Vucevic: Serbia quite disappointed with Kfor reaction

BELGRADE - Serbian Defence Minister Milos Vucevic said on Wednesday Serbia was quite disappointed with Kfor's reaction during Sunday's events in Banjska, a village in the north of Kosovo-Metohija.

The fact many are rushing to conclusions as to what happened in Banjska is not good, Vucevic said, noting that the relevant facts about the events would be established in the days to come.

Kfor is the one that should have been the first to react to prevent bloodshed and Eulex should have reacted next, he told the RTS.

"They (Kfor) have a base nearby, they could have reacted, rather than watch from aside and let well-deployed ethnic Albanian police keep hunting down Serbs," Vucevic said.

It is unbelievable that there was no stronger reaction from Kfor, Vucevic said.

He said Serbia had to maintain communication with Kfor as it saw it as the only legitimate armed force in kosovo-Metohija.

Cooperation with Kfor is on the lowest technical level and cannot be broken off as the move would be bad for Serbs and Serbia, he said.

When asked what was known about the events so far, Vucevic said it was known that some people were killed or arrested.

"I see that many in Serbia are jumping to conclusions as to what happened in Banjska on Sunday and how. I have to remind you that Serbia has had no de facto authority in Kosovo-Metohija since 1999, which makes it much harder for us and our authorities to gather all the facts," Vucevic said.

He said the scenario that had been at work since Sunday was leading to Serbia being branded as the instigator or sponsor of terrorist acts and to Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija being portrayed as criminals and terrorists.

The 1990s scenario is under preparation, with Serbia again cast in the role of the bad guy, Vucevic said.

He said the position of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs, especially in the north, was his greatest concern.

"Kurti's regime declared the entire north the zone of an anti-terrorist operation, making it possible for them (Pristina) to do what they are doing in a manner that is contrary to all rules and procedures," Vucevic said.

"It is not just about expulsions, shootings and woundings of Serbs, but also raids of their homes, harassment, mass arrests and a continuation of what the Serbs have been subjected to for months now," he said.

The key question is who allowed the so-called Kosovo Police to come to the north from the south, contrarily to the Brussels Agreement, he said.

"Someone has allowed that to happen. Someone is allowing Albin Kurti to build bases for special police forces and to boost their presence, and someone is allowing heavily armed police with special vehicles to come in. Someone has allowed a mimicking of elections to take place and somebody to become a mayor with two or three per cent of votes. Someone has allowed the dismissal of the chief of the regional police centre in the north, and someone has allowed that there be no sanctions for violating the Brussels Agreement," Vucevic said.

It was all well prepared by someone, he said.