SAD: Par uhapšen zbog ratnih zločina u BiH

U Vašingtonu i Oregonu uhapšeni Edin Džeko i Rasema Handanović, imigranati iz Bosne, na osnovu poternice izdate pod optužbom za ratni zločin.
Edin Džeko (39) i Rasema Handanović (39) su naturalizovani državljani SAD. Džeko je uhapšen u državi Vašington, a Handanovićeva u Oregonu pod istom optužbom da su tokom rata u Bosni počinili ratne zločine nad civilima hrvatske nacionalnosti u selu Trusina.

Oni su uhapšeni juče na osnovu zahteva Bosne i Hercegovine, koja traži njihovo izručenje, a ekstradiciono saslušanje zakazano je za 27. april.

Džeko (39) je, tvrdi se, bio pripadnik jedinice Armije BiH koja je u aprilu 1993. godine napala selo Trusina. Tom prilikom 16 civila je ubijeno, a četiri su teško ranjena, među njima i dvoje dece.

Džekou se na teret stavlja i ubistvo jednog bračnog para - tvrdi se da je jednog muškarca bacio na zemlju i ubio ga, i da je potom pucao u glavu njegovoj ženi.

U dokumentu se navodi i da je Džeko bio pripadnik streljačkog voda koji je ubijao civile i vojnike Hrvatskog vijeće odbrane (HVO) koje su trupe Armije BiH zarobile i razoružale.


Rasema je optužena za zločin u istom mestu. Prema navodima optužnice ona se tereti da je likvidirala jednu ženu i par staraca, civila.

Džeko je emigrirao u SAD 2001. godine, a državljanstvo je dobio 2006, dok je Handanovićeva u Americi od 2002. godine

Prema izjavama advokata Edina Džekoa, on je uhapšen greškom i nije čovek sa poternice. Mediji ne prenose stav odbrane Handanovićeve.

(MONDO)








http://www.mondo.rs/s203193/Info/ex-YU/SAD-_Par_uhapsen_zbog_ratnih_zlocina_u_BiH.html

"1941 – 70 YEARS LATER“ EXHIBITION AT THE WHITE PALACE

"1941 – 70 YEARS LATER“



EXHIBITION AT THE WHITE PALACE


Belgrade, 22 March 2011 – Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine opened today an exhibition “1941 – 70 YEARS LATER” at the White Palace. Exhibition is launched on the occasion of the marking the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and was organized in collaboration with the Institute for Modern History and with the support of the Archive of Yugoslavia.

At the official ceremony speeches were delivered by HRH Crown Prince Alexander, Mr. Dusan Babac, member of the Privy Council and Prof. Dr. Momcilo Pavlovic, Director of the Institute for Modern History.

While addressing the present the Crown Prince emphasized:” Tonight we are opening here at the White Palace one small exhibition. Small in size but huge in theme and meaning. We would like to remember the people, documents, testimonies and the period marked by the events from the beginning of 1941, as from the signing of the Tripartite Pact, the feverish efforts to avoid joining the war which had been raging through Europe and the whole world for a couple of years, up to the beginning of the invasion and break up of the territory and people of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In brief, the theme of this exhibition is the disappearance of an era and the emergence of the new society and the world which has been following and managing our lives over 70 years. Almost everyone has its own truth about those events, its own notion, understanding and its own interpretation”.

Afterwards guests were addressed by Mr. Dusan Babac, who pointed out: “For the first time in our country uniform of free Yugoslavs officers, which were part of Allied forces, will be shown at this exhibition. Free Yugoslav soldiers had fought side by side next to units of free Dutch, Belgians, French, Polish, Czechoslovak and other, who were then under occupation. From today's point of view, situation in Yugoslavia was not all that different than in all above mentioned states, where the heads of state went to Britain, at that time the only country in Europe that resisted the German military forces. What then happened was not fundamentally different comparing to suffering through Albania in World War One. The only thing different was the significantly different circumstances, a method of warfare and the layout of the map of Europe, because it was only possible to evacuate a much smaller military cash”.

Earlier today, a panel discussions and press conference took place after which, His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia served a memorial for the victims of the tragic events took place in 1941 at the Royal Chapel St Andrew the First Called.

