October 1999 Military News

RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Voice of America 31 October 1999 -- Russia is keeping up a fierce air and artillery bombardment of Chechnya even as the international community steps up its criticism of the campaign.
RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Voice of America 31 October 1999 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has denied that Russian troops are targeting civilians in Chechnya. He describes reports of civilian casualties as terrorist propaganda.
ACEH MASSACRE Voice of America 31 October 1999 -- A government fact-finding team says Indonesian troops are guilty of massacring 50 unarmed civilians last July in the northern Aceh province.
INDONESIA / TIMOR Voice of America 30 October 1999 -- The departure of the last 900 Indonesian troops from East Timor ends 24 years of military occupation that began when they invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975.
U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing OCTOBER 29, 1999 -- AFGHANISTAN -- Reports Usama bin Laden willing to leave Afghanistan/Security Council Resolution / US-Taliban Talks/Where should Usama bin Laden go if he leaves Afghanistan / Usama bin Laden relationship with the Pakistan military / US-Saudi Arabia discussions of counter terrorism & Usama bin Laden financing / Impact of Usama bin Laden leaving on US-Afghanistan relations
U.S. Department of State Daily Press Briefing OCTOBER 29, 1999 -- RUSSIA/CHECHNYA -- Readout of Secretary's meeting with Russian Interior Minister Vladimir Rushaylo/Goals of IM's Visit/US position on Russia's actions in Chechnya / Is this counter terrorism or a civil conflict? / Update on situation in Chechnya/Is US considering sanctions against Russia / US assessment of conflicts in Chechnya and Kosovo
Atrocities Prevention: Lessons from Rwanda By Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes IssuesDavid J. Scheffer Speech at the Conference on Atrocities Prevention and Response at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum -- October 29, 1999
Text: U.S., Russia Joint Statement on Afghanistan, South Asia USIA 29 October 1999 -- The Russian Federation and the United States expressed serious concerns about the continuing armed conflict in Afghanistan and the continuing use of Taliban-controlled territory as a platform for international terrorism.
TIMOR / HUMAN RIGHTS Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- Three United Nations human rights experts will go to East Timor next week to look into allegations of torture, illegal executions and violence against women.
AFGHAN TALEBAN - TIME RUNNING OUT Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- Time is running out for the Afghan Taleban. If they fail to expel international terrorist Usama bin Laden from Afghanistan by November 14th, United Nations sanctions will take effect.
AFGHAN / BIN LADEN Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- Taleban officials in Afghanistan say suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden has sent a letter to them outlining his conditions for leaving the country.
ARMENIA / POLITICS Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- The killings have left a power vacuum in the country just as Armenia was taking steps to settle its feud with neighboring Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.
BLOODSHED IN ARMENIA: PARLIAMENT ATTACKED Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- The killing of the Prime Minister and other top government officials at the Armenian parliamentstunned the world's Armenian community just as the celebration of the election of the catholicos (leader) of All Armenians was beginning.
SRI LANKA FIGHTING Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- There has been renewed fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in the north of Sri Lanka. At least 54 people have been killed in the latest battle.
TURKEY / KURDS Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- More members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or P-K-K, have surrendered to Turkish authorities.
CLINTON - CHECHNYA Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- President Clinton is calling on Russia to seek a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Chechnya.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- U-S Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott is urging Russia to refrain from using military force in Chechnya and to search for a political solution to the conflict.
ANGOLA / UNITA / IRELAND Voice of America 29 October 1999 -- Stunned by battlefield setbacks, its leaders virtually incommunicado, the voice of Angola's UNITA rebel movement now appears to be emanating from an office in Ireland.
BISHOP BELO / WAR CRIMES Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- East Timor's spiritual leader, Bishop Carlos Belo, says that at least three Indonesian generals should face a war crimes tribunal for atrocities committed in the territory.
ARMENIA KILLINGS DESTABILIZING THE CAUCAUSUS Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- As one French journalist put it: "It may not be a complete coincidence that the attempted coup took place just when Strobe Talbott was on a reconciliation mission between Armenia and Azerbaijan."
U-S / ARMENIA Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has ordered her Deputy Strobe Talbott back to Armenia to offer U-S support in the wake of Wednesday's deadly hostage drama in the Armenian Parliament.
EGYPT ISLAMISTS ARRESTS Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Egypt's government has ordered 20 senior members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement to be tried by a military court for holding illegal meetings and trying to undermine the government.
YEMEN HOSTAGES RELEASED Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Kidnappers in Yemen have released three American hostages after negotiations with the Yemeni government.
ARMENIA / HOSTAGES Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Armenian gunmen who killed Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and several prominent lawmakers have released their hostages and surrendered.
ERITREA / FIGHTING Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Eritrea says its forces are not to blame for starting the recent fighting with Ethiopia.
WAR CRIME CONFERENCE Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- A conference at the U-S Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington is calling for more money to prevent war crimes.
CONGO / U-N Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the deployment of U-N military observers has been delayed due to differences with the government in Kinshasa.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- Russian forces have staged a second day of intensive air raids in Chechnya, and vowed to encircle the capital, Grozny, by early next month.
CHECHNYA INFORMATION WAR Voice of America 28 October 1999 -- While the West hears increasingly grim reports about Russia's attacks against civilians in Chechnya, Russians are hearing an entirely different story. Even nominally independent media outlets have joined the government propaganda bandwagon.
Assistant Secretary of State Roth Briefs on Indonesia/E. Timor Nadine Nigel Leavitt USIA 28 October 1999 -- "It is rather early to give a report card to a new government that is less than a week old," Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Stanley Roth admitted to reporters October 28 regarding the new Indonesian government.
Congress Clashes with Administration over Terrorism Victims By Phillip Kurata USIA 28 October 1999 -- Members of the U.S. Senate are sponsoring legislation to force the administration to stop obstructing efforts by victims of state terrorism to receive court-ordered compensation.
Text: U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Discusses IGAD Peace Process in Egypt USIA 28 October 1999 -- U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Harry Johnston, met October 28 in Cairo with Sudanese Ambassador to Egypt Ahmed Abdel Halim Mohamed to discuss issues related to the IGAD peace process, human rights, andhumanitarian relief.
Text: Johnson Statement Oct. 28 on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council USIA 28 October 1999 -- In a statement October 28 to the OSCE's (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Permanent Council in Vienna, U.S. Ambassador David T. Johnson said Russia's last war in Chechnya (1994-1996) demonstrated that there cannot be a purely military solution to the problems in the North Caucasus, and he called for a vigorous and conscientious effort to engage in a serious political dialogue.
Some 23,000 East Timorese return home from neighbouring lands: UNHCR UN News Service Thursday, October 28, 1999 -- Some 23,000 people have gone home to East Timor since the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began the repatriation effort on 8 October, the refugee agency said today.
