Voice of America, 99-02-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] CLINTON/KOSOVO TROOPS (S) BY NICK SIMEONE (WHITE HOUSE)

[02] KOSOVO/DEMO (L-ONLY) BY PHILP SMUCKER (PARIS)

[03] KOSOVO TALKS (S&L) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

[04] NATO EXPANSION (S&L) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)

[01] CLINTON/KOSOVO TROOPS (S) BY NICK SIMEONE (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON SAYS THE UNITED STATES IS PREPARED TO SEND SEVERAL THOUSAND U-S SOLDIERS TO SERBIA'S KOSOVO PROVINCE IF A PEACE AGREEMENT EMERGES FROM TALKS IN FRANCE BETWEEN SERBS AND KOSOVAR REBELS. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT NICK SIMEONE REPORTS JUST A DAY AFTER BEING ACQUITTED IN HIS SENATE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, THE PRESIDENT BEGAN MAKING THE CASE TO CONGRESS AND THE NATION FOR U-S MILITARY INTERVENTION IN THE KOSOVO CONFLICT.

TEXT: THE PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT, MADE IN HIS WEEKLY RADIO ADDRESS, CAME AS SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT WAS FLYING TO FRANCE TO GET A FIRST HAND ASSESSMENT OF THE WEEK-OLD KOSOVO PEACE TALKS, WHICH BY ALL ACCOUNTS SEEM TO BE BARELY INCHING ALONG.

MR. CLINTON NOTED SERBS AND ETHNIC ALBANIAN REBELS FIGHTING FOR INDEPENDENCE MUST STILL OVERCOME SERIOUS OBSTACLES TO PEACE. AND HE SET OUT SPECIFIC CONDITIONS, WHICH HE SAID MUST BE PART OF ANY AGREEMENT BEFORE THE PENTAGON WOULD COMMIT AMERICAN SOLDIERS TO KOSOVO, WHICH HE SAID WOULD NUMBER LESS THAN FOUR THOUSAND.

A FINAL DECISION ON TROOPS, WHICH I WILL MAKE IN CLOSE CONSULTATION WITH CONGRESS, WILL DEPEND UPON THE PARTIES REACHING A STRONG PEACE AGREEMENT. IT MUST PROVIDE FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE, RAPID WITHDRAWAL OF MOST SERBIAN SECURITY FORCES AND DEMILITARIZATION OF THE INSURGENTS. THE PARTIES MUST AGREE TO THE NATO FORCE AND DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY ARE READY TO IMPLEMENT THE AGREEMENT.

THE HARDEST PART OF SECURING A KOSOVO PEACE AGREEMENT COULD BE GETTING THE SERBS -- WHO ADAMANTLY OPPOSE FOREIGN TROOPS ON THEIR SOIL -- TO LET A NATO FORCE HELP IMPLEMENT ONE. (SIGNED)
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13-Feb-99 10:49 AM EST (1549 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] KOSOVO/DEMO (L-ONLY) BY PHILP SMUCKER (PARIS)

INTRO: SOME 12-THOUSAND ETHNIC ALBANIAN DEMONSTRATORS POURED THROUGH THE STREETS OF RAMBOUILLET SATURDAY IN SUPPORT OF REBEL FIGHTERS AND ALBANIAN PEACE NEGOTIATORS. AN AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION JOINED THE DEMONSTRATION IN SUPPORT OF ALBANIAN INDEPENDENCE. PHILIP SMUCKER REPORTS FROM RAMBOUILLET.

TEXT: THE DEMONSTRATORS MASSED OUTSIDE THE 14TH CENTURY CHATEAU WHERE -- AFTER SEVEN DAYS -- THE KOSOVO PEACE TALKS REMAIN STALLED.

FRENCH POLICE IN HEAVY RIOT GEAR BLOCKED THEM FROM APPROACHING THE GATES OF THE CHATEAU. THE DEMONSTRATORS BRANDISHED ALBANIAN AND AMERICAN FLAGS AND CHANTED SLOGANS IN SUPPORT OF THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY, OR K-L-A, WHICH IS FIGHTING FOR INDEPENDENCE FROM SERBIAN RULE.

