UNMIK-KFOR-EU Press Briefing: 9 August 2000

UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
KFOR Spokesman Major Craig Snow

UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel

SNC

Following this briefing, the Serb National Council of Gracanica begins a series of press briefings here in this auditorium. Father Sava Janjic, spokesman of the SNC-Gracanica will speak on the follow up to the Airlie House conference and other developments. He will begin a 12:30 following the KTC meeting.

KTC

The Kosovo Transitional Council is meeting this morning, and on the agenda is an update of the security situation and an update on the status of the departments of the Joint Interim Administration

SRSG Community Meetings

SRSG Bernard Kouchner, who returned to Kosovo last night, begins a series of meetings with Kosovo's minority communities tomorrow here in his office. This project resulted from a recent KTC meeting, at which Dr. Kouchner promised representatives of various communities that he would meet with them directly on their specific concerns. He meets tomorrow at 4:00 with a delegation of Bosniaks. On Thursday, 10 August he meets at 3:30 with representatives of the Roma, Egyptian and Ashkalia communities. Friday at 3, a meeting with a delegation of the Kosovo Turkish community. There will be photo opportunities at the beginning of the meetings.

Town Hall meetings.

On Saturday, 12 August, Dr. Kouchner is planning to launch a series of town hall meetings with local residents around Kosovo to discuss directly with them their concerns. We expect a wide-ranging public discussion to go on between Dr. Kouchner and the ordinary residents of Kosovo. The first town hall meeting takes place in Vushtrii, again on Saturday. The second is on Monday 14 August in Suva Reka…

We will be providing buses…Please see Sylvana in the press office…

Power

Unfortunately no power imports were available today from Greece, forcing KEK to adopt an electricity regime of four hours off and two hours on. We sent you last night a schedule, and we have copies here for you after the briefing…….

Pillar IV are negotiating for more power imports today. The regime for today and tomorrow is expected to continue with four hours off and two on.

Temporary Media Commissioner

SRSG Bernard Kouchner has named Simon Haselock of the UK as Temporary Media Commissioner. Mr. Haselock has been Kosovo as media specialist for the Joint Registration Task Force. Previously he was the spokesman in Bosnia IFOR, for UNPROFOR and for the Office of the High Representative. As Deputy High Representative of Media Affairs, he established the Interim Media Commission for Bosnia, overseeing media policy and regulation.

Blue Sky Radio

There is a press release outside on the integration of UNMIK's former radio Blue Sky into Radio Television Kosovo. The merger, which took place on 1 July, made Blue Sky the second channel of RTK. Blue Sky keeps its name and editorial staff, but has moved into the RTK building. The Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation, which commissioned the Swiss NGO Fondation Hirondellle to set up and manage Blue Sky, will continue to support the development of public service radio in Kosovo. .. Blue Sky will continue to broadcast on 96 FM and is available on the internet at blueskylive. com.

Momcilovic

We at UNMIK welcome the verdict in the Momcilovic case…It's been a very difficult case. Faced with new evidence, the judges acted professionally. We feel that with this verdict, the judicial system has shown progress toward becoming an objective, mature institution. As you know, the Momcilovic's were acquitted yesterday of murder and found guilty of weapons possession. They were sentenced to one year in detention, which they have served. They were released at 5 a.m. this morning.

Housing

The EU Pillar has a press release outside from the Department of Reconstruction, which has issued an administrative instruction to speed up the process of selecting families who will receive assistance from donors to reconstruct their houses. It sets a deadline of 20 August by which Municipal Housing Committees must have agreed on the list of beneficiaries. The point is to get the rebuilding work started as soon as possible…The EU has funding to rebuild 8,000 houses, but there have been delays in identifying the beneficiaries.

Tomorrow, 16 teams of engineers and municipal officers will begin touring Pristina to register all construction built since the conflict to determine which are legal or not. The municipality is planning a program to remove all illegal construction.

Mitrovica

Yesterday UNMIK launched a public health campaign to address the rising levels of lead detected in the air and blood of people living and working in the Mitrovica area, particularly downstream of the Zvecan lead smelter.

Recent measurements have shown that the amounts of lead in the air in this area are more than 200 times levels recommended as acceptable by the WHO. Blood tests on Danish and French soldiers and some UNMIK Police have also revealed high levels of lead.

