25 June 2002 Morning Edition

I - News wires/services /broadcast

AFP
· Yugoslav army chief sacked but refuses to stand down
· NATO sees progress in Balkan security
· Former defence minister elected president of Albania

AP
· President fires army chief, top general fights back
· Albanian parliament elects a retired general as country's new president

B92
· Pavkovic must go "for the sake of democracy," says president
· Pavkovic: "I will not execute this decree
· Army chief rejects president's move to out him
· Kostunica thwarted but Pavkovic not yet safe
· Council of Europe bid unaffected by constitutional stalling
· Robertson hails shift in NATO Balkan role
· Milosevic trial adjourned until Thursday
· Prosecution and Belgrade clash before court council
· Website looks to reach potential voters outside Kosovo

CNN
· Yugoslav army chief sacked

dpa
· Kostunica dismisses Yugoslav army chief by decree
· Montenegrin police on the Albanian marijuana trail

Reuters
· Milosevic-era army chief gets boot from Kostunica
· Albania picks retired general as new president
· NATO troops to help fight Balkan crime-Robertson

II - Newspapers/magazines

Südwestrundfunk
· Interview der Woche
The New York Times
· Yugoslav President Dismisses Milosevic-Appointed Army Chief

The Washington Post
· Yugoslav Leader fires Milosevic's Top General

NATO sees progress in Balkan security

ZAGREB, June 24 (AFP) - NATO Secretary General George Robertson said Monday that progress in building security in southeastern Europe should continue even though the alliance is scaling down its presence in Bosnia and Kosovo.
"There has been significant progress over the past year, and there is every reason to be confident that this progress can be sustained," Robertson said at a conference on regional stability and cooperation.
Robertson notably recalled that NATO acted quickly to avert a full-blown war in Macedonia in 2001 by resolving the stand-off between ethnic Albanian rebels and the government.
"NATO proved that early and timely intervention can make a real difference," he stressed.
Robertson said that the region, often referred to as "troubled" during the 1990s wars that followed the break-up of the former Yugoslavia, is now "slowly but surely ... enjoying deepening stability and developing democracy, and is readily getting closer to European and Euro-Atlantic institutions."
NATO's decision to downsize its peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Kosovo is also a "sign of success," reflecting the positive change in the region.
NATO decided in May to scale down KFOR and SFOR troops by nearly 12,000.
However, NATO intends to continue addressing security challenges in the region, notably those that include the illegal movement of people, arms and drugs, as well as the terrorist threat, he added.
Croatian President Stipe Mesic in his welcoming address stressed that the country is ready to conduct necessary reforms of its armed forces in order to achieve its strategic objective of joining NATO.
"If it wishes to be a normal democratic European country, Croatia cannot accept either a war-time scale army or high-ranking officers with a secondary school background ... and the least of all their politicization," he said.
Following the 1991-95 Serbo-Croatian war and the period of authoritarian rule under late President Franjo Tudjman, political aspects of accession to the NATO "are equally important as military ones," he stressed.
He added that the Alliance would help Croatia to reduce its armed forces, develop professionally trained officer corps, the standardization of weapons and the depoliticization of the military.
The two-day conference organised by Croatia's Institute for International Relations and NATO brought together officials from Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Croatia.
Croatian government announced in April a reorganization of its armed forces aimed at its modernization and bringing it into line with NATO standards. The reorganization notably includes reducing its armed forces staff by some 13,000 employees.
Croatia is expected to declare its candidacy for NATO before the summit in Prague in November.

Former defence minister elected president of Albania

by Briseida Mema

TIRANA, June 24 (AFP) - A retired general and former defence minister who won the joint backing of rival parties to stave off a political crisis in Albania was elected unopposed as president by parliament on Monday.
Alfred Moisiu, a 74-year-old career military officer who had the joint support of the outgoing ruling socialists and the conservative opposition Democrats, won a five-year term in a vote by parliament.
Of the 134 MPs present, 97 voted for Moisiu and 19 against. Another 14 deputies abstained and four ballots were declared invalid.
Moisiu was the sole candidate for the post after the first choice -- Artur Kuko, the country's ambassador to Brussels -- turned down the nomination. He will succeed outgoing President Rexhep Meidani.
The long-battling rival parties hashed out a last-minute deal on Sunday to back Moisiu as the next president of Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe and one that has seen a bitter decade-long rivalry between the parties.
Moisiu has worked to instil reforms needed for the nation to join NATO, and previously served as defense minister in a transitional government after the collpase of communism.
The joint endorsement of a presidential candidate was a first in Albanian politics, and was aimed at overcoming the difficult schism between the two sides.
"I accepted to stand as candidate in the interests of this new spirit of cooperation between the ruling majority and the opposition," Moisiu said shortly before the vote.
He pledged to work to "reinforce the country's stability and help build better integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions."
The nation emerged from decades of hardline communist isolation only to struggle in the 1990s with growing unrest, violence and crime.
Political infighting, feeding off personal rivalries and numerous corruption scandals, paralyzed government business for several months earlier this year and led to widespread calls for stability.
About one million weapons looted from army depots during a 1997 uprising are estimated to be in circulation.
In 1998 Albania slipped into a state of civil anarchy when bloody street battles erupted in Tirana between supporters of rival political leaders, causing four deaths and dozens of injuries.

President fires army chief, top general fights back

By MISHA SAVIC=Associated Press Writer=

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) _ In a further threat to Yugoslavia's fragile stability, the country's top military commander is defying President Vojislav Kostunica's executive order firing him.
Kostunica failed to win support Monday from other key politicians to fire Col. Gen. Nebojsa Pavkovic, an appointee of ousted President Slobodan Milosevic. Kostunica then issued a special decree ordering Pavkovic into retirement to ensure ``civilian control over the army,'' and because Pavkovic ``believed that he is above the army and above the state.''
Pavkovic led the Yugoslav army during its 1999 confrontation with NATO in Kosovo, but later played a key part in the bloodless overthrow of Milosevic by refusing to order the army to protect the president when he was ousted two years ago.
Pavkovic is rumored to be of interest for the U.N. war crimes tribunal for his role in the Kosovo campaign _ Milosevic is currently being tried by that court for alleged war crimes committed in Kosovo and in other Balkan wars _ but no indictment has been published against the general.
Pavkovic alleged earlier Monday that the country's political leadership was under pressure from the U.S. government. He said Kostunica had no authority to fire him _ particularly as other top officials sitting with Kostunica as members of the Supreme Defense Council refused to endorse the move.
``He (Kostunica) has practically decided that my service ends as of tomorrow, as if I were the greatest scum in this state,'' Pavkovic said. ``Of course, I have refused this and I will not carry out this order.''
While saying he would challenge the ruling in front of parliament and the ``highest state institutions,'' Pavkovic later qualified his stance, lessening chances that the confrontation could turn violent.
He said that pending a final decision, he would not oppose his replacement, Gen. Branko Krga, ``in performing his (new) duty.''
The constitution is ambivalent on whether the president can act alone in dismissing the chief of staff.
The president's primary rival, Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic of Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic, said that Kostunica will ``bear responsibility for the consequences of his decision, which has destabilized the reputation of the state.'' Pavkovic, initially allied with Kostunica, has moved closer to Djindjic in recent months.
But federal Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic welcomed the firing as a ``good decision,'' and the ``beginning of changes in the Yugoslav Army.''
Pavkovic claimed that his firing was a ``personal vendetta'' by Kostunica, alleging the president demanded he use the army a year ago to stop alleged wiretapping of the president's office by Serbian government agents.
United in ousting Milosevic, Djindjic and Kostunica have become bitter rivals since.
Earlier this month, the Djindjic faction in the Serbian coalition government stripped 21 legislators loyal to Kostunica of their seats in Serbia's parliament, accusing them of absenteeism. Kostunica's party called the move a coup attempt and announced it would appeal the decision to the highest courts.

