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Kosovo Serbs still targets of NATO fire
1) February 25: Kosovo Serbs Caught in Crossfire from Three Points
2) Fine marzo: Arresti di serbi e di albanesi kosovari
3) 5 aprile: Scritte intimidatorie ed aggressioni contro i serbi-kosovari
4) April 5: Remains of Serbs murdered in Kosovo handed over
5) 10 avril: Nouvelles tensions à Mitrovica
6) 12 maggio: Bruciano i boschi in Metochia
7) May 23: Homes of Serb returnees set on fire
8) Forming of the Kosovo government's Administrative Office for the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica is a provocation
9) NATO Fires On Serb Protesters, Four Injured
10) Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Konuzin warns about "Greater Albania" project
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Source of most texts in English language is the Stop NATO e-mail list.
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Kosovo Serbs Caught in Crossfire from Three Points
75% reject the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo
By Pyotr Iskenderov
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Global Research, February 25, 2012 |
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The debates over Serbia's bid for the status of a EU candidate, which are due to open in Brussels in March, will likely provoke a new round of destabilization in the Serbian districts of the province. The February 14-15 referendum in four Serbian communities in northern Kosovo confirmed the obvious: their populations continue to overwhelmingly reject the Albanian ethnic rule. A total of 99.74% of those who attended the poll in which the turnout reached 75% replied “No” to the question whether they accepted the institutions of the so-called Republic of Kosovo headquartered in Pristina. The official Belgrade was clearly allergic to the initiative spinning off in northern Kosovo as president B. Tadic charged that the referendum organized by the leaders of the Serbian municipalities of Kosovo was harming both Serbia and the Serbian communities in the province. No doubt, Belgrade's already permanent pressure on the Kosovo Serbs will peak if the EU Council which is so far divided over Serbia's aspirations manages to hammer out a compromise and Belgrade is allowed to buy the official EU candidate status at the cost of new concessions on Kosovo. According to Kosovo Serbian leader Marko Jaksic, the unprecedented turnout at the northern Kosovo referendum meant that the Serbs defied Belgrade's call to refrain from getting involved. ”The people felt that not showing up would have been a form of betrayal”, explained Jaksic who also stressed that for Tadic the vote came as a political slap in the face for acknowledging an ever-widening array of Kosovo statehood attributes like passports, driver licenses, college transcripts, etc. and that the Kosovo Serbs who cast the ballots made it clear how they felt about Tadic's increasingly connecting to Pristina. Kosovska Mitrovica mayor Krstimir Pantic expressed the same view when he said that, given the outcome of the referendum, those at the helm in Belgrade along with the Kosovo Albanians and the international community have to realize with utmost clarity the extent of the determination across the Serbian community of northern Kosovo not to bow to Pristina. “We are defending Serbia in Kosovo”, said Pantic. The geopolitical implications of the referendum in northern Kosovo may prove far-reaching. One gets a distinct impression that the Kosovo Serbs are in the process of switching to a completely independent role in the Balkan politics, challenging Pristina, Brussels or, if necessary, Belgrade. The recent referendum was not the first Serbian attempt to place their resistance to Albanian separatism into a legislative framework. In May, 2008, three months since the unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence, north Kosovo Serbs voted in favor of establishing the Assembly of the Community of Municipalities of the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija based on the constitution of Serbia. Until some time ago, the Assembly had been politically supported by Belgrade. The parameters of the situation began to drift in the fall of 2011 when the Kosovo Serbs resorted to force to prevent the agreements, which Belgrade and Pristina sealed without taking their position into account, from being put into practice, while the European Commission dished out the first ever more or less positive assessment of Serbia's application for the EU membership. When the December EU summit shifted its further review to March, 2012,Belgrade was left to face the dilemma of choosing between some sort of an urgent accord with Pristina or a collapse of its plan to sneak into the EU. Moreover, Germany, which, as a relatively healthy economy, emerged as an informal leader of the crisis-ridden Europe, demanded that Serbia not only drop its objections to