VERSO LA GUERRA Riportiamo di seguito estratti di cronaca delle ultime settimane, nella versione originale in lingua inglese del bollettino e-mail di RadioB92, accompagnati dal nostro commento in italiano. Seguendo lo stesso copione gia' visto in Bosnia, le potenze occidentali che hanno prima fomentato la tensione attraverso il sostegno alla politica separatista di Rugova-Bukoshi ed alla violenza dell'"Esercito di Liberazione del Kosovo", stanno ora prendendo a pretesto la situazione creata per scatenare un attacco punitivo contro la Repubblica Federale di Jugoslavia - magari in coincidenza con la giornata di San Vito, la festa nazionale dei serbi dedicata ai fatti di Kosovo Polje (1389). Nel frattempo, nel Kurdistan iracheno, occupato da piu' di un anno dalle truppe turche senza che nessuno apra bocca (ed anzi proprio grazie alla copertura NATO su quell'area) continua la repressione del movimento antiimperialista guidato dal PKK. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, May 23, 1998: Milosevic e Rugova si sono incontrati. In precedenza la mediazione della Comunita' di S. Egidio aveva condotto all'accoglimento delle richieste sull'insegnamento in lingua albanese all'Universita' di Pristina. I media non hanno riportato nessuna notizia sulla applicazione dell'accordo, che e' stato da subito minimizzato, ma trapelano con sempre maggiore insistenza notizie sugli appoggi di cui godono all'estero i secessionisti schipetari, in termini di addestramento e di armi) DIALOGUE! PRISTINA, SERBIA. Delegations from the Kosovo Albanian leaders and the Serbian Government met in Pristina on Friday. The teams, 25 led by senior advisor to Ibrahim Rugova, Fehmi Agani, and Serbian Deputy Prime Minsiter Ratko Markovic met for four hours. Meanwhile, the US Ambassador to Skopje, Christopher Hill, waited in an adjoining room... CLARKE: SUPPORT FOR SECESSION European NATO chief, General Wesley Clarke, told media on Friday 50 that Kosovo Albanians were receiving foreign support for their secessionist aims. Clarke refused to define exactly where that support came from, nor would he comment on whether Islamic fundamentalists who had fought in Bosnia had appeared in Kosovo. He said that weaponry had been stolen from Albanian warehouses 55 over the past year and that some of it had found its way across the mountains to Kosovo... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, May 26, 1998. Dopo l'incontro con Milosevic, Rugova e' chiamato a rapporto dagli americani. Si noti l'analogia con i fatti del marzo 1992, quando gli americani convocarono Izetbegovic convincendolo a ritirare la firma dal "Piano Cutileiro") RUGOVA IN WASHINGTON PRISTINA, SERBIA. Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and 85 several of his advisors are in Washington on Tuesday, according to AFP. The party includes the prime minister of the self-proclaimed government in exile of the Republic of Kosovo, Bujar Bukoshi as well as Rugova aides Fehmi Agani and Veton Surroi. No information is available as to their schedule or the agenda for their 90 discussions in the United States. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, May 29, 1998. Continua ininterrotto lo stillicidio di notizie, inverificabili, dal Kosovo: da una parte si accenna ad attacchi dell'ELK, alle intimidazioni, ai morti ed ai profughi serbi. Dall'altra si parla di brutali repressioni e fiumi di profughi kosovari diretti in Albania. Sugli incidenti di frontiera le versioni dei fatti sono opposte) NATO MOVES ON KOSOVO LUXEMBOURG. The foreign ministers of sixteen NATO countries on Thursday adopted a plan for a military presence in Albania and Macedonia. The plan, formulated at a meeting in Luxembourg 25 provides for military manoeuvres in both countries. NATO has also resolved to further consider the possibility of deploying troops in Kosovo, if the situation in Serbia's southern province deteriorates. The NATO foreign ministers resolved that the status quo in Kosovo was unacceptable... --- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, May 30, 1998) RUGOVA MEETS CLINTON WASHINGTON, USA. Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova met US President Bill Clinton on Friday and demanded that the US take immediate action to stop violence in Kosovo. After leaving the 25 White House, Rugova told media that he and Clinton had agreed that the best solution for Kosovo would be independent and neutral statehood... