(15 Oct 1998) English/Nat
World leaders and NATO have been warning that Serbia must withdraw many more forces from Kosovo before Saturday's deadline.
In the U-S, the Pentagon has confirmed that NATO will have the right to defend its reconnaissance missions if Yugoslavia's leadership violates the agreements.
The U-S Department of Defence has revealed details of the proposals made to the Serb leaders.
Their statement comes at the same time as NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and U-S military officials negotiate terms of an air verification agreement in Belgrade with Serb President Slobodan Milosevic.
Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said that while some troops have withdrawn from Kosovo, there are no clear signs yet of a significant removal of troops.
Bacon said that air reconnaissance missions will be carried out by unarmed planes.
If the are attacked, NATO reserves the right to act defensively with a quick reaction force, deployed outside Kosovo, that could include U-S forces.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"It is very clear, it should be very clear from everything that has been said so far, from everything that will be said today in Belgrade by General Clark and from what I am going to say here, that if there is any violation of this agreement such as you have mentioned, etc, that NATO reserves the right to take defensive action, and it will be fully able to do that."
SUPER CAPTION: Kenneth Bacon, Pentagon Spokesman
The agreements proposed to the Serbs includes a political settlement of the Kosovo autonomy issue.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The terms of that do allow for local police to function and it sets up a schedule for elections and talks about how local institutions, court, police etc, will function, as part of an autonomous area"
SUPER CAPTION: Kenneth Bacon, Pentagon Spokesman
The Clinton administration says they have no reason to believe that Milosevic would not honour the signed agreements.
It believes the Serb leader has, by signing the agreements, decided he does not want to risk a military attack by NATO forces.
NATO warplanes are being moved to bases in Italy, just across the Adriatic Sea from Yugoslavia.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Perhaps the most significant development from the standpoint of your question, is that the Serbs have already announced a political reconstruction plan for Kosovo that grants autonomy, limited autonomy to Kosovo. This is a huge change. This reverses 10 years of past performance by Milosevic. Indeed, President Milosevic rose to power on extreme nationalism aimed at the Kosovan Albanians."
SUPER CAPTION: Kenneth Bacon, Pentagon Spokesman
Hundreds of people have been killed and an estimated 300-thousand forced from their homes by Milosevic's seven-month military operation in Kosovo.
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