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Voice of America, 99-07-29

Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


CONTENTS

  • [01] KOSOVO INVESTIGATION (L ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)
  • [02] BALKAN ASSISTANCE (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)
  • [03] BALKANS SUMMIT PREVIEW (L/S VER) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)
  • [04] CLINTON-SARAJEVO (L-ONITER) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SARAJEVO)
  • [05] SUMMIT OPENS (L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)
  • [06] STABILITY SUMMIT ONITER (S&L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)
  • [07] ALBRIGHT/KOSOVO (L) BY NICK SIMEONE (PRISTINA, KOSOVO)
  • [08] ALBRIGHT - KOSOVO REACTION (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)
  • [09] U-S - YUGOSLAVIA (S ONLY) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)
  • [10] U-S YUGOSLAVIA (L) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)
  • [11] TRIBUNAL - CROATIA (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)
  • [12] YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES (L ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)
  • [13] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)
  • [14] KOSOVO PEACE FORCE BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)
  • [15] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

  • [01] KOSOVO INVESTIGATION (L ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252287
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: British military police investigators have detained three Albanian men in connection with the murders of 14 Serb farmers last Friday. Tim Belay reports from Pristina.

    TEXT: The three are in custody after NATO searches of houses in the rural region south of Pristina. Several men were brought in for questioning but released. The remaining three can be held for up to seven days. According to NATO, the area around Gracko had not been considered to be a major threat to the safe and secure Kosovo the alliance is working for. All that changed with the murders of 14 Kosovar Serb farmers Friday. NATO has stepped up security in the region. The effort is highlighted by a number of roadside checkpoints where vehicles are thoroughly searched for weapons.

    /// OPT ///

    The British paratroopers trying to keep the peace in and around Pristina say they have two types of patrols. One is called "determent," where they cover key arterial (i.e. major) routes and areas that may be potential places for trouble. The second type of patrol is called "reassurance" - a way to let local residents know that NATO is in the area. The alliance reports it conducted a "reassurance" patrol near the place where the killings happened five hours before the incident Friday night and found only quiet. /// END OPT /// The residents of Gracko had approached a local British infantry commander to arrange security, which was to begin the day after the massacre took place. Robin Clifford, a spokesman for the British forces that patrol the region, says the same soldiers who would have been deployed to guard the 14 Serb farmers last Saturday were the ones to discover their bodies. (Signed)
    NEB/TB/GE/KL 29-Jul-1999 08:27 AM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1227 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [02] BALKAN ASSISTANCE (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252313
    INTERNET=YES CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Several dozen mostly business executives attended a conference in Washington Thursday on Balkan reconstruction. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports the participants were concerned that U-S-based firms should get a fair share of the reconstruction business in Southeastern Europe.

    TEXT: With the European Union taking the lead in paying for Balkans reconstruction, American firms worry that they may be at a disadvantage in getting aid contracts. Robert Finke is an associate director of the U-S Chamber of Commerce. He says it would be a mistake to tie (or link) aid contracts to the countries providing most of financing. Mr. Finke points out it is often difficult to identify the nationality of multi-national corporations.

    // FINKE ACT //

    There is no way of telling who among the multi- nationals, for instance Daimler-Chrysler (a German and U-S company), represents what country. And when you have tied-aid it makes it very difficult for companies-particularly small ones-to get involved in the process. And small companies really should be the ones that benefit from the reconstruction process.

    // END ACT //

    Some of the corporate participants at this Washington conference are already present in Albania and Macedonia, countries adversely impacted by the war in Kosovo. Evergreen International, for example, is a U-S aviation services company that has based several helicopters at the Tirana (Albania) airport, ferrying relief supplies to refugees. Mark Meyer is a New York lawyer who heads the Romanian American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Meyer urges aid donors and business groups to combat the growing corruption that is blighting business activity in Romania and throughout the Balkans.

    // MEYER ACT //

    The issue of corruption is one that the business community is putting pressure on the (Romanian) government to deal with. The power of local mafias-and I don't want to mislead you, the problem is nothing like in the former Soviet Union, it is not physically dangerous. It is a business problem not a physical problem. But the problem must be addressed and the business community is actively involved in addressing it.

    // END ACT //

    The U-S business groups that sponsored this conference plan another to examine specific aid projects in mid- September. (signed) NEB/BDW/TVM/gm 29-Jul-1999 18:11 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2211 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [03] BALKANS SUMMIT PREVIEW (L/S VER) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252280
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Leaders from southeastern European countries are gathering in Sarajevo, Bosnia, for the so-called "stability summit" to discuss how they can ensure the region's stability. They will be joined on Friday (tomorrow) by leaders of the European Union, the United States and Japan to see what they can do to help. Correspondent Laurie Kassman is in the Bosnian capital and and files this report. Text: Balkan leaders arrive later in the day for an opening session of the summit. They will be looking at what it will take to stabilize the region and better integrate it into the rest of democratic Europe. The meeting comes one day after donor nations pledged more than two billion dollars to help rebuild Serbia's Kosovo province. But most leaders agree that rebuilding Kosovo is not enough to prevent more conflicts in the area. The summit here in Sarajevo should produce a so-called "stability pact," which commits the Balkan leaders to pursuing stability, democratic reforms, respect for human rights and economic development. President Clinton and his European colleagues will join the summit on Friday to see what they can do to help. The one leader who has NOT been invited is Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who is now considered a pariah in the region.

