NATO HQ 11 April 1999

Press conference By NATO Spokesman Jamie Shea and Colonel Konrad Freytag (Presentation ) Jamie Shea: Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon! Welcome to the daily briefing. As you can see, I'm joined once again at the podium by Colonel Konrad Freytag of SHAPE, I'll begin and then Konrad will give you the military operational up-date. First, let me say that, as you know, operations continued yesterday evening and during the night. The concentration was on targets in Kosovo itself, particularly an assembly area, petroleum, oil and lubricant facilities at Pristina and there were some Cruise missile attacks against two radio relay stations. I stress, as always, that these were strictly military targets but as you can see, last night NATO had a night of relative restraint, we were mindful of the Orthodox Easter celebrations. At the same time, the Yugoslav armed forces continue to demonstrate signs of wear and tear as a result of our operations. One thing that we are tracking at the moment is the mobilisation problems and the manpower call-up problems that the Yugoslav army is facing. Belgrade is turning wherever it can to identify officers and men that can be called up, even going as far as the Republic of Srpska to find these people. The civilian population is now subject to fuel rationing as the fuel supplies are being used exclusively now for the military and their operations in Kosovo. I saw earlier today that President Milosevic had issued a statement on Tanjug calling on the population to work harder as a way out of the present crisis but I do not believe that the problems of Yugoslavia are going to be solved simply by its population working harder, they'll only be solved by having a policy of co-operation with the international community and not confrontation. At the same time, we see that the Kosovo Liberation Army is far from vanquished, there are still several instances of fighting in which it continues to put up localised armed resistance, even some local attempts to retake territory in Kosovo from the Yugoslav forces. Here at NATO headquarters, our plans for Operation "Allied Harbour" are going full steam ahead, yesterday the Ambassadors here of the 19 Allied countries approved the operational plan for this mission. I remind you this is the mission to deploy a headquarters and a force of NATO soldiers in Albania to help with humanitarian relief, that operational plan is also being shared today with Partner countries and we would welcome, as I have said already, maximum Partner participation in this force. Tomorrow, there will be a Force Generation Conference at SHAPE for this force, which is coming along well I am pleased to say. Many Allies and Partners have shown an interest in participating, in fact, an Italian force of about 1,500-2,000 soldiers will begin deploying already on Tuesday and that deployment will take about nine days. At the same time, the ACE Mobile Force (Land) which, as you know, is the designated headquarters for the mission in Albania, will soon begin a direct liaison with Albania and with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in order to co-ordinate its deployment which is due to begin on 14 April, that is to say already early next week. The primary tasks of the NATO force in Albania in support of the international relief organisations will be to look at what we can do to upgrade roads because one of the big problems with relief supplies at the moment is the condition of the roads which means that we have to rely upon helicopters for relief supplies, to co-ordinate transportation, to provide medical aid, to look what we can do to help build some new refugee camps in order to take as many people as we can away from the border town of Kukes where about 100,000 refugees are currently located and finally, to organise as efficiently as possible the operations at Tirana airport where, as you know, many flights are arriving every day, humanitarian flights but also military flights connected with NATO's deployments in Albania. We continue obviously to look very carefully and closely at the refugee situation, we know that 4,000 refugees entered Albania earlier today and the border with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, although formally closed, doesn't mean to say that refugees aren't going there too, the government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is continuing to say that it will accept refugees that arrive and of course we are extremely worried about the fate, as I've been saying in recent days, of the internally-displaced persons inside Kosovo itself where obviously the reports indicate a great deal of human suffering and a shortage of basic commodities such as food and medical supplies. You heard Robin Cook, the UK Secretary of State, say in his briefing today that based on conversations with a Kosovar Albanian leader, up to 400,000 people might be in this condition of internally-displaced people inside Kosovo itself and therefore that is something which concerns us and we are continuing to track that closely but I'd like to stress that if there are people displaced inside Kosovo, it is the fault of President Milosevic because they are displaced through the actions of his forces in evicting them from their homes and yet at the same time preventing them from being able to get to the borders where they could be looked after by the international relief organisations so that is a very big concern of all NATO countries at the present time. Finally, before I hand over to Konrad, let me just make clear that as we have the meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers here tomorrow, beginning at 10.00, we will not have the daily briefing at 3 p.m., that will obviously be displaced tomorrow by the ministerial press conferences and the Secretary General's press conference at 3.30 tomorrow afternoon, followed by the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright. We will go back to the pattern of 3 p.m. briefings on Tuesday when, as I mentioned yesterday, SACEUR will be here to give you an operational assessment of the military activities thus far. That is what I have for you and now I'm going to hand over to Konrad Freytag. Konrad Freytag: Thank you, Jamie. Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen. Again it is me you have to endure this Sunday. In the past 24 hours, poor weather has caused some targets to be adjusted and some cancellations. Even so, good overall results were achieved. Seven packages - that's how we call the groupings of aircraft - were flown and three further packages were cancelled due to the weather. There were also several Cruise missile launches and all aircraft have returned safely. The strategic targets which were attacked are shown on this map and as Jamie already mentioned, they included ammunition storage, POL air facilities and bridges together with attacks on communication facilities and SA-3 and SA-6 sites, at least one SA-3 was destroyed. Fielded forces in Kosovo were also engaged. The attack against the Pristina POL air storage site was effective and the engaged integrated air defence and command-and-control facilities were damaged. Detailed results on the remaining targets are awaited. As the tempo of NATO operations increased, several SA-6 sites engaged NATO aircraft and a number of manned portable missiles were fired, none of our aircraft were hit. Once again, the Yugoslav army and special police forces continued their activities. This map shows the main areas of their actions south west of Pristina between Orahovac and Urosevac. Overall, Yugoslav forces appeared to be focusing on defensive and force-protection measures against NATO attacks. As I mentioned earlier, there were previous attacks against fielded forces in Kosovo and this picture taken on 9 April shows some tanks that we damaged as a result. I have also some videos and they show an attack against buildings on Sijnica airfield taken from two separate aircraft in the formation. In both cases, the lead aircraft's weapons impact first. Here you see the lead aircraft first followed by the wingman's attack. Now I would like to turn to other issues: We spoke yesterday of the need to be certain of our facts before commenting on reported atrocities in Kosovo. This picture shows an area near Orahovac - actually it shows two pictures combined into one; on the left, the earlier image and the right photo was taken on 9 April. The freshly-turned earth could indicate the position of possible mass graves. However, this can be confirmed only when the area has been inspected. I also covered yesterday the subject of Serb damage to civilian property and these following images show damage to villages around Kosovska Mitrovica which have not been the subject of NATO attacks; both graphics show the area before and after Serb attacks. The damage, as I also mentioned yesterday is similar to what we have seen in the past in Bosnia and in Croatia. Finally, I will return to the subject of displaced persons in Kosovo. This map shows where we have indications of large groups of individuals, probably displaced persons and the following two pictures provide evidence of vehicles and displaced persons in the region of Malisevo. The difficulty in assessing the total number of people in the area remains, however we must assume that the living conditions are deplorable. In summary, NATO military forces continue their day-and-night flights against strategic targets in staging areas of Yugoslav forces despite difficult weather conditions. We have again inflicted significant damage on the FRY military and security forces and will continue to degrade their capability to attack innocent civilians. I repeat that all of our aircraft have returned safely to their home bases. NATO forces are in overdrive to help with efforts to relieve the situation of the refugees in Albania and in Fyrom. During the past 24 hours, there were 52 aid flights into the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia delivering 772 tonnes of food and water, 407 tonnes of medical supplies and 1,107 tonnes of tentage. In Albania, 56 aid flights delivered 219 tonnes of food and water, 24 tonnes of medical supplies and 100 tonnes of tentage. That ends my briefing, thank you very much. Jamie Shea: OK Konrad, thanks again for that, let's go to questions. Questions & Answers Augusto: Jamie, I will again put the same question like five days ago. You all are aware that the war situation is with the people inside Kosovo. Really, is anybody planning the way how to help them because they are already starving despite the dangers that they can be killed by military forces? Jamie Shea: Well, I've stressed that in my briefing today as I have in previous days as one of our primary concerns. We are trying very hard, as you can see from some of the photos that Konrad showed, to get as much information as we can about where these people are, what is happening to them and I