Sunday, June 13th, 1999, 3:20 p.m.

Complete Chaos in Kosovo

    Hello friends all around the globe.

    I would like to apologize everyone whom I haven't answered yet. The phone lines with Belgrade are horrible. Local ISP didn't work yesterday, and we also had unprecedented storm, with only bits of electricity. Today we had three blackouts. Due to that I'm writing this for the fourth time. The electricity wires are broken, and some power poles are damaged. I can't remember when we had such a storm here. Not in the last 15-20 years. The sky has fall on the Earth. The walnut size hail has destroyed 50 percent of agricultural corps and fruit plants. Many roof are blown, tree arms are torn, there was a lot of damage. The beginning of the storm was at the same time when NATO troops entered Pristina. Unbelievable.

    But, I think that my priority should be to inform you about the latest events, which are not bright at all. I don't know where to start, honestly. I'm at home, of course, where I plan to stay, as well as many people from here. Kosovo Polje is, at the time, one of the very few places where one can feel safe. I think that similar situation is in Lipljan (but not everywhere there) and in villages around Gracanica. But the Metohija region is in complete chaos, as far as I can hear. Serbs are leaving in masses. Pristina is full of refugees, as well as Kosovo Polje. All of them tell the same story, that the terrorists gave them few hours to move, right after our army has withdrawn. Some of them haven't even left their hometowns, and their houses were already set on fire.

    All those things are closer and closer to us. In vicinity of Obilic, more precisely in Belacevac, KLA has occupied the coal mine Belacevac, captured six Serbs, eight of them managed to escape and hide in the surrounding Serbian villages, one of those eight is my neighbor. The loud shooting could be heard last night and the night before from that region. Also, the villages of the Lipljan municipality - Goles, Magura and Vrsevce are on the terrorists' aim for two days now. Terrorists from Lipovica are gathering there and force people to leave. All those places will be cleansed very soon. There will be no Serbs there anymore.

    There are casualties on the daily basis. My family suffered another loss. My brother-in-law was caught in a cross-fire around Urosevac, and was shot dead. Three more young men were killed in the same shooting. People are also leaving from the region of Stimlje, and while I type these lines, that well may be the old news. We all feared that it might come to the damn "vacuum" on the ground, and that's exactly what is going on right now. KLA is taking advantage of the situation and takes the territories. We'll see what will happen here. Although it won't be that easy for them. All of us are still here, and it's not the small number.

    As far as troops movements are concerned, there are lots of them, at least here and in Pristina. All troops are moving day and night trough Kosovo Polje, and the remaining troops of our Army are still leaving. Yesterday early in the morning, the last MiGs were evacuated from Slatina and Goles. Eleven unharmed jets took off and in low flight left North. Russians are in these areas, and Brits are moving cautiously through the territory. Slatina Airport is still in Russian hands, and they have no attention to leave it. As far as I know, the don't allow anyone, except our Army the access to the Airport. Soon we expect their large Illushin plans to land there. Brits are holding all roads around the Airport, as well as all other roads in vicinity of Pristina. There are no troops here in Kosovo Polje, but a lots of them are situated at the entrance of Pristina. Those are mostly the tanks and armored vehicles units. They are all pleasant in contacts, most of them have an interpreter along with them.

    I witnessed an interesting scene yesterday: A car with three civilians and one soldier was heading to Pristina. In vicinity of the leveled army barrack British patrol near the tank halts it. "Dobar dan (Good day)" - in a fluctuate Serbian, "vase isprave (your IDs)." Three civilians are showing their papers, but the soldier doesn't move. Englishman, or whatever he is, says "Thanks" and points his rifle at soldier, asking "And you Sir?" The soldier fast took his gun out and points it into the Englishman head. Pat position that lasts for couple of seconds. Then the officer standing near the tank reacted. He hits the soldiers gun, approaches the car and apologize in the fluctuate English on behalf of his soldier, and warns the soldier that after the agreed time he should not be armed or in uniform. OK. The end of story.

    Yesterday, I had a chance to talk with a Russian captain. Igor from Moscow, captain of the elite units of the Russian army. He expressed his gratitude for the extraordinary welcome, that he or his units never saw in their lives. "We were both surprised and overjoyed how Serbian people welcomed us. We know that we mean salvation for them. We'll try not to fail their expectations. Because it's different when we are here. We all believe that. We will stick in everyone's throat of all, we know that" he said. "But what did they think, that they can do it without us. They say this is not a football match or a race. Why are they so tensed and why they complain then, if everything is "ocheny horosho" (all right)!?" Man spent more then two years in Bosnia. He speaks Serbian very well, although with Bosnian accent, he smiles at the cup of vodka I offered him to drink, but drinks it with pleasure, which doesn't surprise me at all. He said that he haven't been at home for more than a year. But when he saw all this, he didn't regret. His statement is that they had to prepare for the move within the hour. Half of the way they didn't know their final destination. The last information, as he says is, that there will be 12.000 Russian troops in Kosovo. They stood in my street 'til the dawn, and then they joined their units at Slatina. We'll see how the situation will develop.

    The activity in the sky above us is very live. The reconnaissance jets mostly, that sniffs around for days. Since this morning there are also a British helicopters that transport the equipment from the South to the city, which can be clearly observed from here. Tomorrow is another working day, we'll see what it will bring us, and how this night that falls will pass, that is also to be seen. I will probably stay awake.

   All the best and cheers my dear friends...

WITH FAITH IN GOD, FOR GOD IS WITH US. FOR THE HONORABLE CROSS AND THE GOLDEN FREEDOM.
Gagi
Kosovo Polje