Sunday March 28, 1999

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The Yugoslav president and supreme commander of the Yugoslav armed forces, Slobodan Milosevic, on Sunday held a meeting with top state and military officials.

Reviewed was the current military and political situation after the first days of the defense against the aggressor, as well as the coordination of the work of military and civilian structures, of interest for the country's successful defense. It was assessed that, in view of the hitherto experiences and the undertaken measures and activities, as well as the resolute coordination of the work of military and civilian authorities, there is no doubt that strengthening are all factors of importance for the country's defense. It was concluded that public services were successfully functioning and that being carried out were the federal government's measures taken for the purpose of regulating issues of interest for the functioning of the state in conditions of a state of war. Responsible institutions are tending to the citizens' interests and security and are providing all the necessary conditions for their life and work. The country's economic activities are stable and in the function of satisfying the citizens' needs and the country's successful defense. The spring sowing is being carried out according to plan. It was stressed that our citizens and armed forces were strongly united, characterized by a high patriotic awareness and resolve to persevere in the just struggle against the criminal aggressors. Our citizens are also demonstrating high personal responsibility, as well as a high degree mutual solidarity.

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Serbian President Milan Milutinovic laid a wreath on the Unknown Warrior Monument on Mt Avala to mark Serbia's Statehood Day, March 28.

Milutinovic wrote the following in the memorial book: At this moment, crucial for Serbia, I bow to the those who courageously fought and defended this country.

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The federal government has reviewed the current military and security situation in FR of Yugoslavia. The statement says that the federal government's basic orientation is for all the state functions to be financed exclusively from realistic sources, and that all the available financial and material resources be put in the function of the country's defence. The federal government has passed a number of decrees with legal effect, which are in force during the proclaimed state of war. These decrees determine the legal position and activities of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, as well as other financial organizations in the state of war. The federal government also gave its consent to the Decision on the National Bank of Yugoslavia's monetary policy in the state of war. Also determined have been relations in foreign trade activities and passed has been the Decision on determining export and import products aimed at strengthening the country's defence potentials. In determining all the legally effective decisions, the federal government realized full coordination with the National Bank of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Serbia. The federal government also called on the Montenegrin government fully to respect the legal the legal obligations stemming from the state of war, proclaimed following NATO's aggression against FR of Yugoslavia.

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Measures of the Serbian government, determined by the decisions on the state of war are being carried out efficiently, responsibly and consistently, and their realization strongly contributes to the defence of the country from the aggressor in satisfying the citizens needs under current circumstances, the Serbian government assessed.

The undertaken measures are producing efficient results, owing to the extraordinary engagement of our citizens who have a dignified and responsible attitude towards carrying out their chief task - the defence of the country. The government particularly points to the great mobility, synchronism and unity of the actions undertaken by all state institutions and in carrying out the obligations in accordance with the adopted plans. Production in all economic sectors is carried out intensively, public companies are functioning in line with the adopted tasks, and the spring sowing is successfully realized. The citizens have adequate supplies. The government has decided immediately to take all necessary measures in removing the consequences of the atrocious bombing, primarily on the renewal of the damaged schools, hospitals, kindergartens, and other public institutions, with the aim of putting them back in function. The government has ordered that all the citizens' houses which have been damaged in the fascist attacks immediately be supplied with necessary material for their urgent renewal. Serbia is more united today than ever. Our nation has once again confirmed its readiness and determination in defending the fatherland, its freedom and independence, says the statement from the Serbian government.

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NATO command in Brussels confirmed the loss of the state-of-the-art F-117 US fighter plane, which was downed over Serbia near the village of Budjanovci, 45 kilometres northwest of Belgrade.

NATO spokesman in Brussels confirmed the loss of the plane only after Washington's official confirmation. By shooting down one of NATO's most modern war aircraft, the Yugoslav air forces dealt a severe blow to the North Atlantic Alliance for the first time in the last several decades. They confirmed that, despite the unequal combat with the immeasurably technically and technologically superior enemy, they are managing to resist aggression.

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NATO command in Brussels confirmed the loss of the state-of-the-art F-117 US fighter plane, which was downed over Serbia near the village of Budjanovci, 45 kilometres northwest of Belgrade.