High concentrations of lead in the environment around Mitrovica are nothing new: In 1991, the exposure to residents was believed to be one of the highest in Europe.  However, since the Zvecan smelter restarted constant operation in June--after having been out of operation for most of the past year--atmospheric levels of lead are now  higher than in 1991 situation. The plant is in need of air pollution controls and filters.

Public health specialists have been here studying the situation along with UNMIK health officials, and we are acting on their recommendations. Yesterday we began meeting doctors and health professionals in the Mitrovica area and advising them of the possible danger posed by the new levels of lead, particularly to pregnant women, children, people living in the areas of highest lead concentration and smelter plant workers.

We're seeking the co-operation of local doctors in advising people how to avoid excessive exposure to lead and in testing those identified as most vulnerable to high blood lead levels. We're also launching a public awareness campaign among the area residents, and will follow that with a comprehensive program to identify and assess the population's level of exposure by monitoring blood levels in vulnerable groups.

Major Craig Snow

KFOR pilots and medics evacuated an elderly Kosovar Albanian man, who was seriously injured by a mine yesterday late afternoon near Bardovska Mala, to Camp Bondsteel for immediate surgery. The man is listed in stable but serious condition and doctors are continuously monitoring and evaluating his condition.

Questions:

Q: Susan, you’re talking about Svecan working again and about the pollution. When did Svecvan start working and who is in charge of the factory or the mine and where the product goes?

SM: It started working on regular basis early June. There is a management team, I believe from North Mitrovica, who are directly running it. I am not sure where the production goes.

Q: There have been talks about the withdraw of MSF from Kosovo.Your comments.

SM: Yes, they announced their withdraw yesterday. We were quiet surprised. We were surprised not only because of that but also because we all know that the situation for ethnic minorities in North Mitrovica and in Serb enclaves….issues. It’s precarious situation. It’s not the great life especially in these last months when we haven’t had any big isolation of problems for minorities and we find the announcement rather mysterious because their work is needed. The minorities they were serving with medical expertise were greatly benefiting from MSF. Also, it’s a pity to be part of MSF contingent here. That was MSF Belgium. There are MSF Spain and MSF France continue to work in other parts of Kosovo.

Q: You said you welcome the Momcilovic case. One of the principles of the justice to use to the political tribune before law. Is that you welcome the sentence saying that of one year…………for the Kosovo trial t which was  of course a murder trial and not a trial for the possession of weapons?

SM: We welcome the fact that the Momcivolic were acquitted on murder charges because clearly they were innocent. The served quiet too long pre-trial in detention. One year weapon charge apparently under the Kosovo Penal Code, Article 191 is the maximum charge for that possession. And I was referring to the murder.

Q: You said they stayed to long in the detention and you don’t agree with the one year in the prison.

SM: No, I am talking in terms of pre-trial detention. They served way too long and now they have been sentenced a year for the weapons possession. That year will be used. It may seem too long of sentence compare other people who have been found with weapons possession here. However, within Kosovo law it is a legal sentence.

Q: What about the Kosovo trial……………….

SM: I wasn’t aware of that. I’ll kook into it. The cost of their trial, that’s interesting

Q: Sticking on the Momcilovic trial would UN legal monitors expecting anyone giving them any directive and still not try to be charged of perjury?

SM: I don’t know that it a good question. I’ll have to look into it. Has anyone had answer on charge for perjury? I’ll ask about it.

Q: I would like to come back to the Zvecan issue, it seems to me that the problem is there is too much lead in the air. How are going to cope with that amount of lead in the air?

SM: First we’re trying to do further tests. We feel that too much of lead is dangerous. We’re trying to determine how dangerous it is, what is the level within the population and we’re concentrating now on the public health awareness campaign.

Q: Are you planning to take steps against the management of the mine, because I understand that the UN holds control of the whole economic activities in Kosovo?

SM: We’re not planning any steps against anyone. We’re planning to rehabilitate the whole complex. We want it to be productive and safe, in an environmental clean way.

Q: You said that the Momcilovic where released this morning. Do you know where they went? Are they in Camp Bondsteel, are they in Serbia?

SM: Let’s see with KFOR.

CS: No. All that we have is that they were released at 5:00 am this morning. As where they are right now, we don’t know. They did leave Camp Bondsteel. Yesterday they did a very brief statement  because there were a lot of journalists. They said essentially that they were grateful to KFOR for intervening and for saving their life the day of the incident. They are no long at Camp Bondsteel now and have been released.

Q: About the pollution in Zvecan, do you know who’s going to pay for the blood test?

