March 31, 2004

ERP KiM Newsletter 31-03-04
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N.Telegraf: A mob of hooligans threw grenades on my soldiers

U.S. general Rick Erlandson, commander of Multinational Brigade East and Bondsteel, testifies for NT regarding the violence in the south of Kosovo and says: "A mob of hooligans threw grenades at my soldiers".

The attackers did not withdraw; on the contrary, their numbers only increased - to 3,000. The situation became critical. Flaming devices were thrown at KFOR vehicles, the last obstruction to the fleeing Serbs... That's how the situation remained until the arrival of U.S. helicopters, which began to drop tear gas on the gathered Albanians.

Albanian mob attacked KFOR and UNMIK police not only with stones but with grenades, machine-guns, even rocket-propelled grenades. The large groups of "protesters" were led and orchestrated by well armed terrorist groups which came from central Kosovo Albanian villages with a clear plan to push the peacekeepers from the Serbian villages and let them purge all Serbs out of Kosovo. The scene shows a real battle near Gracanica on March 17. Several Swedish soldiers were wounded. It was only when US troops appeared with a clear order to shoot back that Albanians withdrew towards Pristina. (Click to enlarge the photo)

Nedeljni Telegraf weekly, Belgrade
March 24, 2004

By M. Lopusina

"I was witness to how Kosovo and Metohija was transformed from a society based on law and order into a land of anarchy and violence. My Greek, Polish, Ukraine, Lithuanian, Armenian and U.S. soldiers understand that the violence resulted from a criminal group that wants to turn Kosovo into chaos. This minority tried to take the future of Kosovo and Metohija into its own hands and destroy it!" says U.S. general Rick Erlandson, the commander of Multinational Brigade East (and, of course, the U.S. base Bondsteel).

The Albanian terrorists, some 500 of them, threw bombs and bottles of benzene at KFOR tanks from Bondsteel in Urosevac on March 17. The attack continued even after the Greek commander, with the intent of dispersing the terrorists, ordered his soldiers to fire warning shots in the air.

The attackers did not withdraw; on the contrary, their numbers only increased - to 3,000. The situation became critical. Flaming devices were thrown at KFOR vehicles, the last obstruction to the fleeing Serbs... That's how the situation remained until the arrival of U.S. helicopters, which began to drop tear gas on the gathered Albanians.

In the clashes a soldier from the 525th Greek mechanized airborne battalion sustained second degree burns to the face and neck as he defended an observation post near the church of the Holy Emperor Uros in Urosevac, where the fleeing Serbs sought sanctuary. One U.S. soldier and 16 Greek soldiers were wounded by explosive devices thrown at them by the Albanians.

False witnesses

Also present during these tumultuous events was general Erlandson. Thanks to major Christopher Cole, the spokesman at Bondsteel, we managed to get the testimony of general Erlandson regarding the bloody events in the south of Kosovo. The general is convinced:

"Insane acts of violence, destruction of holy sites and attacks on innocent civilians have painted a picture that the world will not soon forget. I don't know their motives and I don't care about them. My concern is with the majority of the residents of Kosovo who know what it means to be in a civilized society, and my task is to oversee the rule of law. Multinational Brigade East is here to return control and for Kosovo to go forward."

Our collocutor says that Greek army major Kiriakos Kondogianis, a battalion commander, and U.S. intelligence lieutenant Milan D. George from Bondsteel have opened an investigation into what happened in Urosevac and crimes that were committed. When asked how much truth there was in the rumor launched in the meanwhile by the Albanians ("that the U.S. troops incited attacks by terrorists", general Erlandson says:

"I heard stories from the media that some of my soldiers incited these incidents. It's not true. These false witnesses forgot to say how my Greek and U.S. soldiers came under fire while they were guarding the church of St. Uros. How some 20 hand grenades were lobbed at them and how the soldiers were targeted by flaming bombs with the intent to wound or kill them. One of my soldiers was wounded when a grenade was thrown from a mob of hooligans. I filmed the incident on videotape and know exactly how events unfolded.

"The people who took part in those attacks will be brought to justice! I also believe that all leaders are responsible for such attacks, and here I am thinking primarily of the leadership of the Urosevac municipal assembly. Civil authorities are responsible for such incidents and their task is to maintain order and peace. Some of them have been very unsuccessful in doing so. This responsibility is something the leadership of Urosevac must not be allowed to forget.

Photo ERP KIM: Two KFOR soldiers watching Serbian houses burn in Caglavica near Pristina. Thousands of Kosovo Albanians from Pristina surged towards three small Serbian villages around Gracanica in order to burn and destroy all Serb property and expell the remaining Serbs. KFOR and UNMIK police tried to stop them but soon they themselves had to withdraw before the crowd. Several Serbian homes were burned. In the nearby Lipljan Albanians with the help of Kosovo Police Service expelled the Serbs and systematically burned Serbian homes. The entire action was pre-planned and well coordinated. (Click to enlarge the photo)

Following orders

When asked what he did concretely to stop the violence, he says:

"I introduced a curfew and restricted movement in the city because the right to free movement was abused. My soldiers will undertake new actions against the criminals who committed these crimes, regardless of their nationality. I want them to respect the orders of my soldiers! We want peace, and a few aggressors have ruined years of great progress in life in Kosovo. The international community is very upset by this.

General Erlandson concludes:

"Now people from Kosovo need to assume control and show the world that the true rule of law and respect for others are not just phrases, but a reality that must be lived." /sib

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