Kosovo's participation in international forums under its own flag but also assist the Albanian administration of the province in erasing all forms of Serbian self-government in the northern part of Kosovo. Judging by the scarce information displayed, at the moment Belgrade remains undecided over the de fact ultimatum issued by Brussels and Berlin, and there are indications that cracks appeared in Serbia's ruling coalition over handling the problem. In the run-up to the referendum KFOR commander Gen. Erhard Drews bluntly warned in an interview to Focus that Albanian nationalists would possibly be led to target the Serbian minorities in isolated enclaves outside of northern Kosovo in response but, seriously speaking, no radicals in the province would dare to commit outrageous acts unless blessed by the EU and NATO. The latter may be the reason why Kosovo Albanian top commentator Adrian Collaku slammed the Pristina administration as “impotent”, saying that "this referendum reconfirms for the umpteenth time that Kosovo cannot establish control over all its territory". The paradox, therefore, is that the biggest threat to the Serbian statehood in Kosovo currently emanates from Belgrade and the Kosovo Serbs locked in the Belgrade-Pristina-Brussels geopolitical triangle can only rely on themselves. A somewhat predictable twist in Serbian politics was observed just days ago when, in a clear attempt to blackmail the EU, the first deputy premier and internal affairs minister of Serbia Ivica Dacic took to citing Russia in the context of the republic's Eurointegration hopes. The point made by the Serbian official was that Europe would make a huge mistake if it turns down the Serbian bid for a candidate status next March since under the scenario “it would be normal to expect that a political faction directed more toward Russia would come into power”. The statement unequivocally signals a sense of crisis within the ruling coalition. It should be borne in mind considering Tadic's standing that in 2008 the West lent him a hand to derail the formation of a patriotic coalition in Serbia, but these days much more pressing problems can push Serbian affairs to a fairly low line on the EU and NATO agendas. Symptomatically, a fresh statement released by Lithuanian foreign ministry spokeswoman Margarita Butkiene contained a biting remark that Belgrade failed to comply in full with any of the preconditions set forth by the December EU summit, though up to date Lithuania, in contrast to Germany, Austria, or Finland, was not seen in the camp opposing the admission of Serbia to the EU. Overall, Belgrade with its current geopolitical course increasingly steers Serbia into dire straits, and chances are that in the next elections Serbian voters would deliver to the poling booths immensely soberer views on how to shape the future of their own statehood. |
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ARRESTI IN KOSOVO
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www.glassrbije.orgCoper: Belgrado e Pristina sono responsabili
30. 03. 2012. - Reagendo agli arresti in Kosovo, il mediatore europeo nelle trattative tra Belgrado e Pristina Robert Coper ha invitato entrambe le parti a dimostrare responsabilità, ed ha avvertito che i probemi politici non possono essere risolti con gli arresti. L’Unione europea si augura che entrambe le parti adempieranno agli obblighi assunti nel corso delle trattative. L’Unione europea ritiene che i problemi politici devono essere risolti con dialogo e negozi e non con le azioni che hanno leggi come pretesto, ha valutato Coper. Il suo comunicato è stato diffuso dopo il recente arresto di un gruppo di serbi in Kosovo. Le autorità kosovare li hanno acusati di aver messo a repentaglio la sicurezza nella regione. In seguito al valico amministrativo Konculj sono stati arrestati due albanesi kosovari. Il Ministro dell’Interno della Serbia Ivica Dacic ha detto che loro sono accusati di traffico di stupefacienti e di spionaggio.
Dacic: I serbi arrestati in Kosovo devono essere liberati
30. 03. 2012. - Il vice premier e il Ministro dell’Interno della Serbia Ivica Dacic ha dichiarato che saranno continuate le pressioni sulla comunità internazionale, affinché siano liberati due serbi che sono stati arrestati in Kosovo. Dacic ha ripetuto che ognuno che non rispetterà l’ordine guridico della Serbia sarà arrestato. I serbi che sono stati arrestati in Kosovo non hanno commesso nessun reato. Il loro arresto ha aperto una brutta pagina della storia, nella quale ognuno ha la paura di poter essere arrestato, ha detto Dacic. Egli ha criticato la comunità internazionale, perché nessuno dei suoi rappresentante ha reagito quando ai serbi arrestati è stato imposto il fermo. Dall’altra parte, quando sono stati arrestati due albanesi contro i quali sono stati spiccati mandati di cattura, l’intera comunità internazionale e le organizzazioni non governative hanno reagito subito, ha dichiarato Ivica Dacic.
