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20 November 2003 Morning Edition
Kosovo News
· Two Serb murder suspects released from UNMIK
detention (Tanjug)
· UNMIK withdraws from executive offices in all Kosovo's municip.
(Tanjug)
Regional News
· New agreements give impetus to Romanian-Albanian ties: Nastase
(Xinhua)
· Greece, Croatia to support inter-Balkan cooperation (Xinhua)
· Advance team of E.U.'s police mission Proxima arrives to Skopje
(dpa)
· Anti-Milosevic Political Alliance Ends (AP)
· DSS leader meets with Russian diplomat (Tanjug)
· SCG wins Italy's full support in joining Euro-Atlantic integrations
(Tanjug)
· Italian defence minister says Mladic arrest crucial (SRNA)
· Organised crime threatens Albanian democracy: police chief (AFP)
World News
· Bush defends Iraq war in London speech (Reuters)
Two Serb murder suspects released from UNMIK detention
20:16 KOSOVSKA VITINA , Nov 19 (Tanjug) - Two Kosovo Serbs, arrested
on suspicion that they had killed 18-year-old Danijel Milosevic during
the weekend, were released from the UNMIK detention facility in Gnjilan
on Wednesday afternoon.
According to Zivojin Balosevic, who lives in the village of Mogila in
the eastern part of the province where the crime happened, suspects Stanoje
Przic (73) and his son Novica (40) had arrived home.
UNMIK withdraws from executive offices in all Kosovo's
municipalities
20:08 PRISTINA , Nov 19 (Tanjug) - UNMIK head Harri Holkeri said
on Wednesday that all municipalities in Kosovo were functioning and that
the UN Mission had handed over its duties in the municipalities and withdrew
from executive offices, but that it was still monitoring and assisting
the consolidation of local institutions, UNMIK said in a statement.
At a ceremony marking the handing over of a report on reforms in local
self-administration and public administration in Kosovo and final recommendations,
prepared by the Council of Europe mission, Holkeri said that one could
now discuss the model of local self-administration.
New agreements give impetus to Romanian-Albanian ties: Nastase
Source: Xinhua Date: November 19, 2003
BUCHAREST, Nov 19, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The signing of cooperation
agreements in the fields of defense, health and customs, as well as the
Free Trade Agreement gave a new dimension to the Romanian- Albanian ties,
Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said on Wednesday.
Nastase made the remarks after meeting the visiting Albanian Prime Minister
Fatos Nano, who agreed that bilateral cooperation in various fields would
help strengthen relations between the two countries after the three documents
were signed.
Nastase said Romania has a special interest in extending its good political
relationship with Albania to the economic field, and the Free Trade Agreement
which will come into effect on January 1, 2004, would create additional
conditions for the development of the economic relations.
Nastase also reiterated his country's support for Albania's bid to join
NATO and the European Union.
Nano arrived in Bucharest earlier in the day for a two-day visit. On the
same day, the two prime ministers attended the Romanian-Albanian Economic
Forum.
Trade between Romania and Albania reached 10.85 million euros ( 12.8 million
US dollars) in the first eight months of this year, and there are currently
56 Romanian-Albanian joint ventures in Romania. CXGLOBviaNewsEdge
Greece, Croatia to support inter-Balkan cooperation
Source: Xinhua Date: November 19, 2003
ATHENS, Nov 19, 2003 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Leaders of Greece and
Croatia pledged here Wednesday to support and enhance cooperation between
Balkan states.
In their talks, Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and visiting Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic expressed their determination in promoting cooperation
in the region, but at the same time clarified that this in no way implied
an intention for Yugoslavia's reunification.
Speaking to the press following their talks, Mesic stressed that his country
was determined to leave the past behind and progress toward the European
Union, adopting the necessary laws and European standards.
In efforts to achieve this, Croatia had adopted a new model of privatization,
was undergoing legislative reforms, restructuring its army and police,
building infrastructure, cooperating with the International Court at The
Hague and working to restore relations with the countries in the area,
he said.
The Greek premier hailed Croatia's progress in its European course and
pledged that the Greek government will continue to support Croatia's efforts.
Mesic arrived here Tuesday for a three-day official visit.
Advance team of E.U.'s police mission Proxima arrives to Skopje
Skopje (dpa) - An advance team of the future European Union's 200-strong
police force arrived in Macedonia on Wednesday to set up the mission's
headquarters, the E.U. said.
The mission Proxima is due to be deployed by mid December for a one year
period to help the Macedonian authorities to develop an ``efficient and
professional police service and promote European standards of policing''
said E.U. spokeswoman Sheena Thompson.
``One hundred police officers will arrive in Macedonia by mid-December.
Another 100 policemen will arrive in the country by February, bringing
the number of officers to the planned 200,'' E.U. spokesperson Sheena
Thompson told journalists.
The E.U. police force will replace existing 350-strong European military
mission ``Concordia'', which will end its operations on December 15.
