CONTENTS
 
AMERICA HAS TO COME TO FOREFRONT IN KOSOVO AGAIN 
ELECTIONS IN SERBIA COULD AFFECT ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO
ABRASHI REFUTES CLAIMS ON TREPÇA REACTIVATION
DITA INSTRUCTED TO IMMEDIATELY SUSPEND ITS ACTIVITY
KOUCHNER EXTENDS ZEQIRI'S DETENTION FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS
REACTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES TO AIRLIE STATEMENT
ROUNDTABLE "MEDIA AND ELECTIONS" STARTED IN PRISTINA
"LA MAFIA ALBANAISE" - A BOOK THAT ALARMS ALBANIANS AND EUROPE
UNCONFIRMED REPORTS THAT MANAJ IS ALIVE

AMERICA HAS TO COME AGAIN TO FOREFRONT IN KOSOVO

Although the American Administration had hoped that the main burden for the political and economical rebuilding of Kosovo wouldn't be left to it, it is becoming more and more clear that such a hope was not realistic, reported Zëri from Washington on page one. American leaders were said to embrace with hesitation and frustration the reality that if progress is wanted in Kosovo, America has to come to the forefront again, whereas it was that at the moment, the Europeans were more comfortable with the position of follower than the one of leader.

According to the paper, it was not only about the funds for Kosovo. The keys were confidence and credibility, two basic components for mutual confidence building between Albanians and Serbs; no European country has this but the Americans do. "Besides the Albanians who have full confidence in Washington for the resolution of the Kosovo issue, the Serbs (except for Milosevic and his followers) have the same confidence too. Despite having an anti-American mood at this time, they are aware of the fact that only Washington will resolve fairly the problem they have caused in Kosovo," an American political analyst told the paper.

The paper recalled that in the three-day-long meeting in Virginia that is being referred to as "historic" and the later ones in Washington, both delegations experienced the great pressure of the American government for building peace and democracy in Kosovo. It was noted that this great pressure is derived by the American philosophy that doesn’t accept the failure. "If Kosovo fails, nobody will say that Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France… has failed, but they will say that America failed," said the analyst.

Therefore, in order to have success, political leaders of both parties will be forced to leave aside their animosities and to accept the fact that neither side could ignore the other if they want to remain competitors in the political race in Kosovo, continued the paper. "It seems that Albanians finally understood this, and for as long as they were here, they seemed to be united," a participant in the dinner for Kosovo delegation organized by the Albanian-American Council, told the paper. According to him, Rugova and Thaçi, once opponents (not to say enemies) were sitting next to each other and talking, as they knew each other for years. It was added that this impressed one of the most important Americans for Kosovo, the former Head of the OSCE Mission in Kosovo, William Walker, who said to be optimistic after seeing Rugova and Thaçi sitting together and talking freely.

However, the paper noted that the sincerity of Thaçi's and Rugova's "friendship" will be seen in October elections, but added that such a positive image is important because Albanian leaders never before managed to be united, even at the moments when the Albanian population was threatened with total extinction.

Citing sources in Washington, the paper said that Serbs are now in a more difficult position. Besides having to admit the fact that as a minority they no longer rule in Kosovo, they also have to agree among themselves to speak with one voice if they want to have a small part of Kosovo's future.

The paper also said that Richard Holbrooke, the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, met in Washington with some members of the Albanian delegation, giving them the message to remain united and prove to be responsible for the fate of Serbs in Kosovo, as the only way of moving towards a better future for their country.

The paper pointed out that not only the Albanian and Serb side were under pressure to make Kosovo a success, but also this was true for the American Administration. Political analysts and diplomats were concerned over delays, fearing that Kosovo donors might get infected by the "virus of languor", something already happening in Bosnia. This virus would cause the exhaustion of funds and programmes for reconstruction of Kosovo would be stuck to a point that Kosovar reason would be replaced by disappointment that would bring instability and chaos.

