombing campaign, some alliance
members were beginning "to come round" to the idea
that a ground war might be necessary. But the Kosovo
terrain and the prospect of high casualties remained
key obstacles in the way of any consensus. British
planners knew that a ground war against an army of
about 30,000 Serb troops in defensive positions would
lead to significant casualties.
Cabinet Office papers circulated to ministers
reflected the fears of a high casualty toll, but Tony
Blair supported the British military view that
planning for a land campaign had to begin. One senior
Army officer said that the ground war would have
presented a greater challenge than 100,000 Russian
troops faced in ejecting less than 10,000 rebels from
Chechnya. The operation, he said, could have led to
much higher casualties than the Russians had suffered.
One British source said the French had estimated that
there could be 2,000 Nato casualties a day. Operation
B Minus, as the campaign plan was codenamed, would
have involved up to 175,000 troops, mostly American
and British.
Britain told Washington that its maximum contribution
was 54,000 troops and about 100 tanks. That would have
required calling up the regular reserves and the
Territorial Army. The Pentagon was confident that the
US Corps of Engineers would be able to build new roads
into Kosovo from Albania and the necessary
infrastructure in the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia to bear the weight of armoured vehicles.
The US also planned to improve port facilities in
Albania. "Whenever we expressed doubts about the scale
of the improvements needed, the Americans told us not
to make mountains out of molehills," one British
military source said.
A small team of mostly American officers, under the
overall command of General Wesley Clark, the Supreme
Allied Commander, came up with five options:
Airborne: sending thousands of troops by helicopter
and transport aircraft over the border mountains into
the heart of Kosovo.
Presevo Valley: advancing from Macedonia into Serbia
to the east of Kosovo and then swinging in a "left
hook" to attack the Serb troops.
Kacanik Pass: driving armour through the mountain pass
from Macedonia.
Albanian: advancing from Albania into Kosovo along a
route constructed by American engineers.
Northern: assembling an army in Hungary and advancing
into Serbia from the north.
The aim would have been to get all the troops into
theatre within 90 days and to defeat the Serbs by the
end of October, using a combination of the listed
options.
REUTERS 23/3/2000 ---------------------------------
LA RUSSIA SI RIFIUTA DI INVIARE ALTRI UOMINI
PER L'UNMIK IN KOSMET
http://www.foxnews.com/world/0323/i_rt_0323_8.sml
Russia Refuses to Send Police to Kosovo
6.15 a.m. ET (1125 GMT) March 23, 2000
MOSCOW (Reuters) — Russia Thursday accused the U.N.
mission in Kosovo of failing to establish law and
order in the province and said it was withdrawing its
agreement to join an international police force to be
sent there.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Moscow
had more than once expressed worries over tensions in
Kosovo between the majority ethnic Albanian and
minority Serb population.
It said it did not understand the position of the U.N.
secretariat and the Kosovo U.N. civil administration,
known as UNMIK, on deploying police officers.
"On the one hand, attention is continually drawn to
the fact that there is a critical lack of policemen
and on the other, under various pretexts, the
reception of Russian Interior Ministry workers for
service in the UNMIK special police has been delayed
for several months,'' it said.
"Under these circumstances, we are forced to cancel
our agreement to the U.N.'s request to send a Russian
detachment of special police,'' it said.
The U.N. administration is responsible for running the
province and policing it. But tensions remain high and
the NATO-led KFOR peacekeeping force has struggled to
contain them.
"The whole responsibility for the unsatisfactory
situation with the guaranteeing of security in the
province, preventing inter-ethnic clashes and the
growth of crime wholly and fully rests with the
current leadership of the U.N. Mission in Kosovo,''
the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russia fiercely opposed NATO's 11-week campaign of air
raids against Yugoslavia but joined the KFOR force. It
has continuously complained that the West was ignoring
acts of violence by ethnic Albanians against the local
Serbs.
Russian news agencies quoted Leonid Ivashov, the head
of the Defense Ministry's international relations
department, as saying the situation in Kosovo was
getting worse and a new conflict might flare up.
AIM 22/3/2000 ------------------------------------------
CINQUE SOLDATI USA SOTTO INCHIESTA PER MALTRATTAMENTI IN KOSMET
FIVE U.S. SOLDIERS DISCIPLINED FOR ABUSE IN KOSOVO
FORT BRAGG, N.C., March 22, 2000 (Reuters)
Five U.S. soldiers in the same battalion as a soldier charged
with raping and murdering an 11-year-old ethnic Albanian girl have
been disciplined for using excessive force against civilians in
Kosovo during a peacekeeping mission in January, a military spokesman
said on Tuesday.
