NY Times, July 14, 2000

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Yugoslavia (AP) -- Agents of the Yugoslav government are active in the Serb communities of Kosovo and appear intent on undermining U.N. efforts to rebuild the province, said the commander of American forces in Kosovo.

The agents have so far avoided fomenting systematic violence against U.S. peacekeepers, Brig. Gen. Randal M. Tieszen said in an interview Thursday with The Associated Press.

``I believe that Belgrade's influence is felt throughout my sector, probably throughout the province, in all the Serb communities,'' Tieszen said. ``There's a strong Belgrade influence in these communities.''

One of their goals has been to discourage Kosovo Serbs from registering to vote in local elections in the fall. The deadline for registration is Saturday, and few Serbs have registered.

Still, Tieszen, who took command of the 5,500-strong American force here last month, said there had been no indication of a campaign of violence against U.S. troops, whose sector is home to about a third of the estimated 100,000 Serbs who stayed behind after Yugoslav forces left in June 1999 following the 78-day NATO bombing campaign.

``We've had very few cases of overt hostility to KFOR and I don't believe I know of any orchestrated attacks against KFOR,'' Tieszen said, referring to the acronym of Kosovo peacekeeping troops.

Tieszen cited an incident last month in which Serbs in the village of Strpce set fire to a U.N. building, prompting American troops to stop providing security for Serb convoys. The suspension was lifted after a Serb man was arrested in the arson attack.

Although Tieszen said he was convinced the Strpce attack was planned, he said Serbs in the crowd took pains to tell the Americans that the incident was not directed against them but against the United Nations because of the kidnapping and murder of a Serb shepherd.

The absence -- so far -- of sustained orchestrated violence against American and other peacekeepers has clearly been a relief to the Clinton administration, which was concerned about a violent reception, especially from the Serb community after the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

To protect its troops, the U.S. military has built this sprawling base on a hill east of Urosevac, protected by guard towers, barbed wire, armed guards and round-the-clock surveillance.

NATO and the United Nations have failed to stop ethnic Albanian attacks against the Serbs.

However, as long as a substantial Serb community remains, Yugoslavia's claim on Kosovo, which is enshrined in the U.N. resolution that established the peacekeeping mission, maintains validity.

To reinforce the claim, Tieszen said Belgrade's operations appear aimed at preventing Serbs from cooperating with U.N. programs, including elections for local councils in the fall and for province-wide posts next year.

If the Serbs boycott those ballots, that would raise questions about the legitimacy of any U.N.-sponsored political system.

``I think that most of the influence is meant to keep people from being active participants and adding legitimacy to some of the processes, for example the registration and elections,'' Tieszen said. ``We also know that there's a large part of the (Serb) population that would like to work with the international community to try and improve economic development, security, to help begin reconstruction and in some cases maybe even reconciliation.''

He said Serb moderates ``receive pressure from Belgrade and so it does inhibit us working with them a little.''

Still, Tieszen said relations between the Americans and the Serbs are generally good and improving, despite incidents such as Wednesday's wounding of three Serbs -- two of them Orthodox priests -- by unknown attackers along a road in the U.S. sector.

``During and right after the war, large numbers of both Albanians and Serbs, although predominantly Serbs, left the entire province,'' he said. ``But we're also seeing movement in the other direction. We know of a Serb judge that wants to return. That's a wonderful sign.''