YUGOSLAVIA: KOSOVO: US PATROL REACT TO KLA SHOW OF STRENGTH

English/Nat

The Kosovo Liberation Army has allegedly opened fire on a local school in the Kosovo village of Banic.

United States NATO forces say that the action was probably just a show of strength from the K-L-A in one of the few villages where Serbs still live side by side with Albanians.

In Banic, the locals do not want to see the K-L-A disarmed when they are so newly empowered.

In the Kosovan village of Banic the local school came under fire on Sunday, allegedly from the K-L-A.

Troops of the 82nd Airborne Division, which make up part of the American K-FOR contingent controlling the south-eastern sector of Kosovo, responded quickly.

After a close inspection of the school, the U-S soldiers concluded that the shots had been fired not to kill, but as a show of K-L-A strength.

Banic is one of the few villages left in Kosovo where Serbs remain living alongside ethnic Albanians.

The troops went on to scour the village for K-L-A weapons and stopped all passing traffic to conduct spot checks.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Two of them had U-C-K uniforms on. We searched the vehicle. Nothing was found. After the vehicle left, the school teacher tells me that these guys are terrorists and they probably had something to do with the shooting. But he waits until they're gone. He doesn't say a word while they're here."
SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop, U-S soldier

Before the American soldiers left the village, they went on to search another school nearby.

The building was practically empty.

So far the soldiers have had little or no resistance in their work.

Most of the locals seem to welcome the presence of NATO forces' and the protection that they can offer.

According to Lieutenant John Sabbat, the villagers want K-FOR troops not just to keep the peace, but to act as a police force as well.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Unfortunately they're asking us to do things that's not our job, like to clear the mines, and to go do police actions. All we're trying to do is keep the peace in terms of the military agreement. Unfortunately that's not enough for these people. They need some more people from NATO to help them out."
SUPER CAPTION: Lieutenant John Sabbat, United States Army

However the locals are less impressed with K-FOR plans to disarm the newly returned and empowered K-L-A.

In this village where Serb civilians and ethnic Albanians still live side by side there is a certain lack of trust and Albanians say they'd feel happier if the K-L-A were allowed to keep their weapons.
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/88ea2f5b57a83de45f54cfc1e3ea24d9
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

Видео YUGOSLAVIA: KOSOVO: US PATROL REACT TO KLA SHOW OF STRENGTH канала AP Archive