In search for the truth on the tragedy in my country

21 April (1:34 a.m.)

Dear Sabrina,

In my search for the truth on the tragedy of my country I just came across
a
very interesting article on the Rambouillet peace accords... I think it is
worth reading through as it covers most of the relevant points that seem to
have been slickly covered up by the majors: CNN, BBC, SKY and the like.
Please, give it to your friends and anyone you think would appreciate
reading it.  Best regards to you and your family and a million thanks for
lending a sympathetic ear --- :))

Djordje

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Houston Chronicle - Outlook

 Sunday, March 28th, 1999

 SERBS HAD LITTLE CHOICE / Kosovo peace accord not what we think

 By DR. RONALD L . HATCHETT

 THE primary justification for our military strikes against Yugoslavia
 is its refusal to sign the Kosovo peace agreement put forward by
 the United States. and its allies at Rambouillet, France. The
 president told us that the Albanians chosepeace by signing
 the agreement even though "they did not get everything they
 wanted." The Serbs, he said, refused to negotiate, even though the
 agreement
 left Kosovo as part of Yugoslavia. However, as in several
 other instances over the past months, the president is telling us
 only part of  the story. Most Americans assume that the deal we
 put together at Rambouillet was evenhanded, offering advantage
 to neither side, but including the core concerns of both Albanians
 and Serbs alike. But few of us have taken the time to look at the
 actual agreement the president is condemning the Serbs for not
 signing. I urge you to do so.

 The agreement is available in its entirety on the Internet
 (www.transnational.org), or in a U.S. State Department summary
 (www.usia.gov).

 Take a look at it and you will see that the "peace plan" actually
 gives the Albanians precisely what they want: de facto
 independence now, with guaranteed de jure independence
 in three years. For the Serbs, signing the Rambouillet agreement
 would actually be signing away all Serbian sovereignty over
 Kosovo immediately.

 Under the agreement, "Kosovo will have a president, prime
 minister and government, an assembly, its own Supreme
 Court, constitutional court and other courts and prosecutors."

 "Kosovo will have the authority to make laws not subject to
 revision by Serbia or the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
 including levying taxes, instituting programs of economic,
 scientific, technological, regional and social development,
 conducting foreign relations within its area of
 responsibility in the same manner as a Republic."

 "Yugoslav army forces will withdraw completely from Kosovo,
 except for a limited border guard force (active only within a
 5 kilometers border zone)."

 "Serb security forces "police" will withdraw completely from
 Kosovo except for a limited number of border police (active
 only within a 5 kilometers border zone)." The parties invite
 NATO to deploy a military force (KFOR), which will be
 authorized to use necessary force to ensure compliance
 with the accords."

 "The international community will play a role in ensuring
 that these provisions are carried out through a Civilian
 Implementation Mission  "appointed by NATO".

 "The Chief of the CIM has the authority to issue binding
 directives to the Parties on all important matters he sees fit,
 including appointing and removing officials and curtailing
 institutions."

 "Three years after the implementation of the Accords, an
 international meeting will be convened to determine a
 mechanism for a final settlement for Kosovo on the basis of
 the will of the people."

 For the Kosovo Albanians, the Rambouillet agreement gives
 them total control over the province immediately. The only
 sacrifice required of them is to wait three years before the
 arrangements are made legally permanent. For the Serbs,
 the Rambouillet agreement means that immediately upon
 signing they lose all sovereignty over Kosovo. Total political
 control would be in the hands of the Albanians and the NATO
 Civilian Implementation Mission. Yugoslav laws would no
 longer apply in Kosovo. Neither would Yugoslavia be able to
 exercise police powers in Kosovo. After three years, these
 arrangements would be made permanent by the "will of the
 people" - not the people of the whole country of Yugoslavia of
 which Kosovo is supposedly a part, but only by the will of
 the people of Kosovo, who are mainly Albanians.

 The Yugoslavian delegation at Rambouillet agreed to give
 the Albanians autonomy in Kosovo - control over their
 day-to-day lives including religious, education and health
 care systems, and local government operations. But they
 tried to negotiate changes to preserve the right of  the
 Yugoslav federal government to determine economic and
 foreign policy,  for Yugoslav national law to continue to
 apply in Kosovo, and for any international presence in
 Kosovo to be limited to observation and advice,
 not control.

 The Serbian negotiating efforts were summarily dismissed
 and the Serbs were told they had only two choices: sign
 the agreement as written or face NATO bombing.

 What would you have done if you were on the Serb delegation?

[*This article is presented without the permission of the copyright Holder
under the "fair-use doctrine" for scholarly debate and criticism.]