.---------------------------------
"As long as Milosevic is present in the political life of Yugoslavia, his pressures on the democratic government in Montenegro will not cease...Milosevic is a politician who belongs to the past." Montenegro's President Milo Djukanovic
Quoted by Reuters, June 9 - Cologne, Germany
"I think he will find a way to stay quite a long period still in charge. I don't think it will be a matter of days. I'm afraid it's a matter of years." Montenegro's Deputy Prime Minister Dragisa Burzan.
Quoted by Reuters, June 7 - London
"Slobodan Milosevic is finished. His political mission is over. The only question is how to organize post-Milosevic Serbia. Milosevic made fatal mistakes. The 10 years of his reign have been fatal. Now we are in a war with the whole world because of him." Opposition Social Democratic party leader Vuk Obradovic.
Quoted by The Daily Telegraph, June 3 - Belgrade
"The fact is that Milosevic, whenever he succumbs under international pressure, tightens the noose and increases repression on the domestic front." Opposition Democratic Party leader Zoran Djindjic
Quoted by Associated Press, June 9 - Podgorica, Montenegro
"It's great that we're going to have peace. But this also means that Milosevic stays. God knows what's going to happen next." Unnamed Serbian analyst
Quoted by the Guardian (London), June 4 - Belgrade
"After Kosovo, we fear it will be our turn to suffer."
Dragan Soc, Montenegro's Minister of Justice
Quoted by The Scotsman (Edinburgh), June 5 - Podgorica, Montenegro
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I. RAMIFICATIONS OF KOSOVO WAR AND SETTLEMENT IN SERBIA
Post-war political battle begins
* Deutsche Presse Agentur reported yesterday that "officially, Belgrade was insisting Thursday that it had won a great victory over NATO... But many other Serbs could only shake their heads in dismay. 'We have defended our state, the people and the international order,' claimed the front-page headline in Politika, a pro-government newspaper. The withdrawal of all Serb forces from the southern province of Kosovo at the end of 11 weeks of NATO air strikes marked, in Politika's view, 'a victory for the policy of peace' of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. State media have not told the Yugoslav public that the final agreement was negotiated between Yugoslav officers and NATO commanders. Instead the NATO delegation has been termed 'U.N. representatives' in reports in the Belgrade media. Nor has the substance of the withdrawal agreement been published in Belgrade."
* The Christian Science Monitor noted June 7 that "although there are no clear signs how long he will last, analysts say the Yugoslav president is likely to stay in power by portraying the peace deal with NATO as a victory. It's the same thing he did with wars in Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia. 'From what I've seen in the past 10 years, people will think that we won the war,' says a political analyst in Belgrade. 'The Army is behind Milosevic, the opposition is weak, and the people are tired.' Milosevic will succeed, analysts say, because he pulls the strings of the economy, the police force, and almost every institution in the country. The
political opposition is splintered and without the means to challenge Belgrade's highly centralized regime."
* In what Reuters called a "surprise" televised speech, Yugoslavia's President Slobodan Milosevic yesterday said: "At the beginning of this year, all around our country there were many demonstrations at which one slogan was heard: we shall not give up Kosovo... Open questions such as the possible independence of Kosovo, from the time preceding the aggression, have been resolved in the Belgrade agreement [signed last week]. We stood fast and defended our country while we laid the entire problem before the very summit of the world pyramid of authority, the UN, under the auspices of the UN and in accordance with the UN Charter. The international forces, which will be deployed in Kosovo with the task of ensuring safety for all citizens, will be under the UN auspices. A political process, which will be based on the principles stemming from previous discussions and equally from the sovereignty and territorial integrityy of our country, will be held under UN auspices. This means that only autonomy and nothing else
can be discussed in this political process. By going to the UN, we have not just defended our country, but also we have again put the UN onto the international scene, the UN which was not functioning for about 80 days before the start of this aggression... This is our contribution to tendencies to scene create a many-sided world, not to accept the creation of the world led by the dictate of force from one center... We have shown that we have an invincible army and, I am certain, the best army in the world." [The full text of Milosevic's speech is reproduced at the end of this issue of Serbia Watch] The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that "staterun television and radio...is broadcasting his address around the clock." The Daily Telegraph (London) noted yesterday that the speech "is now going out every hour, on the hour, to provincial Serbia." The New York Times yesterday reported that "it was his first speech to the public since October and the only time he has personally addressed the people of Ser
bia on the conflict with NATO."