The paper noted that despite the fact that the amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives on the Kosovo Protection Corps funds was not adopted, the mere fact there was such a debate at the U.S. Congress has caused a kind of decrease of interest in financing this institution. The KPC was hitherto financed only by the United States and Germany, while other governments failed to join. In this regard, Time of 24 July wrote that the project to prevent former KLA soldiers from returning to violence was about to collapse, since the paper found out that UNMIK doesn't have any more money for the KPC after this month.

The paper concluded its report saying that the message received by Albanians and Serbs in Washington is clear: a serious and sincere engagement for overcoming the problems Kosovo is facing today. Such an engagement would secure the full American support.

ELECTIONS IN SERBIA COULD AFFECT ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO

Koha Ditore on page five carried a report from Brussels on the possible implications of the elections in Serbia on the election process in Kosovo.

The paper recalled that UNMIK and OSCE never set an exact date for local elections in Kosovo, despite continuously mentioning early October as a possibility. It was added that some European officials have recently suggested the postponing of elections until next spring, while such suggestions were also heard from the Council of Europe. However, it was noted that NATO and especially the United States did not welcome such suggestions.

Sources at the EU Headquarters in Brussels told the paper they don’t know anything about these claims, assuring that such proposals were not made by anybody at the EU. "On the contrary, we have always stressed the importance of local elections for the continuation of stabilization process in Kosovo and the establishment of appropriate local authority structures," an EU official told the paper. However, he underlined that setting an election date in Serbia would change the situation and increase the tensions in the entire region and could even have an impact on the election process in Kosovo.

The paper noted that for Western officials it is clear that Milosevic is trying again to use  Kosovo, or even Montenegro for his personal reasons related to the election campaign in Serbia; the possibility of the opposition doing the same is not ruled out.

However, the paper noted that in the event the local elections in Kosovo are postponed, with an official justification that Kosovo Serbs didn't participate, the international community should count on the anger of the Albanians, who would say that through boycotting, the Serb minority is dictating the process in Kosovo and the international community is taking this as a fait acompli.

As an issue of interest in this regard would be the behaviour of Mitrovica Serbs, who are under the influence of Milosevic and who are not interested in elections in Kosovo. According to officials at the EU Headquarters, they could now start to focus openly on the elections to be organized by the Serb state.

ABRASHI REFUTES CLAIMS ON TREPÇA REACTIVATION

Koha Ditore on page eleven carried the reaction of Aziz Abrashi, chairman of the Managing Council of the mining complex Trepça, following the claims made by Bahri Shabani, chairman of the Independent Union of Kosovo Miners, that many mines in Kosovo will start production by September, and that the funds for the re-employment of 2,000 workers have been secured.

“Without wanting to argue these facts, I have to says the truth is completely different,” noted Abrashi at the beginning of his reaction, to explain in the talks and meetings he had with various entities. “In talks with UNMIK representatives, as well as other international entities, we understood that the civil international administration in Kosovo would soon come out with a concrete programme with a possibility of activating some of production capacities of Trepça -- first of all, some mines which can be profitable. The starting point of this programme is that UNMIK will soon create a team of experts from various fields, to prepare the expertise on possibilities of activation, first of all of some mines in Kosovo. This team of experts will stay in Kosovo from six months and up to one year and will work together with Albanian experts. 12 million DM have been secured for the team’s work. The conclusions, from their expertise, will serve as basis for ensuring financial means from interested companies in the world,” Abrashi’s statement said.

In addition, Abrashi also expressed astonishment regarding the duties of the team composed of international experts. “It is interesting that in the meetings with foreign experts, the two metallurgies of Trepça (the Zinc Metallurgy in Mitrovica and the Lead Metallurgy in Zveçan) were not mentioned at all. This leaves us to understand that foreign experts are interested to propose the initiative for starting the production in the mine and flotation in order to produce the concentrate which would be processed in other European countries,” added Abrashi.