Albanian parliament elects a retired general as country's new president

By MERITA DHIMGJOKA=Associated Press Writer=

TIRANA, Albania (AP) Alfred Moisiu, a 72-year-old retired general and former defense minister, was elected president of Albania by a comfortable majority in parliament. He was the only candidate.
In a rare act of political consensus, leaders from the country's usually bickering parties _ the ruling Socialist Party, the opposition Democratic Party, and a handful of smaller parties _ had agreed Sunday to back Moisiu.
Of 134 lawmakers present in the 140-seat parliament, 97 voted for Moisiu, 19 voted against him, 14 abstained and 4 cast invalid ballots. He needed a minimum of 84 votes to be elected.
Parliament's speaker Servet Pellumbi said the new president will be sworn in on July 24.
More important than Moisiu's election was the way it was achieved.
Sali Berisha, the leader of the Democrats, and Socialist leader Fatos Nano said their mutual endorsement of an independent candidate was meant to end a period of political bickering which has left lawmakers largely ineffective in implementing economic and political reforms.
Speaking briefly to reporters, Moisiu said: ``It is important to find a common language and continue on this road, because we have many problems that need to be solved in order to join the rest of Europe.''
Berisha commented: ``It is important that the candidate was elected with two thirds of the votes. We hope this will contribute to the strengthening of the institution of president.''
The agreement by the two major parties, reached after long and intensive talks, has raised hopes that a period of divisive and sometimes violent politics may be ending. Fistfights have broken out in the chamber in past years, and one deputy was shot and badly wounded another five years ago.
``This is a historical step,'' Remzi Lani, an analyst from of the Albanian Media Institute, said Sunday. ``After 12 years, the period of political confrontation has been replaced by a period of political dialogue.''
Moisiu, a World War II veteran, was defense minister from in 1991-1992 in a transition government formed after the fall of communism. He also served as deputy defense minister from 1994 to 1997.
He currently heads the Albanian Atlantic Association, a group that lobbies for reforms necessary for eventual Albanian membership in NATO.
Moisiu is a widower, and has four children.

NATO shifts focus in the Balkans from ending conflicts to fighting crime, alliance leader says

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) _ Rather than try to prevent wars in the Balkans, NATO is now working to prevent cross-border criminality in the region, the alliance's top official said Monday.
NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said that successful missions in Bosnia, Yugoslavia and Macedonia have enabled the alliance to wind down some of its operations there.
``Slowly but surely, a region once notorious for brutal conflict is enjoying deepening stability and developing democracy,'' he said, addressing a two-day conference in Zagreb on regional stability and cooperation in Southeastern Europe.
He said NATO's future challenges in the region include preventing the smuggling of people, arms and drugs across borders. But governments would also have to do more to fight the criminal gangs that thrive off such activity, he said.

Pavkovic must go "for the sake of democracy," says president

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

21:37 BELGRADE, Monday - Yugoslavia's president has justified his decision to sack army chief of staff Nebojsa Pavkovic in the interests of civilian control and democracy.
"For the sake of civilian control and for the sake of democracy I decided to take the step I took today," Vojislav Kostunica told Serbian state television this evening.
He praised Pavkovic's previous service but said the army and state now needed "different skills."
Kostunica said he regretted Pavkovic had objected to his decision and decided, "to go in such an unsoldierly manner."
"He thought he was above the army, and the army above the state," the president claimed.
He urged Pavkovic's replacement, General Branko Krga, and the rest of the army "to fulfil their duties with honour and responsibility." (B92)

Pavkovic: "I will not execute this decree"

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

21:28 BELGRADE, Monday - Sacked army chief of staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic claimed tonight he was ousted because he accused the Yugoslav president of using the military state security to benefit his own party.
"I think this is personal vengeance of Mr Kostunica because almost a year ago I began to reveal significant abuse of the responsibilities of president," Pavkovic told state television tonight, just minutes after the Kostunica's office announced he had been sacked by presidential decree.
He claimed the military security department, led by General Aco Tomic "was being used in the work of his (Kostunica) party, to acquire information."
The ousted army chief said he had prepared a bill and forwarded it to the federal parliament last week, to "protect" himself from "such presidential dealings."
"I'm seeking the protection of the highest state institutions," Pavkovic told Radio Television Serbia.
"He decided to end my service tomorrow like I'm the biggest punk in the country," he commented, warning, "I will not execute this decree." (B92)

Army chief rejects president's move to oust him

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

20:42 BELGRADE, Monday - The head of Yugoslavia's armed forces has rejected a move by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to sack him.
Kostunica's cabinet issued a statement earlier this evening announcing that General Nebojsa Pavkovic had been relieved of his duties and replaced by General Branko Krga under a presidential decree.
Pavkovic was quick to react, telling Serbia state television that Kostunica's move was illegal and a case of "personal vengeance."
"I of course rejected the decision," the chief of staff told Radio Television Serbia.
B92 reported earlier that at a meeting of Yugoslavia's Supreme Defence Council Kostunica had pushed for Pavkovic's dismissal, only to be repelled again by the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro.
The meeting was said to have descended into an ugly row between the Yugoslav president and his army chief. (B92)

Kostunica thwarted but Pavkovic not yet safe

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

19:05 BELGRADE, Monday - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has again been thwarted in his attempts to dismiss Milosevic-appointee Nebojsa Pavkovic as chief of staff of the Yugoslav army, Radio B92 has learnt.
Quoting sources in the Yugoslav authorities, B92 reports that at a meeting of the Supreme Defence Council the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro said they would only accept the dismissal of Pavkovic if others loyal to him were to go as well.
They named in particular the chief of the military security service, Aco Tomic. Tomic was reported to have masterminded the arrest of former Serbian deputy prime minister Momcilo Perisic on spy charges.
The scandal sparked a new fallout between Kostunica and the Serbian government when the Yugoslav president backed the arrest.
Kostunica was reported to have been unimpressed with Pavkovic's attempts to distance himself from the spy swoop and has since pushed for his dismissal. He ruled out sacking Tomic, however.
According to B92's source, at today's meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, Kostunica again stuck by Tomic and refused to explain why Pavkovic had fallen out of favour.
The meeting is reported to have descended into an ugly row between the president and the army chief.
B92 reports that Kostunica has invited a number of Yugoslav government figures to a meeting in the Federation Palace at 7.00pm. (B92)

