The New York Times

Tuesday, November 23, 1999

Clinton Urges Forgiveness in Kosovo

By The Associated Press

UROSEVAC, Yugoslavia (AP) -- In a plea met with scant applause and silent stares, President Clinton told ethnic Albanians in Kosovo Tuesday that ``you must try'' to forgive Serb neighbors and stop punishing them for the terror campaign of Slobodan Milosevic.

``The time for fighting has passed,'' Clinton said. ``Teach your children that life is more than the terrible things that are done. It is how you react to them.''

Guarded by armed troops and tanks, Clinton ended a 10-day European tour by sweeping into war-torn Kosovo to urge reconciliation instead of revenge and to give a Thanksgiving boost to U.S. peacekeeping forces.

American aircraft shared runways with Russian helicopters at the jointly controlled Pristina airport, patrolled by guard dogs and soldiers armed with automatic rifles.

Clinton flew over snow-covered fields and homes with fire-blackened windows, signs of the destruction caused by Yugoslav President Milosevic's forces until they were expelled by 78 days of NATO air attacks.

Orthodox Christian Bishop Artemije, a leader of Kosovo's dwindling Serb minority, complained to Clinton about reprisals.

``He said that freedom has not been returned for the Serbs, that there still continue to be Serbs being killed, continue to be Serbs being kidnapped,'' National Security Adviser Sandy Berger said. ``Eighty churches have been destroyed.''

Accompanied by his daughter, Chelsea, Clinton went to Camp Bondsteel, the sprawling firebase that is home for most of the 6,000 U.S. troops in Kosovo. Smiling and shaking hands, Chelsea got at least as much attention as her father. The Clintons stayed for a Thanksgiving dinner; Chelsea had a vegetarian plate while the president feasted on a drumstick, stuffing and sweet potatoes.

The president addressed the troops in a huge tent, telling them that racial, ethnic and religious hatred is ``the number one problem in this whole world today.'' Looking out at hundreds of Americans of different races, Clinton said they were models of cooperation and tolerance for Kosovars, particularly the children.

``Even if they don't speak our language, even if they never met any African-Americans or Hispanics before, even if they don't know any Asians before, they can see,'' Clinton said. ``They have eyes. They'll get it.''

He said ``the power of your example will show them that they do not have to be trapped in the pattern ... of slaughter'' that has crippled Balkan nations.

Six months after the air war stopped Milosevic, abuses against ethnic Albanians have been replaced with revenge attacks against the remaining Serbian minority. Berger said 50,000 to 100,000 Serbs have fled Kosovo, while an equal number remain.

Clinton spoke in Urosevac at a community sports center, a drab building where several hundred people greeted him with cries of ``Victory, victory!'' Children chanted ``Clinton, Clinton!'' as they jumped up and down in excitement.

``You can never forget the injustice that was done to you,'' Clinton told the audience. He paused as his comment was translated, and the words were met with applause.

``No one can force you to forgive what was done to you,'' the president said. Again, the audience applauded.

``But you must try,'' he continued. This time, there was a subdued response.

``You cheered for us when we came in because when you were being oppressed, we stood by you,'' Clinton said. ``We won the war, but listen: only you can win the peace.''

An 8th-grader, Ramadan Ilazi, introducing Clinton, said, ``You promised that you will bring us to our homes safe. You kept your promise.''

Despite the largely unenthusiastic response, there was some support for Clinton's call for reconciliation. Pranvera Pajaziti, resident of a village called Spring, said, ``I lost my father. I have to forgive and to forget because I like to live in peace, not war.''

Earlier, Clinton received an update from American and United Nations military leaders on the chaotic process of rebuilding Kosovo. He was told the number of homicides in Kosovo dropped to seven last week, and 32 the week before, compared with 114 when U.N. troops took control of the province.

Besides Bishop Artemije, the president also met with ethnic Albanian leader Hashim Thaci, the wartime head of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army, with Ibrahim Rugova, who is considered Kosovo's president by most ethnic Albanians, and others. Berger said Rugova assured Clinton that burned-out Serbian churches would not be destroyed again if they are rebuilt.

NATO launched a U.S.-led air war against Yugoslavia in March, in response to a Milosevic's drive to rid Kosovo of its ethnic Albanian population. Kosovo is a province within Serbia, which in turn is the dominant partner in Milosevic's Yugoslav federation.

Expulsions and killings of ethnic Albanians by Serb forces accelerated after the bombing began, and hundreds of thousands fled into neighboring Macedonia and Albania, only to return after Milosevic surrendered day-to-day control of Kosovo.