Referring to information provided by its sources, the paper reported that the international experts have already been appointed. An expert from Sweden has been appointed for the mines at the Pristina complex, an American for the Stantërg complex, and an expert from France for the mines in Leposavic. The aforementioned experts, along with local experts, have six months to compile a programme to reactivate the mines, and maybe some other capacities as well, but the activation of two metallurgies is not foreseen at all. “According to my opinion, this was left aside due to complicated political issues. In our meetings, despite our persistence, foreign experts don’t even mention the issues of metallurgies that are the synonym of Kosovo’s economic development. Therefore the facts presented in the press briefing of the independent union are not even closely in accordance with reality,” concluded Abrashi in his reaction.

DITA INSTRUCTED TO IMMEDIATELY SUSPEND ITS ACTIVITY

Under the headline "Dita instructed to immediately suspend its activity", Dita reported on page one that yesterday at about 1100 hours, the official letter signed by the Temporary Media Commissioner, Douglas Davidson, was brought to the offices of the paper, instructing them to immediately suspend the activity, or as the paper explained it, to temporarily ban the publishing of Dita, until the fine of 25,000 DM is paid.

The paper recalled that it was punished with a fine of 25,000 DEM because of publishing an article and photos on 4 July of this year. It was noted that the OSCE Commissioner considered that article endangered the life of two persons, implying two orthodox priests in the municipality of Gjilan.

However, the paper said that it would like to remind Mr. Davidson that in the article the names of two orthodox priests or their addresses were not mentioned at all, except that it carried out what was said by witnesses that, "They have blessed Serb paramilitaries after each crime and massacre they committed on Albanians in Kosovo."

The paper said the it is up to readers to decided whether they had endangered the life of these priests, suggesting also the conclusion that, "Certain segments of the international community are trying very hard to ban certain newspapers, in favour of their obedient "favourites".

The paper also carried a short note by its publisher Behlul Beqaj headlined "Ban 2". Beqaj wrote:

"Honoured readers, from the office of the Temporary Media Commissioner we are instructed today to stop our activity. If we don't comply, the Commissioner will present a request to legal authorities for assisting in implementation of the activity suspension, without any notice. We are going to apply this suggestion, because we hope that Dita's closure will raise many issues about the real situation, especially in the media field in Kosovo. Implementation of Regulation 2000/37 for media violation shows that the international community has unfolded the strategy of bringing under control all media which won't be dictated to by international censors. In this context, we serve as an illustrative example of what will happen with all other media, if they don't submit to the Regulation for media violation. We won't accept to transform at no ones service for covering and justifying failures and anti-democratic actions of whomever.

"We hope and count on the help and support of all professional, political and legal factors and especially you, our honored readers, so we can overcome this situation in accordance with the law and democratic rules".

In this regard, Koha Ditore on page four reported that Behlul Beqaj, publisher of the Dita daily, said that he wouldn't pay the fine of 25,000 DEM. Beqaj said that he was not arguing about the fine, but about the issue of repealing the "regulation for media violation" in Kosovo, as he referred to UNMIK Regulation 2000/37. According to Beqaj, by applying this regulation, the international community has given a clear indication that it wants to use all Kosovo media for covering its failures.

The paper also cited Douglas Davidson, the Temporary Media Commissioner, who speaking at the roundtable "Media and elections" in Pristina, said that he had instructed Dita to interrupt all its activities until the fine is paid. Davidson warned that in case Dita doesn’t interrupt its activities, he is entitled to send UNMIK Police to act. "However it would be better if they close it down themselves," added Davidson.

Davidson also said that what Beqaj and his journalists were trying to do is to declare war criminals in the absence of courts, but added that this was not a decision to be made by journalists.     

Zëri, in its report on page four, cited Beqaj as saying that 25,000 DEM was not a fine, but 25,000 punches to independent journalism in Kosovo. Beqaj also said that without repealing this regulation conditions couldn't be created for having an adequate treatment of election campaign in the media.

