DOMESTIC FACTORS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM ABROAD: PAGE 13 Governor Cani

Yesterday, the Minister of Public Order, Petro Koçi, introduced the new chief of police in Vlora. A few hours earlier, he had suspended the prefectural police director from duty on the grounds of “serious breach of work discipline.” After the terse explanation, Ministry officials clarified that the measure was taken because the Colonel who headed the Vlora police slept in Fier at night and spent the day in Tirana. Along with him, yesterday, the other heads of the Vlora police were also dismissed. In their place, the Minister issued orders appointing two officers to their new posts; they have received ample praise for the duties they performed in Korçë, Kolonjë, and Sarandë. The Minister announced his appointments yesterday, while the post of Vlora Police Director also remains vacant; the Prime Minister will give the final approval. The appointment has not yet been made because of the time needed to complete the procedures, from the proposal to the final signature. Goodwill prompts one to believe this, although afterwards one may hear all kinds of mocking refrains such as: naïve, idealist, fool. The post of police director in the country’s second-largest port has kept many people on edge in recent hours. Among them are speedboat operators, smugglers, murderers, and thieves. This is because a vast network for trafficking people, drugs, weapons, and prostitution has been established in Vlora. In Vlora there is an open gateway for every kind of murderer seeking to escape Albanian justice. Vlora now has a class of businessmen and traders who have amassed staggering fortunes and are spending their wealth, against their own wishes, to keep crime on its feet. But facing all of this, for some time there has also been a large group of people demanding that the port city be rid of criminals, dirty money, murders, and thefts—not only in broad daylight but also in the dark of night. Thus, the contests for the new Vlora police chief held until just a few months ago are a bitter affront to these people, who range from the city’s number one citizen, the mayor, to the last mother in Vlora to have donned a black headscarf. The procedure for appointing a police director, notwithstanding its military character, should not resemble papers with holes thrown into a dark box. On the contrary, people should compete on the basis of their qualities, commitment, sacrifices, and, above all, the results of their work. No one would be convinced by a police officer whose name has not even made a dent in the peaceful outskirts of a town near Vlora—let alone among the bandits who plague Vlora—being made director today merely because he is the sole candidate, an academic one, put forward for approval.

Every hour, NATO soldiers and weapons arrive at Rinas. While the soldiers are filling out the announced contingent of 12,000 troops, who will also be assigned humanitarian duties, an entire military infrastructure is arriving to protect the “Apache” helicopters. Yesterday it was said that they were the first to arrive in Albania. American paratroopers and commando troops will protect them and lead them in combat operations in Kosovo. But missiles to counter air attacks also arrived at Rinas to protect them, posing a threat to tank killers. Heavy vehicles at Rinas unloading NATO missiles from aircraft (REUTERS)

ALBANIAN SOLDIERS DEFEND THEMSELVES AT QAFË-PRUSH PAGE 15

The coalition expresses its support ............... PAGE 5

The Albanian state with dignity ............... PAGE 16

At 22:45 on Monday night, NATO aircraft struck the “Jugoslavia” ground satellite station in Prilike, near Ivanjica. “Four missiles were launched in two attacks.” ............... PAGE 3