Kosova Daily Report #1461, 98-06-15

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From: Kosova Information Center <http://www.kosova.com/>

Kosova Information Center
KOSOVA DAILY REPORT #1461
Prishtina, 15 June 1998

CONTENTS

[01] President Rugova Returns Home after European Trip

[02] NATO Carries Out Air Exercise over Kosova Borders

[03] Two Rahovec Villages Attacked by Serb Forces Sunday

[04] Serb Forces Shell Gjakova Villages Sunday Afternoon and Overnight

[05] Three De^an Villages Being Shelled by Serb Forces Today

[06] Serbs Plant Landmines in the Fields of Gjakova Villages

[07] Displaced Residents from Shtime Find Shelter in Lipjan and Ferizaj

[08] Serb Police Shoot Indiscriminately on Albanian Houses in Gllogovc Village

[09] Serbian Police Prevents Catholics from Observing Mass in Gjakova

[10] Albanians Tortured in Serb Police Hands, under Alleged U^K Involvement Charges

[11] Serb Police Beat and Plunder Albanians in Mitrovica

[01] President Rugova Returns Home after European Trip

Rugova met in London Friday with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. Also in London, he met with German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel on Saturday.

On Saturday, President Ibrahim Rugova of Kosova met with President Jacques Chirac of France.

Late last month, the Kosova leader met in the White House with U.S. President Bill Clinton.

The top level meetings Dr. Rugova has had with Western leaders to discuss Kosova underline the kind of attention the Kosova issue has been receiving as well as the standing of President Rugova.

[02] NATO Carries Out Air Exercise over Kosova Borders

Eighty-four NATO warplanes from 13 of the alliance's 16 nations took part, leaving from air bases in Italy, Greece, France, Germany, Britain and the USS Wasp in the Adriatic Sea.

Only Iceland and Luxembourg, which have no air forces, and Canada, which could not deploy planes to Europe so speedily, did not participate, reports said.

The one-day "flying exercise" was to show NATO resolve "not allow a repeat of the situation of 1991 in Bosnia,", as the Alliance's Secretary-General Javier Solana said in a speech.

"This is a demonstration of ability of all these countries to try to end the violence in Kosovo," Captain Steve Burnett, Southern Commander, NATO, Naples, said early afternoon today, when the operation code-named Determined Falcon was over.

"This was a tremendous success", he said, adding that it was 2"really unbelievable how we were able to bring together so many aircraft from so many countries in such a short time to demonstrate resolve in the area", Captain Burnett said.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant-General Michael Short, commander of allied air forces, southern Europe, told reporters weather was excellent throughout the exercise area.

"This is a very vivid demonstration of the ability of NATO to rapidly project power into the region," he added.

EU-Kosova British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said today (Monday) in Cardiff 'FRY' President Milosevic "ought to look very closely at what is happening just over his border and remember that all (NATO) options are open,".

He has got to stop the violence now and get back to the negotiating table", Cook said in Cardiff, where he is attending a European Union summit meeting which brings Britain's six-month presidency of the 15-nation bloc to an end.

Asked whether there would be air strikes on Kosovo or even NATO troops on the ground, he said: "We are prepared for that action."

But Cook said the responsibility for any such intervention would be Milosevic's.

"It will be because President Milosevic ignores the very firm and clear signals hat have been given to him by Europe, by NATO and now by the wider international community,'' he said, news agencies reported.

Russia/Nato Soon after the drill near Kosova began today, Interfax news agency reported that Russia was recalling its top NATO military envoy in protest.

Interfax quoted Russian Defense Ministry sources as saying Lt. Gen.

Viktor Zavarzin, Moscow's top NATO envoy, would be back in the nation's capital by Tuesday - and might possibly meet with Milosevic.

'FRY' President is due for a two-day visit to Moscow to meet with Russian President Boris Yeltsin.

Western diplomatic circles have pinned some hope on the Moscow meeting, giving the Russians and Serbs the benefit of the doubt once more.

Kosovar perspective Observers here in Kosova see the Moscow meeting as an attempt to stave off firm international action on Kosova while Serbian military offensive goes on unabated.

Slobodan Milosevic has been the arch-master of brinkmanship in the past seven years vis-a-vis the international community.

"We will not allow a repeat of Bosnia", the key statement by U.S. President Bill Clinton, duly echoed by the Nato Secretary General Solana, is a hopeful sign the world will not swallow Milosevic's brinkmanship any more either.

Diplomacy worked in Bosnia after NATO stepped in.

All the signs are NATO will have to step in Kosova to make a political solution to the crisis work.

[03] Two Rahovec Villages Attacked by Serb Forces Sunday

Local inhabitants resisted the Serbian attack, after having had women, children and elderly evacuated from their homes, sources said.

There have been no immediate reports on possible casualties.

Serb policemen were reported seen setting houses ablaze at Rakovin&, as well as in the Xhekaj family compound at C&rmjan.

Today morning, at around 9:20 hrs, Serbian police forces backed up by an armored car, an APC and another vehicle, were stationed at a location called Ura e Files near the village of Ho^& e Madhe, a village inhabited by Serbs.

Police have been routinely ill-treating those travelling on the Rahovec- Suharek&-Prizren roadway.

At 11 o'clock today, Serb forces with three tanks and two army armored vehicles have been stationed at Xerx& village.

A Serb tank has been reported heading to the Gradishi hilltop, a position from which Serb forces have been shelling the villages of Gexh&, Mal&si e Vog&l, and Ratkoc on a daily basis.

