Albania Picture

MR. CASEY:   I don't have a comment on the specific report. I've seen the press copies of it, or press stories related to it. Obviously, we'll take a good look at it. But I think if you look at our Human Rights Report for Ethiopia, you'll note that we paint a picture of a country with a pretty poor record that has practiced a number of activities that restrict the political process, and obviously it's something we're concerned about any time that there’s elections or other events held in a country where there certainly are difficulties and problems in the human rights record. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: NATO BRIEFING ON "OPERATION ALLIED FORCE" APRIL 15

I take my system, my targeting pod, and I make several passes over these vehicles to ensure that they are in fact military vehicles, I roll in on two passes to get a close look both with my eyeballs and with my targeting pod IR picture and at this point, this is about 25 minutes into building the whole picture of the destruction that is following from north to south, into the town of Dakova, and I make a decision at that point that these are the people responsible for burning down the villages that I have seen so far. I roll in, put my system on the lead vehicle and execute a laser-guided bomb attack on that vehicle, destroying the lead vehicle. From there my wing man is low on fuel so we end up having to depart the area. On my way out of the area I pass my BDA to AB triple C and to the forward air controller that is coming in to replace me, I pass him target co-ordinates, a threat up-date of the area and a general description of the three vehicle convoy that we have prosecuted an at ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: FACT SHEET: KOSOVO ATROCITIES REPORT JUNE 4, 1999

Because the Serbs expelled international observers and most of the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and journalists from the province, it has been difficult to obtain independent corroboration of many of the specific allegations of violations of international humanitarian law reported in Kosovo. Nonetheless, the overwhelmingly consistent nature of the thousands of reports from official observers across the border in Albania and Macedonia, from journalists and NGOs still in contact with their local staff in Kosovo, and from Kosovar Albanians themselves (both refugees and the KLA) paint an unambiguous picture of the scope and intensity of the campaign of ethnic cleansing the Serbs have waged in the province. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: TAFT, SCHEFFER, KOH BRIEFING ON ATROCITIES 5/10/99

On summery executions, we point out that at least 70 towns and villages have been subject of summery executions. We believe we have at least 4,000 cases of summary executions. There's obviously discussions of numbers of missing men. We're still trying to document on detentions, the use of human shields and the systematic separation of men from their families. Lootings and burnings, we see over 600 residential areas that have been looted and burned; a number of areas in which systematic and organized rape are being chronicled, particularly in Djakovica and Pec. Violations of medical neutrality -- we have chronicled the destruction of hospitals, the murdering of doctors, the expulsions of patients and the use of medical facilities as military cover. And on identity cleansing, which may be the reversible future of this, we hope -- the destruction of passports, identity papers, voter registrations and license plates -- what we're trying to do is to give a full picture of what's going on. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: STATE DEPT. BRIEFING ON KOSOVO LANDMINE PROBLEM

First, while the picture of conditions on the ground is only now emerging, it is clear that the combination of extensive Serb mine fields planted along virtually the whole southern border, KLA, Serb and NATO unexploded ordnance -- including cluster bombs, and mines and booby-traps laid by the Serb and KLA military and paramilitary forces -- have made Kosovo among the world's most dangerous real estate. To put this in perspective, the United States has programs in about 30 countries around the world to assist mine clearance, mine awareness and survivors assistance. In the space of a few months, Kosovo has risen to the top of our agenda. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: NATO BRIEFING ON "OPERATION ALLIED FORCE," APRIL 14

On other issues, this picture, taken yesterday, shows burning houses in the village of Randubrava. The nearest NATO strike was over 30 km from the area which suggests that ethnic cleansing action continues. This area has been noted for the activities of the 549th Mechanised Brigade. ...

This final picture shows displaced persons in the area of Malisevo and the expanded section shows makeshift shelters built in the area. ...

In recent days, there has been a successful NATO attack against the special police assembly area in the proximity of Livadica. This series of three pictures shows the damage to the strategic rail tunnel and the storage buildings in the area. ... [Read More]

USIS Washington File: TRANSCRIPT: NATO BRIEFING ON "OPERATION ALLIED FORCE" MAY 14

Q: I am just really saying that you have been attacking this area now for two or three days so you must have a picture -- you have given details before -- of which units you are attacking, how many tanks are there, are they engaged in battles with the KLA or whatever. Have you got that kind of picture so we can get some idea of why all of those little red flashes are appearing around Prizren? ...

Q: Accepting that you haven't got any more details on Korisa, could I ask either you or General Jertz to give us at least a bigger picture on what's happening in terms of the air attacks on that area? We could see from the map, General Jertz, that it was very intense around Prizren, could you say what the forces were there, which units if you know them or can say them, what targets you were attacking, what preliminary indications you've had of what success or otherwise they've had, have they destroyed tanks or whatever, so a picture of the actual fight that was going on around Prizren yesterday? ... [Read More]

Vol 34 No 3, July - September 1996 Page 55

In summary, it can be seen that our assignment "A Nightmare Consultation" was a success in that it gave us, the trainers of trainers, an enlarged picture of the advisors' professional lives and a cumulative account of their various problems and needs. What is clear is that they do not dwell on the physical constraints which are beyond their control, i.e., poor environment, lack of books. They also perceive a responsibility for providing professional support which is within their means. We believe that recognising and confronting the problems are the first steps to solving them. "A Nightmare Consultation," which started out as a simple writing activity, was a stimulus to this and has provided us with guidance for further training. ... [Read More]

Albania

The Government did not restrict access to the Internet; however, less than 1 percent of the population had access to the Internet because it was too expensive. The Government did not restrict academic freedom. b. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association The Constitution provides for freedom of assembly, and the Government generally respected this right in practice. The law requires organizers to notify police about gatherings in public places, and the police may refuse to permit them for reasons such as security and traffic; however, there were no reports that such denials were made arbitrarily. On May 15 and 26, former political prisoners and victims of political persecution staged a formal protest on Tirana's main boulevard, se ... [Read More]

Albania

The majority of citizens are secular in orientation after decades of rigidly enforced atheism under the Communist regime, which ended in 1990. Despite such secularism, most citizens traditionally associate themselves with a religious group. Citizens of Muslim background make up the largest traditional religious group (estimated at 65 to 70 percent of the population) and are divided into two communities: those associated with a moderate form of Sunni Islam and those associated with the Bektashi school (a particularly liberal form of Shi'a Sufism). In 1925 after the revolution of Ataturk, the country became the world center of Bektashism, although it has not been recognized as such by the Government. Bektashis are concentrated mainly in the central and southern regions and are estimated to represent approximately one quarter of the country's Muslim population. The Orthodox Autocephalous Church of Albania (referred to as Orthodox) and the R ... [Read More]