* The Financial Times (London) reported yesterday that "Milosevic, with his control of state media, is presenting to Serbs his acceptance of a total troop withdrawal as a deal with the United Nations, not with NATO. Belgrade wanted a UN Security Council resolution giving the peacekeeping mandate to NATO before its generals would sign the military text. 'This is the old Milosevic style, squeezing it to the end'...a Belgrade newspaper editor commented."
* Agence France Presse reported yesterday that "ultra-nationalist Serbian leader Vojislav Seselj described NATO troops to be deployed in Kosovo as 'occupiers' Thursday and warned of 'problems' in implementing the peace plan. 'We expect a lot of problems in the implementation. Everybody there will make them, but most will come from the occupiers,' Seselj, the Serbian deputy premier, told reporters here... Seselj said the main SRS board would meet on Monday to decide whether its ministers should quit the Serbian government."
* Reuters yesterday quoted opposition Democratic Party leader Zoran Djindjic: " 'Djindjic said he expected people in Serbia to favor a change, warning that 'the following winter could bring a humanitarian catastrophe.' He referred to the massive damage to Serbia's economy and infrastructure done by 11 weeks of NATO bombing and Western pledges that no money would be given for Serbia's recovery if Milosevic remained in power. Djindjic was speaking from an undisclosed location in Montenegro."
* The Republika Srpska news agency SRNA reported June 9 that "Serbian police confiscated all 2,000 copies of the Banja Luka-based [Bosnian Serb Republic] 'Nezavisne novine' which were intended for sale in Belgrade, SRNA was told by the paper's editor in chief, Zeljko Kopanja. According to Kopanja, the papers were confiscated because over the past three months they carried a number of statements by senior Serbian and Yugoslav officials who spoke about 'the capitulation of the Belgrade regime,' in other words, he said, about 'the capitulation of the policies which have caused Serbs and Serbia so much grief.' Kopanja said 'Nezavisne novine' had also carried details of the Rambouillet agreement, describing it in much more favorable terms than the present one, all of which had ultimately happened 'because of the policies of [Radical Party leader and Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav] Seselj and Slobodan Milosevic.' 'We should have known that something would happen after a telephone conversation with Serbian
Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic. We realized at the time that he was not happy about the paper being sold in Belgrade, and he also made a number of threats against the paper,' Kopanja said. 'I am not calling for the Serb Republic's institutions to stop the sales of printed media from the FRY. All I demand is that our media receive the same treatment as
[official Belgrade dailies] 'Vecernje novosti', 'Politika' and other papers do here,' Kopanja said."
Seselj, Draskovic jockeying for power
* The Financial Times reported yesterday that "at a secret meeting last weekend, the Yugoslav leader secured assurances from Vojislav Seselj, a deputy prime minister, that his ultra-nationalist Radical party would continue to support Serbia's coalition government led by Mr Milosevic's Socialist party. Mr Seselj had threatened to quit the coalition if any NATO troops entered Kosovo. The Radicals and Socialists are likely to wage a combined campaign against the more western-leaning Serbian Renewal Movement led by Vuk Draskovic, who has proposed forming a broad-based 'government of national salvation.' " The New York Times reported June 5 that Seselj "promised Milosevic that he would support the government in parliament or not vote against it, and that he would not organize any demonstration against the Kosovo deal in the streets." The same story quoted Seselj as also saying: "Certainly we won't stay in the Serbian government to see a possible entrance of troops from aggressor countries into Kosovo."
* The Times (London) reported yesterday that "some observers in Belgrade believe that Mr Seselj hopes to be sacked by Mr Milosevic. This would absolve him from the accusation of having climbed down over Kosovo, allow him to don the robes of a martyr and leave him free to pursue his own grab for power."
