Note: Place names rendered primarily in Serbian spelling
---------------------------------------------
"The Albanians have said yes to the accords and the Serbs are saying no. At
the same time, Belgrade's security forces are stepping up their unjustified
and aggressive actions in Kosovo and if Belgrade doesn't reverse course,
the Serbs alone will be responsible for the consequences."
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
March 18, 1999 - Washington
"The Serbs continue to move sizeable reinforcements in and around Kosovo...
Over the last three days there have been significant troop movements along
the Albanian border and near Pristina. The numbers of FRY and Serbian
troops now out of barracks and in Kosovo, and the introduction of new
battle tanks, puts Belgrade grossly out of compliance with the obligations
it took last October."
KDOM Daily Update
March 18, 1999
"There should be no doubt that the Serb forces, military and police, and
some irregular paramilitary forces, are continuing fighting at this time,
and they are prepared to resume the conflict on a very large scale should
the peace talks fail to result in an agreement or should they conclude that
for some reason NATO wasn't serious in its expressed intent."
NATO Supreme Commander Wesley Clark
March 17, 1999 - Washington
"If NATO fails to respond adequately to this crisis, NATO's ability to deal
with other crises in the future will be undermined... NATO itself will
suffer badly, as will our own interests in European security suffer."
US Under Secretary for Defense Policy Walter Slocombe
March 17, 1999 - Washington
"This is the second time we've had to run away in the past seven months."
Fatlun Hasani, Kosovo Albanian refugee
Quoted by Reuters, March 18, 1999 - Dubovac, Kosovo
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I. TODAY'S TOP DEVELOPMENTS: ALBANIANS SIGN AGREEMENT, THOUSANDS FLEE
SERBIAN FORCES
Reuters today reported that "the Kosovo Albanians signed an international
peace plan for the Serbian province Thursday but their Yugoslav adversaries
boycotted the event and Russia declined to countersign the historic
document as a witness. In a televised ceremony, four ethnic Albanian
leaders signed an 82-page "Interim Agreement for Peace and SelfGovernment
in Kosovo... Diplomats said the British and French cochairmen of the peace
conference, foreign ministers Hubert Vedrine and Robin Cook were likely to
suspend the talks Friday and give the Serbs until sometime next week,
probably Wednesday, to accept the autonomy accord as it stands. French
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anne GazeauSecret said the mediators would hold
final sessions with the two delegations Friday and announce the future of
the peace process."
Reuters reported "the international community is expected to give
Yugoslavia until next Wednesday to accept [the peace deal].. Diplomatic
sources said the deadline of next Wednesday was selected partly because
Prime Minister Yvgeny Primakov ... would be in Washington that day seeking
urgent financial aid from the IMF. 'That timing should help maximize
pressure on the Serbs,' one source said." A report on CNN's web page noted
that "a source in the Contact Group ... said there was a chance Vedrine and
Cook would go back to Belgrade at the weekend to pressure ... Milosevic...
'This would show we had done everything possible to get an agreement,' the
source said." The Independent (London) reported today that "there is also
speculation that another meeting of the Contact Group will be called. This
could fatally muddy the waters, since Russia would take the opportunity to
oppose any use of force."
Reuters yesterday cited an unnamed NATO official: "If Yugoslavia remained
intransigent ... by Friday, there would be another meeting of the NATO
Council, 'and I do not exclude meetings over the weekend.' " Associated
Press reported that "a British diplomat at the talks said today that
mediators are already making contingency plans for failure of this round.
The plans would involve a European foreign ministry mission to Belgrade ...
to try to sway ... Milosevic. If that fails, top NATO officials might make
the trip ... they would then deliver a clear deadline to Milosevic to agree
or face air strikes."
Reuters reported today that "Serbian forces captured key high ground east
of the Kosovo rebel stronghold of Drenica and civilians fled in the
thousands to escape an expected onslaught, witnesses said Thursday...
