http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKN3134587620080801
Reuters
August 1, 2008
U.N. probe said to criticize March Kosovo raid
By Megan Davies
-Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who has
repeatedly criticized both the raid and Western
support for Kosovo's secession, told reporters that
the U.N. probe had concluded that the use of force
against Kosovo Serbs at the time was "absolutely
unwarranted."
-Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica accused
NATO peacekeepers and U.N. police of using "snipers
and banned ammunition" to quell the riot.
UNITED NATIONS - A United Nations investigation into
the March storming of a courthouse by U.N. and NATO
troops in northern Kosovo criticizes the force for
rushing in, diplomats briefed on its contents said on
Friday.
U.N. police and NATO troops raided the U.N. court in
the town of Mitrovica on March 17 to retake it from
Serbs who had forcibly occupied the building three
days earlier in protest at Kosovo declaring
independence.
The violence during those clashes was the worst since
Kosovo's 90-percent Albanian majority declared
independence from Serbia in February. A 25-year-old
Ukrainian U.N. policeman was killed by a grenade and a
Serb protester was shot in the head and gravely
wounded.
Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who has
repeatedly criticized both the raid and Western
support for Kosovo's secession, told reporters that
the U.N. probe had concluded that the use of force
against Kosovo Serbs at the time was "absolutely
unwarranted."
"The decision to resort to the use of force was a
careless blunder to say the least, made over
cautionary advice of the (U.N.) secretariat here in
New York," Churkin said.
Western diplomats who attended the same briefing on
the investigation characterized it differently.
They confirmed that the investigation took a critical
view of the actions of the forces, and that it showed
that they had ignored advice from U.N. headquarters.
But they said the probe had concluded that the troops
and police had acted within their mandate.
A U.N. spokeswoman said on Friday that the report had
not been released and did not know when it would be
circulated.
....
Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica accused NATO
peacekeepers and U.N. police of using "snipers and
banned ammunition" to quell the riot.
Serbia and its ally Russia opposed Kosovo's
independence and have refused to recognize Europe's
youngest country.
'BREAKING DOORS, TWISTING ARMS'
....
Churkin said he wanted the U.N. Security Council to be
briefed more formally about the investigation and had
called for the "upper echelons of the secretariat here
in New York to consider the issue of individual
responsibility."
"There was no reason to use force," Churkin said.
"Dialogue was continuing. What happened, happened out
of the blue. It was 5 a.m. ... 4 a.m. in the morning
-- they stormed the house mostly occupied by women ...
They started breaking doors and twisting arms."
Churkin said that in his opinion the violence "does
look like a deliberate provocation."
But Western diplomats stressed how dangerous the
situation at the court house was, with protesters
hurling grenades and Molotov cocktails at the troops.
They said the report had not taken this fully into
account.
"At some point, you have to go in and take back the
courthouse," one said.
(Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau; editing by
Mohammad Zargham)
Serbian News Network - SNN
[email protected]
http://www.antic.org/