asked a series of questions yesterday on that and of course we would like Belgrade also to help us to reply to those questions because they are in the best position to give us the responses. We are looking at this situation, that's all I can say for the time being. We are looking and when I can say more, I will say more. At the same time, I know that the Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross, has been in Belgrade trying to get access to these people for humanitarian purposes inside Kosovo as their remit obviously allows them to do so and I very much hope that Belgrade would grant the Red Cross and other humanitarian organisations immediate access to bring immediate assistance to these poor people. JAN: We are getting reports from the Yugoslavs that a NATO plane has been downed in northern Serbia and that three civilians have been killed in northern Kosovo. I was wondering if you had any comment on that and also an up-date on these Apache helicopters, when are they going to begin operations and do you expect them to tip the balance? Jamie Shea: Konrad may have something to say on this but let me just say for my part I haven't heard this morning anything about a downed NATO aircraft. When these things happen, I usually hear about it very quickly but I haven't had anything thus far but obviously, Jan, I will check just to make absolutely certain that this is not the case but you know there have been lots of hoaxes about downed aircraft so let's check that one out for you. As for the Apaches, I reported yesterday in my briefing that the first initial elements are starting to arrive. Just before the weekend, five C-5 US aircraft arrived with the forward components, there are going to be 192 flights into Tirana in the next few days to bring in the whole complement of the 24 Apaches together with the Bradleys that are going to protect them plus of course the multiple-launch rocket system components. All of these will then have to be assembled. I think the Pentagon, if I remember, have given a figure of, say, 10 days/2 weeks but obviously there is a sense of having them as quickly as possible but at the same time, let me not give you the impression, which I think would be erroneous, that the Apaches are somehow the 7th Cavalry arriving on the scene. We have a great deal of aircraft already there in the theatre and we are able to prosecute this operation with increasing effectiveness and very successfully with the aircraft we have at the moment. Of course, the Apaches give us an extra capability, that's why they are being brought in but please do not see it, if you like, as deus ex machina if I can use that term, which are going to turn the situation around. No, we have lots of aircraft and we're doing the job without the Apaches at the moment. Konrad, anything that you want to add on that? Konrad Freytag: Yes. As of 5 o'clock when I stepped into this room, there were no aircraft losses by our force. I have seen that report you might refer to, that is an AFP report which refers to Tanjug and Tanjug quotes a Mr. Arkan as the witness of it. You can see that in AFP if you want to. Mark Laity, BBC: Jamie, you talk about you're looking very seriously at trying to help the internally-displaced refugees. Isn't the truth that in fact there is nothing you can do, you can't do air drops with slow-flying transport aircraft so is there anything at all which they are looking at apart from that? Colonel Freytag, the weather has again turned against you. Have you had any evidence of Serb forces withdrawing, any evidence of morale cracking within Kosovo and can you elaborate on the comments about wear and tear and poor morale because these are obviously early signs which don't seem to have any kind of real back-up to them? Jamie Shea: OK. Well, three things, Mark, that I'd like to say in reply to your question: The first thing, I come back to the fundamental point that the best thing that NATO can do for the humanitarian situation in Kosovo is to drive away the Serb forces, they are the cause of the agony of the Kosovar Albanian people and as long as they are in Kosovo there will be killings, there will be expulsions, there will be suffering and it's only once those forces have withdrawn and an international security force has been deployed to protect the Kosovar Albanians that we will be able to put a stop to this so we have to keep our eye on the solution and there is only that one solution. The second point is that there is a mission obviously for international relief organisations to be inside Kosovo checking on the situation and bringing immediate relief to these displaced persons. It is up to Belgrade to allow these organisations in to do their job. Unfortunately, that is not the case today, almost none are there and in tiny numbers if they are. Thirdly, NATO is a planning organisation and as you would expect, we are looking at this but I don't want to comment further until I have something solid on this to say, it would be premature for me to make any announcements or to give any indications at the present time. When I'm able to do so, you know me, I will. Konrad Freytag: Let me start with the weather. Yes, the weather had a negative impact, as I mentioned, on our missions, we had to cancel three flights but it also had of course a negative impact on the intelligence-gathering and you probably noticed that my pictures about the possible mass graves and the destruction were of 9 April, not of yesterday or this morning. On