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| A KOSOVAR'S PERSPECTIVE | |
 May 6, 1999 
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Blerim Shala, editor-in-chief of the Kosovo weekly, Zeri, talks with Phil Ponce about Kosovar support for the NATO air strikes and what it will take to make ethnic Albanians feel safe enough to return home. |
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JIM LEHRER: Now, a Kosovar view of what it will take to persuade his people to return home. Phil Ponce taped this interview yesterday.
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| NATO's air campaign: A success? | ||||||||||||||||||||
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BLERIM SHALA: I think that NATO chose the right track when they launched
the air strikes, especially when they intensified the air strikes two
weeks ago. It is obviously the first result on our appealing - why -
because Milosevic is now giving signals that he is in deep trouble,
and he's ready to compromise, but I don't see any chance to have PHIL PONCE: So you think now is the time to take up those points, take up negotiations? BLERIM SHALA: I am not speaking about negotiations. Those five principles, according to me, are not negotiable principles - they must be accepted as they are by the Serbian side. Russia can persuade Mr. Milosevic that he must accept those principles. We can have discussion on composition of the NATO forces -- the composition of international forces in Kosovo, but we can't discuss if NATO must leave forces there. And again in my experience in Bosnia and in Croatia and elsewhere, only NATO is capable to take in his hand security and peace of one region concretely now of Kosovo. We are not against Russian presence there, or Ukrainian presence in these forces, but definitely we must have forces provided by NATO. PHIL PONCE: And are you concerned that some of those five points, are you concerned that some of those five points might be waived, might not be insisted upon? BLERIM SHALA: I'm sure if Mr. Milosevic is trying through his channels,
maybe at least Russians, to change at least two or three demands of
the NATO -- for example, supposing that he is trying to convince Russians
and through Russians, the West, that means that Serbian police must
be further present in Kosovo, that VJ must still be present in Kosovo
- Yugoslavian army - and that the composition of the forces must be
according to his opinion. It is very strange, because Mr. Milosevic
is not leading the NATO, he is not in NATO headquarters, so he can't
decide about composition of NATO. Secondly, we can't expect from Albanians
- from any single Albanian - that he will cross the checkpoint and the
border, he will go inside Kosovo, if the Serbia policemen will wait
for him there. There is no coexistence between Serbian forces and Albanian
civilians in Kosovo anymore. PHIL PONCE: I'm sorry. I didn't understand the last point you made. There is no what? BLERIM SHALA: Coexistence. PHIL PONCE: There is no coexistence. BLERIM SHALA: Yes. PHIL PONCE: In other words, there is no way that Kosovar Albanians would go back to Kosovo if the Serbian police are still there? |
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| Returning to Kosovo. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| BLERIM SHALA: Absolutely.
PHIL PONCE: You've been meeting with US officials. BLERIM SHALA: Yes. PHIL PONCE: What have you been telling them? BLERIM SHALA: First of all, I am telling to very important US officials
that I'm supporting - and we as Albanians are PHIL PONCE: Including the use of ground forces? BLERIM SHALA: If it is necessary. I'm speaking of is it necessary because I am supportive of NATO - planners are carefully trying to see that maybe they can achieve their goals only by those strikes - but I know that there is now a dilemma in the State Department or elsewhere regarding fulfillment of those five demands. Nobody is disputing them. We are thinking that we can't negotiate on these five key plans. PHIL PONCE: And, Mr. Shala, how many Kosovars do you think would actually wind up going back, even if those five demands were, were met? BLERIM SHALA: I think that there is a fear, as well, among us to go back immediately. But we're going to have to right to go back immediately, as you know.
BLERIM SHALA: Absolutely. There is no dilemma between us regarding turning back in Kosovo. We are all counting days and weeks for returning back in Kosovo. First of all, I know that plenty of Western officials are trying to convince us it would be very difficult - not because they are thinking that the Serbian forces will destroy most of us Kosovo - houses will be burned - but our building will be destroyed, but first of all, I must emphasize one thing, first is the key thing, safety. If we are safe there, if there is no policeman there, if there is no Serbian forces there, and if NATO is together with us, assuring our safety, I'm absolutely sure that all we will go back. Without safety, if Serbian policemen - as I told you before - will wait for us at the border checkpoint, nobody is ready to go back. PHIL PONCE: And if those conditions were met, if there were no Serbian police, no Serbian forces, can you see yourself living peacefully with Serbian people? BLERIM SHALA: Absolutely. I'm thinking that we can do it, of course.
In other circumstances, I'm convinced that the bridges between us are
burned or have been destroyed, not by us, by Serbian regime. PHIL PONCE: Mr. Shala, I thank you very much for joining us. BLERIM SHALA: Thank you very much. |
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PHIL
PONCE: With us is Blerim Shala, editor-in-chief of the Kosovo weekly,
Zeri. He also served on the Kosovo delegation to the Rambouillet
peace talks. He escaped from Kosovo to Macedonia days after the Serbs
began moving Kosovars from Pristina. He was invited to the United States
by the International Crisis Group - a private organization - and he's
been meeting with US officials. Welcome, sir. NATO is claiming that
its campaign has been a success. Do you consider it a success? 
compromise
with him, at least about the five key points of NATO. As you know, NATO
has very clear package, which must be accepted by Mr. Milosevic. In
that package there are five demands: First of all, he must withdraw
all of Serbian forces from Kosovo. Secondly, we must have NATO deployment
there, and finally, if these two principles would be accomplished, in
that case, we can have safe return of Albanian deported by the Serbian
forces.
supporting the NATO strikes in Kosovo. We are absolutely behind this
fight, key fight, point, plan of the NATO pact. We are just thinking
that we must speak in this plan; we must support this plan; and we must
accomplish this plan. So generally speaking, we are also delivering
the message that NATO must use all possible means in order to achieve
its own goals, its main targets.