The Guilfordian
March 27,1998
Kosovo remains scene of violence
♦Americans arrested by Serbian police as the controversy surrounding Milosevic continues
BY GREGORY RINALDI
Staff Writer
Last week Serbian police arrested six
American aid
workers.
These
Americans
(five men and
one woman)
were sen
tenced to 10
days in jail for
disobeying
travel regula
tions.
"Their
arrest is a
clear indica
tion of the po
lice state
mentality of
the Milosevic
[the Serbian
President's]
regime," said
Jim Moran, a
Vuginia con
gressman.
These
workers in-
Kosovo is the site of the most recent conflict in an
area historically plagued by ethnic violence.
www.lib.utexas.edu/Lbs/PCL/Map_collection/europe/
kosovo_93.jpg
tended to reach the ethnic Albanians in
Kosovo. Amidst the deteriorating peace of the
Balkan Peninsula they have become just an
other item of worldwide concern.
In the past few weeks, the Yugoslavian
province of Kosovo has been the target of an
internal crackdown by Serbian government
police. Over 80 people have died in these
crackdowns that Serbia claims are to combat
"terrorists " But, some, including leaders of
the international community, are hinting ateth
CARTOON COURTESY OF COLLEGE PRESS EXCHANGE, TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES
World & Nation
Nic cleansing.
Yugoslavia is located in southeastern
Europe and is made up of the two provinces
of Serbia and Montenegro. Kosovo is located
situation in Kosovo and has urged the Serbian
government to take initiatives against such vio
lence in the future. Yugoslavia has assured the
United States and other countries that the
crackdowns have been halted.
Some world leaders adamantly oppose
Serbia's police actions. Earlier this month, the
United Nations called for a resolution to the
conflict. Suggested actions under this resolu
tion include a comprehensive arms embargo
of Serbia, a ban on supplies or equipment that
could be used to repress Albanian separatists,
and a denial oftravel visas to Serbian officials.
"Only immediate and decisive action in
Kosovo cm the part of the international com
munity can stop an acceleration of the nega
tive developments and human right violations,"
said Ljerka Mintas-Hodak, Croatia's deputy
prime minister.
The European Union, NATO. and
the U.S. have all expressed concern, but
are hoping for an internal solution. So far
Western countries have not supported a
settlement reminiscent of the Bosnian ac
tion six years ago. Then, Bosnia was supported
in becoming an independent nation. Kosovo,
on the other hand, has been considered widely
in the
westernmost
part of the
Serbian prov
ince. It is just
east of Alba
nia, and north
of
Macedonia
and Greece,
(see map)
Kos
ovo's popula
tion is 90%
ethnic Alba
nian; it is this
majority that
has been the
target of
Serbian po
lice forces.
The In
ternational
International community
should oust Milosevic
Since initial attacks on ethnic Alba
nians living in Kosovo, a province ofYugo
slavia, the United States, along with Rus-
Community
has recog
nized the de
teriorating
sia, France, Germany,
Britain and Italy, has
taken a tougher stance
on the actions of the
national government of
Yugoslavia. At this
point, though, there is
division amongst this
action group as to
whether or not
Belgrade is acting
swiftly enough to re
move special police
C . .. . • WWW.GEOCITIES.COM/
forces stationed in ... _
... WALLSTREET/6735/MILOSEVI.JPG
Kosovo and begin se-
nous talks with Kosovo Albanian leaders.
According to German Foreign Min
ister, Klaus Kinkel, the Yugoslav govern
ment is working to meet the conditions, cit
ing Yugoslav president, Slobadon
Milosevic's announced commitment to
open dialogue.
The United States, among others,
feels this is not enough, and says that the
police forces do not appear to be engaging
in any sort of movement towards leaving
the Kosovo region. The U.S. has stated
repeatedly within the last few days that
swift action must be taken or serious
embargos will be put into effect. The first
of such embargos was set by the Euro
pean Union, creating a ban against the trade
of weapons with Yugoslavia.
BYJACK SHL'LER
European Affafrs Columnist
I ♦.••■• -■ . „|Y, ■ T -111 MI-J. L |U M J N M --J- : -, - -
UmMm
Slobadon Milosevic
as an internal Yugoslavian conflict
"Our view is that we support a special
status for Kosovo with the goal of autonomy,
but no independent Kosovo State or separa
tion." said Klaus Kinkel, German foreign min
ister, on behalf of the European Union.
Albania, Bulgaria. Macedonia, Greece,
and Turkey all have vital interests in the region
that could lead to an international conflict. A
possible escalation of the situation has influ
enced leaders like U. S. Secretary of State
Madeline Albright to consider wider use of
peacekeeping troops in the area. Currently, the
United States has 800 peacekeeping troops
stationed in Macedonia, a former Yugoslavian
province, to the southeast.
Now, the greatest stumbling block ap
pears to be the wavering position of Rus
sia. Just this week, Boris Yeltsin invited
Milosevic to meet with him in Moscow,
apparently to discuss the cmbargos. which
the Russians oppose. They feel that the
embargos are unneces
sary as the situation ap
pears to be stabilizing.
It seems this would
be the point when the
U.S. and the rest of the
international community
would take serious action
and do something that
should have been done
years before, that is at
tempt to press charges
against Milosevic for his
crimes against humanity.
It is the only route possible
towards real peace in this region.
Just last week a Serb soldier was con
victed of rape as a crime against humanity
during the conflict in Bosnia. If the rank
and file can be sentenced before an inter
national tribunal at the Hague, why can't
Milosevic? He is just as guilty.
Peace may come to this region and
the Kosovo Albanians will most likely gain
more autonomy. It does not, however, ap
pear that they will gain their independence.
And even though Milosevic will most
likely sit down at a table with Kosovo leaders,
it is not likely that he will come to any sort of
personal change. This is the guy that was partly
responsible for ethnic cleansing in the early
1990'5. How can the international community
allow this criminal to stay in power?
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