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 3, 1998) US WARNS ON SANCTIONS WASHINGTON, USA. The United States on Tuesday warned Yugoslav 25 President Slobodan Milosevic that it is ready to reimpose sanctions against Yugoslavia... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 4, 1998. Primi effetti della visita di Rugova negli USA: il dialogo e' bloccato. "Autorevoli" esponenti della "Comunita' Internazionale" stigmatizzano Milosevic. Rugova, dopo gli USA, a rapporto in Vaticano. In Occidente molti fremono per un possibile intervento militare) 25 EU WARNS MILOSEVIC PALERMO, ITALY. The foreign ministers of the 15 European Union Countries on Wednesday demanded that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic immediately stop the killing on Kosovo. The foreign ministers also announced that there would be world summit 30 discussions in the next few days to discuss action on Kosovo. The EU foreign ministers were meeting with their counterparts from 12 neighbouring Mediterranean countries in Palermo. The meeting expressed great concern over the latest escalation of violence in Serbia's southern province, which has caused thousands of Albanian 35 Kosovars to flee across the border to Albania. The EU Chairman, British Foreign Minister Robin Cook said he would relay the meeting's demands to Milosevic. Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini announced that the Contact Group would meet next week with Kosovo heading its agenda. 40 BLAIR: SITUATION INTOLERABLE LONDON, UK. British Prime Minster Tony Blair has joined the chorus of international protest to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic over Kosovo. Blair told Milosevic that NATO would not tolerate the escalation of conflict. Blair was speaking in the 45 British parliament where he said that the spreading of an unstable situation in the Balkan region could not be tolerated. 70 NO NEGOTIATIONS PRISTINA, SERBIA. Fehmi Agani, the senior adviser to Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova said on Thursday that the Albanian negotiating team will probably not attend tomorrow's meeting in Pristina. Agani told Radio B92 that the team could not be in an 75 appropriate frame of mind for dialogue until the appalling situation in Kosovo was dealt with. RUGOVA IN ROME 90 ROME, ITALY. Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova arrived in Rome on Wednesday from New York. He is scheduled to meet Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini on Thursday afternoon. Rugova is also expected to visit the Vatican to meet officials of the St Eugidio association, which mediated negotiations on the Kosovo 95 Education Agreement. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 5, 1998) 25 SANCTIONS STAY WASHINGTON, USA. US President Bill Clinton signed a decree on Thursday preserving US sanctions against Yugoslavia for another six months. The decree refers to the outer wall of sanctions which have been in place since the Dayton Agreement was signed in 1995. 30 The sanctions include the freezing of Yugoslav assets and bank accounts in the USA. NO NEGOTIATION PRSTINA, SERBIA. The Kosovo Albanian negotiating team will not attend discussions on Friday with the Serb Government team. Fehmi 35 Agani, the senior advisor to Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova, told Radio B92 that the security situation in Kosovo had deteriorated and the Albanian negotiators were not in the mood for negotiation... FRESH APPEAL TO NATO PRISTINA, SERBIA. The Democratic League of Kosovo on Thursday 50 reiterated its appeal to NATO to send troops to Kosovo. A statement from the party said this was the only way to put a halt to Serb aggression in the province... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 7, 1998) CLINTON READY TO SEND IN MARINES WASHINGTON, D.C. US President Bill Clinton is ready to send 1,500 60 US troops from Germany to the Kosovo border, according to the FoNet News Agency. FoNet's report says that the troops would be part of a NATO force... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 9, 1998) OFF AGAIN ON AGAIN WASHINGTON, USA. Europe on Monday won the latest round in the 25 international tug of war over sanctions against Yugoslavia. The US agreed to join the European Union in reimposing a ban on new investment in Serbia... 40 ...US State Department spokesman James Rubin told media on Monday that the US would consider all options, including military means, to help resolve the situation in Kosovo. He added that the US was working actively with the NATO allies to pursue a variety of plans to that effect. 