Press
Briefing
held
on 15 October 2001
at the NATO Press Centre in Skopje
Statement by Major Tim Dunne:
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to today’s news update.
I have a rather lengthily shot report this morning, which extends from
Friday to early this morning. So, I could either make it available later
today as a written document or do you want me to read it out now? OK,
I will read it out, because if one person needs it, I have to do it.
Starting from 12 October, so this is a report from the 12th, which means
that the shots started on the 11th: at 19:15 hrs three single shots were
reported at Ratae; three detonations of hand grenades at Zelino; at 21:45
fourteen single shots reported at Palatic; one single shot reported in
Aracinovo, and that was at 22:15; and fifteen minutes later, at 22:30,
twelve single shots also reported in Aracinovo; and over night there were
shots reported at the vicinity of Gostivar. On October 12, at midnight,
there was in the area north-west of Kumanovo, there were some shots reported
in the vicinity of the area of Gruzino, about 22:45, a burst of heavy
machine fire reported from the village of Odri; and at 15:30 hrs on the
13th, there were gunshots reported in Tetovo valley in the vicinity of
Germo. Again, on 13 October, at 23:55, a number of shots and short fire
bursts in the area of Nikustak. On the 13th, 20:40 hrs it was observed
from Kumanovo firing from Slupcane, and this caused observation posts
in that area to assume a high level of alert. I have no other information
on that particular incident. On the 13th again, at 21:15 in the area of
Opajce, a short burst of automatic gunfire; at 22:15 there were some heavy
detonations at the vicinity of Lipkovo. Between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the
14th we had reports of some shop windows being broken on the Revolucija
boulevard in Kumanovo. And, again, I don’t have any further information
on that incident. At 06:45 on the 14th there were reported gun shots west
of Kumanovo in Lopate and the cross-roads leading to Mateja; at 21:20
on the 14th there were two fire bursts in the area of Zilce; 23:20 there
was an exchange of gun-fire between vehicle passengers, but the passengers
returned to Gorno Svilane, I have no further information on that incident
either. At half past midnight on the 15th there were two fire bursts in
the area of Zilce; and at 01:50 fire bursts west of Tetovo; 01:40 four
single shots west of Tetovo; and at 01:50 a short burst near Ratae. That
concludes the shot reports. However, I would just like to make a point
that I will not be reporting shot reports any longer. This does not fall
under the NATO mandate or mission for either TFF or KFOR Rear. In the
past, NATO units in this area have investigated shot reports only if they
hear them and I believe that this information could more authoritatively
be provided by the national authorities. And with that, I’ll pass
over to Mr. Schenker. Any comments? In that case, we are open for your
questions.
Question 1: (VOA) Major, as to your reporting about the shooting
today, just if you can tell us who is shooting?
Maj. Dunne: I’ve given you everything, all the information
that I have on the shooting incidents side. I have nothing else to report.
That is all the information that I have been provided with.
Journalist: What’s the mandate of Task Force Fox?
Maj. Dunne: TFF is to provide support for the OSCE and the monitoring
organization that is in place in Macedonia. Mr. Schenker is to provide
you with more details on this.
Journalist: Harold, where are the monitors now?
Schenker: The monitors are in the field. The mission is still
building up as you know, they are in these areas, in the Kumanovo area,
Skopska Crna Gora area, in Tetovo area and further down south in Gostivar
and Kicevo.
Journalist: What have your monitors been observing in these crisis
areas? You have to tell us, I guess, because they are your monitors.
Schenker: I do not have details on what they monitor. The procedure
was so far that you would get this information either from NATO or from
the national authorities, and we will see, we will establish some kind
of a routine on who is going to report on these things. But I have nothing
today.
Maj. Dunne: I would just like to add one comment to that. There
is no guarantee that what I have provided you with is all of the shots
that happened over night over the last several days. All that I am reporting
is what we have learned about or heard, and have investigated. We send
a team to investigate these shooting incidents only when we hear them
or when they are reported to us, so there is no guarantee that that is
one hundred percent. I would suggest that, perhaps, it would be more appropriate
for this to come from the national authorities.
Question 2: Since the transfer of authority between TFH and TFF
has been completed, can you tell us whether there are any harvesters left,
if yes how many, and also if all the foxes are on the terrain?