* The daily Yomiuri (Tokyo) reported yesterday that Vuk Draskovic "on Tuesday unveiled his plans for a transitional government to be built on a coalition comprising Milosevic and opposition parties. In an interview the leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement party also announced his plan to hold a general election for both the federal and Serbian republic parliaments, sometime in September or October. The proposed transitional government would push political and economic reforms, he said. Even after peace is established in Yugoslavia, Draskovic said he would not demand that
the president resign immediately. Referring to the U.N. Security Council
draft resolution agreed on by the Group of Eight major powers, Draskovic said, 'I reject the notion that this (the international interim rule of Kosovo) is capitulation on the part of the country. This is capitulation to the wrong policy. There are many, many painful things in the peace plan'. While harshly criticizing the current junior coalition partner, the nationalist Serbian Radical Party, as 'the main promoter of the wrong policy,' Draskovic carefully avoided including Milosevic's name in his criticisms during the interview."
* Agence France Presse reported yesterday that Draskovic "listed a series of 'urgent tasks' designed to bring Serbia 'into Europe.' These include scrapping 'shameful' laws on information and universities, introducing transitional Serb and Yugoslav governments 'capable of taking on democratic and economic reforms' and organizing elections at all levels." The Financial Times reported yesterday that "Mr Draskovic astounded many Serbs on Tuesday by suggesting that Serbia should go through a period of 'de-Nazification' as did postwar Germany. His comments, aired on a Belgrade television station controlled by his party, were clearly aimed at Mr Seselj."
* The Daily Telegraph (London) noted June 7 that "during the brief debate
in the Serbian Parliament [June 3] at which the NATO demands were accepted, Seselj shouted 'Traitor!' at Vuk Draskovic, who was in favor, and made a lunge for him." The Daily Telegraph reported June 4 that following the vote, "Vuk Draskovic, a former deputy prime minister and an opponent of Milosevic, said: 'This is a great day for the Serbian nation, for all citizens of Yugoslavia, for the future of the peace and stability in this country.' He said that Milosevic had called a meeting of party
leaders at 8pm on Wednesday and 'explained that this document had to be accepted.' Official sources in Belgrade said it was crucial for Milosevic to secure the approval of parliament so that he could be seen to be acting in accordance with the will of the people. But there was also anger at what some saw as a surrender. Vojisav Seselj, the leader of the hard-line Radical Party, said: 'This means capitulation. We are going to continue with our fight.' "
* The Daily Telegraph (London) noted June 7 that "already serious people here are talking of the danger of civil war. That may be too alarmist; but the materials lie readily to hand, and there are plenty of hard men willing to start the conflagration. President Milosevic may even be keen to encourage these fears, in order to be able to present himself as the one man who can keep the country together. If he sacks Seselj and gets Vuk Draskovic to join him in a more moderate coalition, the people of this country might well prefer that to the threat of open violence in the streets. It would be a very Milosevic thing to do."
Loyalty wavering in military ranks?
*The Financial Times reported yesterday that "the most pressing problem facing Mr Milosevic is the withdrawal from Kosovo of up to 20,000 army reservists, who could become a source of social discontent. Most come from towns in central and southern Serbia that saw protests by reservists and relatives last month. Commentators in Belgrade expect Mr Milosevic to preserve what amounts to an official state of emergency in Yugoslavia. The army might keep a number of reservists busy shoring up defenses outside the 25km-wide buffer zone that NATO wants between Kosovo and southern Serbia."
In a televised speech today, Milosevic said that "enormous tasks awaiting us will require a high level of mobilization. I think that the unity forged in these difficult times is a major achievement, which we must preserve also at the time of reconstruction because we will need unity and mobilization to achieve reconstruction and start a new development successfully."
* BBC correspondent John Simpson reported June 6 in the Sunday Telegraph (London) that "the officers who censor our television reports at the Army Press Center have ceased to cut out criticisms of their President. Day after day, night after night, our reports are passed without change."
*The Independent (London) noted June 5 that "the real power in Serbia is Milosevic's large, well -armed paramilitary police. This is the regime's Praetorian guard and it will sink or swim with its paymaster." The Daily Telegraph (London) noted June 3 that "General Nebojsa Pavkovic, commander of the army in Kosovo, has been a staunch Milosevic man."