    ///CUT HERE FOR SHORT ///

    While U-S and other Nato leaders are ready to help rebuild Kosovo province, they reject any reconstruction aid for Serbia, as long as Mr. Milosevic remains in power. Still, the summit has extended an invitation to the reform-minded leader of Yugoslavia's other republic, Montenegro, which remained neutral during Nato's conflict with Mr. Milosevic. The full summit on Friday will last only about three hours and will probably not dwell on the financial details of restoring Balkans stability. But the symbolic get-together is expected to help launch projects -- especially from the European Union -- aimed at boosting investor confidence in the region. One of the priorities will be to help the so-called frontline states -- Albania and Macedonia -- which strained under the burden of caring for hundreds of thousands of Kosovar refugees. But other European trading partners, like Romania and Bulgaria, whose trade has been hard-hit by the stalled traffic on the Danube River are also high on the list for outside help. Dozens of cargo ships have been blocked by destroyed bridges now blocking the river route as it passes through Yugoslavia. European leaders say it is fitting the stability summit takes place in Sarajevo. For them, the city symbolizes the international cooperation to help rebild a war-torn society. Sarajevo also symbolizes the instability and turbulence that European and U-S leaders want to prevent. //rest opt// The shot that launched the century's first World War was fired in Sarajevo, and nearly 80 years later a four-year siege in the 1990's nearly destroyed it. (signed)
    NEB/LMK/PCF 29-Jul-1999 05:51 AM LOC (29-Jul-1999 0951 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [04] CLINTON-SARAJEVO (L-ONITER) BY DAVID GOLLUST (SARAJEVO)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252309
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:
    /// Eds: Clinton due to arrive in Sarajevo from Italy at 0700 UTC Friday (3 a-m EDT) ///

    INTRO: President Clinton is joining leaders from some 30 countries in the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, for the Security Pact Summit -- a gathering aimed at speeding economic recovery and political reform in the Balkans region in the wake of the Kosovo conflict. V-O-A's David Gollust has details from Sarajevo.

    TEXT: The summit venue is the Olympic arena in Sarajevo that was wrecked by Serb shelling in 1992 but restored with international help in a symbol of Bosnia's recovery from its of civil war. The summit follows the donors' conference in Brussels this week that yielded two-billion dollars in pledges for reconstruction in Kosovo. And it is intended to give a formal structure to the Southeast Europe Stability Pact, signed in Cologne [Germany] in June, for broader rebuilding in the Balkans and the economic and political integration of the region with the rest of Europe. Montenegro is taking part in the summit, but its Yugoslav Federation partner, Serbia, is not. White House National Security Adviser Sandy Berger says there can be no role for Belgrade as long as Slobodan Milosevic -- the initiator of multiple Balkans conflicts -- remains in power:

    /// BERGER ACT ///

    One of the most important elements of Friday will be the empty chair. I doubt whether we'll have an empty chair literally, but we'll have an empty chair figuratively. Serbia will be the only country not there -- the only country not part of an enterprise that means rebuilding, and rebirth, and growth and better lives for the people of the region.

    /// END ACT ///

    Mr. Berger says he hopes the message of the empty chair will not be lost on the Serb people, most of whom he says believe Mr. Milosevic has "led them down a path of destruction" that includes four wars and a ruined economy. Serb opposition figures have been invited to the summit, though U-S officials say fomenting insurrection in Serbia is not one of their aims. President Clinton is visiting a Serbian Orthodox church in Sarajevo. According to Mr. Berger, this is a gesture underscoring U-S support for ethnic reconciliation in the Balkans and respect for Serb culture and tradition. The venue for the President's main speaking appearance of the day will be at a multi-ethnic Sarajevo high school, being rebuilt with U-S aid. The school will open soon (at the end of the summer) with a student body that includes Croat and Serb returnees to the mainly-Muslim city. (signed)
    NEB/DAG/WTW 29-Jul-1999 17:02 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2102 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [05] SUMMIT OPENS (L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2252297
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: The Balkans Stability Summit has opened (Thursday evening) with a meeting of the region's leaders to look at how they will pursue stability, economic development, and integration. European, U-S and Japanese leaders will join them to see what they can do to help. V-O-A Correspondent Laurie Kassman reports from the summit in Sarajevo.

    TEXT: In his opening remarks, the European Union's current president - Finnish leader Martti Ahtisaari - calls the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe a turning point for the Balkans and for Europe.

    /// AHTISAARI ACT ///

    It is no longer sufficient to respond to each crisis on an ad hoc basis. To ensure sustainable peace we must build on a comprehensive vision of longer-term democratic governance, economic growth and security co- operation.

    /// END ACT ///

    But the special Stability Pact Coordinator, Germany's Bodo Hombach, says the path toward integration is a two-way street. He spoke through an interpreter.

