Voice of America, 99-03-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] ALBRIGHT / KOSOVO (L) BY KYLE KING (LONDON)

[02] KOSOVO/HERO (L-ONLY) BY PHILIP SMUCKER (PREKAZ, KOSOVO)

[03] SWISS ARMY (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

[01] ALBRIGHT / KOSOVO (L) BY KYLE KING (LONDON)

INTRO: FORMER U-S SENATOR BOB DOLE SAYS HE EXPECTS ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADERS FROM KOSOVO TO SIGN THE WESTERN BACKED PEACE PLAN ON SUNDAY. FROM LONDON, V-O-A'S KYLE KING REPORTS.

TEXT: SENATOR DOLE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE U-S EMBASSY IN LONDON AFTER BRIEFING SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT ON HIS TALKS WITH KOSOVO ALBANIAN LEADERS. HE SAID ALL THE ETHNIC ALBANIAN FACTIONS SUPPORT THE DEAL, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY.

MR. DOLE CALLED THE DECISION TO ACCEPT THE PEACE PLAN A TOUGH ONE, BUT HE SAID HE EXPECTED THE ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADERSHIP TO SIGN THE DEAL AS PROMISED.

THEY INDICATED TO US MANY TIMES THEY WOULD KEEP THEIR WORD. I THINK THEY WILL KEEP THEIR WORD, THAT MEANS THEY WILL SIGN THE DOCUMENT TOMORROW (SUNDAY), THAT MEANS FROM THAT MOMENT ON THE PRESSURE WILL BE ON (YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT) SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO DO THE SAME.

NATO HAS THREATENED TO USE MILITARY FORCE AGAINST THE SERBS IF THEY REFUSE TO AGREE TO THE WESTERN-BACKED PLAN, WHICH WAS PRESENTED LAST MONTH AT PEACE TALKS IN FRANCE.

THE SERBS OBJECTED TO THE STATIONING OF NATO PEACEKEEPERS IN KOSOVO. THE ETHNIC ALBANIANS SAID THEY WANTED TIME TO CONSIDER THE DEAL.

A NATO PEACEKEEPING FORCE OF ABOUT 28-THOUSAND TROOPS WOULD TAKE OVER SECURITY FOR THREE YEARS. // END OPT //

U-S ENVOY CHRIS HILL, WHO WAS WITH SENATOR DOLE DURING FRIDAY'S MEETING WITH ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADERS, SAYS HE PLANS TO RETURN TO THE REGION SUNDAY TO SECURE THE AGREEMENT. THE NEXT ROUND OF PEACE TALKS BEGIN MARCH 15TH IN FRANCE.

IF IT IS APPROVED BY BOTH SIDES, MR. DOLE SAID IT WOULD BE A REAL TEST FOR THE ETHNIC ALBANIANS.

THEY HAVE A VERY SERIOUS RESPONSIBILITY TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY CAN GOVERN AND THAT THEY CAN TREAT MINORITIES AS THEY SHOULD BE TREATED.

U-S OFFICIALS TRAVELING WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALRBIGHT PRAISED SENATOR DOLE'S EFFORTS. THEY SAY THEY ARE ALSO CONSIDERING SENDING AN ENVOY TO BELGRADE, BUT NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE.

SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ROBIN COOK ALSO DISCUSSED THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT DURING A BRIEF MEETING OUTSIDE LONDON. MS. ALBRIGHT MADE THE UNSCHEDULED STOP IN LONDON ON HER WAY BACK HOME FROM A THREE NATION ASIAN TOUR. (SIGNED)
NEB/KBK/DW/GE
06-Mar-99 11:39 AM EST (1639 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] KOSOVO/HERO (L-ONLY) BY PHILIP SMUCKER (PREKAZ, KOSOVO)

INTRO: SEVERAL THOUSANDS ETHNIC ALBANIAN VILLAGERS ATTENDED A ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL FOR THE FALLEN LEADER OF THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY. VILLAGERS IN THE CENTRAL DRENICA DISTRICT OF KOSOVO SANG SONGS AND RE-ENACTED THE DEATH OF ADEM JASHARI AND HIS FAMILY. PHILIP SMUCKER HAS THIS REPORT.

TEXT: THOUSANDS OF VILLAGERS STREAMED OVER MUDDY HILLS AND VALLEYS TO HONOR THE FALLEN COMMANDER OF THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY, THE K-L-A.

THE NEW CHIEF OF THE REBEL ARMY PROMISED TO CARRY ON ADEM JASHARI'S INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA TO THE END. SULEYMAN -- "THE SULTAN" -- SELIMI WAS MAKING HIS FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE AS THE NEW K-L-A COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.

