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Timetable for Kosovo transition
June 9, 1999
Web posted at: 6:57 p.m. EDT (2257 GMT)
(CNN) -- The agreement reached Wednesday between NATO and Yugoslav military leaders sets out a chain of events designed to lead to the replacement of Yugoslav forces from Kosovo with international peacekeepers and the return of ethnic Albanian refugees.
Here are details of the process:
- A cease-fire on the ground in Kosovo is to begin immediately.
- The phased withdrawal of Yugoslav army, police and other forces with a military capability is expected to begin as early as daybreak Thursday. As an initial test of compliance, the Yugoslavs will have 24 hours to "demonstrably" withdraw from the northern part of the province, closest to the Serbian border.
- Within the first 24 hours of the withdrawal, the Yugoslavs must end all military flights over Kosovo; turn off air defense systems and radar; and stand down their surface-to-air missile systems.
- Within the first 48 hours, the Yugoslavs must turn over to NATO records showing the placement of land mines, explosive devices, unexploded ordnance and booby traps.
- Within the first 72 hours, all Yugoslav anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles and aircraft must be removed from Kosovo.
- Within the first six days, Yugoslav forces must be removed from the southern part of the province along the Albanian and Macedonian borders, allowing for the introduction of international peacekeeping troops.
- The Yugoslavs will have 11 days from the signing of the agreement to complete their withdrawal. After the pullout is completed, the Yugoslavs would be allowed to bring in a small force of up to 1,000 troops to guard cultural and religious sites in the province and work on mine clearance.
- Once NATO is convinced that the Yugoslavs are complying with the initial steps of the agreement, airstrikes will be suspended. Following the cessation of bombing, the U.N. Security Council is expected to approve a resolution which sets out the conditions of the peace deal.
- Once the Security Council resolution is approved, a peacekeeping contingent of 50,000 troops, known as KFOR, will begin moving into Kosovo. It will be under the command of British Lt. Gen. Michael Jackson.
- NATO sources say under plans drawn up earlier this year, U.S. troops will be assigned to patrol the eastern zone of the province; Britain, the central zone, including the capital, Pristina; France, the western zone; Italy, the northern zone; and Germany, the southern zone.
- About 4,000 U.S. troops will be part of the initial "enabling" force. It will include 1,900 troops from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which will be moved from Greece into Macedonia, and 1,700 from an Army task force now in Albania.
About 200 Army soldiers from Germany will also be part of the initial force to set up a headquarters for U.S. forces. Eventually, the "enabling" force will be replaced by a more permanent U.S. force, which will also include about 7,000 troops from Germany.
- Once KFOR leaders are satisfied that the Yugoslav withdrawal is complete, the bombing campaign will be officially ended.
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RELATED SITES:
Yugoslavia:
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia official site
Kesovo and Metohija facts
Serbia Ministry of Information
Serbia Now! News
Kosovo:
Kosova Crisis Center
Kosovo - from Albanian.com
Military:
NATO official site
BosniaLINK - U.S. Dept. of Defense
U.S. Navy images from Operation Allied Force
U.K. Ministry of Defence - Kosovo news
U.K. Royal Air Force - Kosovo news
Jane's Defence - Kosovo Crisis
Resettlement Agencies Helping Kosovars in U.S.:
Church World Service
Episcopal Migration Ministries
Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
Iowa Department of Human Services
International Rescue Committee
Immigration and Refugee Services of America
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
United States Catholic Conference
Relief:
World Relief
 Doctors without borders
 U.S. Agency for International Development (Kosovo aid)
 Doctors of the World
InterAction
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
International Committee of the Red Cross
Kosovo Humanitarian Disaster Forces Hundreds of Thousands from their Homes
Catholic Relief Services
Kosovo Relief
ReliefWeb: Home page
The Jewish Agency for Israel
Mercy International
UNHCR
Media:
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
Independent Yugoslav radio stations B92
Institute for War and Peace Reporting
United States Information Agency - Kosovo Crisis
Other:
Expanded list of related sites on Kosovo
1997 view of Kosovo from space - Eurimage
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