B92 Open Yugoslavia, Belgrade Daily News Service
Open Yugoslavia, News by 20.00, March 25, 1999
C O N T E N T S
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DAILY NEWS
15 Clinton: Agreement or attacks continue . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Arkan mobilises his private troops again . . . . . . . . . . 35
Foreign cultural centres attacked . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Schools closed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
NATO bans Aeroflot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
20 Dinar plunges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Fuel restricted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
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DAILY NEWS
25 CLINTON: AGREEMENT OR ATTACKS CONTINUE
WASHINGTON, Thursday -- US President Bill Clinton said today that
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic must choose peace or NATO
would continue attacking Yugoslavia. Clinton said that Milosevic
must choose peace or NATO would restrict his capacity for war,
30 adding that the goal of the NATO attacks was to prevent a wider
conflict and a humanitarian catastrophe in Kosovo. Clinton
rejected claims that the USA had no exit strategy for the conflict
with Yugoslavia, saying that the strategy was the same as for any
military operation -- successful completion of the mission.
35 ARKAN MOBILISES HIS PRIVATE TROOPS AGAIN
BELGRADE, Thursday -- Notorious paramilitary commander Zeljko
``Arkan'' Razmatovic, announced today that he was putting himself
at the disposal of the Serbian Government to defend Kosovo and
Metohije. Razmatovic rose to prominence during the wars in Croatia
40 and Bosnia leading a paramilitary unit known as the Serbian
Voluntary Guard. He called today for volunteers to join him in
Kosovo.
FOREIGN CULTURAL CENTRES ATTACKED
BELGRADE, Wednesday -- While NATO air strikes were hitting
45 Yugoslavia last night, cultural centres owned by NATO countries in
Belgrade's Knez Mihailova Street were attacked. The windows of the
French, British and American cultural centres were broken,
apparently as a reprisal for the NATO bombing raids.
The streets of central Belgrade were quiet today, with few
50 pedestrians and little traffic. Most shops were closed, with only
pharmacies remaining open in most areas.
SCHOOLS CLOSED
BELGRADE, Thursday -- Schools and universities throughout Serbia
were today closed until April 2nd, Serbian Education Minister Jovo
55 Todorovic announced today. Todorovic reminded heads of educational
institutions that they are required to observe special regulations
applying in a state of war.
NATO BANS AEROFLOT
NATO today forbade the Russian national airline Aeroflot to fly
60 over Yugoslav airspace, according to the Interfaks news agency.
NATO explained that it was unable to guarantee the safety civil
aircraft over Yugoslav territory.
DINAR PLUNGES
BELGRADE, Thursday -- The dinar slipped dramatically today by up
65 to ten per cent on the street in Belgrade. Black market dealers
late this afternoon were buying Deutschmarks at the rate of ten
dinars to one mark, up from a rate of 9 or 9.1 yesterday.
FUEL RESTRICTED
BELGRADE, Thursday -- The Yugoslav Government's Drivers
70 Association this afternoon announced that sales of petrol and
diesel will be controlled. Fuel is to distributed only to priority
vehicles under a government priority program.
Translated by: Goran Dimitrijevic
Edited by: Steve Agnew
75
10 All texts are Copyright 1999 Radio B92. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
B92 Open Yugoslavia, Belgrade Daily News Service
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If I can send a message to your relatives let me know
Greetings from the United States:
This is author and syndicated columnist, David Lawrence Dewey. My latest column, Milosevic - Another Hitler? The Massacre At Kosovo
Continues. I include photos, which are graphic of the killing of children, women and men, and the destruction of homes. This is not an "ethnic cleansing", it is a genocide of a race of people because of their religion. This is the same thing of what Hitler did to the Jews.
My column is read by readers in over 50 countries and I have over 125,000 visitors a month to my website.
In my column, I challenge world governments to stop this in-humanity to mankind.
You may want to link to my column.
