MILS NEWS 06/05/96

From: "M.I.L.S." <[email protected]>

Macedonian Information Liaison Service Directory

CONTENTS

MILS NEWS

Skopje, 06 May 1996

[01] CLASHES IN KOSOVO AND THE BALKANS WILL CONTINUE

[02] SUROI - 'START OF THE KOSOVO INTIFADA'

'I expect that we will have that new cycle during this year. It will determine the so-called 'low level conflict', which would not inevitably lead to a war, but will keep the tension in the region, not only in Kosovo, but wider,' stated Suroi.

[03] SOLANA AND BILDT PREOCCUPIED WITH KOSOVO

'Makpress' agency reported the information from 'Royter' that Solana had promised Berisha to inform the NATO member countries of the recent events in Kosovo.

In the meantime, Carl Bildt, after his visit to Kosovo, said he was worried about the situation there, as it would influence not only Bosnia, but also the future stability of the whole region, including Serbia, informed 'Nova Makedonija'. He promised to send his Special Envoy, the German Ambassador Martin Linc, to Kosovo.

[04] SERIOUS CONCERN FOR KOSOVO

[05] RUGOVA ASKS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL PROTECTORATE OF KOSOVO

Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo Fehmi Agani, in an interview for the Macedonian weekly 'Puls' stated that any kind of an autonomy of Kosovo within Serbian borders was out of question. The only solution possible, he said, would be a greater autonomy within FR Yugoslav borders, similar to the one of Montenegro.

'Puls' also reads that a press conference of the 'Human Rights Committee' President Adem Demachi is expected to take place today.

[06] BERISHA - 'SERBIAN EXTREMISTS TO BLAME FOR THE INCIDENTS IN KOSOVO'

Meanwhile, 'Makpress' reported the information of Radio Tirana that the USA had been helping Kosovo since 1993 through the NGO called 'Mercy International'. As alleged, the USA had sent to Kosovo a humanitarian aid of more than $20 million to date.

[07] SESELJ - A GOVERNOR OF KOSOVO?

[08] NO CHANGES AT THE NORTHERN BORDER

The paper continued that those incidents and their eventual rising into an armed conflict could directly reflect in Macedonia, in a form of a bigger migration. It also reminded of the evaluations of the Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov that the clashes in Kosovo would inevitably bring to a new Balkan war.

Today's issue of 'Dnevnik' cites the statement Macedonian Defense Minister Blagoj Hanjiski gave for the local paper in Albanian 'Flaka e Velazerimit', regarding the mandate of the peace keeping forces in Macedonia: 'We think they should remain here until a qualitative solution for Kosovo within FR Yugoslav borders is found, as well as until Balkan countries strengthen their mutual trust, which would guarantee permanent solutions in the field of defense and security.'

[09] NATO DELEGATION IN MACEDONIA

During the meetings of the delegation with the highest Macedonian officials, Macedonian programme for cooperation in the frames of the 'Partnership for Peace' Initiative will be discussed. This programme is expected be approved in June this year.

[10] PROVOKING A RUSSIAPHOBIA TO COME CLOSER TO NATO

[11] GLIGOROV - 'NO NEW ASSOCIATIONS ON THE TERRITORY OF FORMER YUGOSLAVIA'

Regarding the relations with Greece, Gligorov said he would not like to jump into conclusions regarding the negotiations in New York, but he emphasized that Macedonian government could not give up the name of its country - Macedonia.

Gligorov also stressed the policy of Macedonia towards the minorities as a proof that the ethnic groups could not and must not be integrated by a pressure, but by a dialogue and tolerance. He stated the majority of ethnic Albanians treated Macedonia as their fatherland, and there were very little separatists among them. The President showed no readiness for a compromise about the 'Tetovo university', by saying that ' the institution was planned and established by separatists and is illegal'.

Gligorov also expressed his worry about the latest incidents in Kosovo, estimating that it could provoke a great Balkan war. He said the only peaceful solution would be to have direct negotiations between the Kosovo Albanians and the Belgrade authorities.

[12] MEETING OF BALKAN VETERANS ORGANISATIONS IN LUXEMBOURG

MILS SUPPLEMENT

[13] 'Vision of Hell and of Burnt Land'

('Nasa Borba', Belgrade)

A military uprising of the Kosovo Albanians was announced as 'a very possible' several times during the dissolution of former Yugoslavia. The disbanding of the territorial defense units of Kosovo in 1989, however, made it obvious that the eventual uprising could be limited only to a guerrilla war.

