UNMIK-KFOR- Press Briefing: 31 July 2000

UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel
KFOR Spokesman Major Craig Snow

UNMIK Spokeswoman Susan Manuel

SRSG Bernard Kouchner is in Ankara today meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Cem over the situation of the Turkish community in Kosovo. Dr. Kouchner will be out of Kosovo for the rest of the week.

The Interim Administrative Council (IAC) resumes meeting tomorrow. On the agenda will be a report on the Airlie House declaration and its follow-up, as well as a report on the Kouchner-Cem meeting. The IAC is also expected to discuss draft regulations establishing the administrative department for youth and the department of public utilities.

This morning at the regular meeting of the Working Group of the Joint Committee on Returns, we are expecting Mr. Oliver Ivanovic of the Serb National Council in Mitrovica to attend.  The meeting is beginning now. He and Mr. Dragan Velic of the Serb National Council from Gracanica will to speak to the media afterwards, so you're welcome to go across afterward to the front lobby to catch them after the meeting.

Mitrovica Regional Administrator William Nash said he was pleased to learn Ivanovic attended the session. He said this morning: "I hope his attendance will bring renewed energy to the program of returning ALL people to their homes throughout Kosovo. .

I can tell you that the Joint Committee on Returns has facilitated the first organised returns of Serbs last week to Slivovo when 29 people moved back to their original homes.

In Mitrovica, a French UNICEF staff member who was living in southern Mitrovica will leave Kosovo tomorrow for her own security. This follows an incident on Saturday, in which three armed, masked men broke into her accommodation, tied her up and robbed her& Two people were detained for questioning and released&

Also from UNMIK Police, two police officers in Decani stopped a car with license plates of the TMK or Kosovo Protection Corps, who were part of a wedding entourage, as the people inside the car were shooting guns, on Saturday. Five armed men were inside the car, two of who got out and joined a crowd, which developed and surrounded the two officers, one of whom was beaten. UNMIK Police has been in discussions with the TMK HQ in Decani, and Mr. Daut Haradinaj, the regional TMK leader has promised full co-operation in locating suspects.

In Djakova on Friday, representatives of the families of missing persons and detainees came to protest the lack of progress on information on missing and detained. Eighty people occupied the conference room of the municipal building preventing staff and officials from leaving& They have threatened to blockade the building every morning. We have no information yet as to whether they have carried that out today. UNMIK officials have called a meeting with all agencies involved in the issue as soon as possible.
Over the last 48 hours, six Serb houses were destroyed--three in the Gnjilane area, one Orahovac, one in Obilic and one in Kosovo Polje& Either grenade attack or arson were blamed.
 
Media House

You're aware of the problem of unpaid electrical bills at the Media. In assessing the building's electrical problems, UNMIK engineers and fire officials have found an extremely critical situation with both fire and safety hazards (bad wiring, jerry-rigged generators; no sprinklers; no fire alarm, no fire extinquishers, poorly running elevators etc.). IT is looking as if UNMIK may have no option but to close the building temporarily for a major overhaul. The feeling is that we are facing another potential Boro and Ramiz situation. The OSCE will be helping tenants look for other locations.

We had hoped to get the UNMIK fire chief to this briefing to give you his assessment: Fir marshall  Fait Gifbert will be leading media around the Media House building at 1 today. As this is short notice, we can arrange another tour at around 5. If anyone is interested, please let Francois Charlier know by 4 this afternoon.

The OSCE at its regular 10 a.m. briefing tomorrow will discuss the rules on fair and equitable media coverage during elections, which the Central Elections Commission has established.