As for the possible reactions against the decision on the paper's closure, Beqaj said that all democratic means would be used, even including hunger strike.

KOUCHNER EXTENDS ZEQIRI'S DETENTION FOR ANOTHER 30 DAYS

Kosovo Chief Administrator Bernard Kouchner has ordered the extension of the detention on Afrim Zeqiri for another 30 days, thus annulling the decision of the District Court in Gjilan/Gnjilane, which on 25 July had decided to suspend the criminal prosecution of Zeqiri, reported Zëri on page three. "Kouchner decided to extend his detention due to security reasons," Susan Manuel, UNMIK Spokeswoman, told the paper.

According to the paper, UNMIK Justice Department refused to comment on legal procedures followed in this case and the security reasons that were considered as the basis for reaching the decision on extension of Zeqiri's detention. "Information provided by the Public Information Office is the only information," said a department official, adding that there won't be any other information from this department.

The paper recalled that Afrim Zeqiri from the village of Cerrnica near Gjilan, was being investigated on charges of murdering three Serbs and wounding two others. The District Court of Gjilan decided to suspend investigations on him due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Koha Ditore reported on Kouchner's decision on page two, referring to the Belgrade-based Beta news agency. The introduction to the report said that the UNMIK Chief rejected the decision of the international prosecutor. However, the report explained that Ante Ruotslainen, the Finish judge, decided to release Zeqiri based on the position of the prosecutor Sabit Maliqi, who dismissed all charges against Afrim Zeqiri.

REACTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES TO AIRLIE STATEMENT

Kosova Sot on page one and three carried a review of the reactions of Kosovo political parties, which did not participate in the Conference for Kosovo held recently at Arlie House, on the joint document signed by representatives of Kosovo Albanians and Serbs, known as the Arlie Statement.

Numan Balic, chairman of the Democratic Action Party (SDA), said that, "since co-existence and multiethnicity were topics of discussion it is not right that only Albanian and Serb representatives participated in the conference, and the representatives of other Kosovo communities were absent".

According to Balic, the international community and Albanians are to blame for this since they accepted to negotiate with Serbs without the participation of other communities. "The international community is also to blame for this, because it favours the issue of Serbs to the detriment of other minorities living in Kosovo," said Balic, stressing the fact that anytime the word minority is mentioned it always refers to the Serbs and work is done only for them, and not for other minorities.

Nebahat Dogan, a member of the presidency the Kosovo Turk Popular Party (KTHP), also expressed dissatisfaction on non-participation of her community, and of others as well such as Bosnians, Romas, etc. However, she noted that some Albanian representatives before leaving for Washington had demanded that Kosovo minorities participate in the Conference, a request that obviously wasn’t taken into consideration. Asked to comment on the results of the Conference, she was quoted as saying: "I cannot give assessments for this meeting, since we didn’t participate. Every dialogue is welcomed, but our absence there leads to us not being able to give an assessment".

Meriman Braha, deputy chairman of the United Democratic Movement (LBD), said that no spectacular result should be expected from such a meeting, because, as he noted, the Serb stances on the genocide exerted upon Albanians haven’t changed. "The security of minorities in Kosovo can by all means be reached through their contribution. They must condemn the violence against Albanians and publicly apologize to Albanians," said Braha adding that the only way for Serbs to be safe is their integration in the social-public life of Kosovo without supremacy and privileges.

Shukri Klinaku, chairman of the National Movement for the Liberation of Kosovo (LKÇK), said that the result of the Conference on Kosovo is not a valuable result. "This is more of a political marketing of the United States and a degradation of the Albanian political factor," Klinaku said.

Furthermore, Klinaku said that the Albanian delegation didn’t have the mandate to talk on behalf of Kosovo Albanians, and went on to point four reasons, which according to him made the talks not serious. "First of all, the delegation had 23 Albanians, should such a big delegation be a party in talks. Second, this 'delegation' didn’t have previous discussions among themselves, so that it could have talks with the other party. Thirdly, this 'delegation' was chosen by the Americans, and fourthly why talk to Kosovo Serbs in the U.S.," added Klinaku.