This exhibition wouldn’t be possible without a help of Institute for Modern History, Archive of Yugoslavia, Historical Museum of Serbia, Military Museum of Belgrade, Museum of Yugoslav aircrafts, Belgrade City Library, National Library, Filmske Novosti Archive, Oplenac Foundation and Modelling Club Belgrade.

The exhibition will be open every day until Saturday, 26th March from 11am and 2pm. Anyone interested should contact the Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander one day in advance by calling 011/ 306 4014.

http://www.royalfamily.org/statements/state-det/state-2371_eng.html
http://www.generalmihailovich.com/2011/03/exhibition-1941-70-years-later-at.html

Kosovska Mitrovica bojkotuje Eulex

29. mart 2011. u 10.50

Odbornici opštine prekidaju saradnju i komunikacije sa misijom EU na Kosovu i pozivaju Srbe i one koji nisu Albanci na bojkot popisa.

Saradnje neće biti „sve dok ova misija ne počne da se ponaša i radi u skladu sa dodeljenim mandatom”.

Na šestoj redovnoj sednici, odbornici opštine Kosovska Mitrovica pozvali su Srbe i ostalo nealbansko stanovništvo da bojkotuju predstojeći popis stanovništva, koji organizuju kosovske vlasti u Prištini, jer će u suprotnom, kako su naveli, samo legalizovati etničko čišćenje koje se na Kosovu i Metohiji sprovodi od 1999 godine.

Sa sednice je upućen apel svim republičkim i lokalnim preduzećima i ustanovama, privatnim kompanijama i pojedincima da ne sarađuju sa USAID, jer je izašla sa terena političke neutralnosti i „počela da radi za račun tzv. opštinskog pripremnog tima”.

Odbornici su pozvali predstavnike Međunarodne zajednice da ne preduzimaju jednostrane poteze vezane za otvaranje suda u Kosovskoj Mitrovici, jer će u protivnom odgovornost za destabilizaciju situacije u gradu.

Odbornici su osudili i ponašanje pripadnika Kfora ističući da izlaze iz okvira svog mandata i daju „podršku nelegalnim albanskim institucijama i Eulexu”.

Pripadnicima Kosovske policije srpske i nealbanske zajednice poručeno je da preispitaju svoje postupke i da se opredele čije će interese zastupati u budućnosti. (Tanjug)

Srbija bojkotuje samit SAD - Balkan

Zamenik pomoćnika državnog sekretara SAD Tomas Kantrimen izjavio je da je pogrešna poruka koja se šalje iz Beograda bojkotom konferencije političkih lidera i poslovnih ljudi država Zapadnog Balkana sa sadašnjim i potencijalnim partnerima iz SAD zbog učešća predstavnika Kosmeta.


Srpski predsednik Tadić i premijer Cvetković neće sa ostalim Balkancima u SAD

Politika iznad ekonomije
"Tim bojkotom politika se stavlja iznad ekonomije i umanjuje se ono na šta se gledalo kao na iskren napor Beograda i Vašingtona da se među nama izgrade bolji ekonomski odnosi", preneo je reči Kantrimena list "Danas".

On je ukazao da bojkot konferencije, kao i odvraćanjem srpskih biznismena od učešća u njenom radu, zajedno sa više stotina biznismena i investitora iz SAD i Zapadnog Balkana, razočarava ne kao političko pitanje, već kao ekonomsko pitanje u vreme kad SAD - kao što je potpredsednik Bajden naglasio prilikom posete Beogradu, 2009. godine - nastoje da izgrade ekonomske i poslovne veze sa Srbijom.

Vlada federalne države Merilend u ime savezne administracije SAD organizovaće 23. i 24. marta u Baltimoru samit političkih lidera i poslovnih ljudi država Zapadnog Balkana sa sadašnjim i potencijalnim partnerima iz vodeće ekonomske sile sveta (između ostalih, tu će biti i “Boing“ i “Lokid Martin“).

Svi dolaze, samo Srba nema.
Prema najavi organizatora, na toj konferenciji, prvoj te vrste, pojaviće se gotovo svi pozvani lideri iz regiona - Pahor iz Slovenije, Josipović i Kosorova (Hrvatska), Izetbegović (BiH), Vujanović (Crna Gora), Gruevski (Makedonija), Tači (Kosmet) i Topi (Albanija).