KFOR Spokesman Major Craig Snow

Large weapons cache found, seized
Multi-National Brigade East forces, spearheaded by the Greek 501st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and assisted by KFOR U.S. and KFOR Italian units, seized a significant cache of weapons early Saturday morning. The weapons were seized in an area west of Ferizaj / Urosevac as part of KFOR's ongoing mission of seizing unregistered weapons and preventing violence.  The cache included over 80 mines, 100 pounds of TNT, sniper rifles, machine guns, and paraphernalia to remote-detonate bombs . clear indications of a terrorist capability. The cache had been discovered previously through ground and aerial reconnaissance.  The area was put under surveillance while the seizure mission was planned.  The Greek 501st Mechanized Battalion moved in early yesterday morning and secured the area, while U.S. helicopters provided aerial reconnaissance and overhead security.  U.S. Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams searched the area, while an Italian Multi-Purpose Specialized Unit worked with U.S. Military Police in providing security.The TNT was detonated on site by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team after it was determined the explosives were unstable.  All other material was transported to Task Force Falcon Headquarters by helicopter for processing.No suspects were taken into custody as a result of the operation. KFOR continues to investigate. This multi-national effort which led to the discovery and capture of the dangerous arsenal serves as a testament to KFOR's commitment to promoting peace and security in Kosovo.

Joint Search Operations
KFOR soldiers in both MNB (N) and MNB (C) conducted search operations for weapons caches in areas straddling the inter-MNB boundaries.  Both MNBs launched their operations at the same time in a well-coordinated effort to seize weapons, ammunition, explosives and other illegal contraband.
The joint search operation resulted in KFOR MNBs seizing several weapons, grenades, several hundred rounds of ammunition and uniforms.

Reminder: Media Opportunity
Celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Russian Airborne troops.  The program includes a parade, hand-to-hand fighting demonstration, parachute jump, armament show and sports competitions.  The celebration is at 3:00 p.m., 2 August, at the Russian Military Contingent Headquarters base near the Prishtina / Pristina airport.

Incidents During the Past 24 Hours

Mine Awareness Course
KFOR French soldiers and the Mine Awareness Group (MAP) organized a mine awareness class for school children in Kline / Klina and surrounding areas last week.  In all more than 600 children taught about the dangers associated with mines and how to recognize and report mine findings.

Attempted Burglary
KFOR soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers prevented an armed man from breaking into a Serb house in the north west of Prishtina/ Pristina yesterday afternoon.

The soldiers were on a routine security patrol when they received information from a local that a man, armed with a short barrelled weapon, was breaking into a house in the next street.  The patrol responded immediately and rushed to the house.   When the armed man saw the soldiers, he cocked his weapon.  In response, the soldiers shouted a warning and cocked their weapons. 

Suddenly, at the same time, a Kosovar Albanian man and woman jumped up and prevented the soldiers from doing their duty, allowing the armed man to escape.  The two people interfering with the soldiers were arrested and handed over to UNMIK police.  

A search of the house discovered two hand grenades and a bag.  UNMIK police are now investigating the incident.

Explosion
KFOR US soldiers called an explosive ordinance demolition team yesterday morning to investigate a house explosion in Vitina.  The Explosive Ordinance Disposal team. s investigation revealed that the house, owned by a Kosovo Serb, was destroyed by 30lbs of TNT.  The owner reported that he. d received several death threats over the telephone.  UNMIK police are investigating.

Questions:

Q: Yesterday at 4:30 a fibre optic cable connecting Kosovo to all the international lines was cut. Do you have any word when the line can be up and running again, and what happened . was it sabotage or was it KFOR just cutting it off during work?

SM: I haven. t had any information on a cable being cut.

Q: Can you explain why TMK was needed to make an arrest? How they were meant to help out?

SM: The police were trying to locate the members who ruughed them up, and they knew they were members of the TMK because they had special licence plates. I. m not if the TMK-members took part in beating the police officers up. The help from TMK was required because the police was in the process of stopping a car with armed TMK-people in the car.

Q: Are there any plans for registration centres for Serbs to be reopened in Kosova?

SM: No, not at this point.

Q: Coming in from Prizren yesterday I passed the first Russian checkpoint. They are doing a lot of work on them. They a lot of new signs saying mines. Is it KFOR and UNMIK policy to be laying new landmines in Kosovo? It would appear from the evidence that they are laying a minefield around their camp. They have barb wire around the signs.

CS: I. m not aware of that particular incident. We normally put up signs to make people aware of mines we find. I can check up this.

SM: Maybe the signs were new?

