CONTENTS

· KOUCHNER: KOSOVO SHOULD NOT BE PART OF SERBIA
· FISCHER REFUSES TO MEET MITROVICA SERB REPRESENTATIVE
· BUKOSHI BLAMES SHIK FOR DISTURBANCES IN MITROVICA
· ARTEMIJE: CO-EXISTENCE IS POSSIBLE IN KOSOVO
· RISLEY: "SMALL FISH" TO BE TRIED IN KOSOVO, "BIG FISH" IN THE HAGUE
· FOUR CRIMINALS ESCAPE FROM THE MITROVICA PRISON
· GECI: THE POLICE HAS NO DOSSIER ON ME

KOUCHNER: KOSOVO SHOULD NOT BE PART OF SERBIA

Bernard Kouchner, Head of UNMIK, in a meeting with Benita Ferrero-Waldner, OSCE chairperson and Austrian Foreign Minister, held in Prishtina, expressed his concern over the situation in Kosovo, especially in Mitrovica, reported Koha Ditore on page two. Following the meeting, Johanes Peterlik, Austrian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, said that Kouchner told Waldner that because of the clashes between the Albanians, Serbs and KFOR members, it has become necessary to discuss the final status of Kosovo. He added that Kouchner has urged that the Albanians be given and idea of what's going to happen in the future. He has proposed that Kosovo should have autonomy within Yugoslavia but it should not be a part of Serbia. During the meeting Kouchner also stressed the importance of holding the local elections in Kosovo to help move the peace process.

 FISCHER REFUSES TO MEET MITROVICA SERB REPRESENTATIVE

 The German Foreign Minister, Mr. Joschka Fischer, has refused to meet the Mitrovica Serb representative, Oliver Ivanovic, reported Zëri on page two, referring to international sources in Prishtina, who are aware of the schedule of meetings of the two German ministers, Fischer and Schilly. The two are expected to be in Kosovo tomorrow. The schedule of the German ministers, reportedly includes meetings with COMKFOR Reinhardt, UNMIK Head Kouchner, other senior officials of UNMIK, Albanian leaders Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim Thaçi and Veton Surroi and the Serb representatives, Bishop Artemije and Father Sava.

 Bernd Vulfen, Head of the German Office for Coordination of Civil Issues, told the paper that it was the first time that the two such important ministers were visiting Kosovo together. "They come at crucial a time, not only because of the difficulties in the north, but also because of other reasons," said Vulfen. He added that the two ministers are expected to express support for UNMIK and the joint interim administration, which impinges on the issue of the "direction that Kosovo is taking".

 BUKOSHI BLAMES SHIK FOR DISTURBANCES IN MITROVICA

 Some Kosovo politicians consider it necessary to say something about Mitrovica, but in reality they are trying to settle scores with their political opponents, it was said in the article written by Zëri correspondent in Zurich. He was referring to the latest comments of Bujar Bukoshi, former Prime Minister of Kosovo, carried by the German media. The correspondent noted that the latest statements of Bukoshi to Der Spiegel and Hamburger Abendblatt regarding the events in Mitrovica, cannot be called anything but scandalous. He added that Bukoshi used all of his political and analytical "skills" when in doubting the charges made by Holbrooke and Robertson accusing Serb regime of involvement in the bloody disturbances in Mitrovica.

 Bukoshi reportedly told Hamburger Abendblatt that he was sure that the violence in Mitrovica was incited by the Albanian Secret Service (SHIK), who has 200 agents currently operating in Kosovo. He added that these mysterious agents could be spotted in the foyer of the Grand Hotel Prishtina for weeks. He specifically mentioned the name of Xhavit Haliti, a close advisor to Thaçi and participant at the peace talks at Rambouillet, who provided  arms for the Kosovo guerillas. According to Bukoshi, the aim of these agents is to destabilize Kosovo, so that Albania could control it.

 The report added that Bukoshi's accusations were repeated in the last edition of Der Spiegel, where, according to the writer, in a text by Renate Flottau, the Albanians were described as drug peddlers, mobsters, traffickers of women and organizers of prostitution rings. Arguing that Flottau had drawn sweeping generalizations about Albanians in describing all of them as criminals, the correspondent said that Flottau, is a "German left wing journalist".

 ARTEMIJE: CO-EXISTENCE IS POSSIBLE IN KOSOVO

 It is hard to say how much truth is there in the accusations that the Yugoslav President is behind the trouble in Mitrovica and is concentrating troops in Southern Serbia, close to the border. But one thing is certain: the more difficult the position of the remaining Serbs in Kosovo, the better and stronger is the position of Milosevic in Belgrade and his ability to manipulate events in Serbia, reported Koha Ditore on page five, carrying the report of the Sense news agency. The Milosevic regime is feeding itself on the Serb victims in Kosovo. Since the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Army and the start of the unsuccessful mission of the international civil and military forces in Kosovo, it is becoming stronger in comparison to the  Serb opposition, it was added.

 Quoting American sources, reportedly this was the message that the representatives of the Serb Orthodox Church in Kosovo - Bishop Artemije and Father Sava, conveyed to James Dobbins, special envoy of President Clinton for Yugoslavia, in a meeting at the U.S. State Department. It was said that the guests from Gracanica had recommended that the only solution for the current situation in Kosovo is the increased engagement of the international community in protecting the Serbs and other non-Albanian population in Kosovo. They also suggested that concrete support be given to the moderate Serb and Albanian forces in Kosovo, who believe that a compromise can be worked out to enable the two communities to co-exist in Kosovo.

