Congress of the United States
        Washington, DC 20515
     
        November 4, 1997
     
     
        JOINT BRIEFING
        sponsored by
        THE ALBANIAN ISSUES CAUCUS
        and
        THE CONGRESSIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CAUCUS
     
     
        KOSOVA: IS THE CRISIS COMING?
     
     
Dear Colleague:
     
One month ago, Serbian riot police firing tear gas charged and violently 
suppressed a group of 20,000 ethnic Albanian students peacefully 
demanding the right to Albanian language education in Kosova, a formerly 
autonomous region in Serbia.  This event may signal that after years of 
passive, non-violent opposition to Belgrade's domination of Kosova's 92% 
ethnic Albanian majority, the local population has begun to step up its 
campaign for human rights and self-determination.
     
Currently, the United States maintains an "outer wall of sanctions" 
against Serbia and Montenegro which conditions international loans and 
membership in international institutions in large part on resolution of 
the conflict in Kosova.  Given recent developments, however, U.S. and 
international policy must reflect the more volatile, current situation. 
This briefing will focus on how the humanitarian and political situation 
has worsened in Kosova and how the U.S. and international community 
should respond.
     
   Panel 1:        Eileen Malloy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for
European
                Affairs.
     
   Panel 2:        Fred Abrahams, Human Rights Watch/Helsinki.
                Janusz Bugajski, Director of East European Studies, Center for 
                  Strategic and International Studies.
                Dr. Sami Repishti, President, National Albanian American
Council.
     
   When:                Thursday, November 6, 1997
                3:00 pm
   Where:        2358 Rayburn House Office Building
     
We invite you and your staff to join us at this important briefing on 
the crisis in Kosova.  If you have any questions, please have your staff 
contact Jason Steinbaum with Rep. Engel at x52464.
     
                                Sincerely,
     
     
     
        Eliot L. Engel, Co-Chair                        Peter T. King, Co-Chair 
        Albanian Issues Caucus                        Albanian Issues Caucus
     
     
     
        Tom Lantos, Co-Chair                        John Edward Porter, Co-Chair 
        Cong. Human Rights Caucus                Cong. Human Rights Caucus
     
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From: "Steinbaum, Jason" <Jason.Steinbaum@mail.house.gov>
To: "Santoli, Al" <Al.Santoli@mail.house.gov>,
        Charisse Espy
	 <Charisse.Espy@mail.house.gov>,
        "Segal, Charles"
	 <Charles.Segal@mail.house.gov>,
        "Leonard, Christine"
	 <Christine.Leonard@mail.house.gov>,
        "'Currie, Kelly'"
	 <kcurrie@hr.house.gov>,
        "Setter, Drew"
	 <Drew.Setter@mail.house.gov>
To: "'Garesche, Al'" <al@kelly.house.gov>,
        "Snyder, James"
	 <James.Snyder@mail.house.gov>,
        "Chippel, Jean"
	 <jean.chippel@mail.house.gov>,
        "Herzberg, John"
	 <John.Herzberg@mail.house.gov>,
        "Bovio, Kelly"
	 <Kelly.Bovio@mail.house.gov>,
        "OHare, Kerry"
	 <Kerry.OHare@mail.house.gov>
To: "Traub, Matthew" <Matthew.Traub@mail.house.gov>,
        "Eastman, Mike"
	 <Mike.Eastman@mail.house.gov>,
        "Berg, Nadine"
	 <Nadine.Berg@mail.house.gov>,
        "Scolese, Paul"
	 <Paul.Scolese@mail.house.gov>,
        "Hamparian, Raffi"
	 <Raffi.Hamparian@mail.house.gov>,
        "Posner, Ralph"
	 <Ralph.Posner@mail.house.gov>
To: "Paul, Scott" <Scott.Paul@mail.house.gov>,
        "'Walseth, Kristi'"
	 <kwalseth@hr.house.gov>,
        "'Andy Ilves (NDI Belgrade)'"
	 <ilvesa@hotmail.com>,
        "Hand, Robert" <Bob.Hand@mail.house.gov>,
        "'Dr. Alush Gashi'" <gashi@kosova.com>,
        "'Fred Abrahams (Human Rights Watch)'" <abrahaf@hrw.org>
To: "'Ilir Zherka'" <zherka-ilir@dol.gov>,
        "'Jason Miko (Mercy Corps Intl)'"
	 <arizona@lotus.mpt.com.mk>,
        "'Jim Harff/Helen Sramek (Global Communicators)'"
	 <jimharff@compuserve.com>,
        "'Kurt Bassuener (Balkan Institute)'"
	 <kbassuener@balkaninstitute.org>,
        "'Obrad Kesic (IREX)'"
	 <okesic@irex.org>,
        "'Terry Heselius'" <mcimak@lotus.mpt.com.mk>
To: "'Will Lynch (CRS)'" <wlynch@catholicrelief.org>
Subject: Congressional Briefing on Kosova
Date: Tue, 4 Nov 1997 15:47:44 -0500
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