Yugoslav army mortar crews were reported digging in at several spots along
the top of the Cicavica mountain Thursday... Having driven the KLA from
most if not all villages on the east side of Cicavica mountain and the
Surdov ridge just to its north, government troops are now perfectly
positioned to sweep west through the rolling hills of Kosovo... UN refugee
officials said Thursday that about 5,000 people had fled nine villages in
the Drenica area over the past 48 hours out of fear that fighting was about
to erupt. Reuters saw ethnic Albanian families fleeing Wednesday, huddled
in tractordrawn wagons under snow lashed by bitter winds."
US Defense Department spokesman Kenneth Bacon said today that Yugoslav
Army forces "have now approximately three battle groups of communication
that is, roads within Kosovo. They have approximately five battle groups
operating along the borders... And they have approximately eight
unauthorized battle groups moving around within Kosovo."
II. ATTACKS DISPLACE MORE CIVILIANS; SERBIAN OFFENSIVE INTENSIFIES
Central Kosovo, Klina/Orahovac/Srbica region: Mercy Corps International
yesterday reported "the movement of at least 5,000 new internally displaced
persons (IDPs) from several villages in the Klina/Kline municipality...
Government forces engaged in shelling and burning of homes over the weekend
forcing many to flee to neighboring [Orahovac district]. At least 20 homes
were burned, livestock were slaughtered and there was evidence of random
looting. Food commodities provided under the Food for Peace program and
others had been either burned or otherwise destroyed (bags slashed open
and foodstuffs spread around)."
Western Kosovo, Djakovica region: Reuters yesterday noted that "Serbian
authorities [today] said 'terrorists' launched at least two attacks on
government security forces west of Djakovica near the border of Albania
early Wednesday. The Yugoslav army announced a 'training exercise' in the
area almost immediately an act that has been a prelude to offensive
military action in recent weeks." Agence France Presse cited OSCE spokesman
Walter Ebenberger saying the exercise would be in an area 8 10 miles west
of Djakovica and quoted a diplomatic source: "It's a zone near the border
where the KLA [Kosovo Liberation Army] has declared a nogo zone."
Independent Radio 21 (Pristina) reported yesterday "heavy Seth forces"
heading for Djakovica. The Serbian Media Center (Pristina) reported
Wednesday an earlymorning attack by KLA forces on a government border post
west of Djakovica, and an ambush on a Serbian police patrol on the
DjakovicaPonosevac road.
Southern Kosovo, Prizren region: Reuters reported yesterday that "six ...
T55 tanks and some 200 government troops launched an operation in the
Korisa area north of Prizren Wednesday, stampeding about 7,000 people from
their homes, the UN said. A Reuters team in the area reported sporadic
shelling throughout the day." Radio 21 reported yesterday that Serbian
forces had scaled off Kabash village, driving civilians out of the village.
Northern Kosovo, Vucitrn region: Reuters reported yesterday that
"sporadic shelling and smallarms fire were again reported Wednesday along
the front that runs west of Vucitrn about 9 miles at the base of Cicavica
mountain." The Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission (KDOM) reported today
that "some localized fighting is reported to have taken place yesterday in
the Podujevo area, near Kosovska Mitrovica, and in the foothills of the
Cicavica mountains. Reports from observers say that the villages of Pantin
and Oshlane, west of Vucitrn, were burning on March 15 and yesterday.
Heavy troop redeployments were reported in that area. The KVM [Kosovo
Verification Mission] also reported major troop movements north of
Pristina." Reuters said Tuesday that "reporters ... northwest of Pristina,
saw the villages of Glavotina, Strovce, and Bencuk in flames."
KDOM reported yesterday that "the Serb offensive against the KLA, which
has been evident over the past 2 weeks, seems now to be gaining momentum...
OSCE/KVM Director William Walker said that Serb forces were escalating
their military activities gradually while keeping a careful eye on Western
reaction. Belgrade seems to be controlling the situation to avoid huge
losses of civilian lives that would leave the West with no option but to
take military action." Reuters reported today that senior Yugoslav army
commander Nebosja Pavkovic said today that "there is no problem for us to
deal with the rest of the terrorists in Kosovo and we shall do so
immediately if our country is attacked either from the distance or on the
ground."
Reuters yesterday cited UNHCR spokesman Fernando del Mundo saying "[that]
Wednesday's movement of 'internally displaced people'...was one of the
heaviest in the yearlong war."
