The Metallurgical Combine will be guarded by civilian guards EDMOND LAÇI ELBASAN — The Metallurgical Combine in Elbasan is now enveloped in silence. Although less populated, it has not managed to escape thefts, some of which still remain enigmas, even insoluble ones. The substances in question are 9 kilograms of platinum and around 30 kilograms of white mercury. “There has been a theft of platinum,” Blerim Çela, Chairman of the State Control Service, confirmed to the Gazette. “The director of the Metallurgical Combine enterprise — the current deputy director of the Combine explains — did indeed sell 9 kilograms of platinum to Germany, but the 150,000 dollars corresponding to this quantity sold are now in the state coffers.” According to reliable official sources, the platinum was taken out of Albania without passing through customs, and the sale price was many times lower than the prevailing market price. The fact that this former director left for Germany a few days after selling the platinum—and is still there today—has made the sale a mystery. It is not really a case of theft, but it is nevertheless a mysterious fact. “Today, although the Combine appears empty, materials of extraordinary value remain in its warehouses,” says the current deputy director of the Combine, “and not only that, but there is also a risk of possible explosions if special attention is not paid to certain parts.” However, these days the Municipality of Elbasan has decided to remove the armed guards and have the Combine guarded by civilian guards. “There are more than 200 police officers guarding the Metallurgical Combine today,” he says, “and there is still a fear of theft. Just imagine if the decision to guard the Combine with civilian guards became reality.” The latest decision is also confirmed by Kështrimit Aliaj, head of the Security Department of the Metallurgical Combine, who has been in charge of this work for three months. He was not there last November, when 30 kilograms of white mercury disappeared without a trace from the warehouses of the Supply Enterprise. “At least in these three months, no theft of that kind has occurred,” deputy director Aliaj assures us. Although, according to the Combine’s senior managers, white mercury still remains in its warehouses, most of it has already been stolen. The investigative authorities were unable to solve the mystery of the theft either; these days, according to the deputy head of the Elbasan Investigative Prosecutor’s Office, they returned the file to the enterprise, having failed to find the perpetrators and definitively close the criminal case. “We were on duty with assistance there,” says Shkëlqim Shehu, one of the guards now serving at the warehouses where the mercury was stolen months ago, “and when they called us to work, we learned what had happened. We heard all the rumors circulating among the groups about guarding the Combine with civilian guards becoming a reality.”

Political confrontation over the Greek issue continues President Berisha softens the dispute between Athens and Tirana by announcing the opening of schools in the Greek language Political confrontation over the Greek issue continues Embassy in Rome: “Brutal expulsions” President Berisha softens the dispute between Athens and Tirana by announcing the opening of schools in the Greek language TIRANA — The “mass and unjustified expulsion” from Greece of more than 18,000 Albanians (according to some other sources, 21,000), carried out “in a brutal manner,” was denounced by the Albanian Embassy in Rome, which in a statement speaks of a “deep crisis” in relations between Albania and Greece. The statement emphasizes that the deportees, among them 3,400 “without proper documents and passports,” were “found” on the streets, taking their belongings and hard-earned savings with them, and were expelled across the border. The Embassy adds that “unrestrained propaganda” is being waged in Greece against the Albanian government, based on “false information and heated discussions among the various ethnic and religious factions, with the sole aim of destroying the peaceful coexistence that has always characterized the Albanian population.” Among other things, the Embassy statement says that the pretext for expelling the Albanians was the departure from Albania of a group involved in a dispute between the Greek minority and the Albanian people. The statement also says that the two countries had agreed on the departure of this person, but that the swift and forceful actions of the Greek authorities compelled the Albanian local authorities to escort the subversive person to the border. Meanwhile, Tirana is seeking to play down the situation and speaks of signs of a drop in tensions from Athens. Speaking in the city of Saranda, where a large part of the Greek population lives, President Sali Berisha said that cooperative relations between the two countries are more important than the alliances recently made with Greece, which, he remarked, “are not very far-sighted.” In his remarks, Berisha said his government would pursue a path of dialogue with Athens and, without mentioning the Greek-Serbian alliance, noted that everyone has the right to choose their own alliances. Berisha says in the newspaper’s polemics about the Serbs that it will be right to choose its own alliances, Berisha says in the newspaper’s polemics about the Serbs that it will be right to choose its own alliances, Berisha says in the newspaper’s polemics about the Serbs that it will be right to choose its own alliances, in this regard, announcing the news of the opening of Greek-language classes in schools for young children. An Albanian in Greece