the morale, we have initial reports that our attacks have affected the morale. We see some reports about units being drunk, not obeying orders any more but it's too early to come with an assessment on this. On the Yugoslav forces withdrawal from Kosovo, we don't have any indication. Jamie Shea: Mark, very briefly, on this business of morale what I can say is that Belgrade has introduced rather draconian laws to deal with failure to respond to call-ups, draconian laws involving long prison sentences and that suggests if these laws are necessary that they have a problem obviously with recruitment at the present time. One of the great ironies of this whole affair is that many of the people on their call-up lists are Kosovar Albanians who of course are Yugoslav citizens and therefore subject to military service but you will not be surprised to learn that they have not responded very enthusiastically or in great numbers to their call-up papers. Margaret: Jamie, I was wondering if you could elaborate on your comments at the beginning about you were mindful of Orthodox Easter. Are you saying that there was actually some sort of political decision not to continue with the intensity of previous days or was it just in fact that you had bad weather? Jamie Shea: No. Margaret: Colonel Freytag, could you tell us how many Cruise missiles were launched last night and could you also tell us how many fielded forces were engaged? We have lots of information about how many NATO soldiers are cooking meals but we can't seem to get very fundamental information about the military campaign out of you and could you also give us your assessment of what is happening along the border of Albania in the Tropolje region where the KLA has substantial army bases and supply bases? Is it your feeling that the Yugoslav troops are actually trying to follow the KLA into northern Albania which is considered to be lawless and actually finish the job that they've started? And Jamie, I think you said that the KLA was far from vanquished. Could you elaborate, could you actually give us some statistics that would allow us to understand that that was actually a verifiable statement? Konrad Freytag: No statistics on the Cruise missiles, I'm not authorised to give you these kinds of figures. On the Yugoslav armed forces' activities, we know that the 252 Armoured Brigade was heavily involved in this but I mentioned in my briefing that the activities are on a lower scale than earlier. We did not see UCK activities during the last 24 hours. Jamie Shea: Margaret, in reply to your questions, first of all yes, there have been some firing incidents on the Albanian border, there have also been very limited incursions of Yugoslav jets into Albanian air space, this by the way has been going on for several months, plus reported firings of some shells over the border into Albania. Reports the other day suggested that four UCK soldiers may have been killed in that fighting. From what I have heard, from what I see from reports I receive - and I've no reason to doubt these reports - the UCK is still active. French journalists reported the other day that they had even managed to tie-up some Yugoslav forces inside Pec, which is largely a destroyed city at the moment, by cutting off escape routes along the roads and that came from several French journalists that managed to get into that area. In recent days, there has been some localised fighting, it is absolutely true that the Yugoslav army has managed to demolish the seven regional command centres of the UCK as a result of its recent offensive but on the other hand, the UCK still seems able to mount certain hit-and-run, guerrilla-style attacks even if obviously they are not in a great position at the moment to fight a full-scale land battle against the tanks and the artillery of the Yugoslav army. There is no indication that their recruitment has dried up, they are clearly trying to create some internal supply lines and to regain territory where they can. I've always said that one rarely manages to extirpate such movements through a policy of bloody repression, those examples exist in similar movements all over the world, almost none have ever been eliminated through repression. Like mushrooms, as I said, in the field they have a tendency to spring up again rather quickly and I doubt if the UCK has any major recruitment problems after what has happened in recent weeks but as I hear more on that topic, I'll come back to it in briefings. Konrad Freytag: Margaret, I apologise I did not answer your question on the border regime. We have reports that the Yugoslavs have closed the border to Albania and that they open it for a certain amount of time and expel Kosovar Albanians into Albania and that is for about an hour, 1500 people, and then they close the border again. Margaret: The question was actually do you feel that the Yugoslav army is trying to follow the KLA back into their strongholds in northern Albania and finish what they've started and actually wipe out the KLA? And Jamie, you didn't answer my question about Orthodox Easter. Jamie Shea: Oh yes. Margaret, excuse me, thank you for reminding me. I really don't want to add anything on that subject to what I said at the beginning (laughter). No, what I said at the beginning and I think that's all I need to say on that particular topic. As for the border, what we've had over several months - and you know this - is a pattern of minor border violations, air space, shelling over the