[04] Serb Forces Shell Gjakova Villages Sunday Afternoon and Overnight

At around 21:30 last night, Serb forces garrisoned at the Kodra e ^abratit near Gjakova as well as Babaj e Bok&s and Pllaniku bases, launched heavy artillery attacks against the villages of Smolic& and Morin&.

Other villages, including Nec, Duzhnje and Botush, adjacent to the border belt were also shelled, sources in the area said.

The echo of artillery and trembling could be heard and felt in the town of Gjakova itself, the local LDK Information Commission said.

Heavy shooting from diverse kinds of weaponry and artillery coming from the border zone villages could be heard until after 23:00 hrs, the Commission said.

Sporadic fire was reported in the area during the whole course of last night and this morning.

Serb/Yugoslav army helicopters flew overhead these villages for several hours today.

Meanwhile, fresh Serb troops have been reported leaving Gjakova, heading for the border zone area.

The town of Gjakova is still sealed off rigorously by heavy Serb police and army forces.

Only slowly has information been trickling out from the villages targeted by Serbs, LDK sources in Gjakova said.

[05] Three De^an Villages Being Shelled by Serb Forces Today

The villages of Voksh, Pob&rxh& and Drenoc came under cannon fire from 4 through 6 o'clock in the morning today, local sources said.

Heavy fighting between Serbian forces and local Albanian defendants occurred from 10:30 through 11:00 today at the village of Prejlep, sources said.

There were no immediate reports on possible casualties.

Heavy 'Yugoslav' military forces were sent in the De^an area around 4 o'clock a.m. today.

They were thought stationed at the De^an Gorge.

A Serb army helicopter took off from Peja ('Pec') in the morning today, flew over De^an and Carrabreg, landing eventually in the army base at Hulaj.

On Sunday afternoon and evening, the villages of Baballoq and Grama^el were shelled by Serbian forces.

In three hours, from 21 through 24 hrs Sunday, Serb forces hit the two villages with 38 shells launched by heavy cannons.

The shelling caused considerable damage, but no casualties, local sources said.

[06] Serbs Plant Landmines in the Fields of Gjakova Villages

The three villages are situated in the suburbs of the town of Gjakova, in the direction of the border villages with Albania.

[07] Displaced Residents from Shtime Find Shelter in Lipjan and Ferizaj

The displaced people, mostly women, children and elderly, seeking safety in Lipjan are from Zborc and Carralev& villages as well as the small town of Shtimje.

Meanwhile, sources from Ferizaj ('Urosevac') said residents from the Shtimje villages reached early afternoon yesterday in the villages of Dremjak, Mollopolc and Jezerc in the municipality of Ferizaj.

The displaced Albanians are in the majority from Carralev&, Belinc& and Ra^ak, but also other villages of Shtimje, who fled in the wake of Serbian military and police attacks, the LDK Information Commission in Ferizaj said.

Those fleeing the dangerous area spoke of Serb attacks in Carralev&, but also the heavy build-up of Serb forces in Shtime.

At least three Albanians were killed yesterday, and a number of others wounded at Carralev&.

Meanwhile, Serb press said today five Serb soldiers and a policeman were wounded yesterday when Albanians "attacked a Yugoslav army convoy" at Carralev&, near Shtime.

[08] Serb Police Shoot Indiscriminately on Albanian Houses in Gllogovc Village

The LDK information Commission in Gllogovc said the villages of Poklek i Vjet&r, Vasilev&, ^ikatov& e Vjet&r, were targeted on repeated occasions during the whole course of yesterday and last evening.

Gunfire was also reported in the Serb police bases in Komoran, on the Prishtina-Peja-Gllogovc intersection.

Late in the afternoon yesterday, Serb policemen on board of convoy driving along Korrotica e Ep&rme village fired indiscriminately on Albanian houses.

[09] Serbian Police Prevents Catholics from Observing Mass in Gjakova

In police checkpoints, Albanians were held up and accused of intending to go to a congregation and "a separatist church".

Father Marjan Lorenci was held for several hours at a police checkpoint at Ura e Tabak&ve in the suburbs of Gjakova. He was harassed and offended, sources said.

"You are a Vatican spy. You are against the Serbian people. This will cost you dearly. We'll kill you all", police shouted at Father Lorenci.

Another cleric, Father Ndue Kajtazi, was turned back at a police checkpoint. He was going to participate in a funeral.

He was told he would not be allowed in Gjakova at all.

Sources from the Kosova Diocese said these are only the latest incidents in a longstanding pattern of policy carried out by the Belgrade regime.

[10] Albanians Tortured in Serb Police Hands, under Alleged U^K Involvement Charges

One of the maltreated Albanians, Agron Kryeziu (22), told LDK office in Prizren the police sprinkled their eyes with an unfamiliar spray, making them all fall unconscious.

Kryeziu said that when they came back to senses, they found themselves inside a private house surrounded by Serb policemen beating them.

Agron Kryeziu said at least a dozen other young Albanians, whom they did not know, were being held captive in that house. Agron Kryeziu and 12 other Albanians were released last evening at around 20:00 hrs.

Kryeziu said a number of other Albanians were not released by then, adding that they were still being maltreated accused with being associated with the Liberation Army of Kosova (U^K).

[11] Serb Police Beat and Plunder Albanians in Mitrovica

Sources in Mitrovica said Aziz Hajra was selling cigarettes when apprehended by the police. While in custody, he was tortured and had 2200 Din and 270 DM seized.

The LDK Information Commission in Mitrovica said that Faruk Spahiu and Adem Beqiri, both LDK activists, were ill-treated brutally by the Serbian police today morning.

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