Post by rex362 on Feb 16, 2014 14:24:52 GMT -5
How Belgrade ordered the killing of Serbian civilians and blamed it on the KLA
Former high officials of Milosevic regime are revealing the terrible truth that had been hidden for 15 years, shocking the families of the victims
Former Serbian minister for Interior Security Radomir Markovic has claimed that the paramilitary group Milorad Ulemek – Legjia, murdered six young Serbians whilst they sat in ‘Panda Café’ located in the Kosova (Kosova) city of Pejë (Pec). The former commander of the Serbian Special Operations Unit (JSO) claims that everything was carried out with orders from the Serbian State Security Service (DB), whilst he was in charge.
Kurir reports that Serbian authorities have provided evidence that the attack on ‘Panda Café’ was ordered by the Serbian state.
A source close to the Serbian government claims that Radomir Markovic, the former head of DB, has provided evidence to authorities linking the crime to Legija. The crime was initially blamed on ethnic Albanians and the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) in particular.
The aim of this accusation was to label the KLA as a terrorist organisation and to justify attacks on ethnic Albanians in Kosova. Markovic claims he has evidence for these assertions as most of the orders were organised through the JSO.
For years this crime was attributed to extremist Albanians. Further to this, the murder of these young Serbian teenagers was used to justify more atrocities within Kosova. If these claims are verified, they will only serve to cause more tension. The Serbian authority would have to face the prospect of explaining to the parents of those murdered that their children were killed to justify the actions of the Serbian DB.
The source added, ‘On the other hand we as a state need to cleanse the shadows of the past and to resolve these crimes, regardless of the impact of the outcome.’
Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic was quoted as saying that the events of 1998 in ‘Panda Bar’ have the ability to cause much ‘headache‘ and that further witness statements are required to establish the perpetrators.
Vucic was the one of the first in the wake of the allegations to state that there remain, ‘many terrible things we have to face for which there is no evidence as far as I believe, that Albanians were to blame’, citing the 1998 ‘Panda Café’ murders as an example.
The allegations have been emboldened by the support of Vuk Draskovic, former Foreign Minister of Serbia and leader of a small political party.
He was an opposition leader under the Milosevic regime, but joined the government of his arch enemy when NATO attacked Yugoslavia.
Draskovic admitted that a decision was back then for the Serbian secret police to murder people in order to blemish the image of KLA in the eyes of the internationals while in the same time to mobilize the Serbs for the new war.
The news has shocked some relatives of the victims. They had been led to believe that the attack had come from Albanians.
Yet, the mother of one of the kids said for the Serbian daily Vesti that she had always suspected the official story.
“Doubts began to surface not long after the killings, she said. It is the state that killed them and I hope we shall learn very soon now who ordered it”, said Ljubica Trifovic, mother of Dragan, one of the 17-year olds who died in the incident. “The state kills and for 15 years no one moves a finger? I think this is one of the greatest state secrets. It is time to learn the truth. If anything it will help to ease our souls, the parents’ souls.”
Former Serbian minister for Interior Security Radomir Markovic has claimed that the paramilitary group Milorad Ulemek – Legjia, murdered six young Serbians whilst they sat in ‘Panda Café’ located in the Kosova (Kosova) city of Pejë (Pec). The former commander of the Serbian Special Operations Unit (JSO) claims that everything was carried out with orders from the Serbian State Security Service (DB), whilst he was in charge.
Kurir reports that Serbian authorities have provided evidence that the attack on ‘Panda Café’ was ordered by the Serbian state.
A source close to the Serbian government claims that Radomir Markovic, the former head of DB, has provided evidence to authorities linking the crime to Legija. The crime was initially blamed on ethnic Albanians and the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) in particular.
The aim of this accusation was to label the KLA as a terrorist organisation and to justify attacks on ethnic Albanians in Kosova. Markovic claims he has evidence for these assertions as most of the orders were organised through the JSO.
For years this crime was attributed to extremist Albanians. Further to this, the murder of these young Serbian teenagers was used to justify more atrocities within Kosova. If these claims are verified, they will only serve to cause more tension. The Serbian authority would have to face the prospect of explaining to the parents of those murdered that their children were killed to justify the actions of the Serbian DB.
The source added, ‘On the other hand we as a state need to cleanse the shadows of the past and to resolve these crimes, regardless of the impact of the outcome.’
Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic was quoted as saying that the events of 1998 in ‘Panda Bar’ have the ability to cause much ‘headache‘ and that further witness statements are required to establish the perpetrators.
Vucic was the one of the first in the wake of the allegations to state that there remain, ‘many terrible things we have to face for which there is no evidence as far as I believe, that Albanians were to blame’, citing the 1998 ‘Panda Café’ murders as an example.
The allegations have been emboldened by the support of Vuk Draskovic, former Foreign Minister of Serbia and leader of a small political party.
He was an opposition leader under the Milosevic regime, but joined the government of his arch enemy when NATO attacked Yugoslavia.
Draskovic admitted that a decision was back then for the Serbian secret police to murder people in order to blemish the image of KLA in the eyes of the internationals while in the same time to mobilize the Serbs for the new war.
The news has shocked some relatives of the victims. They had been led to believe that the attack had come from Albanians.
Yet, the mother of one of the kids said for the Serbian daily Vesti that she had always suspected the official story.
“Doubts began to surface not long after the killings, she said. It is the state that killed them and I hope we shall learn very soon now who ordered it”, said Ljubica Trifovic, mother of Dragan, one of the 17-year olds who died in the incident. “The state kills and for 15 years no one moves a finger? I think this is one of the greatest state secrets. It is time to learn the truth. If anything it will help to ease our souls, the parents’ souls.”