U Baltimoru, međutim, neće biti najviših predstavnika Srbije, Tadića niti Cvetkovića, a veoma je neizvesno koliko će - među najavljenih nekoliko stotina učesnika, zbog kojih se i organizuje ova konferencija - tu uopšte biti prisutni i poslovni ljudi iz Srbije, piše "Danas".

Amerikanci razočarani, ne i iznenađeni.
Američki domaćini, koliko se moglo videti i čuti ovih dana, razočarani su, mada ne i posebno iznenađeni otkazom sa najvišeg mesta u Beogradu. Jer, shodno uhodanoj praksi vlasti Srbije da u poslednje vreme, gde god je to izvodljivo, bojkotuju međunarodne manifestacije na čijem se spisku punopravnih učesnika nalaze i predstavnici Kosmeta, i organizatorima iz Merilenda stavljeno je do znanja da se na samitu u Baltimoru ne računa na učešće predstavnika Srbije, navodi "Danas"

Delhaize Group Becomes a Leading Retailer in Southeastern Europe through Acquisition of Serbian Delta Maxi Group

BRUSSELS, Belgium – March 3, 2011 - Delhaize Group (Euronext Brussels: DELB - NYSE: DEG), the Belgian international food retailer, announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the retail company Delta Maxi Group, operating approximately 450 stores in five countries in Southeastern Europe. Combined with its existing operations in Greece and Romania, the acquisition of Delta Maxi Group will make Delhaize Group a leading retailer in Southeastern Europe. We expect the acquisition, including transaction costs, to be immediately earnings accretive as of 2011.

“We are very excited about this transaction that fully supports the acceleration of our sales growth rate, a key priority of our New Game Plan. Delta Maxi Group is a strong retailer built very dynamically in five countries in Southeastern Europe, a region that Delhaize Group has thus far focused on with Alfa Beta in Greece and Mega Image in Romania,” commented Pierre-Olivier Beckers, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delhaize Group. “We foresee significant revenue growth and synergies potential from integrating these new markets in our existing European business. The Southeast of Europe continues to be a very promising region in terms of economic and consumer spending growth, both supporting the roll-out of modern retailing. In 2011, we will be well positioned to capture these growth opportunities as our operations in seven Southeastern European countries together are expected to generate revenues of approximately EUR 3.4 billion and to cover a network of more than 800 stores. This transaction is an important step in rebalancing our geographic portfolio between our U.S, European and Asian operations.”

Kostas Macheras, Executive Vice President of Delhaize Group and Chief Executive Officer of Southeastern Europe said: “We have a lot of respect for what Delta Maxi Group has achieved over the last decade. We are particularly impressed with the strength of the brands of Delta Maxi Group, the level of execution and innovation in the stores, the breadth of the store network and the talent of Delta Maxi management teams. We are excited that strong management teams and associates will soon join Delhaize Group. Delta Maxi’s millions of customers can count on us to continue the first class service they have been enjoying in their favorite stores. Additionally, Delta Maxi Group customers will be able to benefit from our operating companies’ expertise in assortment and merchandising.”

Delta Maxi Group began operations in 2000 and is headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. Today, the group operates more than 450 stores in Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. In Serbia, Delta Maxi operates approximately 350 stores and is the largest food retailer. Also in Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Montenegro Delta Maxi Group holds important positions.

The Delta Maxi Group network consists primarily of 4 food retail formats, ranging from convenience stores (under the banners Mini Maxi, Piccadilly Express and Euromax), supermarkets (under the banners Maxi, Piccadilly and Euromax), discount stores (Tempo Express) and hypermarkets (Tempo). Estimated annual revenues of Delta Maxi Group for 2011 amount to EUR 1.35 to 1.4 billion and estimated 2011 EBITDA amounts to EUR 85 to 90 million. Delta Maxi Group employs approximately 15 000 associates across its markets.