The five paratroopers were ordered to take a reduction in rank,
forfeiture of pay, perform extra duty and have their activities
restricted in the decision handed down earlier this month for
incidents that took place in January, said Maj. James Marshall, a
spokesman for the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
Civilians in Vitina, Kosovo, complained that the soldiers had
assaulted and threatened them during interrogations and crowd-control
duties on Jan. 9 and 10. Some women also charged that the soldiers
had touched them inappropriately.
The U.S. military is still investigating two battalion officers
with Task Force Falcon in Kosovo who were on duty during the
incidents in question, Marshall said.
LENTA GRADUALE RIPRESA DEL TRAFFICO AEREO SULLA JUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA'S JAT EYES EU SLOTS AFTER AIR BAN GOES
BELGRADE, March 22, 2000 (Reuters)
Yugoslavian flag carrier Jugoslovenski Aerotransport (JAT) said
on Tuesday its first flights in the European Union would be to
Germany after the 15-nation bloc suspended an air ban.
"A day after the EU decision on suspending the flight ban is
published in their Official Journal, JAT will resume flights to
Duesseldorf," the head of JAT, Zika Petrovic, told reporters.
The Yugoslav airline will also soon start flights to France,
Italy and the Netherlands, Petrovic said. Initially, JAT will fly
three times a week to Paris, Vienna, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and London
and twice a week to Berlin, Duesseldorf, Milan, Copenhagen,
Stockholm-Goeteborg and Athens-Thessaloniki.
The first foreign carrier due to land in Belgrade on Wednesday
at 1045 GMT is the Greek carrier Olympic Airways. It will be followed
by Swissair, scheduled to arrive at 1310 GMT, the head of Belgrade's
international airport, Ljubomir Acimovic, said.
British Airways and Alitalia are expected to resume services to
Belgrade in early April, he added.
EU foreign ministers decided on Monday to lift a ban on air
links with Yugoslavia but the bloc also agreed to tighten financial
sanctions to increase pressure on President Slobodan Milosevic.
JAT's Petrovic said the airline had suffered losses of $300
million due to the flight ban imposed in September 1998 and after the
NATO defense alliance's air campaign last year grounded flights for
several months.
SWISSAIR RENEWS FLIGHTS TO BELGRADE
BELGRADE, March 22, 2000 (BETA)
'Swissair' is the first air transporter to renew flights to FRY
after the last year's bombing. Flights to Belgrade will be renewed on
Wednesday, after a one-year long pause.
The decision of European Union to lift the air-traffic ban on
Serbia will last till August 18th, since the agreement on the matter
was achieved on February 28th.
-------------------------------------------------------------
LA NATO CONFERMA ALL'ONU DI AVER USATO ARMI NUCLEARI
(URANIO IMPOVERITO) CONTRO LA JUGOSLAVIA
UNEP/UNCHS News Release. For information only. Not an official
record.
Jointly issued by UNEP/UNCHS
NATO CONFIRMS TO THE UNITED NATIONS, USE OF
DEPLETED URANIUM DURING THE KOSOVO CONFLICT
GENEVA, 21 March 2000 - The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) has confirmed to the
United Nations that depleted uranium (DU) was
used during the Kosovo conflict. But, according
to the Joint UNEP/UNCHS Balkans Task Force (BTF)
the information provided is not of sufficient
detail to facilitate an accurate field
assessment of the environmental and human health
consequences of its us
at the present time.
The new information on DU was sent to the United
Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan from NATO
Secretary-General, Lord Robertson and states:
"DU rounds were used whenever the A-10 engaged
armour during Operation Allied Force.
Therefore, it was used throughout Kosovo during
approximately 100 missions... A total of
approximately 31,000 rounds of DU ammunition
were used in operation Allied Force. The major
focus of these operations was in an area west of
the Pec-Dakovica-Prizren highway; in the area
surrounding Klina; in the area around Prizren;
and in an area to the north of a line joining
Suva Reka and Urosevac. However many missions
using DU also took place outside these areas."