SM: This is being worked out now. There are two kinds of blood test. There is a regular blood test, which is quiet easy for local procedures and depending on the results of that test, they could be an indication of high level of lead, and then the more sophisticated test needs to be done. And we’re looking into how to do that and how to pay for it. The blood will have to be shipped out of here.

Q:   Are you planning any special measures from KFOR in relation with the election in Yugoslavia, which are planned on 24 September

CS: If I understand your question you’re asking if we’ll do anything to prepare for Yugoslavia elections in September. Nothing that I am aware of. You have talked about what KFOR is going to do to support UNMIK and the OSCE for elections here which are coming up in October timeframe, but nothing specific for Yugoslavia elections

Q: Two questions. Can we expect to see (names unclear) charged with weapons possession – they were the two people seen in the video of the Momcilovic trial armed they’ve yet to be charged so far. Also another question about Zvecan can you say where you are in talking to the management of Zvecan, what is their position about any changes that the plant should undergo.

SM: We have approached the management many times but I understand there’s an article today in Blic where the management denies the lead levels have increased. I would urge you to consult Blic for his opinion.

Q: What contact have you had recently with the factory managers?

SM: I don’t know recently, I know there’ve been attempts to contact the managers.

Q; Can you answer my question about the trial please as well?

SM: I will find out if any charges are being filed against the Albanians.

Q: I’d like to continue a little bit with Zvecan again. It sounds so strange that now you’re talking about the pollution and Zvecan is working. Until now it was always said by UNMIK and KFOR that it didn’t work. So did it always work? And what is produced who is taking the production? First question. We know that there are discussions or negotiations, whatever you can call them, concerning the management or the management board of Trepca complex as a whole and these discussions have been ongoing for about two weeks now, as far as I know at least two weeks of discussions. What’s the result? Is it still the consortium of Americans Swedes and French will do the managing board of Trepca comples?

SM: Let me see if I can remember all the questions. The Zvecan plant I remember you asked several times over the last year about it, has not been producing on a regular basis until the beginning of June. The discussions with the consortium who will be rehabilitating and improving the whole Trepca complex are ongoing at this morment. And what was the other question?

Q: Just want to follow up, its okay, the Serb leaders are saying have been constantly saying the part of Trepca complex in the north has been working it never stopped. It was even confirmed by UNMIK officials and production  was going to Italy to Greece to France.

SM: No we never confirmed Zvecan was regularly working until June. There was a restart in June and then regular daily production. If you saw smoke coming out of the factory before, as far as I’ve been told they were basically maintaining it but there was no regular production until recently.

Q: Just the last one Susan, the last follow up. What I;’m saying, the last UN administrator confirmed that first and it was the Serb leaders who also confirmed that.

SM: Well that’s my understanding of the situation and that’s what I’ve said all along.

Q: Concerning the merger of Blue Sky with RTK, so an UNMIK radio has merged with an independent public service station.  So what shall be the result now. Shall we expect an independent public station or what? I mean what’s the Blue Sky and RTK going to be now – independent public service or UNMIK station.

SM: No, this is moving towards an independent public service radio station. That’s why we made this merger. It’s no longer an UNMIK radio station.

Q: For Craig, maybe you wont be able to tell me now maybe for next briefing, but during trial of Momcilovic investigative judge read a statement from Task Force Falcon which said that the weapons allegedly found with Momcilovic family were not at camp Bondsteel, were not siezed by them and they haven’t got any record of those weapons. I just wonder who took the weapons on the day of the incident from Momcilovic family, the weapons they were charged with? And where those wepaons are since American army was in charge since UN police didn’t operate? So question where are those weapons and if they’ve been destroyed by whom have they been destroyed?

CS: You’re right I do not have that information at that time and I will have to ask a lot of questions and try and find out answers to your questions.

Q: Anotherthing you might want to look into – it took twelve months for KFOR to come forward with the evidence they had shot Afrim Gagica. Why did it take so long and is it true that the file was only compiled and sent to the court after the question from a reporter called Elisabeth Rubin?

