Voice of America, 99-07-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] ARBOUR / BALKANS TRIP (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)

[02] COHEN-MONTENEGRO (L-ONLY) BY JIM RANDLE (OSLO, NORWAY)

[03] KOSOVO-BODIES (S-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (LJUBENIC, KOSOVO)

[04] KOSOVO-BODIES UPDATE (S-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (LJUBENIC, KOSOVO)

[05] NATO / RUSSIA (L-ONLY) BY JIM RANDLE (BUDAPEST)

[01] ARBOUR / BALKANS TRIP (L-ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)

INTRO: SIX MONTHS AFTER BEING REFUSED ENTRY INTO KOSOVO, THE CHIEF PROSECUTOR OF THE YUGOSLAV WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL WILL FINALLY GET TO SEE FIRST HAND THE SITES OF ALLEGED SERB WAR CRIMES. LAUREN COMITEAU REPORTS FROM THE HAGUE ON PROSECUTOR LOUISE ARBOUR'S WEEK-LONG TRIP TO THE BALKANS THAT BEGINS SUNDAY IN ALBANIA.

TEXT: A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE CHIEF PROSECUTOR LOUISE ARBOUR FIRST TRIED TO ENTER KOSOVO, IN JANUARY. AT THAT TIME, SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO GET TO THE VILLAGE OF RACAK TO INVESTIGATE AN ALLEGED SERB MASSACRE OF ALBANIANS. TODAY, THE MAN RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING HER AWAY AT THE BORDER -- YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODON MILOSEVIC -- IS AN INDICTED WAR CRIMINAL, AND THE ESTIMATED 45 DEATHS AT RACAK FORM PART OF THE CHARGES AGAINST HIM AND FOUR OF HIS TOP OFFICIALS.

WITH NATO-LED PEACEKEEPERS NOW CONTROLLING KOSOVO, PROSECUTOR ARBOUR NO LONGER NEEDS PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC'S PERMISSION TO ENTER THE SERBIAN PROVINCE. HER SPOKESMAN SAYS SHE PLANS ON VISITING THREE ALLEGED MASS GRAVE SITES IN WESTERN KOSOVO, WHERE SHE WILL MEET WITH SOME OF HER 100 INVESTIGATORS ALREADY BUSY GATHERING EVIDENCE TO BE USED ONE DAY IN COURT.

IN WHAT IS BEING BILLED AS A "WORKING TRIP," MRS. ARBOUR WILL MEET WITH K-FOR'S COMMANDER, GENERAL MICHAEL JACKSON, AND THE U-N'S CHIEF CIVILIAN REPRESENTATIVE FOR KOSOVO, HOPING TO RESOLVE OUTSTANDING LEGAL AND INVESTIGATIVE ISSUES.

THE PROSECUTOR ALSO WILL MEET WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN ALBANIA, MACEDONIA, BOSNIA, AND CROATIA. MRS. ARBOUR HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR THE ARREST OF BOSNIAN WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS STILL FREE, AND SHE IS EXPECTED TO ISSUE NEW INDICTMENTS OVER KOSOVO BEFORE SHE LEAVES HER POST HERE TO TAKE A SEAT ON CANADA'S SUPREME COURT IN SEPTEMBER.

WHILE SOME OF THESE ISSUES MAY BE TACKLED WITH THE REGION'S OFFICIALS, IT IS HER VISIT TO KOSOVO THAT HER SPOKESMAN SAYS IS SYMBOLICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE PROSECUTOR. AFTER BEING DENIED ACCESS TO THE REGION BEFORE THE MAJORITY OF POSSIBLY PREVENTABLE CRIMES TOOK PLACE, PROSECUTOR ARBOUR'S MESSAGE NOW IS THAT THOSE CRIMES WON'T GO UNPUNISHED. (SIGNED)
NEB/LC/ALW/KL
10-Jul-99 11:17 AM EDT (1517 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] COHEN-MONTENEGRO (L-ONLY) BY JIM RANDLE (OSLO, NORWAY)

INTRO: DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN IS WARNING YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC NOT TO USE FORCE AGAINST MONTENEGRO, THE SMALLER OF YUGOSLAVIA'S TWO REMAINING REPUBLICS. THE CONCERNS COME AT A TIME WHEN MONTENEGRO IS CONSIDERING A REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE FROM YUGOSLAVIA. MR. COHEN MADE HIS COMMENTS IN OSLO, NORWAY, WHERE HE IS HOLDING TALKS WITH NORDIC AND BALTIC DEFENSE MINISTERS. V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE REPORTS.

