SLOVAKIA: SERBIAN DEFENCE MINISTER BORIS TADIC SAYS HE WARNED NATO MONTHS AGO OF IMPENDING TROUBLE IN KOSOVO

Record ID: 208363

  • Title: SLOVAKIA: SERBIAN DEFENCE MINISTER BORIS TADIC SAYS HE WARNED NATO MONTHS AGO OF IMPENDING TROUBLE IN KOSOVO
  • Date: 18th March 2004
  • Summary: (W8) BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA (MARCH 18, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF MEDIA AWAITING SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO DEFENCE MINISTER BORIS TADIC (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERBIAN AND MONTENEGRO DEFENCE MINISTER BORIS TADIC ASKED IF TROOPS SENT TO KOSOVO WILL BE ENOUGH, SAYING: "I mean that we need more insurance in the next few days I'm afraid it will (unintelligible) more attacks on our side, Serbian community, (unintelligible), so every few hours I'm receiving information that the Albanians are planning more attacks. Right now it's night and I'm afraid that during the night they will use new circumstances for attacks." 0.41 3. MEDIA 0.45 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TADIC, SAYING: "The Albanian troops were preparing themselves in some camps, military camps all around the Kosovo, and unfortunately we didn't see active reaction of K-FOR in Kosovo in past few years. I received information, intelligence information, about these camps in past few months but we didn't see any active reaction of KFOR." 1.21 5. MEDIA 1.25 6. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) TADIC SAYING HE OFFERED NATO 1000 SERBIAN TROOPS FOR KOSOVO BUT NATO REJECTED THE OFFER. "He rejected our offer and I am in a very difficult situation, as a Minister of Defence of Serbia Montenegro because I have to explain to our people why I can't send our troops to protect the lives of our people in Kosovo. This is a sad story but I am trying to find a solution as a partner of NATO in next few days". 2.08 7. MEDIA 2.13 8. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, SAYING: "KFOR is doing what it can and it is doing it well I think with reinforcements, as you know, have been brought in today to prevent violence and to protect all communities in Kosovo. And KFOR will go on doing that as I said, reinforced. I can repeat my call on all parties to refrain from violence. I don't like seeing churches or monasteries burnt, I don't like on the other hand seeing a mosque burned in Belgrade either, and I would tell to those parties who might think that by certain organisational or orchestratration they might reach their political objectives much more easy, I say to them you are wrong. You are very wrong indeed. Because the international community will stick to the political line it has taken vis-a-vis Kosovo and everybody who would like to incite violence is on the very wrong track. Because there will be a break of trust between Kosovo and the international community and the international community wants to steer, to help, Kosovo in the right direction, which is to come closer to the Euro Atlantic structures. So let there be no misunderstanding, that I as NATO Secretary General, or the European Union, or the United Nations for that matter all take the same line, the violence should stop." 3.44 9. MEDIA 3.46 10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DE HOOP SCHEFFER, SAYING: "More troops, as you know, have been flown in today. Kosovo is doing a good job, a difficult job, but a good job. But that's what KFOR is for and you know, KFOR has been reinforced. I do not know, but I do not exclude that in the coming days, we might see more reinforcements." 4.08 11. SCHEFFER WALKING AWAY 4.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BRATISLAVA, SLOVAKIA
  • Country: Slovakia
  • Reuters ID: LVAACOZEPLRWOG79LXOCCTHVI4T7
  • Story Text: Serbian Defence Minister says he warned NATO months
    ago of impending trouble in Kosovo but nothing was done.


    The defence minister for Serbia and Montenegro said
    on Thursday (March 18) that he warned NATO months ago of
    impending trouble in Kosovo.

    Boris Tadic claims Albanian troops have been training
    in camps preparing to launch attacks on areas frequented by
    Serbs.

    But he says KFOR and NATO did nothing.

    "The Albanian troops were preparing themselves in some
    camps, military camps all around the Kosovo, and
    unfortunately we didn't see active reaction of K-FOR in
    Kosovo in past few years. I received information,
    intelligence information, about these camps in past few
    months but we didn't see any active reaction of KFOR," he
    said.

    The death toll from two days of clashes between Kosovo
    Albanians and Serbs rose to 31 on Thursday as NATO beefed
    up its forces and vowed to stamp out ethnic violence.

    Albanians set fire to Serb churches across the
    U.N.-governed province, including in the provincial
    capital, Pristina, where police fired teargas to disperse
    gangs of youths after nightfall.

    Tadic said he expected more violence and appealed to
    NATO to do more to help bring it to an end. He told a news
    conference in Bratislava, where he was attending a European
    forum that it was an emergency situation and help from the
    international community was needed. He said an offer of
    1000 Serbian troops has been turned down.

    "I am in a very difficult situation, as a Minister of
    Defence of Serbia Montenegro because I have to explain to
    our people why I can't send our troops to protect the lives
    of our people in Kosovo. This is a sad story but I am
    trying to find a solution as a partner of NATO in next few
    days," he said.

    The Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General James L.

    Jones said extra troops were being sent as part of "a
    prudent reinforcement" of 18,500 already there.

    U.S. soldiers blocked the Pristina-Mitrovica road and
    were checking all travellers as 150 more U.S. troops and 80
    Italian carabinieri arrived and Britain readied 750 troops.

    "I do not exclude that in the coming days we may see
    more reinforcements," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop
    Scheffer told reporters in Bratislava.

    The violence began on Monday (March 15) when a Serb
    teenager was wounded in a drive-by shooting. The following
    day three Albanian boys drowned in a river, reportedly
    after being chased by Serbs. On Wednesday (March 17), the
    province exploded.



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