-Caveat Lector- Security Council Split on Kosovo By EDITH M. LEDERER .c The Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- As the world increasingly looks to Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the United Nations for a solution to the Kosovo crisis, the Security Council's divide illustrates the chasm that must be bridged. It's Russia and China vs. the United States and its NATO allies. Again. This time it's not the Cold War battle of communists and capitalists. But the rhetoric is equally heated, and at the moment there are no signs of compromise. As Wednesday's council meeting on the humanitarian crisis in Macedonia and Montenegro demonstrated, the protagonists are focused on different sides of the war. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov has decried the impact of NATO bombing on innocent civilians at every recent Security Council meeting -- and Wednesday he denounced the attack on a Yugoslav bridge while a train was crossing as ``barbaric.'' China's U.N. Ambassador Qin Huasun went even further, claiming the twin NATO strikes on the bridge deliberately targeted civilians as an act of terror, diplomats said. NATO members on the council countered that the alliance expressed regret about the bridge bombing -- and pointedly noted that there had been no expressions of regret about the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Albanians expelled or forced from their homes by Serb forces. ``There is no targeting -- none, zero in terms of NATO planning,'' said deputy U.S. Ambassador Peter Burleigh. The allies then tried to push for a council statement demanding that Yugoslav authorities immediately release two Australian humanitarian workers whom Belgrade has accused of spying -- but Russia opposed asking for their freedom. By the end of the debate, council members could agree only on a statement calling for immediate consular access to the Australians and expressing ``deepest concern at the grave humanitarian situation in and around Kosovo.'' While the Security Council's divisions have relegated it to the sidelines so far, last week's peace initiative by the secretary-general and Wednesday's proposal by Germany -- which suggests a U.N. peacekeeping role -- could make the council a significant player in a Kosovo settlement. The European Union on Wednesday backed Annan's five-point proposal, which closely resembles NATO's conditions for stopping airstrikes. It calls for Yugoslavia to end the intimidation and expulsion of civilians, withdraw military forces, and allow deployment of an international military force to help the return of refugees. There was no talk Wednesday in the Security Council of any peace deal. Slovenia's U.N. Ambassador Danilo Turk said Annan's ``very carefully crafted'' initiative provides the framework for a solution -- but he said ``conditions are not yet ripe'' for any council action. Asked about the German proposal, Lavrov said when NATO is ready to stop the bombing, the council might be ready to discuss it. But Burleigh said Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic must take the first step. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