However, security experts argued recently whether the international community
needs to maintain a military presence in Macedonia as ethnic tensions,
crime, corruption, and economic feebleness still present major risks for
the country's future. dpa ra ds AP-NY-11-19-03 1003EST
Anti-Milosevic Political Alliance Ends
*1103 AP-Serbia-Elections,0647
Anti-Milosevic Political Alliance Ends
By DUSAN STOJANOVIC=
Associated Press Writer=
BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) _ More than three years after
toppling Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia's Western-backed ruling coalition
declared its mission over and dissolved Wednesday.
The decision by the 10-party Democratic Opposition of Serbia, or DOS,
coalition came amid a surge in popular support for the former president's
nationalists and neo-communists _ and deep divisions within the pro-Western
bloc.
DOS was wracked by the assassination of its leader, infighting and the
defection of some key parties, and the breakup apparently was an attempt
to reorganize ahead of Dec. 28 parliamentary elections.
``The coalition made a historic step and took Serbia toward democracy
and international integration,'' the coalition said in a statement Wednesday
_ but the bloc ``has used up its possibilities and tasks.''
DOS' fall in popularity led to the strong showing by ultranationalist
candidate Tomislav Nikolic in Sunday's presidential election.
But the election was ruled invalid because less than 50 percent of voters
turned out. It was Serbia's third fruitless attempt in just over a year
to elect a president.
``We did some good things, and made some mistakes as well,'' said Dragoljub
Micunovic, a DOS leader who was the coalition's presidential candidate
in last week's election. ``What we will be remembered for is that we got
rid of the Balkan dictator.''
The group _ which originally had 18 parties _ formed in 2000 after to
a painstaking effort by the United States to unite all anti-Milosevic
factions.
DOS then united behind a single presidential candidate, moderate nationalist
Vojislav Kostunica, who defeated Milosevic in the September 2000 presidential
elections.
But Milosevic tried to annul the election results, which led to a popular
revolt. Hundreds of thousands of people stormed the parliament and forced
Milosevic to concede defeat on Oct. 5, 2000.
A year later, the coalition government arrested Milosevic and extradited
him to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, where he
is on trial.
The coalition government re-established ties with the West and introduced
some key reforms, making the country eligible for millions of dollars
in international aid. But it failed to considerably raise living standards
in a society ruined by a decade under Milosevic.
The DOS leaders turned against each other, and Kostunica, one of Serbia's
most popular political figures, left the coalition, claiming it was corrupt
and too Western-leaning.
The bloc also suffered a crucial blow in March when Zoran Djindjic, its
key leader and Serbia's first democratic prime minister since World War
II, was assassinated _ allegedly by crime bosses, special police and hard-liners
opposed to reforms.
``There was so much hope when we finally toppled Milosevic,'' said Mica
Kovacevic, a student who participated in the October 2000 protests.
``But what's left now is fear and despair. Fear that his warmongers are
coming back, and despair that the democrats are so fractured and incapable
of ruling the country.''
DSS leader meets with Russian diplomat
19:18 BELGRADE , Nov 19 (Tanjug) - Democratic Party of Serbia
(DSS) President Vojislav Kostunica conferred on Wednesday with head of
the Russian Foreign Ministry's Third European Department Alexander Alexeyev,
focusing on the situation in Kosovo-Metohija, relations within the state
union of Serbia-Montenegro and further development of bilateral relations
between Russia and Serbia-Montenegro.
The return of the expelled and IDPs and achievement of standards in Kosovo-Metohija
must be the priorities of the international community, provisional institutions
in Kosovo-Metohija and all relevant political players, Kostunica said.
He added that any premature or hasty solution would jeopardise security
and that independence of the province would be detrimental to regional
stability.
(end)
SCG wins Italy's full support in joining Euro-Atlantic
integrations
18:14 ROME , Nov 19 (Tanjug) - Defense Minister Boris Tadic of Serbia
and Montenegro (SCG) said on Wednesday in a statement for Tanjug that
his talks with Italian counterpart Antonio Martino were extremely successful
and that the SCG won Italy's full support in joining Euro-Atlantic integrations.
A bilateral agreement on cooperation between the two defense ministries
and the two armed forces was signed, Tadic said, adding that the agreement
contains many concrete points for cooperation and a plan for the next
year.
(end)
Italian defence minister says Mladic arrest crucial
| 19:46 | SRNA
ROME -- Wednesday - The failure to arrest war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic
is the only thing standing in the way of Serbia-Montenegro joining NATO's
Partnership for Peace, Italian Defence Minister Antonio Martino said today.
Martino said he had been thoroughly informed on the efforts to track Mladic during talks today in Rome with his Serbia-Montenegro counterpart Boris Tadic.
Mladic, the former Bosnian Serb army chief, is wanted at the United Nations
war crimes tribunal in The Hague on charges including genocide. Tribunal
prosecutors say he is hiding in Serbia.
Tadic said he and Martino had signed an agreement on bilateral cooperation
between their ministries.
Organised crime threatens Albanian democracy:
police chief
Source: Agence France-Presse English Wire Date: November 19, 2003
TIRANA, Nov 19 (AFP) - Organised crime is so powerful in Albania
that it represents a potential threat to the country's young democracy,
the police chief of the capital Tirana said in an open letter released
Wednesday.