RUSSIA'S 'ESCALATION IN CHECHNYA': WHAT CAN THE WEST DO? USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 27 October 1999 -- The escalation of Russian attacks in Chechnya as federal troops advance toward Grozny led commentators outside of Russia to ask anew what can be done to "stop this bloodbath." Opinionmakers from nearly all regions continued to register sharp disapproval of Russia's action, referring to it variously as "genocide temporarily camouflaged as an 'anti-terror action'" and a "campaign of attrition and human rights violations." Several stressed that Moscow has again embarked on an "unwinnable war" and warned that Russians are "wrong if they believe that, this time, they will be able to force Chechens to their knees quickly."
UNITED NATIONS APPEALS FOR $199 MILLION TO MEET URGENT NEEDS STEMMING FROM CRISIS IN EAST TIMOR Press Release IHA/687 - 27 October 1999 - The United Nations today launched the Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for the East Timor Crisis, requesting $199 million to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of affected populations through June 2000.
EAST TIMOR-U-N ADMINISTRATION Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- The United Nations official who heads the Transitional Administration in East Timor said today (Wednesday) there is no doubt the territory will become an independent nation but refused to predict when.
ARMENIA SHOOTING Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- Gunmen who broke into Armenia's parliament killed Prime Minister Vazgen Sarkisian and several prominent lawmakers (Wednesday). Thirty people were wounded.
U-S-ARMENIA REACT Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- President Clinton has condemned the shooting attack in the Armenian parliament, which came amid a renewed U-S diplomatic effort to resolve the dispute between Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in Azerbaijan.
YEMEN KIDNAP Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- Security forces in Yemen say they have surrounded the hideout of gunmen who kidnapped three U-S citizens.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- Russian troops are pounding Chechnya's capital with rockets in the heaviest attack on the city since federal troops invaded the breakaway republic last month.
BURUNDI-NYERERE Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- While fighting is on the rise in Burundi's civil war, talks to end the ethnic violence remain suspended after the death of mediator Julius Nyerere.
ANGOLA / UNITA Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- Angolan government forces have launched a wide-ranging manhunt for Jonas Savimbi and other top officials of the UNITA rebel movement.
AFRICA / ARMS Voice of America 27 October 1999 -- Arms sales doubled last year in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to a study by a London-based research center.
TIMOR / AID Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- The United Nations World Food Program, W-F-P, is appealing for more than 21-million U-S dollars to help feed over 400-thousand people in East Timor.
AUSTRALIA / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- Australia has welcomed the United Nations Security Council's decision on the formal establishment of a transitional authority in East Timor.
SIERRA LEONE / REFUGEES Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency says the Liberian government has allowed the agency to transfer a group of elderly and sick Sierra Leonian refugees to a safer location.
MEXICO SECURITY Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- The arrest of four leftist guerrilla leaders in Mexico last week has produced both satisfaction and caution among officials who say the armed groups had plans to disrupt the nation's electoral process.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- Russian forces are using artillery and air strikes to cover ground troops moving within a few kilometers of the Chechen capital, Grozny.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA/CRITICISM Voice of America 26 October 1999 -- The prospect of another full-scale war in Chechnya is prompting Western governments to issue statements of concern over Russian tactics against rebels in the breakaway republic.
U.N. Looking to Continue Assistance to Central African Republic By Judy Aita USIA 26 October 1999 -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed on October 22 to extend the mandate of the U.N. Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA) until February 15, 2000, and instructed the U.N. to take steps to continue to help the country rebuild.
INTERNATIONAL COURT CONSIDERS CASE CONCERNING ARMED ACTIVITIES ON TERRITORY OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Press Release ICJ/591 - 26 October 1999 -- Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) contends that the invasion of Congolese territory by Burundian, Ugandan and Rwandan troops on 2 August 1998 (an invasion currently claimed to involve fighting in seven provinces) constitutes a "violation of [its] sovereignty and of [its] territorial integrity".
STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN October 26, 1999 -- The "diplomatic" language of the statement that was adopted by consensus does not mention directly Pakistan in this connection but it is an open secret where these "non-Afghan citizens" have come from.
INDONESIA-MILITARY Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- In last week's elections, Indonesia gained something it has never had: a civilian government. That is an enormous change in a country where the role of the military in politics has long been enshrined.
SECURITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES UN TRANSITIONAL ADMINISTRATION IN EAST TIMOR FOR INITIAL PERIOD UNTIL 31 JANUARY 2001 Press Release SC/6745 - 25 October 1999 - The Security Council this morning established the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) for an initial period until 31 January 2001. It will be responsible for the administration of East Timor and empowered to exercise all legislative and executive authority, including the administration of justice.
BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS 25 October 1999 - The Under- Secretary-General for Peace-Keeping Operations, Bernard Miyet, said that though this mission would not be as politically complex as the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, it would certainly be one of the largest and most ambitious operations the Organization had ever taken on. The mission would comprise three main components: governance and public administration; humanitarian assistance and emergency rehabilitation; and a military component. The military component would have strength of up to 8,950 troops and up to 200 military observers. Civilian police would be part of the public administration component with strength of up to 1,640 officers.
Text: Ambassador Burleigh's Security Council Remarks on East Timor USIA 25 October 1999 -- Supporting the establishment of the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) October 25, U.S. Ambassador Peter Burleigh said the international community must help the people of East Timor rebuild their lives and their country.
UN Security Council Authorizes East Timor Administration By Judy Aita USIA 25 October 1999 -- The Security Council instructed the United Nations to undertake one of the largest and most costly operations in the organization's history October 25, establishing the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) to exercise all legislative, executive and military authority in the territory.
Text: UNHCR Ogata Alarmed about Civilian Casualties in Chechnya USIA 25 October 1999 -- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Sadako Ogata expressed "alarm about reports of growing civilian casualties resulting from Russia's military crackdown in Chechnya where there is virtually no international humanitarian or monitoring presence."
U-N / TIMOR ADMINISTRATION Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council today (Monday) unanimously approved the establishment of a Transitional Administration in East Timor which could lay the groundwork for independence there.
U-N-H-C-R / CHECHNYA Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- The top U-N refugee official, Sadako Ogata, has appealed to Russia to re-open the border between Chechnya and the neighboring republic of Ingushetia.
U-S / CHECHNYA Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- The United States has again criticized Russia's military offensive in the Breakaway republic of Chechnya.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- Russian tanks are pushing forward to the outskirts of the Chechen capital, Grozny, while jets and artillery bombard suspected rebel positions.
U-N / BURUNDI Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- A United Nations special investigator reports a sharp deterioration in the human rights situation in Burundi as a consequence of the country's civil war and worsening economic conditions.
U-S - TALEBAN - BIN LADEN Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- Representatives of the U-S Government and Afghanistan's dominant Taleban faction have met in Washington to discuss demands for the expulsion of terror suspect Osama Bin Laden.
U-S - TALEBAN - BIN LADEN Voice of America 25 October 1999 -- Representatives of the U-S Government and Afghanistan's dominant Taleban faction have met in Washington to discuss demands for the expulsion of terror suspect Osama Bin Laden.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 24 October 1999 -- Russian troops are tightening a security zone around Chechnya and preparing a new phase in their offensive aimed at recapturing the breakaway region.