Kurtesh Devaja, a member of the presidency of the Albanian Christian Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSHDK), told the paper that every meeting between Albanians and Serbs regarding the solution of the Kosovo status issue should have as basis the will of the majority in Kosovo. Devaja said that the Conference was welcomed but that it cannot be said that this meeting will secure a solution that will lead towards the overall stabilization in postwar Kosovo.

After expressing skepticism over the fact that the agreement would be realized by Serbs, Devaja said: "Serbs have never kept the promises they made to the international community, while always intending to gain time and to delay issues. Maybe this time, finally they will become aware and understand that Kosovo can no longer be directed by Belgrade, but decisions will be made in Pristina".
  
ROUNDTABLE "MEDIA AND ELECTIONS" STARTED IN PRISTINA

Koha Ditore on page four carried a report on the roundtable "Media and elections" held in Prishtina, organized by the European Institute for Media (EIM) and Centre for Humanistic Studies “Gani Bobi”, with the participation of many experts from Kosovo and Europe. UNMIK media regulations, double standards for Kosovo media, decision for closing down the daily newspaper Dita, presentation of experience on media organization in Bosnia-Herzegovina, were said to be some of the topics discussed at the roundtable.

The roundtable was opened by Shkelzen Maliqi, a renowned Kosovar writer, who besides criticizing the work done by the Kosovo media, nevertheless, said that the way the interim administration in Kosovo was treating media problems was causing more side effects than helping to create a suitable environment for development of independent media in Kosovo. According to him, instead of having an approach of correction, the international administration has one of punishment.

The paper said the Temporary Media Commissioner, Douglas Davidson, defended the international administrations' approach in efforts to regulate the media environment.

However, Haqif Mulliqi, chairman of the Kosovo Journalists Association (SHGK), reportedly opposed him claiming that the approach of the international administration was unjust, because initially it had a wrong evaluation about Kosovo, assessing that until the end of the war it didn’t have any professional journalism and everything should start from zero, something that according to Mulliqi is opposite to the reality. Mulliqi elaborated further on the work of Kosovar media in the past, reportedly proving exactly the opposite – a high level of professionalism among journalists of Kosovo.

Blerim Reka, chairman of the Kosovo Institute for Euro Atlantic Integration, said that the lack of political and legal clarity in Kosovo is reflected in a unique system of information. According to Reka, despite the wish of journalists to have a freedom of expression according to the western model, this model of the west is being expressed differently in Kosovo.

According to the paper, UNMIK media regulations were opposed even by Chris Stephen, a journalist with The Scotsman, who claimed that there are some provisions on journalists' conduct in UNMIK regulations that don’t exists either in the British or the American press. He wondered why the journalists in Kosovo should comply with laws that journalists in England or the U.S. do not submit to.

The OSCE Media Department was reportedly much criticized because of their decision to ban the daily, Dita. Douglas Davidson, who is in charge of this department, claimed that all who are present here have the same desire to regulate the press and added that if the regulation for the press conduct existed then, journalists wouldn’t have troubles later with approved regulations.

As the paper reported, another disagreement among the present was on “application of double standards on the media”. “Allowing Serb newspapers published in Belgrade to be distributed and sold in the Serb enclaves and, on the other hand, the denouncement of the Albanian newspapers, has created a double standard for media in Kosovo,” Mulliqi was quoted as saying.

Mulliqi also said that it was incomprehensible that international community was building repeaters in Serb enclaves, which will unable the broadcasting of Belgrade Television, a TV station which was bombed by NATO during the war.

However, Davidson raised doubts regarding the rebuilding of repeaters by the international community, claiming that they are trying to repair the transmission network in Kosovo, which was bombed by NATO, adding that this network will be given offered for wide use after it is repaired.

