KOSOVO ALBANIAN LEADER ASKS FOR URGENT INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

( Editorial: --> 7624 ) PRISTINA, March 6 (Hina) - The leader of Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova, on Friday sent an urgent appeal to the international community to place Kosovo under immediate international protection. At a news conference Friday, Rugova requested that the Council of Europe include Kosovo in its agenda, and that the USA, European Union and international statesmen do everything in their power to save the people of Kosovo. He described attacks in the Drenica area as part of the Serbian regime to ethnically cleanse Kosovo, and demanded that the attacks by Serbian forces cease immediately. Ambassadors of Contact group countries accredited in Belgrade are to arrive in Pristina Friday. (hina) lm mm 061258 MET mar 98