AFGHAN / U-S Voice of America 24 October 1999 -- Afghanistan's Taleban movement says it is ready to hold talks with the United States to settle the disputed issue of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden.
COLOMBIA DEMONSTRATION Voice of America 24 October 1999 -- Millions of people have demonstrated in Colombia (Sunday), walking the streets, singing, and calling out for an end to the country's three-decade-old guerrilla war.
COLOMBIA MARCH Voice of America 23 October 1999 -- Millions of Colombians are expected to march down the streets in the country's major cities today (Sunday) in protest against the violence and warfare that is ripping Colombia apart.
EAST TIMOR / GUSMAO Voice of America 23 October 1999 -- East Timorese independence leader Xanana Gusmao has pledged to do his utmost to rebuild his devastated homeland after violence wrought by anti-independence militia groups last month.
ALBRIGHT-SUDAN Voice of America 23 October 1999 -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is pushing for an end to Sudan's 16 year civil war. Albright's talks with rebel leader John Garang focused on the importance of the Kenyan-led peace process that is now underway.
ETHIOPIA/SOMALIA Voice of America 23 October 1999 -- The leaders of three rival Somali factions have paid an unusual visit to Addis Ababa to meet with Ethiopian officials.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 23 October 1999 -- Russian military columns have closed off the last road out of Chechnya as rebel fighters dig in to defend the capital, Grozny, against an expected assault by government troops.
SECURITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES UN MISSION FOR SIERRA LEONE TO AID WITH IMPLEMENTATION OF LOME PEACE AGREEMENT 22 October 1999 Press Release SC/6742 -- The Security Council this morning established the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) with immediate effect for an initial period of six months.
UNSC to Establish Peacekeeping Mission in Sierra Leone By William Kramer USIA 22 October 1999 -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously resolved October 22 to establish a United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and approved a new mandate for regional efforts to implement a shaky peace agreement.
SECURITY COUNCIL, IN PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT, CONDEMNS AFGHANISTAN’S TALIBAN FOR JULY MILITARY OFFENSIVE, SHELTERING TERRORISTS 22 October 1999 Press Release SC/6743 -- Responding to the Secretary-General's September report on the situation in Afghanistan, the Security Council this afternoon: condemned the Taliban for their July military offensive and for sheltering terrorists; expressed grave concern about outside interference in the Afghan conflict; and called for immediate steps to improve the human rights situation and halt the significantly increasing cultivation and trafficking of illegal drugs.
U-N - AFGHANISTAN Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council is once again expressing its serious concern about the situation in Afghanistan.
ANGOLA / WAR Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- A top official of Angola's UNITA rebel movement says rebel forces will fight on despite the loss of their key strongholds in the country's Central Highlands.
UNHCR / CHECHNYA REFUGEES Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency says the humanitarian situation in southern Russia for tens of thousands of Chechen refugees in Ingushetia is growing worse.
U-S-CHECHNYA Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- The United States is appealing to Russia and the Chechen guerrillas to seek peace talks after the rocketing of an open-air market in the Chechen capital Groszny Thursday that killed or wounded hundreds of civilians.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Moscow's troops were not responsible for a series of explosions that killed more than 100 people in the Chechen capital, Grozny.
NIGERIA / ETHNIC TENSION Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- These demands have also given birth to several regional or ethnic independence movements which have threatened to pull out of the Nigerian federation if the government does not address their concerns.
U-N- SIERRA LEONE Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council voted today (Friday) to authorize a peacekeeping force for Sierra Leone, the largest such force in several years.
SIERRA LEONE / MEDIA Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- A report by the International League for Human Rights says the end of the civil war in Sierra Leone has not improved the situation of the country's media.
UNHCR TIMOR Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says anti-independence militias are preventing thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor from going home.
GUSMAO RETURNS Voice of America 22 October 1999 -- Seven years after his capture and imprisonment by Indonesian security forces, Xanana Gusmao returned to his devastated but still defiant homeland.
TIMOR / SEA RETURNS Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- A first group of East Timorese refugees is returning home from West Timor by ship (Thursday).
TURKEY / ATTACK Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- A leading pro-secular Turkish writer and academic has been killed in a bomb explosion outside his Ankara home. A shadowy armed Islamic militant group known as the Islamic Eastern Great Raiders Front is believed to have claimed responsibility.
TURKEY / OCALAN Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- A Turkish appeals court has begun reviewing the appeal of the death sentence of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
GERRY ADAMS - NEW YORK Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- The Ulster Unionists' demand that the Irish Republican Army turn in all of its weapons by May of 2000 has become the chief sticking point in the implementation of the accord.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA AID Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- Russian officials pledge to cooperate with international aid agencies in helping tens of thousands of Chechen refugees who have fled to neighboring republic of Ingushetia to escape attacks from Russian forces.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA, UPDATE Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- A Russian rocket strike on Chechnya's capital, Grozny, has left dozens dead and even more wounded, according to eyewitness reports.
ANGOLA / UNITA Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- There is no word from Angola on the fate of leaders of the UNITA rebel movement, following the government's capture of rebel strongholds in the country's Central Highlands.
ALGERIA / PEACE Voice of America 21 October 1999 -- In a referendum last month, Algerians gave President Abdelaziz Bouteflika overwhelming support for a reconciliation program to end the country's 7 year civil war. But now some Algerians are raising fresh doubts about whether Mr. Bouteflika can deliver peace.
Text: Amb. Johnson Statement on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council USIA 21 October 1999 -- Ambassador David Johnson, head of the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has commended the Assistance Group for keeping the international community aware of events taking place in the Russian republic of Chechnya.
STATEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ON THE SITUATION IN THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC AND MEASURES TO SETTLE IT 21 October 1999 -- The Government of the Russian Federation declares that it will continue to act with the same determination and toughness in seeking full restoration of law and order on the entire territory of the Chechen Republic, the liberation of Chechnya from terrorist and other bandit units.
BRIEFING BY SPECIAL ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN 20 October 1999 -- The fighting had not significantly changed the situation on the ground. Rather, it had resulted in many deaths and the destruction of villages and the country's sparse infrastructure.
RUSSIA'S CHECHEN OPERATION; WEST'S 'WEAK' REACTION CONTINUE TO DRAW EDITORIAL FIRE USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 20 October 1999 -- As Russia presses on with its nearly month-old military operation in Chechnya, media voices outside of Russia continued to criticize the Kremlin's "dangerous adventure," and particularly its "use of force to resolve a problem that can only be settled politically." A number of analysts noted Prime Minister Putin's "soaring popularity" among the Russian public as a result of his "iron-fisted" approach to the Caucasian republic.
Texts: U.S. Senators Introduce Comprehensive Aid Plan for Colombia USIA 20 October 1999 -- Senators Mike DeWine (Republican of Ohio) and Paul Coverdell (Republican of Georgia) are sponsoring legislation that would provide $1,600 million in aid to Colombia through fiscal year 2002.