    /// HOMBACH INTERPRETER ACT ///

    This is all about reciprocity. The international community will match the scale of its commitment in Southeastern Europe to the strength of the political will manifested by each and every country in the region to themselves establish the conditions for further democratization, the development of a civil society, a favorable environment for trade and investment, good neighborly relations, and regional cooperation.

    /// END ACT ///

    The meeting brings together leaders of the Balkan states for a first round of discussions to see what They can do to improve regional relations and smooth the way for integration into European markets and institutions. The head of the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro is here by special invitation. In his opening remarks to the conference, Alija Izetbegovic of Bosnia's Presidency makes the point that Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is not here. He spoke through an interpreter.

    /// IZETBEGOVIC INTERPRETER ACT ///

    It is with regret that I have to state that the current Belgrade regime was an obstacle to the citizens of Serbia to be equally represented at this summit and to be included in this joint undertaking. We are all interested that Serbia achieves necessary improvement in the democracy and in human rights developments and takes the place which belongs to it in the region.

    /// END ACT ///

    U-S and other NATO leaders say there will be no help for Serbia as long as Mr. Milosevic remains in power. The expanded summit on Friday, which includes European, U-S, and Japanese leaders, will not dwell on the financial details of what it will take to restore Balkans stability and development. But Mr. Izetbegovic says just the fact that such a meeting is taking place at all is enough encouragement for now. (signed) NEB/LMK/JWH/gm 29-Jul-1999 13:32 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1732 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [06] STABILITY SUMMIT ONITER (S&L) BY LAURIE KASSMAN (SARAJEVO)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252302
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: The Stability Summit for the Balkans expands today (Friday) to include leaders from Europe, the United States, Japan, Russia and international organizations to see how they can help the region pursue security and economic development. On Thursday, the region's leaders met to discuss some initiatives to achieve those goals. In all, more than 40 leaders are attending. Correspondent Laurie Kassman has the details in Sarajevo

    TEXT: The first rounds of discussion have focussed on new initiatives to foster regional cooperation and integration. The Stability Pact Special Coordinator, Bodo Humbach of Germany, will set up three working groups by next October to focus on the summit's priority areas: economic development, regional security, and democratic reforms. Mr. Humbach considers economic development an important tool for advancing political reforms and says special emphasis should be put on stimulating small and medium businesses throughout the Balkans. Other projects will include regional transport links and closer trade ties with the European Union. The regional leaders carried on their discussions during a working dinner. They will be joined later in the day by U-S President Bill Clinton and his European colleagues to see what they can do to help the region achieve its goals.

    /// REST OPT FOR LONG VERSION ///

    The notable absence at the summit is Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is considered a pariah in the region. In contrast, the reform-minded leader of the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro is attending the conference. And, the European Union's current president, who is chairing the summit, justifies his invitation to a former Central Bank chief and Milosevic opponent on the grounds his economic expertise is an asset. Summit leaders insist the Stability Pact is not aimed at building a wall around Serbia but signing onto the pact requires a commitment to democratic reforms, which they say is not possible as long as Mr. Milosevic remains in power.(signed) Neb/lk/gm 29-Jul-1999 16:07 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2007 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [07] ALBRIGHT/KOSOVO (L) BY NICK SIMEONE (PRISTINA, KOSOVO)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252303
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Several thousand cheering Kosovars have heard Secretary of State Madeleine Albright call for tolerance as the Serb republic rebuilds from war. Correspondent Nick Simeone reports from Pristina she was given a hero's welcome on her first visit to Kosovo since the end of the war while getting a first hand glimpse of what still needs to be done to secure the peace.

    // CROWDS CHANTING //

    TEXT: They waited in the hot sun for hours, in the streets and even on the ledges of nearby buildings. Some waved American flags. Others chanted the name of the woman these Kosovars consider a hero.

    // SOUNDS OF CHANTING ALBRIGHT, ALBRIGHT, ALBRIGHT //
    This rally may have shown the heartfelt appreciation that Kosovo's ethnic Albanians have for NATO's victory over the Serb army. But nearly everywhere she went on her day long Kosovo visit were reminders of how fragile the peace is and how raw the ethnic tensions are that still divide Albanians from Serbs. Her only public appearance was nearly cancelled after gunfire erupted in the crowd, sending NATO peace keepers and the Secretary Albright's own security detail scrambling to keep the rally under control. But with NATO peacekeepers on the ground, on rooftops and in helicopters hovering overhead, she waded into the crowd and delivered her message of the day: that normal life can not return to Kosovo without tolerance from all sides.

    // ALBRIGHT ACT //

    Now, I have to tell you there are those who say Kosovo will never escape its past. They say that you will act toward the Serbs as the Serb military and police acted toward you. That you will make it impossible for Serbs to live in Kosovo. These critics point to tragedies such as the cowardly murder this past week of 14 Serbs in Gracko and they say see, we are right. The Kosovo Albanians are no better than Milosevic. Today, I want to make a prediction: that you will prove those critics wrong.

