Clark Sees No Evidence KLA Behind Attacks On Serbs

PRISTINA (Reuters) - General Wesley Clark, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, said Friday he had no evidence the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was behind attacks on Serbs that have occurred since a peace plan was signed in June. Clark, on a visit to the province, said KLA leaders had consistently backed calls for Serbs to remain in Kosovo.

``I'm not going to point fingers at the KLA. The KLA leadership has been very co-operative with us at the top level,'' the U.S. Army general told reporters at the headquarters of KFOR, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force.

Several international officials have recently said they suspected the KLA, or rogue elements, must be behind some of the ethnic Albanian revenge attacks which have driven up to 170,000 Serbs from Kosovo in the past few months.

But Clark said much of the violence seemed spontaneous or, particularly in southeastern Kosovo, was linked to organized crime.

``From the leadership of the KLA, we've seen continuing expressions of support for multi-ethnicity and the goals of the international community so I can't put a finger on who is doing this,'' he said.

Clark, who held talks with political leaders from both the Albanian and Serb communities, stressed that the violence had to stop. He said KFOR had asked the KLA to use whatever influence it had to bring the attacks to an end.

The KLA fought a 16-month guerrilla campaign against Serbian rule in Kosovo. It agreed in June to begin disarming and demilitarizing and its leaders say it is not involved in any violence against Serbs.

More than 800,000 ethnic Kosovo Albanians fled from Kosovo during the 16-month conflict with Serbia.