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September 01, 2005
ERP KiM Newsletter 01-09-05
It is the third time since the mission was launched that Italy has taken command of KFOR, which is proof of the crucial role played by Italy in providing aid and stability in the Balkans. NATO, the UN and the international community in general have repeatedly expressed their satisfaction with Italy's efforts in war or poverty-ridden areas. Italy is at the helm of several other international missions, many of which were launched this year. In the Balkans, Italy is in charge of the "Nato headquarters" in Tirana and will begin an EU mission called "ALTHEA" in Bosnia in September. 
KFOR Main base in Pristina
(larger format) http://www.kosovo.net/images/kformain_v.jpg
AGENZIA GIORNALISTICA ITALIA (AGI) (AGI) - Rome, Aug 31 - Tomorrow, Defence Minister Antonio Martino and Italian Chief of Staff Giampaolo Di Paola will attend a ceremony in Pristina, Kosovo, celebrating the trnasition of command of NATO's Kfor from France to Italy. Also attending the ceremony will be various Italian and Kosovo political authorities along with France's former Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, the UN's Special Representative in Kosovo and Chief of the UNMIK mission, Søren Jessen-Petersen, SACEUR Gen. James L. Jones, and Allied JFC Naples Commander Amm. Harry G. Ulrich III. On the sidelines of the ceremony, Mr. Martino will have a bilateral meeting with Mr. Alliot-Marie and an informal talk with Gen. Jones. It is the third time since the mission was launched that Italy has taken command of KFOR, which is proof of the crucial role played by Italy in providing aid and stability in the Balkans. NATO, the UN and the international community in general have repeatedly expressed their satisfaction with Italy's efforts in war or poverty-ridden areas. Italy is at the helm of several other international missions, many of which were launched this year. In the Balkans, Italy is in charge of the "Nato headquarters" in Tirana and will begin an EU mission called "ALTHEA" in Bosnia in September. In Afghanistan, Italy took charge of ISAF last August and coordinated several ISAF activities in the North-Eastern part of the country in June, including an FSB.
Biography of Major General Giuseppe VALOTTO (Italian Army)
Major General Giuseppe Valotto was born in 1946 in Venice (Italy). He attended the Italian Military Academy in Modena and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Cavalry in 1968. Following two years of specialisation training in Turin, he was assigned as a First Lieutenant to the 132nd "Ariete" Tank Regiment and later commanded a tank company in the 13th "M.O. Pascucci" Tank Battalion of the 182nd "Garibaldi" Armoured Regiment. Before and after company command, he served at the Military Academy as a Cadet Platoon Commander, later Company Commander, Teacher and Staff Officer in the Office of Doctrine and Research. Following the Basic and Advanced Courses of the Italian Army General Staff College (1980-81; 1984-85), he served with the Italian Army General Staff - G1 Division (1985-1987). Other staff assignments include ACOS G1 and ACOS G3 (1989-1992) of III Italian Corps in Milan and Chief of the General Staff Office of the General Secretary in the Ministry of Defence (1993-1997). Major General Valotto's command experience includes Commander of the 20th Tank Battalion "M.O. Pentimalli" in Legnano (1987-1989), Commander of the Turin Military District (1991-1992), Commander of the 132nd "Ariete" Armoured Brigade (1997-1999) during which he was assumed Command of the Multinational Brigade North in Sarajevo (October 1998-April 1999), and Commander of the Italian Military Academy (1999-2001). He assumed the position of Deputy Commander, Allied Rapid Reaction Corpson 31 July 2001. Major General Valotto's decorations include the Gold and Silver Cross for Long Service, the "Mauriziana" Medal, Officer of the Italian Republic Military Order, Bronze Medal for Long period of Command, the Commemoration Medal for the Assistance provided after the Friuli Earthquake (1976), the Italian Army Bronze Medal for Valor, the Gold Medal of the French National Defence for the Operations in Bosnia, the NATO Medal for Operations in the Former Yugoslavia, and the Commemorative Cross for Peace Missions Abroad.
On the current year he was conferred with the title of "COMMENDATORE" by the President of Italian Republic He holds a University Degree in Strategic Sciences.
Chief of Serb-Montenegrin Army to Attend KFOR Transfer Of Command Belgrade, 31 Aug (Tanjug) On Thursday, Serbia and Montenegro military delegation headed by general Dragan Paskash, will attend the transfer of authority ceremony of the KFOR commander in Prishtina, announced the headquarters of Serbia and Montenegro military on Wednesday. It also points out that current KFOR commander, French General Iv De Kermabon, will be replaced by Italian General Giuseppe Valoto.