    // END ACT //

    It was a message meant for Kosovo's minority Serb population just as much as it was for the crowd of ethnic Albanians gathered here.

    // SECOND ALBRIGHT ACT //

    Democracy can not be built on revenge and you will not have the support of the world if you are intolerant and take the law into your own hands.

    // END ACT //

    After a meeting with Kosovo Liberation Army leader Hashim Thaci, it was on to one of Kosovo's Serb strongholds, and a monastery in the town of Grachanitsa and a meeting with the the Archbishop of the Serbian Orthodox church. Outside, supporters of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic gathered, yelling "this is serbia', an effort by Serbs to let her know they still look to Belgrade and not NATO as the rightful authority in Kosovo. Serb civilians later reportedly stormed the monastery grounds, angry that the archbishop would meet with her. One U-S official says the Serbian archbishop told Secretary Albright about revenge attacks against Serbs being carried out by ethnic Albanians. A nun at the monastery said another war is just beginning. We hope NATO will now protect us. (Signed)
    NEB/NJS/TVM/PT 29-Jul-1999 15:44 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1944 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [08] ALBRIGHT - KOSOVO REACTION (L-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (PRISTINA)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252304
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: (U-S) Secretary of State Madeleine Albright received a hero's welcome in Pristina Thursday, but one part of her message may have fallen on deaf ears. Tim Belay reports from Kosovo's capital.

    TEXT:

    /// SFX: CHEERS FOR MS. ALBRIGHT ///

    It is no secret that Ms. Albright is popular here. A fancy mural in the southeastern Kosovo city of Gjillane pays tribute to a number of Western leaders for their intervention in the province and proclaims the secretary of state to be "the mother of Kosovar Albanians. An estimated two-thousand people turned out to see Ms. Albright. They cheered when she said Kosovo would no longer be a place for police to break down doors in the middle of the night. But when she said that democracy can not be built on revenge, the crowd responded with silence. Kosovar Serbs on Wednesday buried 14 men who were apparently ambushed last Friday night as they finished a day of harvesting hay. Speculation on the identity of the killers has focused on the possibility they were vengeful ethnic Albanians. Aferdita Kelmeni, the director of Pristina's independent radio (TV-21), says it is too early for the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to think about living peacefully with Kosovar Serbs.

    /// KELMENI ACT ///

    After all that what happened people still are in a shock. They are still in a position to think why this happened and they are very angry -- very angry -- as all of us, we are, because every day we are seeing these mass graves, counting the dead people.

    /// END ACT ///

    Mrs. Kelmeni says most ethnic Albanians still think all Serbs are the same, because many saw their Serbian neighbors supporting the policies of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. (signed)
    NEB/TB/TVM/WTW 29-Jul-1999 16:22 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2022 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [09] U-S - YUGOSLAVIA (S ONLY) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252314
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: The Clinton administration's special Balkan envoy says the Yugoslav opposition is unlikely to oust President Slobodan Milosevic unless its leaders join forces, and put their personal differences aside. V- O-A's David Swan has details.

    TEXT: Testifying on Capitol Hill (Thursday), Ambassador Robert Gelbard voiced doubts about the chances for democratic government in Belgrade anytime soon. Despite some positive signs, he says, the opposition remains sharply divided while Mr. Milosevic still holds the levers of power. Mr. Gelbard makes it clear there are limits to U-S or allied help for the president's foes.

    // GELBARD ACT //

    I have repeatedly told opposition leaders, and I want to emphasize here, that the United States and the international community more broadly, can not do their job for them. Change in Serbia must come from within.

    // END ACT //

    However, the ambassador says Washington will keep working to isolate Mr. Milosevic. A measure now pending in Congress would provide 100-million dollars to strengthen democratic forces. (signed) NEB/DS/TVM/gm 29-Jul-1999 18:42 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2242 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [10] U-S YUGOSLAVIA (L) BY DAVID SWAN (CAPITOL HILL)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252312
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: The Clinton administration has issued a challenge to Yugoslav opposition forces to put their egos and differences aside and focus on toppling President Slobodan Milosevic. V-O-A's David Swan reports from Capitol Hill.

    TEXT: Balkan special envoy Robert Gelbard says the United States will keep trying to isolate the Yugoslav leader and strengthen those working against him. But in a Senate hearing (Thursday), he stressed there are limits to what Washington can do, that change must come from within.

    // Gelbard Act //

    We can buttress the opposition's efforts. We can provide training and technical assistance to opposition parties. We can even provide equipment and we can help widen the reach of the independent media. But we can not win the hearts and minds of the Serbian people.

    // End Act //

    The ambassador delivered a blunt critique of Serb opposition leaders, calling them fractious, far from united, and suggesting some of them may have not learned from past mistakes.

    // Gelbard Act //

    Where they allowed their egos, personal differences and perhaps even some ideological differences to get in the way from achieving the ultimate goal that they all say they desire.

    // End Act //

    Mr. Gelbard says if opposition groups can not form a single front, they should at least build a loose coalition and work for a democratic government. But Democratic (party) Senator Joseph Biden dismissed the idea that democracy might soon emerge in Belgrade. Mr. Biden, one of the Serb president's toughest critics, says it would be his dream to visit Mr. Milosevic in prison.

