Kosovo's former KLA veterans threaten "military action" if status delayed
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - July 11, 2007, Wednesday

Text of report by Kosovo Albanian newspaper Koha Ditore on 8 July

[Report by Zija Miftari: "Veterans Threaten Military Action"]

Prishtina [Pristina], 7 Jul - The organization of the Kosova [Kosovo] Liberation Army [KLA, UCK in Albanian] War Veterans [OVL-UCK] on Saturday publicly invited the Kosova status negotiating group to oppose the status delay and new talks, or else the veterans warned they would act like soldiers. The former UCK war veterans also made such a public threat to the international institutions and the Kosova Assembly.

"The negotiating team should in no way accept the status solution delay or new talks, which bring new dangers," reads a statement the OVL-UCK issued after a steering committee meeting on Saturday.

They asked the international institutions not to become an obstacle to the solution of Kosova's political status. The political parties, according to the veterans, should clarify their stances and actions by giving up the fight for power and "working as hard as they can for the correct solution to Kosova's political status."

Even though the veterans did not say so explicitly, their press release implies that they want the Kosova Assembly to declare the country's independence.

"The Kosova parliament should assume its responsibility and implement the mandate for which it was elected," is the request of the veterans addressed to the Kosova Assembly.

If their requests are not met, then it is likely that the veterans will put on their UCK uniforms again. "Otherwise, we, the veterans of the UCK war, will be obliged to act like UCK soldiers in order to implement the will of the martyrs of the nation, and the aforementioned institutions will bear the consequences," reads the press release.

Faik Fazliu, chairman of the UCK-borne organizations, declined to say anything else except what was said in the press release issued after the steering committee meeting.

"I have nothing to add to what was said in the press release, except that we have officially requested a meeting with the negotiating team next week," Fazliu told Koha Ditore.

At the OVL-UCK steering committee meeting, it was concluded that the delay in the solution of Kosova's political status, the unfulfilled promises of the Kosova negotiating team, the weak and irresponsible stances of the Kosova Assembly, the vague stances of most political parties, the vague stances of the international community, and the dangerous opposition by Russia have resulted in the extreme dissatisfaction of the citizens of Kosova and the loss of patience, which could have unforeseen consequences for the future of the country and the region.

Source: Koha Ditore, Pristina, in Albanian 8 Jul 07

Copyright 2007 British Broadcasting Corporation
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