Le parole offensive e la scritta UCK sulla chiesa serba
05. 04. 2012. - Le parole offensive e la scritta UCK sono state scritte sulla chiesa dei Santi apostoli Pietro e Paolo nel villaggio Brod nel comune di Strpce, nel Kosovo meridionale, ha riportato la radio serba KIM di Caglavica. Non si sa quando queste parole sono state scritte, perché la popolazione serba ha abbandonato il villaggio molto tempo fa. I serbi visitano la chiesa soltanto in occasione delle importanti festività religiose. Nell’anno passato, alla vigilia dela festa della chiesa il 12 luglio, è stata ricostruita la fontana che si trovava nel cortile. Alcuni giorni dopo gli albanesi l’hanno distrutta, ha riportato la radio serba KIM di Caglavica.
Cvetkovic chiede che subito siano avviate le indagini
05. 04. 2012. - Il premier serbo Mirko Cvetkovic ha inviato una nota di protesta all’alto rappresentante dell’Unione europea per la politica estera e la sicurezza Catherine Asthon e i capi dell’Unmik e l’Eulex Farid Zarif e Xavier de Marnack, perché la delegazione dell’esecutivo serbo è stata aggredita in pieno centro a Pristina. Cvetkovic ha chiesto ai capi delle missioni internazionali in Kosovo di avviare subito le indagini che scopriranno i colpevoli e accerteranno i motivi dell’aggressione. Il premier serbo ha sottolineato che quell’attacco è un altro tentativo degli estremisti albanei di incutere timore nella popolazione serba, bloccare il dialogo tra Belgrado e Pristina e impedire l’implementazione degli accordi che sono stati raggiunti finora. Nel comunicato dell’esecutivo serbo è stato precisato che un gruppo di estremisti albanesi ieri pomeriggio in pieno centro a Pristina ha gettato sassi contro due automobili nei quali si trovavano membri della delegazione serba, uno dei quali è stato ferito. La delegazione serba è arrivata in Kosovo per discutere la realizzazione degli accordi che sono stati ottenuti durante le trattative che si conducono a Bruxelles.
Gracanica: un gruppo di albanesi ha aggredito i serbi
05. 04. 2012. - Il comandante della stazione della polizia serba a Gracanica in Kosovo Bratislav Trajkovic ha confermato che nel centro di Gracanica ieri si sono scontrati due gruppi di tifosi serbi e albanesi. Le camere a circuito chiuso che si trovano in tutta Gracanica hanno registrato che un gruppo di albanesi è sceso dal pullman che si è fermato a causa dell’incidente, dopo di che ha aggredito un gruppo di serbi, ha precisato Trajkovic. La polizia ha fermato il pullman nel vicino villaggio di Ajvalija. Tutti i tifosi albanesi sono però scappati. Due tifosi che sono stati fermati dalla polizia sono stati rilasciati presto in libertà. Le fonti serbe hanno comunicato che nello scontro due serbi sono stati feriti e che oggi pomeriggio sono stati rilasciati dall’ospedale di Gracanica nel quale sono stati ricoverati.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=04&dd=05&nav_id=79627Tanjug News Agency - April 5, 2012
Remains of Serbs murdered in Kosovo handed over
MERDARE: The remains of four Serbs, kidnapped and murdered in 1999 by ethnic Albanian terrorists, have been handed over to their families on Thursday.
The handover took place at Merdare, on the administrative line between Kosovo and central Serbia.
The identities of the victims were determined through DNA analyses.
The families said that their loved ones would be laid to rest tomorrow in towns in central Serbia.
According to current data of the Serbian government, more than 2,000 Serbs, Montenegrins and other non-Albanians have either been kidnapped or are listed as otherwise missing in Kosovo and Metohija.
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B92
Kosovo : nouvelles tensions à Mitrovica
Traduit par Jacqueline Dérens
Mise en ligne : mardi 10 avril 2012
Dimanche, un attentat qui a coûté la vie à un Albanais, lundi, plusieurs centaines de Serbes qui se sont rassemblés dans le quartier des Trois Tours pour empêcher l’érection d’un poste de la police du Kosovo (KPS), la situation se tend dangereusement à Mitrovica.
Lundi 9 avril après midi des policiers de la police du Kosovo ont transporté trois postes mobiles de police de la partie sud de la ville, peuplée majoritairement d’Albanais pour les mettre devant chacune des tours et y mettre des fonctionnaires de la police du Kosovo.