Under the terms of the agreement Delhaize Group will acquire 100% of Delta Maxi Group at closing for a purchase price of EUR 932.5 million including net debt of approximately EUR 300 million. This results in an acquisition multiple, excluding the positive effect of planned synergies, of 0.67x to 0.69x 2011 expected revenues and of 10.4x to 11.0x 2011 expected EBITDA. We expect the acquisition, including transaction costs, to be immediately earnings accretive as of 2011. The transaction includes the real estate ownership of more than half of the stores in Serbia and seven of the distribution centers of Delta Maxi Group.

As from the end of 2013, Delhaize Group plans to realize more than EUR 16 million net annual synergies, particularly from improved procurement, better inventory management and optimized IT and supply chain systems and processes.

The acquisition of Delta Maxi Group is subject to mutually agreed upon and customary conditions, including the approval by the merger control authorities in Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro and Albania. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.

Delhaize Group has retained Lazard, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Raffeisenbank as financial advisors for this transaction. CMS in Brussels, London and Serbia, with assistance from other CMS offices and other local lawyers, is acting as legal advisor to Delhaize Group.

http://www.delhaizegroup.com/en/PublicationsCenter/OtherPressReleases/OtherPressReleasesView/tabid/301/Article/1088/delhaize-group-becomes-a-leading-retailer-in-southeastern-europe-through-acquis.aspx

Evakuacija Srba iz Libije rano ujutru, deo Srba dovoze ruski brodovi

Gradovi u kojima se nalaze srpski državljani zaokruženi su na mapi crvenom bojom

Evakuacija srpskih državljana iz Libije počinje sutra ujutro, jer je dobijena dozvola za sletanje tri aviona. Avionima će iz Tripolija u Beograd tokom dana biti vraćeno oko 500 naših građana, saopšteno je danas u Ministarstvu spoljnih poslova. Ministar odbrane Dragan Šutanovac rekao je da će srpske državljane iz gradova Laruf i Bengazi evakuista brodovi koje su Turska i Rusija poslale po svoje građane. Agencije prenose izjavu egipatskog ministra spoljnih poslova da su aerodromske piste u gradu Bengaziju bombardovane.



Državni sekretar u Ministarstvu spoljnih poslova Mirko Stefanović rekao je na vanrednoj pres konferenciji, da će avioni leteti za Tripoli jedan za drugim, a evakuacija naših građana orijentisana je na tri glavna centra - Tripoli, Ras Lanuf i Bengazi.
Dačić: Prvi avion u 6 ujutro

Šef Kriznog štaba Vlade Srbije za evakuaciju građana Srbije iz Libije Ivica Dačić izjavio je večeras da prvi avion Jata kreće za Tripoli sutra ujutro, u šest sati, a slediće ga još dva aviona, u razmaku od po dva sata.

Dačić je rekao, gostujući u vestima Televizije Pink, da je zadatak Ambasade Srbije u Tripoliju da organizuje državljane Srbije koji žive i rade u Libiji, a kojih je više od 1.000.

Prema njegovim rečima, ova tri aviona će evakuisati oko 500 ljudi iz Tripolija, dok je specifična situacija sa ljudima koji su u drugim gradovima po Libiji.

Dačić je rekao da je sa Turskom dogovoreno da brodovima evakuišu državljani Srbije iz Bengazija, dok je dogovor postignut i sa ruskim Ministarstvom za vanredne situacije da i oni pomognu evakuaciju državljana Srbije.

Potrudićemo se da nijedan naš građanin ne bude ostavljen na cedilu, rekao je Dačić i istakao da su spremni i putni listovi za one srpske državljane, čiji su pasoši u firmama preko kojih su i došli u Libiju.

Srpski građani koji su u Ras Lanufi i Bengaziju biće vraćeni brodovima. Srbi koji se nalaze u Bengaziju biće vraćeni uz pomoć turskog ministarstva spoljnih poslova, a iz Ras Lanufe preko ruskog ministarstva za vanredne situacije.

Prvi avion koji bi evakuisao srpske državljane iz Libije trebalo je da poleti danas, ali je let otkazan jer za to nije imao pismenu dozvolu libijskih vlasti. Naša državljanka koja se nalazi u Tripoliju prva je javila da od za večeras najavljene evakuacije neće biti ništa.
Prema rečima ministra odbrane Dragana Šutanovca, njegovo ministarstvo je obezbedilo dva transportna aviona za evakuaciju naših građana iz Libije, ali bi, kako je istakao, prvo trebalo iskoristiti civilnu avijaciju.

