Rebuilding Kosovo: Q & A

Some questions facing the international community in restoring peace to Kosovo and rebuilding the southern Serb province:

Q: What immediate task do the peacekeepers face?

A: The peacekeepers face the challenge of making sure all Serb forces leave Kosovo, and then moving in as fast as possible themselves to help create conditions that convince 860,000 ethnic Albanian refugees and displaced people that it is safe to return home.

NATO hopes the first troops can go in Friday, after the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution Thursday endorsing the peace deal and its implementation.

Q: Who will command the peacekeepers?

A: This issue, which has caused friction between Russia and NATO, must still be resolved. Russia won't put its troops under NATO command. NATO says it must run the Kosovo Force, known as KFOR. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott was in Moscow on Thursday, trying to work out an agreement with the Russians.

Q: When can the refugees go back and what will they face?

A: That is uncertain. Refugees are not likely to return until the 50,000-strong KFOR has established a sense of order and security. Minefields must be marked and cleared. A small number of Serb forces will be taken back into the province to help in that.

International aid organizations were barred from Kosovo during the air campaign, but they expect Kosovo will bear the marks of looting, rapes, mass graves and war. The provincial capital, Pristina, was heavily bombed. Damage to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and power lines is likely to be enormous.

Q: Who will pay for the reconstruction of Kosovo and what will that cost?

A: The European Union will convene a first pledging conference in a few weeks, bringing together the 15 EU governments, the United States, Japan, Canada and other countries along with financial institutions. Rebuilding Kosovo will cost many billions of dollars, though EU officials will not put a price tag on it.

Q: Who will run Kosovo's civilian administration?

A: The U.N. Security Council will decide on the makeup of the civilian administration. Other international organizations, like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, also are expected to play a role.

Q: Will Kosovo remain part of Serbia?

A: The international community wants Kosovo to remain part of Serbia but with a large measure of autonomy. The fear is that independence for Kosovo will only create problems in other Balkan regions where the ethnic majorities are different from those who govern.

--By Associated Press, 06/10/99