Les policiers de la KPS ont réussi à ériger un seul poste avant que des habitants arrivent et fassent voler les vitres en éclats. Les deux autres postes ont été ramenés au sud de la ville.
Alors que des Serbes se rassemblaient au nord de la ville, les Albanais faisaient de même au sud dans la direction du village de Suvi Do où un Serbe avait été attaqué et blessé la nuit précédente.
Selon l’agence de presse Beta, la situation était tendue mais aucun incident grave n’était à déplorer. Vers 14 heures, heure locale, les habitants rassemblés des deux côtés de la ville ont commencé à se disperser sans incident.
La veille, un Albanais avait été tué et deux de ses enfants blessés par l’explosion d’une bombe placée devant les fenêtres de leur appartement par des inconnus. En représailles, semble-t-il, une Serbe de 66 ans a été attaqué quelques heures plus tard par trois individus non identifiés.
Samuel Zogbar, le représentant de l’Union européenne (UE) au Kosovo, a lancé un appel au calme alors qu’Eulex, la Kfor, et la KPS examinaient les lieux de l’attentat.
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da
www.glassrbije.orgBruciano i boschi in Metochia
12. 05. 2012. - Da due giorni ormai un grande incendio sta devastando i boschi serbi nei pressi del borgo Osojane, nel comune Istok. Finora sono andati distrutti, secondo la valutazione degli abitanti, 150 ettari di bosco, e la fiamma ha raggiunto anche alcuni frutteti e case nei dintorni, recando gravi danni. Servizio di Vukomir Petric.
Gli abitanti del borgo sono convinti che l’incendio sia doloso, perché, evidenziano, hanno visto un gruppo di albanesi passare di lì poco prima dell’incendio. Mihailo Smigic, che ha perso 20 ettari di bosco, la casa e il frutteto, fa sapere di aver riconosciuto e anche parlato con alcuni dei piromani. “Non c’è dubbio che sia un opera degli albanesi, li ho visti. Vivo a Osojane come rimpatriato, avevo intenzione di tornare nella mia casa, ma mi hanno distrutto tutto. Ho chiamato subito la polizia e i vigili del fuco, però sono arrivati in ritardo e non è rimasto più niente. Sono convinto che questo sia un messaggio che non devo tornare sulla mia tenuta, distante solo un paio di chilometri dal centro di Osojane, ma io non voglio lasciare il Kosovo e Metochia”, è deciso Smigic. Solo un paio di anni fa il grande complesso di boschi di Osojane è bruciato completamente nell’incendio.
Il comandante della Polizia kosovara per la regione Istok, Hasan Ceku, ha confermato che il caso è stato denunciato e che la polizia ha le informazioni sugli autori. Lui ha fatto sapere che l’inchiesta è in corso.
La rapina di bestiame, macchinari e altro, la distruzione della semina e dei boschi, negli ultimi anno sono i problemi più gravi dei serbi in Metochia. L’agricoltura, grazie all’aiuto del governo serbo, si è sviluppata molto ed è diventata il pilastro principale della sopravvivenza dei serbi nella provincia meridionale, ma qualcuno sta provando a riportare le cose com’erano prima, quando i serbi dipendevano esclusivamente dalle donazioni e si poneva la questione della loro sopravvivenza. Anche oggi, soprattutto dopo gli incendi dolosi e le rapine, molti si domandano se i serbi avranno mai una vita tranquilla e pacifica nella provincia, ma evidenziano, allo stesso tempo, che rimarranno nei loro focolari.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/crimes-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=05&dd=23&nav_id=80394Tanjug News Agency - May 23, 2012
Kosovo: Homes of Serb returnees set on fire
PEČ: Two houses belonging to Serb returnees were burnt down in the village of Drenovac in Kosovo and Metohija, late on Tuesday.
The village is located south of the Ibar River, where Serbs live in isolated enclaves.
Nenad Stašić, who lives in the village, told Tanjug news agency that around midnight fire damaged the houses of Milovan Radosavljević and Arso Stepić, but that no one was inside at that time.
Firefighters arrived around 01:00, but the fire had already destroyed Radosavljević's house, whereas the second home was damaged to a lesser degree, he said.
Stašić also said that Serb returnees from the village believe that the houses were set on fire "in order to send a clear message to Serbs that they do not belong in Metohija".