Radio 21 reported yesterday that three Kosovo Albanians brothers from
Zablac villager were found killed under unknown circumstances near Istok
cemetery. Radio 21 noted Tuesday the arrests of 16 civilians in Pandelica
village and four youths all under the age of 17 in Demnjak village.
III. BELGRADE CONTINUES EXPANDING FORCE DEPLOYMENTS IN KOSOVO
The Guardian (London) reported that "NATO sources said [Monday] there are
at least 15,000 Yugoslav Army and 20,000 Serbian police forces in Kosovo --
at least as many as before the pullouts last autumn." US State Department
Kosovo Daily Reports from today, yesterday and Tuesday have each noted
further Serbian troop movements into Kosovo. Defense Department spokesman
Kenneth Bacon said yesterday that "there has been, as I've reported before,
a buildup of Serb forces just outside of Kosovo. And there are probably now
16,00021,000 Serb forces gathered around the perimeter of Kosovo, and with
tanks and APCs... We reckon that there are probably about 14,00018,000
troops in Kosovo now, and as I said, 16,00021,000 on the perimeter of
Kosovo." Bacon noted later in the briefing that the 14,000-18,000 figure
referred to "the so-called VJ," or Yugoslav Army, but did not mention the
number of Serbian Interior Ministry police in Kosovo.
Following a comment by US Senator John Warner today noted at a Senate
Armed Services Committee hearing that the Serbian troop buildup "seems to
me that they are ready for extensive ground operations," US Army General
Dennis Reimer replied. "I think you are correct, Mr. Chairman. We are
watching that very closely."
KDOM reported yesterday that "the FRY is actively reinforcing its
military and police troops with new equipment, including T-72 [also called
M-84 in some international reports] tanks." Agence France Presse reported
Tuesday the tanks had been deployed to Srbica and noted that "this is the
first time since the beginning of the Kosovo conflict a year ago that T-72
tanks -- an updated version of the T-55 have been deployed" in Kosovo.
Reuters yesterday cited KVM monitors saying "that the Srbica movement
indicated preparations for a possible army offensive in that area." Reuters
reported Tuesday that "a train carrying seven T-55 tanks and several
coachloads of Yugoslav army soldiers was observed by monitors passing
through the town of Mitrovica and headed south toward Vucitrn."
The New York Times today reported: "Yugoslav army troops set up
antiaircraft missiles in the mountains northwest of...Pristina, a rebel
leader Suleiman Selimi, said yesterday in his first interview since ... he
was appointed supreme commander of the KLA... Senior officials with the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the missiles could
be the Yugoslav versions heatseeking, Sovietbuilt shortrange missile that
monitors have seen on roads."
Reuters yesterday reported a NATO official "said the alliance believed
the obvious and most likely scenario behind the troop buildup was an
all-out offensive on KLA guerrillas... 'it emerges clearly from the
evidence that [Milosevic] is in a position if he wants to...to initiate a
large-scale offensive operation against the KLA at very short notice.' "
The Guardian (London) reported yesterday that "the Belgrade newsletter VIP
warned this week that the Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic, could be
about to 'launch a fierce crackdown on the KLA, probably with a large
number of civilian casualties, before the arrival of NATO.' "
Radio 21 noted reports that a convoy "consisting of 23 tanks, 27 military
vans, 12 armoured cars, 25 grenade launchers and other vehicles full of
military and paramilitary forces" entered Kosovo yesterday.
IV. CONTACT GROUP REJECTS BELGRADE'S SUGGESTIONS; RUSSIA URGES BELGRADE TO SIGN
Reuters reported today that "at the talks, nine Yugoslav delegates from
non-Albanian ethnic minorities in Kosovo angered the mediators by accusing
them of bias and saying that had fallen for ethnic Albanian propaganda, a
source close to the Serbian delegation said. The main negotiator, US envoy
Christopher Hill, walked out of that meeting and Russia's Boris Mayorsky
said he had never been so severely criticized in his career, the source said."