Šutanovac je naveo da će srpski državljani iz gradova Laruf i Bengazija biti prebačeni brodovima kojima Turska i Rusija transportuju svoje građane.

Ministar odbrane je kazao da se procenjuje da je u Libiji oko hiljadu srpskih državljana, a da je najvažnije što poslednje informacije govore da se stanje u glavnom gradu Libije stabilizovalo i da nema nasilja na ulicama.

Crnogorci se evakuišu brodovima

Nekoliko desetina državljana Crne Gore, koja u Libiji nema diplomatsko predstavništvo, biće evakuisana uz pomoć ambasade Srbije takođe brodovima, direktor Direkcije za konzularne poslove u Ministarstvu spoljnih poslova Željko Stamatović.

Postoji i mogućnost da crnogorska firma, koja je poslala svoje radnike u Libiju, po njih iz Bara pošalje trajekt "Sveti Stefan".

Bilo je planirano da se prva grupa građana, uglavnom žene i deca, večeras vrati u Beograd, a da avioni potom sukcesivno lete za Libiju tokom narednih dana, sve dok iz te zemlje ne budu evakuisani svi državljani Srbije.

"Usmenu dozvolu smo već obezbedili, vize su ukinute, vazdušni prostor nad Libijom je otvoren, tako da ćemo u najkraćem roku uputiti prvi avion, a zatim ćemo nastaviti sve dok ne završimo evakuaciju", rekao je državni sekretar Ministarstva spoljnih poslova Srbije Mirko Stefanović.

Bombardovane piste u Bengaziju?

Aerodromske piste u Bengaziju, drugom po veličini gradu u Libiji, udaljenom 1.000 kilometara od Tripolija, bomardovane su danas zbog čega je onemogućeno sletanje aviona egipatske kompanije Edžipteir, izjavio je šef egipatske diplomatije Ahmad Aboul Geit, prenosi AFP.

"Aerodromske piste u Benghaziju su bombardovane", rekao je ministar posle razgovora sa visokom predstavnicom Evropske unije za spoljnu i bezbednosnu politiku Ketrin Ešton koja je se nalazi poseti Egiptu, prenosi AFP.

"Libijske vlasti su dozvolile da slete dva egipatska vojna aviona koja su u utorak poletela za Tripoli kako bi vratila državljane koji žele da napuste Libiju", rekao je on.

Najteža situacija danas je, kako saznaju "Vesti", u radničkom kampu u Zlitiniju, pustinjskom delu, na samoj obali mora, gde se nalazi 11 državljana Srbije. Oni su tokom dana, kako nam je rekao jedan od Srba s kojim smo kontaktirali, "bili meta napada stranih plaćenika", koji su ih, "napadali sa svih strana".

Pošto u kampu ima mnogoBritanaca, čija država nastoji da ih izvuče iz Libije, sa njima bi trebalo da budu evakuisano i ovih 11 srpskih državljana, kao i nekoliko Crnogoraca.

Prethodnih dana kružile su kontradiktorne glasine o stanju u ovom kampu, ali i o situaciji u obližnjem gradu Aždabiji. Prema prvim vestima, kamp je bio bezbedan, a zatim su u javnost doprele informacije da se posle kratkotrajnog puča situacija smirila i u Aždabiji su kontrolu preuzeli demonstranti. Grad Aždabija je u severoistočnoj Libiji i udaljen je oko 160 kilometara južno od Bengazija.

Radnici akcionarskog društva "Montinvest" iz Beograda, njih 52 koji rade u predstavništvu u Tripoliju, bezbedni su i očekuju avion kojim će se vratiti u Srbiju. Centrala "Montinvesta" u Beogradu u stalnom je kontaktu putem Interneta sa svojim zaposlenima, koji će se prvom prilikom vratiti u Beograd, rekli su u kompaniji.