The bodies of the three soldiers killed in Mogadishu arrive in Rome MOGADISHU — Another exchange of fire between soldiers in a column of Italian Carabinieri and a group of armed Somalis in a vehicle took place yesterday on a road among fields, about 15 kilometers north of Mogadishu. According to the reconstruction of events made public by the “Italiafor” command, the vehicle carrying the armed Somalis crossed paths with the military column heading toward Baidoa, the base of several Italian operational units, about 30 kilometers north of the city. A number of shots were fired from the vehicle at the Italian soldiers, who responded with a tank’s half-gun. The truck then turned sideways across the road and the armed men abandoned it, fleeing on foot through the fields. When the soldiers reached the truck, it had already been abandoned; they found no one. The Italian soldiers searched the surrounding area but found no trace of the armed men. Three other Somali civilians were killed and seven wounded yesterday evening in Mogadishu in another exchange of fire between Somali snipers and UN peacekeeping forces. The victims lived in a polyclinic converted into an aid center for Somali refugees who had arrived from Ethiopia and other localities in the “fourth kilometer” area, where the shooting and incidents took place. The bodies of the three Italian soldiers killed in the Mogadishu clashes arrived in Rome on Sunday morning. Alongside the family members, Andrea Millevoi and President of the Council Carlo Azeglio Ciampi had come to receive the bodies. The funerals will be held with full honors to pay tribute to the fallen.

BELGRADE — Two Serbian police officers were wounded in a mysterious [ [?] ] while on patrol in a town in Peć, in southern Kosovo. The incident occurred in the Serbian town with an Albanian majority. The circumstances of the incident have not yet been made known because the general command of the police in the town of Peć has released no information about it, but the “Tanjug” agency claims more, reporting that the two police officers were admitted to hospital after an examination showed injuries caused by an explosion.

Baghdad rejects UN inspections BAGHDAD — The United Nations is having difficulty implementing the resolutions requiring Iraq to dismantle its arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Tensions and suspicions are growing that a decision may be made to intervene by force to compel Iraq to respect the ceasefire clauses that brought the Gulf War to an end in February 1991. Baghdad refuses to allow UN inspectors to install a video camera to monitor missile tests at an Iraqi weapons factory. A UN spokesperson in Bahrain has since said that the world organization has decided to withdraw its inspectors from Iraq, following disagreements between the two groups over the elimination of weapons of mass destruction. The officials will leave Baghdad today and move to the Emirates. Iraq’s behavior constitutes an “obstacle” to the inspectors’ work, the UN commented, and now “it is up to the UN Security Council to decide on a response.”

This is a familiar sight on Albania’s narrow roads. Except that here the car has overturned, and the nuns had come to help the Albanians. They are the sisters of Caritas, who narrowly escaped after their car rolled toward a ravine along the Tirana–Elbasan road. That day the sisters, through some publicity around them, while their groups were once again on the road. To set off again on their humanitarian mission.

More clashes in Germany ANKARA — One of the victims of the violence that erupted in Sivas, in central Turkey, at the hands of Islamic fundamentalists has died, bringing the death toll to 36; 60 people have been injured so far. Meanwhile, Aziz Nesin, the journalist who translated passages from Salman Rushdie’s work “The Satanic Verses” and who is the main target of extremist violence, accused the authorities of failing to take the necessary measures to prevent the unrest. A number of fanatical Muslims had set fire to the hotel where Nesin and other intellectuals had taken refuge. Yesterday in Sivas, ignoring the prohibitions imposed by the authorities, several hundred anti-fundamentalists demonstrated against Islamic extremism and the police. The demonstrators shouted “kill the others too” and “murderous police, where were you on Friday?”, referring to the serious riots. Turks continue to be at the center of tensions in Germany as well, where once again vehicles caused victims in incidents sparked by the wave of xenophobia. Last night a fierce clash took place between Turks and neo-Nazis and young men from the east; in the central and western part of Germany: the clash left three people injured. Police forces went to the scene, but have made no statement about the motives behind the clash between the Turks and the young neo-Nazis.

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RESIDENTS RELOCATED FROM VILLAGES IN KUKËS More than 200 farming families from the Kukës district have relocated to the country’s coastal area over the past ten months. The relocated farmers come from areas with little agricultural land and high population density. During the same period, the Municipality of Kukës approved more than 500 applications by villagers to register as residents of the city. These applications mainly came from residents of villages close to the city, whose land was flooded by Lake Fierzë. IN DURRËS, COURT ANNULS JOINT-VENTURE CONTRACT — The District Court of Durrës has annulled the contract of the joint venture “Dajt” in Albania. According to reports, the joint venture “Dajt” had received more than 500 hectares of coastal land for tourism development. The request for annulment was made by residents of villages close to the city, whose land was flooded by Lake Fierzë. “ASSOCIATION OF FOREIGN INVESTORS” TO BE ESTABLISHED SOON — On 12 July, the “Association of Foreign Investors” will be established in the reception hall of Hotel “Dajti.” According to the initiators, the association is intended to ensure coordination of the efforts of foreign investors coming to Albania. This is because most of these investors face difficulties in understanding the country’s laws and tax regulations. CULTURAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALBANIA AND ROMANIA APPROVED — The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania approved the cultural, technical and scientific cooperation program between Albania and Romania for the 1993–96 period. The program provides for exchanges of experience in all fields, as well as generous contributions from both sides.