CONTENTS:

THE AWAITED
THEY FLED BECAUSE THE WERE NOT READY TO CONFRONT
NEW SERB ILLUSION
MILOSEVIC'S OLD GUARD BEHIND KOSTUNICA
MITROVICA AGAIN CLOSED TOWN
A SERB BRIDGE WATCHER ARRESTED 

THE AWAITED

Zėri carried on page on a column by Zenun Ēelaj commenting the visit by the Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta.

For the first, time an Albanian Prime Minister paid an official visit to Kosovo. Last year on a private visit was Pandeli Majko.

Ilir Meta came to Kosovo to meet with everyone. Everyone also met him. Something that every Albanian aspires to, and does not plan the future according to past and present political events: squabbles and separations that had great cost on the nation. He met with Kosovar Albanian political leaders and discussed with them diplomatic political and historic joint problems.     

It is time that on that and this side of the border that divides the Albanians, party, clan or regional new borders are raised where killings happen and threats for new tragedies are pre-announced, something that was not there in the past.

His meeting with Dr. Ibrahim Rugova the party leader that legitimated his force in the local elections in Kosovo, is exceptional because of the hypothesis on the relations between LDK and PS that reflected in the overall relations between Albanians on the two sides of the border that divides them.

From first reactions in Albania, this visit could have positive relations in Albania too.  More than once developments in one side reflected on the other side positively or negatively. In this phase of political polarizations in Kosovo where many decisions for the future of Kosovo will take place, a visit such as this one with calming and friendly messages will disappoint only the  myopic.

THEY FLED BECAUSE THE WERE NOT READY TO CONFRONT

Koha Ditore carried on page two a report on the desertion of 57 police officers from the Bujanovc region.

Police officers Dragisa Radevic said that 57 members of a special police unit from Kraljevo have abandoned the Bujanovc region on 23 November because they "did not trust their command" and because "they did not have the needed weapons to protect themselves from Albanian extremists".

Members of the special police unit who were stationed around Bujanovc and abandoned their posts on 23 November were suspended for breach of duties and responsibilities according to interior ministry laws. Radoslav Milijanovic chief of Kraljevo police ha signed the suspensions for 57 police officers. 

In a press conference held at the Kraljevo municipal building, Dragisa Radicevic one of the suspended police officers has accused the command that they did not have the necessary weapons to successfully encounter the Albanian "terrorists" who were armed with mortars, Browning automatics and sniper rifles. Ranko Prlevic is commander of this special police unit.

Radevic said that police officers had only light weapons and found only "two corroded AK-47's," in their post, and it was very difficult almost impossible to establish radio and telephone links.
 
He added that police officers had to withdraw from the border after they were ordered to do so, it took them 67 hours "to complete this journey" to Bujanovc. The place they withdrew for couple of hours had about 60 beds however there were around 120  police officers there, he blames the command for this too.

The police officers left the shelter only hours before they were ordered to. Kraljevo President Lubisa Jovasevic said that he talked over the phone with the police chief and hopes that "the problem would be resolved".

NEW SERB ILLUSION

Yugoslav parliament discusses Kosovo and the situation in the Presevo valley reported Zėri on page six.

Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zizic in a report which was described threatening and with statements that were heard before as warmongering before the Yugoslav parliament said that the 21 November coup d'etat in the security zone in the south of Serbia was coordinated by the Albanians in Kosovo to destabilize and expose the FRY.

The measures that FRY government has undertaken made clear to "Albanian extremists" that any international advice for liberating Presevo valley or plans for a referendum do not come in consideration.

Zizic said that to ensure long-term political developments, the government has formed "The Committee for Kosovo" based in Prishtina and have requested that it can "work normally".

Regarding talks between Albanians and Serbs apart of empty phrases on "civilization" and saying that Albanians "want something that does not belong to them then concerning this we will notify them". The international community will solve the fate of the "militant wing of the Albanian separatism", which "is obligated to disarm and prevent their activities". 

"Our forces are so superior comparing what Albanians posses, that their presence in the field is absurd and their threats are tragically-comic," concluded the Yugoslav minister. He emphasized that all efforts by the "state" to start with the "Albanian community" some kind of democratic political discussion have remained without result because their refusal. However, se hope "the international community  will have more success," said among others Zizic. 

MILOSEVIC'S OLD GUARD BEHIND KOSTUNICA

Sonja Biserko head of the Helsinki Committee in FRY does not believe the changes in Belgrade carried the report on page four of Koha Ditore.

She said that there are not any political reforms and added that after Serb parliamentary elections DOS (Serb Democratic Opposition) will disperse. She held a lecture at the Viennese Institute for international politics on the Balkan issue and the only positive fact derived from the changes in Belgrade is that Yugoslavia is not isolated any more and that humanitarian aid is entering.

Biserko said that Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica is supported by  old the guard which was loyal to Milosevic. She said that best proof is that VJ (Yugoslav Army) Commander Nebojsa Pavkovic and head of State Security Rade Markovic are still in their posts. "This is where the answer lies," said Biserko in Vienna.

She sees Kostunica as a part of the nationalistic block, security forces, Serb Orthodox Church and Serb Academy of Science. "This group has not withdrawn from their project to control Montenegro, Kosovo and Republika Srpska," emphasized Biserko and added that regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina there is an existing danger that Belgrade is only waiting for the international community  to withdraw from Bosnia and Herzegovina and for them to get hold of Republika Srpska.

