We will execute Serb troops, says KLA
By Boris Johnson in Pristina
200 troops an hour pour in to keep peace
THE red flag with the black eagle yesterday flew openly from the roof of the
school. There were guards at the gate, Albanians with arm bands reading
UCK (KLA) and the same initials were spelt out in petals on the playground.
Processions of children presented posies
of roses and kissed the cheeks of the
swarthy goons, and inside was a
self-confessed terrorist hitman, who
personally murdered the Serb chief of
police, and whose authority was growing
by the hour. Whatever Nato thinks it has
agreed with the KLA, it may shortly have
to revise. Sali Mustafa has ideas of his
own. For one thing, said the KLA's
commander in Pristina, the Serb troops
would not only have to be out by midnight
tonight, they would face execution if they
hung around.
"As you know the agreement says the Serbs have specific times for
withdrawing troops. Every soldier and paramilitary that steps out of line is
going to be shot - by us or by Nato," said Mustafa, who was wearing a Puma
top and adidas tracksuit. He had a revolutionary's round glasses and a
delicate, almost girlish face.
Looking at this young man, it was hard to believe that he had cold-bloodedly
killed Pristina's top policemen; but, so he confessed. "I was in charge of a unit
and, well, they were our enemy, and I was shooting at them. Me and two
other guys, we shot Misha Lahocevic. Zoran Iovanovic found his death. I shot
him dead." And having created this job vacancy, he was now thinking of
applying because, as he understands the Nato agreement, he and his lads are
going to be the police.
With every hour that passes, the arbitrary power of the KLA is growing in
Kosovo, and Nato seems momentarily clueless how to deal with it. Ivan
Nicic, 25, was driving out of Pristina yesterday morning, like thousands of
other fleeing Serbs, when he spotted a man he knew, an Albanian. Their eyes
met. Suddenly, other Albanians appeared, pulling out their guns, and as Nicic
panicked and floored the accelerator, they shot his green Yugo Tempo five
times in the back.
One bullet passed through his shoulder, and another grazed his skull. The
Albanians said he was looting, though a glance inside his bloodstained car
revealed nothing more than the clutter one would expect from a single home.
Whatever the truth, Nicic was luckier than others. Last night KLA
checkpoints were appearing all over town, especially at the route north to
Belgrade.
Three more fleeing Serbs were reportedly shot dead, and Albanian gunmen
had taken the lives of at least one Albanian who worked for the Yugoslav
militia, as well as three other Serb policemen. "Dead right," said Sali Mustafa,
smiling seraphically. "Three Serb paramilitaries were killed yesterday because
they were going round and stealing from the houses, and we have an
agreement with Nato which says we can defend ourselves." Of course, the
Nato agreement does not condone the shooting of looters, but then what is
the Nato policy towards the KLA?
In his magnificently cursory press conference yesterday, Gen Sir Michael
Jackson mentioned the unfortunate "fatalities" of the past few days. There was
a Serb policeman killed by Nato, and three German journalists killed by the
Serbs. He didn't mention those who have died at the hands of the KLA. The
freedom fighters still seem to have a privileged position. "The KLA have given
a public undertaking to demilitarise. I will hold them to that, and I look to
them to behave with responsibility and restraint," said Gen Jackson.
"Demilitarise?" scoffed Mustafa; and one had the feeling that he has an
Adams-McGuinness view of handing over weapons to the British. Yesterday,
the KLA was swarming over the hills and into the towns. On the roads to
Pristina we found a grinning car-load of them, waving at a stalled column of
Americans. There was a tall, thyroidal-looking fellow with buck teeth and
some wizened old men. They laughed and clapped, and altogether they had
the air of farmers out for a day's ratting. But fear emanates from those AK47s
that they shook as we passed; fear that has driven thousand of Serbs to flee.
Just as we were at the KLA HQ a couple of British officers appeared,
coughing politely and wondering whether they could have a word with
commandant Mustafa, to discuss arrangements for the final Serb retreat
today. They were told to come back in 20 minutes, which seemed a little
ungracious from a band of guerrillas whom Britain and others have propelled
to power. The reality is that we have made allies and victors of people of
whom we know little. Sali Mustafa denied some of the propaganda, in
particular that they are Marxist desperadoes.
"That's a big lie about communism. I can speak for myself, and we are going
to have a free market and democracy." But he was determined to soldier on
until Kosovo achieves full independence, and Nato seems flummoxed. Do we
approve of them bearing arms against the remaining Serbs or not? "We're not
quite certain what the policy is ourselves," said Capt Andrew Reeds of the
Army press office; but no doubt Nato will shortly find a policy thrust upon it.
telegraph.co.uk
ps
Right-wingers again?
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