Reuters reported yesterday that "Serbian and Western sources said
mediators gave the Yugoslav delegates a written reply to their long list of
requested amendments [presented Tuesday] rejecting any substantial change
and saying only technical adjustments could be considered... A Western
source said they were seeking to reopen no fewer than 20 points of
substance in the constitutional and legal arrangements."
US Deputy National Security Adviser James Steinberg said in a press
briefing yesterday that "a peace agreement along the lines that the Kosovar
Albanians have agreed to, is in the interests of all the parties, and we
clearly would like to achieve that... the only changes that will be
acceptable when the agreement is signed is changes agreed to by both of the
parties, so that if the Albanians themselves were prepared to entertain
changes, that that would be acceptable. But there would be no changes
unless the parties themselves agreed to it."
Reuters also noted yesterday that "divisions between the international
mediators were glaringly obvious at a joint news conference. Russia's Boris
Mayorsky distanced himself from his Western colleagues' criticism of the
Serbs, saying: 'It is not for us to distribute responsibilities... One
signature unfortunately does not make an agreement. It takes two to tango.
That is the rule of any dance.' "
Agence France Presse reported yesterday that "a statement from the office
of [Russia's] President Boris Yeltsin said that Foreign Minister had been
asked to 'actively pursue his efforts to reach a political accord on
Kosovo... and block a military settlement. Moscow is counting on Belgrade
to take the most constructive approach in order to achieve a political
agreement,' said the statement." Reports from the region indicate Serbian
state-run television's nightly news program carried the statement today.
Agence France Presse reported today that US Secretary of State Albright
"dispatched her top aide and spokesman James Rubin to Paris...to meet with
[Kosovo Albanian lead negotiator Hashim] Thaqi and personally deliver to
him an invitation for members of his delegation to visit the United
States." Reuters noted a report Tuesday by state news agency Tanjug
(Belgrade) that "Serbian police issued an international arrest warrant on
Tuesday...for the arrest of Hashim Thaqi, head of the ethnic Albanian
delegation at the talks, to the Paris headquarters of the international
police organization Interpol."
Reuters noted Tuesday that the KLA commander of the Llap region, "a
hard-liner named 'Remi,' said in a statement in the [independent Pristina
daily] Koha Ditore newspaper: 'We find it necessary to dissociate ourselves
from this wrong, anti-national policy' "of signing the Rambouillet agreement.
V. WEST STEPS UP FORCE THREATS
Associated Press reported today that "the Pentagon's top military
commanders warned today that there could be US casualties if NATO launches
air strikes against Serb positions... Yugoslavia's air defenses are
sophisticated and heavily defended, General Michael Ryan, US Air Force
chief of staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'There is a
distinct possibility we will lose aircraft in trying to penetrate those
defenses,' Ryan said. 'It is going to be tremendously dangerous,' Marine
Corps Commandant General Charles Krulak agreed. Serbian air defenses 'are
mobile. The terrain is very rough. And the weather cannot be
underestimated. There are some bottom-line questions' that need to be
answered: 'What is the end game? How long will the strike go on? Will our
allies stay with us?" The Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday "a major problem
for NATO is that a substantial number of air defense installations lie in
Montenegro has promised that its air defense would not be used 'against
international aircraft'... But the weapons are largely manned by Serbian
forces... 'No NATO commander can ignore those defenses,' said the unnamed,
highranking US officer. 'If Montenegro is bombed, and Montenegrins are
killed, then Milosevic has a reason to move in, and Djukanovic has serious
problems.' "
Following a briefing by US Secretary of State Albright, US National
Security Advisor Sandy Berger and Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, US
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson said that "I would not support bombing until
I know what step two, three and four would be, and I don't se and answer to
that question at this time... I will oppose action in Kosovo until there's
a clear peace agreement and until we know what the mission is, we know what
is expected of our troops, how many it will take, what it will cost, and
what our timetable will be." Agence France Presse quoted Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott: "We are the people who have to answer to the American
people and we are the people who have to provide the funds. I don't think
we are prepared to do either of those at this time."