"Last week it was agreed that another 12 houses for Kosovo Serb returnees will be built. This is the message for those people as well that they are not welcome here," the villager said.
Last year, first seven Serb families returned to Drenovac, five of which live in the village permanently.
Kosovo police (KPS) was expected to send "special units to the scene", according to Tanjug. Their role would be to conduct an investigation and determine the cause of the fire.
Ministry for Kosovo condemns attacks on Serbs
The Ministry for Kosovo condemned on Wednesday the burning of the homes of Serb returnees in the village of Drenovac in Kosovo and called on EULEX to find the perpetrators.
"We call on all relevant international factors in the province to use their authority to compel the so-called Priština institutions and Kosovo Albanian officials to truly ensure the safety of Kosovo Serbs south of the Ibar, instead of pompously announcing their plan for northern Kosovo, and suppress Albanian extremism instead of encouraging it," says the release.
The ministry notes it has warned representatives of the international community on several occasions about the constant attacks and the difficult position of Serb returnees in Kosovo, and about the deteriorating situation in Klina in particular.
"The ministry is calling on KFOR to strengthen its presence in returnee villages near Klina and protect Serb lives and property from Albanian extremists. The burning of houses in the village of Drenovac, and other unresolved attacks on returnees reflect Pristina's position and treatment of Serb returnees and IDPs," says the release.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=05&dd=24&nav_id=80412Beta News Agency - May 24, 2012
New provocation from Priština, state secretary says
PRIŠTINA: Forming of the Kosovo government's Administrative Office for the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica is a provocation, Oliver Ivanović has stated.
“There will not be some special reaction from the Serbian government, especially not in this situation, besides condemnation and qualification of the act as a flagrant provocation that is not aimed at calming down the situation but at upsetting the Serbian population and creating a situation in which incidents will be possible,” he said.
The Serbian Ministry for Kosovo state secretary stressed that the Serbs would not accept such offices and that their founding was an attempt to change the situation in the field ahead of the dialogue which is “more than certain”.
“Such offices will not be accepted by Serbs because they have their local self-government which is functioning solidly. The self-government has its flaws, this could of course be better, but some local self-government imposed by Priština or some international circles certainly will not improve the situation,” Ivanović explained.
According to him, the forming of the office cannot change the position of northern Kosovo Serbs or the position of the future Serbian government in the negotiations with Priština.
The Kosovo government decided on Wednesday to form the Administrative Office for northern Kosovska Mitrovica that will provide service to citizens and coordinate investments in this part of Kosovo.
The Office will include seven directorates and have 55 employees.
Serbs are the majority population in the north and reject both the authority of the government in Priština, and the unilateral declaration of independence made by ethnic Albanians in early 2008.
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Kosovo: NATO Fires On Serb Protesters
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http://en.rian.ru/world/20120601/173790147.htmlRussian Information Agency Novosti - June 1, 2012
Four Injured as Kosovo Serbs Clash with NATO TroopsMoscow: Three Serbs and one KFOR soldier were injured in clashes in northern Kosovo on Friday.
According to Serbia’s RTS TV channel, the three Serbs were injured when KFOR troops fired rubber bullets. One Serb has been hospitalized in serious condition. Local authorities said there was reason to believe KFOR troops had fired live bullets.
Hundreds of Serbs clashed with KFOR troops in armoured vehicles near a barricade outside the town of Zvecan in a Serb-dominated northern area of Kosovo, pelting them with stones.
Kosovo’s ethnic Serb enclave in the north of Kosovo barricaded the main roads after the authorities in Pristina installed customs officers at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings with Serbia. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign country.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=80536B92/Beta News Agency/Tanjug News Agency - June 1, 2012
Serbs clash with KFOR in northern Kosovo
ZVEČAN: KFOR troops removed all barricades near Zvečan, including the concrete barricade in the village of Dudin Krš on Friday.
At least three persons were injured when northern Kosovo Serbs clashed with KFOR at the barricade in the village of Rudare.
KFOR troops threw teargas at Serbs who were trying to get to the barricade in the village of Dudin Krš.
KFOR helicopters are flying over the area and a KFOR transporter is parked at a bridge in Malo Rudare.
Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvečan local self-government representatives Krstmir Pantić and Dragiša Milović were among the large number of citizens who gathered at the scene.
