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Land of Tears and Terror

The old man sat in a hut and cried and cried. He cried because soldiers had destroyed his village. He cried because he, his family and his neighbors were living in a crude camp in the woods. And he cried because they were too terrified to return home. "We're almost out of food," said the old man. "I don't think the children will survive the winter."

Such scenes of tears and terror can be found all across the province of Kosovo in southern Yugoslavia. Albanian-speaking people like the old man have been driven from their homes and forced to hide in forests. Of the 2 million people of Kosovo, 90% belong to the Albanian ethnic group. But they are only a 14% minority in all Yugoslavia, which is ruled by Serbs.

Ethnic Albanians do not want to be ruled by Serbs, and some are waging a civil war for independence. But the Serbs refuse to give up Kosovo, a region rich in minerals. The Serb soldiers and police troops have been fighting to end the rebellion, often harming innocent civilians.

For seven months, the world has watched and done little as the people of Kosovo have been terrorized and killed. So far, hundreds of men, women and children have died. Entire villages have been shelled and set on fire. As many as 250,000 people are homeless; 50,000 are living in the hills in tents made of branches and plastic sheets. When winter sets in, many will die of hunger and cold. Already, there is snow on the ground.

Making A Deal
Last week the world took a step toward saving the people of Kosovo. U.S. negotiator Richard Holbrooke flew to Yugoslavia's capital, Belgrade. He held nine days of talks with Yugoslavia's Serb leader, Slobodan Milosevic (Mil-low-sheh-vich).

The U.S. and its allies forced Milosevic to agree to halt the brutal attacks on ethnic Albanians. Milosevic promised to hold peace talks with the rebels. He also said Kosovo would be allowed to have elections. Most important, 2,000 unarmed observers would be allowed into Kosovo, and other observers could watch from planes. Their job: to make sure all promises are kept.

"We're getting an agreement by trusting Milosevic," says Ivo Daalder, an expert on the region. "But it will only work if Milosevic keeps his word."

Fighting Terror With Threats
Milosevic gave in after the U.S., France, Britain and other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) threatened to bomb Serb military positions in Kosovo. Last June NATO threatened Milosevic with air strikes, but that did not stop the Serb leader. He continued to send his troops into the area.

But this time NATO's threats were followed by decisive actions. U.S. planes were stationed in Italy and Britain, poised to attack. Warships and submarines loaded with highly effective cruise missiles were moved to the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas.

The cruise missiles' computers are programmed with detailed radar maps that enable them to hit a target with great accuracy. Milosevic knew he had to compromise or risk an attack. "This is the new warfare," says an official. "The cruise missile has made quite an impression on Milosevic. He realizes he can't compete."

Milosevic is no stranger to NATO bombings. Three years ago, NATO planes bombed Serb forces in Bosnia in order to force Milosevic to stop the violence in that country. A peace treaty signed in Dayton, Ohio, ended nearly four years of war. Today an uneasy peace exists in Bosnia, where 7,000 U.S. troops are stationed as peacekeepers.

Will The Promises Be Kept?
The U.S. and its allies have warned Milosevic that if he does not keep his promises, bombs will fall. Ethnic Albanians camping out in the hills have little faith in his promises. Many remain afraid to return to their homes. Last week there were reports that Serb police troops were still harassing civilians by firing machine guns into towns. "Until the NATO planes fly here, Milosevic will say whatever people want to hear," said an ethnic Albanian. "One hundred times he has lied."

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A Look At Yugoslavia

POPULATION 11.2 million
ETHNIC GROUPS Serbs, 63%; Albanians, 14%; Montenegrins, 6%; other, 17%
RELIGIONS Eastern Orthodox, Muslim and Roman Catholic
GEOGRAPHY plains and mountains, located on the Balkan peninsula
CAPITAL Belgrade
HISTORY Until 1991, the country of Yugoslavia was made up of six republics. Yugoslavia was about the size of Wyoming. Then it started to shrink. From 1991 to 1992, the republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia declared their independence. Yugoslavia was left with only two republics: Serbia and Montenegro.
Yugoslavia is now slightly smaller than Kentucky.
Kosovo is part of Serbia. Its people had their own government until Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic took control in 1989. Now the Kosovo Liberation Army is fighting for Kosovo's independence.

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