KK-Forum,
tre lærestykker.
Knut Rognes
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HAMBURGER ABENDBLAT:US ADVISORS WERE HELPING THE ALBANIAN REBELS
Among the Albanian rebels that were evacuated from Aracinovo under the
protection of the US soldiers from the KFOR contingent there were 17
Americans, states the German newspaper “Hamburger Abendblat” in its article
titled “US Advisors Were Helping the Albanian Rebels”.
“The US peacekeepers from Kosovo had a tricky task in neighboring
Macedonia. Firstly they were supposed to transfer 400 Albanian guerilla
fighters together with their arms and ammunition from Aracinovo. For two
weeks the NLA 113 Brigade was barricaded over there and was defending
itself from fierce attacks.
The second port of their task was even trickier. Among the rebels that were
withdrawing there were 17 “instructors” - former US officers that provided
military training for the rebels. Not only that: the Macedonian security
forces claim that 70% of the equipment that the guerilla fighters took with
them are of US production among which most sophisticated third generation
night vision devices. “We cannot confirm that”, murmured in a monotonous
voice Spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Philip. Such diplomatic statements the US
journalists take as confirmation. If this is true than the possible NATO
operation for disarmament would be a complete farce” - states Hamburger
Abendblat.
The article reads that “Brussels definitely counts on a German contingent
of 600 soldiers” to be engaged in Macedonia. “However, the Federal Defense
Ministry points out that until now there is no official request from NATO”.
The newspaper still claims that since two weeks ago a ship is on its way
towards Thessalonica bearing German combat tanks Leopard 2 and other
armored combat vehicles. “According to the official version they should
replace those which are currently used by the Bundeswehr in Kosovo.
However, it is not clear when would these tanks return”, notes Hamburger
Abendblat.
source: Hamburger Abendblat:
Web posted at: 6/28/2001 11:36:00 AM (GMT-8)
http://www.ok.mk/news/story.asp?id=1631
Clark says Milosevic handover vindicates NATO war
WASHINGTON, June 28 —
The former NATO commander
who led the war over Kosovo on Thursday said the handover of
former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to the international criminal
tribunal vindicated the 1999 air war.
U.S. Gen. Wesley Clark, who retired a year ago, also said
he was not surprised by the action. ''There was no doubt the
stakes in the Kosovo operation were Milosevic himself, even
though that wasn't a formal objective,'' he said in a telephone
interview.
''The NATO actions were the essential first steps which
enabled the fledgling democratic forces to bring about
Milosevic's downfall in the election,'' Clark told Reuters.
''Without the NATO action to discredit Milosevic's policies
and leadership, I don't believe that democratic victory would
have been possible in the election,'' he said.
Clark said the handover of Milosevic to the U.N. tribunal
at The Hague was a major step, but still only a beginning.
''Obviously this is a big step for the government and the
people of Serbia, but it's only the first step. Much more
remains to be done to break the cycle of ethnic hatreds in the
Balkans,'' he said.
''The next step should be the detention and removal to The
Hague of the other Serbian war criminal indictees,'' Clark
said.
To the critics of the NATO air strikes, Clark said: ''It's
regrettable that force must sometimes be used to back up
diplomacy. When it is, the use of force should be as minimal as
possible. In the case of NATO's operation it was, and it was
successful.''
Clark heard about the Milosevic handover while having lunch
at the Pentagon.
''My immediate reaction was intense satisfaction, and happiness that
the government of Serbia had been able to make
this decision,'' Clark said.
Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or
redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior
written consent of Reuters.
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters06-28-142647.asp?reg=EUROPE
Belgrade wants to make fresh start with 3.5 billion dollars
BELGRADE, June 28 (AFP) -
Yugoslavia hopes to persuade international donors at a conference Friday in
Brussels that it can put its economy back on the road to recovery with 3.5
billion dollars in aid in the coming years.
The conference marks a first attempt by the international community to
throw a lifeline to Belgrade's new reformist leaders who inherited a
devastated economy and crumbling infrastructure from former president
Slobodan Milosevic.
The funds will cover the cost of 36 projects, most of which are aimed at
reviving key areas of the economy: energy, transport, mining, road, railway
and airport infrastructure, according to Goran Pitic, Serbian minister for
external economic relations.
But the projects are also aimed at reviving social and welfare areas to
help those who sufferend under Milosevic's regime and those who may endure
hardship under reforms.
"It is clear that those who would be victims of privatisation of companies
should be supported," a Belgrade economist said.
Without this assistance, Yugoslavia would not be able to relaunch its
economy, ruined by almost a decade of wars, isolation and international
sanctions brought on by Milosevic's rule.
The World Bank, one of the conference organisers, said in May that it hoped
to raise about 1.2 billion dollars (1.36 billion euros) in aid to finance
the projects in 2001, and a total of 4 billion dollars (4.54 billion euros)
in the next three or four years.
Yugoslavia will present in Brussels a "list of 36 projects considered as
priorities, worth a total of 3.5 billion dollars," said Pitic.
The aim of the government, Pitic said, is to obtain for the next twelve
months "at least one billion dollars" from the conference.
In Serbia, two million people out of its population of 8 million (excluding
the UN-administrated Kosovo province) live on or below the poverty line,
with less than 55 dollars (60 euros) per month, a recent study by the World
Food Programme showed.
The number of poor has increased tenfold over the past decade under
Milosevic, according to the study.
As a result, the gross domestic product (GDP) has dropped from 24 billion
dollars to nearly 12 billion dollars during the last decade.
Economists estimate that Yugoslavia needs two billion dollars per year to
revive its economy, an amount that also represents the scale of foreign
investment in the country in the past eight years.
Yugoslavia's foreign debt is estimated at about 12 billion dollars and
Belgrade has nowadays been negotiating mechanisms to level off part of its
debts with the Paris and London clubs.
The gold reserves of the country are worth less than 600 million dollars.
In comparison, the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, with the
population of only 2 million, has 4 billion dollars worth in gold reserves.
Pitic has underscore the urgent need for international aid, warning that if
living standards continue to plummet, the former regime could win back power.
A recent survey of Yugoslav consumers showed that more than 20 percent
described themselves as "financially on the edge," while 34 percent said
they were ready to endure "another year or two", which is the time period
cited by reformers in Belgrade as necessary for living standards to improve.
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/010628/1/16tob.html
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