Susan Manuel said that 18 persons were arrested in that period, four of whom are suspected of murders.
She said that the UNMIK police identified the person found murdered on the road leading to Grmija, a settlement in Pristina, on 3rd April. It was Metodije Haleuska, an inhabitant of Pristina. The investigation discovered that he had been beaten first, then killed by a bullet fired from a gun. His hands had been tied behind the back.
Philip Henning, the KFOR spokesman, said that yesterday in Pec, a group of men beat a 70 years old woman believing that she was a Serb. The beaten woman is a Moslem, Philip added.
According to his words, two days ago two bombs were discovered in a deserted house in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica, while a pistol and some ammunition were confiscated in Podujevo.
Philip said that a person was wounded in a shoot-out in Mitrovica, two days ago. The wounded man, whose nationality the KFOR spokesman did not disclose, was taken to the military hospital of Morocco KFOR soldiers, in the southern part of the town. He added that concerning this case, five Albanians were arrested and given to the UNMIK police.
Susan Manuel said that 29 anti-tank mines were stolen after a non-government organization for mine removal had discovered a minefield.
In that letter it requests an urgent meeting with international representatives at which it will demand punishments for the Albanians who issued warrants with pictures for 40 Serbs.
The group-warrant was put in shop-windows in Mitrovica, Srbica and Vucitrn. It was even placed on the building of the Albanian Republican Party in Bosnjacka mahala. The Council for human rights reports that the Serbs are frightened, since the international community did nothing about these warrants. The Council writes that the main initiator of all actions against the Serbs is Skender Hoti, the president of the Albanian Republican Party. Two months ago KFOR found certain quantity of weapons in his house.
The Albanians made the warrants using the files of identity cards, driving licenses and passports that were officially taken by UNMIK from the former building of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs. UNMIK did not let the representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs take over these files although that was stipulated by the Kumanovo agreement.
The Serb National Council demands that the international community punish and remove from duty persons responsible for the abuse of personal documents. Incidentally, all employees in the City Hall in the southern part of the city are ethnic Albanians.
"Albanians are not the only ones to be blamed for all the misery in Kosovo. Some of our leaders are responsible, too", Momcilo Babic says. At a meeting in Gorazdevac, he named people who can be held responsible for deserting the people of Gorazdevac. Now these people want to return.
"Tell them not to come. In the worst moments, when they forgot us and ran away, the Italians arrived and supplied us with food and fertilizers. Few days ago I visited Milanovac, Vragovac and Babice and after a conversation with the Albanians I guarantee to all those who left that can return safely. The fact is that a lot has been destroyed, but the Albanians are aware that they cannot become owners of deserted Serb land and houses. That is why they asked in the presence of the Italian soldiers that the Serbs return", Babic says.
"Basically this is an attempt to get even with everyone who wants changes. That is why the defense of the media is far more significant than the defense of media companies; it is a defense against a violent government and a defense of the right of all citizens to strike for a good life, for their children's future, for the survival and development of the people and the state to which they belong," added Obradovic.
Do you interpret the pressure by the regime as preparation for elections or, as some claim, an introduction to a dictatorship?
OBRADOVIC: Every careful analysis will show that at this moment the government, being very vulnerable and unsure of itself, cannot essentially go beyond what is called getting even with political opponents and the free media in Serbia. That is where their main striking point will be. And if we do not seriously confront them, if we do not show them our teeth, what is happening now will only be an introduction to far more serious conflicts. The biggest favor we could do for the regime would be to show fear.
You are suggesting resistance?
OBRADOVIC: Action should be taken as well, both independently and together. It would be wise to take the initiative and to drive those who today are extinguishing media, arresting "Resistance" activists and persecuting non-like-minded persons into a position where they must defend themselves. Milosevic cannot be forced to accept compromises and concessions by a meeting or a series of protests; for this a much broader action by all parties, trade unions and non-governmental organizations is needed. Regardless of this, we will advocate adherence to the agreement of January 10 at the meeting on March 22 and the organization of a large joint demonstration on March 27 in Belgrade. I believe that the united democratic opposition can bring about early general elections, but only under the condition that it acts more quickly, with better synchronization and more courage. I am certain that in those elections, no matter when they occur, we will catastrophically defeat the current government.
Do you think that the opposition should run in the elections on the same ticket?
OBRADOVIC: At the next meeting of the united opposition, the Socialdemocracy will propose that when local elections are scheduled, even if only local elections are scheduled, a common opposition ticket be prepared. The opposition also needs to run with one or two columns at most in the parliamentary elections. This would certainly be the winning approach.
Do you believe in the stories of a new war?
OBRADOVIC: Our people can sleep peacefully and should not allow themselves to be the victims of manipulation. The story that Serbia will be bombed again is nothing but a common stupidity. No one in the world has any intention of repeating a mistake from a year ago. It is only in the regime's interest to announce and nurture this rumor because by doing this it is drawing the attention of the public away from essential problems, and that is that we have become a country of hungry and poor people, a country of corruption, a country from which a piece of living material is being torn each day and which is becoming a kind of black hole in the Balkans.
So the NATO maneuvers in Kosovo do not represent a threat?