TEXT: NEWS REPORTS SAY YUGOSLAV TROOPS HAVE MASSED IN MONTENEGRO AND IN SOME SERBIAN TOWNS SURROUNDING KOSOVO. A HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP IN MONTENEGRO SAYS MEMBERS OF THE YUGOSLAV ARMY ARE THREATENING MONTENEGRIN CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE REPUBLIC.

U-S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE WILLIAM COHEN SAYS YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC SHOULD NOT USE SERBIAN TROOPS AGAINST MONTENEGRO.

IT WOULD BE A MAJOR MISTAKE FOR MILOSEVIC TO CONSIDER SENDING TROOPS INTO MONTENEGRO FOR THE PURPOSE OF UNDERMINING THE LEADERSHIP THERE OR STARTING ANOTHER CONFLICT. I THINK THE PEOPLE IN SERBIA HAVE LEARNED THAT HE HAS BROUGHT THEM GREAT DESTRUCTION AND DEATH AND DEPRIVATION FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF IT.

MR. COHEN SAYS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SERBIA ARE PROTESTING MR. MILOSEVIC'S RULE, AND THE DEMONSTRATIONS APPEAR TO BE GROWING IN SIZE AND FREQUENCY.

MR. COHEN SAYS MONTENEGRO IS EXERCISING A "DEGREE OF AUTONOMY," BUT HE EXPECTS MONTENEGRO WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PART OF YUGOSLAVIA ALONG WITH SERBIA. MONTENEGRO'S PRIME MINISTER, FILIP VUJANOVIC, SAYS HE WILL HOLD A REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE IF SERBIA DOES NOT AGREE TO TREAT THE REPUBLIC AS AN EQUAL.

SERBIAN AND MONTENEGRIN OFFICIALS ARE SET TO MEET WEDNESDAY IN BELGRADE FOR TALKS ON REDEFINING MONTENEGRO'S STATUS IN YUGOSLAVIA.

MR. COHEN IS IN OSLO, NORWAY WHERE HE IS DISCUSSING RECONSTRUCTION OF KOSOVO WITH NORDIC AND BALTIC DEFENSE MINISTERS. SEVERAL OF THESE NATIONS ARE DISPATCHING HUNDREDS OF PEACEKEEPING TROOPS AND HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN AID TO HELP PREVENT RENEWED ETHNIC VIOLENCE AND START REBUILDING THE THOUSANDS OF WRECKED HOMES, BUSINESSES AND BRIDGES IN THE BATTERED SERBIAN PROVINCE. (SIGNED)
NEB/JR/ALW/KL
10-Jul-99 8:55 AM EDT (1255 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] KOSOVO-BODIES (S-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (LJUBENIC, KOSOVO)

INTRO: NATO FORCES HAVE CLOSED OFF A MOUNTAINOUS AREA IN KOSOVO WHERE VILLAGERS SAY SERB SECURITY FORCES KILLED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN WHAT COULD BE THE LARGEST MASSACRE SITE YET FOUND IN THE REGION. BUT TIM BELAY REPORTS FROM THE VILLAGE OF LJUBENIC THAT A QUESTION MARK REMAINS OVER THE VALIDITY OF THOSE REPORTS.

TEXT: REFUGEES RETURNING HERE THURSDAY NOTIFIED NATO THEY SUSPECTED UP TO 350 BODIES MIGHT BE BURIED IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE THIS VILLAGE. THEY MADE THE REPORT BASED ON THEIR BELIEF THIS WAS A ROUTE FOR PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBORING VILLAGES TRYING TO ESCAPE YUGOSLAV FORCES BY CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS INTO NEARBY MONTENEGRO. ABOUT 70 BODIES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN LJUBENIC ITSELF, REPORTEDLY THE VICTIMS OF AN APRIL FIRST MASSACRE BY YUGOSLAV PARAMILITARIES.

AN ORGANIZED SEARCH FOR THE BODIES IN THE MOUNTAINS HAS NOT YET BEGUN BECAUSE OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF DANGER FROM UNCLEARED MINES. FOR NOW, THE VALIDITY OF THE REPORT IS UNCLEAR. (SIGNED)
NEB/TB/ALW/KL
10-Jul-99 9:08 AM EDT (1308 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] KOSOVO-BODIES UPDATE (S-ONLY) BY TIM BELAY (LJUBENIC, KOSOVO)

INTRO: NATO-LED PEACEKEEPERS IN SOUTHWESTERN KOSOVO HAVE FOUND FIVE BODIES NEAR A SUSPECTED MASS GRAVE SITE WHERE SERB SECURITY FORCES ARE ALLEGED TO HAVE BURIED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. TIM BELAY REPORTS FROM THE VILLAGE OF LJUBENIC. .