Bishop Artemije's speech at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in Washington was also quoted, in which he said, "It is meaningless to talk about the final status of Kosovo at present, when the remaining Serbs and other non-Albanian population is fighting for its survival. About two thirds of Serbs have been expelled from Kosovo. At most 100,000 have remained in small enclaves and villages. Besides Mitrovica, all the big towns have been cleansed completely of the Serb population. In Prishtina, where earlier 40,000 Serbs lived, there are only 200-300 elderly Serbs who are left and they don't know where to go."

The newspaper said that the Serb representatives reportedly welcomed the announcement of the Clinton Administration to send a battalion of American Marines to join the American forces in the international peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. At the same time, Artemije and Sava put forward to Dobbins two suggestions to stabilize the situation in Kosovo: adequate protection for the remaining Serb and the non-Albanian population in Kosovo and creating conditions conducive for the return of all expelled and displaced people to Kosovo.

RISLEY: "SMALL FISH" TO BE TRIED IN KOSOVO, "BIG FISH" IN THE HAGUE

Zëri on page eight carried an interview with Paul Risley, the spokesman of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, headlined "'Small fish' to be tried in Kosovo, 'big fish' in The Hague".

Asked whether the fact that many Serb war crimes suspects have escaped from Kosovo will make the job of The Hague tribunal more difficult, Risley said that the Chief Prosecutor knew that the main perpetrators of the crimes were not in Kosovo anymore. Saying that the change of government in Belgrade would help the efforts of the Tribunal, Risley added that the perpetrators of minor crimes could still be in Kosovo. "This number may be not high, but it should be enough to interest the Prosecutor and the Tribunal," said Risley.

Risley was asked if the Serbs who had committed crimes could be in Mitrovica. He replied, "I think it's possible that there are individuals among the remaining Serbs in Kosovo, especially in Mitrovica, who could give information on the crimes committed in 1999 in Kosovo and maybe a majority of them have themselves committed crimes".

In addition, the paper pointed out that on an earlier occasion the French KFOR soldiers had arrested over 50 Serbs suspected of committing war crimes but later a majority of them were released because lack of evidence. Asked if the Tribunal was no longer bothered by the fact that it won't be able to gather sufficient evidence to indict these war criminals, Risley said that investigations are difficult due to the fact that thousands of individuals committed crimes in Kosovo. He also noted that the Tribunal must rely on UNMIK to create an adequate and proper judicial system, in order to undertake investigations and start trials against the criminals and not only in Kosovo. Risley said that it is possible that many individuals are arrested and then released due to lack of evidence. "But all evidence, however small it might be, will serve the Tribunal and will be in the interest of our investigation into crimes committed in Kosovo," Risley added.

FOUR CRIMINALS ESCAPE FROM MITROVICA PRISON

Koha Ditore on page nine reported that last night between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m., four men it described as criminals, Milorad Mesic, Sasa Maksimovic, Lulëzim Ademi (Draza Mihajlovic) and Goran Lakusic, three of whom are accused of war crimes by the ICTY, had escaped from the Mitrovica District Prison.

According to the paper, UNMIK Police spokesman Philip Preud, released the information on the escape of the four criminals, but didn’t give any additional information on how it happened. In addition, it was emphasized that sometime ago Lulëzim Ademi (Kosovo Albanian) was transferred to the Prizren prison and after accepting that he was Draza Mihajlovic (a notorious Serb criminal during World War II, our remark), he was returned to the Mitrovica prison. Milorad Mesic, Lulzim Ademi (Draza Mihajlovic) and Goran Lakusic, are accused of war crimes, the newspaper stressed.

Saying that the people of Mitrovica were outraged by the escape of these war criminals, the paper quoted Fati Musliu, a former worker in the prison, as saying that, "given the type of the prison building, there is no way that the prisoners could have escaped, ". 

GECI: THE POLICE HAS NO DOSSIER ON ME

Koha Ditore on page eight carried the reaction of Sabit Geci, "Director of the Directorate for Martyrs and War Invalids", on the report published Wednesday, that he was arrested by UNMIK Police. Geci, one of the first KLA members, denied that he was arrested though his driver was taken to the international police station for a "talk". "In our vehicle a revolver was found and this was the reason why my driver was sent to the police station. He was released quickly. In the meantime I waited for him in the hallway. They even returned my revolver," explained Geci. However, he said the police tried to press charges of attempted murder against the driver, but this was really an attempt by some people "involved in dirty tricks" to frame him. He refused to comment further on the issue, but said the international police should investigate the matter.

Many charges have been were leveled against Sabit Geci, former KLA fighter, for murders committed during the war, the paper said. It added that in the statement made Wednesday, he also spoke of this and other issues connected with him. "It is well known who committed the crimes in Kosovo. There was a campaign in Kosovo against those who were called 'collaborationists'. They are accusing me of these murders, but with the full responsibility I say that they were liquidated by the Serb authorities because with the appearance of the KLA, their space for action was narrowed and the information that they were passing to the Serb services was not accurate. This is only one of the reasons why they started the campaign against these who cooperated with them. It was also meant to create confusion among the Albanians. I don’t know why should I be held responsible for those murders. The KLA was trying to protect people from the Serb military campaigns," Geci said, answering a question on whether he thought there was a dossier on him with the international police. "I oppose the murders which have taken place after the deployment of the international forces in Kosovo. There are prisons now and everyone must answer for his actions in accordance with the law. It is not in the interest of the Albanians to arbitrary kill people even when they reached the half way point to freedom," concluded Geci.