Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: John Lacelle who wrote (4165)	4/16/1999 9:48:00 PM
From: goldsnow	Respond to of 17770

Serbs 'emptying Kosovo' Three quarters of Kosovo Albanians are said to have fled The UN refugee agency fears there will soon be no ethnic Albanians left in Kosovo, accusing the Serbs of trying to expel the whole population from the province. Thousands more people poured out on Friday as the United States announced it had strong new evidence of mass killings and graves west of the regional capital, Pristina. Washington also confirmed that military reservists - possibly numbering more than 30,000 - were being mobilised to support the Nato campaign against Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia has rejected a United Nations proposal aimed at resolving the conflict over Kosovo, again ruling out the deployment of an international force. Meanwhile, confusion continues over the attacks on refugee convoys in Kosovo two days ago, after Nato's political leadership refused to allow a briefing paper prepared by the military commanders to be made public. Video evidence A video tape, said to be of victims of a massacre by Serb forces, was handed to the BBC by a Kosovo refugee. The tape showed images of six civilian men, including three members of the same family, who were said to have been killed by Serbs. Some 6,000 refugees crossed into Albania on Friday and eye-witnesses spoke of a 15 kilometre (10 mile) column heading to the border. Another 5,000 crossed into Macedonia, and 7,000 have arrived in Montenegro in the past 24 hours. (Click here for a map showing refugee movements) Some said the Serbs had shelled and shot at them as they left. US State Department spokesman James Rubin said there may be up to 50,000 more people backed up at the borders. He added there was a ''significant mass'' of graves and the US was working with the war crimes prosecutor to investigate, but he refused to elaborate further. According to the US, Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's forces have damaged or destroyed more than 400 villages and towns in Kosovo. BBC correspondent Michael Williams, who has been visiting Kosovo, says he saw many houses burning, while others bore the unmistakable signs of damage from artillery or mortar rounds. '75% of Kosovars in exile' Less than a quarter of the province's Albanians remained in Kosovo, according to Kris Janowski, spokesman of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). Refugees say entire towns are being emptied by Serb forces on the rampage. Tales of execution, torture and arson are common. "The expulsions which were put on hold or slowed down over the last two weeks have now resumed with full force,'' said Mr Janowski. Call-up considered As the exodus of refugees grew, the American Defence Secretary, William Cohen, confirmed that military reservists were being called up to join the Nato campaign. As many as 33,000 people could be involved in the operation, which US military officials say could last through the summer. Washington officials said most of the reservists would be used to back up plans for a huge increase in Nato air power. Nato gagged over convoy attack Nato has failed to clear up the confusion surrounding the strike on a convoy of Kosovo Albanian refugees bound for Albania two days ago. BBC Defence Correspondent Jonathan Marcus says Nato's military command had prepared a detailed briefing document but at the last moment, Nato's political authorities refused to allow this to be made public. The alliance has said one of its planes bombed one vehicle in a convoy. The Serbs said on Wednesday that more than 60 refugees had been killed in at least two attacks. Nato cast doubt on whether footage broadcast by Serb TV showed their attack or another incident, or incidents, elsewhere. The alliance said its aircraft had later attacked a second convoy, but had hit only military targets. Some refugees in a third convoy reported that Serb aircraft had attacked them. But Nato spokesman Jamie Shea said on Friday there was no new information, and a video of the attack would not be made public until Nato had finished its investigation. news.bbc.co.uk