The New York Times reported today that "western sources said NATO has
decided on its targets for cruise missiles and air attacks. The first
action, officials said, would be 'message strikes,' targeting control and
command centers. They would be limited and designed to get Belgrade to
quickly back down. If that fails, the attacks will escalate steadily, the
officials said. "The Washington Post noted that "if .. the allies decided
io bomb, they would probably not be ready to take action for at least a
week, according to officials in Brussels. The ... warplanes would not begin
striking until after diplomats had been evacuated from Belgrade ...and...
ceasefire observers had been pulled out of Kosovo." The Chicago Tribune
reported today that the monitors "were on eight hours standby to leave the
country." Agence France Presse today quoted NATO Supreme Commander US
General Wesley Clark when asked how NATO would react if KVM observers were
held hostage: "[Milosevic] could make no greater mistake than to jeopardize
their safety."
Reuters yesterday reported that the US "appears to be steeling its
European allies for action to preempt a 'humanitarian catastrophe' it
believes would be inevitable if current Paris peace talks fail to secure a
settlement. [A NATO official said that] 'NATO and the international
community will have to consider what action we have to take to prevent
failure in Paris from turning into another season of fighting on the
ground... If we don't have a political process in Paris then the situation
on the ground is likely to reflect this very quickly and of course then the
international community will have to act to prevent a return to [an]
all-out chaotic situation.' " US Deputy National Security Adviser Steinberg
noted yesterday that "NATO is...looking at the situation on the ground and
also trying to determine whether and what steps can be taken to make the
peace process go forward. That's our objective...We don't want to try to
short-circuit that process, but we also are...going to watch very carefully
what Milosevic is doing. And we've made it clear that if his aggression
undermines the prospects of peace that we are prepared to act."
The New York Times reported yesterday that "officials in Brussels said
[NATO Secretary General Javier Solana] would only give the go-ahead [for
air strikes] if he decided that there was a broad consensus that the Serbs
were the main obstacle to an agreement and that bombing might get Milosevic
to change his mind." US Under Secretary of State for Defense Walter
Slocombe told the House Armed Services Committee that "as far as the NATO
allies are concerned, there is a broad consensus reflected in the
delegation of authority to Secretary General Solana that I mentioned in the
statement, that if necessary, and it may be necessary quite soon, that NATO
is preparing to use military force."
Reuters today reported "NATO officials said that contrary to some
speculation, there was no divergence between the key European allies and
the United States on the need for robust military action soon... 'The Serbs
may be pinning their hopes to the Russians to keep them from bombing, but
they would be mistaken. The Russians can certainly raise the cost of such
an action for the West, but they can't stop it happening" a NATO diplomat
said."
VI. BELGRADE SHUTS DOWN MORE KOSOVO NEWSPAPER
Reuters noted yesterday that "Serb authorities shut down two ethnic
Albanian publications on Wednesday... The editor-in-chief of Kosova Sot
said he would have to stop printing after Serb police confiscated all
Wednesday's copies from news stands and forbade shops from selling the
paper, which had a circulation of 25-35,000... The bi-weekly Gazeta
Shqitare was also forced off news stands... and charges of not being
properly registered are still pending against Riljinda, a daily."
VII. RACAK REPORT RELEASED
A Finnish forensics team report on the massacre by Serbian forces of
Albanian civilians in Racak was released yesterday. The Washington Post
cited Western officials saying that "leaders of the European Union, which
sponsored the probe...asked the forensic team to withhold some of its most
potentially inflammatory findings...Western officials say the team found
that the angle of the bullet wounds in the victims' bodies was consistent
with a scenario in which some of them were forced to kneel before being
sprayed with gunfire from automatic weapons. This 'spray pattern' finding
is among the sensitive details that officials said may be withheld...
Wounds on the bodies of some other victims evidently suggest they were shot
while running away." The New York Times reported today that "the report
sharply contradicts the official Serbian version on the incident. 'This is
a crime against humanity, yes,' (team leader Helena] Ranta told a news
conference. The Los Angeles Times cited Ranta acknowledging that "the
Finns' more diplomatic approach can be criticized." According to excerpts
published by Associated Press, the report did note that the villagers "were
most likely shot where found... There were no indications of the people
being other than unarmed civilians," but said drawing the conclusion of a "
'massacre'...does not fall within the competence of the EU forensic team."