SOME OF THE DEMONSTRATORS WERE DRESSED IN BERETS AND MILITARY FATIGUES. ONE MAN HELD A LARGE POSTER OF YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC -- HIS HANDS DRIPPING WITH BLOOD ABOVE DEAD BODIES.

A SMALL AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION MARCHED IN SUPPORT OF THE KOSOVO ALBANIAN INDEPENDENCE STRUGGLE. CONGRESSWOMAN SUE KELLY -- A REPUBLICAN FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK -- SAID THAT THE ETHNIC ALBANIANS WERE LIVING UNDER A DICTATORSHIP.

I CAN TELL YOU THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SITUATION AND ARE SICKENED, ABSOLUTELY SICKENED BY THE MASSACRES THAT THEY SEE. /// OPT /// THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION ARE LIVING UNDER THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES. (I.E. LIVING UNDER SEVERE THREAT) /// END OPT ///

WESTERN AND ALBANIAN SOURCES CONFIRMED REPORTS THAT THE 13 MEMBER SERBIAN DELEGATION INSIDE THE CHATEAU HAD ASKED FOR A FACE TO FACE MEETING WITH ETHNIC ALBANIAN DELEGATES. BUT THE ALBANIAN SIDE HAS YET TO RESPOND.

THE SERBS AND ALBANIANS ARE LIVING ON DIFFERENT FLOORS IN THE CHATEAU. AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT IS TO MEET WITH BOTH SIDES SUNDAY IN AN EFFORT TO REVIVE THE PEACE TALKS.

WESTERN OFFICIALS SAY SHE WILL BRING UP SENSITIVE SECURITY CONCERNS HELD BY BOTH SIDES. KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY REPRESENTATIVES TOLD V-O-A THAT THEIR DELEGATES WERE STILL INSISTING ON INTERNATIONAL BACKING FOR A REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE AFTER A THREE YEAR INTERIM PEACE DEAL.

A FOREIGN AFFAIRS OFFICIAL WITH THE REBEL ARMY SAID THAT THE K-L-A WANTED NATO TROOPS ON THE GROUND IN KOSOVO TO PROTECT THE ETHNIC ALBANIAN POPULATION FROM MASSACRES BY SERBIAN SECURITY FORCES. (SIGNED)
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13-Feb-99 1:54 PM EST (1854 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] KOSOVO TALKS (S&L) BY JULIAN NUNDY (PARIS)

INTRO: AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT IS ON HER WAY TO (HAS ARRIVED IN) FRANCE TO INJECT NEW ENERGY INTO TALKS AIMED AT BRINGING PEACE TO THE YUGOSLAV PROVINCE OF KOSOVO. JULIAN NUNDY REPORTS FROM PARIS.

TEXT: FOR ONE WEEK NOW, ETHNIC ALBANIANS SEEKING SELF-RULE FOR KOSOVO AND THE SERBIAN-LED DELEGATION SENT BY THE BELGRADE GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN HOLED UP IN THE CHATEAU OF RAMBOUILLET, SOUTHWEST OF PARIS.

WITH THREE MEDIATORS -- ONE AMERICAN, ONE RUSSIAN AND ONE REPRESENTING THE EUROPEAN UNION -- TAKING MESSAGES BETWEEN THEM, THE TWO SIDES HAVE STILL NOT MET FACE-TO-FACE.

AND THE LITTLE NEWS FILTERING FROM INSIDE THE CHATEAU GIVES SCANT REASON TO BELIEVE THERE IS ANY REAL PROGRESS. SATURDAY, ON THE EVE OF A FLURRY OF DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS AIMED AT PUTTING NEW IMPETUS INTO THE TALKS, THOUSANDS OF ALBANIANS ARRIVED BY BUS IN THE TOWN OF RAMBOUILLET TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE KOSOVAR DELEGATION. ACCORDING TO FRENCH POLICE ESTIMATES, THERE WERE AT LEAST 12 THOUSAND DEMONSTRATORS.

