NATO Sec-General presser; comment on storming of UN courthouse
(15 Mar 2008) SHOTLIST 1. Wide of NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer walking into news conference 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary-General: "If I use the word moderation, that means that provocations are not only unhelpful but provocations lead to situations which are not acceptable. And we saw this morning one of such provocations against the courthouse in Mitrovica. Let's realise ladies and gentlemen, that that is an act against the United Nations. It is an act against the UN, so it's an act against the world community." 3. Cutaway of journalists 4. SOUNDBITE (English) Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO Secretary-General: "But this is the kind of provocation act against law and order that we can do without, because it doesn't help, it is against the voice of moderation and let me also appeal to all concerned not to repeat those acts, because they are not in the interest of a secure and stable climate in Kosovo." 5. Wide of Scheffer leaving news conference STORYLINE Hundreds of Serbs stormed a United Nations courthouse in northern Kosovo on Friday, taking control of the site and hoisting a Serbian flag to replace a UN one. They broke through two gates and pushed aside UN riot police guarding the building in the Serb-dominated city of Kosovska Mitrovica, a police spokesman said. The incident took place on the same day that NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, arrived for his first visit to Kosovo since it declared independence last month. Speaking at a news conference in Pristina, Scheffer warned against acts of provocation like the one he said took place earlier in the day at the UN. "This is the kind of provocation act against law and order that we can do without, because it doesn't help, it is against the voice of moderation," Scheffer said. "Let me also appeal to all concerned not to repeat those acts, because they are not in the interest of a secure and stable climate in Kosovo," he added. Dozens of UN police did not intervene during the incident. The top UN official in Kosovo said he has ordered police to retake the courthouse, and pledged to defend his mandate as head of the UN mission known as UNMIK (United Nations Mission in Kosovo). He said the attackers would be prosecuted, and called upon Serbian authorities to prevent further such incidents. Meanwhile, most of the protesters left the yard of the building by the afternoon and the UN flag was raised again, UN officials said. Serb judicial workers, however, remained locked inside the courthouse, saying they would not leave without a deal with UN authorities. UN special police units were on standby to take control of the court and remove protesters. The storming of the UN courthouse appeared to have been coordinated with Belgrade, which has defied Kosovo's declared statehood by saying it will assume authority in northern Kosovo. Belgrade has adopted the so-called "Action Plan" on Kosovo which took effect after Kosovo declared independence. Although concrete measures proposed in the plan remains secret, some of them were leaked by the local media, and they include the takeover of judiciary in the Serb-controlled regions of Kosovo. The Serbs have held daily protests in front of the court since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia last month. The protesters have been seeking to take control of local institutions that have been run by the UN since the end of the war in Kosovo in 1999. The crowds have prevented international and ethnic Albanian judges from returning to work at the court. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