NATO spokesman in Brussels confirmed the loss of the plane only after Washington's official confirmation. By shooting down one of NATO's most modern war aircraft, the Yugoslav air forces dealt a severe blow to the North Atlantic Alliance for the first time in the last several decades. They confirmed that, despite the unequal combat with the immeasurably technically and technologically superior enemy, they are managing to resist aggression.

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The downing of the US aggressor's plane over Yugoslavia is the main topic of the world media.

The French electronic media report from several western centers it has been confirmed that Yugoslav anti-aircraft defence on Saturday shot down a US F-117 plane. The French state-run radio France En Fo said that such confirmation had been received from the Italian Defence Ministry. The French news agency reported from Belgrade that Serbian Radio and Television showed footage of the downed F-117 ablaze. The Agency France Press said that the footage showed the insignia of the downed F-117.

In all reports on Nato's aggression against Yugoslavia, the Russian media still focus on the downing of the US F-117 Stealth plane saying that the incident is important not only as a moral victory of the state exposed to a brutal aggression, but also from the military point of view. The Yugoslavs are now the first in the world to have the product of the super secret technology the information about which are of immeasurable value for all intelligence services in the world, particularly for Russian, the Russian media report.

Since early Sunday morning, the Russian media have broadcast the news that Serbian television for the first time after the beginning of air-strikes against Yugoslavia five days ago showed the footage of the shot down the enemy F-117 Stealth plane.

The Chinese media said at issue was the most up-to-date radar-evasive bomber of US aviation. The New China news agency quoted Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic as saying that the crime committed by US-led Nato against Yugoslavia represented the greatest threat to world peace and stability since World War Two and that all freedom-loving countries should see to it that the crime ended.

The shooting down of the Nato aircraft has caused great furore among the German public since German pilots are also taking part in the shameful aggression against FR Yugoslavia. The incident also caused great unrest among the Greens who turned from the pacifist into the party promoting war. Of the 47 MPs in the Bundestag, seven officially sought the cessation of the aggression.

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Several tens of thousand of the citizens of Yugoslavia's capital, Belgrade, rallied in downtown Belgrade at a rock concert staged in sign of protest against Nato's air-strikes on the country.

The Belgraders rallied in Republic Square in downtown Belgrade at the moment when the sirens sounded air-raid danger and while the sirens marking the end of it were outsounded by the loud music. The most popular Yugoslav bands took part in the concert and most of the citizens carried on their back shooting targets stating Don't miss me. Certain members of the rally were quoted by news agencies as saying that Nato bombs united the Serbian nation and the people of different political orientations who are convinced that the fight against the western military alliance's aggression is just. Similar concerts under the motto Culture and Love against the Crime will be held in Belgrade in the next few days as well.

Reuters carries statements from the participants in his gathering. According to them it can be concluded that the Nato bombs which are falling on Yugoslavia have united the Serbian people, as well as people of different political stands. Strikes against civilian facilities despite of the statements from the Nato officials that hit were military targets, helped to form a strong anti-American attitude of the Serbian people, assesses the news-agency. Reuters describes the situation in Belgrade and says that the shops are well supplied. Only cigarettes and fuel are in short supply.

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NATO commanders have decided to continue their criminal action against a sovereign state, a small nation defending its territory.

The decision has been named PHASE TWO, in which they intend to carry out missile attacks against the armed forces south of Belgrade. The decision does not say when this operation is to start. In the "second phase", NATO criminals have the aim of attacking the Yugoslav Army, barracks, manpower and military warehouses. In the course of the hitherto attacks, in the initial stage of the aggression, NATO criminals used bombers at high altitudes and cruise missiles.

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In Sunday's aggression of the NATO aviation against targets in Montenegro, missiles and bombs fell in the area of Golubovac airport near Podgorica, the military test-ground Radovce in the Podgorica municipality, as well as the ZETA area where there are no military facilities.

The republican alertness headquarters informed the citizens that cassette bombs, loaded with a number of mines with time-set ignition,were used in this attack, which represent an extreme danger to the civilian population. The competent bodies of the Yugoslav Army's Second Army Command have discovered and warned the citizens about several cassette bombs which fell on the territory of Montenegro, again outside the parametre of military facility locations. The use of these bombs is banned in any, including military operations.

