(Note: I've tried to exercise judgement here, looking for what seem to be credible sources; but inclusion does not imply endorsement of the views expressed on any site, or a guarantee of accuracy of the reporting. In a conflict situation, agendas, perspectives and interpretations will diverge sharply. "In war, Truth is the first casualty.")
Send new links and news sources for this page by e-mail.
News, from relatively independent sources
Background, History & Peace Plans
Human Rights Monitors
Relief Groups Active in Kosovo
US government sites
Common Dreams Kosovo site: An
excellent source with a "progressive" slant. Well organized, many current
links to reports and analysis from around the country and around the world. Maps,
too.
Strategy-Intelligence news,
from George Friedman, a specialist in strategy and intelligence, through the site for his
company, Stratfor.com. His site is frequently updated, has maps. Friedman
offers his own hard-nosed strategic views of the situation in an interview with Salon magazine.
Mario Profaca, an independent Croation journalist,
maintains an extensive site covering the entire region, including maps, and with special
attention to Kosovo; also numerous links.
Online Reporting: Among the net-based
journalistic efforts, Salon Magazine is offering very impressive coverage, including a
stream of reports by Laura Rozen, a veteran journalist who is on the scene. Check
their news archive for related reports.
The Institute for War-Peace Reporting, in
London, has staff stationed nearby, specifically assigned to see the situation from a
peace-oriented perspective; also has a useful Links list.
BBC
Kosovo News In Depth: Background articles, including biographies, a historical sketch,
frequent bulletins about current developments.
Radio B92 Belgrade: a beleaguered independent radio
station in Yugoslavia; their site includes text reports in English. (Its broadcasts were
shut down by the Serbian government when the bombing began; but the site is still up.)
MSNBC Online has a page devoted to
Kosovo, which includes maps of military deployments, and some background.
TASS--The Russian News Agency: Frequent
updates from the Russian standpoint.
The Balkan Institute: More good
news links.
The Serbian View: Kosovo is the heartland of Serbia. The
site includes several online treatises recounting their version of the region's
history. For another Serbian site, check out this one
too.
The Albanian View: Kosova (their spelling) is oppressed
by Serb genocide: Also contains online treatises. An additional pro-Albanian site
is: Alb-Net.
A "Beginners's Guide to the Balkans"
by veteran reporter Laura Rozen, who is reporting from the scene for Salon magazine.
This report is in their News section.
Nonviolent activists and pacifist groups give their
views and recommendations.; includes Dave McReynolds, Fellowship of Reconciliation,
others.
The International Crisis Group, headed
by former Senator George Mitchell of Maine, former President Oscar Arias of Costa Rica,
and other notables, offers its own analysis and plan for the region.
The Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace has its own analysis and peace plan.
The Commission of Experts on the Former
Yugoslavia, under the auspices of the UN, prepared a weighty report on atrocities in
the earlier rounds of warfare; read it here.
War Resisters International issued a
declaration on Kosovo.
More Commentary and anaysis....
Free 2000, a site run by an association of human
rights groups working to maintain free media in the former Yugoslavia. Numerous
links to news sites in the area.
Human Rights Watch is
laboring to maintain a working presence in the region; not an easy task. Theis site
includes an archive.
A valuable overview of active groups can be found at the InterAction site; InterAction is an association of many large charitable and relief groups, who have agreed to certain principles of accountability to donors. the site also has a Guide to Appropriate Giving.
The most active relief groups appear to be the following:
Mercy Corps International; the site reports that it
has delivered more than $25 million in relief and reconstruction supplies to Kosovo.
World Vision; this very large evangelical relief
group has an elaborate Kosovo page, including a Kosovo Information Kit.
Catholic Relief Services
International Orthodox Christian Charities is a member of
InterAction.
Doctors of the World has medical projects
there.
Doctors Without Borders is also active.
The U.S. Institute of Peace has a couple of
reports on the overall situation in the area.
NATO: The Allied Forces Southern Europe site
carries its press releases and bulletins.
The Pentagon: Get its press releases here.
The State Department's Kosovo
Page, which includes frequent "situation updates."
The CIA's World Factbook includes
an unclassified thumbnail sketch of Serbia-Montenegro, circa 1997. (Note: Be advised that
the CIA reserves the right to "monitor" visitors to its site, even this public
one.)