SPEAKERS PRAISED THEIR NEW LEADER FROM A WOODEN STAGE SET IN FRONT OF A COLORFUL MURAL EMBLAZONED WITH THE FACES OF MR. JASHARI AND HIS BROTHER, HAMZA, DEPICTED AS A TWO-HEADED BYZANTINE EAGLE. YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC WAS HELD IN THE EAGLE'S TALONS.

A PLAY RE-ENACTED BY SOLDIERS SHOWED ALBANIAN VILLAGERS LIVING IN FEAR OF SERB POLICE BUT TAKING UP ARMS TO DEFEND THEMSELVES.

IN THE PLAY, MR. JASHARI'S SPIRIT, IN THE FORM OF AN ACTOR, CAME BACK TO LIFE, VOWING TO FREE KOSOVO.

ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBEL LEADERS SAY THEY ARE READY TO ACCEPT A NATO-BACKED PEACE DEAL FOR KOSOVO. BUT THEY SAY THEY WILL NOT SURRENDER THEIR ARMS, AS REQUIRED IN THE WESTERN PLAN.

A NEW UPSURGE IN "TIT FOR TAT" CAFE ATTACKS BEGAN FRIDAY NIGHT IN KOSOVO'S MAJOR CITIES. SERBIAN POLICE HELD BACK JOURNALISTS AS THEY SIFTED THROUGH BROKEN GLASS INSIDE A PRISTINA CAFE LATE FRIDAY.

WITNESSES ON THE SCENE SAID THAT A GUNMAN HAD OPENED FIRE ON ETHNIC ALBANIAN MEN DRINKING TEA IN THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL. ONE DIED AND SEVEN WERE INJURED. IN THE WESTERN CITY OF PECE, SIX SERBS WERE LIGHTLY WOUNDED WHEN A GRENADE WAS THROWN THROUGH A CAFE WINDOW. (SIGNED)
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06-Mar-99 12:22 PM EST (1722 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] SWISS ARMY (L-ONLY) BY LISA SCHLEIN (GENEVA)

INTRO: HUNDREDS OF SWISS SOLDIERS HAVE MOVED INTO GENEVA TO PROTECT THE UNITED NATIONS, DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FROM POSSIBLE ATTACK BY KURDISH ACTIVISTS. LISA SCHLEIN REPORTS THAT GENEVA -- WHICH CALLS ITSELF "THE CITY OF PEACE" -- IS RAPIDLY TURNING INTO WHAT APPEARS TO BE AN ARMED MILITARY FORTRESS.

TEXT: AROUND 400 YOUNG SOLDIERS IN CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS, RIOT HELMETS AND ARMED WITH ASSAULT RIFLES LOST NO TIME IN SEALING OFF MANY OF GENEVA'S INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. THEIR ARRIVAL OVER THE PAST WEEK HAS BEEN GREETED WITH SIGHS OF RELIEF BY LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHO ASKED THE SWISS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO HELP GUARANTEE SECURITY AGAINST KURDISH EXILES, ARGUING THAT THE CITY'S POLICE FORCE WAS SERIOUSLY OVERSTRETCHED.

THE ACTION COMES IN THE WAKE OF THREATS -- BOTH REAL AND PERCEIVED -- FOLLOWING LAST MONTH'S ARREST OF KURDISH REBEL ABDULLAH OCALAN. JAILED ON AN ISOLATED ISLAND OFF ISTANBUL, HE AWAITS TRIAL BY TURKEY ON A VARIETY OF TERRORIST AND MURDER CHARGES.

LAST MONTH, UNARMED KURDS, PROTESTING THE OCALAN ARREST, BRIEFLY OCCUPIED THE GENEVA OFFICES OF THE UNITED NATIONS AND SEVERAL OTHER INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS. LAST WEEK, THE SWISS GOVERNMENT AGREED TO SEND UP TO TWO-THOUSAND SOLDIERS TO SWITZERLAND'S THREE LARGEST CITIES. GENEVA AND BERNE ACCEPTED THE OFFER. BUT, ZURICH REFUSED, SAYING IT FEARED HEAVILY ARMED SOLDIERS IN THE CENTER OF TOWN WOULD PROBABLY CREATE MORE HAVOC THAN ANYTHING KURDISH PROTESTERS COULD DO.

THE PRESENCE OF THE SWISS-GERMAN ARMY RECRUITS IN GENEVA HAS CREATED A CHORUS OF CRITICISM FROM ANTI-MILITARY GROUPS, LEFTISTS AND KURDS WHO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY. THEY SAY THE SECURITY BUILDUP WILL BACKFIRE AND POSSIBLY ENCOURAGE TERRORISM.

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