TEXT: REFUGEES RETURNING HERE THURSDAY NOTIFIED NATO THEY SUSPECTED UP TO 350 BODIES MIGHT BE BURIED IN THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE THIS VILLAGE. THEY MADE THE REPORT BASED ON THEIR BELIEF THIS WAS A ROUTE FOR PEOPLE FROM NEIGHBORING VILLAGES TRYING TO ESCAPE YUGOSLAV FORCES BY CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS INTO NEARBY MONTENEGRO. ABOUT 70 BODIES HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED IN LJUBENIC ITSELF, REPORTEDLY THE VICTIMS OF AN APRIL FIRST MASSACRE BY YUGOSLAV PARAMILITARIES.

AN ORGANIZED SEARCH FOR THE BODIES IN THE MOUNTAINS HAS NOT YET BEGUN BECAUSE OF THE HIGH LEVEL OF DANGER FROM UNCLEARED MINES. FOR NOW, THE VALIDITY OF THE REPORT IS UNCLEAR. (SIGNED)
NEB/TB/ALW/KL
10-Jul-99 1:04 PM EDT (1704 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[05] NATO / RUSSIA (L-ONLY) BY JIM RANDLE (BUDAPEST)

INTRO: DEFENSE MINISTERS FROM NORDIC AND BALTIC NATIONS, ALONG WITH THE UNITED STATES, SAY THEY ARE RENEWING EFFORTS TO REPAIR RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA, STRAINED BY THE NATO BOMBING CAMPAIGN AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA. BELGRADE IS A TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN ALLY. U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN IS CONSULTING WITH DEFENSE MINISTERS ACROSS EUROPE AS HE PREPARES FOR A MEETING NEXT MONTH WITH HIS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART. V-O-A'S JIM RANDLE, TRAVELING WITH MR. COHEN, REPORTS FROM BUDAPEST.

TEXT: NORWEGIAN DEFENSE MINSTER ELDBJORG LOWER SAYS IT IS CRITICAL FOR WESTERN POWERS AND RUSSIA'S NEIGHBORS TO WORK TOGETHER ON THE RELATIONSHIP WITH MOSCOW.

SECURITY AND STABILITY IN EUROPE CAN NOT BE OBTAINED WITHOUT PARTICIPATION OF RUSSIA. WE MUST SPARE NO EFFORT TRYING TO GET RUSSIA BACK TO COOPERATION WITH NATO.

RUSSIA STRONGLY CRITICIZED THE NATO AIR CAMPAIGN AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA, AND HAS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT EFFORTS BY ITS BALTIC NEIGHBORS TO JOIN NATO AS EARLY AS 2002. IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP, THE NEW MEMBERS WOULD HAVE TO STREAMLINE AND MODERNIZE THEIR MILITARY FORCES.

LATVIAN DEFENSE MINISTER GIRTS [PRON: GETS] KRISTOVSKIS SAYS HIS COUNTRY'S MILITARY IS WORKING TO MAKE ITS EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES COMPATIBLE WITH THOSE USED BY NATO FORCES.

WE MUST BE TRUSTFUL AND RELIABLE PARTNERS TO NATO.

AND THE DEFENSE MINISTERS OF ESTONIA AND LATVIA SAY IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO JOIN NATO WITHOUT HARMING THEIR RELATIONS WITH MOSCOW.

U-S DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN SAYS HISTORY OR GEOGRAPHY SHOULD NOT BE A BAR TO NATO MEMBERSHIP, EVEN FOR RUSSIA'S NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBORS.

MR. COHEN SAYS HE HOPES TO RE-ENGAGE RUSSIA IN A CONSTRUCTIVE AND POSITIVE FASHION, AND HOPES TO PERSUADE LEADERS IN MOSCOW THAT RUSSIA'S FUTURE LIES WITH THE DEMOCRATIC WEST.

MR. COHEN SPOKE (TODAY/SATURDAY) IN OSLO, SECOND STOP ON A SERIES OF VISITS THAT ALSO TAKE HIM TO DENMARK, ALBANIA, TURKEY, GREECE AND HUNGARY. (SIGNED)
NEB/JR/WTW
10-Jul-99 5:17 PM EDT (2117 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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