Dear Clive,
I agree that the German plan would not be bad, provided the security arrangements are clear. I have always been in favor of an OSCE peacekeeping force. But they have to have a strong mandate so that they can effectively protect returning refugees. At present, even SFOR in Bosnia does not seem able to do that. The nationalists still control the police and prevent the return of refugees. The international forces would have to be able to guarantee public security, including policing, and not depend in any way on Serbian forces.
As for Milosevic’s partial victory, I think it is important, in parallel, to maintain the pressure to have Milosevic indicted as a war criminal. He can’t get away with what he has done in Kosovo–or in Bosnia, for that matter.
I have heard some horrible stories today from people who escaped from Kosovo. One student I know was kicked out of his flat with his parents by six men–three were his neighbors. They said they had received orders to cleanse Kosovo in a week, so they didn’t have time to kill them. The story about being ordered to cleanse Kosovo within a week has been repeated by several people. Also, the doors of their flats were marked before the war began so that the ethnic cleansers would know where the Serbs and where the Albanians lived.
I also heard that some 20,000 Serbs have left Kosovo for Republika Serbska. Some were expelled by the KLA. Some were afraid. A few were deserters. They are strengthening the nationalists in Serbia.
It is very depressing. I wonder how it will all end.
Mary