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During the onslaught on Yugoslavia, Nato aircraft are violating the Republika Srpska air-space, the Republika Srpska's Public Alert Center announced.

According to the Center, aircraft are coming from the south-western part of the Italian base of Aviano and are flying along the Ljubinje-Nevesinje-Kalinovik route in southern Republika Srpska and the Sipovo-Sanski Most-Srpska Kostajnica western route. Nato aircraft are engaged in overflying an hour before every onslaught on targets in Yugoslavia.

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Serbian Patriarch Pavle toured the monastery of Rakovica damaged during a Nato missile assault on Belgrade. Tanjug reports that the monastery of Rakovica was not directly hit but was damaged by a blast in the immediate vicinity. Besides other damages, the windows of the church and lodgings were broken. For the entire well-intentioned public, this is yet another confirmation that cultural monuments are also endangered by this abominable Nato aggression, and, what's even worse, human lives.

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In an interview to the MEGA TV network of Athens, Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic expressed the gratitude of the Serbian nation to the Greek nation for their solidarity and opposition to the Nato aggression.

Draskovic said that Nato laid its cards on the table by publishing that the goal of the aggression was to destroy the Yugoslav Army and Serbia and to arm Albanian terrorists as an army of some kind of an independent Kosovo and Greater Albania which is to engulf parts of Macedonia and Montenegro as well. We have no other choice but to defend our state and nation, Draskovic said.

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The chairman of the Temporary Executive Council of Kosovo-Metohija, Zoran Andjelkovic, said in Pristina on Sunday that the NATO Nazi aggressors and Albanian terrorist gangs which are, under NATO's protection, trying ethnically to cleanse Kosovo-Metohija, must know that our people will defend the country regardless of all the attacks.

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Participating in the Highlights of the Week programme of the Belgian RTBF TV, the Yugoslav ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Nikola Cicanovic, on Sunday condemned NATO's brutal aggression against a sovereign country and emphasized that it was necessary to cease the bombing of a nation promptly.

Taking part in the same broadcast, Brussels University professor Olivier Cortain, international law expert, said he believed the aggression against Yugoslavia was carried out contrary to the UN Charter. He said that the attack against Yugoslavia was now justified with an alleged attempt at preventing genocide. NATO, however, did not, for instance, did not attack Croatia which with a classic "cleansing" action expelled practically all the Serbs from the country. No one reacted then, including NATO, said Cortain.

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Former Russian Prime Minister Yegor Gaydar arrived in Bucharest with two former Russian officials on his way to Belgrade, in an attempt to contribute to the cessation of NATO's aggression and the overall settlement of the crisis in Kosovo-Metohija.

At Ferhediy airport, the delegation met with Hungarian Foreign Minister Yanos Martoni and US envoy Richard Holbrooke, who has been on a private visit to Bucharest for several days now.

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The spokesman for the Vatican Joachim Javaro Vals said that the Holy Sea was intensively working on ending the war in FR Yugoslavia and he was confident that diplomatic efforts would soon bear fruit.

The Holy Sea cannot accept the war situation, Vals told RAI TV and added its activities were very intensive. The papal nuncio in Belgrade Santos Arbil y Castillo told the Ansa news agency that Vatican's diplomacy was doing everything it can to ensure the resumption of dialogue and ending of violence.

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Members of the Italian Communist Party, who are also ministers or deputy ministers in the Italian government at whose helm is Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema, have already signed resignations which they will submit to the PM unless he draws decisive and efficient moves promptly to cease the bombardment of Yugoslavia.

The leader of the Communist Party, Armando Koshuta explained that his party, as a member of the ruling coalition, requested the government to respect the adopted Italian Parliament's draft, which means to advocate and do everything in order to put an end to NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia and make way for politics and diplomacy.

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Former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi who was recently appointed chair of the European Commission, said on Sunday that the union must play a crucial role in the settlement of the crisis in Yugoslavia.

I insist on the European Union's being responsible for peace in the Balkans, the new set up and well-being of the region, Prodi said in an interview to the Bulgarian state-run radio. Prodi also proposed the holding of a Balkan peace conference.

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Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministers Igor Ivanov and Khamal Harasi called for the cessation of Nato air-strikes against FR Yugoslavia since time was ticking away for the UN Charter and international law in general, the Iranian foreign ministry said.