border. I have absolutely no indication whatever that there has been any plan by the VJ, the Yugoslav army or the special police forces to launch an incursion into Albania as such and NATO statements on this topic have been extremely clear and persistent in recent days in any case. Question: I think, Jamie, it is not premature to ask about NATO's Partnership for Prosperity concept as part of a post-war package. Jamie Shea: Yes, I'll be pleased to comment on that. This is an idea in gestation and I think in the next couple of days and weeks you'll be hearing more about this. What I believe is now clear in the international community is that we have to develop a long-term, comprehensive programme for the countries of the former Yugoslavia and the wider region, a programme that tries to bring them back into the European mainstream so that they can follow where Central Europe has successfully gone in recent years. This is not specifically a NATO responsibility because it has also a major economic component where the EU, the IMF, the World Bank and these institutions will have a major role to play, it also has a democracy-building component in terms of pluralism of the political process, pluralism of the media, elections where clearly the OSCE and the Council of Europe and other institutions would have a leading role to play but there may well be also a key role too for NATO. That is why the Secretary General in a speech in London a few weeks ago spoke of a Partnership for Prosperity. We have seen, for example, how successful the Partnership for Peace has been elsewhere in Europe to create enduring links between the military forces of countries that have been adversaries in the past, how through exercises and contacts and arms control agreements, transparency and defence budgets, confidence-building measures, one can overcome old suspicions and foster an approach of security based on co-operation, not confrontation. And you know already with Bosnia that we've had for some years now a very successful security co-operation programme that involves visits and courses and various contacts so this is an idea still in gestation, as I say, but I think everybody recognises that what we have to do is not simply put out the fires that we have seen in the former Yugoslavia in recent years but develop a long-term fire-prevention programme which would go beyond simply crisis management and trying to ward off humanitarian crises and stabilise the situation and offers a perspective to this region, a perspective to encourage countries to work together and in which, as I've said earlier, a democratic Serbia would also have an important role to play and which would be a clear message to the people of Serbia that we are not against them, we want, too, for them to be able to reap the same benefits of integration and prosperity, of openness, of being able to travel without a visa, that are open to the other peoples of Europe. Doug Hamilton, REUTERS: Jamie, the NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana, told the BBC radio in an interview today that there were signs of cracking-up in the Yugoslav military and in the entourage around Milosevic. I assume this means perhaps more than just getting drunk and I wonder what does NATO think is happening with people close to Milosevic, what are the signs? Colonel Freytag, if I may, are you saying that the Yugoslav forces are forming a line of defence between Urosevac and Orahovac and is that in preparation for what they are assuming will be a NATO force coming towards them at some point? Konrad Freytag: To answer that quickly, yes, that could be a possible intention. They always say that they wait for the invasion of NATO and they would fight the NATO forces and stop them there. Jamie Shea: Doug, we have some indications that yes, the purge of the other echelons of the Yugoslav armed forces may not have ended with the replacement of eight generals in Montenegro last week but I'm not going to say more on that now until we have confirmation that that has indeed happened but if it is the case - and as I say preliminary indications are that things are happening - it would indicate Milosevic still has certain problems with some of his generals and that some of his generals may not be totally on board this campaign of repression and misuse of the army that's going on in Kosovo so that's all I want to say for today but as these indications become clearer, I'll be happy to come back to them in the future. Dominique Thierry, Radio France Internationale: En franais peut-tre... Attendez-vous des renforts pour renforcer le nombre d'avions que vous aurez disposition en Italie et deuximement, est-ce-que certains de ces renforts seront- ils stationns au ct des hlicoptres Apaches en Albanie, et puis pour Jamie, deux questions : qu'entendez-vous par retenue qui aurait t exerce la veille de - pour la trve de - Pques et deuximement l'opration "Havre Alli" en Albanie n'est pas uniquement une opration humanitaire, il y a un lment militaire, l'envoi d'hommes sur le terrain. Dans quelle mesure cela ne risque-t-il pas d'tre interprt notamment en Albanie comme un signe d'intervention de l'OTAN pour stabiliser la frontire albanaise. Konrad Freytag: Pour les renforcements, oui nous attendons des renforcements d'avions. Les Amricains ont annonc 80 plus ou moins, nous attendons aussi des hlicoptres qui arrivent bientt. Jamie Shea: Oui, voila. Et les Britanniques comme vous avez vu, Dominique, emploient HMS Invincible