Is March 17 going to be repeated

Is March 17 going to be repeated: 20,000 terrorists under arms
Blic - January 7, 2004

'Recent report by the International Crisis Group according to which there is possibility of new attacks by Albanian terrorists against the remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija only confirms that it KiM we are speaking about the naked terrorism. Official Serbia policy should take that as an argument since the issue of terrorism is something that the whole international community understands very well. The State has to activate all its instruments to defend the remaining Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija. Such protection is our natural right', Milorad Mircic, president of Serbia Parliament Board for Security says for 'Blic'. He also warns of the danger of possible terrorist attacks on the cities in Serbia.

His deputy Dragan Sutanovac is also of the opinion that the danger of new attacks on Serbs in Kosovo is quite realistic. 'March 17 last year showed that the international forces in Kosovo do not have the quality to prevent such attacks. KFOR forces have been decreased to minimum. Only second-quality policemen are in UNMIK Police. Our country has to protect the remaining Serbs in the province with intensive diplomatic activity in the first place. I would like to warn of the fact that within a few days only, Albanians can mobilize 20,000 people with half a million pieces of weapons', Sutanovac says.

President of Serbia Parliament Board for Kosovo and Metohija, Dusan Prorokovic only partly agrees with the report made by the International Crisis Group.

'I do not believe that Kosovo is a zone more dangerous than Iraq or Afghanistan. However, even if it is so, the report says nothing as to who is responsible for such situation. In case of attack on Kosovo Serbs, we have to bear in mind that the influence of Serbia in the province is limited', Prorokovic said.