Maj. Dunne: All of the personnel from the TFH have left. So, there
are no longer any elements of the TFH. As for TFF, we are extremely close
to the 700 mark and, as I reported last week, at that time last week there
were 651 personnel on the ground, the number has grown and the force now
is fully operational. We are only waiting for small, incremental numbers
to get us up to the full strength.
Journalist: How many?
Maj. Dunne: I don’t have the exact figure. As I said, we
are close to 700, we are just incrementally short of that right now, and
also it is important to understand that when we talk about TF of 700 people,
we also have to provide those people with time off, leave and there will
be people who will be rotating in and out, so there are times when we
won’t be the full 700, but always close to.
Question 3: Again, about the shooting reports that you have been
reading to us. You mentioned that in some cases you sent out investigative
teams on the terrain, is it possible that you have come to the conclusion
that somebody else is shooting, and that it is not celebratory fire? In
the public, we hear different rumors regarding this issue.
Maj. Dunne: What I say about the shooting reports is what I know
to be true about the shooting reports. In fact, during this morning’s
shooting reports, I reported some things that were not celebratory. To
take one example only: at 20:40 hrs on 13 October, I reported that there
was an exchange of fire which caused observation points in the area of
Slupcane to assume a high alert level. I also said at that point that
I have no more information about it. So, just to clarify, the issue I
am not reporting the shooting incidents only because I don’t want
you to think that this is one hundred percent of everything that is happening
within Macedonia, and that, in fact, this information can be provided
more authoritatively from national sources, i.e. from the sources of the
Macedonian government. And you have my word that there is no other reason
for that.
Question 4: The question is for Mr. Schenker. Do you have any
additional information regarding the Popova Shapka case, since yesterday
there were also OSCE monitors present in the convoy?
Schenker: No. It is as simple as that. You could see that it was
all over the newspapers this morning, and I have no additional information.
Journalist: We read the newspapers. However, there were no comments
of the OSCE on this.
Schenker: There is no statement that we are going to make of this
as of yet. We wait and see how the situation develops. In general, this
applies also to the findings about shootings and all that. The way we
report as I have explained a few times is that the content of our reports
is not meant to be for the public, unfortunately.
Question 5: Do you have any concrete information about how the
operation AMBER FOX is ongoing?
Maj. Dunne: Last Wednesday, Col. Schwan, COS of TFF was here and
discussed the mandate and the mission. Since then we have had incremental
increases in the number of people who comprise TFF. The force right now
is fully operational. If you are looking for information how well we are
doing our job, you should ask the OSCE and the monitors because they are
the ones that we are supporting.
Schenker: All I can say is that we are pleased with the co-operation
we have. I am sure that we will continue this way.
Question 6: Do you have any new information regarding the incident
that happened last week on the Macedonian-Kosovo border involving the
three Macedonian captured soldiers?
Maj. Dunne: No more information. From the reports that I have
read and what I gave you at that time was all the information that I have.
As of now, we consider that matter to be closed.
Question 7: We heard the shot reports and I would like to know,
since both TFF and OSCE have monitors on the ground, can you tell us how
much these shootings represent a threat for you?
Maj. Dunne: Speaking for NATO, and not for the monitors, almost
all of the shooting incidents have been non-targeting and non-threatening,
and indeed when there have been shooting reports we had people investigate
them, so they are not intimidating for us. I would leave it to Mr. Schenker
to speak for the monitors.
Schenker: That goes also for the monitors, as for these shootings.
Question 8: The question can be answered by any of you. Can you
tell us how is the coordination ongoing for the return of the security
forces in the crisis areas, since there are meetings going on every day
between representatives of NATO, OSCE, MOD and MoI?
Schenker: They are ongoing. I said last time that as soon as there
would be any results, we would inform you about it. And I expect that
the MoI and MOD will do the same. As far as we are concerned, we continue
the build up of the mission in order to be ready for that task as well.
Question 9: How many people are there within the OSCE mission
at the moment, and how many do you expect to have?
Schenker: I guess that the numbers, as they have been agreed upon
– you know them, we are talking at the moment of 41 monitors in the
field, 17 who are supposed to arrive on Wednesday, 35 others will arrive
some time next week, 11 police advisors are on their way, 33 others have
been approved, so the process of reviewing CVs that have been submitted
to the OSCE is ongoing; these numbers are changing almost every minute.
So, the picture that I m giving you now can change in the next hour. I
guess that I don’t need to stress that the number is growing
Maj. Dunne: That concludes our conference for today. Thank you
for attending.
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