The rising tensions in Presevo valley Biserko evaluate that is being used by Belgrade to confront the west. "The secessionists are part of the problem however we have to ask ourselves could this be a trick by Belgrade to declare the five kilometer zone as unnecessary and bring the army at the border," said Biserko. She thinks that west has to help the Serb youth to think in a pro-European way and warns that the Orthodox Church is trying to infiltrate the existing vacuum with nationalistic feelings.

MITROVICA AGAIN A CLOSED CITY

Mitrovica's dismaying histories begin this way: there is gossip heard in the morning in Prishtina, no one from the international authorities confirms anything precise, then you must head for the most talked about city that begins and ends with soldier stop checks, reported Zėri on page three.

Yesterday morning the roads of northern Mitrovica were blocked by Serbs, and in the evening by international troops. The soldiers, the bridge and Iber River have separated the city's two halves. The roads without lights, very few people, it seems as though a group of young people are not talking about movies, music and love. In the morning, a joint KFOR and UNMIK police operation has begun with 200 soldiers and policemen participating. The operation was to seek for persons who were involved in criminal activities.

The result of the "great" operation: an elderly couple was arrested and a woman suspected to be involved with thievery. All Serbs.  The elderly couple was immediately released after being questioned by UNMIK police, who said that the cause for their release was their age and because only a small amount of weapons was found. Whereas, the arrested woman will be sent to court as an accomplice in one or more abduction cases. As it was officially said, this time 9 64 millimeter grenade launchers, 11 AK-47 automatic weapons, 2 rifles, 51 ammunition rounds, 7 hand grenades, a rifle, more than 2500 ammunition rounds of different calibers and 1 kg plastic explosives and appliances for setting traps have been found.

Six houses have been searched during the operation, four in the northern side of the city, one in Potok and one in the village of Grabove in Zveēan. Weapons have been found but there were no arrests for these weapons… then as usually the history continues… the "angry" Serbs immediately after the operation have blocked all roads and main junctions of the northern side, attacked police vehicles and threw stones at one international, beat another one and took his Serb interpreter as a hostage for a while. The Serbs surrounded the police vehicle, afterwards the policeman was dragged out of the car and was beaten until KFOR took him out of there. The Serb interpreter managed to escape and to get on a bus heading for Kraljevo to her family.

Things have been occurring "on its own account" even though in the north part are 100 international policemen and at least 500 KFOR soldiers. This time the victim was an Albanian family, father and daughter who live on the north side. The Serbs laid fire on the house and what happened to the father is not known, although the daughter managed to survive; she hid in a neighbor's house and was afterward saved by KFOR. UNMIK police was not able to go to investigate in the scene and according to the police spokesman Dag Ebestad, KFOR was requested to help by checking the house and defending the place where the event occurred.

According to him, UNMIK police cannot go there due to closed roads and limits of movement, "It is not safe for the police to go to the scene at this moment. It is a grave situation in the north. In the morning the streets were blocked by local people, now KFOR decided not to allow crossing the bridge. The city is closed. The police commander ordered that no police officer goes north unless a new order is given". The officer believes that in the north part live around two thousand Albanians.

KFOR participated in yesterday's operation by supporting the police, and confirms that only an Albanian elderly couple was escorted from north into south because "a foolish" group of youths has attacked them in their apartment.

MNB north spokesman Colonel Kermorvo told Zėri that the operation was successful due to the weapons they found, several times he pointed out that they were looking for Serbs involved in criminal activities and "it was not political". He explains that 400 Serbs "protested" against the arrests by 10 AM, according to him the protests began at 6:30, where stones were thrown at UNMIK policeman, a vehicle was damaged and no soldier was wounded except a policemen, the situation stabilized around one o'clock. It is not known who organized the protests, only that the operation was "secret". They have heard about the Serb elections, however UNMIK will not organize them and the Serb leaders will be authorized to come to Kosovo for meetings.

Kermorvo said that the new regional Administrator Tony Welsh is different from the former one; he has used an Albanian proverb "only the owner takes the donkey out of dirt".

We turn upside down in the north part of the city, once called the only one to go into Prishtina. The tunes from "Walking alongside the Drini River" come from one of the local radios… Ibri remains behind.
 
SERB "BRIDGE WATCHER" ARRESTED

President of the Municipal Court in Prishtina Gani Rexha informed that this court's international prosecutor has ordered the opening of the penal procedure against Serdjan Radojevic reported Zėri on page three.

Radojevic born and a resident of Mitrovica is accused of being captured with arms, ammunition and other explosives near the main bridge of the north part of the divided city on November 9th, twenty minutes after midnight.
 
He has been captured with an M-75, signed "SRB" but known as "Kasikara" with the serial number 8915, which he held in the pocket of his jacket. He is being accused of attacking and threatening persons while they were on duty.
 
Using force and weapon, he has attacked the French KFOR soldier Boutis Fretis and has contravened possession of weapons and explosives without allowance, due to which detention is determined for him. It is being said that Radojevic is one of the main watchers of the bridge, who mistreated, beat and expelled Albanians who wanted to return to their homes.