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

To: Mike M2 who wrote (4397)	4/18/1999 7:28:00 PM
From: George Papadopoulos	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

If all this is true from Stratfor's source in Yugoslavia...it sure paints a totally different picture of the air bombing so far! A Yugoslavian View of Current Air War Situation 18 Apr 99 - 2105 GMT A source in Yugoslavia has provided Stratfor with detailed claims asserting that Yugoslavian Air Defenses and Air Forces have not been damaged nearly as much as NATO claims. In particular, they are claiming that NATO has failed to seriously damage the main Slatina airbase. According to this source, the YAF maintains its aircraft there in underground bunkers designed to absorb nuclear strikes. Thus, while the runway is heavily cratered, aircraft remain safe and the YAF has procedures available capable of repairing the runways in under an hour, once the decision is made to do so. The same is said to be true at Batanjaca air base. Indeed, Batanjaca is said to be even more secure since it was originally created to house Yugoslavian leaders in the event of nuclear war. Thus, both major airfields remain fully operation should the YAF choose to go active. The source says that NATO battle damage assessment is mistaking apparent damage for real damage. For example, while six Mig-29s have been lost, most of the aircraft destroyed on the ground have been Mig-21s or decoys. Other aircraft, such as the Orao (Eagle) have been used to intercept cruise missiles with great success. The source pointed out that the Orao does not have on board radar and that it has to be directed to the target by ground control radar. This proves, according to him, that the air defense radar system continues to operate as and when the Yugoslavs choose to activate it. NATO SEAD efforts have failed in part because the Yugoslavs are using older radar installations as decoys, dissipating NATO efforts. It was not explained why NATO SEAD aircraft could not discriminate between the signatures of different Yugoslav systems but was merely asserted that Yugoslavia could and has spoofed NATO SEAD efforts. It follows, therefore, that Yugoslavian air defense radars are not only operational, but are also able to operate in spite of NATO SEAD operations. According to the source, Yugoslavia fully expected the loss of its fixed radar installations and has been depending, as planned, on the use of mobile ground stations that carry out a mission, are shut down and redeployed. Outmoded and unnecessary equipment being used to confuse NATO into wasting resources on non-functional radar sites while NATO's attacks on airfields destroy obsolete aircraft and decoys without seriously damaging operational capabilities. All communication systems, including digital, are fully operational. Some fixed communications facilities are down but this was planned for and other systems are available. There is sufficient fuel for about two years of combat and morale is claimed to be high. The source is also claiming that 30-40 NATO aircraft have been destroyed. Finally, the source is claiming that the F-117 was not destroyed by SA-3s, SA-6s or AAA, but by a unique system developed in Yugoslavia on which even the Russians have not been briefed. The source has also provided us with the Yugoslav view of NATO air tactics. According to the source, NATO aircraft will approach Yugoslavia's borders in large numbers and orbit just outside Yugoslavian air space, until they suddenly and simultaneously begin their bombing run. This means that NATO does not have continual air supremacy over Yugoslavia and does not maintain constant air patrols. YAF is able to mount its own air operations while NATO is not active over Yugoslavia. For example, on the day of the massacre of Albanian refugees by aircraft, we are told that YAF did have 12 aircraft in the air north of Pristina. Obviously, the source is insisting that none participated in the strafing of refugees and none were near by. Stratfor has not been able to verify these claims, but then we are not always able to verify NATO and other Western claims either, but do report them. This is the view of the situation from the Yugoslav side and should be read as such.

To: Mike M2 who wrote (4397)	4/18/1999 7:33:00 PM
From: RavenCrazy	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Need information re refugee aid: We are just a group of individuals trying to find ways to aid the refugees. We are sending a person over there in the next couple of weeks (hopefully) carrying supplies being gathered by a church. But we are operating from the start square and need to make some basic decisions. Anyone who can help me with the following is nominated for knighthood: 1. Who needs help more, Macedonia camps or Albanian camps? 2. Are regular flights arriving in Tirana and Skopje? 3. Are there items (lightweight, non-bulky) that we might overlook? 4. What is the procedure for the church sponsoring this to make contact with a camp? Our volunteer will be planning to assist in construction. Within the next 24 hours we'll probably have made a lot of progress, but we can use all the info available. When everything is confirmed, I'll even post the address of the church in case anyone here wants to contribute - even $5. Thanks for any help - Raven