qui est galement quip d'avions et d'hlicoptres et d'autres pays de l'Alliance galement ont annonc l'emploi d'avantage d'avions. Ceci va nous permettre de faire deux choses, d'abord de pouvoir oprer 24 heures sur 24, peut-tre de manire permanente dans l'air, et donc de profiter de toutes les occasions qui vont se prsenter pour attaquer directement les forces serbes au Kosovo mme. Deuximement, elles nous permettront d'avantage de voler par tous les temps, par tous les temps mtreologique sans perte d'intensit. En ce qui concerne le Pques orthodoxe, non j'ai dit ce que j'ai dit et je m'arrte l. A oui, en Albanie, aujourd'hui c'est mon jour de ne pas repondre aux questions. Excusez-moi. Voil, pour l'Albanie il s'agit d'une force purement humanitaire. Cette force ne sera pas quipe pour autre chose que sa mission humanitaire et donc c'est une mission comme je l'ai decrite pour venir en aide aux organisations internationales dans le domaine de la construction de camps de rfugis du transport des vivres, de la distribution des vivres, etc.. Il ne s'agit de rien d'autre que d'une force humanitaire. Dominique Thierry: Je parlais de l'interprtation que l'on fera de cette force on Albanie. Jamie Shea: Non, nous avons clairement expliqu l'Albanie la raison d'tre de cette force et d'aprs moi il n'y a pas de malentendu l-dessus. Turkish Television: My question is for Colonel Freytag. There are going to be more or less 700 aeroplanes and we've seen over the last few days there are less sorties and less air strikes and the weather is of course bad but as not as bad as it was the first day so why less sorties and less strikes? Is it because of only the weather, the human shield or any other reason - of course there is the Easter - or what are the main reasons because normally you keep saying that operations could go on day and night and now Jamie just said that you need some other aeroplanes so that you can do operations around the clock so why are there less sorties with that many aeroplanes? Konrad Freytag: Actually we did not talk about 700 aircraft but about 400 and these 400 will be reinforced by some more, yes, for an increase in some areas and that, I think, all I should add to this. Question: Colonel Freytag, can you elaborate at all on any information you can glean from the photographs of the new mass grave and for example in the past, when you have seen a grave of this size, how many bodies have eventually been found in them? Konrad Freytag: For this they are not qualified enough and you would need forensic experts on that. We know this and as I have said with all caution these are possible mass grave sites but we need to be very careful on that. Jamie Shea: Absolutely. As Konrad said, we are simply indicating something from the air that could be a mass grave and based on our experience of Bosnia, where of course a number of mass graves were identified and uncovered and from the air looks somewhat similar, and that is the reason why we have shown you this photo and said this could be a mass grave but obviously it will be up to the International Crime Tribunal, once it is able to go into Kosovo, to conduct a thorough investigation. Hopefully, we can help the work of the Tribunal but the Tribunal will be the one for conducting the investigation, not us. Antonio: Colonel Freytag, we have seen people on the bridges in places like Belgrade and Novi Sad. How difficult is it now for the air strikes to hit those points that in other parts of the country have been hit before? Jamie, 75 trucks coming from Russia with the military's help - Hungarian/Ukrainian. Some of the trucks are supposed to have something else than humanitarian aid. Can you tell us more about this? Konrad Freytag: For the first part of your question, yes, we can deal with this problem and as you know, we have not hit any bridge where human shields were but I think it is a plan of the Yugoslav authorities to do that and I cannot understand that they do it. We also see other indications that they try to put human shields up, innocent people, but we have not targeted those bridges where they are. SAME QUESTIONER: They look volunteers, the people. Konrad Freytag: This, I think, would require a careful analysis that they had volunteered. We have seen throughout the years how many people have demonstrated against President Milosevic and you see the same faces but they are now for him, you see how they are motivated by pop concerts organised by Mrs. Arkan so I would consider this an orchestrated thing, I am sure we are able to cope with it. Jamie Shea: We are not going to threaten civilians' lives in any way, that is clear. Antonio, in response to your question, yes, you are right, Hungary has inspected this humanitarian convoy of Russia at the border with Ukraine and obviously the reason for the inspection is to ascertain that this is indeed humanitarian assistance. There is a UN arms embargo applying - 1160 - to Yugoslavia and that has to be respected of course by all parties. I understand from the information I have that the convoy contained eight fuel tankers and of course that is a directly military asset in the current environment and there were some armoured personnel carriers and also a number of vehicles which are clearly military in use, armoured vehicles, but also a number of trucks which contained medicine and children's toys, I understand, and normal foodstuffs so the position of Hungary is the same as the position of any member of the United Nations in this type