    // Biden Act //

    The most likely thing to do is nail the son-of- a-gun by literally going in and getting him and dragging him to (the war crimes tribunal at) the Hague. If we had a brain in our collective heads that's what we would do, literally not figuratively. But we're not going to do that.

    // End Act //

    Meanwhile, lawmakers are trying to bring more pressure to bear on Mr. Milosevic. A pending bill in the Senate would authorize 100-million dollars to promote democracy in Yugoslavia and tighten sanctions on the Serb government. (Signed)
    NEB/DS/TVM/PT 29-Jul-1999 18:00 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2200 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [11] TRIBUNAL - CROATIA (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)

    DATE=7/28/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252272
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Tensions between Croatia and the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal continue to mount as prosecutors decided Wednesday to take Croatia to the U-N Security Council for failing to cooperate with their investigations. Lauren Comiteau reports from the Hague. Text: The tribunal's chief prosecutor, Louise Arbour, called it "her tool of last resort." Using her most potent legal weapon, Louise Arbour asked the war crimes tribunal's president to report Croatia to the Security Council for illegally hampering her investigation. Ms. Arbour says for three years she's been trying to get information from Zagreb, most notably for investigations into "Operation Storm." That 1995 Croatian military offensive took back Serb-held land in Croatia and led to the expulsion of at least 200-thousand Serbs. Croatia says it will not hand over any documents relating to "Operation Storm" because it was an internal matter, and the tribunal has no jurisdiction to investigate. It's an argument, says Ms. Arbour, that's been made by others, namely, Serbia.

    /// ARBOUR ACT ///

    I'm not attempting to make any comparisons between "Operation Storm" and the events in Kosovo. I'm simply pointing out that it's exactly the same legal position of a state unilaterally characterizing an event in legal terms so as to defeat the prosecutors' entitlement to investigate.

    /// END ACT ///

    Ms. Arbour's request for action from the war crimes tribunal president comes during a week of highly-publicized confrontations between Croatia and the tribunal. Prosecutors, in another case here, argued in court this week that Croatia's president, Franjo Tudjman, was behind the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims in the early 1990's. That led to charges from Zagreb that the court is politically motivated, a charge prosecutor Arbour vigorously denies. (signed) NEB/LC/TVM/PT/WTW 28-Jul-1999 21:55 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 0155 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [12] YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES (L ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252298
    INTERNET=YES CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: A prosecutor at the Yugoslav war crimes Tribunal says his office intends to indict Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes committed during the Bosnian conflict. President Milosevic -- along with four of his top officials--has already been indicted for war crimes in Kosovo. Lauren Comiteau in The Hague reports on the clearest sign yet that war crimes prosecutors are building another case against the Yugoslav leader for the Bosnian war.

    TEXT: When prosecutors indicted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in May for war crimes in Kosovo, they made it clear they would expand the charges against him when they had more evidence. There's been much speculation if any new charges would include war crimes committed in Bosnia--a speculation that deputy prosecutor Graham Blewitt put to rest today in an interview with myself and Chicago Tribune senior writer Charles Madigan.

    /// MADIGAN / BLEWITT ACT ///

    (Madigan) If you could, would you expand the indictment to include Bosnia? (Blewitt) It's our intention to do that. It won't be an expansion of the existing indictment. It will be a separate indictment.

    /// END ACT ///

    A separate indictment, says Mr. Blewitt, because there will likely be different people charged with President Milosevic for war crimes in Bosnia than those charged in the current--or any expanded--Kosovo indictment. There's no word yet when war crimes prosecutors will have enough evidence to bring those charges. But Mr. Blewitt says a recent ruling in a separate case here that the war in Bosnia was an international one -- with Belgrade pulling the strings -- makes it easier for prosecutors to indict President Milosevic for Bosnian war crimes. Asked if prosecutors had any intention to also indict Croatian President Franjo Tudjman for his role in the Bosnian conflict -- a subject of much media speculation lately -- Mr. Blewitt was more circumspect, but hinted that it was. If they have enough evidence to stand up in court, says Graham Blewitt, they'll indict any leader -- political or military. (signed) NEB/lc/gm 29-Jul-1999 14:01 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1801 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [13] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
    NUMBER=2-252310
    CONTENT=
    VOICED AT:

    INTRO: Stock prices in the United States were down sharply today (Thursday) as Wall Street worried about inflation and higher interest rates. VOA Business Correspondent Breck Ardery reports from New York.

    TEXT: The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed at 10- thousand-791, down 180 points, or almost two percent. The Standard and Poor's 500 index closed at 13- hundred-41, down 24 points. The NASDAQ index lost more than two percent. The selling was triggered by the government's Employment Cost Index - or E-C-I. It shows that U-S labor costs rose in the second quarter at their fastest rate in eight years. Analysts say that could cause inflationary pressures as companies raise prices to compensate for higher labor costs. U-S central bank Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly said the central bank will move quickly to raise short-term interest rates to dampen inflationary pressures. Governors of the central bank are next scheduled to consider the interest rate question on August 24th. The bond market fell along with stocks causing long-term interest rates to rise.

