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

To: Neocon who wrote (7402)	5/8/1999 1:12:00 AM
From: JBL	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Blair: I won't deal with Milosevic London Evening Standard Saturday, 8 May 1999 by Robert Fox in Brussels and Peter Almond Evening Standard Tony Blair today underlined his determination to see Slobodan Milosevic removed from power and charged with war crimes. The Prime Minister's pledge to intensify the air campaign against Yugoslavia came just one day after US-led moves to broker a peace deal by binding Russia into new diplomatic initiatives. The Prime Minister's pledge to intensify the air campaign against Yugoslavia came just one day after US-led moves to broker a peace deal by binding Russia into new diplomatic initiatives. Mr Blair said he could not "see a future" for Serbia under Milosevic, and added that he would not "sit down and deal" with him. In an interview with US-based CNN, Mr Blair denied that removing Milosevic had been added to Nato's war aims, but made it clear he expected him to face serious war crimes charges at the international tribunal in The Hague. The Prime Minister also sent what Downing Street characterised as a clear "troops out" warning to Milosevic. Asked whether the Serbs would have to remove all forces from Kosovo, he replied simply "yes". However, at the same time, junior defence minister John Spellar appeared to reveal details of Nato's negotiating position over Serb forces. Mr Spellar told a Ministry of Defence briefing: "There has been the question of whether a token force could remain to deal with questions of sovereignty. The discussions have included a token element of Serb forces." Downing Street denied there was a contradiction in Mr Blair's and Mr Spellar's words and emphasised Mr Spellar had been talking about "discus-sions". Senior sources also made clear that Nato had always envisaged some Serbian military or paramilitary element could remain in Kosovo at the end of hostilities. This could be in the form of police carrying side-arms to "protect" the remaining Serb civilian population or some sort of military "liaison" unit charged with, for example, pointing out landmines. Mr Blair's comments came the day after President Bill Clinton called yesterday's outline peace deal formulated by the G7 group of leading industrialised nations and Russia a "significant step forward". Mr Blair, now seen as the most hardline Western leader over Kosovo, denied he was being "sold down the river" by Mr Clinton. He said: "I'm not sitting down and dealing with Milosevic. I believe the evidence that's being provided to the International War Crimes Tribunal will be pretty serious evidence. "I have no doubt when we go into Kosovo we will find the most appalling things have been done." Downing Street later amplified Mr Blair's comments about the Yugoslavian president. A spokesman said: "It is not a military objective to march on Belgrade and topple Milosevic." But he added: "If Serbia is to reclaim its place in the European family of nations, which we all want to happen, it is difficult to see how that can happen while Milosevic is in power. Mr Spellar, meanwhile, said there would be a communiqué from the allied nations which called for: • an immediate, verifiable end of violence and repression in Kosovo • withdrawel of military, police and paramilitary forces • deployment of civil and security forces endorsed and adopted by UN • establishment of an interim administration to ensure peace and a normal life for Kosovo's inhabitants • the safe return of all refugees and displaced persons • the setting-up of a political process to provide self-government for Kosovo. The communiqué also calls for the demilitarisation of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Mr Spellar said.