CS: Normally a unit will not take such measurements without discussing it with higher headquarters. I can certainly ask and find out if this is the case.

Q: If there were significant indications from the Serb population in Kosovo that they were prepared to put themselves down for registration in substantial numbers, will there be any consideration to reopen registration centres?

SM: If there were indications within the next week or few days, there could be some sort of option that could be explored. This goes for the Turks as well.

Q: How does 1244 stand on the possibility for Serbs or other elements here to vote in the elections in Yugoslavia?

SM: 1244 doesn. t specify beyond that we respect Yugoslav sovereignty. Dr. Kouchner. s office is exploring various options for how to approach the possibility of elections taking place here, and they haven. t pronounced themselves on it.

Q: Yesterday there were reports of increased security on the eastern boundary to Serbia, in Presevo Valley. Is there any specific reason for that?

CS: As a result of increased violence and incidents in the Ground Safety Zone in and around Dobrosin, KFOR have increased security throughout Kosovo and specifically on the eastern boundary to deter violence and further demonstrate our commitment to ensure stability in the region and build a secure environment for all people of Kosovo. Any extremist activity in Kosovo will not be tolerated by KFOR. KFOR will equally prevent any action by extremist groups, such as the UCPMB, that will make Kosovo a staging area for exporting  violence. Any paramilitary activity and acts of violence by extremists groups, such as the UCPMB, and cross-boundary criminal activity, have a destabilising effect on Kosovo, and they are not in the best interest of the civil part of the population. Consistent with earlier policy KFOR is implementing security measures to include a presence and patrols along the boundary, as well as aerial reconnaissance. Furthermore KFOR (..) at the Dobrosin checkpoint to tightly control the movement of extremists in and out of the area. These (..) moves are not meant to inflict upon the freedom of movement in the area. KFOR will not tolerate any violations of the Military Technical Agreement stemming from activities occurring from the Ground Safety Zone.

Q: Do you have any information about negotiations between the UCPMB and American diplomats?

CS: I. m not the one to address that question to concerning diplomats in negotiations.

Q: Could you give me more details on the increased violence in the Presevo Valley which is the cause to heightened security?

CS: More recently there have been incidents that alerted us into taking these measures. I don. t have specifics. I would generally categorise them as acts of violence.

Q: Could you give as any numbers and what sorts of increase in security we will see? As for the proposed idea of US diplomats going into Dobrosin to discuss things with the UCPMB. It appears that the plan might include American KFOR officials going inside the Ground Safety Zone to assure the UCPMB that there won. t be any American intervention in case of Serb attacks in the area around Dobrosin.

CS: Increased ground patrols and aerial reconnaissance. I don. t have any information to your second question.

Q: Can you confirm that some of the incidents in the Presevo Valley were caused by the UCPMB? And Susan, when did these 29 Serbs return to Slivova?

SM: It was late last week.

CS: Any acts of extremists will not be accepted.

Q: How many times has the Ground Safety Zone been violated by Serb police and military since KFOR entered Kosova?

CS: I don. t have the statistics with me. I take that as a query. We have seen enough activity to increase security measures

Q:  The people in Muchibaba were so scared last week because the Serb police have attacked three or four times, and a Serb police officer stepped on a mine. Can you tell us more about that?

CS: I am not familiar with that incident.

Q: The possible reaction of the KFOR troops into the Ground Safety Zone should incidents between the UCPMB and Serbs forces continue: Do you think it would be possible to get a firm line in the next day or so, especially from MNB East, on exactly what the stands from American KFOR is to possible incursions into the Ground Safety Zone, should the security situation significantly deter?

CS: I can talk to MNB East, and see what we can do for you.

Q: If people in Kosova participate in the Yugoslav elections, can they also participate in the local elections in Kosova?

SM: Sure, this remains Yugoslavia . you have a right to participate in the elections in at least the presidential elections in Yugoslavia. It. s yet to be decided what our position if they try to hold the elections here.

Q: How can people in Kosova have right to participate in the elections in Yugoslavia?

SM: This remains Yugoslavia, but we. re under the UNMIK administration, so that is why we are working on a policy now on Kosovo. s possible participation in the elections.