16:12 2002-06-29
"SPEAK FREELY, ONLY THE AMERICANS LISTEN TO WHAT WE SAY"
An investigative journalist from the Dutch media house 'VPRO' obtained some scandalous documents from European intelligence services, which confirm that the USA was deeply involved in last year war in Macedonia and that they supplied Ali Ahmeti;s 'Uckas' with telecommunications devices and provided them with military training," writes Dnevnik's Friday edition.

The documents that the "VPRO" has can be divided in three groups - documents for the UCK leaders, schemes for organizational positioning of the "NLA" and daily records for the events on the front. The first group of documents clearly shows that Ali Ahmeti was receiving orders directly from Hasim Thaci. The journalist Hub Jaspers confirms the claims of the Macedonian security forces that the "NLA" is not "local" terrorist organization, but that it was established and led by centers in Kosovo. The "VPRO" cannot integrally publish the documents in order not to harm its sources.

"The reports that we received have been developed by intelligence services for several European governments. They include warning to the governments to prepare themselves to answer to some very unpleasant questions regarding the war in Macedonia," Hub Jaspers told Dnevnik. The two parties from the Dutch ruling coalition have already asked from the government to comment the claims of the "VPRO", to which the Dutch ministry of defense rejected the claims that the USA was involved in the urging of the war in Macedonia.

Rob de Vijk, former advisor in the Dutch army staff, was called to see the documents. On Thursday he confirmed that the documents were authentic and developed by intelligence services of several European countries. He did not want to name the countries whose services developed the documents.

Jaspers claims that the documents confirm that the disarmament of the UCK in 1999 in Kosovo was only symbolical. The Albanian extremists have kept most of the weapons in warehouses in Kosovo and the same weapons were used in the combats in Macedonia. there is also an information that before the "Essential Harvest" operation huge quantities of weapons were transferred to Macedonia from Pec, and later this weaponry was handed over to the NATO troops. The documents do not say it that weaponry was old as the local media claimed, however it was brought it order the number of 3,500 pieces to be achieved.

The documents also point out that the "NLA" was helped by the USA with logistic support and weapons.

"Speak freely, only the Americans listen to what we say. OK, perhaps the Russians can hear us as well," this is a quote from a conversation between two "NLA" commanders during the conflict last year. The information that Jaspers received shows that the USA have equipped the "NLA" commanders with communication devices so they can communicate during the clashes without to be heard. However, the UCKas did not know that their conversations were recorded by intelligence services of several other European NATO member countries, and Jaspers obtained these recordings.

"According to these information, 70% of the weapons that the NLA had was produced in the USA," Jaspers says.

One of the most shocking news is that in the village of Arachinovo, together with the commander Hodza's UCKas, also 17 American military instructors from the mercenary MPRI went in.

"The European intelligence services were surprised when 17 Americans exited from the buses with which they pulled out the Albanian terrorists from Kosovo. It is not certain if they fought on the side of the "NLA" but they have certainly trained them for combat," Jaspers says. Similar claims were also published in the Greek "Kathimerini" and the German "Hamburger Abenblat."

The MPRI is an organization established by retired American officers or officers who after the training simply see more profit in working as mercenaries than as officers in the US Army, Dnevnik writes. Washington has to approve its engagement. Yesterday the MPRI issued an announcement claiming that its employees were never pulled out or saved by the American Army or some international organization. Jaspers' documents indicate that the European intelligence services did not know before the offensive that there were MPRI men in the village. It cannot be determined if the strong pressure from the international community for termination of the offensive in Aracinovo was due to the need these people to be saved.