Svih 65 radnika firme "Petrolcomet", koji se trenutno nalaze u Libiji, živi su i zdravi. Grupa oko pedesetak državljana Srbije, koja se nalazi u kampu pored libijskog grada Ras Lanuf odsečena je od sveta i uputila je apel za pomoć putem i-mejla.

Grupa državljana Srbije navodi da su bili u kontaktu sa ambasadom Srbije i delom svoje firme u Tripoliju, "ali da izgleda niko nije stvarno svestan situacije u kojoj se nalaze. Životi su nam u opasnosti", stoji u i-mejlu.

Prema podacima Ministarstva spoljnih poslova Srbije, u Libiji trenutno ima oko 1.000 naših državljana, iako se proces prijavljivanja u ambasadi Srbije u Tripoliju nastavlja. Tačan broj naših građana u Libiji, ipak je teško utvrditi, jer, kako je rekao sekretar Udruženja za građevinarstvo u Privrednoj komori Srbije Goran Rodić, u toj zemlji ima dosta građevinaca koji rade "na crno" ili su stigli sa stranim firmama.

Rodić je rekao da je u Libiji trenutno više od hiljadu samo građevinskih radnika iz Srbije, koji u toj zemlji rade preko turskih, nemačkih i ruskih firmi i dodao da nijedna građevinska firma iz Srbije nije trenutno prisutna u Libiji. Povratak radnika koji rade za strane kompanije na raznim projektima biće rešen preko zemalja za čije firme oni rade.

Blokiran vazdušni prostor, stranci Gadafijevi taoci?

Libija je, prema navodima veb sajta euractiv.com, zatvorila vazdušni prostor zbog čega je više hiljada stranih državljana ostalo blokirano u toj zemlji.

Na sajtu se navodi da su lideri EU, koji su se sastali u Briselu, svesni da libijski lider Muamer Gadafi neće da okleva da trguje njihovim životima za svoj politički opstanak.

Sajt se poziva i na izjavu zvaničnika austrijskog Ministarstva odbrane, koji je rekao nemačkim medijima da austrijski vojni transportni avion, koji je u Libiju stigao radi evakuacije oko 60 državljana EU, i dalje stoji na aerodromu, jer je "ceo vazdušni prostor blokiran".
http://www.vesti-online.com/Vesti/Srbija/119013/Evakuacija-rano-ujutru-deo-Srba-dovoze-ruski-brodovi-

Kosovo rebels told UN of organ harvests

PRISTINA, Kosovo—Ethnic Albanian rebels in Kosovo gave detailed testimony in 2003 on an alleged program to kill Serb captives, sell their organs, and bury hundreds of victims to hide evidence of civilian killings, according to a U.N. document obtained by The Associated Press.
The 30-page compilation of statements by at least eight people to U.N. investigators could provide momentum to claims that the world body failed to pay proper attention to war crimes by ethnic Albanian Kosovars in their 1990s war for independence.

U.N. authorities briefly investigated organ harvesting claims in 2004 but never launched a full-fledged probe, prompting Serb accusations of double standards in pursuing war crimes.

The document outlines an alleged scheme to take captives of the Kosovo Liberation Army rebels to Albania in the aftermath of the war so their kidneys, livers and other organs could be removed at a home that had been set up as a medical clinic.

U.N. officials were told the home was equipped with specialized equipment and medical personnel to carry out operations.

In a letter dated Dec. 12, 2003, Paul Coffey, the top justice official in Kosovo at the time, wrote to Jonathan Sutch, the official in charge of Yugoslav tribunal investigations in Kosovo, that the alleged crimes were reported to the U.N. in Kosovo by "multiple sources of unknown reliability."

Coffey said the information was "based on interviews with at least eight sources, the credibility of whom is untested, all ethnic Albanians from Kosovo or Montenegro who served in the Kosovo Liberation Army."

Details of the interviews were given more than seven years ago to the U.N.'s Netherlands-based tribunal that was then responsible for prosecuting war crimes in the former Yugoslavia; no one has been brought to trial.

The interviews were made available to the AP by an international official who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the case.

They appear to back allegations made by Council of Europe investigator Dick Marty, who said in a recent report on the case that Western governments ignored the accusations for fear of destabilizing Kosovo.