Milosevic's announces casualty figures 90 percent below NATO estimates * Reuters reported Milosevic in a televised speech yesterday "said 462 Yugoslav soldiers and 114 police were killed during the air strikes." The Calgary Herald (Canada) reported Wednesday that "several hundred Yugoslav soldiers are believed to have been killed in a raid by an American B-52 bomber that caught them massing in a field near the Kosovo-Albanian border on Monday, NATO sources said. The B-52 was ordered to drop a large number of cluster bombs on the estimated 800 to 1,200 troops. Initial aerial assessments showed such massive annihilation that fewer than half of the Serb-led Yugoslav forces are believed to have survived, according to alliance military sources. 'This hit must have really stunned them,' a NATO official said. 'There's no doubt that the Serbs suffered enormous casualties. They were absolutely pulverized." The New York Times noted June 4 that "while military casualties have been a state secret, Yugoslav generals hav
e said recently that they were relatively low, estimating that 1,800 people have been killed or wounded badly enough to leave their posts.
But NATO officials, in a response today, estimated that perhaps 5,000 Yugoslav military and police troops have been killed and more than 10,000 wounded."
* Reuters reported that opposition party leader Zoran Djindjic yesterday "said he expected Serbs 'to suffer a shock when the death toll of the Yugoslav army is made public,' which he thought would be inevitable after the troops' return. 'Then, it will be a big concern for the survival of Serb civilians in Kosovo and that must be firmly guaranteed by the international community,' he said."
Democratic opposition figures criticize Milosevic, call for elections * The Washington Post noted June 6 that "while Milosevic has considerable maneuvering room in the short term, his political position seems more precarious over the longer term. In the past, he has been able to present himself as the guarantor of peace in the Balkans and an indispensable negotiating partner for the West. This is no longer the case... 'Milosevic is in dire straits,' said Pedrag Simic, a political scientist who advises Draskovic. 'There will be no major upheavals over the summer. But when winter approaches and people realize that they are still without food and heat, then it will be a different matter.' Such sentiments are not limited to longtime rivals. Speaking privately, even some of his key political allies distanced themselves from him last week. They signaled an interest in preserving their own privileges in a post-Milosevic regime. One idea being floated is for Milosevic to fade into the role of a figurehead, either by
creation of a special reconstruction commission or by increasing the powers of the federal prime minister."
* Reuters yesterday quoted opposition Democratic Party leader Zoran Djindjic: "In the next 10 days, Serbia's opposition should start demanding Milosevic's resignation and new elections... Serbia's survival depends on that, his resignation is a key condition for real peace."
* Agence France Presse reported yesterday that "Zoran Zivkovic, the mayor of the southern town of Nis which was heavily damaged during the NATO air strikes, called on Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and his political allies to resign. 'Serbia can be saved only with a democratic leadership that can come into power only through early democratic elections, called as soon as possible,' Zivkovic, top official of the opposition Democratic party, was quoted by Beta news agency as saying."
*Reuters reported yesterday that "the Alliance for Change, an umbrella opposition organization, also urged formation of a transitional government. 'The main task of such a government would be to organize elections for a constitutional assembly,' said a statement from the Alliance, which has demanded Milosevic's resignation." Opposition Social Democracy party leader Vuk Obradovic said in a June 7 interview with a Hungarian radio station that "the party's membership has been rising day by day, support for us has been increasing stormily." The Daily Telegraph (London) June 3 quoted Obradovic: "Yugoslavia as a sovereign country has been totally destroyed. We want Serbia to be organized on a Western model, with law,
justice, respect for human rights and liberties."
* The New York Times reported yesterday that "Goran Svilanovic, leader of the Civic Alliance, the most liberal democratic opposition party, if one of the smallest, called for the Federal Assembly to convene to discuss Mr. Milosevic's responsibility for this 'tragic war' and hold a vote of no confidence." Belgrade news agency BETA reported June 9 " 'Civic Alliance of Serbia (GSS) Chairman Goran Svilanovic said today that Serbia and Kosovo have been devastated and the citizens bombed because FRY President Slobodan Milosevic 'wanted to stay in power at all costs,' and not because 'he was
allegedly defending Kosovo' 'For this reason the Federal Assembly has to discuss his responsibility for everything and decide on his dismissal,' Svilanovic said."