ABDURRAHMAN WAHID PROFILE Voice of America 20 October 1999 -- Abdurrahman Wahid, better known throughout the nation as Gus Dur, is the leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama, perhaps the largest Islamic organization in the world with a membership estimated at between 30 and 40 million.
INDONESIA PRESIDENT Voice of America 20 October 1999 -- Indonesia has elected a prominent moderate Muslim leader President Abdurrahman Wahid (of the Nation Awakening Party P-K-B).
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 20 October 1999 -- Russian President Boris Yeltsin, recovering from a recent bout of influenza, summoned top security officials to his country residence to discuss Russia's next move in the breakaway region of Chechnya.
ANGOLA / UNITA Voice of America 20 October 1999 -- The government of Angola says its troops have captured the main strongholds of the UNITA rebel movement.
U-N - AFGHANISTAN - BRAHIMI Voice of America 20 October 1999 -- The United Nations is stepping up pressure on Afghanistan's Taleban to stop military aggression against its opponents and seek a political settlement to the country's civil war.
New UN Security Council Action Strengthens Fight Against Terrorism By Judy Aita USIA 20 October 1999 -- By adopting a resolution declaring that there are no excuses for terrorism nor should terrorists be given safe havens, the Security Council spoke with one unequivocal voice October 19 and added to an expanding list of international laws and legal instruments to counter the growing threat of terrorism at the end of the century.
SECURITY COUNCIL UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNS TERRORISM AS 'CRIMINAL AND UNJUSTIFIABLE' 19 October 1999 Press Release SC/6741 -- Unequivocally condemning all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, the Security Council today called upon all States to fully implement the international anti-terrorist conventions to which they were parties and encouraged them to consider, as a matter of priority, adhering to those to which they are not parties. Also, it encouraged the speedy adoption of the pending conventions.
EAST TIMOR / GRAVE Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- A mass grave containing the bodies of at least 20-people has been discovered by international peacekeepers in East Timor.
THAILAND - EAST TIMOR Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- Thailand says it is willing to take a leading role in a United Nations-sponsored force in East Timor, once the next phase of peacekeeping efforts gets underway.
UNHCR TIMOR Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, reports that thousands of people poured across the border from West to East Timor on Tuesday.
U-N - TERRORISM Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council is (Tuesday) calling for stronger international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
COLOMBIA'S PROBLEMS Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- The editorial pages of U-S newspapers have been taking a close look at two long-standing, related problems in Colombia - guerrilla warfare and drug trafficking.
CONGRESS-RUSSIA Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- Talbott said Moscow has a right to protect its citizens. But he urged Russian leaders to think long and hard before launching a full-scale assault.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 19 October 1999 -- Russia's military command says warplanes and artillery are attacking what they call "rebel positions" near several eastern and southern villages in the breakaway Chechen region.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 18 October 1999 -- Russian forces in Chechnya are moving into position around the capital, Grozny. Commanders say some units have advanced to within seven kilometers of the northern edge of the city.
U-N - AFGHANISTAN - IRAN Voice of America 18 October 1999 -- Iran is calling on the United Nations to take stronger action against Afghanistan, in order to stop fighting and terrorism activities in that country.
TIMOR AID Voice of America 17 October 1999 -- Thousands of families were separated as people fled for safety. One of the initial tasks now is helping families find each other.
RUSSIA-CHECHNYA Voice of America 17 October 1999 -- Russian military leaders say they aim to command the heights around Chechnya's capital, Grozny. But officials say there will be no large-scale military operation in the region.
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: CHECHYNA SNAPSHOTS Voice of America 17 October 1999 -- Russian troops have already captured more than one-third of Chechen territory and are advancing on the capital, Grozny, vowing to re-establish Moscow's control over the entire breakaway region.
RUSSIA-CHECHNYA UPDATE Voice of America 16 October 1999 -- Russian troops have made more advances in their ongoing offensive against the breakaway Chechen republic and, and there are more conflicting reports about civilians being killed.
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 16 October 1999 -- Russian troops are regrouping in the breakaway region of Chechnya for what officials say is the beginning of the second phase of military operations.
U-N TIMOR INVESTIGATION Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- The United Nations' top human-rights official has appointed five legal and human-rights experts to investigate alleged atrocities in East Timor.
LANKA FIGHTING Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- Fresh fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels in northern and eastern Sri Lanka has claimed more than 150 lives.
GEORGIA -- U-N HOSTAGES Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- Georgian officials say gunmen have released two U-N military observers and their translator who had been kidnapped while visiting a remote village in the breakaway Abkhazia region.
RUSSIA / KIDNAPPING Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- Russian Interior Ministry statistics show that up to one-thousand-300 people have been kidnapped in Chechnya over the last three years, with at least five-hundred people still believed in captivity.
BURUNDI / U-N AID Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- United Nations agencies have now suspended their humanitarian operations in Burundi for an unspecified period of time.
U-N - TALEBAN SANCTIONS Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council imposed sanctions on Afghanistan's Taleban today (Friday) to protest its alleged support of international terrorism.
MEXICO POLICE Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- Mexico City Mayor Rosario Robles said two policemen who took part in the clash with rioting students late Thursday have been detained and will be investigated for disobeying orders.
EAST TIMOR: INTERFET MISSION SPARKS CONTINUED DEBATE USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 15 October 1999 -- Jakarta writers weighed in with a range of views on such issues as the role of the Indonesian military vs. that of the Australian-led Interfet force, the alleged "brutality" of Interfet and the human rights situation in East Timor. Observers elsewhere discussed ASEAN's role vis-a-vis the peacekeeping mission in East Timor, with writers in Japan, the Philippines and Thailand decrying the group's long-cherished shibboleth of "non-interference" in the affairs of ASEAN member-states.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- Russian military officials say their campaign to create a security zone around the breakaway republic of Chechnya has been completed. A Russian General says his forces will now begin a second phase of military operations designed to wipe out Chechen militants throughout the republic.
U-N / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it has signed a formal agreement with the Indonesian government granting the agency, what it calls, free and unimpeded access to hundreds of thousands of East Timorese refugees in West Timor. Lisa Schlein in Geneva reports the agency says the agreement should speed up the repatriation process.
INDONESIA / POL Voice of America 15 October 1999 -- As the Indonesian Assembly debates whether to accept or reject a key accountability speech given by President B-J Habibie Thursday, protesters and police clashed for the second day in a row on roads leading to the national assembly building.
Text: Human Rights Commissioner Names Inquiry Panel On East Timor USIA 15 October 1999 -- United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson has announced the composition of the international commission of inquiry that will look into possible violations of human rights and acts which may constitute breaches of international humanitarian law committed in East Timor since January 1999.
Text: U.S. Statement on Chechnya to OSCE Permanent Council Oct. 14 USIA 15 October 1999 -- David T. Johnson, U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna October 14 that the United States "remains concerned about the continuing hostilities in the North Caucasus."