Council of Europe bid unaffected by constitutional stalling

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

17:41 STRASBOURG, Monday - The delay in adopting a constitutional charter for the future state of Serbia and Montenegro will not affect Yugoslavia's bid for membership of the Council of Europe, the president of the Council's Parliamentary Assembly said today, reports Radio B92.
Peter Schieder is due in Belgrade on July 1 where he will discuss Yugoslavia's request for accession.
The main issues remain the situation in Kosovo and cooperation with the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Schieder told a session of the parliamentary assembly in Strasbourg, reports B92's special correspondent.
While delay in adopting the constitutional charter for the future state would be a "bad sign" it would not directly influence Yugoslavia's membership bid, he said.
The assembly president repeated that Kosovo would not be given special status within the council since Yugoslavia will be the sole member. Schieder said that during his two-day visit to Belgrade he would urge the authorities to cooperate with the tribunal in The Hague. (B92)

Robertson hails shift in NATO Balkan role

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

17:27 ZAGREB, Monday - NATO will keep troops in the Balkans to help fight terrorism and the smuggling of humans, drugs and arms, alliance chief George Robertson told a stability conference in Zagreb today.
NATO has announced it is to reduce its presence in Bosnia and Kosovo this year but Robertson promised today that it would "continue to lead sizeable…forces that will focus on the current security challenges in the region."
Robertson said NATO would increase its efforts in areas that were "crucial to the security of southeast Europe and that of the wider Euro-Atlantic community." These included the "illegal movement of people, arms and drugs, criminal and terrorist gangs feeding from such criminal activities," he added.
The alliance announced in May it would cut its 57,000 peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Kosovo by 20 percent this year because of improved political stability.
The NATO chief urged local governments "to deepen and broaden cooperation with their neighbours" as a precondition to eventual membership of the alliance. (Reuters)

Milosevic trial adjourned until Thursday

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

17:17 THE HAGUE, Monday - The trial of Slobodan Milosevic has been adjourned until Thursday as the ousted Yugoslav president remains ill, a spokeswoman for the UN tribunal in The Hague said today.
The case was suspended all last week after Milosevic claimed he had fallen prey to the flu.
The prosecution has been given until July 26 to present its case on the Kosovo indictment. (AFP)

Prosecution and Belgrade clash before court council

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

17:07 THE HAGUE, Monday - The prosecution at the UN tribunal in The Hague has asked the Court Council to delay the release on bail of former Yugoslav deputy prime minister Nikola Sainovic and ex-army chief of staff Dragoljub Ojdanic.
Chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte argued they had not yet had a chance to question the defendants, both accused of war crimes in Kosovo in 1999.
The Yugoslav government has provided guarantees for the release of both men after they surrendered voluntarily to the tribunal.
Del Ponte told the Court Council that cooperation between Belgrade and the tribunal prosecution was "virtually non-existent" despite a law adopted by the Yugoslav parliament.
The chief prosecutor accused the Belgrade authorities of cooperating only when political gain was at stake, and only in relation to non-Serb indictees. There has been no cooperation on Yugoslav army personnel and fifty requests for access to archives remain backed up in Belgrade, claimed del Ponte.
The prosecutor repeated her claim that former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic is in hiding in Serbia and condemned Belgrade's failure to arrest and extradite Serbian President Milan Milutinovic.
Belgrade was represented before the Court Council by Federal deputy justice minister Nebojsa Sarkic.
Del Ponte asked Sarkic to repeat to the council his comments made to her earlier. In response, Sarkic said he had told the prosecutor that the release of Ojdanic and Sainovic would "have a positive affect on future cooperation when it comes to surrender and other forms of cooperation."
The deputy justice minister denied this amounted to blackmail as suggested by del Ponte, reports Beta news agency.
Belgrade is continuing to cooperate with the prosecution, said Sarkic. (Beta)

Website looks to reach potential voters outside Kosovo

B92 - Jun 24, 2002

16:26 PRISTINA, Monday - The OSCE Mission in Kosovo has launched a website for all potential voters in the October 26 Kosovo municipal elections living outside of the province.
The website - www.okvoting.org - provides information to help an individual determine their eligibility to register as a voter in Kosovo. The site is in English, Albanian, Serbian and Turkish.
The deadline for application to be returned to the OSCE is August 11.

Yugoslav army chief sacked

CNN - June 24, 2002

BELGRADE, Yugoslavia --The Chief of Staff of Yugoslavia's army has been sacked by President Vojislav Kostunica.
General Nebojsa Pavkovic, who was appointed during the Slobodan Milosevic era and survived his downfall, was dismissed on Monday by executive decree.
But Pavkovic has been quoted Yugoslav state TV saying he would not accepting his sacking.
The presidential order reportedly follows Kostunica's failure to persuade the president's of Serbia and Montenegro that Pavkovic should be dismissed.
A statement from Kostunica's military cabinet said: "Acting within his presidential and constitutional jurisdiction, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has issued an edict ending the military service of the Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Nebojsa Pavkovic."
In a statement to Radio-TV of Serbia, Kostunica said he was replacing Pavkovic because the army needed civil control and further democracy.
Kostunica has promoted deputy army chief Branko Krga to Pavkovic's position, Reuters reported.
Pavkovic has been closely associated with the Balkan wars of the 1990s and reformists have long called for his removal from office.
He told state TV: "Of course, I have refused this and I will not carry out this order. I am demanding the protection of the highest state institutions."
Pavkovic said the decision was illegal because it was made by Kostunica alone, and was not supported by the presidents of the Yugoslav republics, Serbia and Montenegro.
Pavkovic, speaking to the state news agency Tanjug, earlier said parts of the U.S. administration were behind demands for his dismissal.
He called on Kostunica to resist "undemocratic pressure from abroad as that could completely destabilise the country."
Prosecutors at the U.N. war crimes tribunal said last November they were investigating Pavkovic over Kosovo. He was commander of the Third Army during the conflict and his zone of responsibility included the southern Serbian province.
Pavkovic, 56, has denied the army was involved in war crimes or systematic human rights abuses and suggested irregular volunteer forces are more likely to have been guilty.

