Pollo meets U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen The Democratic Party must do its duty, since it is the party of democracy and the people, declared General Xhorxh Joulvan ON PAGE 3

Gramsh, Peqin, Librazhd and Elbasan are waiting for aid ON PAGE 5

By Mero BAZE At least 169 deputies from the Italian left threatened the government of Prime Minister D’Alema that, if NATO, including Italy, were to decide to send ground troops into Kosovo, they would bring down his government. The Prime Minister, once a respected communist in Italy and now pro-Western, is trying to find support among the Italian right to keep a government in office over the Kosovo issue. The most charismatic leader of the Italian right, Xhanfranko Fini, has promised his support and assured the Italian Prime Minister that he would join a “National Unity” government until the Kosovo problem is resolved. For the first time in Italy’s history, a former communist such as D’Alema and a former right-winger such as Fini are working together to uphold their country’s dignity in relation to the Kosovo crisis. During his recent visit to Tirana, Fini foreshadowed such an arrangement and tried to offer it as advice to the Albanian government as well, so that it could cope with the Kosovo crisis. But what is really happening in Albania? The opposition has asked the government for urgent consultations so they can discuss together possible ways out of the crisis, but the government has not responded. The opposition then also called for the formation of a broad-based government, supported by all sides, to confront not only the humanitarian catastrophe but also the risk of Albania being drawn into a direct war with Serbia. There has been no response to this either. On the contrary, yesterday in the Albanian Parliament, one of the best-known deputies in the history of Albanian parliamentarism for his anti-Kosovarism, Kiço Blushi, called for the opposition’s activities to be investigated, claiming that “there was information that the opposition would use the Kosovars who had arrived to overthrow the government.” While Fini speaks of “Kosovars,” Blushi had in fact called on all Albanians and his gangs to remain vigilant toward the thousands of women, families and elderly people who were arriving from northern Albania under gunfire, trying to save their lives. It is utterly illogical to argue now against such a statement, since doing so risks endangering those thousands of Albanians who have not yet arrived and are escaping Serbian massacres. But it must be said, loudly if need be, that the Albanian communists are not one bit different from all the communists around the world who have risen against Kosovo today. The only difference is that this national catastrophe found them in power, and they are hoping that through this misfortune they can prolong their time in office. That is the only reason they have not closed the borders to Kosovars. But now that they feel they have no opposition to letting them in, the most anti-Kosovar faction of the Albanian government, led by Blushi, is trying to stir up domestic hatred against them. If there is a moment when Albanian communists feel uncomfortable, amid an outburst of brutality toward the Albanian cause, it is the present one; and precisely for this reason they are trying to awaken allies inside the country against the Kosovars. Kiço Blushi speaks in Parliament of Kosovars posing a threat to his hold on power; he calls for punishment for the “infiltration of UDB agents” among the Kosovars, while he himself proudly declares that he is of Serbian origin. The television channel “Klan,” controlled by a Frenchman and by former State Security structures in Kosovo, preserved by people associated with the Italian communists’ pro-Serbian stance, has begun to react, whether over its reports in Tirana cafés or otherwise; meanwhile another ally of his in Fatos Nano’s cabinet tells anecdotes about “Kosovars” who want bathtubs, showers and “Cristian D’Ore” in the city’s fashionable boutiques. This category of Albanians is no different from those in Kosovo or Berat, or from Miram Markoviç’s supporters in Belgrade; it is no different from communists anywhere in the world. They do not openly oppose NATO intervention; instead, they “fight” on their own front against Kosovo refugees arriving in Albania. They are of a different race and share the same predisposition against Albanians and Kosovo, but now they cannot seize power against them; they can, however, create social and political conflict against this group. Their racism is complete. They are trying to insult the Albanians of Kosovo by branding them agents, condemning them as “revisionists” and “terrorists,” and imposing the image of “the Kosovars” as people supposedly set apart from “these traitors.” According to this race, the model is not Hashim Thaçi and Xhavit Haliti, together with another Albanian, who appeared as a representation of Macedonia’s image and strengthened national integrity against Fatos Nano’s government. In Italy, political forces are preparing to unite to deal with the Kosovo crisis. For the first time in Italy’s history there will be a government of this kind of political composition, functioning solely to address the Kosovo issue. The Italian communists, who are among the most anti-Kosovar of all, should know what Kosovo means and should no longer be in Albania—nor in Albania, Kosovo or this side of it. Responsibility for what is happening in Kosovo should first and foremost lie with Italy’s socialists and communists. For the opposition, it would be wrong to bring the war into power without becoming a humane force; the masks and rotten government structures would remain in place. Between it and the Albanian government, which is offering shelter to the survivors, there is no sign that the government cares about these people, who want to kill the millions of Kosovars coming to Albania. But the opposition must get through this moment and pursue a deliberate political course. If Azem Hajdari could be asked—even if he had been robbed—he would surely have chosen political cooperation against the anti-Kosovars, while accepting the same responsibility for everyone, because all anti-Kosovars at this moment have the same Albanian people in their sights. Therefore, this is the most serious matter in the world; I do not think that the Albanian government and Parliament can be judged historically by those in power in Albania.