NATO to reshuffle troops in Kosovo RELIEF WEB (SWITZERLAND)
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Date: 31 Aug 2005 BRUSSELS, Aug 31 (AFP) - NATO is to begin a major reshuffle of its KFOR peacekeeping force in Kosovo in October, an official at the transatlantic military alliance said on Wednesday. "KFOR will transition to a structure based on task forces instead of brigades to improve and facilitate command and control," the official said, on condition of anonymity. "In addition, operational tactics and techniques will be modified to ensure a closer interaction with the population of Kosovo," the official said. "There will be an additional headquarters in the southwest of Kosovo, which is going to facilitate command and control." The official said the transition, expected to take about a year, was being made to improve KFOR effectiveness in the Serbian province and underlined that the capabilities of the peacekeeping force would not be harmed. Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since a NATO-led bombing campaign ousted Serb troops from the mainly ethnic Albanian province in 1999 to end fighting between Serbian forces and separatist rebels. KFOR comprises some 18,000 troops.
French Defence Minister visits Kosovo Agence France Presse
Received Wednesday, 31 August 2005 19:19:00 GMT PRISTINA, Serbia-Montenegro, Aug 31 (AFP) - French Defence Minister Michele Alliot-Marie arrived in Kosovo on Wednesday for a two-day visit, ahead of a change of command at the top of the NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR. "Minister Alliot-Marie will take part at the KFOR change of command ceremony on Thursday at the KFOR headquarters in Pristina between (French) Lieutenant General Yves de Kermabon and (Italian) Lieutenant General Giuseppe Valotto," KFOR spokesman Charles de Kersabiec told AFP. The ceremony, chaired by Admiral Harry Ulrich, commander of Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, is due to be attended by many international and Kosovo political and military officials. Alliot-Marie's visit and presence at the KFOR change of command ceremony are considered to reflect recognition of de Kermabons contribution to carrying out the NATO mandate in Kosovo. The UN and NATO have controlled Kosovo since June 1999 following NATO's air war against Yugoslavia that forced then president Slobodan Milosevic to withdraw his troops from the Albanian-dominated province. Many of Kosovo's problems are still centered on ethnic tensions. Some 4,000 Serbs have left the province following March 2004 riots even though they were supposed to be protected in their enclaves by NATO troops, at the time completely overwhelmed by organized mob violence.
Nothing New In Murder Investigation Pristina, 31 Aug (B92) - UNMIK officials say that there are no new details regarding the murder case of the two Serb youths who were slain in Kosovo this weekend. At a press conference today held in Pristina, UNMIK officials confirmed that the Serbian men were driving in a car with PR license plates, which only Serbs in the region use, but did not want to say whether this proves that the murders were ethnically motivated, since the police still have no information on the shooters. Asked whether the police saw the video footage of the crime scenes which shows investigators on the scene forgetting to pick up material evidence, and whether he thinks that the Commissar of the UN police force Kai Vittrup will be making an apology for that, UNMIK official Neeraj Sing said, I can not tell you whether or not Mr. Vittrup saw the footage or not. He has, as he has promised to do, asked all officials to try and get him a copy of the tape and I will once again point you to his office, where you will be able to get information about the footage and his thoughts on it as well. Sing said. Sing also said that Kosovo governor Sřren Jessen Petersen was not in attendance at the funeral services of those two Serb men because the families of the victims did not wish to see anyone from the UNMIK organization at the services.
Improved Health Condition Of Nikola Dukic
Belgrade, 31 Aug (Tanjug) On Wednesday, Dr. Veljko Todorovic, the head of recovery sector of Military Medical Academy, stated the health condition of Nikola Dukic is improving and he started recovering from the serious injuries he sustained in the terrorist attack in Strpce.
He also stated Dukics vital functions are stabilizing and that his intensive recovery process continues. Even tough his spleen was taken out in the medical center in Prishtina, Dukic will be able to continue having a relatively normal life, said Todorovic.
Draskovic sends letter to Security Council regarding attack against Serbs
BELGRADE, Aug. 31, 2005 (BETA) - The foreign minister of Serbia-Montenegro, Vuk Draskovic, requested in a letter to the chairman of the U.N. Security Council that the international community condemns the murder of two Serbs near Strpce and "extremist tactics," and provides a safe life for the non-Albanian population.
Draskovic sent a letter on Aug. 30 to the chairman of the Security Council, ambassador Kenzo Oshima, regarding the attack of unknown gunmen on four young Serbs, of whom two were killed and two wounded, the Foreign Ministry of Serbia-Montenegro stated.
"This terrorist attacks is another tragic proof of the unstable security situation, where the right to life and other human rights, including the right to free movement, are denied primarily to the Serbs and other minority communities in Kosovo and Metohija," Vuk Draskovic wrote in the letter to the Security Council.
Minister Petkovic to Boycott UNMIK And KFOR
Prishtina, 31 Aug (Vecernje Novosti) Political Party of Slavisa Petkovic, minister in the Kosovo government, made an official announcement informing the general public it will ask citizens of the province stop all kind of cooperation with UNMIK and KFOR if the murderers of the Serbian youths are not found within 30 days. The announcement also states that if this does not happen they should terminate any further obedience for the UN mission because since the arrival of this mission many other crimes have not been cleared up as well.