* Reuters reported June 5 that the opposition Democratic Party "issued a statement saying military authorities had brought charges against [party leader Zoran Djindjic] for refusing a call to serve in the army. The charges have not been made public. 'I got word from sources in the military judiciary,' Djindjic said."
* The Washington Post noted today that "some iindependent analysts here sai Milosevic might use the reconstruction effort as an excuse for prolonging the wartime state of emergency and thereby ensuring his grip on the country. The emergency regulations include censorship of the independent news media, screening of university professors and restrictions on movement around the country. Milosevic hinted that he might be considering such an option, saying that it is important to preserve 'the unity that was established' during the conflict with NATO." NATO spokesman Jamie Shea June 3 noted "unconfirmed reports that the public administration employees in Belgrade but also people from the private sector in Belgrade are asked to sign loyalty documents in which they support their government's policy and endeavours in Kosovo."
* The Chicago Tribune reported June 7 that Belgrade tycoon and Milosevic associate Bogoljub Karic "is for now betting on Milosevic. 'The majority of people support him. If we had an election in one month, two months, it doesn't matter, he would win. That's the mentality of the people here,' he said."
* The Independent (London) reported June 8 that "Milosevic is said to have suffered a mild stroke six weeks ago - and to have suffered a recurrence in the third week of May which affected the movement of his left hand. His opponents say the second attack was caused by his shock at The Hague war crimes tribunal indictment against him and against his colleagues."
II. "LATENT CRISIS" IN MONTENEGRO
* Agence France Presse reported yesterday that "more than 15,000 drafts for Yugoslav army reservists have been issued in Montenegro since Tuesday, a source close to the army command in charge of the Yugoslav republic, told AFP Thursday. 'In the last two days, more than 15,000 drafts for additional mobilization have been issued throughout municipalities in Montenegro,' the source said. The reason behind the mobilization which came as the first Yugoslav army troops were withdrawing from Kosovo was not immediately clear. In the Montenegrin capital Podgorica, Yugoslav military police forcibly conscripted those trying to dodge drafts, witnesses said. Reservists who had been given a seven-day leave were ordered to return to their units and warned that they would be court-martialed if they failed to do so. The number of Yugoslav army soldiers and reservists in Montenegro is estimated at around 35,000. Montenegro's total population stands at about 650,000." The Scotsman (Edinburgh) reported June 5 that "major indust
ries such as the state-run aluminum smelter owned by Swiss-based Glencore, the largest foreign investor in Montenegro, are running out of fuel oil and suffering from increased power cuts and the drafting of their personnel into the Yugoslav army."
* The Scotsman reported June 5 that "the [daily] VIP newsletter, published in Belgrade, warned of 'a latent crisis in Montenegro [that could] easily grow into civil war.' The Yugoslav second army, commanded by General Milorad Obradovic, a Milosevic loyalist, has moved to strangle Montenegro economically and has stepped up pressure on the Montenegrin police force loyal to Mr Djukanovic. 'Cetinje is the best place for the military to provoke,' warned the Montenegrin justice minister, Dragan Soc.' The military, which has an estimated 30,000 troops in Montenegro compared to Mr Djukanovic's police force of some 10,000, has in recent days sealed
Montenegro's border with Albania, having earlier seized control of the borders with Croatia and Bosnia Herzegovina as well as the strategic port of Bar, barring entry into the country of humanitarian aid and raw materials."
* The Scotsman reported June 6 that "the Second Army has continued to operate on instructions from Belgrade and could still be prepared to act against the police and Montenegrin government if the circumstances appeared sufficiently propitious. It is known that the army has distributed weapons to reservists among Montenegrins from the pro-Serbian northern part of Montenegro who are opposed to the pro-Western policies of President Djukanovic."