    /// REST OPT ///

    Larry Wachtel of the Prudential Investment Company says that with recent record highs in many averages, the stock market was already vulnerable to any negative economic news.

    /// WACHTEL ACT ///

    That is why the response to the E-C-I is larger than life. The numbers (employment cost) were not really a tremendous surprise but the market is so vulnerable here that anything can bring it down.

    /// END ACT ///

    A-T and T, the largest telecommunications company in the United States, reported a better than eight percent increase in quarterly profits. The company cited increased demand for its wireless telephone and data services as the main reasons for the profit jump. M-C-I Worldcom, the nation's second largest telecommunications firm, reported its quarterly profits almost tripled because of rising revenues and lower costs. The Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company enjoyed an almost 10 percent rise in earnings with increased revenues from Asian markets. But Daimler-Chrysler, the German-American auto corporation, says its earnings fell by a fraction of a percent in the latest quarter. The news took analysts by surprise and Daimler's stock was down almost eight percent. The troubles at the Waste Management Company continue. The stock of the largest garbage disposal firm in the United States dropped another 17 percent after the company reduced its earnings forecasts. In the past month, the stock of Waste Management has lost more than 50 percent of its value. The New York Stock Exchange has fined three specialist firms a total of 770-thousand dollars for rule infractions. Specialists must stand ready to buy or sell stock in an effort to maintain what is called an "orderly market." Two of the firms were fined for mis- pricing stocks, the third was disciplined for failure to disclose relevant information about a stock. (signed) NEB/BA/LSF/TVM/gm 29-Jul-1999 17:20 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2120 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America

    [14] KOSOVO PEACE FORCE BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=WORLD OPINION ROUNDUP
    NUMBER=6-11404
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
    TELEPHONE=619-3335
    CONTENT=

    INTRO: The murder of 14 Serbian farmers near the tiny village of Gracko, while harvesting their crop, has again turned the world's press attention to the topic of whether K-FOR can really keep the peace in Yugoslavia's war-torn Kosovo province. We get a sampling of global press viewpoints on that now from _________in this World Opinion Roundup.

    TEXT: It is not yet known who killed the Serb farmers, who ranged in age from teenagers to old men, but suspicion has focused on possible renegades from the Kosovo Liberation Army or K-L-A. This is the worst violence since the end of the NATO bombing of Kosovo province several months ago, but it is by no means the first of what NATO forces fear are reprisal attacks by angry Kosovar Albanians for the deaths of thousands of their countrymen during the Serbian military campaign. Nevertheless, this massacre at Gracko has focused the world's attention on the question of whether NATO troops, not specifically trained as police, and not yet at full strength, can maintain the peace in an area where two populations have as much mutual hatred as the Serbs and ethnic-Albanians. We begin our sampling in Zagreb, Croatia, where Vjesnik ran this analysis:

    VOICE: K-FOR'S imperial mandate, led by the United States, could easily turn into a complete failure if similar executions continue ... If the division according to ethnic criteria soon becomes standard practice, K-FOR will not succeed in its fundamental intention: to preserve Kosovo as an undivided administrative entity.

    TEXT: Turning now to the neighboring nation of Slovenia, we see in Dnevnik, from Ljubljana,this:

    VOICE: If NATO thinks that its tactical [and] strategic goals have been achieved ... its analyses are as incomplete as the Pentagon's maps of Belgrade. The mathematical result of the critical mass necessary for [Yugoslavian President Slobodan] Milosevic's deposition does not work in the case of Serbia...

    TEXT: In Western Europe, Britain's Independent, in London, suggests hopefully that critics should look at the big picture as well as at the massacre:

    VOICE: If we take stock of the Kosovo conflict ... we must conclude that it has turned out far better than anyone could have hoped. What is more extraordinary is that by the end of last week, the UNHCR reported that 720-thousand refugees had returned to Kosovo, which must be nearly all of them. . It was never going to be easy for outsiders to run a province so riven by historic hatreds, and it was never going to be easy to organize the return of the best part of a million people. But so far the achievement on both fronts has been heroic, and we should pay tribute to all concerned.

    TEXT: Across the channel, in Paris, the French Roman Catholic paper La Croix however is very upset at the killings.

    VOICE: General Mike Jackson, did not exclude . the fact that the killing of 14 Serb peasants might be part of an evil plan to oust the Serbs from Kosovo. An Albanian-like ethnic cleansing which, if it were ...confirmed, would be as unacceptable as that done [editors: implied "earlier"] by Belgrade . No matter what, Kosovo seems to be about to become mono-ethnic.

    TEXT: In the South of Germany, Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung despairs of the new killings, as well as the older ones:

    VOICE: A war was waged for a just cause ... At issue were morality, humanity, and a fairer, better world . but now the war is over ... and what is happening in Kosovo? While dead Albanians are recovered from mass graves, Serbs are being buried as the latest victims of a new massacre ... The West obviously forgot to include the protection of the Serbs in the catalogue of tasks for the international protection force. ... When trying to find out what went wrong, we see the cardinal mistake of the West ... cooperation with the K-L-A which bordered on camaraderie .