This information was reviewed yesterday by
scientists from the BTF's Desk Assessment Group
on Depleted Uranium - an interagency group that
was established last year as part of the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-led
assessment of the environmental consequences of
the Kosovo conflict. Whilst welcoming the
positive cooperation of NATO, the group, which
includes experts from the World Health
Organization (WHO), the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Department for
Disarmament Affairs (DDA), and the Swedish
Radiation Protection Institute, concluded that
despite the additional information there was
still
insufficient data available on the exact
location of the DU ordnance to comprehensively
carry out an objective and scientifically based
environmental and
human health impact assessment in Kosovo.
The Group emphasized that the new information on
DU should not be a cause of widespread alarm.
However, it also concluded that because of
NATO's confirmation that DU was used, the
recommendations made in their October 1999
report should be followed. The Group's report,
which was based on the then best
available information, a hypothetical scenario
and unverified assumptions, recommends that at
places where contamination has been confirmed,
measures
should be taken to prevent access. Local
authorities and people concerned should be
informed of the possible risks and appropriate
precautionary measures.
The conclusions of the BTF expert group have
been forwarded to the UN Secretary-General and
the heads of other concerned UN agencies, as
well as UNMIK in
Kosovo.
In the report, "The Kosovo Conflict -
Consequences for the Environment and Human
Settlements", the BTF raised the issue of the
consequences to human health and the environment
by the possible use of depleted uranium. The
report recommended that a thorough review of the
health effects of exposure to DU should be
undertaken.
At yesterday's meeting in Geneva, the Desk
Assessment Group was advised that WHO is
preparing a more general, "generic" report on
the health effects of DU. That report should be
available by the middle of May, 2000 and is not
specific to Kosovo. The Royal Society (UK) is
also preparing an independent report on the
DU topic.
The issue of depleted uranium was only one part
of last year's assessment and the BTF's overall
report concluded that the Kosovo conflict did
not cause an environmental catastrophe affecting
the Balkans region as a whole, but that
pollution detected at four environmental "hot
spots" (Pancevo, Kragujevac, Novi Sad and Bor),
is serious and poses a threat to human health.
As part of the second phase of its work, the BTF
is currently preparing detailed environmental
clean-up feasibility studies (for submission to
donors) at the four mentioned sites in Serbia.
The BTF was set-up by Klaus Toepfer, Executive
Director of the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) and UN Centre for Human
Settlements, UNCHS
(Habitat), in May 1999, to assess the
environmental and human settlement consequences
of the Balkans conflict. Under the leadership of
the former Finnish
Environment and Development Cooperation
Minister, Pekka Haavisto, the BTF acted on the
recommendation of an earlier UN mission to the
region that a detailed
assessment of the full extent of the
environmental impact of the conflict be urgently
carried out. The BTF report is available on
the Web at http://www.grid.unep.ch/btf.
For more information, please contact: Tore J.
Brevik, UNEP Spokesman/Director of
Communications and Public Information, P.O. Box
30552, Nairobi, Kenya; tel: (254 2) 623292;
fax: 62-3692; Email: cpiinfo@... or
Robert Bisset, Office of the UNEP Spokesman and
BTF Press Officer in Geneva on: +41-22-917-8598,
Nairobi +254-2-623084, email:
robert.bisset@....
UNEP News Release 00/33
B92 21/3/2000 ----------------------------------------------
IL CRIMINALE DI GUERRA NALETILIC DOPO ANNI ESTRADATO ALL'AIA
Croatia extradites Tuta to The Hague
ZAGREB, Tuesday - Croatia today handed over Bosnian Croat Mladen "Tuta"
Naletilic to the Hague Tribunal. Naletilic has been indicted on charges
of
ethnic cleansing of Muslims in central Bosnia in 1993. Justice Minister
Stepan Ivanisevic handed Naletilic over to a Hague medical team at
Zagreb
airport. The indicted war crimes suspect has twice undergone heart and
lung
surgery in the past few months but the Hague medical team deemed him fit
to
travel and to stand trial. Croatian Foreign Minster Tonino Picula
demanded
that the international court provide special conditions for the
53-year-old
Naletilic.
---------------------------------------------------------------
LA ROMANIA PRESENTA IL CONTO PER I DANNI ECONOMICI SUBITI
LA ROUMANIE A PERDU 100 MILLIONS DE DOLLARS PAR L'OBSTRUCTION DU DANUBE
BUCAREST, Roumanie, le 20 mars 2000 (Globe Boston)
La Roumanie a perdu $100 millions de revenus et est forcée de licencier
la
plupart des employés de la navigation à cause de l'obstruction soutenue
du
fleuve le DANUBE, selon les dires du premier ministre pour qui '' le
nettoyage du Danube est un problème d'importance extrême pour la
Roumanie''.