* The Daily Telegraph reported June 1 that Montenegro's "militia came close [last night] to a serious clash with Yugoslav troops when a battalion of Yugoslav troops from the city of Niksic moved on to the slopes of Mount Lovcen, above the old Montenegrin capital of Cetinje. Some reports said that the army was attempting to take control of a Montenegrin television transmitter while others said it wanted to place an antiaircraft battery on a site bombed by NATO several weeks ago. Troops were confronted by a few dozen members of the Montenegrin paramilitary police. There were heated
exchanges of insults and fist fights broke out. Residents of Cetinje heard bursts of automatic gun fire, but no injuries were reported. Five civilians from Cetinje rushed in to join the fight on the side of police. When three Montenegrin police officers tried to negotiate, they were apparently set upon by the army, beaten up and taken away for court martial in Podgorica. Residents of Cetinje and police reinforcements blocked the road and secured the release of the arrested policemen. But the contingent of 40 police volunteers remained surrounded by 1,000 soldiers who have already placed mortars and artillery on three sides of Cetinje."
* The Financial Times noted June 8 that "NATO has promised that any Serb troops retreating from Kosovo will not be able to pass through Montenegro on their way home." The report followed a June 7 appeal by Montenegro, reported by Reuters: "NATO said last week that as part of a proposed peace deal with Belgrade, soldiers exiting Kosovo could return to Serbia via routes across Montenegro [a senior government figure in Montenegro said] 'We have asked NATO not to allow Serb forces to come through here. There is no need for that, they can go directly to Serbia without setting foot here.' "
* Associated Press reported that Djukanovic in a meeting with G-8 officials "offered use of the port [of Bar] and said the allies could open offices in the republic. 'We want to assist in the implementation of peace in Kosovo,' Djukanovic said." US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Wednesday after meeting with Djukanovic that "it is very clear that any escalation in pressure [on Montenegro] by Milosevic would escalate the situation with NATO."
III. WESTERN ASSISTANCE and MILOSEVIC'S RULE Kosovo compliance is stated condition on Serbia's participation in "Stability Pact," Milosevic's departure the unstated one
* Deutsche Presse Agentur reported yesterday that "foreign ministers and representatives from 44 states and international organizations signed a "Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe" in Cologne on Thursday. Among those signing were the seven leading industrial nations (G-7), Russia, all 15 European Union (EU) member states, all Balkan states (except for Yugoslavia), the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund."
* Excerpts of the Stability Pact quoted yesterday by Deutsche Presse Agentur said: "We declare the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be welcome as a full and equal participant in the Stability Pact, following the political settlement of the Kosovo crisis on the basis of principles agreed by G8 foreign ministers." Agence France Presse noted: "The Pact statement warns: Lasting peace and stability in southeastern Europe will only become possible when democratic principles and values ... have taken root in all countries of the region, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia." A June 4 statement by the EU Presidency (currently held by Germany), following an EU summit, had noted that "the Stability Pact will help to enhance peace, stability and prosperity in, and cooperation between, countries in the region. The participation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in this process will be examined in due course, once it has met the conditions of the international community on Kosovo. The settlement of the Kos
ovo crisis represents a prerequisite. Furthermore, the European Council recalls the necessity for progress in democratic freedoms and respect for the rights of minorities." Agence France Presse yesterday quoted Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer: "It must be our aim to draw Federal Yugoslavia into the Stability Pact as an actor with full and equal rights."
* Associated Press reported today that Greece's foreign minister, George Papandreou "urged Friday [that] Rebuilding war-battered Yugoslavia must begin immediately or many parts of the nation may face a harsh winter without electricity and other services. The appeal again put NATO member Greece at odds with some larger members of the alliance, notably Britain and the United States, which say Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic must leave power before reconstruction came commence. During the air campaign, Greece refused to offer military assistance and did not accept ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo. 'There is a huge humanitarian problem looming,' said Greece's foreign minister, George Papandreou, the first top envoy from a NATO nation to visit Yugoslavia's capital since the halt of the airstrikes."