Text: Remarks by U.S. Ambassador to Portugal McGowan on East TimorUSIA 14 October 1999 -- The United States and its NATO ally Portugal are working together toprovide material assistance to suffering East Timorese and to end thehumanitarian crisis in Timor, says the U.S. Ambassador to PortugalGerald McGowan.
AUSTRALIA / GUSMAO Voice of America 14 October 1999 -- The East Timorese resistance leader Xanana Gusmao met Australian Prime Minister John Howard Thursday for the first time. Mr. Howard and other Australian politicians welcomed Mr. Gusmao and fellow East Timor independence leader Jose Ramos Horta to Canberra. Mr. Gusmao thanked Mr. Howard for Australia's deployment of troops to East Timor to restore security to the territory.
EAST TIMOR / RIGHTS Voice of America 14 October 1999 -- In the territory of East Timor, evidence is starting to emerge of murders during September's wave of violence by pro-Indonesian militias. Information remains sketchy, as international peacekeepers are only able to fan out slowly across the territory. United Nations officials are concerned they still lack the resources to properly investigate human rights abuses.
EAST TIMOR HOMELESS Voice of America 13 October 1999 -- Although it has been more than a month since the days of terror, nearly one-half of East Timor's population remains unaccounted for and is believed to be still hiding in fear.
GEORGIA / U-N KIDNAPPING Voice of America 13 October 1999 -- Gunmen have seized a team of U-N military observers in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. The observers were seized near the line separating Georgian government forces and the breakaway region of Abkhazia.
BURUNDI / U-N Voice of America 13 October 1999 -- The United Nations has suspended all activities in Burundi following the murder of two U-N officials by Hutu rebels.
U-N / ANGOLA Voice of America 13 October 1999 -- The U-N World Food Program says it is now providing food aid to more than one-million people in Angola -- an increase of 300-thousand in the past month.
AUSTRALIA - INDONESIA Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- The Australian and Indonesian governments are continuing to trade charges over Sunday's clash along the border dividing East and West Timor.
INDONESIA / AUSTRALIA / TIMOR Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- Indonesian Military Chief General Wiranto has visited the area along the East and West Timor border where Australian led peacekeeping forces clashed with Indonesian troops last Sunday.
TIMOR REPATRIATION Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H- C-R, says its airlift of East Timorese refugees from West Timor to the East Timor capital, Dili, is gathering speed.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- Eritrea says Ethiopia is destroying border villages in the latest violence of their 16-month war.
JUSTICE FOR GENERAL PINOCHET Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- The case has raised many legal questions, including the central one of pitting diplomatic immunity for former national leaders, versus the responsibility of other nations to enforce international treaties banning criminal actions against prisoners.
RUSSIA / ISLAMIC MILITANTS Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- Russian forces continue a shelling and bombing campaign against what officials describe as "terrorist bases" of Islamic militants inside the breakaway republic of Chechnya.
U-N - BURUNDI KILLING Voice of America 12 October 1999 -- The United Nations says two of its humanitarian workers in Burundi were killed in an ambush in the southeastern part of that country.
On-the-Record Briefing on Recent Trip to Indonesia Harold Hongju Koh, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor -- October 12, 1999 -- We found that the Indonesian civilian authorities, in particular, are making a very good faith effort to try to provide humanitarian assistance. On the other hand, the safety considerations were absolutely predominant. People in the camps are living in fear of the militias. We saw widespread evidence of their presence. We found clear examples of what I think could be called the intertwining of activities or collusion command between the militias and the formal Indonesian military. In the West Timor camps there seems to be a great deal of role confusion between militias and military.
W-H-O / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 11 October 1999 -- The World Health Organization, W-H-O, warns its operations in East Timor will come to an end within the next two or three months unless it gets more money. The Geneva-based agency says its appeal for nine-million dollars has not been successful, thereby jeopardizing important public health programs in East Timor.
U-S / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 11 October 1999 -- The United States is playing only a supporting role in East Timor. The lead part in restoring order and security in the territory has been taken by Australia and New Zealand.
TIMOR - CLASH Voice of America 11 October 1999 --Officials of the multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor say they are still trying to sort out the facts, after Sunday's incident in which they say Australian peacekeepers came under fire from pro-Jakarta militia members. Australian military officials want to know if Indonesian troops participated in the attack.
RUSSIA / CHECHEN REFUGEES Voice of America 11 October 1999 -- Regional leaders in the Caucasus area say more than 150-thousand refugees have fled air strikes against Russia's breakaway republic of Chechnya. Officials in neighboring Ingushetia say they cannot cope with the growing number of displaced peoples and are calling on international aid organizations for assistance.
RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Q&A Voice of America 11 October 1999 -- A VOA Moscow correspondent is in Grozny, Chechnya near the fighting between Russian and Chechen troops. He did a Q&A with VOA NEWS NOW.
ANGOLA / UNITA / WAR Voice of America 11 October 1999 -- In Angola, a top official of the UNITA movement says rebel forces are prepared to fight on for years if necessary.
EAST TIMOR CLASHES Voice of America 10 October 1999 -- Australian peacekeepers and pro-Jakarta militias have clashed in East Timor, near the border with West Timor. Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts to repatriate the thousands of East Timorese who fled militia violence have received a boost.
CHECHNYA FIGHTING Voice of America 10 October 1999 -- Russian troops are pressing ahead with their campaign against the breakaway Chechen republic, targetting what they say are Islamic militants. But Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov says most of the victims have been civilians.
CHECHNYA / MASKHADOV Voice of America 10 October 1999 -- Chechnya's President, Aslan Maskhadov, says full-scale war is underway in the breakaway region with Russian air and ground forces advancing from three directions. A group of western journalists spoke to Mr. Maskhadov in his heavily guarded office in the Chechen capital, Grozny.
ANGOLA - UNITA - DIAMONDS Voice of America 10 October 1999 -- A senior official of Angola's UNITA movement says the decision this past week by South Africa's De Beers firm to stop buying Angolan diamonds will not harm the rebels.
Text: Assistant Secretary Koh Remarks to Press in Jakarta USIA 09 October 1999 -- The United States supports Indonesia's emergence as a democratic society, but stresses the need for addressing the humanitarian crisisof East Timor, says Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Harold Hongju Koh.
TIMOR WARNING Voice of America 9 October 1999 -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard has renewed warnings about the potential dangers of the peacekeeping mission in East Timor.
RUSSIA/CHECHEN BORDER Voice of America 9 October 1999 -- Russian military officials say they have successfully carried out air strikes and shelling against Islamic militants operating in the breakaway republic of Chechnya.
CHECHNYA CASUALTIES Voice of America 9 October 1999 -- Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov has admitted that the current military campaign in Chechnya is causing heavy civilian casualties.
BURUNDI/REFUGEE CAMPS Voice of America 9 October 1999 -- Burundi's army is forcing thousands of people out of their homes and into resettlement camps. The government says it is a necessary step to stop rebel attacks, but international aid groups say the resettlement is illegal and inhumane.
AFGHAN EXPLOSION Voice of America 9 October 1999 -- A powerful explosion at a military base in northern Afghanistan has killed at least seven people and injured about 12 others.
