Posted on 11/23/2005 2:50:46 AM PST by Nennsy
(CNSNews.com) - Rebel forces in Kosovo have threatened to carry out an organized "military operation" against the capital city of Pristina by Wednesday night. Calling NATO and United Nations forces "modern occupiers," the Kosovo Independence Army (KIA) said it was lodging the threat because the Kosovo Assembly has not declared independence.
The threat, carried by local media, follows increasing violence against international forces in Kosovo and may lead to an alliance between armed rebel groups and jihadist forces, according to a former security chief from the region.
Rebels have blown up several vehicles belonging to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Kosovo Protection Service (KPS), leading UNMIK to warn employees to check their vehicles for bombs before starting the engines. (Click here to view UNMIK internal memo on vehicle tracking.)
Prior to the bombing of vehicles, graffiti across Kosovo warned "UNMIK get out!" Last month U.N. vehicles were defaced to read "FUND," which is Albanian for "The End." Internal U.N. emails obtained by Cybercast News Service described the development as "extremely serious." (Click here and here to view photos of defaced vehicles)
Cybercast News Service has learned that NATO's Kosovo Force has an emergency plan called "Operation Safe Haven" in place to evacuate internationals. The news organization has also obtained the first communique issued by the Kosovo Independence Army (KIA). It was signed on Oct. 5 and delivered by children to UNMIK police headquarters in Pristina, according to local and U.N. sources. (Click here to view communique)
The KIA promised to apply the "rules of war" and execute parliamentarians who failed to declare independence by Oct. 15. "Kosovar quislings" (collaborators) would be executed as well, the KIA stated. "They don't deserve one bullet in their forehead but seven."
On Friday the KIA ordered UNMIK, which it labeled the "modern occupier," to release all "war hostages" taken since 2000 or UNMIK officers and those who apply U.N. laws and regulations would "suffer."
"[F]or six years you betrayed us," the communique read.
International judges, prosecutors and investigators have also been ordered to "retreat" from Kosovo.
The existence of the KIA was at first denied by UNMIK and the Kosovo Force (KFOR), but later confirmed by UNMIK Police Commissioner Kai Vittrup. KFOR is a NATO-led international force responsible for establishing and maintaining security in Kosovo.
While the KIA is considered a new rebel group, it is made up of former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, said Thomas Gambill, a former security chief for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in the eastern region of Kosovo. OSCE is a regional security group made up of members from 55 countries and operating under the authority of the United Nations. "All rebel groups are offshoots of the KLA. It's just the KLA renamed," Gambill said.
The threatened destabilization of Kosovo comes at a sensitive time, as the United Nations is making preparations for final status talks on the troubled Serbian province.
Gambill believes that Albanian frustration over the independence issue could lead armed rebels to forge an alliance with al Qaeda. Both groups want the international presence out of Kosovo and al Qaeda has a history of attempting to destabilize the Balkans region where it wants to gain influence.
Al Qaeda activity in neighboring Albania has been a primary concern to Gambill since 2000, given the porous borders and intelligence indicating that terrorist training camps were operating in the country. Two months ago, Abdul Latif Saleh, an alleged associate of Osama bin Laden and a resident of Albania, was listed by the United Nations as a terrorism financier. Bin Laden gave Saleh $600,000 to create extremist groups in Albania in order to destabilize the country, according to the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Cybercast News Service, meanwhile, has learned that a bomb which exploded in a downtown market in the town of Strpce last Thursday was a time-triggered IED (improvised explosive device) planted beneath the truck owned by a Kosovo Albanian from Kacanik. The man had gone to the market to sell goods and was injured by the blast. According to Gambill the man was warned recently by members of the KIA to stop doing business with Serbs. No one has declared responsibility for the attack.
"The people are frustrated and scared. Tensions are high." said Gambill who maintains sensitive contacts with officials and Serbian and Albanian locals.
The threats are played down, Gambill said, because "it does not suit the internationals to have a serious crisis such as this at the time when they are sending out reports on how much improvement has been made in Kosovo."
"The time for the KIA-KLA to join with al Qaeda seems to be close at hand," said Gambill. "The Albanian and American love affair will be put to the test."
You just don't mind others who do.
Getoffmylawn is respected by many here and even by a Croat poster (Diocletian) who fought against Serbs. You aren't of his league (in the Balkan forums).
I couldn't give less of a damn about your high school clique.
See you proved my point, you haven't come up with anything that would pass for intelligent. You really don't know anything about the Balkans, it's your previous moronic statement that got you into this Sparky.
And what makes you special Sparky?
Did you mind when people called for extermination of Serbs - actually not because you said for yourself said you don't care whether Serbs and Albanians wipe each other out. You are a big hypocrite.
You ever go on any Muslim forums and defend Christians? Have you ever complained about what Muslims are doing? Likely not.
The Balkan Muslims are coddled and their murderers, thugs, and terrorists are allowed to roam free, threaten and kill Serbs and destroy monasteries. They are heavily supported financially, diplomatically, by the media, and so on by the U.S. and other European countries.
Geek?? :))) lolol....I'm just about as far from being a geek as one can get. It just so happens that the Geeks don't have the balls to speak out. Besides, we're just getting warmed up, next year the heat will be turned up. :)) Time to make more waves as to our ill conceived invasion of the Balkans. Frank Wisner, JR, Envoy, is simply trying to finish what his Daddy started in Operation Fiend, failed CIA operation in 1948 time frame.
http://www.serbianunity.net/sucinfo/conventions/fifteenth/galleries/1/web/index4.html
Oh by the way, I was right in all cases about the alliances and anticipated riots that were to follow.....
Why wouldn't Albania make a wonderful reservation for the Albanians? They are after all a feral, tribal people, something like Europe's answer to the Chiricahua Apaches. As an important link to neolithic times,they need to be preserved and protected. Interpol, atleast, would breathe a sigh of relief.
BTW, isn't Albania part of The Greater Albania?
It's tough to be right, sometimes. Ping-a-thanks.
I wish I wasn't on this one........
Great Threat To UNMIK
Belgrade, 30 Nov 06 (Glas Javnosti) – Following the violent entrance of Albin Kurti’s “Self-determination” into the UNMIK complex in Prishtina, UNMIK police is undertaking a thorough investigation not only to arrest the perpetrators, but to establish if this attack is somehow connected with the recent great threats directed against the international mission personnel and property, said Tomas Lee, spokesperson of UNMIK police, who added that operative and safety information structures have not yet confirmed that the two are connected.
According to him, first threats were received a couple of days ago. This prompted the international police to elevate the security level. At the same time they were obligated to do their job and “provide freedom of movement of both citizens and protesters”.
“It is good that no one was injured”, said Lee and added that police is “constantly making new plans and adjusting security levels in accordance with the ever-changing situations”.
Lee emphasized that except for this “one incident” security situation two days ago was peaceful. He also said that the media was wrong when reporting that 5,000 people participated in these protests and added there were 2,000 participants. Lee refused to speculate whether the attacks will repeat and said that the ongoing investigation will quickly result in arrests.
Local media = 5000, UNMIK = 5000, Lee = 2000
opps, now UNMIK = 4000 according to local information....in a week they will probably be saying 20.....
They are heading to Southern Serbia, Spliting Macedonia soon, Sandjak, and Volvodina....as follow up.....our guys, my guess will instigate or provoke an incident with serbia.....or involving Serbia....
"They are after all a feral, tribal people, something like Europe's answer to the Chiricahua Apaches."
Reminds me of a remark made to me in the maternal Greek village of one of my best friends. I asked the priest how many people lived in the village. He replied, "28 people and 2 Albanians."
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