4TH ROUNDUP: Kostunica dismisses Yugoslav army chief by decree

Belgrade (dpa) - President Vojislav Kostunica on Monday dismissed the controversial chief of the Yugoslav Army General Staff Nebojsa Pavkovic, a trusted ally of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.
But Pavjkovic, who stood by Milosevic until the last day of his rule and then enjoyed Kostunica's protection for 18 months, said he would refuse orders and accused the president of abusing of power.
Kostunica issued a statement saying he had invoked executive authority to sack Pavkovic after repeatedly having failed to have him dismissed by the Supreme Defence Council.
Kostunica told Serbian state television RTS Pavkovic had to be replaced to asset civilian control over the military.
``Nobody is more important than the institution he heads ... that applies on General Pavkovic,'' Kostunica said.
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic criticized Kostunica's ouster of the general, saying the Yugoslav president was responsible for the country's destabilization.
Yugoslav foreign minister Goran Svilanovic backed Kostunica, arguing the dismissal should have takes place immediately after former president Slobodan Milosevic was defeated in October 2000.
Kostunica, who had defended Pavkovic for 18 months prior to the current showdown, said the contribution of Pavkovic during the war with NATO three years ago was crucial.
``But other skills are needed now,'' Kostunica said. Pavkovic was the top uniformed commander of the Yugoslav military during the 1999 Kosovo war, a conflict plagued by atrocities, and the standoff with NATO that followed. His presence in a key Yugoslav post has been viewed by many as a major obstacle to normalization of relations between Yugoslavia and NATO.
Earlier Monday, Kostunica failed to persuade the Supreme Defence Council, comprised of himself and the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro, to sack Pavkovic.
Following his dismissal, Pavkovic said Kostunica acted ``illegally, of his own volition and out of personal vengeance''. Pavkovic said he would seek ``protection in the highest bodies in the country''.
``Of course I reject this decision and will not execute this order,'' he said.

FEATURE: Montenegrin police on the Albanian marijuana trail

By Bojica Boskovic, dpa

Podgorica (dpa) - With its borders straddling rugged mountains, a sprawling swampy lake and the open sea, and with the rich Europe to the west and the belligerent, poor Balkans to the north, east and south, it is almost inevitable that Montenegro is a smugglers' paradise.
Over the years, thousands of cars have entered the country as stolen merchandise and have left it legally registered.
But the latest contraband is Albanian marijuana - Montenegrin authorities impounded 750 kilos of the weed in the first five months of this year, more than in the previous three years combined.
That however is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg - police unofficially estimate that around 10 tons must have passed through Montenegro this year and say that this reflects the emergence of a new international trade route for the product.
It is obvious that consumers among just 700,000 Montengrins smoke only a fraction - probably about 10 per cent - of the marijuana from Albania. The rest continues its trip north and west.
Police officials in Podgorica claim that the weed has the status of a domesticated plant in northern Albania, where a kilo costs up to 100 euros (94 dollars).
It enters Montenegro via Lake Skadar, which is shared by the two countries. A decade ago the lake, which is ideal for smugglers with its many coves and inlets and its heavy vegetation, became a major transit route for just about anything not too heavy to be loaded on a small boat.
The price of marijuana in Montenegro has jumped to 150-200 euros for a kilo - the exact level directly hinges on the amount of police activity on the lake.
The potential profits mean that smugglers are not only increasing but are also becoming more determined, a wary policeman complains.
``A few months ago a smugglers' speedboat almost cut our barge in two,'' a patrolman said. Smugglers also sometimes shoot if cornered, he said.
One 60-year-old smuggler who is a grandfather put his point of view. He told Deutsche Presse-Agentur: ``I lost my job in a state firm during the sanctions. First I carried fuel across. Now it's marijuana. I'll carry anything bringing me profit.''
``I know I'll go to jail if they catch me, but the earnings are irresistable,'' he said.
In Podgorica, consumers say the quality of ``Albanian'' is as good as anything else they have smoked. Police experts confirmed that it contains record levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active substance in cannabis.
Up to 90 per cent of the stuff goes across the porous mountain border into Bosnia, where it realises between 300 and 500 euros per kilo - and where it is prepared for the more challenging entry into the European Union.

Milosevic-era army chief gets boot from Kostunica

By Andrew Gray

BELGRADE, June 25 (Reuters) - President Vojislav Kostunica has fired the head of the Yugoslav Army, a former ally of Slobodan Milosevic who had hung on to his post despite a leading role during the bloody 1999 crackdown on Kosovo Albanians.
General Nebojsa Pavkovic, who has been under investigation by the U.N. war crimes tribunal, complained he had been treated like ``scum.'' But he said he would use only political means to fight the decision announced on Monday evening.
Reformers at home and Western officials have long demanded the general's dismissal. Earlier on Monday, Yugoslavia's Supreme Defence Council was reported to have rejected a proposal from Kostunica to fire him and the president then decided to act on his own.
Diplomats had made clear Pavkovic's presence at the head of the army was preventing the Yugoslav military building the sort of close ties to the West its reformist political leaders have enjoyed since ousting Milosevic as president in October 2000.
Kostunica said General Branko Krga, Pavkovic's deputy, would take over the functions of the chief of staff. Krga has spent much of his career as an intelligence officer and is not generally associated with any political faction.
``However great Pavkovic's merits may be, and they cannot be disputed by any means, the army now needs skills of a different kind,'' Kostunica said in remarks broadcast by state television.
``He thought he was above the army and that the army was above the state,'' the president added. ``For the sake of civilian control and for the sake of democracy I decided to take the step I took today.''
During the conflict in Kosovo, Pavkovic was commander of the Third Army, whose zone of responsibility included the southern province. Some military experts believe he took orders directly from Milosevic throughout the military campaign there.
Prosecutors at the U.N. war crimes tribunal said last November they were investigating Pavkovic over Kosovo, where more than 4,000 bodies have been exhumed from mass graves. They have not announced any results of the investigation.
Milosevic himself is on trial at the tribunal, charged with responsibility for the mass killings and expulsions of Kosovo Albanians as well as atrocities in Bosnia and Croatia.
Pavkovic, 56, has denied the army committed war crimes and suggested irregular volunteer forces were more likely to be guilty.
NO COUP
Pavkovic accused Kostunica of trying to use the army in the services of his own political party, a moderate nationalist group increasingly at odds with the rest of the reformist bloc which ousted Milosevic.
``He has practically decided that my service ends as of tomorrow, as if I were the greatest scum in this state,'' Pavkovic complained.
He alleged he had refused an order from Kostunica last year to raid a building belonging to the government of Serbia. The dominant republic in federal Yugoslavia, Serbia is run by the president's arch-rival in the reformist camp, Zoran Djindjic.
A presidential adviser swiftly denied Pavkovic's allegation.
``It's absolutely not true,'' Gradimir Nalic told Belgrade's B-92 radio. ``It's rubbish...an absolute nonsense.''
Despite his complaints, Pavkovic said he was not planning to stage a coup.
``Krga commands the army as of tomorrow. He was my deputy anyway,'' he told a news conference at a military compound in a Belgrade suburb. ``I won't be in his way.''
Milosevic promoted Pavkovic to the army's top job after the Kosovo war.
He is credited in some quarters with declining to use force against the mass uprising that ousted Milosevic in 2000.
But many reformers doubted whether Pavkovic was really on their side and had demanded his dismissal.
(Additional reporting by Julijana Mojsilovic)

