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Macedonian PM Calls for Military Action After Motel
Blast
SKOPJE, Aug 26 (News Agencies) - Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski called for military action on Sunday after two security guards were killed in a blast that destroyed a motel near the northwest village of
Celopek, news agencies reported.
Speaking to journalists after taking part in a Macedonian security cabinet meeting, Georgievski said, "I can say the barbarian behavior of the terrorists after Lesok is continuing. Today, we have Celopek, and Macedonia has to react with the military or with police."
On Tuesday, a 14th century Orthodox church was blown up in the village of Lesok near the mainly ethnic Albanian town of Tetovo.
Unconfirmed reports said the Macedonian Slav security guards in Celopek had been bound with wire and explosives had been tied to them.
Georgievski also said he opposed withdrawing the military from the northwest unless the ethnic Albanian activists of the National Liberation Army (NLA) retreated to positions they held when a ceasefire was signed in early July.
"I am absolutely against withdrawing heavy artillery from military positions before we agree that the terrorists (NLA) should return to positions that they held on July 5," he said.
According to NATO, the army had promised to take its heavy weapons and tanks back to barracks while the NLA said it would move back with its weapons from the road linking Tetovo to the town of Jazince.
The area around Celopek is not controlled by NLA activists, but they have nevertheless made frequent incursions into it.
Celopek is also the birthplace of extremist Macedonian Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski.
The blast came as discussions resumed in Skopje between NATO and government officials over how many weapons the guerrillas should hand over for destruction during the alliance's arms collection mission in the troubled country.
According to well-informed sources quoted by local media, the two sides reached an impasse late Saturday after a heated debate during which Skopje's negotiators raised the possibility of suspending NATO's Operation Essential Harvest, due to begin on Monday.
But, NATO officials said Sunday that they were confident of reaching an agreement over the number of arms to be collected.
NATO is reported to believe that a figure proposed by the NLA of around 3,300 is credible.
Georgievski, a nationalist, rebuffed the estimations once again on Sunday, describing them as "laughable and humiliating for Macedonia".
Meanwhile, NATO has said it will begin Operation Essential Harvest as planned early Monday despite not having reached an agreement with the Macedonian government on the number of weapons it will collect from ethnic Albanian activists.
Asked by AFP on Sunday if an agreement had been reached with the government on the number of activist arms NATO should collect, NATO envoy Pieter Feith replied, "No." Asked if the mission would begin on Monday as planned, he replied, "Yes."
For two days, officials from NATO and the government have been debating the number of any weapons the activists should hand over for destruction during the alliance's arms collection mission in the troubled Balkan country.
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