Minister: EULEX should also arrest killers of Serbs

Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic has said that KFOR and EULEX used disproportionately large forces during their operation on Wednesday. The minister has called on the international forces to launch the same operations against those who are suspected of murdering Serbs. Minister: EULEX should also arrest killers of Serbs EULEX police with KFOR’s support carried out the operation in the village of Zupce as a part of the investigation into murder of a Kosovo police officer and collected certain evidence, including weapons. “Nobody is denying EULEX’s right to carry out operations and we just wish that EULEX and KFOR would use the same forces to arrest all those who are suspected of murdering Serb children in Gorazdevac,” Dacic stressed. He has called on KFOR and EULEX to show their impartiality because “this way it looks that it is just a unilateral action” that did not contribute to establishment of trust among the Serbs. The interior minister also pointed out that it was very important that Kosovo citizens, both Serbs and Albanians, had confidence in KFOR and EULEX, adding that Serbia was prepared to help the international forces in combat against all kinds of crime. At the same time Dacic stressed that it needed to be precisely defined what was considered to be a crime and added that the Pristina authorities interpreted the concept of crime differently. “If those who have different opinions from Pristina are being characterized as criminals, then it is only an alibi for the attacks on northern Kosovo and Metohija,” he said. The interior minister pointed out that KFOR and EULEX should build trust “instead of being an extended hand of the authorities in Pristina”. Ivica Dacic (Tanjug, file) Tadic: We support justified operations Serbian President Boris Tadic said Wednesday that Serbia supported the actions of KFOR and EULEX in the north of Kosovo exclusively if they were aimed at combating crime and if they were based on the neutral status of the international missions. He told reporters in the western Serbian town of Uzice that Serbia had received assurances from the international missions that today's operation in the north was aimed precisely at fighting crime. “If this is true, Belgrade has no basis for objection to that action, “ the president stressed. He, however, pointed out that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's statement on alleged terrorist activities in the north was a cause for concern. Tadic described such statements as incitement to violence. “Serbia's reaction, regardless of the nature of such messages from Pristina, would not be sudden nor would it produce a new crisis,“ the president pointed out. EULEX announces similar operations EULEX’s operation in northern Kosovo is connected to the investigation into Kosovo policeman’s murder in July near the Brnjak checkpoint, said EULEX Spokeswoman Irina Gudeljevic and announced that EULEX would carry out similar operations in the future. “The operation was carried out by EULEX special police with KFOR’s support. The investigation is conducted by EULEX and Kosovo police. Four privately-owned houses have been searched and pieces of evidence in connection with the investigation have been seized, including weapons,” she told B92. The EULEX spokeswoman added that six arrest warrants had been issued and that operations similar to the one carried out this morning “meaning operations that refer to the investigations into murders of Kosovo police members and other acts of violence that recently happened in the north” would be carried out again. Gudeljevic has called on the local community to support the rule of law and “help bring the perpetrators of these criminal acts to justice because it will be for the benefit of all people”.

Minister: EULEX should also arrest killers of Serbs

EULEX police with KFOR’s support carried out the operation in the village of Zupče as a part of the investigation into murder of a Kosovo police officer and collected certain evidence, including weapons.

“Nobody is denying EULEX’s right to carry out operations and we just wish that EULEX and KFOR would use the same forces to arrest all those who are suspected of murdering Serb children in Goraždevac,” Dačić stressed.

He has called on KFOR and EULEX to show their impartiality because “this way it looks that it is just a unilateral action” that did not contribute to establishment of trust among the Serbs.

The interior minister also pointed out that it was very important that Kosovo citizens, both Serbs and Albanians, had confidence in KFOR and EULEX, adding that Serbia was prepared to help the international forces in combat against all kinds of crime.

At the same time Dačić stressed that it needed to be precisely defined what was considered to be a crime and added that the Priština authorities interpreted the concept of crime differently.

“If those who have different opinions from Priština are being characterized as criminals, then it is only an alibi for the attacks on northern Kosovo and Metohija,” he said.

The interior minister pointed out that KFOR and EULEX should build trust “instead of being an extended hand of the authorities in Priština”.

Tadić: We support justified operations

Serbian President Boris Tadić said Wednesday that Serbia supported the actions of KFOR and EULEX in the north of Kosovo exclusively if they were aimed at combating crime and if they were based on the neutral status of the international missions.

He told reporters in the western Serbian town of Užice that Serbia had received assurances from the international missions that today's operation in the north was aimed precisely at fighting crime.

“If this is true, Belgrade has no basis for objection to that action, “ the president stressed.

He, however, pointed out that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's statement on alleged terrorist activities in the north was a cause for concern.

Tadić described such statements as incitement to violence.

“Serbia's reaction, regardless of the nature of such messages from Priština, would not be sudden nor would it produce a new crisis,“ the president pointed out.

EULEX announces similar operations

EULEX’s operation in northern Kosovo is connected to the investigation into Kosovo policeman’s murder in July near the Brnjak checkpoint, said EULEX Spokeswoman Irina Gudeljević and announced that EULEX would carry out similar operations in the future.

“The operation was carried out by EULEX special police with KFOR’s support. The investigation is conducted by EULEX and Kosovo police. Four privately-owned houses have been searched and pieces of evidence in connection with the investigation have been seized, including weapons,” she told B92.

The EULEX spokeswoman added that six arrest warrants had been issued and that operations similar to the one carried out this morning “meaning operations that refer to the investigations into murders of Kosovo police members and other acts of violence that recently happened in the north” would be carried out again.

Gudeljević has called on the local community to support the rule of law and “help bring the perpetrators of these criminal acts to justice because it will be for the benefit of all people”.