    TEXT: An expansion of that German theme from Prague was in the Czech Republic's Pravo, which opined:

    VOICE: The massacre in Gracko is fatally frustrating for the international community ... A double standard approach taken by the West to the two communities in Kosovo ... and, especially, the incomprehensible reluctance as regards disarmament of the K-L-A will lead toward another ethnic cleansing, this time in different colors .

    TEXT: To the East, in Turkey, where like the Albanians, the Turks are non Arabic islamic people, the Star writes:

    VOICE: After the massacre of 14 Serbian farmers in a Kosovo town ... Albanians have emerged as the potential suspects. This type of incident is not doing any good to the honor of the Albanians. The KLA should cooperate with NATO to find the murderers. Otherwise, like the Serbs, the Albanians will be categorized as murderers.

    TEXT: In Asia, Beijing's Youth Daily writes from the Chinese capital:

    VOICE: The international peacekeeping troops have failed to bring genuine peace to Kosovo and, instead caused a new exodus of refugees. As long as the West ... favors the KLA, ethnic reconciliation in Kosovo will remain hopeless.

    TEXT: And in Ho Chi Minh City's Young Communist Federation daily Tyuoi Tre, from Vietnam, we read:

    VOICE: The bodies of 13 Serbs were found in a circle near a harvester on a dirt track, not far from the Gracko village and the K-L-A headquarters. This massacre was caused by ... the inconsistency of K-FOR behavior in Kosovo. ...Serbs are living with no protection despite the presence of thousands of international troops ... At present, they are powerless to halt a continuous wave of violence. The aim for a Kosovo of peace, stability, and multi- ethnicity seems to be more futile than ever.

    TEXT: With those comments from a nation that has known a devastating war itself, at the end of this century, we conclude this World Opinion roundup on the reaction to the massacre of Serb farmers near Gracko, Kosovo. NEB/ang/gm NEB/WTW/ 29-Jul-1999 17:02 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 2102 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America


    [15] THURSDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

    DATE=7/29/1999
    TYPE=U-S EDITORIAL DIGEST
    NUMBER=6-11401
    EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
    TELEPHONE=619-3335
    CONTENT=

    INTRO: Wesley Clark, the general who led NATO forces against the Yugoslav military of Slobodan Milosevic, is being removed from his NATO Commander's post early, and that is causing a furor in the nation's press. There are other editorials about the post-war situation in Kosovo; while others deal with China trade, // OPT //and a new trade pact with Vietnam. // END OPT // The Space Shuttle is safely home, but NASA budget cuts are drawing comments, as is the on-going failure of this country to pay its U-N debt. And lastly, more tributes to Morocco's King Hassan and the U-S cancer survivor who won the Tour de France. Now, here is ___________ with a closer look and some excerpts in today's Editorial Digest.

    TEXT: The New York Post is furious about General Clark's early reassignment, noting:

    VOICE: Why is [General] Clark getting an early ax? If you believe the spin [explanatory comments] coming from the Pentagon and the White House, the move was instigated out of a desire to keep Air Force General Joseph ... Ralston, the current vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in uniform by making him [General] Clark's successor. They're lying, of course. [General] Clark committed the crime of honesty, and honesty just can't be tolerated in Clinton- land. ... [General] Clark won a war with his hands practically tied behind his back. He took the heat [criticism] for the Clinton administration's dithering while arguing all the while for the right thing -- a coordinated land and air attack. For unwillingness to ... just go along with the Clinton non-strategy, he is no longer welcome in this administration.

    TEXT: The Washington Post is also upset.

    VOICE: // OPT // ... General Clark wanted to use his authority to actually accomplish something. He understood early on, when most of his superiors were desperate to avoid any involvement in Kosovo, that empty threats would not impress Slobodan Milosevic but would destroy NATO as an effective alliance. ... The Pentagon defends its decision in his case as a normal rotation. But // END OPT // the abrupt announcement of his early removal can only undermine the administration's ostensible commitment to bring peace to the Balkans.

    TEXT: As regards the post-war situation in Kosovo, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is shocked at the recent killing of 14 Serb farmers.

    VOICE: .. NATO and other peacekeepers, United Nations officials and war-crimes investigators can and must take steps to minimize such violence. That includes holding the Kosovo Liberation Army accountable if its forces were involved, even if they acted without authorization. ... Continued anti-Serbian atrocities would undercut that position [that Serbian sovereignty is still in place] and perhaps embolden Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to try to send his forces back.

    /// OPT ///

    TEXT: The Tulsa [Oklahoma] World agrees that settling scores must stop if peace is to be attained.

    VOICE: Revenge is a powerful motivator. But if peace in Kosovo has any chance at all, the Kosovars must set aside their hatred. Taking the law into their own hands is not the answer.

    /// END OPT ///

    TEXT: Turning to the Orient, a House [of Representatives] vote to grant China continued normal trade relations draws a comment from The San Francisco Chronicle, which begins with this quote.