UPDATE 2-Albania picks retired general as new president

By Linda Spahia

TIRANA, June 24 (Reuters) - Albania's parliament endorsed a retired army general as president on Monday after leaders of the two main parties agreed on a compromise to avoid early elections and end months of political tension.
Backed by 97 deputies in the 140-seat legislature, Alfred Moisiu, 73, will be sworn in as head of state of one of Europe's poorest nations when Rexhep Meidani's mandate expires next month.
``The candidate registered for president received 97 votes and is declared president of the republic,'' election commission chairman Bashkim Fino told parliament, which elects the president.
Moisiu, deputy defence minister during communism, needed 84 votes to become president for the next five years. He will head the armed forces, but the post is seen as largely ceremonial.
The smooth vote was the result of what is seen as an historic compromise between ruling Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano and opposition Democratic Party head Sali Berisha.
A tussle for the presidency has dominated Albanian politics in the last year, fuelling power struggles among the Socialists, bringing down Prime Minister Ilir Meta's government and delaying important privatisations and other reforms.
Nano's desire to fill the post himself split his party, and Berisha had insisted on someone from the opposition as a compensation for an election last year that he says was rigged.
But once the two heavyweights of Albanian politics sat down for talks, tete-a-tete meetings produced a compromise that has pleased the public and the West.
In a sign of their new cooperation, Nano and Berisha shook hands before the start of the voting session. Berisha, Albania's first non-communist president, had Nano jailed in the 1990s.
Albania's efforts to start talks in June on a stabilisation and association agreement with the European Union failed because of the political infighting, but Brussels has offered to resume talks as soon as political stability is restored.
Analysts believe pressure from the West and the danger of instability posed by fresh elections may have convinced Nano and Berisha to put aside their animosity.
Moisiu -- whose father Spiro Moisiu commanded Albanian fighters during World War Two -- served as deputy defence minister in the 1970s.
Under Albania's first democratic government, which took office in 1992, he served as adviser to the defence minister and later again as deputy defence minister, until 1997.
Moisiu is not a member of a political party but has been active in promoting Albania's efforts to join NATO. A widower and father of four, he speaks English, Italian and Russian.
NATO troops to help fight Balkan crime-Robertson
ZAGREB, June 24 (Reuters) - NATO will keep troops in the Balkans to help fight terrorism and the smuggling of humans, drugs and arms as the volatile region focuses on post-war reform, alliance chief George Robertson said on Monday.
NATO is reducing its peacekeeping troops in Bosnia and Kosovo this year as peace takes firm hold, but will ``continue to lead sizeable...forces that will focus on the current security challenges in the region,'' Robertson said.
These included ``the illegal movement of people, arms and drugs, criminal and terrorist gangs feeding from such criminal activities,'' he told a stability conference in Zagreb.
Robertson said NATO would increase its efforts in these areas as they were ``crucial to the security of southeast Europe and that of the wider Euro-Atlantic community.''
A region notorious for illegal trade, the Balkans lies on a traditional smuggling route connecting the Middle East and Asia with western Europe.
Because of porous borders, widespread poverty and corruption after the wars of the 1990s, it has become both a transit route and a market for smuggled goods.
Striving to move closer to the wealthy European Union, Croatia and Bosnia have stepped up control of their rugged borders in the last two years.
As a result, the Croatian interior ministry says the number of illegal immigrants arrested in the country dropped to 17,000 in 2001 from 24,000 the previous year.
The 19-nation military alliance announced in May it would cut its 57,000 peacekeeping forces in Bosnia and Kosovo by 20 percent this year because of improved political stability.
It decided to reduce the troops in Bosnia to 12,000 from 19,000 and in Kosovo to 33,200 from 38,000 by the end of 2002.
Robertson also urged local governments ``to deepen and broaden cooperation with their neighbours'' as a precondition to become eligible for eventual NATO membership.
``It is simply wrong to assume southeast Europe should be -- now or for ever -- a troubled region. There has been significant progress over the past year and there is every reason to be confident that this progress can be sustained,'' he said.

Lerke von Saalfeld im Gespräch mit Michael Steiner, Sonderbeauftragter des UN-Generalsekretärs im Kosovo

SÜDWESTRUNDFUNK
Politischer Klimawechsel im Kosovo

Baden-Baden. Der Sonderbeauftragte der Vereinten Nationen im Kosovo, Michael Steiner, beurteilt die gegenwärtige politische Entwicklung zwischen Albanern und Serben im Kosovo positiv. Im Südwestrundfunk (SWR) sagte Steiner: "Wir beobachten im Kosovo einen Klimawechsel. Inzwischen haben die Kosovaren gemerkt, dass der Weg nach Europa über ein multi-ethnisches Kosovo führt." Die Bereitschaft, die Rückkehr der Serben und anderer Minderheiten zu ermöglichen, sei erheblich gewachsen. Eine Teilung des Kosovo, eine mono-ethnische Lösung, schloss Steiner kategorisch aus.
Der UNO-Beauftragte bezeichnete es als einen Fortschritt, dass es gelungen sei, Serben in die Kosovo-Polizei mit aufzunehmen. Der Sonderbeauftragte der UN sei jetzt in der Lage, schrittweise Befugnisse an die Regierung Rugova zu transferieren. Die Regierung Rugova hat, so Steiner, "ein sehr hohes Standing in der Bevölkerung". Es gebe "null Toleranz gegen Verbrechen und organisierte Kriminalität".
Ein großes Problem sei die Arbeitslosigkeit. Sie liege bei etwa 65 Prozent. Fünfzig Prozent der Kosovaren seien unter 25 Jahre alt. Daher müsse neben der Erziehung die ökonomische Entwicklung Hauptschwerpunkt des Engagements im Kosovo sein, sagte Steiner. Investitionen setzten aber Vertrauen und funktionierende Institutionen voraus. Nach Aussage Steiners, kann die internationale Präsenz im Kosovo "nicht von unabsehbarer Dauer" sein. Steiner wörtlich: "Ich glaube nicht, dass wir für unsere Anstrengungen noch von einem Zeithorizont von zehn Jahren ausgehen können."

Das Interview im Wortlaut:

SWR: Michael Steiner, Sie sind seit Februar hier im Land, im Kosovo, waren aber auch schon früher vor Ort in Sarajevo, in Zagreb, haben verschiedene Missionen inne gehabt. Nun haben Sie gerade eine für den Kosovo spektakuläre Aktion gemacht, nämlich Sie bringen zurück und haben zurückgebracht eine Statue 6000 Jahre alt, die im Museum in Belgrad war und die nun wieder an den angestammten Platz zurückgekommen ist in Pristina. Warum hat diese Statue einen solchen Symbolgehalt? Und das hat sicherlich auch etwas symbolisches, denke ich, mit Ihrer Mission hier zu tun.