INDIA - GANDHI ASSASSINATION Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- India's Supreme Court has upheld the death sentences of four Tamil rebels convicted of assassinating former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
COLOMBIA DRUGS Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- Lawmakers are considering pledging up to one-and-a-half-billion dollars over the next three years. Colombian officials say they need the help as soon as possible because the production of coca - the plant from which cocaine is made - is on the rise in rebel territories.
PINOCHET - CHILE REACTION Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- A British judge's decision approving the extradition of General Augusto Pinochet to face trail in Spain on human rights charges has again split the Chilean public into rival camps.
RUSSIA AND ISLAM Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- Leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (C-I-S) have begun a conference at Yalta to discuss ways to combat Islamic terrorism.
CAUCASUS REFUGEES Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- Refugees fleeing from Chechnya to the neighboring Russian republic of Ingushetia tell another story -- that the air strikes are targeting civilians, not Chechen fighters.
BURUNDI / U-N Voice of America 8 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, reports four-thousand new Burundi refugees have fled to Western Tanzania in the past two weeks.
OGATA - REFUGEES Voice of America 08 October 1999 -- The United Nations refugee agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it soon hopes to speed the return of East Timorese refugees from West Timor. The agency airlifted more than 170 refugees to the East Timor capital, Dili.
PINOCHET EXTRADITION Voice of America 08 October 1999 -- A London magistrate has ruled (Friday) that former Chilean leader Augusto Pinochet may be extradited to Spain to face human-rights charges arising from his 17-year rule. A Spanish judge says General Pinochet should be prosecuted for a campaign of terror against his political opponents.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 08 October 1999 -- Russian troops and Chechen rebels are battling for control of a strategic river 25 kilometers north of the regional capital, Grozny. Chechnya's president is warning of a full-scale war.
CHILE/PINOCHET REACT Voice of America 08 October 1999 -- There is mixed reaction in Chile to the verdict in London to proceed with the extradition of former Chilean dictator, Augusto Pinochet, to Spain for prosecution.
UNHCR Returns First East Timorese from West Timor Camps USIA 08 October 1999 -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) returned a first group of 173 East Timorese October 8, beginning a program to return an estimated 230,000 displaced people.
EAST TIMOR REFUGEES RETURN Voice of America 08 October 1999 -- Some of the East Timorese refugees who fled violence in their home areas to seek refuge in West Timor are returning, on aid flights sponsored by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. U-N-H-C-R spokesman Jacques Franquin spoke the operation and what the refugees can expect when they return home.
TIMOR / SOLDIERS Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- Two Australian soldiers shot during an ambush by militia gunmen in East Timor have been flown back to Australia to recover. The soldiers escaped death in the shoot-out with anti-independence fighters who were armed with military style automatic weapons.
ANGOLA / UNITA Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- Angola's UNITA rebel movement has dismissed as a propaganda trick government claims that its leader, Jonas Savimbi, is calling for an immediate cease-fire in the country's civil war.
RUSSIA'S WAR IN CHECHNYA Voice of America 07 October 1999 --Russia's renewed military operations against its renegade Chechen region in the Caucasus continues to provoke many editorials in the world press.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- Russia has rejected outside mediation in the conflict in breakaway Chechnya, calling the situation an internal affair. A European Union delegation visiting Moscow has called for Russia to explain its military adventure in the breakaway republic.
TIMOR / PEACEKEEPERS Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- The commander of the multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor is rejecting criticism that his troops are deploying too slowly to restore order, so relief efforts can be established. Peacekeepers are spreading out over rocky terrain to thwart attacks by pro-Indonesian militias.
EAST TIMOR ECONOMY Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- As peacekeepers try to secure East Timor from pro-Indonesian militias and refugees trickle back to their towns and villages, daunting challenges lie ahead for East Timor. Among them, the rebuilding of the territory's economy.
Angola Mired in Military Standoff, Human Rights Expert Says USIA 07 October 1999 -- The failure of the Angolan government's third majoroffensive this year against the rebel movement UNITA (National Unionfor the Total Independence of Angola) has resulted in a militarystalemate with "dreadful" human rights ramifications for the nation'swar-weary people, says Alex Vines of Human Rights Watch/Africa.
Sanctions Chairman Hails De Beers Decision on Angolan Diamonds USIA 07 October 1999 -- The decision by the South African diamond group DeBeers to stop buying diamonds from Angola is an important step incurbing UNITA's source of revenue to continue the Angolan civil war,the chairman of the Security Council's Angolan Sanctions Committeesaid October 7.
UNICEF / TIMOR Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- A senior United Nations Official says access to East Timorese refugees in camps in West Timor has improved in recent days. But, he says aid agencies are still having difficulty in delivering aid to people in certain parts of East Timor.
INDONESIAN POLITICS Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- A leading Indonesian opposition party has withdrawn its support for presidential front-runner Megawati Sukarnoputri.The defection is a serious blow to Ms. Megawati's chances in the October 20th election.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 07 October 1999 -- Russia has rejected suggestions of European Union (E-U) mediation in the conflict in breakaway Chechnya, calling it an internal affair.
Angola Mired in Military Standoff, Human Rights Expert Says USIA 07 October 1999 -- The failure of the Angolan government's third major offensive this year against the rebel movement UNITA (National Unionfor the Total Independence of Angola) has resulted in a militarystalemate with "dreadful" human rights ramifications for the nation'swar-weary people, says Alex Vines of Human Rights Watch/Africa.
U-N-TIMOR RESOLUTION Voice of America 7 October 1999 -- The United Nations Security Council has formally begun considering a draft resolution (today/ Thursday) to authorize deployment of a U-N peacekeeping force to East Timor.
TURKEY / OCALAN Voice of America 7 October 1999 -- A Turkish court (Thursday) gave Kurdish rebel chief, Abdullah Ocalan, more time to prepare an appeal of his death sentence on treason charges.
U-N / AFRICA REFUGEES Voice of America 7 October 1999 -- The Organization of African Unity is appealing to the international community to pay more attention to the plight of millions of refugees in Africa.
U-N - ANGOLA - DIAMONDS Voice of America 7 October 1999 -- Diplomats at the United Nations today (Thursday) welcomed new private-sector measures aimed at reducing diamond sales by Angola's UNITA rebel group.
ARGENTINA/NAZI COMMISSION PART TWO Voice of America 6 October 1999 -- An Argentine government commission investigating Nazi activities in Argentina after World War Two says there is still more work to be done.
MILITANT KIDNAP Voice of America 6 October 1999 -- In Mexico City, the leader of the student strike that has shut down the campus of the National Autonomous University of Mexico since April has reappeared after fellow militants claimed he was kidnapped.
ANGOLA / COFFEE AND DIAMONDS Voice of America 6 October 1999 -- UNITA is widely believed to have financed its side of the war from the sale of diamonds mined in its territory and exported in violation of U-N sanctions.