"Organised crime, implicated in several murders committed in recent
months ... is becoming a potential danger to democracy and the structures
of the state which are already too fragile in Albania," Pjerin Ndreu
wrote.
A senior police officer, the driver of the state prosecutor and at least
two prominent businessmen have been murdered recently by alleged members
of organised crime groups, according to interior ministry sources.
Ndreu denounced what he described as active links between politicians,
the judiciary and mafia gangs involved in the trafficking of people, drugs
and weapons.
"Politicians and high officials of the state and the judiciary have
openly supported these traffickers and facilitated their money landering
through crime, representing a serious threat to the national economy,"
he wrote.
President Alfred Moisiu on Tuesday called for the establishment of a tribunal
to investigate "abuse of power by politicians and officials as well
as their links to organised crime," a spokesman said.
"It is also possible that these smugglers, once they have laundered
their money, also wash their names clean by getting involved in politics
themselves," charged Ndrea.
He said this connection between crime and high officials was an increasing
danger "not only to individuals but also to the state."
The police chief also said law enforcement agencies had not been given
the resources to fight the menace, and accused the authorities of "closing
their eyes to the criminal world."
"It is not difficult for specialist structures to identify these
so-called businessmen who, enriched by smuggling, are investing in legal
economic activities," he said. bme/mat/smc/rl
UPDATE 3-INSTANT VIEW-Bush defends Iraq war in London speech
(Adds comment from Brookings Institution)
LONDON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Following are reactions to U.S. President
George W. Bush's speech in London on Wednesday in which he defended the
Iraq war, said the United Nations risked extinction unless it backed resolutions
with resolve and urged Israel not to prejudice peace talks with a security
barrier.
Bush was making the keynote speech of a three-day state visit to Britain,
marked by deep public opposition to the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.
SUSAN RICE, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION SENIOR FELLOW:
``It leaves some major questions unanswered. Given his oft-repeated statement
that the biggest threat is weapons of mass destruction in the hands of
terrorists, he gave very short shrift to North Korea and no mention of
Iran.
``(On Iraq, Bush) is making a mistake in defining our 'word' as delivering
democracy to Iraq rather than delivering security for the United States
as well as for the people of Iraq.
``If the definition of success is Jeffersonian democracy, then I suspect
neither the president nor the American people will have the will to see
it through.
``Also left unanswered is what the United States is going to do about
the Middle East peace process. It looks like we've taken a holiday from
the peace process while the situation grinds on.''
- - - -
GEORGES LE GUELTE, FRENCH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC RELATIONS:
``There was no indication whatsoever in a change in policy -- and that
is what is worrying. He is still focused on the 'war against terrorism'
and is still in the same mindset which has led to the mistakes and failures
thus far.
``He continues to make links between the September 11 attacks and those
elsewhere -- for example in Morocco -- which had completely different
causes. It is a speech designed to instil fear into public opinion.
``On Iraq, there were fine words but absolutely nothing concrete on what
he plans to do next.''
- - - -
EGYPTIAN POLITICAL ANALYST HALA MUSTAFA:
``I think President Bush's comments about a two-state solution to the
conflict between Palestinians and Israelis and his concentration on reform
and democracy in the region are very positive.
``American policy in the Middle East used to be based on business, oil
basically, and protecting Israel. It seems now that America is really
concerned about the region and its future. This is a good sign.''
- - - -
SAEB EREKAT, PALESTINIAN MINISTER FOR NEGOTIATIONS on Bush's plea to Israel
not to prejudice peace talks by erecting ``walls and fences'':
``The important thing in President Bush's speech is that he called upon
the Israeli government to stop building the apartheid wall because it
preempts the negotiations.
``We call upon President Bush to make the Israeli government stop building
the wall immediately.''
- - - -
ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER SILVAN SHALOM
``We have reached a clear and unequivocal decision to build this fence,
to prevent the extremists from attacking us. We are doing everything we
can to put up this fence that will prevent infiltrations.''
- - - -
RICHARD COBBOLD OF THE BRITISH-BASED ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE:
``He was pushing a very hard line on democracy in the Middle East and
gave a potential warning, if you like, to those who might stand in his
way, either through conservatism or through direct opposition.
``He also made the valuable point that not withstanding the fact that
some things are going badly in Iraq, it's a hell of a lot better than
before. I think that needs to be said.''
- - - -
GUSTAV LINDSTROM, SPECIALIST FOR TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS, INSTITUTE FOR
SECURITY STUDIES, PARIS:
``It was a very good speech, touching on a lot of bases. And it did the
job of delivering a very friendly message.
``One thing that was interesting was the importance he attached to September
11 again. It was his initial starting point and the whole speech was built
around it.''
- - - -
MARC SCHATTENMANN, ERFURT SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY, ERFURT UNIVERSITY,
GERMANY:
``Bush is only partially right when he talks about the use of force. The
U.N. Charter allows for the use of force in self-defence, to help others
in emergencies and where the Security Council approves it. That wasn't
the case in Iraq or in Kosovo.
``Many people had doubts about Bush's motives in Iraq. They saw sinister
motives, the oil and business interests.''
Reut15:34 11-19-03