Pantić told B92 that he was worried about the fact that KFOR troops were using live ammunition and that there was a large number of injured Serbs.
“We have managed to transport three young men to the Kosovska Mitrovica Health Center in an ambulance, however, another three young men who are injured are left behind KFOR lines and they do not allow the ambulance to get to the scene and help the injured,” he said.
Other injured people were treated at the scene.
According to him, KFOR started shooting at Serbs without any reason or warning.
He said that there were around 1,000 people near the barricade and that KFOR would start shooting as soon as they saw someone approaching the barricade.
“They even ignored UNMIK representatives’ warning to allow ambulance to go through,” Pantić explained.
Beta news agency has learnt that three injured men were admitted to the Kosovska Mitrovica hospital. One of them was discharged after he had received the medical help.
KFOR Spokesman Uwe Nowitzki told Tanjug that one of their soldiers was wounded during today's operation of removing the barricade near Rudare.
“The soldier was evacuated and his condition is stable,” Nowitzki said.
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“We will not let the situation to further escalate and we will use adequate force if needed,” the KFOR spokesman concluded.
The citizens announced earlier on Friday that they would prevent KFOR from removing the barricades.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=80542B92/Beta News Agency - June 1, 2012
President, PM hold emergency meeting on Kosovo
BELGRADE: Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolić, outgoing Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and several ministers held an emergency meeting on incidents in Kosovo on Friday.
Beta news agency has learned that Defense Minister Dragan Šutanovac, Justice Minister Snežana Malović and Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović attended the meeting with the president and the PM.
They left the Serbian Presidency headquarters a little after 12:30 CET but did not give any statements to the media.
KFOR started removing barricades near Zvečan on Friday morning. At least three Serbs and one KFOR soldier were injured in the incident that broke out.
The NATO troops removed the barricades in the villages of Rudare and Dudin Krš and blocked all roads leading to the barricades.
The roadblocks were put up by the citizens after last year's attempt by the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština to take over two administrative checkpoints in the north.
Serbs are the majority population north of the Ibar River and reject the authority of the government in Priština, as well as the unilateral declaration of independence made over four years ago by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=80541Tanjug News Agency - June 1, 2012
Minister urges KFOR to refrain from violenceBELGRADE: Serbia's Minister for Kosovo Goran Bogdanović called on KFOR on Friday to refrain from using force.
He also urged KFOR to adhere strictly to its mandate and on the Serbs to stay calm and ignore provocations.
Commenting on an incident near Rudare, northern Kosovo, where there was gunfire and four people were injured, Bogdanović appealed to all sides to refrain from violence.
"It is very important to reduce tension as soon as possible, normalize the situation and solve all problems through dialogue, and not force," he told Tanjug.
“Right now, everyone has to understand that the situation is very volatile,” Bogdanović stressed.
"That is why I call on KFOR, but also on the Serbs in the north, to keep in mind that fact and for each side to show maximum restraint when it comes to taking risky actions. Any escalation of conflict can lead us into a spiral of violence with unimaginable consequences," the minister concluded.
John Robles
There are reports in the Serbian press and other press that US KFOR troops have opened fire on unarmed Serbs in Northern Kosovo and there are wounded.
The reports are as follows and are being sent to me by my Serbian sources, apparently US KFOR attempted to remove a barricade on a bridge and opened fire on Serb protestors. According to reports by the local Serbian KIM Radio inured civilians are being taken to Kosovska Mitrovica Hospital
According to Reuters at least five Kosovo Serbs and one NATO soldier were wounded in the armed clashes which occurred after NATO (KFOR) forces tried to remove road barricades.
NATO forces fired tear gas and opened fire on Serbian protesters, however, it is not clear if these were just warning shots. There are hundreds of Serbs gathered at the barricades in near Zvecan where the Serbs are the majority.
According to a report in Serbian media a NATO spokesperson in Kosovo, Uwe Nowitzki stated that "If needed KFOR will respond defensively."
A more detailed report transmitted by the Serbian daily Kurir states that all of the roadblocks that lead to Zvecan including the large concrete barricade in Dudino are in rubble and were removed by KFOR this morning. According to the people gathered in Dudino Karst, KFOR used heavy machinery to remove the barricades. Kosovo Serbs have also set up a concrete barricade on the road to the southern Kosovo Mitrovica to prevent the passage of special units of the Kosovo police, The infamous "Rosa" SWAT units.
