AP: Albanian terror group patrols northern Kosovo

Albanian National Army, a paramilitary group UNMIK branded terrorist, is active in the province, reports say. The Associated Press reported that the group is patrolling northern Kosovo towns along the boundary with Serbia proper "in defiance of international authorities, saying it had been provoked by Serb threats and will defend Kosovo to the last soldier." AP: Albanian terror group patrols northern Kosovo A leader of the outlawed Albanian National Army, known as ANA/AKSH, also told agency that the group was "disillusioned with Kosovo's political leaders and considered the international-mediated talks on the province's future to be a failure." "Preka," who commands a group of 40-50 paramilitaries in northern Kosovo, agreed to the interview under the condition that the exact location and his name not be disclosed. The paramilitaries were wearing ski masks and mostly black military fatigues, and were equipped with different types of light weapons, including AK-47s. The paramilitaries said they patrolled all northern Kosovo towns "to prevent any Serb incursion into the area." Last month, the Serbian Guard of Czar Lazar paramilitary group, also outlawed by the U.N. mission, threatened to target U.N. and NATO peacekeepers and Albanian-run institutions if the province declared independence from Serbia. "We shall defend this land to the last soldier," the ANA leader told the AP late Sunday after what the agency describes as "a ceremony for new recruits in a mountainous area of northern Kosovo." It also quotes the man as saying his group's intention was "not to cause trouble for the U.N. or NATO," saying it "supported Kosovo police, the U.N. and the NATO force." "UNMIK has been wrong to declare the AKSH as a terrorist organization because we are not terrorists," the commander said, referring to the U.N. mission's acronym. "We are in our land. We are not creating trouble for them, but they (the Serb paramilitaries) want to come here." "Our enemies are Serbia and the Guard of Czar Lazar," he said. The Albanian National Army was created in 2001, joining up with underground forces in Kosovo, Albania and southern Albanian-dominated Presevo Valley, he said. The ANA, which aims to unify all Balkan territories inhabited by ethnic Albanians, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Macedonia, southern Serbia and Kosovo over several years, including the bombing of a bridge used by minority Serbs in northern Kosovo. Pristina-based Express newspaper also reported about the ANA recruitment of 20 new members. The daily's journalists said they attended the oath-taking ceremony in the Mt. Drenica region. "Twenty new ANA members took the oath in the mountains in the north of Kosovo on Sunday night," the daily wrote, adding that the number of the ANA members is "growing rapidly." ANA now has over 12,000 members, including intellectuals, students, professors and farmers, the Pristina daily wrote. "We are extremely dissatisfied with our political leaders," the commander of the ANA Second Zone, who introduced himself as Preka, was quoted by the newspaper. According to him, this zone includes communities in the municipalities of Mitrovica, Glogovac, Vucitrn and Malisevo. The formation leader announced that the ANA members would soon appear without masking their faces. Meanwhile, representatives of the Serb National Council (SNV) of Northern Kosovo on Tuesday stated that the ANA members had recently held a meeting in the village of Kos, located between the municipalities of Istok and Rudnik, in which they, among other things, "made plans for attack on the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica." SNV Kosovska Mitrovica representative Nebojsa Jovic told Tanjug that a plan of attack by extremists on northern Mitrovica was discussed at the meeting of ANA members on October 29. According to Jovic, the alternative plan is large-scale demonstrations in support of declaration of Kosovo's independence, and the protest might develop into violence, similar to that of March 2004. He added that representatives of the regional police in Kosovo have the same information. According to Jovic, Daut Uka, Hazir Haziri, Adem Feriti, Gzim Rama and Seremet Jasari attended the meeting in Kos. The SNV representative said that the Serbs now await "adequate preventive response by representatives of Kosovo's authorities and KFOR," which they "expect to protect them." Members of the UNMIK-designated terrorist group, ANA (Beta/AP)

AP: Albanian terror group patrols northern Kosovo

A leader of the outlawed Albanian National Army, known as ANA/AKSH, also told agency that the group was "disillusioned with Kosovo's political leaders and considered the international-mediated talks on the province's future to be a failure."

"Preka," who commands a group of 40-50 paramilitaries in northern Kosovo, agreed to the interview under the condition that the exact location and his name not be disclosed.

The paramilitaries were wearing ski masks and mostly black military fatigues, and were equipped with different types of light weapons, including AK-47s.

The paramilitaries said they patrolled all northern Kosovo towns "to prevent any Serb incursion into the area."

Last month, the Serbian Guard of Czar Lazar paramilitary group, also outlawed by the U.N. mission, threatened to target U.N. and NATO peacekeepers and Albanian-run institutions if the province declared independence from Serbia.

"We shall defend this land to the last soldier," the ANA leader told the AP late Sunday after what the agency describes as "a ceremony for new recruits in a mountainous area of northern Kosovo."

It also quotes the man as saying his group's intention was "not to cause trouble for the U.N. or NATO," saying it "supported Kosovo police, the U.N. and the NATO force."

"UNMIK has been wrong to declare the AKSH as a terrorist organization because we are not terrorists," the commander said, referring to the U.N. mission's acronym.

"We are in our land. We are not creating trouble for them, but they (the Serb paramilitaries) want to come here."

"Our enemies are Serbia and the Guard of Czar Lazar," he said.

The Albanian National Army was created in 2001, joining up with underground forces in Kosovo, Albania and southern Albanian-dominated Preševo Valley, he said.

The ANA, which aims to unify all Balkan territories inhabited by ethnic Albanians, has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Macedonia, southern Serbia and Kosovo over several years, including the bombing of a bridge used by minority Serbs in northern Kosovo.

Priština-based Express newspaper also reported about the ANA recruitment of 20 new members.

The daily's journalists said they attended the oath-taking ceremony in the Mt. Drenica region.

"Twenty new ANA members took the oath in the mountains in the north of Kosovo on Sunday night," the daily wrote, adding that the number of the ANA members is "growing rapidly."

ANA now has over 12,000 members, including intellectuals, students, professors and farmers, the Priština daily wrote.

"We are extremely dissatisfied with our political leaders," the commander of the ANA Second Zone, who introduced himself as Preka, was quoted by the newspaper.

According to him, this zone includes communities in the municipalities of Mitrovica, Glogovac, Vučitrn and Mališevo.

The formation leader announced that the ANA members would soon appear without masking their faces.

Meanwhile, representatives of the Serb National Council (SNV) of Northern Kosovo on Tuesday stated that the ANA members had recently held a meeting in the village of Kos, located between the municipalities of Istok and Rudnik, in which they, among other things, "made plans for attack on the northern part of Kosovska Mitrovica."

SNV Kosovska Mitrovica representative Nebojša Jović told Tanjug that a plan of attack by extremists on northern Mitrovica was discussed at the meeting of ANA members on October 29.

According to Jović, the alternative plan is large-scale demonstrations in support of declaration of Kosovo's independence, and the protest might develop into violence, similar to that of March 2004.

He added that representatives of the regional police in Kosovo have the same information.

According to Jović, Daut Uka, Hazir Haziri, Adem Feriti, Gzim Rama and Seremet Jasari attended the meeting in Kos.

The SNV representative said that the Serbs now await "adequate preventive response by representatives of Kosovo's authorities and KFOR," which they "expect to protect them."