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KDOM Daily Report Released by the Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs, Office of South Central European Affairs, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, November 26, 1998

Compiled by EUR/SCE (202-647-4850) from daily reports
of the U.S. element of the Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission

November 26, 1998

Kosovo was generally calm and quiet today although police called KDOM to the village of Rasic (SE of Pec) to investigate the alleged November 24 firing of four rifle propelled grenades at a house. One of the rounds apparently struck the house, three hit nearby. The owner of the house has two markets in Rasic which were fired upon the same night. Residents and police speculated that the acts may have related to retaliation of some sort and did not believe the KLA to be involved.

KDOM again accompanied police patrols on the Orahovac-Malisevo-Opterusa-Dulje routes. Police said they were fired upon twice in the area . The KLA is insisting it will continue to appear on asphalt roads in uniform. Police, whose frustration level is growing, say they will arrest any KLA they find armed or uniformed. KDOM is, once again, urging local KLA commanders to lower their profile.

NATO defense attaches visited three Serb air defense weaponry cantonments (Urosevac, Prizren, and Djakovica) on November 24 and report all three to be in compliance with the agreements.

KDOM met with KLA representatives in central Kosovo today in pursuit of the release of both Serbs and ethnic Albanians being held by the KLA. KDOM anticipates positive results to these talks soon.

KDOM continued its work with power authorities in restoration of electricity to several areas.

KLA leaders in central Kosovo expressed to KDOM their concerns that security forces are gearing up for assaults on KLA positions soon. The reports, they say, are that the Serbs hope to provoke KLA action so that they (the Serbs) could hit back. The KLA commanders say they have instructed their troops to avoid being provoked.

The mayor of Orahovac told KDOM that daily peaceful marches will be held through December 1 to protest the lack of resolution to the problem of missing Serbs. The mayor noted that the demonstrations will be done by children and relatives of the missing and urged international organizations to assist in finding the missing. KDOM has worked actively in pursuit of this end.

KDOM met with the Chief Judge in Orahovac Regional Court and learned that normally five of the seven judges on his court are ethnic Albanians. All five have now left, however, leaving no Albanian representation. He told KDOM that Belgrade has advertised for more qualified Albanains but has had not takers. The judge also told KDOM that most of the 200 Croatian refugees formerly in Orahovac have now either returned to Croatia or gone to Serbia.

KDOM has 182 American personnel today.

[End of Document]

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