According to the paper, another accusation of Mulliqi was that nothing they write could be compared with Milosevic’s propaganda. "Double standards are called temporary, but we know that everything which is not eternal is temporary, even human life is temporary, but it can last up to hundred years," said Mulliqi.

Mulliqi referred to Dita's closure as a violation of the media in Kosovo.

As for the media experience in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Simon Haselock from the OSCE Department of Public Information, and Dardan Gashi, a political analyst spoke.

"LA MAFIA ALBANAISE" - A BOOK THAT ALARMS ALBANIANS AND EUROPE 
 
Under the headline "A book that alarms Albanians and Europe", Bota Sot on page five carried a report on the book "La mafia albanaise" by authors Xavier Raufer and Stephane Quere. The book reportedly presents an overview of the current situation in Albania, Kosovo, and FYROM, in the aspect of organized crime, gang activities and Albanian mafia.

"La mafia albanaise" starts with the words of the editor of the Swiss publishing house Favre, saying: "The Albanian people are loving, bountiful, and proud of its past and traditions. Except for the reality, the book doesn’t intend to attack anyone nor Albanians as a nation. But this people, exhausted after suffering from the several-years of the communist regime of dictator Enver Hoxha, doesn’t deserve to live today in darkness, chaos, fear and panic…"

According to the authors, today's chaos in Albania is a result of anarchy in Albania; it implicates Tirana's secret services and of partisans of the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, who are today active in Kosovo and West.

An analysis by the Swiss agency ATS/SDA on the book noted: "During this year alone, 250,000 vehicles were stolen in the triangle Albania-Kosovo-FYROM. Last year in Italy, the IOM has warned of 30,000 prostitutes; groups and gangs on the Albanian coast "won" US$ 80 million through helping the exodus of Kosovo Albanians to the West; while today in Albania 250,000 people go around in luxurious cars".

Based on the title of the book, the authors not only contest but also alert, first of all Albanians and then the rest of Europe, on the Albanian mafia in the Balkans. The authors of the book prove the existence of Albanian mafia through Albanian sources and based on the sources of Veton Surroi's Koha Ditore; by quoting phrases and articles from this paper, which remind the Albanian reader of pronouncements of Surroi and Baton Haxhiu in western press when they spoke of "Albanian crimes against Serbs" or the "the fascist policy of Albanians", or Haxhiu's pronouncements to a German paper such as "the mobster KLA".

Regarding the existence of Albanian mafia, the authors of the book refer to sources from both Koha Ditore and Gazeta Shqiptare.

In closing, it was noted that the most often used names in the book are: Fatos Nano, Xhavit Haliti, Hashim Thaçi, Veton Surroi, Menduh Thaçi, Zani Çaushi, Arbër Xhaferri, etc.

UNCONFIRMED REPORTS THAT MANAJ IS ALIVE

Zëri on page five carried a report from the Manaj family in Istog, whose head Shaban Manaj was abducted by unknown person Sunday. Manaj, a member of the LDK branch presidency in town and a member of the LDK General Council, left his house after unknown persons, who presented themselves as being from the village of Leskoc, asked for his help as a lawyer in a case. Manaj never returned home.

Following the visit of a person to the Manaj family and his claim that Shaban Manaj was alive and will return home soon, Fatushe Manaj, Shaban's wife, said that she didn't believe this. "The one who says that he is alive should bring him home," she said. Fatushe added that her husband never had problems with anybody and worked constantly for the people.

The paper noted that the LDK branch in Istog was in a state of emergency. Fadil Ferati, chairman of the LDK branch, told the paper that UNMIK Police is still not giving any information on the case, adding that an official version was expected Thursday afternoon. "This version will give explanations on the investigations and it will be official, for difference from speculations and rumors that have started to circulate and are worsening the situation," said Ferati.

Ferati reportedly said that Manaj's abduction has increased tensions in the area, adding that the Municipality of Istog cannot be considered any longer one of the calmest municipalities in Kosovo.