Voice of America, 98-09-06

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] U-S/KOSOVO (L-ONLY) BY PHILLIP SMUCKER (PRISTINA)

[01] U-S/KOSOVO (L-ONLY) BY PHILLIP SMUCKER (PRISTINA)

INTRO: FORMER U-S SENATOR BOB DOLE AND A TOP U-S GOVERNMENT HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL WERE IN KOSOVO SUNDAY, WHERE THEY VISITED A SITE OF A REPORTED MASS GRAVE AND SPOKE WITH ETHNIC ALBANIANS FLEEING THE FIGHTING. REPORTER PHILIP SMUCKER TRAVELLED WITH THE TWO MEN AND FILED THIS REPORT.

TEXT: FORMER SENATOR DOLE AND U-S HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL JOHN SHATTUCK SUNDAY TOURED THE DEVASTATION CAUSED BY THE WAR IN KOSOVO. MR. DOLE AND MR. SHATTUCK, WHO WERE SENT BY PRESIDENT CLINTON, MET REFUGEES WHO HAD FLED ALLEGED SERB ROUNDUPS OF MALE CIVILIANS. THEY ALSO VISITED A BULLDOZED GARBAGE DUMP SAID TO CONTAIN 40 ALBANIAN BODIES. MR. DOLE, WHO HEADS A SPECIAL COMMISSION ON MISSING PEOPLE IN THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA, CALLED ON THE YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO ALLOW INTERNATIONAL FORENSIC EXPERTS TO CONDUCT AUTOPSIES AND INVESTIGATIONS IN KOSOVO. STANDING BESIDE ONE REPORTED MASS GRAVE, MR. DOLE MENTIONED THE BOSTON-BASED "PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS" AS ONE ORGANIZATION THAT COULD DO THIS WORK.

THEY DO EXCELLENT WORK AND THEY CAN COME INTO AN AREA LIKE THIS AND DETERMINE THE FACTS: A) IF ANYONE IS BURIED HERE AND B) WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED TO THEM AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS NOT ONLY TRUE HERE BUT IN AREAS WHERE THE SERBS HAVE COMPLAINED.

ALBANIAN FAMILIES FLEEING THE LATEST ROUND OF SERBIAN ARMY AND POLICE SHELLING TOLD THE VISITING AMERICANS THAT MEN OF FIGHTING AGE ARE BEING ROUNDED UP BY SERB FORCES AND TAKEN AWAY TO UNKNOWN DETENTION AREAS. THE U-S ENVOYS PLEDGED TO RAISE THE ISSUE WITH MR. MILOSEVIC WHEN THEY MEET THE YUSOLAV LEADER MONDAY. MR. DOLE SAID THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD DO WHAT IT CAN TO STOP CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY FROM OCCURING IN KOSOVO.

AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN LEADERS HAVE PLEDGED NOT TO ALLOW THE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY WHICH WE WITNESSED IN BOSNIA, TO OCCUR IN KOSOVO. BUT FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN THIS WEEKEND SUCH CRIMES HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED OR ARE NOW HAPPENING. CLEARLY THERE IS A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER HERE THAT IS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING INTO A HUMANITARIAN CATASTROPHE OF TREMENDOURS PROPROTIONS...THIS IS A WAR AGAINST CIVILIANS FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES, SO I BELIEVE THE UNITED STATES AND OUR FRIENDS AND ALLIES THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE KOSOVO SITUATION MUST PRESS FOR A CEASEFIRE AND A WITHDRAWAL OF POLICE AND MILITARY FORCES.

ETHNIC ALBANIAN AND WESTERN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ASKING BELGRADE FOR MONTHS TO HAVE INTERNATIONAL FORENSIC SCIENTISTS BROUGHT INTO KOSOVO TO RESOLVE DISPUTES OVER ALLEGED ATROTICITIES. SO FAR, PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC HAS IGNORED VISA REQUESTS BY OUTSIDE FORENSIC EXPERTS TRYING TO VISIT KOSOVO. (SIGNED)
NEB/PS/WFR
06-Sep-98 5:17 PM EDT (2117 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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