45 The Times of London reports on Tuesday that Britain has initiated a UN Security Council draft resolution to allow NATO air strikes against targets in Yugoslavia. The daily reports that US and British diplomats are working together on the draft, which also recommends the imposition of a no-fly zone over Kosovo. The UN 50 Security Council is to vote on the draft this week. BERISHA BACKS LIBERATION ARMY TIRANA, ALBANIA. Former Albanian president Sali Berisha, now leader of the opposition Democratic Party spoke in support of the 65 Kosovo Liberation Army on Monday. Berisha called on the Albanian Government and the international community to follow suit. He added that the war in Kosovo was the prelude to a Balkan war. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 11, 1998) DEADLINE FOR MILOSEVIC 25 BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. Senior bureaucrats of several Contact Group countries have recommended that a deadline be set for Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to end violence in Kosovo... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 12, 1998) NATO THREATENS INTERVENTION BRUSSELS, BELGIUM. NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana said on Thursday that NATO would intervene in Kosovo with the approval of 25 the UN Security Council, if the conflict escalated... German Defence Minister Voker Ruehe said on Thrusday that air strikes by NATO to end the conflict in Kosovo would include 40 selected targets on the whole territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The German Minsiter said that such an action would be the last solution, but emphasised that NATO was making a detailed examination of such an operation. Ruehe declined to specify what targets would be involved. 45 British Defence Minister George Robertson also warned that Belgrade risked provoking a NATO military strike within days unless it called of its offensive in Kosovo. Robertson said the NATO defence ministers were increasingly in favour of military action, as Belgrade appeared to unwilling to solve the crisis by 50 political means. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 13, 1998. La "comunita' internazionale" chiede alla Jugoslavia di ritirare le truppe e la polizia dal Kosovo, come se non fosse territorio jugoslavo. Kinkel da' "buoni consigli" a Rugova) YUGOSLAVIA WARNS NATO BELGRADE, SERBIA. Deputy Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Lilic has 25 told media that if NATO forces intervene in Kosovo, the Yugoslav Army would treat them as invaders. Lilic said that Yugoslavia would then defend its territory with all available resources. Lilic was speaking after NATO souther European Commander Joseph Lopez said that NATO was ready to carry out air strike drills in 30 Macedonia and Albania. Lopez said that the Macedonian government had given permission for NATO to use Macedonian air space and that Albania had placed its airspace and airports at NATO's disposal. CONTACT GROUP WARNS MILOSEVIC LONDON, UK. The Contact Group, meeting in London, on Friday 35 demanded that Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic end all police and army operations in Kosovo... RUGOVA MEETS KINKEL 75 LONDON, UK. Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova met German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel in London on Friday. According to Beta agency, Kinkel demanded that Rugova persist with his policy of non-violence and resume negotiations. The German foreign minister warned that Kosovo Albanians must not be led to the use 80 of injustive because of the escalation of violance and provocations. Such injustice, said Kinkel, included the support of the militant Kosovo Liberation Army, which was allegedly financed by Albanians abroad, including in Germany... -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 18, 1998. Prime provocazioni della NATO ai confini della Jugoslavia. I colloqui Milosevic-Jelzin sono accolti con una alzata di spalle in Occidente. Nessun organo di stampa occidentale riporta le dichiarazioni di Milosevic alla conferenza stampa organizzata a Mosca per i giornalisti stranieri) GELBARD WARNING 55 BELGRADE, SERBIA. Special US Envoy for the Balkans, Robert Gelbard, said on Thursday that NATO was planning a new series of military exercises in the vicinity of Kosovo. Gelbard told media that certain Islamic radical groups had offered assistance to Albanian secessionists in Kosovo in their struggle for 60 independence. Gelbard announced that there would be more miltary exercises, including naval manoevres. Gelbard also said that NATO plans were devloping rapidly in accordance with the gravity of the situation. KINKEL: JUDGE BY DEEDS 65 BONN, GERMANY. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel on Wednesday described the Moscow talks as a step towards resolving the Kosovo crisis. However, he added, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic should be judged by deeds not words. Kinkel remarked that Belgrade had rarely kept its word. He said that the NATO decision on 70 military intervention would be based on what action Belgrade took from now on. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 19, 1998. Ventilando per la prima volta un possibile riconoscimento occidentale, il ministro della difesa francese scopre le carte. L'ELK esulta e spara.) 95 POSSIBLE WESTERN SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENCE PARIS, FRANCE. French Defence Minister Alain Richard said on Thursday that the major powers might support independence for Kosovo if Belgrade continued to block talks about Kosovo's autonomy. Richard said that the probability of Yugoslav President 100 Slobodan Milosevic keeping a united Serbia, with Kosovo as part of it was decreasing with each week of uncertainty. Richard added that the Contact Group had a range of military options which should persuade Milosevic to return to negotiations. -- (Open Yugoslavia, news by 14:00 CET, June 23, 1998. Missione a Belgrado per convincere Milosevic a dimenticarsi il Kosovo. Rugova a rapporto dal segretario generale della NATO. Preparativi di guerra.) HOLBROOKE AND HILL BELGRADE, SERBIA. Richard Holbrooke, the US's recently appointed ambassador to the UN, and US Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher 25 Hill will arrive on Tuesday afternoon in Belgrade to meet with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. State Department Spokesman James Rubin said on Monday evening that Holbrooke and Hill will tell Milosevic that he has no other choice but to comply with the Contact Group's demands. This includes the withdrawal of all 30 military and police forces from the violence-torn Kosovo province. The diplomatic duo will also meet ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova in Skopje on Tuesday. Following the meeting Rugova will then travel to Brussels to meets with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana. Holbrooke and Hill will then visit Pristina to 35 finish their triangular tour by meeting the G-15 negotiating team. On Monday, Holbrooke paid Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis an unannounced visit in Athens. News agency FoNet reports that Holbrooke was in town to give a lecture at a local college and took the opportunity for an impromptu talk with the Greek 40 diplomat. Greek media claims that this will be Washington's final diplomatic effort to solve the Kosovo crisis. If this mission fails, it is likely that NATO will move ahead with its plans for an armed intervention in the region. ALBANIA CLOSE TO WAR VIENNA, AUSTRIA. Albania has said that it is one step away from a 80 war with Yugoslavia. Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano was in Vienna on Monday to demand that NATO intervene in Serbia's southern Kosovo province. Nano told media that his country was already in a real war situation near its northern border with repercussions like casualties, refugees, material damages and a 85 increase in defence spending. Nano also said that his government had contacted the ``armed resistance'' in Kosovo. He did not however specify if it had been the Kosovo Liberation Army, saying that it was difficult to determine who was speaking on the Army's behalf. -- SPERIAMO DI SBAGLIARCI Concludiamo questa triste carrellata con una nota di commento. Abbiamo seguito con angoscia le questioni jugoslave in questi anni, e ci siamo convinti del fatto che la distruzione della SFRJ sia stata voluta ed agevolata dall'esterno. Ora sembra risolversi, nel peggiore dei modi (secessione, occupazione NATO, creazione di uno statarello fantoccio probabilmente autoritario, fuga dei serbi, odio interetnico) anche la situazione in Kosovo. Vorremmo sbagliarci, ma temiamo che le cose andranno proprio cosi': nel caso, chiediamo ai "compagni" che hanno appoggiato la causa antijugoslava fino ad oggi di risparmiarci le loro lacrime di coccodrillo, dopo. (Coordinamento Romano per la Jugoslavia, giugno 1998)