* US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said yesterday that "we should also look forward to the day we can welcome Serbia into our Pact. But that cannot happen until it has leaders who abide by their international obligations, including applicable UN Security Council Resolutions, the Dayton Accords and implementation of the Military Technical Agreement and the Chernomyrd in Ahtisaari plan. In other words, Serbia will be welcome among us when its citizens enjoy real democracy and therefore its neighbors feel truly secure." Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair said at the June 4
EU summit that "in the future a democratic Serbia can and should take its place among the family of nations. But you have a dictator in charge, an indicted war criminal as your leader, and you cannot expect properly to be part of the reconstruction of the Balkans while that remains so." US State Department spokesman James Rubin said on CNN June 5: "This is now an indicted war criminal. We don't believe it would be appropriate for us to provide funds for the reconstruction of Serbia, unless and until they cooperate with the War Crimes Tribunal and democratize, and prime cooperation would mean submitting Milosevic to the jurisdiction of the court. "
* Agence France Presse reported yesterday "the European Union declared Friday that it would not finance a rebuilding of the badly-wounded Yugoslavia after NATO air strikes so long as Serb President Slobodan Milosevic remained in power, a European Commission spokesman told AFP. 'We still refuse to give Belgrade any financial assistance. We will not help Slobodan Milosevic, ' the spokesman said." Associated Press reported yesterday that "the cost of rebuilding Serbia, including Kosovo, will likely exceed $5 billion, the European Commission said Friday, but added Serbia will unlikely get any money as long as Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is in power. EU [European Union] spokesman Nico Wegter said no detailed calculations have been made of what it will take to rebuild damaged roads, bridges, houses and power installations across Serbia. However, he added, the reconstruction needs will likely exceed the $5 billion the international community has poured into Bosnia-Herzegovina since the 1995 Dayton peace a
greement. The EU, Wegter said, would be the main aid provider adding any initiative would be complicated if Milosevic remains in power in Belgrade. 'This will be a signal to the people in Serbia,' said another official, who asked not to be named. 'They must realize they need to get rid of Milosevic if they want to be able to count on financial assistance from the outside.' "
* The Stability Pact also noted "we will consider ways of making the Republic of Montenegro an early beneficiary of the Pact." Agence France Presse had reported May 18 that following a Djukanovic trip to Brussels, 'the EU offered Montenegro the chance to take part in the wide-ranging ' stability pact' that is being offered to all Balkan countries as a way of bringing them military security and economic benefits even without full membership of NATO and the European Union." The decision followed what the Calgary Herald (Canada) May 18 called a "dramatic appeal to the European Union for economic and political backing. [Djukanovic] told the EU Commission that Montenegro was occupied by 45,000 troops of the Yugoslav army, drawn mainly from Serbia, whose daily confrontations with the police were part of Belgrade's attempts to depose him."
* The Chicago Tribune June 7 quoted Belgrade tycoon and Milosevic associate Bogoljub Karic: " 'There has to be a package of aid not only for Kosovo and Serbia but for all the countries in the region that have a low standard of living,' said Karic, a construction tycoon who last October joined the government as a minister without portfolio. 'We really expect this aid package from the European Union and the United States to be delivered as soon as possible and without preconditions,' he added... President Clinton and European leaders have made it clear that Yugoslavia will not get a penny in reconstruction aid as long as Milosevic, an indicted war criminal, remains in power. Karic argues that this is the wrong approach. 'They would not be giving this aid to Slobodan Milosevic, they would be giving to the people of this country,' he said. 'Our people have swallowed a bitter pill in accepting this peace agreement. If everything remains the same, people will feel betrayed and cheated. The consequences will be cat
astrophic.' "
* Reuters reported June 3 that European Parliament President Jose Maria Gil-Robles "said the EU could not take part in any 'Marshall Plan' style reconstruction program until Yugoslavia started respecting democratic principles. 'We will not be able to negotiate with Serbia as long as Mr. Milosevic is in power,' Gil-Robles said. 'The difficulty is Mr. Milosevic. The system in Serbia has to change to a democracy.' He said he doubted that Milosevic could 'change his ways' and become a democrat. 'I think it will be very difficult to support Yugoslavia with Milosevic as president. If Yugoslavia doesn't change to a democratic system there could of course be no participation of EU funding.' "
* Reuters reported June 5 that "foreign bank accounts controlled by President Slobodan Milosevic should be seized and the funds used in the postwar rebuilding of Yugoslavia, German Defence Minister Rudolf Scharping was quoted as saying on Saturday. 'It seems to me this money should go towards reconstruction for Yugoslavia,' he told the Frankfurter Allegemeine Sonntagszeitung saying Milosevic had stolen from his own people. Asked about reservations among other Western allies about such an approach, Scharping said more were coming round to his view."