The url is: http://www.dldewey.com/kosovo.htm
Sincerely,
David Lawrence Dewey
My normal email address is @aol.com">dldewey@aol.com
cc: publicist, J. Nielsen, New York
Christian Children's Fund Responds to the Suffering of Refugees
New Details Available Online at:
Christian Children's Fund's efforts are underway to address the psychological and social needs of the Albania refugees -- specifically focusing on the children, which are the most devastated group among the refugees.
UNICEF and other international agencies participating in emergency aid and relief efforts have asked Christian Children's Fund to use its special expertise in children's trauma programs
to assist Kosovar children at the refugee camps in Albania. Details of CCF's ongoing work in Albania are available online
at:, along with email updates from the CCF team, more information about CCF's Trauma Program, and a secure online donation form for visitors
who would like to support CCF's efforts.
CCF's initial assessments of the refugees:
* Many of the refugee boys desperately miss the presence of their fathers, as many of the men have either been executed or placed in prison camps. CCF's male team members are receiving a lot attention with the boys wanting to closely interact with them. The male refugees that are present show extreme aggressive behavior which is causing tension in the families. In addition, the
men suffer guilt because they are not fighting in Kosovo, but rather are displaced in Albania.
* The refugee women come from a traditional rural society where they have been home-based. They are completely broken by the loss of their homes and feel there is no reason to live. Suffering
from an insulated existence and absorbed in their distress, the mothers often send the children out to play so they won't be "disturbed" in their grief.
* Most of the adults have access to television, and any image of Kosovo makes them angry and hateful, an attitude that is communicated to the children. The hotels where refugees are living are guarded and their movements are restrained. The women and children are afraid of strangers and anyone who emanates authority or wears a uniform.
While the overall reception of relief workers from the Albanian population is phenomenal, the rural refugees are unaccustomed to and feel overwhelmed by the city environment in Tirana. CCF's core team aims to create comfort zones and a more relaxing
atmosphere for the refugees through its trauma treatment program, specifically geared toward the children. In addition to immediate relief, Christian Children's Fund is training local social workers to work with displaced and traumatized refugees. Trainers will work within the culture of the local communities using art and role playing
to help the children express their fears and begin the healing process.
The bombing is destabiling the region.
The bombing has resulted in worse behavour from Milosvich.
The bombing is killing inocent people - so called colateral damage.
United States won't commit to ground troups as the site of 'solders returning in body bags' is unacceptable - But inoccent people - Serbs amd Albainians alike are being killed.
The bombing is furthering no rational persons objectives-
Please stop the bombing.
The bombing is destroying the war machine
and the war infrastructure
used by Milosovich over the last TEN YEARS
to kill, maim and destroy people
in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo.
If you don't like collateral damage
... then don't start wars !
The bombing must go on ....
"Economic growth in the United States weighs in at 4.5% during the first quarter of 1999, well ahead of expectations, boosting the dollar and pushing the euro to an
historic low. "
BBC - 30th of April 1999.
p.s. some people might be able to understand...
jack london u low life pice of •••• i hope we meat face to face one day so i can include
u as part of this colatoral damage.
REFUGEES: POLICE PRESENCE REMAINS STRONG. At Blace,
Macedonia, newly arrived refugees said on 13 May that
the paramilitary police presence remains large in Kosova
and that Serbian shopkeepers refuse to sell food to
ethnic Albanians, AP reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 27
April 1999). One refugee added that Serbian forces have
"raided food stocks" belonging to the Mother Teresa
ethnic Albanian charitable foundation in unspecified
places in Kosova. PM
NIS MAYOR: MILOSEVIC MUST OUTLINE PLANS. Zoran Zivkovic,
who is mayor of Nis and a member of the opposition
Democratic Party of Zoran Djindjic, said on 13 May that
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic should "proclaim
what is our plan [for Kosova and make public] a list of
costs in lives and time" that he is prepared to pay in
order to keep control of the province. Meanwhile in
Brussels, Shea suggested that Milosevic's recent public
admission that Serbian forces have had "many" casualties
is "significant" and indicates that Milosevic is
"realizing that his army is being melted away" by NATO
air strikes (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 13 May 1999).