Les dires de Mugur Isarescu ont été cités par l'agence d'informations
privée
Mediafax. Le fleuve est bloqué depuis que l'OTAN a détruit des ponts
dans
Novi Sad pendant son 78e jour de bombardement de la Yougoslavie teminé
en
juin 1999.
Isarescu a été cité à Bruxelles où il est venu présenter la stratégie
économique de son pays à l'Union Européenne. La Roumanie veut être un
membre
de l'UE. Il est possible qu'Isarescu demandera une aide financière pour
nettoyer les effets des deux fuites chimiques récentes provenant des
mines
roumaines et qui ont pollué les rivières majeures gauches du fleuve en
Europe de l'Est. Isarescu a dit que les agences maritimes ont perdu
$100
millions et que les quatre-cinquièmes des employés dans le transport
industriel ont été lienciés en raison de l'obstruction. Il a aussi dit
que
la crise de la rivière mettait en danger "les chances" de la Roumanie de
privatiser sa flotte.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
KOSOVO- RUSSO SPENA (PRC): "VIAGGIO FASSINO PER FAVORIRE INDIPENDENZA DI
PRISTINA DA BELGRADO?"
Il sen.Giovanni Russo Spena del Partito della Rifondazione Comunista ha
presentato una interrogazione urgente al Presidente del Consiglio per
sapere i veri scopi della imminente missione diplomatica del Ministro
del Commercio estero Fassino in Kosovo. Nell'interrogazione si chiede:
" Se corrisponde a verità che scopo di questa missione sia l'apertura di
un ufficio dell'ICE (Istituto per il commercio estero) nella città
kossovara di Pristina. In caso di risposta affermativa si chiede di
sapere se tale ufficio è da considerarsi una succursale della sede
centrale presente in Jugoslavia a Belgrado o se si tratta invece di un
ufficio autonomo. Non sfuggendo infatti la gravità politica di questa
seconda ipotesi , che vedrebbe l'Italia contribuire attivamente alla
secessione del Kosovo ed alla sua indipendenza, si chiede un immediato
chiarimento da parte del governo sulla imminente missione del Ministro
Fassino"
Roma 20 Marzo 2000
--------------------------------------------------------------------
LE TRUPPE SPECIALI BRITANNICHE SONO GIA' IN MONTENEGRO
PER PREPARARE IL CONFLITTO
Sunday Telegraph March 19 2000 EUROPE
SAS is ordered to guard Britons in Montenegro
SAS troops have moved into Montenegro as western fears
grow about the possible disintegration of what remains of
Yugoslavia, writes Tom Walker.
The elite unit is preparing contingency plans for the removal
of British nationals, and is learning the lie of the land in case
there is a confrontation between forces loyal to pro-western
President Milo Djukanovic and Slobodan Milosevic, his
adversary in Belgrade.
Civil war in Montenegro, Serbia's tiny sister state in the
Yugoslav federation, would almost certainly involve the West.
Djukanovic has been told not to provoke the Yugoslav
president. However, Madeleine Albright, the American
secretary of state, has warned Belgrade that Nato would
back Djukanovic in any showdown.
As Britain and America prepare the largest naval exercise
since Nato's air strikes against the former Yugoslavia last
year, Milosevic has tightened the economic blockade around
Montenegro. The action is apparently intended to discourage
Djukanovic from going for independence.
Military sources said it was "entirely natural" in such
circumstances that the SAS would be relaying intelligence
back to Britain. They added that four SAS officers entered
Montenegro two weeks ago.
One diplomat said the sabre-rattling in the Mediterranean and
the Adriatic, along with the SAS presence in Montenegro,
showed that western governments favoured pre-emptive
action to avoid another conflict in the Balkans.
REUTERS 18/3/2000 ---------------------------------------------
SCONFINAMENTO DI SETTE SOLDATI CECHI DAL KOSMET
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/20000319/t Sunday, March 19, 2000
7 Peacekeepers Held for Hours by Serb Police From Reuters
PRISTINA, Yugoslavia--Serbian police detained seven Czech
peacekeeping soldiers for more than eight hours Saturday when they
crossed from the Kosovo border, the NATO-led KFOR peace force said.
