-Caveat Lector- 8.47 a.m. ET (1247 GMT) April 26, 1999 GENEVA � Officials from the International Committee of the Red Cross on Monday visited three U.S. soldiers held in Yugoslavia since March 31, a spokeswoman for the humanitarian organization said. "We did visit. We did see the prisoners," ICRC spokeswoman Amanda Williamson told Reuters. It was the first time the Red Cross has been allowed to visit the soldiers, who were captured at the Yugoslavia-Macedonia border while on patrol. The three were visited by officials from a Red Cross delegation headed by ICRC president Cornelio Sommaruga. Sommaruga traveled to Belgrade at the weekend and was due to meet Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Monday. Williamson said the officials visited the prisoners before going on to the meeting with Milosevic. She said she had no details of the visit or on the condition of the three prisoners � Steven Gonzales, 22, of Huntsville, Texas; Andrew Ramirez, 24, of Los Angeles; and Christopher Stone, 25, of Smiths Creek, Michigan. "It was simply a first contact," she said, adding she expected more details to be available after the end of the delegation's meeting with the Yugoslav president. The United States has accused Yugoslavia of denying the soldiers their rights under the Geneva conventions, which recognize the right of the ICRC to visit prisoners of war. Sommaruga's visit was also intended to try to get the Red Cross back into Kook, where it believes civilians are in urgent need of humanitarian aid. But the Swiss-run organization has said it could only go back into the Serbian province if Yugoslav authorities guaranteed it would be allowed access to civilians in Kosovo and could operate in a secure environment. Bard Visit me at: The Center for Exposing Corruption in the Federal Government http://www.xld.com/public/center/center.htm Federal Government defined: ....a benefit/subsidy protection racket! 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