And it could hardly bring to some significant effects, due to the characteristic flat configuration of the ground. The Yugoslav National Army (YNA), that was performing military actions in Kosovo beginning from 1981, had a very detailed operating plan, which included: action for quick isolation of rebellion places, bases and areas; interruption of the eventual supplying lines from Albania; severe vengeance measures; punishing the Albanian rebellion movement, etc.

The actions of the YNA, that were to take place eventually, would have followed the 'burnt land' model, and there is not a single thing to show that it had changed in the meantime.

Currently, strong forces of the Yugoslav Army (YA) are covering Kosovo. The Third Nish Army units are the land forces of an operational-strategic level, and the operational forces are grouped in the Pristine Corps.

These Corps are one of the YA most powerful ones, and are made of highly mobile brigades. Their imperative is to break and disorganize the Albanian uprising at the very first interval of the eventual armed conflict with strong initial actions, lots of fire and movement, as well as to give the YA headquarters enough time to evaluate the character, the dimensions and the intentions of the rebellion. Accordingly, the following steps anticipated are the strengthening of the already present forces with units from the inland of Serbia and Montenegro, which would be preceded by a mobilization and a concentration of the forces at those regions.

The Pristine Corps consist of the following basic units: an armored brigade, two motorized brigades, an artillery- missile regiment, and an antitank artillery-missile brigade.

The back up troops would arrive from three directions. The Nish units and Leskovac Corps would strengthen the units in Gjakovica, Prizren, Uroshevac and Gnjilane; the Kraguevac Corps would act alongside the Ibar Ravine, from Kosovo Mitrovica through Vuchitrn towards Pristine and due south; the Podgorica and Uzice Corps (as a part of the second Army) would be grouped at the Pestar Plateau to cut the road communication from western Kosovo to Novi Pazar, and to further act towards Pec and Kosovo Mitrovica in the Metohija Plain.

The operations of the land Serbian-Montenegrin forces would be joined by a demonstration of force, and then by military actions of the air forces. The air military base of Pristine bases its forces on a regiment of fighter planes 'Mig-21', that would perform their assault actions as a support to the land forces. The other air forces which would also be included would be: the Nish military air forces (the transport brigade of the 63rd parachute brigade and the 'Gamma' helicopters squadron), the Kralevo air forces ('Eagle' squadron, 'Gamma' squadron and 'G-4' assault squadron), and, eventually, airplanes from the Podgorica airport, which would act from the reserve runway near Berane, located at the north-eastern part of Montenegro.

In case the Albanian rebellion is of a smaller intensity and at isolated regions, the engaging of the Serbian Internal Affairs Ministry special forces would be of a priority. The other forces included would also be: the local police ones (that have antiaircraft guns 'Beffers' and 'Prague' at their disposal, as well as machine guns, mortars and armored vehicles); the YA Special Corps (consisting of the Topchider guard motorized brigade, the 63rd parachute brigade and the Panchevo 72nd sabotage brigade); the military police units; and the protection regiment of the Pristine Corps.

According to the Defense Law, the operational commander of these forces would be General Dushan Samardzic, the commander of the south-eastern battlefield of the YA, and the operations would be strategically led by the Supreme Military Council, from the military bunker near Belgrade.

There are no proofs that the Albanians in Kosovo have many weapons, except for the light arms they have obtained illegally (either from foreign countries or from the police- army forces, the latter of which provoked great affairs in public), and probably light antiaircraft and antitank weapons.

An intensive resistance of Kosovo Albanians near the border with the Republic of Albania is expected. They would be probably supported by Albania, but this country's armed forces would not be able to help, unless an international military intervention against Serbia and Montenegro takes place.

Taking into account the numerous population of Kosovo and the great hatred between the ethnic groups there, it is certain that any kind of armed clashes in this province would bring to great civil sufferings and to a great number of desperate refugees. The reservists and volunteers from Serbia and Montenegro, as it happened in 1991-1992, would be hard to be controlled and they would hardly respect the laws of the war.

On the other hand, a war in Kosovo would make a foreign intervention very possible, and could provoke an all- against-all war in the Balkans.

(end)

mils news 06 May, 1996