M. S.: Ich glaube, für die Kosovaren bedeutet sie Teil ihrer Identität. Sie können überall hier im Kosovo Fotografien dieser Göttin finden. Aber darüber hinaus, ist es für mich von besonderer Bedeutung, dass diese Göttin ja transzendiert dieses ethnische Denken im Kosovo. Denn vor 6000 Jahren gab es hier weder Albaner, noch Serben, noch Bosniaken und deswegen kann es in der Tat zu einem positiven Symbol dessen werden, wohin wir Kosovo führen wollen.

SWR: Die UNO-Mission begann, um die albanische Mehrheit zu schützen vor den Serben. Jetzt ist es umgekehrt. Jetzt muss die serbische Minderheit vor den Kosovoalbanern geschützt werden. Das ist ja eine sehr heikle Umdrehung des ursprünglichen Auftrags UN.

M. S.: Ja, das ist wahr. Nur man muss natürlich sehen, nach den dramatischen Erlebnissen, die die Kosovaren, die ja praktisch auf Räder gesetzt worden waren damals von Milosevic, um die Statusfrage zu lösen, gab es natürlich Gegenreaktionen - das haben wir überall erlebt. Nur das besondere ist, es ist ein Klimawechsel zu beobachten. Inzwischen haben die Kosovaren gemerkt, dass der Weg nach Europa über ein multiethnisches Kosovo führt. Und insofern ist die Bereitschaft, Rückkehr der Serben und der anderen Minderheiten zu ermöglichen, massiv gewachsen. Und das ist ja auch der Punkt, an dem wir jetzt ansetzten, um Rückkehr auch real einzuleiten.

SWR: Es gibt ja heute hier etwa zwei Millionen Kosovaren, also Albaner und etwa fünf Prozent Serben. In einer Stadt, in Mitrovica, im Norden des Kosovo, bündelt sich das Problem. Die Stadt ist geteilt in eine serbische und in eine albanische Hälfte. Was tut Unmik? Es heißt ja immer so ein wenig: An diesem Ort könnte sich die Zukunft des Landes entscheiden. Gelingt es, eine multiethnische Zukunft gemeinsam zu bauen oder nicht?

M. S.: Das ist ein ganz kritischer Punkt. Ich glaube, man muss folgendes sagen: Wir sind angetreten zur Verteidigung fundamentaler Menschenrechte hier im Kosovo. Wir werden nur erfolgreich sein, wenn Kosovo ein multiethnischer Kosovo sein wird, erstens. Zweitens: Dieses bedeutet, dass eine Teilung nicht möglich ist. Denn wenn sie das Land aufteilen, dann werden sie eine monoethnische Lösung in den Teilen haben. Dieses bedeutet umgekehrt, dass sie auch schleichende Teilungstendenzen, wie wir sie im Norden haben, schon deswegen nicht zulassen können und etwas dagegen machen müssen, weil sie sonst kein multiethnisches Kosovo erreichen, weil sonst die Legitimation für unser Handeln praktisch unter unseren Füßen weggezogen wird. Wir haben damit angefangen, die Polizei massiv zu verstärken. Sie wird geschützt von KFOR, auch von sehr massiven Kräften, die notfalls auch einschreiten können gegen wilde Demonstrationen, wie wir sie in der Vergangenheit hatten. Und ich glaube, wenn wir den nötigen Durchhalteatem haben, dann schaffen wir es auch, im Norden die Lage zu verändern. Das wird ein bisschen dauern und ich glaube, ein Punkt ist die Polizei. Wir müssen es schaffen und sind jetzt dabei, Serben in die Kosovopolizei, in die KPS mit aufzunehmen. Wenn wir das erreichen und gleichzeitig sichern, dass sie nicht überwältigt werden, dann können wir auch dieses vielleicht schwierigste Problem im Kosovo in der Zeitperspektive lösen.

SWR: Es ist ja durch Ihre Mithilfe gelungen, dass nach den Wahlen im Herbst nun endlich auch der Präsident und der Ministerpräsident der kosovarischen Selbstverwaltung feststehen. Rugova einerseits, Rexhepi als Ministerpräsident. Aber wie stabil ist diese Selbstverwaltung? Und sie steht ja immer noch unter der Oberhoheit des UN-Gouverneurs, nämlich unter der Oberhoheit von Michael Steiner. Das ist ja eine merkwürdige Konstruktion, diese substantielle Autonomie, wie es in der UN-Resolution heißt.

M. S.: Das ganze muss man prozessual sehen auf der Zeitachse. Das bedeutet: Wir sind hier angetreten - hier war ja nichts. Das war ja praktisch Wüste - in den Köpfen der Menschen, aber auch in der Realität. Hier mussten wir exekutiv sozusagen eine Regierung darstellen, die Legislative, die Exekutive und die Judikative. Alles dies haben die zwölf- bis dreizehntausend zivilen Mitarbeiter von Unmik hier auf die Beine gestellt - in den Regionen, draußen in den Provinzen, aber auch hier in Pristina. Nicht alles ist ideal, nicht alles ist perfekt, aber wir haben jetzt eine Administration. Wir sind jetzt in der Phase, allmählich schrittweise unsere Befugnisse zu transferieren, nicht in allen Bereichen, sicherlich nicht im Bereich Sicherheit und außenpolitischen Fragen, aber in vielen zentralen Fragen. Die Regierung, die wir jetzt haben, hat sicherlich noch nicht im ganzen Land Fuß gefasst - das kann ja auch nicht sein, das ist ja alles aus dem Boden gestampft. Aber ich bin eigentlich dadurch ermutigt: Einmal sagt der Premierminister das richtige, zum anderen, er hat die Regierung ein sehr hohes Standing auch in der Bevölkerung. Denn die Bevölkerung will funktionierende Institutionen, will eine Gesellschaft, die respektabel ist. Und unsere Aufgabe ist jetzt, allmählich das, was wir bisher gemacht haben, zu übergeben an die provisorischen Institutionen, sodass das Ziel ermöglicht wird, was letztlich die Sicherheitsratsresolution 1244 vorschreibt, nämlich die substantielle Autonomie. Denn letztlich ist es natürlich so, dass wir dann erfolgreich sind, wenn wir überflüssig werden. Und dieses Paradoxum, was wir hier haben, das fordert uns einiges ab, aber ich glaube, dass letztlich dies dann auch eine Frage des Erfolgs der UN-Mission sein wird. Ich glaube auch, dass es falsch ist, zu glauben, wir hätten alle Zeit dieser Welt - die haben wir nicht - insbesondere nachdem sich die Weltlage verändert hat im letzten September. Aber wir brauchen natürlich noch etwas Zeit, denn sie können diese Dinge nicht über Nacht schaffen.