CS: I think, trying I guess to clarify. The US army was in my understanding forthcoming with the information. To start off with the day of the events incident reports go out, people are notified. But specifically the US army criminal investigation that took place and was concluded a week after the incident that was a US army internal investigation that looks into the actions of its soldiers. Now that report as I mentioned is an internal US army system is not required to be forwarded to KFOR. As I understand it there are some discrepancies, two or three different parties, but that report was said to have been turned over to UNMIK. Exactly what happened to that report I do not know, that’s one of the issues. Now we have never, there has been mentioned the words “cover-up” in articles and that’s clearly not the case. The US army as a result of FOIA, the Freedom of Information Act, provided some information and in that article came to light some possible discrepancies. And that relaunched a second criminal investigation into the incident in which information, the soldiers that were involved in the incident they were questioned again. And it was that information that we were immediately forthcoming in providing to the necessary parties. Though I would have to say we helped out in whatever way we could. Due to the nature of the environment here, different units coming in and out, different agencies, multi national agencies we interact with it is possible for an unfortunate case of weapon keeping take place but I think it would be unfair to blame the US army for this 12 month process in which case evidence, information that was provided lead to the aquital of the Momcilovic family and that’s what’s important.

Q: But the report that was handed to UNMIK the original report before the new criminal investigation in that report, how many people were killed. How many people did the US army accept were killed or shot by their soldiers?

CS: This is my understanding from statements that I”ve read from senior commanders that initially they came out and said they were confident that American soldiers had killed one, but did not say that or confirm that they had killed a second individual. There was some question there that – let me see if I can recall the article correctly – in the case of the second individual they could not confirm whether their actions led to the death of the second individual but there were some questions.

Q: And UNMIK had that report 12 months ago?

CS: From my understanding, but again I covered some of the – with the report. But this is over a year ago with the criminal investigation division. They turned over the report but in talking with UNMIK officials I guess the report…

SM: You know it’s very difficult to reconstruct what UNMIK ad the local judiciary had last year. Clearly they didn’t have evidence that was submitted in June and July to the court. What exactly they had from KFOR in my conversations with Judicial officials it seemed to have been quite minimal and it didn’t seem to have been used  by the District Court.

Q: Does UNMIK regret not appointing an international judge in the first place?

SM: Pardon me?

Q: Does UNMIK regret not appointing an international judge ….

SM: On the contrary with the presence of an international judge we..

Q: Does UNMIK regret not appointing one in the first place?

SM: Yes I think the presence of the international judge just served to speed the case up, it served to help bring in this new evidence it made a big difference.

Q: The case may have been a lot quicker if it had been left in the hands of an Albanian judge the result may have been different however.

SM: The trial opened on April 25th or 26th and recessed the asme day in an argument over the admissability of the video tape. Apparently when judge De Charrette came onto the scene he admitted the video tape right away. So a lot of time was lost before he was appointed.

Q: The French Ministry of Defence has called for the Zvecan lead smelters operations to be temporarily suspended because of the all too well known danger not only to the local population but also to troops serving with MNB north. Are you satisfied that the steps being taken by UNMIK and by the European Agency for Reconstruction which appear at best to be consultative as opposed to taking the very firm action which would be f close it down, have a look, see what can be done and possibly restart it  you seem to be happy to let the smelter to carry on producing its toxic fumes rather than suspend its operations.

SM: we are concentrating right now on the publish health campaign and on the measurement.

Q: Susan, with all due respect, everybody knows what the problems are. Can you tell us why you’re not going to shut it down.

SM: The plant has to be repaired.

Q: So why not shut it down and start repairing it?

SM: We hope that the plant will be repaired, that the management will see from the effects on the public that it is in everyone’s interests to repair the plant.

Q: If the management doesn’t agree to shut down the plant in case UNMIK decides to what are the strategy it will take? Are you going to co-ordinate your measurements together with KFOR on that issue?

SM: Yes, we’re working closely with KFOR on this issue but beyond that I can’t speculate.

Q: Is it the case that you have asked the management to shut down the plant and they haven’t done it, they haven’t agreed, or is it you haven’t done it yourself.

SM: I know that we’ve approached management but I don’t what the discussions will be.

Q: Susan answered Christian’s question, but it’s directed at KFOR. It’s a force protection issue if there’s a plant poisoning French soldiers working in MNB north. Surely KFOR should have an opinion on that?

CS: Susan mentioned that we’ve been working with this and KFOR have been aware since June of last year that there was a (indistinguishable) period as a result of the production process. And late last year late 99 evaluation teams started assisting in conducting analysis. Blood analysis is now taken from all KFOR personnel, prior to, during and after serving in Mitrovica. Whether we are equally concerned I would reiterate what Susan said that we’re involved in (indistinguishable) and will continue to do so.

SM: Thank you very much.