Kosovo paramilitary gang is headed by former prime minister

Former Kosovo prime minister Ramus Haradinaj stands behind a new mysterious paramilitary group, which calls itself "Kosovo Independence Army" (KIA),the Belgrade daily “Vecernje novosti” reports.

“The sponsor and main ideologue of that terrorist army is Ramus Haradinaj, former prime minister of Kosovo, accused of war crimes by the Hague Tribunal”, the paper said, quoting unnamed diplomatic sources in Pristina.

The international police in Kosovo have confirmed recent reports of armed gangs operating in western Kosovo, stopping traffic and searching passengers.

The international police in Kosovo have confirmed that armed gangs have been spotted in western Kosovo, stopping traffic and searching passengers. Two Kosovo policemen of Serbian nationality were killed in the area last month, and another four escaped injuries Wednesday night when unknown persons riddled their automobile with bullets.

KIA has sent letters to the Pristina media, saying that it would resume the KLA armed struggle if Kosovo, which has been under United Nations control since 1999, is not granted independence. The KLA was transformed into the Kosovo Protection Corps, a sort of peace-time paramilitary organization, after the withdrawal of Serbian forces from the province in 1999.

Ethnic Albanians, who make a 1.7 million majority against some 100.000 Serbs remaining in the province, demand independence, which Belgrade opposes. The United Nations Security Council decided on Monday to initiate talks on the final status of Kosovo, AKI reports.

V.Y.