The Serbian Daily Kurir reports that the Zvecan situation remains extremely tense and that there are a large number of citizens on the bridge that leads to the barricades in Rudare. KFOR is on the other side of the bridge and has set up barbed wire and heavy equipment is not allowing citizens across the bridge. The whole village of Rudare is under a lockdown and citizens are afraid to leave their homes and helicopters constantly fly over the area and drop "infrared bait" to block possible missile attacks from the ground.
12:42 – KIM Radio cites the Director of the Kosovska Mitrovica Hospital, Milan Jakovljevic, as saying that injured Serbs from Zvecan are still being brought to the hospital. Some have been released and at least 3 are undergoing treatment.
12:40 - Negotiations are currently underway between American KFOR officers and the mayors of Zvecan and Zubin Potok reports KiM radio.
12:12 - The commander of the police station in Gracanica, Bratislav Trajkovic told KIM Radio that the situation in his part of Kosovo is currently calm.
12:08 - The Government of Kosovo has promised to release a statement sometime today regarding the developments in Northern Kosovo but has so far not done so.
12:03 - Kosovo Interior Minister Bajram Rexhepi does not want to comment on developments in the north. KIM Radio said briefly that the information should be sought from KFOR.
11:57 - KFOR broke through the barricade in Malom Rudaru and continued advancing toward the barricade in Velikom Rudaru reports Beta.
11:56 – The Minister for Kosovo and Metohija Goran Bogdanovic called on KFOR to refrain from the use of force and strictly adheres to and operate within its mandate, and asked the Serbs to remain calm and not to fall for provocations.
11:38 - KFOR spokesperson Uwe Nowicki confirmed to Tanjug that during the action of removing the barricades around Rudaru (Miners) one KFOR soldier was injured.
10:49 - An American KFOR officer talked to the mayor of Zvecan, Dragisa Milovic and of Zubin Potok, Slavisa Ristic, and the hospital director Milena Cvetkovic after which the mayors appealed to citizens not to throw stones, because otherwise KFOR would open fire. State Secretary for Kosovo and Metohija Oliver Ivanovic said he did not understand what started the current KFOR action reports (B92).
10:27 - KFOR used tear gas on Serbs gathered around the barricades in place Dudin Kres, KIM Radio has learned.
10:25 - Three injured Serbs from Zvecan were taken to Kosovska Mitrovica Hospital with one of them in serious condition. One has a bullet wound in the thigh and is undergoing surgery KIM Radioreports citing the Head of the Hospital, Milan Jakovljevic.
10:17 - KFOR announced that this morning began an operation to remove the roadblocks in the vicinity of Malo and Veliki Rudaru with the aim of improving freedom of movement. "From 8:40 pm KFOR conducted an operation to remove the roadblocks in the vicinity of the Rudarus. This activity aims to encourage free movement, not only for KFOR, but also international organizations and all citizens of Kosovo", said a statement submitted to KIM Radio by KFOR.
10:14 - KFOR helicopters are constantly flying over the area above the conflict, and at the end of the bridge to the village of Rudaru a transporter is blocking the road. On the Zvecan side of the bridge a large number of citizens have were gathered along with representatives of the local government in Kosovska Mitrovica and Zvecan, Krstimir Pantic and Dragisa Milovic.
Members of American KFOR did not allow injured to be taken to the emergency room of Kosovska Mitrovica according to reports. Witnesses, the media and Mayor Milović said KFOR Lieutenant Joseph Lynch did not allow the passage of injured to the emergency room or the passing of local government representatives.
09:56 – A KIM Radio reporter said he saw injured being taken away from the scene by car. Other sources say that at least three people were admitted to the hospital in Kosovska Mitrovica.
09:41 – KFOR has placed a roadblock on the bridge between Zvecan and Rudaru.
09:25 - Armoured machinery of KFOR removes a concrete barricade on the bridge in Rudaru. Prior to removing the roadblocks tear gas was fired at about 500 citizens gathered around the bridge reports a KiM radio reporter from the scene who also said they used rubber bullets and live ammunition.
09:10 - The incident began when the KFOR soldiers attempted to remove the barricade near Rudaru and Zvecan.
Reports from independent (VOR) sources, local media, Serbian KIM Radio, and Reuters were used in this report.
