PRISTINA, Jan 16 (Hina) - The head of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Verification Mission, William Walker, accused Yugoslav security forces of being responsible for the massacre of 45 civilians near the
village of Racak in the Shtimlja area, 30 km south of Pristina. Walker told Saturday evening's news conference in Pristina that he had demanded the immediate arrival of International War Crimes Tribunal investigators in Kosovo to probe into Friday's massacre. He added that he had gone to the scene of the killing and that he had seen corpses of 20 victims, most of whom were elderly people. They had been shot at close range. Walker said members of the OSCE Verification Mission and the Kosovo Diplomatic Observing Mission had counted 45 dead bodies including corpses of three women and one child. U.S. diplomat said he could not describe how his colleagues and he had been shocked to
PRISTINA, Jan 16 (Hina) - The head of the OSCE (Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe) Verification Mission, William
Walker, accused Yugoslav security forces of being responsible for
the massacre of 45 civilians near the village of Racak in the
Shtimlja area, 30 km south of Pristina.
Walker told Saturday evening's news conference in Pristina that he
had demanded the immediate arrival of International War Crimes
Tribunal investigators in Kosovo to probe into Friday's massacre.
He added that he had gone to the scene of the killing and that he had
seen corpses of 20 victims, most of whom were elderly people. They
had been shot at close range.
Walker said members of the OSCE Verification Mission and the Kosovo
Diplomatic Observing Mission had counted 45 dead bodies including
corpses of three women and one child.
U.S. diplomat said he could not describe how his colleagues and he
had been shocked to see the grisly scene.
He said he held it was a crime against humanity and accused the
Serbian government security forces of responsibility.
A few days ago the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) released eight
Yugoslav soldiers and we expected appropriate steps from the
Yugoslav side to help build trust. Instead, at least 45 innocent
civilians were killed, Walker said.
The United States proposed an urgent meeting of the NATO council on
Sunday to discuss necessary measures after the latest developments
in the conflict-ridden province of Kosovo.
The Brussels meeting will revolve around possible plans of the NATO
activities in the light of the fact that the order that NATO can act,
issued on October 27, 1998, is still in force, a respresentative of
the State Department spokesman's office told Hina on Saturday
evening.
U.S. President Clinton and other world leaders condemned the
massacre .
(hina) ms