From: Rick Rozoff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=800265427 THURSDAY, AUGUST 23, 2001 THE TIMES OF INDIA Russia warns against NATO operation in Macedonia MOSCOW (AFP): Russia issued a thinly veiled warning on Wednesday that a NATO operation to collect arms from ethnic Albanian rebels in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia could act as an incitement to armed actions by Albanian extremists. The alliance has "undoubtedly assumed a great responsibility for what is happening in Macedonia and for the perspectives of ending the crisis" there, the foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to recent incidents involving Albanian rebels. Citing the destruction Monday of a 14th-century Orthodox church at Lesok, the ministry said that international actions such as the Essential Harvest arms collection operation "must not appear as an encouragement of extremism and a de facto legitimisation of separatism." Peace and stability "can only be achieved by means of strengthening a multi-ethnic democratic society in a united and sovereign Macedonia," the statement said. Russia has expressed serious reservations about the NATO operation, describing it as a palliative move unlikely to resolve the crisis in the region. Russian troops would not take part in the NATO operation, as it had not been approved by the UN Security Council, defense ministry officials said as quoted by the RIA-Novosti news agency. "NATO and the US leaders will bear full responsibility for the negative consequences NATO's military intervention in Macedonia may have," the officials said. _________________________________________________ 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] __________________________________________________
