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| Department of State Spokesman
James P. Rubin Excerpt from the Daily Press Briefing Washington, DC, March 18, 1999 As released by the Office of the Spokesman U.S. Department of State |
. . . QUESTION: The status of the planning for evacuation in -MR. FOLEY: I have nothing to update since yesterday. As I said yesterday, we are looking closely at those plans. We want to be in a position to implement withdrawal of our personnel in Belgrade, of our personnel in Kosovo as necessary. I have nothing to announce in terms of implementation, but it's something that we will do as soon as we see the need.
QUESTION: Any plans for last minute shuttle diplomacy? I think there was a Reuters story about European diplomats expected to go to Belgrade this weekend.
MR. FOLEY: You may have seen Jamie Rubin spoke to that on television earlier. He said that we weren't ruling out any particular steps. There's nothing that I'm aware of. I think this will be a matter for the co-chairmen to decide. Certainly, we don't - let me put it this way, we are really at the crunch point now. We have a Serb no, so far, to the peace plan. We have Serb actions on the ground -- and I will describe them in further detail in a minute -- which constitute non-compliance with the October commitments. In other words, the Serbs, on the two triggers for the NATO decision, are out of compliance and the NATO decision is becoming more and more relevant, given that Serb behavior.
But in terms of what precisely happens next, it's up to the co-chairs, first of all, to decide that this round of negotiations has come to an end. I would anticipate that decision shortly; I don't know exactly when. It will be up to the co-chairs to decide if they wish to pursue a further diplomatic effort. Secretary Albright has been in touch with Foreign Minister Vedrine, Foreign Secretary Cook today. I wouldn't rule that out. But I think President Milosevic already knows where things stand, and we already know where things stand with him. Unless we see quickly a reversal on his part, then, as Mr. Rubin indicated earlier, really, the NATO Act-Ord being in effect will be - NATO will be the decision maker in the next instance.
But in terms of further diplomatic moves, we don't seek military action for the sake of military action. We would like to see President Milosevic reverse course. But again, we don't see signs that he's about to do so.
QUESTION: What is it that you're not ruling out?
MR. FOLEY: She asked if there were going to be any diplomatic efforts -
QUESTION: She used the word shuttling. Let's re-rack and try it this way. I didn't get her statement and I wasn't watching television, so I'm operating a little blind; I come to the State Department for these things. Secretary Albright yesterday had no plans. Is she beginning to have plans to do some traveling on behalf of a last diplomatic effort? Is that what you're not ruling out?
MR. FOLEY: No, I think the question was more generally whether anyone was planning diplomatic efforts because you and I have seen the same press reports that perhaps, some of our European friends may be considering trips to Belgrade or what not. I don't rule that out. They will decide themselves. We will be in touch with them.
But really, the critical factor here is not whether someone makes a visit to Belgrade or not, it's whether President Milosevic reverses course. We are seeing quite the opposite. He's digging in his heels; he's digging in his forces; he's refusing to negotiate. He's putting himself in a position where he will bear the consequences of his obstinacy.
Everyone knows that the NATO Act-Ord is in effect, that NATO is prepared to act. I think we have solidarity on the part of our allies. The conditions are clear. President Milosevic does not have much time to reverse course. Whether he needs to hear that message again in person or not is not a terribly important detail. If a visit produced a change of course, change of opinion on his part, that's a good thing. I don't think we would hold out exceptional hopes in that regard.
QUESTION: I think people know that NATO has been prepared to act for a long time; but the question has been, is NATO really serious about acting on the terms that NATO sets for itself? The fact that you're talking now about the possibility of an extension of time -
MR. FOLEY: I'm sorry, where did you - in any sense I talked about an extension of any kind?
QUESTION: To the extent that you raise the issue yourself about, well, maybe another visit.
MR. FOLEY: Let me, if I can, interject something. We had a very similar debate - maybe you and I or Mr. Rubin and other journalists in December. We were asked, because the United States had indicated in that situation, whether if Saddam did not cooperate with UNSCOM and once it was clear he had not cooperated, you were asking us a question involving military timing and you were questioning our credibility and willingness. You waited a few more days, and the result was Operation Desert Fox.