The Czechs, in an armored vehicle, were stopped about 10
a.m. and were released after nightfall, a KFOR spokesman said.
Another KFOR spokesman initially said four Czech soldiers
had been arrested.
News of the arrests was given by Lt. Col. Henning
Philipp, who said the patrol had lost its way and inadvertently crossed
the demarcation line. Kosovo is a province of Serbia, the dominant
Yugoslav republic.
The patrol members were detained near the village of
Merdare, close to the main road north from Pristina, the provincial
capital, Serbian sources in the area said. "The KFOR
patrol was patrolling along the boundary to Serbia proper on the
northeastern part of Kosovo, lost its way, inadvertently crossed the
boundary and was stopped by local police," Philipp said.
He said the mountainous terrain made it easy to get lost.
Peacekeepers patrol the demarcation line between Kosovo
and the rest of Serbia to prevent the return of Serbian forces who
withdrew last June after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 78-day
air war.
AP 18/3/2000, REUTERS 17/3/2000 -------------------------------
PROTESTE ANTI-NATO IN GRECIA
Anti-NATO Protest in Greece
The Associated Press
Saturday, March 18, 2000; 6:12 p.m. EST
THESSALONIKI, Greece –– About 300 people chanting "Clinton Killer"
rallied Saturday against NATO plans to land 2,000 troops in this
northern port city on their way to Kosovo for a military exercise.
The protests, backed by Greece's small but defiant Communist Party, were
expected to swell Sunday, when 1,100 U.S. troops and about 900 from
Argentina, The Netherlands, Poland and Romania were scheduled to arrive.
The soldiers are to travel overland to neighboring Macedonia and into
Kosovo to take part in the exercise, nicknamed Dynamic Response 2000.
"This invasion by American ... marines is a provocation for the Greek
people," Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga said.
The Communists led rowdy rallies across Greece last year, during NATO's
78-day bombing of Yugoslavia. They also held protests during President
Clinton's visit to Athens in November.
Although Greece is a NATO member, many Greeks condemned the bombing,
appearing suspicious of the motives of the U.S.-led intervention and
sympathizing with the fellow Orthodox Serbs.
More anti-NATO protests were planned in Athens and other cities for next
week to mark the anniversary of the start of the bombing. The
demonstrations could place renewed pressure on Greece's Socialist
government ahead of general elections April 9.
http://www.centraleurope.com/news.php3?id=143451
Greek Communists Call For Anti-NATO Demonstrations
ATHENS, Mar 17, 2000 -- (Reuters) Greece's Communist
Party (KKE) leader on Thursday called on left-wing
groups to demonstrate against NATO forces passing
through northern Greece this weekend ahead of a
military exercise in Kosovo.
Speaking at a rally ahead of general elections on
April 9, KKE General-Secretary Aleka Papariga also
called for Greek troops serving in Kosovo as part of
NATO's peacekeeping force to be recalled.
She said the Greek troops had become "occupying forces
engaged in ethnic cleansing against the Serbs".
Papariga called for demonstrations against U.S.
Marines when they pass through the northern Greek port
city of Thessaloniki en route to the military exercise
in the Yugoslav province.
A Greek defense ministry official told Reuters the
NATO military exercise, between March 19 and April 10,
was planned more than a year ago. It was likely to
involve about 1,600 troops from a number of NATO
countries, including an estimated 1,200 Americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------
ANCORA INDISCREZIONI SUL PROGETTO DI ATTENTATO A MILOSEVIC
Crown forces hone skills "with a bomb... " perfected in Ireland
How the SAS was going to assassinate Milosevic
By Paul Lashmar
17 March 2000
British security agents plotted to assassinate Yugoslavia's President,
Slobodan Milosevic, in the early Nineties using an SAS hit squad, the
intelligence historian Stephen Dorrill claims.
Mr Dorrill says that a secret MI6 file explored three options in which
the Serbian leader could be killed during the Bosnian war. His book
quotes
claims by a former MI6 officer, who worked in the Balkans in the early
Nineties, that an ambitious colleague who was responsible for developing
and
targeting operations in the Balkans had produced the file.
"It was approximately two pages long, and had a yellow card attached to
it which signified that it was an accountable document rather than a
draft
proposal," the unnamed source claims. "It was entitled 'The need to
assassinate President Milosevic of Serbia', and was distributed to
senior MI6 officers, including the head of Balkan operations, the
controller of
East European operations, the security officer responsible for eastern
European operations and the service's SAS liaison officer.