Supreme Allied Commander General Wesley Clark added that
Milosevic has recently made a series of gestures--
including freeing three U.S. soldiers and allowing
Kosovar leader Ibrahim Rugova to leave Yugoslavia--
because "he's losing and he knows it." PM
U.K. STRESSES NEED TO 'STOP' MILOSEVIC. Prime Minister
Tony Blair said in Aachen, Germany on 13 May that
Milosevic is "determined to wipe a people from the face
of his country. We are determined to stop him. And we
will." In London, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook noted
that "the last two days of [air strikes] have been the
most successful [against Serbia] to date." Admiral Sir
Ian Garnett, who is Britain's chief of joint operations,
said that Serbian troops "show no sign of withdrawing"
from Kosova, Reuters reported. He added that the Kosova
Liberation Army (UCK) is "tenaciously holding out in
small pockets" throughout Kosova. Garnett also noted
that "Milosevic's troops are showing an increasing
tendency to loot and burn their way around the country."
PM
MILOSEVIC SNUBS ROBINSON. Mary Robinson, who is the UN's
high commissioner for human rights, said in Belgrade on
13 May that "despite my requests, it has not been
possible to have a direct meeting with President
Milosevic. I was very anxious to meet him, because I
have had direct witness myself of the human rights
violations suffered by a large number of [ethnic]
Albanians." In Bonn, German television journalist Pit
Schnitzler said that his Serbian captors interrogated
and beat him daily during his imprisonment from mid-
April until 11 May as a suspected spy. In Canberra,
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on 14
May that the Serbian authorities have formally charged
two Australian aid workers, Steve Pratt and Peter
Wallace, with espionage. The Australian government and
CARE, which employs the two, have denied the charges. PM
DJUKANOVIC HAILS NATO AIMS, NOT MEANS. Montenegrin
President Milo Djukanovic said in Vienna after meeting
with Chancellor Viktor Klima on 13 May that he supports
NATO's basic aims against Belgrade but does not favor
bombing. Djukanovic stressed that the best way to remove
Milosevic from the scene is through new elections in
Serbia. Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel had
planned to meet Djukanovic in Montenegro, but the
Montenegrin authorities recently cancelled the meeting
"on security grounds" after "the Serbs had gotten wind"
of Schuessel's visit, "Die Presse" reported. PM
SWISS-GREEK-RUSSIAN CONVOY ARRIVES IN PRISHTINA. The
first Swiss-Greek-Russian humanitarian aid convoy
arrived in Prishtina on 13 May, nearly one month after
the Swiss government launched a joint aid initiative
that includes Russia and Greece. The five trucks carried
food and medicine, AP reported. It was unclear whether
and how the relief supplies will reach displaced persons
inside Kosova. As part of the joint initiative, the
first patients received treatment in a mobile hospital
staffed by 43 Russian doctors in Prokuple, near Nis,
ITAR-TASS reported. Russia's Emergency Ministry has
donated the hospital to treat victims of NATO bombings.
In Moscow, Russian and Greek officials suggested the
setting up of several "humanitarian zones" in various
parts of Yugoslavia, in which international relief
workers can work at a safe distance from military
operations. Meanwhile, the Iranian government held a
"solidarity day with the Muslims of Kosova," collecting
donations throughout the country for Kosovar refugees,
Reuters reported. FS
UNHCR COMPLAINS ABOUT LACK OF ALBANIAN REFUGEE
COORDINATION. Ray Wilkinson, spokesman of the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Tirana, said on 13
May that only 3,300 refugees from Kukes have agreed to
leave the northern city for new refugee camps in central
and southern Albania. He added that "this is not an
overwhelming response," Reuters reported. Wilkinson said
that nobody is providing the various aid agencies with
information about the new camps, which have been built
by NATO troops. Nor, he said, is any central authority
coordinating the evacuation efforts. Wilkinson stressed
that the UNHCR is "not informed of many bilateral
agreements between various [national] armies." The
previous day, another 4,000 refugees arrived in Kukes
from central Kosova. About 100,000 out of the estimated
430,000 refugees in Albania are currently in that town.
FS