The Itar Tass news agency said in a statement from Teheran that Ivanov and Harasi said in a telephone conversation on Saturday evening it was necessary immediately to launch political dialogue on the resolution of the Kosovo-Metohija problem.

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Nato soldiers stationed in Kumanovo in the vicinity of the Yugoslav-Macedonian border, are fleeing to Bulgaria en mass in the face of the local population's rage. The desertion has intensified following the downing of the aggressor's F-117 plane. Nato soldiers who have been stoned over the past few days are sincerely telling the taxi-drivers who are driving them to the border they are fed up with staying in Macedonia and that it is via Bulgaria that they will reach the countries from which they have been dispatched to these regions.

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The chief administration of the Moscow militia stated that a the US embassy building in Moscow was shot at from a machine gun on Sunday.

A white jeep from which fire was opened swiftly got lost in the traffic jam. It was also stated that none of the embassy personnel was hurt in the incident.

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A large number of civilian and military observers with the OSCE mission in Kosovo-Metohija currently in Macedonia, have expressed their bitterness over the development of the situation, which would, as they pointed out, be different if they had been able to carry out their job.

France Press reports that the verifiers, who wished to remain anonymous, accused the US of using the OSCE KVM for their own goals which had been set in advance. According to one of the verifiers, the Americans have planned everything in advance, and the OSCE Mission was composed of two-third of military and intelligence personnel. The same officer believes that the so-called KLA was encouraged to try to break off connections between Kosovo and Belgrade. The forces which led them to do so knew well what they were causing in this manner, stressed the unnamed verifier, France Press carries.

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A wave of outrage against the aggression on Yugoslavia is spreading throughout Macedonia. The citizens more and more openly hold against the state leadership for not courageously condemning NATO's and America's abominable act.

Several thousand citizens rallied in Bitolj, in front of the French consulate, requesting NATO leave the territory of Macedonia and halt the insane aggression against Yugoslavia. Revolted with the West's insane crime, the rallied inhabitants of Kocani burned US dollars and shouted slogans of support to Serbia and Yugoslavia. Members of the Macedonian national football team in Veles carried out to the stadium a large banner on which was written that they wished to play in peace and not under NATO threats.

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Over 200 generals, admirals and other high-ranking Bulgarian reserve officers on Sunday condemned NATO's criminal aggression against sovereign Yugoslavia.

A Declaration of the Association of high-ranking Bulgarian officers points out that NATO's brutal attack on Yugoslavia represents a bloody state-terrorist act, qualified as an aggression under the UN Charter and other principles of international law. For this reason, the United States, Great Britain and other participants in NATO's aggression against Yugoslavia should answer before the International Court of Justice. NATO has assumed the role of the world policeman, since it attacked sovereign Yugoslavia for no cause, a country whose absolutely no act has endangered world peace and order, but which has rather only protected its territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Declaration states.

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On the fifth day since the beginning of Nato's death-dealing aggression against FR Yugoslavia, numerous organizations, institutions and individuals across the world are calling for an end to the missile assaults against sovereign Yugoslavia, one of the founders of the UN.

Telegrams of support for Yugoslavia keep coming to the address of Yugoslav diplomatic missions throughout the world. The Ukraine-Serbian Society said that the blame for the suffering, death, blood and tears in Central Europe at the end of the second millennium should be pinned on the political and military leadership of Nato. All those who took part in the reaching and implementation of this decision must be brought before the international court for former Yugoslavia. The Yugoslav embassy in Canberra, Australia, has received messages and telegrams condemning the Nato aggression against a country which attacked or endangered no one. The Serbian Royalistic Alliance supports Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's stand and tells the Serbian nation and government to persevere in their fight against world maniacs whose goal is to destroy and partition this state.

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The Yugoslav football national team defender, member of the Torino Iuventus Zoran Mirkovic, returned from belgrade to Italy on Saturday night and appealed to the world public to open its eyes to the suffering of his native Yugoslavia.

Mirkovic, who arrived in Torino with his family, described how he lived through the past three nights in Belgrade, when the capital was exposed to NATO's criminal aggression. I have seen my birth city, my city in flames, 27-year-old Mirkovic told the Italian television.

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