SWR: Das sind die großen Linien der Politik. Und es gibt ja ein historisches Vorbild, das sich immer wiederholt: Dass nämlich Befreier plötzlich irgendwann als Besatzer empfunden werden. Die Deutschen kennen das natürlich auch. Und das müssen Sie hier lösen. Nun haben Sie aber auch eine große Reihe von ganz konkreten kleinen Problemen, die auch das zivile Leben stören und den Aufbau auch erschweren. Und ein Beispiel ist der Zigarettenschmuggel, der erhebliche Summen der neuen Verwaltung entzieht. Sie haben ein Abkommen zustande gebrachte mit den umliegenden Ländern. Wenn man hier in Pristina über den Markt geht, dann sieht man nicht nur die wunderbaren Türme von Packungen mit Zigaretten, sondern ganze Umzugskisten voll mit geschmuggelter Zigarettenware. Also es gibt zwar das Abkommen, aber die praktische Umsetzung scheint doch ein großes Problem zu sein.

M. S.: Also, erstens mal bin ich natürlich sehr stolz, dass es ausgerechnet hier in Pristina gelungen ist, eine Konferenz der Region zu schaffen, die die entscheidenden Beschlüsse gefasst hat. Wenn Sie sagen, es ist nichts passiert, dann muss ich Sie positiv enttäuschen.

SWR: Ich schildere nur, was man sieht.

M. S.: Natürlich Sie haben recht, selbstverständlich ist das Phänomen auch existent. Es ist aber kein Kosovophänomen, sondern ein Phänomen, das auf dem ganzen Balkan existiert. Aber wir haben ganz beachtliche Beschlagnahmungen durchführen können - übrigens auch grenzüberschreitend, auch in Nachbarstaaten und auch in Serbien. Wir haben gerade kürzlich in einer Nacht- und Nebelaktion zwanzig Tonnen Zigaretten beschlagnahmen können. Das passiert jetzt faktisch alle zwei/drei Tage. Dies ist ja nur Teil der gesamten Strategie: Null Toleranz gegen Verbrechen und organisierte Kriminalität, das ist ein ganz entscheidender Punkt.Ds ist auch das, was die Menschen wollen. Wir sind jetzt dabei, die Zügel anzuziehen. Das wird nicht über Nacht gelingen. Und sie werden hier noch länger Zigaretten sehen ohne Herkunftsbezeichnung, d.h., geschmuggelte Zigaretten. Aber die Situation beginnt sich zu verändern.

SWR: Mich hat sehr überrascht bei der Einfahrt nach Pristina: Überall sieht man neue Häuser. Es wird gebaut, gebaut, gebaut. Man hat so den Eindruck, die Stadt ist im Bauboom. Was drückt das aus? Ist das wirklich schon der Ausdruck für eine prosperierende Wirtschaft?

M. S.: Nein, ich glaube, das drückt aus, dass es: Geld gibt aus der Diaspora, was investiert werden kann und könnte. Aber es drückt auch aus, dass es nicht in produktives Kapital investiert wird, in produktive Anlagen, sondern in totes Kapital, in Häuser. Dies unterstreicht die Notwendigkeit, dass wir den Wirtschaftsrahmen hier reformieren, sodass es sich lohnt, auch in produktive Anlagen zu investieren. Und das ist ja genau der Grund, warum eins meiner Schwerpunkte war, die wirtschaftliche Rahmengesetzgebung und die wirtschaftlichen Rahmendaten zu verändern. Kosovo ist eine extrem junge Gesellschaft. Über fünfzig Prozent der Menschen sind unter 25 Jahre alt. Die Arbeitslosigkeit ist enorm hoch.

SWR: Stimmt es, so etwa 65 Prozent?

M. S.: Das ist ungefähr die Schätzung, niemand weiß es ganz genau, schwierig zu erfassen - aber das ist ungefähr die Zahl. Wenn Sie diese beiden Zahlen vergleichen - diese jungen Menschen, diese hohe Arbeitslosigkeit - dann ist es vollkommen klar, dass ein Hauptschwerpunkt neben der Erziehung, die ökonomischen Perspektiven sein müssen. Investitionen setzen Vertrauen voraus. D.h., jemand der hier investiert, muss Vertrauen darin haben, dass sich das auch lohnt, dass sein Geld nicht verloren geht, sondern auch stabil angelegt ist. Und dass da auch eine Wertschöpfung entsteht. Wir werden ein wirtschaftliches Wachstum bekommen in dem Moment, wo die Gesellschaft stimmt und wo die zentralen Elemente, die Pfeiler einer funktionierenden Gesellschaft einigermaßen in Ordnung sind. Ideal, das wird nicht die Schweiz werden über Nacht, aber es muss im Verhältnis zum Umfeld einigermaßen vernünftig funktionieren. Und das ist auch der Grund, warum wir ja diese wirtschaftlichen Eckpunkte angeregt haben.

SWR: Sie meinen diese wirtschaftlichen Standards.

M. S.: Ja, Standards. Ich habe dem Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen vorgeschlagen: Erst müssen wir bestimmte Eckpfeiler, eine funktionierende Gesellschaft erfüllen. D.h. zuverlässige Institutionen, d.h. Bewegungsfreiheit, d.h. ein vernünftiger Rückkehrprozess, d.h. ein Funktionieren der rechtsstaatlichen Institutionen, d.h. eine funktionierende Polizei usw. Wir haben hier acht Maßstäbe festgelegt. Wenn wir diese erfüllt haben, dann können wir uns auch mit der Frage beschäftigen: Wie soll der zukünftige Status des Kosovo aussehen? Das macht Sinn. Denn erst, wenn sie funktionierende Institutionen haben, können sie überhaupt von substantieller Autonomie sprechen, denn sie brauchen ja einen Träger dieser Autonomie, einen funktionierenden Träger. Und ich bin besonders froh, dass der Sicherheitsrat Unisono im Konsens indossiert hat dieses Konzept. Aber nicht nur der Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen, d.h. die Internationale Gemeinschaft, sondern auch diese Gesellschaft hier. Das Parlament hat dieses Konzept indossiert, aber auch die politischen Führer. D.h., wir haben jetzt für den weiteren Weg des Kosovo einen Konsens hinsichtlich der Schritte, die zu unternehmen sind. Und das ist natürlich ganz wichtig, dass man weiß, wie ist der Weg in die Zukunft strukturiert.

SWR: Herr Steiner, würden Sie eine Prognose wagen? Wie lange kann das noch dauern, bis man das Ziel, also eine wirkliche Selbstständigkeit des Kosovo, eigenständig sich zu verwalten und eine eigenständige Wirtschaft zu haben, das erreicht zu haben? Kann man es wagen?