Then others raised questions of a different nature after that. That's the nature of journalism is that you ask tough, skeptical questions. We will do our business. We will not, through you, let President Milosevic know the timing of what may follow. That's a matter of national security, and I'm not in a position to talk about that. But for you to conclude that we are extending something or that we are delaying something is erroneous. We will act - we and our NATO allies - when it's the right moment, when it's in our interest to act.
QUESTION: I'm not really concluding anything. I'm trying to actually understand what message you're trying to send. I got the impression through some of the things that you were saying, including, well, if another mission has to go to Belgrade and we get a yes out of Milosevic, then that's great. I mean, you're leaving open yourself the possibility that there will be another mission to Belgrade, which of course would require more time to execute. So I'm just trying to understand how serious that possibility is. It sounds like there may be a difference of opinion between the United States and its European allies.
MR. FOLEY:I'm not suggesting that. I don't believe decisions have been made yet in that regard. We'll let the - whether the Europeans are planning another visit or not to Belgrade; I'm just saying I wouldn't rule it out. I'm not saying that I'm criticizing that in any way.
NATO is fully capable of acting at a moment of its own choosing. The signs are not good for President Milosevic. He is way out of compliance on the ground. He has refused to engage seriously, let alone sign the peace accords. The writing for him is on the wall, unless he completely reverses course.
As to when something might happen, what might happen before that action takes place are details; they're not fundamentally important.
QUESTION: Jim, one thing the Secretary did say on the Hill is that the Serbs are building up their security forces in and around Kosovo, and that alone would be a violation. Can you give us those figures?
MR. FOLEY: Serb, VJ and MUPP operations, apparently designed to root out the KLA, destroy villages and displace the Albanian population, continue. KLA units have been withdrawing from the Cicavica Mountains, north of Vucitrn, in the wake of the recent Serb offensive there.
A new offensive about five kilometers northwest of Prizren has also been reported. An estimated 200 MUPP and VJ tank and armored armed truck support are involved in this operation, which has produced an additional 1,500 internally displaced persons.
In a village northeast of Pec, three Kosovar Albanian brothers, who disappeared two days ago, were found. All, tragically, had been shot at close range, one with his throat slit, another handcuffed. In a village east of Orahovac, there was a large funeral for nine KLA fighters, killed on March 15.
According to KVM observers, the VJ is conducting last minute training drills and call up of reservists and regulars in apparent or possible preparation for possible NATO action. The KVN confirms four tanks are in position at Podujevo air field and six large concrete barriers have been pre-positioned along the roadway near Gnjilane. The barriers could be designed to cut off KVM departure routes or to deter entry of NATO forces.
I gave figures yesterday, Jim, on our estimates of the numbers of Serb, VJ and MUT forces either outside or in Kosovo. I'd refer you to those figures; I don't have them before me today. They were in the 18,000 to 21,000 range. But obviously, the situation on the ground is very alarming.
QUESTION: Can I just follow up? This air field, is that central to the evacuation planning?
MR. FOLEY: Which evacuation plan - of the KVM monitors?
QUESTION: The KVM.
MR. FOLEY: I'm not in a position to talk publicly about evacuation plans; that's a security matter.
QUESTION: And one more thing - the nine bodies found and the three others, do you now believe that the humanitarian catastrophe that some people have been talking about has already begun?
MR. FOLEY: Well, that's a judgment call. The situation is worsening there. The numbers of internally displaced persons are going up. I can give you some figures on that. We have increasing numbers of people being forced from their homes, mostly as a result of the VJ offensive in the Cicavica Mountains. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates over 80,000 people have been displaced since December 24. Now, that's an update; a few weeks ago I gave you a figure, I think, in the 50,000 neighborhood. So that continues to go up.
QUESTION: (Inaudible.)
MR. FOLEY: Since December 24 - 45,000 since the close of the first round of negotiations at Rambouillet on February 23. UNHCR and about 50 or so non-governmental organizations are still operating in Kosovo, continuing to do really heroic work in spite of obstacles. They've increased emergency convoys that go into the countryside in search of displaced persons. They've had their vehicles stopped; they've been searched; they've been stoned; they've had their access to displaced people blocked by Serbian police, VJ also, in one case, the KLA. So these are very difficult conditions, but they are still there on the ground looking for people who are displaced.