    VOICE: "We have been called off the path of freedom by the siren song of the cash register," declared Represent David Wu, Democrat of Oregon, the first Chinese-American to serve in the house. ... [Mr.] Wu was correct ... but there is also the hard reality that China is an emerging economic and military superpower the West can only ignore at its own peril.

    TEXT: On New York's Long Island, Newsday says passing the trade accord over Republican objections was good.

    VOICE: Orderly trade relations will help, not hinder, negotiations on the thorny issues that divide the two nations, such as arms control, human rights and Taiwan.

    TEXT: The Washington Times is not happy with the vote, noting current problems with Beijing.

    VOICE: Relations between China and the United States have been particularly rocky this year, and yet we seem capable of forgiving and forgetting almost anything. There have been the revelations of Chinese espionage in the U-S nuclear labs. ... Tentative steps towards political liberalization were reversed prior to the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, and efforts to register independent political parties were rewarded with lengthy prison sentences and exile. "Engagement" as a policy is predicated on reciprocity. If the White house can not deal with that concept, Congress ought to explain it to Beijing.

    /// OPT ///

    TEXT: On another Asian trade matter, there is more praise for a newly agreed-upon trade pact between the United States and Vietnam. The Pittsburgh Post- Gazette suggests that it...

    VOICE: ... promises to help close the rift in a practical way. The trade pact, which took three years to negotiate, was hailed by President Clinton as a "major step forward for both countries." ... Geopolitically, a friendly relationship with Vietnam would be a handy counter-weight to China, which Vietnam has historically viewed with fear and suspicion.

    /// END OPT ///

    TEXT: Here at home, the latest Shuttle mission, piloted by the first woman Shuttle commander, Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins, has ended safely despite problems on lift off, including a leak of the spacecraft's hydrogen fuel. That draws this comment from The Kansas City Star:

    VOICE: After the Shuttle safely returned ... Bill Gerstenmaier, Shuttle manager, conceded the leak and a[n electrical] short-circuit five seconds into the flight were "significant failures." ... There was also a liquid-oxygen fuel shortage that was potentially life- threatening. ... NASA has given the impression ... it took no chances with this mission. But the cavalier dismissal of the problems, which could have led to an emergency landing or worse, is troublesome.

    TEXT: Today's Los Angeles Times, meanwhile, is fuming about a Congressional cut in NASA's budget.

    VOICE: America's record budget surplus has left the nation more able than ever to reach for the stars, but to the astonishment of scientists, a House appropriations subcommittee on Monday approved a spending bill that ... takes a one- point-four-billion-dollar bite [reduction] out of NASA's budget. That's 11 percent. ... Members of the full House Appropriations Committee should restore NASA's funding...

    TEXT: And in another comment about budgetary matters, The Houston Chronicle is still chafing about this country's over-due U-N debt.

    VOICE: That our country owes more than one- billion dollars to the United Nations and refuses to pay it is shameful and unworthy of this great nation. ... This country's leadership in the United Nations and its influence over key U-N policies and programs are jeopardized by the fact that we won't pay what we legally owe.

    ///OPT ///

    TEXT: In another Asian development, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin is upset about delays in compensation for human-rights abuses in the Philippines.

    TEXT: A Philippine court has blocked the transfer of funds to thousands of victims of human-rights abuses during the Ferdinand Marcos dictatorship. The intent was to protect further efforts to recover millions of dollars stolen by the Marcoses, but the result will be to postpone indefinitely the victims' compensation.

    ///END OPT ///

    TEXT: More tributes to Morocco's King Hassan the Second, this time from The Providence [Rhode Island] Journal:

    VOICE: The funeral ... of Morocco's king, Hassan the Second, was an appropriate venue for talks between Israel's prime minister and Arab leaders attending the rites in Rabat. [King] Hassan was a consistent and energetic supporter of efforts to produce peace in the Middle East. ... [His] son and successor, King Mohammed the Sixth, inherits a throne that is respected, but an economy that is far too weak to fill the needs of his countrymen, the majority of whom are under 25 [years of age.] ... So America should give moral support to democratization, and economic aid to help stabilize the nation.

    TEXT: And lastly, more plaudits for the American cancer survivor, Lance Armstrong, who won the grueling Tour de France last weekend, from today's Omaha [Nebraska] World-Herald.

    VOICE: Who could fail to be inspired by the story of a 24-year-old who is diagnosed with testicular cancer that has spread to his abdomen, lungs and brain ... and who three years later wins the Tour de France? ... By most medical standards, [Mr.] Armstrong in 1996 was a walking dead man who could logically be expected to tidy up his worldly affairs and await the inevitable. But after two bouts of aggressive surgery and three months of chemotherapy, he got back on his beloved bicycle and began to train again as never before. ... What he has achieved athletically, he did on the strength of something very special in his inner being.

    TEXT: On that note, we conclude this sampling of comment from Thursday's U-S press.
    NEB/ANG/WTW 29-Jul-1999 12:21 PM LOC (29-Jul-1999 1621 UTC)
    NNNN
    Source: Voice of America


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