THE AMERICAN SECRETARY OF STATE WILL MEET WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONTACT GROUP -- RUSSIA, BRITAIN, FRANCE, GERMANY AND ITALY -- AS WELL AS WITH THE NEGOTIATORS THEMSELVES -- IN AN EFFORT SUNDAY TO HEAD OFF TOTAL FAILURE.

IN ADDITION, THE FIFTEEN FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION WILL MEET IN PARIS TO DEFINE A EUROPEAN POSITION AND PUT FURTHER PRESSURE ON THE TWO NEGOTIATING TEAMS.

THE CONTACT GROUP HAS GIVEN BOTH SIDES UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY TO COME TO A PEACE AGREEMENT OR FACE NATO AIR STRIKES ON MILITARY POSITIONS. THE CONTACT GROUP SAYS THE DEADLINE CAN BE EXTENDED BY UP TO ONE WEEK.

OF THE CONTACT GROUP MEMBERS, RUSSIA SAYS IT WILL NOT SUPPORT NATO'S OTHER PLAN -- TO SEND NATO PEACEKEEPING FORCES TO PROTECT THE ETHNIC ALBANIAN POPULATION -- UNLESS BELGRADE AGREES FIRST.

JUST BEFORE PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID SATURDAY THAT THE UNITED STATES IS WILLING TO TAKE PART IN A PEACEKEEPING FORCE, SERBIAN PRESIDENT MILAN MILUTINOVIC ISSUED A CHILLING WARNING. HE SAID THAT NATO RISKS GETTING INVOLVED IN WHAT HE DESCRIBES AS "A EUROPEAN VIETNAM." (SIGNED)
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13-Feb-99 1:20 PM EST (1820 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] NATO EXPANSION (S&L) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)

INTRO: HUNGARY, POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC WILL BECOME FULL MEMBERS OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION ON MARCH 12. STEFAN BOS REPORTS FROM BUDAPEST THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE BY THE U-S EMBASSY IN THE HUNGARIAN CAPITAL.

TEXT: THE AMERICAN EMBASSY HERE IN BUDAPEST SAID (SATURDAY) THE THREE FORMER WARSAW PACT COUNTRIES WILL JOIN NATO IN A CEREMONY TO BE HELD IN INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI.

THE CEREMONY TAKES PLACE IN THE HARRY S. TRUMAN LIBRARY IN INDEPENDENCE, WHICH EMBASSY OFFICIALS DESCRIBE AS A SYMBOLIC PLACE IN THE HISTORY OF NATO. IT WAS WHERE U-S PRESIDENT TRUMAN ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF NATO IN 1949, FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE ORIGINAL TREATY IN WASHINGTON BY 12 COUNTRIES.

U-S AMBASSADOR PETER TUFO CALLED THIS DEVELOPMENT A "PROUD DAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HUNGARY." HUNGARY IS AMONG THE FIRST EX-COMMUNIST EAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES TO JOIN NATO.

ORIGINALLY HUNGARY, POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC WERE TO JOIN NATO ON THE ALLIANCE'S 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN WASHINGTON, IN APRIL. BUT HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER JANOS MARTONYI TOLD V-O-A NEWS THE THREE COUNTRIES WANTED TO JOIN AHEAD OF THE WASHINGTON SUMMIT, BECAUSE OF THE TENSE SITUATION IN NEARBY YUGOSLAVIA.

WE SOMEWHAT CHANGED THAT POSITION, BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE OF THE KOSOVO DEVELOPMENTS. AND WE FELT, OKAY, THE SOONER THE BETTER. AND (EVEN) IF IT IS JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS OR COUPLE OF WEEKS, THAT IS FINE WITH US BECAUSE WE FEEL MORE SECURE. YOU KNOW, IN HISTORY EVEN ONE DAY CAN BE IMPORTANT.

MR. MARTONYI SAYS BY JOINING EARLY, IT MEANS HUNGARY. POLAND AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC WILL PARTICIPATE AS FULL NATO MEMBERS AT THE WASHINGTON CEREMONY, AND WILL BE INVOLVED IN ANY DECISIONS MADE THERE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE ALLIANCE (SIGNED)
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13-Feb-99 2:05 PM EST (1905 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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