"The targeting officer justified the assassinating of Milosevic on the
grounds that the 'Butcher of Belgrade' was supplying weapons to
[Radovan] Karadzic, who was wanted for war crimes, including genocide,"
says the
source.
Mr Dorrill claims in his book that United States and French intelligence
agencies were considering assassinating Karadzic. Three scenarios were
suggested by MI6. The first was to train a Serbian paramilitary
opposition group to carry out the attack. This, the targeting officer
argued, had
the advantage of deniability but the disadvantage that control of the
operation would be difficult and the chance of success low.
The second plan was to use the small cell of SAS/SBS personnel which
conducts operations exclusively for MI6 and MI5. This team would kill Mr
Milosevic with a bomb or sniper's bullet. The targeting officer thought
that this
would be the most reliable option, but would be impossible to deny if it
went
wrong.
The third plot was to kill Mr Milosevic in a staged road accident. In
the end, no action was taken by MI6.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/World/Europe/2000-03/sas170300.shtml
IWPR --------------------------------------------------------
NONOSTANTE TUTTE LE PRESSIONI OCCIDENTALI I MUSULMANI
DEL SANGIACCATO RESTANO FAUTORI DELL'UNITA' JUGOSLAVA
THE SANDZAK DILEMMA
Sandzak's future looks grim whatever the outcome of the escalating
conflict
between Serbia and Montenegro.
By Miroslav Filipovic in Novi Pazar
[...]
Rasim Ljajic, the second most powerful Muslim politician in the region,
says
war would be disastrous for Sandzak, " It will lead to the
disintegration of
Yugoslavia and the partition of Sandzak. The war will be waged here and
the
experiences of civil and religious conflict in former Yugoslavia have
been
terrible so far."
For the time being, though, Muslim leaders are urging their
250,000-strong
community to stay. Sulejman Ugljanin, a prominent Sandzak political
figure,
says relations between local Montenegrins, Albanians, Serbs and Muslims
remain calm despite attempts by leaders in Belgrade and Podgorica to
stoke
tensions. [as you will see later the only people trying to stoke
tensions
are Djukanovic's men!]
"The residents of Sandzak should stay together with their families,
neighbours and fellow citizens to demonstrate their solidarity and
allegiance to Sandzak, " he said
Sandzak's geographic location could hardly be more precarious.
Internally
divided, it also borders Kosovo, Albania and Bosnia - and has been
affected
by all the recent Yugoslav wars. [it is also the missing link that would
connect all the US puppets in the region!] [...]
The latest wave of refugees are fleeing new conflict brewing in southern
Sandzak. It is widely believed that Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic
may send his paramilitary units to the region. His Montenegrin
counterpart
and rival, Milo Djukanovic, meanwhile, is creating his own security
forces, made up mainly of Muslims from the area
[!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!].
[...] Tensions are greatest here. The Yugoslav Army and the Montenegrin
police occupy two neighbouring hotels in the town. An uneasy stand-off
exists.
"Once incident could spark a war in Montenegro, " said one Rozaje
resident.
Local leader Harum Hadzic said residents " are expecting war, but hoping
for peace."
But Muslims in the region fear Sandzak will be partitioned whether the
two Yugoslav republics part company by force or by peaceful means.
For this reason they are anxious to preserve the Yugoslav federation. So
much so that despite their identification with Bosnia, they disapprove
of
Sarajevo's backing for Montenegrin independence.
One of Sandjak's main spiritual leaders, Mufti Muamer Effendi Zukorilic,
insists no patriotic Muslims could support the secession of Montenegro.
"It's unacceptable for us," he said. [...]
Being ruled by two quarrelsome states leads to severe practical
problems.
Recently, for instance, Montenegrin police prevented Muslim clerics from
attending a meeting in Novi Pazar, in the Serbian part of Sandzak.
Faced with the real prospect of being caught up in a new war between the
Serbia and Montenegro, some Sandzak Muslims are frantically trying to
defuse
the tensions in the hope of not only averting a war but preventing the
further disintegration of Yugoslavia. Others though have lost hope.
The immediate impact is clear. The bus operator in Novi Pazar says
tickets
for the buses bound for international destinations have been sold out in
advance for the next three weeks [seeing as most of Yugoslavia is
jittery
about war this isn't such a big thing...].