EDITORIAL: ANGOLA'S CIVIL WAR Voice of America 6 October 1999 -- UNITA did not comply with its obligations under the accord, the cease- fire was breached, and the fighting resumed. Since then, thousands more have died.
RUSSIA'S 'CHECHEN CAULDRON' PROVOKES FEAR OF 'ALL-OUT WAR' IN CAUCASUS USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 06 October 1999 -- Fear that "the Kremlin's new adventure" in Chechnya may lead to a "dead-end," "all-out" war on par with its earlier campaign against the breakaway republic was the dominant theme in recent foreign media coverage of Russia. "The tactics may be a little less crude than the ground and air assaults of 1994-96; they show no signs of being more successful," observed one pundit. Moscow commentary aside, the majority of analysts blamed the current crisis on the Kremlin's failure to formulate a "coherent policy" on Chechnya since the last war.
UNHCR Protests Indonesian Plan to Register Refugees USIA 06 October 1999 -- The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has protested the Indonesian government's plan to register East Timorese refugees in West Timor without international involvement ands upervision.
U.S. Policy Towards Indonesia and East Timor USIA 06 October 1999 -- The United States has long had important national interests in Indonesia, a key regional actor that is strategically situated in the Asia-Pacific. The United States supports Indonesia's territorial integrity, as well as its economic development and transition to democracy.
U.S. Policy Towards Indonesia and East Timor USIA 06 October 1999 -- The United States has long had important national interests inIndonesia, a key regional actor that is strategically situated in theAsia-Pacific. The United States supports Indonesia's territorial integrity, as well as its economic development and transition todemocracy.
PRESS BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS 6 October 1999 - We want to transform the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) into a United Nations peacekeeping operation as soon as possible. This is the understanding not only from the side of the Secretariat but it is also the wish of the Australians.
Text: Pickering Says U.S. Backs Pastrana Plan For Colombia USIA 06 October 1999 -- The United States supports a plan by Colombian President AndresPastrana intended to help his country out of its current difficulties,says Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering.
UNICEF / WEST TIMOR Voice of America 06 October 1999 -- The United Nations Children's Fund, says it is ready to step up delivery of vital health and education services to more than 200-thousand East Timorese refugees in West Timor. The agency says the refugees are living in more than 40 crowded, squalid camps in West Timor.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 06 October 1999 -- Martial law is in effect in Chechnya as Russian troops take up positions within artillery range of the capital, Grozny. Russia and the United Nations are sending fresh shipments of aid to refugees fleeing the breakaway region.
EAST TIMOR - BISHOP RETURNS Voice of America 06 October 1999 -- East Timorese spiritual leader and Nobel Laureate Bishop Carlos Belo has returned to East Timor, a month after fleeing violence by anti- independence militia groups. The Bishop is the highest-profile East Timorese leader to return since the militias virtually took over East Timor.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 06 October 1999 -- Martial law is in effect in Chechnya as Russian troops consolidate their newly won control over the northern third of the breakaway region. Moscow Correspondent Peter Heinlein reports Chechens are fleeing by the thousands as Russian forces advance.
EAST TIMOR - FOOD Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- The United Nations and aid workers in East Timor have launched a massive operation to distribute food to thousands of families in the capital Dili. The drive comes as refugees begin to filter back into the capital after weeks spent hiding in the hills from anti-independence militia groups.
INDONESIA / ECONOMY Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- Indonesia's political woes are damaging prospects for the country's fragile economy. The confidence of foreign investors and international lending agencies has been badly shaken by recent events.
EAST TIMOR REBELS Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- International peacekeepers in East Timor have dropped a request for members of the territory's guerrilla army to disarm. The guerrilla soldiers will be allowed to keep their weapons in their own camps.
EAST TIMOR - FOOD Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- The United Nations and aid workers in East Timor have launched a massive operation to distribute food to thousands of families in the capital Dili. The drive comes as refugees begin to filter back into the capital after weeks spent hiding in the hills from anti-independence militia groups.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- Russian ground forces have seized the northern one-third of Chechnya, and are meeting only scattered resistance as they push deeper into the breakaway region. Two Russian jets have been lost on missions over Chechnya.
U-N / TIMOR RETURNS Voice of America 5 October 1999 -- The U-N Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it is delaying the start of its airlift of Timorese refugees from squalid camps in West Timor to their homes in East Timor.
U-N - TIMOR PEACEKEEPING Voice of America 5 October 1999 -- U-N Secretary-General Kofi Annan is recommending deployment of nearly 10-thousand peacekeeping troops to East Timor to maintain security.
SIERRA LEONE / OUTLOOK Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- The peace agreement that ended Sierra Leone's eight year civil war was signed three months ago this week. During the past 90 days, security in the West African nation has improved significantly, and the rebellion's chiefs have returned home. However, the accord's most sensitive elements have yet to be implemented, and disagreements continue to cause delays.
ARGENTINA/NAZI COMMISSION Voice of America 05 October 1999 -- An Argentine government commission investigating Nazi activities has found evidence of gold transfers and government collusion in helping war criminals settle in the South American nation in the immediate post-war period.
ETHIOPIA / ERITREA WAR Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Diplomats trying to end the border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea have spent most of their time trying to convince Eritrea to accept a regional peace plan. The conflict is no closer to being over, but it now appears to be Ethiopia that is blocking the deal.
Text: Rubin Comments on Renewed Fighting in DROC USIA 04 October 1999 -- Commenting on reports of new fighting in the Eastern Kasai province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, State Department Spokesman James Rubin on October 4 called on all parties concerned "to reaffirm their commitment to the Lusaka Accord, and to take the steps necessary to restore the cease-fire and move forward to implement provisions of the Lusaka Accord."
EAST TIMOR / GUERRILLAS Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Leaders of the international peacekeeping mission in East Timor say peacekeepers will begin disarming members of the territory's guerrilla independence army. The head of the peacekeeping force announced the plan after a tense standoff between the peacekeepers and the guerrillas.
CHECHNYA PLANE DOWNED Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Chechen rebels have shot down a Russian warplane, the first such confirmed incident since air strikes on Chechnya began more than a month ago.
COLOMBIA - KIDNAP Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Colombian authorities have freed 40 people kidnapped this morning by a small guerrilla group in a northeastern city. Combat continues between the guerrillas and the army, but the former hostages are now safe in the local military battalion.
INDONESIA - POLITICS Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- One of the leaders of Indonesia's political reform movement has been elected chairman of the new National Assembly. The election of Amien Rais is the latest in a series of surprises in the build-up to Indonesia's presidential election later this month.
INDONESIA / AMBON VIOLENCE Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- At least two civilians and one police officer are dead in Indonesia's eastern town city of Ambon, after a resurgence of violence between Christian and Muslim groups. There are conflicting reports about exactly how the violence broke out in the city 2300 kilometers east of the Indonesian capital in the Spice Islands.
JAPAN - EAST TIMOR Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Japan says it will contribute 100 million dollars to support the United Nations-backed multinational force in East Timor. The contribution comes in lieu of Japanese peacekeeping troops.
