From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Comments in brackets. August 6, 2001 NATO Unveils New Balkan Peace Plan by KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press Writer SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) -- British forces could lead NATO troops in a proposed peacekeeping mission for Macedonia once the final touches are put on a peace deal, a spokesman for the military alliance said Monday. Some 3,500 troops from several NATO countries would help in ''the collection and destruction of arms and ammunition,'' from ethnic Albanian insurgents, NATO spokesman Barry Johnson said in Macedonia's capital, Skopje. [As they've succeeded so splendidly in achieving in Kosovo and Albania and environs] The envisaged mission would be called Operation Essential Harvest, Johnson said. It would consist of a brigade headquarters led by the United Kingdom's 16th Air Assault Brigade, and four subcommands, led by France, Greece, Italy and Britain, which would collect the weapons from the rebels. However, the mission still needs final approval from NATO headquarters in Brussels pending the conclusion of ongoing peace talks between majority Macedonians and ethnic Albanians. For the peace process to work, ''the issue for amnesty (for the rebels) still has to be addressed'' by the Macedonian government, Johnson said. [For which read, Brussel's KLA Trojan Horse, of foreign origin as the name implies, will penetrate state structures yet further, being enshrined as a variant of Agim Ceku's Kosovo Protection Corps.] The troops could start deploying ''within as little as 48 hours'' [Or as soon as three years ago] after the peace agreement is signed, Johnson said, stressing that several other conditions must be met first. [Not for public consumption, as they might embarass the NATOite peace pipe smokers.] These include an open-ended cease-fire and a ''technical agreement with the so-called NLA to voluntarily hand over their weapons.'' The ethnic Albanian rebels are known as the NLA, or National Liberation Army. The latest mission in the volatile Balkans comes after similar, larger operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. [Not encouraging portents/precedents.] But in an apparent effort to try to avoid a protracted, perilous and extremely costly peacekeeping mission, this one is envisaged to last only 30 days. [Again as in similar "limited engagements" in Bosnia and Kosovo; that is, permanent military occupation.] During that time, NATO would have to establish weapons collection sites with the help of Macedonian authorities. Then the rebels' weaponry would be collected -- mostly in the north and northwest of the country, which are ethnic Albanian strongholds. The weapons then would be destroyed either on site or at a ''centralized location'' outside Macedonia.[Or transferred to Montenegro, Southern Serbia, Northeastern Greece and Bulgaria.] NATO already has nearly 3,000 NATO troops in Macedonia, who mostly serve as support for the alliance's mission in the Kosovo province of neighboring Serbia. [Where their mission has also been to disarm/re-arm their KLA protogees.] The commander of the new mission would be Maj. Gen. Gunnar Lange, currently the senior military representative in Macedonia. [And NATO military governor for the foreseeable future.] _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