Miroslav Filipovic is a correspondent for Danas in Kraljevo.
(from stopnato@... )
LA REPUBBLICA 18/3/2000 -----------------------------------
KOUCHNER BECCHINO DELLA MULTIETNICITA' DEL KOSOVO
Kosovo: Kouchner (Onu): "Oggi riconciliazione impossibile"
PARIGI - L'amministratore dell'Onu in Kosovo, Bernard Kouchner, ritiene
che
"l'opzione multietnica sia impossibile" in Kosovo. "Oggi - ammette
Kouchner
in un'intervista pubblicata dal giornale comunista L'Humanité" - la
riconciliazione è assolutamente impossibile". "La questione - dice
Kouchner
- è sapere se bisogna separare la popolazione per proteggerla o se
bisogna
metterla insieme senza poterla proteggere. E' una domanda, questa che
pongo, politicamente non corretta". "La risoluzione 1244 dell'Onu -
aggiunge - non contiene la parola multietnia. Si tratta di un'opzione
impossibile in Kosovo". Bisogna arrivare a quella che lo stesso Kouchner
definisce "coesistenza pacifica", una condizione che necessita la
"garanzia
di sicurezza delle popolazioni". Secondo l'amministratore dell'Onu, "i
serbi devono sapere che la Kfor (la forza internazionale) e la Minuk
(Missione delle Nazioni unite) non li cacceranno dalla parte nord del
Kosovo". E "quanto agli albanesi, bisogna dire loro ciò che
diventeranno.
Lo statuto del Kosovo deve essere più chiaro". Il Kosovo "è un problema
politico - afferma Kouchner - non un problema di ricostruzione". "Chi è
così folle - conclude - da aver pensato che in otto mesi si sarebbe
potuto
realizzare ciò che in Irlanda non sono riusciti a fare in 30 anni?".
====================================================================
NOTA DEL CRJ:
Le nostre selezioni di notizie non pretendono di informare
esaurientemente su tutti gli aspetti della problematica
jugoslava e balcanica, che e' vastissima, ma solamente di gettare
luce su alcune sfaccettature che non vengono trattate adeguatamente,
ne' potrebbero esserlo, dalla pubblicistica guerrafondaia attiva nel
nostro paese come in tutto l'Occidente.
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--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
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------------------------------------------------------------
COME SE NON LO SAPESSE
Una cartella piena zeppa di documentazione sui crimini commessi nella
provincia jugoslava di Kosovo e Metohija dal giorno della entrata delle
truppe KFOR e' stata consegnata al Pontefice Giovanni Paolo II da
Massimo Todisco, direttore dell'Osservatorio di Milano, all'inizio di
questo mese. Tra la documentazione il Pontefice puo' trovare anche
materiali relativi alla demolizione sistematica delle chiese cristiane,
alcune delle quali di epoca tardomedioevale, su quel territorio, e sulle
violenze commesse contro i religiosi e le religiose nei giorni della
ritirata dell'Armata Jugoslava e dell'ingresso congiunto di truppe NATO
ed UCK.
Dopo quasi un mese, ancora si attende una qualche reazione da parte
dell'interessato.
(Fonte: Tanjug 10/3/2000)
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
Una cartella piena zeppa di documentazione sui crimini commessi nella
provincia jugoslava di Kosovo e Metohija dal giorno della entrata delle
truppe KFOR e' stata consegnata al Pontefice Giovanni Paolo II da
Massimo Todisco, direttore dell'Osservatorio di Milano, all'inizio di
questo mese. Tra la documentazione il Pontefice puo' trovare anche
materiali relativi alla demolizione sistematica delle chiese cristiane,
alcune delle quali di epoca tardomedioevale, su quel territorio, e sulle
violenze commesse contro i religiosi e le religiose nei giorni della
ritirata dell'Armata Jugoslava e dell'ingresso congiunto di truppe NATO
ed UCK.
Dopo quasi un mese, ancora si attende una qualche reazione da parte
dell'interessato.
(Fonte: Tanjug 10/3/2000)
--------- COORDINAMENTO ROMANO PER LA JUGOSLAVIA -----------
RIMSKI SAVEZ ZA JUGOSLAVIJU
e-mail: crj@... - URL: http://marx2001.org/crj
http://www.egroups.com/group/crj-mailinglist/
------------------------------------------------------------
