Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic will be held accountable for any further war crimes in Kosovo, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said yesterday. Blair's threat was the first time any Western leader has singled out Milosevic for possible war crimes committed by forces under his command. Blair: "President Milosevic and his commanders must ... understand that NATO will not stand by in the face of renewed repression in Kosovoor atrocities like the one we witnessed in Racak. Nor can the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague" (Michael Evens, London Times, 9 Mar).

Kosovo Rebels Back Peace Plan
     Ethnic Albanian rebel leaders on Monday agreed to sign a peace settlement for Kosovo, according to US officials negotiating with the separatists.
     "Assuming we actually get the signature of the Kosovo Albanians then this is an important milestone along the road to an implementable agreement," US mediator Christopher Hill said (Reuters/Central Europe Online, 9 Mar).

US Legislator Says No American Forces In Kosovo
     American forces should not be deployed for peacekeeping in Kosovo, according to a high-ranking Republican in the US House of Representatives.
     Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas contends that US forces should not become entangled in another costly Bosnia-style mission that could go on indefinitely.
     DeLay: "War has become a fact of life in this part of the world. No mere presence of well-meaning but self-appointed peacemakers can enforce an armistice that neither side cares to honor. Moreover, NATO must decide whether its policy is simply to keep the combatants apart or disarm them. The first option is futile because violence will reignite as soon as NATO troops leave, as eventually they must. The second option would prove extremelydangerous and guarantee instability in the region by leaving a portion of it defenseless. It's a lose-lose situation" (Wall Street Journal, 9 Mar).