PAK - KASHMIR MARCH Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Pakistani police have clashed with Kashmiri activists to stop them from staging a symbolic crossing of the disputed border in Kashmir. Islamabad police have detained a number of people to stop what has been called a "suicide march" into Indian Kashmir from Pakistan.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 04 October 1999 -- Russian forces are bombing and shelling Chechen border villages as they push forward into the breakaway region to establish a security zone. Two Russian soldiers and several Chechen civilians have been killed in the latest military actions.
COHEN / PHILIPPINES Voice of America 03 October 1999 -- The Philippine government is offering to send one thousand more troops to join the peacekeeping force trying to bring order to East Timor. The offer follows a visit to the Philippines and four other ASEAN member nations by U-S defense secretary William Cohen. He urged the nations to support the Australian-led peacekeeping effort with troops or cash.
EAST TIMOR - REFUGEES Voice of America 03 October 1999 -- Officials from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees say the Indonesian government has decided to allow the hundreds of thousands of East Timorese refugees that fled into neighboring West Timor to return home. Officials say the sudden reversal of policy by Jakarta means some refugees can return home as early as this week.
RUSSIA - CHECHNYA Voice of America 03 October 1999 -- The Russian assault on the breakaway Chechen region is continuing with heavy bombardment in some areas. But Russian military officers say a they don't plan on mounting a full-scale invasion.
SIERRA LEONE - SANKOH Voice of America 03 October 1999 -- In Sierra Leone, the country's two main rebel leaders returned home today (Sunday) bringing symbolic closure to an eight-year long civil war that ended officially in July with a peace agreement. The two men apologized to the country for the destruction caused by the war - but it remains to be seen whether their apologies will soothe the victims' anger.
U-N / EAST TIMOR REFUGEES Voice of America 03 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency -- U-N-H-C-R -- says it has received permission from the Indonesian government to start repatriating East Timorese refugees from West Timor. It hopes to start airlifting the refugees back home this week.
U-N / EAST TIMOR Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- The United Nations Refugee Agency, U-N-H-C-R, says it is preparing to airlift emergency relief aid for thousands of displaced people from East Timor who fled or were deported to West Timor.
U-N - EAST TIMOR - PROBE Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- The United Nations is sending a first group of human rights experts to Indonesia next week to investigate alleged atrocities in East Timor. It is one of the first steps toward determining who is responsible for hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of deaths surrounding East Timor's August 30th independence poll.
Transcript: Defense Sec. Cohen Bangkok Oct. 1 Press Conference USIA 01 October 1999 -- The United States is supporting all of the peacekeepers in East Timor, and they should have the right to defend themselves if attacked by pro-Indonesia militias, Secretary of State William Cohen said in an October 1 wide-ranging press conference in Bangkok.
National Security Advisor, Timorese Leader Review Refugee SituationUSIA 01 October 1999 -- The President's National Security Advisor, Samuel R. Berger, met with Jose Alexandre Gusmao (Xanana), the President of the National Council for the Timorese Resistance, at the White House September 30 to discuss the humanitarian situation in East and West Timor and the implementation of the August 30 referendum.
SIERRA LEONE / SANKOH Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- The traditional leader of Sierra Leone's rebellion, Foday Sankoh, is scheduled to return home on Saturday. The Sierra Leonean government says Mr. Sankoh should be accompanied by the former coup leader, Johnny Paul Koroma
RUSSIA/CHECHNYA Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- As Russian troops tighten a security cordon around Chechnya, authorities in Moscow are saying they no longer recognize the authority of Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov. The stepped-up military activity is triggering a further exodus of Chechen refugees.
RUSSIA / CHECHNYA Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- A shipment of United Nations humanitarian aid has arrived in Russia's north Caucasus region to help refugees who are fleeing the Russian air strikes on Chechnya. Tent camps are being built along Chechnya's border with Ingushetia, not far from where Russian troops are massing for a possible ground invasion.
US/CHECHNYA WARNING Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- The United States is again raising its concerns with Russia about its military actions against breakaway Chechnya. The Clinton Administration is growing increasingly concerned about the possibility of an all out invasion by Moscow to crush Islamic militants.
THAILAND / BURMA EMBASSY Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- A dozen armed attackers, calling themselves the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, attacked Burma's Embassy in Bangkok late Friday morning and are holding up to 20 diplomats and their families.
TIMOR / THAILAND / U-S Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- Defense Secretary William Cohen says Washington will help Thailand send troops to the peacekeeping mission in East Timor.
E. TIMOR / PEACEKEEPERS Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- International peacekeepers in East Timor have started pushing into western parts of the territory for the first time since the peacekeeping mission was launched almost two weeks ago. The move comes as anti-independence militia leaders vow to take over six districtsin the same area.
PAK / RELIGIOUS KILLINGS Voice of America 01 October 1999 -- At least ten people have been killed in two separate incidents, as religiously-motivated attacks continue in Pakistan. The killings are the latest in a recent series of attacks on Shiite Muslims throughout country, killing 14 people.
National Security Advisor, Timorese Leader Review Refugee Situation USIA 01 October 1999 -- The President's National Security Advisor, Samuel R. Berger, met with Jose Alexandre Gusmao (Xanana), the President of the National Council for the Timorese Resistance, at the White House September 30 to discuss the humanitarian situation in East and West Timor and the implementation of the August 30 referendum.
EAST TIMOR: REACTION TO COHEN, HOWARD, HUMAN RIGHTS INQUIRY USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 01 October 1999 -- In contrast to commentary filed previously--in which certain themes, such as the perceived need to intervene quickly on behalf of the pro-independence East Timorese, galvanized writers around a single issue--most recent editorials focused on a range of subjects. High on the list of topics discussed were Defense Secretary Cohen's visit to Jakarta this week, Australian Prime Minister Howard's remarks on his country's security role in the region, the UN Human Rights Commission's vote in Geneva on Tuesday to launch an inquiry into possible human rights abuses in East Timor and the continuing problems facing Interfet forces as they carry out their mission.
RUSSIA: 'WAR CLOUDS OVER CHECHNYA' USIA Foreign Media Reaction Report 01 October 1999 -- The escalating crisis in Chechnya, where Russia has pursued a week-long bombing campaign and positioned ground troops in its fight against Islamic militants, raised widespread concern in the foreign media. Nearly all feared that Moscow risks "sliding into a second Chechen war," having failed to learn the "lesson" that "government bombs don't stop terrorist bombs." Russian commentary aside, many emphasized that "the Caucasus will not come to peace with a bombing campaign like NATO's against Serbia" and that "a political solution"--perhaps negotiating with the republic for its independence--is the only way to resolve the issue of "Russia's 'Vietnam.'"
Daily Press Briefing 1 October 1999- Darwin -- The convoy that travelled to Lospalos yesterday reports that between 20 to 30% of the population has returned to the main town.
ON THE ETHNO-POLITICAL AND HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC Russian Ministry for the Federation and Nationalities 10.11.1999