U.S. Considering Humanitarian Airdrops To KLA
WASHINGTON, Apr. 05, 1999 -- (Reuters) The United States is considering airdrops of humanitarian supplies inside Kosovo to ethnic Albanians, including members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, under attack by Serbs, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
After a telephone conversation with KLA leader Hashim Thaqi, State Department spokesman James Rubin said "they clearly are looking for humanitarian support, including air drops . That is something that people (in the U.S. government) are looking at."
But Rubin said any such airlift would be complicated by the fact that "it's unclear which areas (of Kosovo) are fully under the control of the KLA and obviously the air defense question." He referred to Yugoslav air defenses that could shoot down NATO planes, which would have to fly low in order to deliver supplies with any precision.
Rubin refused to discuss reports that the KLA had also asked NATO for heavy weapons. The Washington Post reported in Thursday's editions that the guerrilla force, whose yearlong battle to win independence for Kosovo brought world attention to the conflict, was facing "imminent military defeat" and had appealed to NATO for anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons.
Thaqi, who has been in near daily contact with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright or Rubin, told them earlier this week the KLA was being overwhelmed. Rubin said on Thursday the guerrillas are "having a tough time of it, but they continue to, according to Mr. Thaqi, ... do what they can in these difficult circumstances."
U.S. officials said they are "working very hard" to help alleviate the massive humanitarian crisis caused when Serbs intensified their attacks on ethnic Albanians in retaliation for NATO air strikes. "People are thinking about all sorts of ways to help people in need," one official said.
The United States has had a mixed relationship with the KLA. One year ago, a senior official accused them of terrorist activities. But in the last few months, the KLA was central to U.S. efforts to secure a negotiated peace agreement in Kosovo. The KLA, after much pressure, ultimately signed the deal but Belgrade refused, leading to NATO air strikes. ( (c) 1999 Reuters)
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