NATO jets have attacked Yugoslav targets close to the main border point between Kosovo and Albania for the fifth consecutive day. Relief officials said that only a handful of refugees came across the border today. The officials added it was not clear if fears of being caught in the bombing had reduced the flow of refugees in recent days. Nearly 440,000 refugees have entered Albania from Kosovo since the start of NATO air-strikes against Yugoslavia in March.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, has said that she is very concerned at NATO's admission that it deliberately targeted the village of Korisha in Kosovo. Speaking in Dublin, Mrs. Robinson said that, although the deaths of civilians were deeply regrettable, it could not be compared to the systematic ethnic cleansing of Kosovo by Yugoslav forces. She said the number of ethnic Albanian refugees taken in by Ireland should be increased.
NATO admitted the bombing in which Yugoslavia has claimed that seventy-nine civilians were killed and that dozens more were injured. In a statement, NATO said that the village was considered a legitimate military target following an extensive review but couldn't explain why there were so many civilians at the location. The British Armed Forces Minister said that the Alliance did not set out to target civilians. Doug Henderson also announced that Britain is stepping up its forces involved in the NATO bombardment. More than 2,000 troops are being deployed in the Balkans to reinforce the soldiers already stationed there. And twelve more RAF Tornadoes are being added to the campaign.
NATO spokesman, Jamie Shea said that the village was a legitimate target. He said that NATO regretted what he described as accidental civilian casualties. Serb claims that NATO had used cluster bombs to attack a non-military target were false, he said. A spokesman for the Yugoslav foreign ministry, Milisav Paic, said that there was no doubt that NATO was responsible for the killings. He said that eyewitnesses reported the attacks, that there were no Yugoslav planes in the area and the remains of the shells were still on the ground with Nato markings on them. He dismissed claims that Serbs were using refugees as human shields.
In a seperate development, the UN Security Council has expressed its profound regret and deep sorrow over NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade just over a week ago. This morning, NATO bombed several central Serbian towns and villages. The official news agency Tanjug said that nine explosions shook the industrial zone of Cacak, and fires broke out around a technical repair plant and a housing complex.