OBRADOVIC: Instead of dedicating themselves to the implementation of Resolution 1244 and securing peace, the heads of KFOR are organizing maneuvers which are an expensive, complex and completely useless and illogical operation. In doing so they are working in favor of Milosevic's wish to maintain as long as possible the psychosis of war and the feeling of the alleged threat to Serbia from foreign danger at this moment.
Why then stepping up of mobilization of reservists which is, according to the claims of some of the opposition, currently going on? Does this have some connections with the relation of the governments in Belgrade and Podgorica?
OBRADOVIC: That is a vicious cycle of force. First our incompetent leaders threaten to return the Yugoslav Army to Kosmet by force, then KFOR responds by organizing maneuvers, then we respond by mobilization. Mobilization is the natural response of every army to maneuvers organized by a party which is conceived to be in opposition. I understand the reaction of our army, even though it seems to me that the mobilization is being carried out on a far greater scale than necessary. I don't believe that Milosevic will dare to use the Yugoslav Army in Montenegro. He knows, as do all Yugoslav Army generals, that that would be the road leading us into the hell of a civil war. It is almost certain that this regime will provoke various incidents in Montenegro, perhaps even serious conflicts, but it does not have the strength to make an extremely radical move. They know that that would be the end of them, as well.
The driver and the conductor, Miroslav Vidosavljevic and Vuksan Mitrovic, respectively, were not hurt. According to their eyewitness account, they saw a piece of cardboard in the road but did not suspect that something had been placed underneath it.
A French officer who wished to remain anonymous stated that the mine was placed in a hole in the road and covered with sand. A crater one meter deep was left in the road following the explosion. A French lieutenant with KFOR, Fabrice Turco, stated that an investigation was in progress and that members of KFOR and the UNMIK police have secured the place where the incident occurred. According to him, the police concluded from the site of the crater in the road that a land mine was used, while KFOR experts are searching the area to determine if other mines have been placed.
The commander of the French section of KFOR, general Pierre de Saqui de Sannes stated that this newest incident in the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica represents "a clear act of aggression".
"The same thing could easily have happened to a KFOR vehicle as they regularly use this road," said de Saqui de Sannes to reporters on the road leading from the northern part of Mitrovica.
The president of the executive board of the Serb National Council of Kosovska Mitrovica, Oliver Ivanovic, has asked UNMIK and KFOR to conduct "a full investigation" of this incident.
The Serb National Council of the Kosovska Mitrovica area strongly condemned this "terrorist act" against the bus traveling from Kosovska Mitrovica to Zvecan. The SNC of Mitrovica assessed, according to a statement, that this attack is part of the plan "of the terrorists to frighten the Serb population and ethnically cleanse the northern part of Kosovo and Metohija, as well" and added that the attack "did not occur by coincidence the day after the Albanians celebrated the anniversary of the creation of Albanian terrorist formations in Kosovo and Metohija, and fatefully announce new actions directed against the Serbs".
The Kosovo Albanians celebrate February 28 as the day that the separatist KLA was formed. Yesterday it was announced that a formal commemoration marking the first major campaign and conflict with the police in 1998 would be held in the village of Likosane, near Srbica and in Cirez. International forces have stated that they are prepared to prevent possible violence should it occur during the course of the festivities.
"The Serb National Council of Kosovska Mitrovica requests that KFOR and the international police search the southern part of Mitrovica and the Albanian villages in the area where Albanian terrorists are hiding. They are the only cause of instability in this region and we demand that they be brought to justice."
The SNC of Mitrovica has called on the Serb population in northern Kosovo "to be aware and mobile in self-defense" and announced that "no actions by the Albanian terrorists will succeed in undermining our determination to protect our families and homes".
The spokesperson of the international police in the north of Kosovo, Philip Paquot advised that during the last two days, prior to this morning's explosion, both parts of the divided city of Mitrovica have been peaceful.
In the village of Cernica the extremists set on fire a farm building owned by Petar Simic. In the same village the day before, Bozidar Sinivojevic was attacked by stones. On Friday the extremists stoned the houses of Trajan Petrovic, Stojadin Vasic, Svetozar Kostic, Slobodan Vasic and several other Serbs. When Serbs went out from their homes to defend their families and houses from the attackers, KFOR intervened and prevented serious conflict.
The day before at about 4pm teenagers in Obilic set on fire houses of Islam Jashari and Dzafer Dzaferovic. KFOR intervened shortly afterwards and the fire was extinguished. However, the attack was repeated at 6:30pm when considerable portion of the houses disappeared in fire.
On Tuesday March 21 Dejan Dzuzic was arrested on the ground of "false testimony given by the Albanians that he plotted to kill a KFOR soldier". Dzuzic was taken to the American camp "Bondsteel".
Albanian Nexhamin Azemi broke the day before into the house of Zika Simic and beat his wife and mother. Yesterday morning Simic`s head was injured by a thrown stone. Simic was taken to the police station in order to recognize the attacker. After that incident, representatives of Serbs and Albanians from the village of Mogila had a meeting with KFOR and UNMIK representatives in order to agree about the measures to improve the security in the village.