FULL TEXT OF TELEVISED SPEECH BY SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC ON KOSOVO SETTLEMENT Serbian Radio and Television, June 11 - Belgrade (Translated by BBC)
Dear citizens: the aggression is over. Peace has prevailed over violence.
Dear citizens, long live peace.
At this moment our first thoughts must be dedicated to the heroes who gave their lives in defence of the fatherland, in the struggle for freedom and dignity of their people.
All their names will be made known in full, but at the moment I want to tell you that 462 Yugoslav Army members and 114 policemen of the Republic of Serbia died in this war which lasted exactly eleven weeks, from 24th March until today. We shall never be able to repay them. We have to do what we can, that which is our duty, which is to help their families, and we shall repay this debt by always being ready to defend the freedom, dignity and independence of this country for which they laid down their lives.
The entire people took part in this war: from babies in maternity wards and the seriously ill in intensive care, to the troops of the air defence forces in their trenches and the border guards on the borders.
No-one will forget the heroism of the defenders of the bridges, the citizen defenders of the factories, markets, of their jobs, their state, their people. The people are the heroes. Perhaps that is what the shortest
conclusion of this war should say.
The people are heroes, and therefore they should feel like heroes and act like heroes: that means in a dignified, noble and responsible manner.
At the beginning of this year, all around our country there were many demonstrations at which one slogan was heard: we shall not give up Kosovo.
The G-8 group of most industrialized nations of the world and the UN are guaranteeing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our state. That guarantee is also included in the draft of the [UN] resolution.
Open questions such as the possible independence of Kosovo, from the time preceding the aggression, have been resolved in the Belgrade agreement [signed last week].
We stood fast and defended our country while we laid the entire problem before the very summit of the world pyramid of authority, the UN, under the auspices of the UN and in accordance with the UN Charter.
The international forces, which will be deployed in Kosovo with the task of ensuring safety for all citizens, will be under the UN auspices. A political process, which will be based on the principles stemming from previous discussions and equally from the sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country, will be held under UN auspices. This means that only autonomy and nothing else can be discussed in this political process.
By going to the UN, we have not just defended our country, but also we have again put the UN onto the international scene, the UN which was not functioning for about 80 days before the start of this aggression. This is our contribution to the efforts of the entire freedom-loving world. This is our contribution to tendencies to create a many-sided world, not to accept the creation of the world led by the dictate of force from one center.
I believe that this will be an enormous contribution to history and that the heroism of our nation in the resistance to the much more powerful and stronger enemy will mark the end of the twentieth century. I am convinced of this.
We have shown that we have an invincible army and, I am certain, the best army in the world. When I say, army, then this should be understood in the broadest possible sense: the army, the police and all the state defense
forces. They showed in front of the entire world how to defend our nation and how they are united because the army was the same as the people and because the people were the army.
Never before were people so united as we were in this war, and never before had we fewer cowards, who fled the country to await the end of the war in safety.
At this moment, many fresh problems are arising, and these problems will pose numerous tasks at the end of the aggression and at the outbreak of peace. These are above all: to look after those most in need, to look after the families of the killed, wounded and partially incapacitated to carry out their jobs, and to look after all those workers, farmers, citizens of all professions, whose [livelihoods] were affected in the war and who
should be helped according to their needs, and everyone should be helped.
We are facing the tasks of reconstruction of the country. We shall start to build our bridges again right away. We shall start right away to build our roads again, our factories, we shall embark upon the road of an enormous development, which will express the ability and vitality of our people, our citizens, our country and all its citizens. When I speak about our people, I refer to all citizens of Yugoslavia and to all nationalities.
We have defended a multinational community, the only surviving multinational community, the former Yugoslavia. I believe that this is also one of the great achievements of our defense.
The forces, which will come to Kosovo, will serve peace regardless of where they are from. Armies always carry out their orders and the order is to protect citizens and preserve peace.
Enormous tasks awaiting us will require a high level of mobilization. I think that the unity forged in these difficult times is a major achievement, which we must preserve also at the time of reconstruction because we will need unity and mobilization to achieve reconstruction and start a new development successfully.
I wish all citizens of Yugoslavia a lot of happiness and joy in this.
