Replies

~"There are indicators that genocide is unfolding in Kosovo,'' said the State Department spokesman, James P. Rubin ... He added, ''Let me say that the abhorrent and criminal actions, I mean on a massive scale, are occurring in Kosovo."~ CRISIS IN THE BALKANS- THE OVERVIEW; NATO HUNTING FOR SERB FORCES; U.S. REPORTS SIGNS OF 'GENOCIDE' - New York Times

~Accusing Serbia of "ethnic cleansing" in Kosovo similar to the genocide of Jews in World War II, an impassioned President Clinton sought Tuesday to rally public support for his decision to send U.S. forces into combat against Yugoslavia~ CNN - Clinton- Serbs must be stopped now - March 23, 1999

Yahoo!, the Boston Globe (an affiliate of the NY Times) and the LA Times also reported the 500,000 number. Here is the wording from Yahoo! reported the same day as the NY Times:

~U.S. officials said in Washington that at least 100,000 and possibly as many as 500,000 Kosovo Albanian men were unaccounted for, raising fears they might have been killed by Serb forces.~

Here is the LA Times wording:

~The State Department said that at least 100,000 and possibly as many as 500,000 Kosovo Albanian men are unaccounted for, raising fears that they may have been killed by Serbian forces.~

Taken together it's hard to believe they all ended up with the same typos or misunderstandings.