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http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=80545Beta News Agency - June 1, 2012
KFOR operation “aimed at pressuring Nikolić”
BELGRADE: Faculty of Political Sciences professor Predrag Simić says KFOR’s operation in northern Kosovo is aimed at exerting pressure on President Tomislav Nikolić.
He said that the Friday operation was “absolutely connected” with Nikolić’s oath-taking.
According to him, the KFOR operation “represents some sort of pressure that should determine Nikolić and the future Serbian government’s bad starting position”.
“I think this is a baptism of fire of the new president but also a message from Belgrade that things have gone too far and that the new president and the government, once it has been formed, will have to start dealing with Kosovo where the situation will be significantly different than the one which was left by the previous government and the previous president,” Simić told Beta news agency.
He assessed that tensions had been rising since the election campaign started in Serbia, adding that the situation culminated today.
“It depends on Belgrade how the situation will develop. KFOR and Priština have made their moves and let us hope that the new president and the future government are ready for the challenges, like they claimed in their campaigns,“ Simić concluded.
Four northern Kosovo Serbs were wounded in clashes with KFOR on Friday, after KFOR troops started removing barricades near Zvečan.
Nikolić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and several ministers held an emergency meeting over the latest incidents in Kosovo on Friday.
=== 10 ===
http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2012&mm=06&dd=01&nav_id=80549Beta News Agency/Tanjug News Agency - June 1, 2012
Russian envoy warns about "Greater Albania" projectBELGRADE: Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Konuzin says his country is concerned about the existence of a project to establish a so-called Greater Albania.
"It's a very dangerous project for the entire Southeastern Europe region, and it would represent a precedent," the top Russian diplomat in Serbia said late on Thursday, adding that his country will "strongly oppose attempts to form a Greater Albania."
Taking part in a panel discussion in Belgrade dedicated to Russo-Serbian relations, Konuzin noted that Russia supported all reconciliation efforts of the peoples of the former Yugoslavia, noting that Serbia has been conducting a balanced policy in that respect.
The ambassador stressed that Russia was also a firm supporter of the positions held by Serbs in the Serb Republic (RS), in Bosnia, and noted that Russia was one of the signatories of the Dayton Peace Accords "which it was not satisfied with, but which must be respected".
"The goal of the so-called Butmir Process is to form a centralized state out of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We have nothing against that, but only if all peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbs included, agree to it," Konuzin said, underlining that "international law must be respected".
Speaking about the relations between Serbia and Russia, the diplomat noted that they reached a high level, and that regardless of the composition of a future government in Belgrade, that cannot change.
He ruled out the possibility that a government could take over in Serbia that would have a negative influence on the ties between the two countries.
Konuzin also revealed that Russia supported Serbia as a militarily neutral country, "and statements from Belgrade on that subject".
As for Kosovo, Russia will support any Serbian policy toward the province, he stated.
Commenting on the February referendum in northern Kosovo - when local Serbs near unanimously rejected the ethnic Albanian authorities in Priština - the ambassador quoted Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's statement that "the position of the Serbs who live in Kosovo must not be ignored".
Focusing on economic issues, Konuzin noted that trade between Serbia and Russia reached USD 3.5bn last year, and that effort should be made to make that trade "even more intensive - until it returns to the pre-economic crisis level of over USD 4bn".
"I expect that works on the Serbian part of the South Stream pipeline will begin late next year, and we're also considering building a new heating plant in Pančevo, and possibly in Belgrade and Niš and well," he noted.
He further stressed that Russia was very interested in the development of infrastructure in Serbia, especially in the energy sector, but also in building a modern railroad system, adding that this also applied to all other former Yugoslav republics.
"The money is there, we have the funds - help yourselves! But, projects are needed for that," said Konuzin, and added that he was puzzled that it took "so much time" for Serbia to come up with its projects.
The ambassador explained that the money to fund most Serbian projects would be transferred in the fall, and that he on Monday handed over a harmonized draft agreement on this subject to the Serbian government.
"If Serbia has an interest in building nuclear power plants here, we will help you with that as well," the diplomat said, adding that the same applied to new hydro power plants in Serbia.
Finally, Konuzin touched on the nature of the relations between the two nations, saying that Russia was close to many other countries with which it shared its culture, religion and script - but that it nurtured "closest, even intimate ties" only with Serbia.
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