Marty's report in December named Kosovo's Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, the former head of the KLA, as the boss behind a network dealing in kidneys and other human organs as well as organized crime. Thaci has denied wrongdoing and has supported an international inquiry.

According to the documents, the sources told U.N. officials in 2003 that senior KLA officers and officials from the Albanian government were involved in the alleged crimes, which purportedly went on as late as the summer of 2000, almost a year after Kosovo came under U.N. and NATO control.

One source is quoted as telling investigators that the first two surgeries to harvest organs were done "to breach the market," and that traffickers later were able to make up to $45,000 per body.
"The largest shipment was when they did 5 Serbs together. ... He said they took a fortune that time," the source said according to the document. "Other shipments were usually from two or three Serbs."
The source told investigators that workers at the Rinas airport outside the Albanian capital of Tirana and at the airport in Istanbul, Turkey, where the organs were allegedly taken for sale, were bribed "to close their eyes."

The flight between the two cities takes about 1 hour 45 minutes; sources told the U.N. the house where the organs were allegedly harvested was a two-hour drive from the airport.

If packed in ice after removal, organs are viable for several hours after extraction -- hearts and lungs for four-six hours, livers for 18-24 hours, kidneys for 24-48 hours.

Two sources claimed they took part in delivering body parts to Tirana's international airport, but "none of the sources witnessed the medical operations," U.N. officials noted in the document.

The organ trafficking claims, first made public in a 2008 book by former U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte, are resurfacing as Kosovo marks three years since declaring its sovereignty, with strong backing from the U.S. and most countries in the European Union.

Since then, Kosovo has met strong resistance from Serbia, which claims the territory as its spiritual homeland and seeks to undermine statehood. The alleged trade in kidneys of killed captives has given Serbia ammunition in its fight to counter Kosovo and its Western backers.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic on Wednesday called on the U.N. Security Council to authorize an international investigation into the allegations and to deal with claims that some countries "would love to sweep this thing under the carpet."

The head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Lamberto Zannier, told the AP that the 2,000-strong EU mission -- known as EULEX -- now in charge of dealing with war crimes in Kosovo was given every war crimes file that the Yugoslavia tribunal and the U.N. possessed, including witness statements.

Both the U.N. and the EU have prosecuted war crimes committed in Kosovo by both Serbs and ethnic Albanians, but the interviews are the first recorded reference on alleged organ trading to emerge.

"I can confirm that we gave the material we had to EULEX ... This was early in 2009" Zannier said by phone from New York, where he was reporting to the U.N. Security Council.

EULEX says it has launched a preliminary investigation into Marty's allegations, but would not immediately comment on the 2003 report. It was not immediately clear if it was following up on any of the information given by the eight sources to the U.N.

So far, both the U.N. and EULEX have maintained that their investigations into the alleged organ harvesting have failed to yield any evidence.

The statements taken by the U.N. give specific details of locations in Albania where the KLA allegedly kept detainees and buried victims, some of them also ethnic Albanians accused of collaborating with Serbs.

The sources, described as "low to midlevel ranking KLA members," said the Serbs were driven by trucks and vans to Albania where they were held in detention centers and some went through medical checks.

The trail was partly followed up in February 2004, when a team of U.N. and tribunal investigators visited a house in the village of Rripe where the sources said the organ harvesting took place.

The investigators, accompanied by a local Albanian prosecutor, recovered syringes; empty containers of Tranxene, a muscle relaxant; chloraphenical, an antibiotic; and a piece of gauze similar to material used for surgical scrubs.

Chemical agents sprayed on the floors and walls of the house revealed two sizable splatters of blood -- one in the kitchen, another in a storage room. But forensics tests were never conducted on the stains, and U.N. officials at the time said they could not explain why not.

According to the sources in the U.N. document, most of the alleged Serb victims ranged in age from 25 to 50.

One source said he was instructed by KLA superiors not to beat the prisoners. He became suspicious when they were to deliver "a briefcase or a file with papers that would be given to the doctor when the captives were delivered" to the house in northern Albania.

"I thought about how this was the only house where I brought people, but never picked anyone up," one source testified. "It was around this time that I heard other guys talking about organs, kidneys, and trips from the house to the airport."

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Associated Press Medical Writer Maria Cheng contributed from London.