of situation which is that those vehicles which clearly are humanitarian will be allowed to go on to deliver their supplies, which I understand are destined for Montenegro from the information I have, whereas of course those which can have a military use will not be allowed to go on but let me make it clear NATO countries, like any members of the United Nations, are not blocking legitimate humanitarian aid, I want to make that clear but of course only try to filter out those elements which could have a military use. Xavier: Colonel Freytag, could you elaborate a bit more on what you plan to do with the Apaches? Are you going to target more directly for instance the tanks etc? Jamie, two questions. Which is the correct accurate figure, the 150 targets affected, as the British Foreign Office said on Friday or the 100 targets which evoked General Naumann in Bonn and could you confirm if it is true or not that some NATO planes have distributed texts with Kofi Annan's declaration on Belgrade? Konrad Freytag: OK. Concerning the Apache, the Apache will be added to our disposition in order to attack ground forces in Kosovo and we hope that this will be a very effective addition to our engagement for the ground forces and special forces of the Yugoslav authorities. Jamie Shea: Xavier, the two questions you directed at me: first of all, regarding 100 targets, 150, I wouldn't see a discrepancy there, I think it depends on how you categorise a major target but let me again say that I've asked SACEUR to come and talk to you on Tuesday on the operational assessment at this stage and I think SACEUR clearly will go into all of this with you in the appropriate detail. As for the question of the leaflet drops, yes, we have on a few occasions dropped leaflets into Yugoslavia simply to allow any willing Yugoslav to be able to read the position of the international community in the widest sense. I am not sure how many people have received these leaflets and I haven't had any audience reaction so far - I'll pass it on to you if I do have - but of course we want to communicate our message not simply to you but also to the people of Yugoslavia as well. Jim: I want to go back to the Kosovska Mitrovica picture of the mass grave. This didn't come just from nowhere, did you have some sources telling you to look there, did you associate it with any activity by Yugoslav army troops there? That is for you, Konrad. For you, Jamie, I want to just ask you whether at this point a battle plan is emerging on the Yugoslav side and politically the goals of Mr. Milosevic right now as NATO sees them. Konrad Freytag: First of all, yes, we had reports on atrocities in Kosovo and that is what I briefed to you so we were carefully doing our aerial intelligence to see whether we would find evidence of these and we had Yugoslav military acting in the Radovac and Urosevac , as I briefed you and in that area we found this picture, not where you mentioned. Jamie Shea: Jim, thanks for that question. It's difficult for me to say exactly what President Milosevic's political plan is. As I say, he doesn't give very many speeches or newspaper interviews in which he explains these kinds of things in the way that obviously people in democracies tend to do and have to do all the time. Secondly, it is not clear that he has any kind of political plan for Kosovo, otherwise I think he would have negotiated more seriously at Rambouillet and in Paris. Quite the reverse, he seems to have only military solutions for the domestic problems of Yugoslavia. We saw this first of all applied in Croatia and Slovenia back in 1991 when the Yugoslav Federation broke up, then we saw it applied in Bosnia and now we see it applied in Kosovo. If there's been a political plan for the region, it has tended to come more from the international community than from Milosevic himself so it's difficult for me generally to speculate on what that may be. Of course, I think for now he probably wants to divide NATO if he can, he probably wants to get away at least with some of what he would call the spoils of victory in his own eyes in terms of the refugees not coming back to their homes, otherwise why would he force them out if he were planning to allow them to go back to their homes, it would be a rather counter-productive strategy but beyond that it is difficult to know. But we know what our plans are and that's really what matters. It's not so much what Milosevic wants because we know that that is not acceptable, it's want we want, the international community, that counts and here we are very clear. In contrast to Belgrade, every time we come up here we state clearly what our goals are, a democratic, multiethnic Kosovo, the right of return of all of the refugees and displaced persons to their homes free of intimidation, an international security force which would be able to go there and ensure the protection of the refugees and a political process based on the Rambouillet agreement which gives Kosovo an enhanced status of autonomy and I think at the end of the day is really what's going to be the difference in this whole affair is that we have a vision for the future which is constructive and Milosevic, tactician though he may be in the short term, doesn't really have any kind of long-term vision either for Kosovo, for Yugoslavia or for the region as a whole. We'll stop there and, as I say, you will have the press conferences tomorrow. I wish you a pleasant end to the weekend, thank you very much for coming.