http://www.centraleurope.com/yugoslaviatoday/news.php3?id=225572&section=default

NATO Pledges To Tackle Ethnic Albanian Gunmen

BRUSSELS, Nov 30, 2000 -- (Reuters) NATO on Wednesday detailed a
six-point plan to stamp out violence in the demilitarized buffer zone on
Kosovo's
internal boundary with Serbia, but said joint allied and Yugoslav army patrols
were not envisaged.

A statement by alliance Secretary General George Robertson praised Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica for his cooperation on the Presevo Valley crisis
zone and denounced illegal acts by "a minority of extremists".

It stopped just short of citing by name the ethnic Albanian guerrilla force
UCPMB, but left no uncertainty about who NATO blamed for recent attacks on
Serb police, increasing tension and a "direct threat" to the Kosovo peacekeeping
mission KFOR.

The initials are the Albanian acronym for a self-styled liberation army in an
area
that, according to NATO and Serbia, has no indigenous separatist movement.

Kostunica expressed his concern on Monday that KFOR was not doing its part
to bar separatist gunmen from the demilitarized zone, where Serbian security
forces are forbidden from patrolling with heavy weapons.

Serbia moved tanks up to the line on Monday while at the same time promising it
would not violate this rule.

Robertson said he had replied to Kostunica that NATO shared his grave concern
and pointed out that KFOR was already taking steps to tackle the problem.

In addition to brokering a ceasefire, arresting 10 would-be infiltrators and
arranging the return of the bodies of four slain Serbian policemen, additional
measures were being taken.

These included:

* A public information campaign to highlight the criminal aspects and
politically
damaging effects of extremist activity in the Presevo Valley.

* Mobilisation of Kosovo Albanian politicians who may be able to lay a
moderating hand on hardline guerrilla groups.

* Encouraging contacts between Presevo Albanians and Serb authorities.

* Closer KFOR contacts with local Serb police.

* Increased surveillance operations on the boundary line and closer monitoring
of
any violence in the five km (3-mile) wide demilitarized zone.

* Deterrence and disruption of illegal or terrorist related activity inside
Kosovo
near the Presevo border.