Strpce Crisis Committee Demands Explanation Strpce, 31 Aug (Vecernje Novosti, Belgrade) Strpce crises committee announced it has prepared an open letter to UNMIK chief Sřren Jessen Petersen, in which it demands that he and representative of the Kosovo interim institution come to this municipality and explain to the remaining Serbs (around 10,000), the logic of their recent statements. They want him to explain how he tells the international community that the situation in Kosovo is improving, while crimes such as the one which happened a couple of days ago are still part of reality. Letter with similar contents were sent to the UN General Secretary Kofi Annan, his special envoy Kai Eide, and many other dignitaries.
Exhumations at Serbian Orthodox cemetery in Pristina SRNA, News Agency
August 31, 2005 Pristina, August 31 (SRNA) - Court pathologists from the Serbia-Montenegro Commission for Missing and Kidnapped Persons and UNMIK forensics experts will continue exhumations today of unidentified bodies buried after the arrival of the UN mission in Kosovo at the Orthodox cemetery in Pristina. Commission president Slavisa Dobricanin said that 25 bodies have been exhumed during the past two weeks. Dobricanin said that the exhumations are expected to last several more days because it is expected that there about 10 bodies left to be exhumed. He emphasized that among those buried at this location there is a significant number of persons who died in the Old Peoples' Home in Pristina and were subsequently buried together with the unidentified "John Does".
Ahtisaari to be Annan's envoy for final status, Koha Ditore reports
PRISTINA, Aug. 31, 2005 (BETA) - The former president of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari, has great chance for being appointed special envoy of the U.N. secretary general for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija, the Pristina daily Koha Ditore reported on Aug. 31.
The paper said that Ahtisaari who, together with the representative of Russia, Viktor Chernomyrdin, was the chief negotiator for the ending of the war in the former FR Yugoslavia in 1999, had support for this important appointment from all relevant factors, including the Contact Group for Kosovo.
Koha Ditore claims that it was only a matter of time before U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan formally appoints Ahtisaari as special envoy.
The job of the envoy who will have three deputies, according to announcements, will be to propose a solution for the political status of Kosovo, which will later be voted on by the Security Council.
OPERATION GOOD SAMARITAN (Held August 08, 2005)
One day, a man who was traveling from a far away city, suddenly met up with a group of thieves. The thieves took everything he had, and then they beat him up and left him lying half dead by the side of the road. 
As he laid there in pain and misery, he heard footsteps. "Ah! Someone is coming!" he thought. "I hope he will help me! Nobody, not even a priest, a well-known teacher in the temple, came by to help him. Only a stranger from Samaria, who was very unlikely that he would want to help because nobody even liked people from Samaria, helped the poor, hurting man. He got off his donkey and bent down next to the man to get a closer look at the wounds. Gently, he wrapped bandages around the sores and helped him to his feet. Then he carefully put the man on his very own donkey and took him to the nearest hotel. He stayed with the man overnight and took care of him. (Bible, Luke 10:25-37) On Monday, August 8, an outstanding operation was held by KFOR troops near Srbica/Skenderai in the Monastery of Devic in the MNB (NE) AOR. This operation consists in restoring, and consolidating Devic monastery under the lead of KFOR Chief- Chaplain Michel de Peyret, with the participation of chaplains from KFOR and the support of the MNB (NE). KFOR is committed to the Good Samaritan Operation with the aim of paying respect for the cultural patrimonial property of Kosovo. Devic Monastery was built in the XIV century. The monastery was almost completely destroyed in March 2004, and its nuns had to leave their accommodation. Then, the Serbian Orthodox Church built a new building with facilities and apartments for the sisters, and KFOR gave a hand with protection and restoring the territory both inside and outside of the ancient monastery. During the last year, soldiers from the Novo Selo Camp and the KFOR Theater Chaplain have contributed several times to restore the monastery. Now pursuing the principles of tolerance and respect for each-others values, philosophical and religious beliefs, 14 KFOR chaplains, among them the Muslim one Mourchid Omar Ouboua from Moroccan Contingent, 19 chaplains assistances and more than 30 soldiers from French Contingent took part in the Good Samaritan Operation. It was the perfect example of true international teamwork: French, German, Portuguese, Moroccan, Belgian, Austrian, Italian and Finnish all worked together to give a hopeful sign of the expected future for a peaceful Kosovo. As a result of their self-denying work, there are pretty clean former living quarters of the nuns and a restored territory above the monastery and ancient small chapel with the source down stairs below the monastery. Also, they collected and handed over to the sisters of the monastery a lot of personal and religious items, which are of vital importance to the nuns. COMKFOR LTG Yves de Kermabon attended the Good Samaritan Operation at the Devic monastery. In his speech, COMKFOR said: Today, KFOR is committed to the Good Samaritan Operation, and it shows that KFOR respects all sacred places of Kosovo. The operation has to do with the reconstruction and the consolidation of Devic under the leadership of Chief-Chaplain Michel de Peyret with the participation of all KFOR chaplains and the support of MNB (NE). Now in the Monastery of Devic, 7 sisters take refuge. In the face of more than 25 representatives of local media, the nuns expressed their sincere gratitude and gave a hearty thanks to KFOR for their protection and substantial assistance. Lt Maksym Nedria, UKR A
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