The fact is that most of these people are not facing the elements. The numbers of displaced people that we give you mean these are people who are not living in their homes. In most cases, they are able to - thanks to the work of these humanitarian workers - able to get shelter of some kind and food.
QUESTION: When you began your military description, you spoke of an offensive. By the time you ended it, you were describing steps - by your description - being taken to defend against the possibility of a NATO attack.
MR. FOLEY: Right.
QUESTION: Is this a mixture of things, or are they, plausibly enough, digging in, preparing to be bombed by NATO and wouldn't you expect a country about to bombed to take steps? Or are they moving independently against civilians, killing people, taking towns, rooting people from their homes? Is it a combination of these things?
MR. FOLEY: It's a combination. Of course, people are fleeing because of the heightened military activity, as well as the attacks on some villages. That is happening. They are also positioning themselves in such a way that one could infer that they are anticipating NATO military action. It's a combination.
Now I don't know if you're a mind reader, Barry, but the ability to read Mr. Milosevic's mind is a hazardous endeavor, and he may not know his mind either. I tried to make the point yesterday that he's making the gamble of a lifetime, gambling with the fate of his country, because he cannot predict what will happen if it comes to military action. On the other hand, if the Serbs reverse course and embrace the peace plan, he can count on a stable future and one that's better for the people of Kosovo and the people of his own country.
QUESTION: Just a quick one -- I didn't know, when you said offenses, if you meant they're on the move, or you literally meant offensive in military terms. Apparently, you mean they're on the move and you can't --
MR. FOLEY: They're on the move, but they have been undertaking military actions, though, against the KLA in Kosovo in recent weeks.
QUESTION: Also when you were describing, you talked about these barriers - some sort of barriers they're erecting that you said could be designed to hinder the withdrawal of KVM? What did you mean by that?
MR. FOLEY: Yes, well I can just repeat. I'd have to check further for you in terms of what's behind it. But four tanks are in a position; six large concrete barriers pre-positioned along the roadway that might be designed to cut off KVM departure routes or deter entry of NATO forces.
QUESTION: Is this along a road where the NATO forces would be coming in, or why -
MR. FOLEY: Well, I'm not able to specify where these roads are and what there purpose might be in the mind of military planners. I'm just pointing out to you that they're engaged in provocative activity.
QUESTION: So you're raising the possibility of the Serbs using the KVM as human shields?
MR. FOLEY: Well, you're saying that; I'm not suggesting that. Now that you raise the point, let's remember that President Milosevic made a commitment, first of all, to invite the KVM monitors into Kosovo; secondly, to guarantee their safety. We hold him responsible for living up to that commitment. Certainly, at a moment when the Serb authorities are saying they don't want a NATO force but they do want the OSCE monitors to play a role, it would be very ironic and self-defeating were there to be any threats or impediments to the KVM monitors.
QUESTION: Is there just one place where you see this happening?
MR. FOLEY: I'm only aware of that one instance.
QUESTION: And this offensive that you're talking about in such stark terms today, when exactly did this become - I mean, I realize there's been some talk about moving troops for weeks and some US officials were sort of discounting it as a real problem.
MR. FOLEY: I'm not sure they were discounting it. The fact is there was a build-up along the borders.
QUESTION: And when did it become a critical mass, though? I mean, it just seems that it's convenient that it all comes to a point at the same time.
MR. FOLEY: I don't know if it's convenient, but you're able to watch your television screens as we are. All of us have seen a significant up-tick in military action. We've seen villages burning in the last couple of days. It seems to me - and I don't have a studied answer for you, I'd have to check and see what our analysts see as a threshold day, if there was such one, when military activity increased. But anecdotally, it seems to have been in the last number of days that they've really stepped up the military action on the ground.
QUESTION: The last week, you would say?
MR. FOLEY: Anecdotally, in about the last week, I would say.
QUESTION: The visit by the Kosovar Albanians - the Rubin-Thaci show. Is that on for Saturday?
MR. FOLEY: I don't have the exact date. Ambassador Hill talked this morning with the Kosovar Albanian delegation about their visit. We have no announcement to make today about who's coming and when. Maybe we'll be in a position to do that tomorrow; I'll let you know. . . .
[End of Excerpt]
The full text of the 3/18 daily briefing is available on the press briefing page.