The Albanian government’s theft of aid is an international problem Akant, representative of the Secretariat General of the Council of Europe, skeptical about providing funds to Albania Strasbourg warns Albania over aid Akant: “If funds that may be provided in the future by the Council of Europe for arrivals from Kosovo go in the right direction, rather than elsewhere, then it will be Albania that is punished” ON PAGE 3 Serbian RTV in Belgrade, after the NATO bombings

Berisha greets the NATO summit on the occasion of its 50th anniversary Dr. Sali Berisha, Chairman of the Democratic Party, sent a message of congratulations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, addressed to President Clinton and NATO Secretary General Solana at the Washington Summit. Among other things, Berisha notes that the North Atlantic Alliance has defended freedom, and that the United States has come forward at a time of humanitarian catastrophe and war, when it is difficult and its interests in the region may be weakened by threats. Without closing its doors, NATO, under your leadership and that of the United States, opened its ranks to the former communist countries, now freed from dictatorships, making them partners and full members and thus committing itself to guaranteeing peace and stability in the continent’s new space. Berisha emphasizes that today the Alliance’s air forces are bombing Europe’s last communist dictator and fighting for the freedoms and fundamental human values of the Albanians in Kosovo, who have been subjected in recent weeks to barbarity, genocide and mass deportation on a scale Europe has not known in these weeks of this century. In this commitment, you and your government, Mr. President, have played a decisive role, and for this you will have the eternal gratitude of the Albanian people. Berisha also emphasizes that Albania was the first former communist country in Europe to seek membership in the North Atlantic Alliance, while other countries are part of the Partnership for Peace and maintain active cooperation with the Alliance. Today, Alliance fighter units are stationed at various bases around the country, along with U.S. Marines, paratroopers and army helicopters. In addition, hundreds of thousands of freedom fighters face the same enemy and the same dangers on the battlefields of Kosovo, and defend the same values as American pilots and those of member countries, who for a month have been bombing the military machine of Europe’s Pol Pot. All this means that today Albania and the Albanians celebrate the Alliance’s 50th anniversary as a de facto member and as a loyal allied nation. Berisha expresses his conviction that NATO will triumph over the genocide, mass deportation and other barbarities of the butcher of the Balkans, and that the Alliance of the new millennium will be the principal guarantor of peace, stability, and the values of freedom and democracy.

NATO, 50 years after its founding, united to defend the values and principles of democracy, freedom and the security of the continent The Atlantic Alliance: No concessions on the five international demands made of Milosheviç ON PAGE 2 Another testament to Albanian diplomacy Albania, still far from the EU ON PAGE 2

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