M. S.: Nein, das kann man genauso wenig wie im Erweiterungsprozess der Europäischen Union. Auch da haben wir gesagt den Kandidatenländern: Ihr habt das selbst in der Hand, wie schnell es geht. Wir können Euch nur sagen, was Ihr machen müsst, um kompatibel mit der Europäischen Union zu sein. Wie schnell es geht, das liegt an Euren eigenen Anstrengungen. Und so ähnlich ist es hier im Kosovo. Das hängt im wesentlichen davon ab, was die Kosovaren selbst erreichen bei der Übernahme der Befugnisse. Aber, eins ist auch wahr, seit dem 11. September letzten Jahres, hat sich alles verändert. Und ich glaube, dass die Vorstellung, die man hatte in der Internationalen Gemeinschaft vor dem September letzten Jahres, dass dies hier eine internationale Präsenz auf unabsehbare Dauer sein wird, und dass wir hier noch viele, viele Jahre bleiben werden - dieses wird nicht mehr gehen. Seit dem 11. September hat sich die Aufmerksamkeit der Internationalen Gemeinschaft auch in andere Gebiete verlagert, was dazu führt, dass wir weniger Zeit haben. Und ich glaube nicht, dass wir von einem Zeithorizont für unsere Anstrengungen von etwa zehn Jahren noch ausgehen können. Und hier gibt es einen Punkt: Es gibt eine große Gefahr. Wenn man etwas anfängt, wie wir das hier im Kosovo getan haben, dann muss man es auch zu Ende bringen. Denn wenn man Ruinen des Engagement hinterlässt, dann wird es sehr viel gefährlicher. Das schlimmste, was uns hier in Europa passieren kann, ist, dass wir diesen Job nicht zu Ende bringen, und dann haben wir hier ein Vakuum. Unser Ziel muss sein, wir müssen den Job zu Ende bringen, sodass im Endergebnis Kosovo nicht ein Exporteur von Unsicherheit, sondern von Sicherheit wird.

Yugoslav President Dismisses Milosevic-Appointed Army Chief

The New York Times - 24 June 2002

By DANIEL SIMPSON

BELGRADE, Serbia, June 24 - President Vojislav Kostunica of Yugoslavia today fired the commander of the army, as long demanded by domestic reformers and Western officials concerned by the man's links to Slobodan Milosevic.
Gen. Nebosja Pavkovic, 56, who has been under investigation by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague for his actions in Kosovo, created a brief furor by refusing to accept the decision.
But he later clarified his remarks, saying he would protest to the federal Parliament and "seek legal protection," not ask the army to back him in a military coup. His deputy, Gen. Branko Krga, an intelligence officer seen as politically neutral, is to take over as chief of staff on Tuesday.
"I won't be in his way," General Pavkovic said at a news conference at a military compound in a Belgrade suburb.
The general, who led the Third Army during Mr. Milosevic's crackdown on Kosovo Albanians, had earlier accused the United States of trying to have him fired.
Before he was dismissed by presidential decree, he urged Mr. Kostunica to resist "undemocratic pressure from abroad."
Diplomats have made it clear that General Pavkovic's presence was preventing the Yugoslav military from building the sort of close ties to the West that the country's reformist political leaders have enjoyed since Mr. Milosevic was ousted as president in October 2000.
To many nationalists in Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic, that would be reason enough to leave him in his job. He is widely known for having been the main military face on state television during NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.
Mr. Kostunica said it was time to demonstrate civilian control over the armed forces, a condition Yugoslavia must meet to join NATO exercises under the alliance's "Partnership for Peace."
"However great Pavkovic's merits may be, and they cannot be disputed by any means, the army now needs skills of a different kind," Mr. Kostunica said.
General Pavkovic hit back by accusing Mr. Kostunica of trying to use the army to serve his own political party, a moderate nationalist group at odds with the rest of the reformist bloc that ousted Mr. Milosevic, who is on trial in The Hague on charges of genocide and other crimes.
The general asserted that he had refused an order from Mr. Kostunica last year to raid a building belonging to the government of Serbia, which is led by the president's archrival in the reformist camp, Zoran Djindjic. Presidential aides denied the charge.
General Pavkovic, whom Mr. Milosevic appointed, hung on to his job after his patron's downfall and says he refused to suppress the mass protests that led to the overthrow. But many reformers doubted that the general was really on their side.
General Pavkovic, who also served in the 1992-95 war in Bosnia, has denied that the army committed war crimes or systematic human rights abuses, suggesting that volunteer forces were more likely guilty.

Yugoslav Leader Fires Milosevic's Top General

West Had Pressed for Holdover's Ouster

Washington Post Foreign Service - June 25, 2002

By Daniel Williams

BELGRADE, June 24 -- President Vojislav Kostunica today fired Yugoslavia's army chief of staff, a holdover from the Slobodan Milosevic era whose continued presence Western governments have condemned.
"For the sake of civilian control and for the sake of democracy, I decided to take the step I took today," Kostunica said on television, explaining his decision about Gen. Nebojsa Pavkovic. "However great Pavkovic's merits may be . . . the army now needs a different kind."
Pavkovic responded that he "refused" the order but also would not create problems for his successor.
Officials at the NATO alliance had pressed for Pavkovic's removal as a condition for considering Yugoslavia's participation in the Partnership for Peace program. The partnership was created during the Clinton administration as a means for East European countries to hold military maneuvers and coordinate with the alliance without being a member.
NATO's objections to Pavkovic reportedly centered on his command of Yugoslavia's armed forces during the 1998-99 war in Kosovo, when his army resisted weeks of NATO bombing. "NATO's not ready to welcome a Kosovo hero of Yugoslavia into its club," said a Yugoslav political observer.
On the other hand, the U.N. war crimes tribunal has not indicted Pavkovic for his actions in Kosovo, or in earlier ethnic conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia.
There were no reports of military movements in support of the ousted leader. Television stations broadcast normal programming, including "The Simpsons" and rap videos, and traffic moved normally on Belgrade's hilly streets.
In October 2000, Pavkovic was widely credited with keeping the armed forces in their barracks when mobs assaulted the Yugoslav parliament to protest Milosevic's efforts to overturn election results that had favored Kostunica. The unrest forced Milosevic's resignation.
After taking power, Kostunica retained Pavkovic in the interest of keeping stability in the armed forces, Yugoslav political analysts have said.
The pair fell out over a murky incident in March in which an army security official arrested a former general who was meeting with a U.S. diplomat outside Belgrade, reportedly to pass on war crimes information. Kostunica supported the arrest, but Pavkovic distanced himself from it.
In April, Kostunica announced it was a time for a change, and today ordered Pavkovic's dismissal.
Kostunica appointed Pavkovic's deputy, Branko Krga to take over. Krga kept a low profile during the Balkan wars, Western diplomats said, and is acceptable to NATO as a replacement.
Pavkovic told reporters he would "in no way interfere" with Krga.
Pavkovic went on television today and complained that he was treated "as if I was the greatest scum in this state."
"Of course, I refused," he went on, "And I will not carry out this order." He blamed Kostunica for bowing to "undemocratic pressure from abroad" and for taking "personal vengeance" on him. He accused Kostunica of trying to use the army to raid offices of political enemies.
Kostunica is not often accused of bowing to foreign pressure. He has been reluctant, for example, to authorize cooperation with the war crimes tribunal, even though the United States has made economic aid conditional on such help.
Kostunica sought to spread responsibility for Pavkovic's ouster today over Yugoslavia's Supreme Security Council, which includes the presidents of Montenegro and Serbia, the two Yugolsav republics. The presidents of the republics, however, demanded that Kostunica fire other generals as well.