Trouble in Truffle Land Can truffle gatherers in Périgord continue their traditional way of life? Patrick Bruel Goes Retro... A fun musical flashback to the 1930s A Dog's Life... In a search for cleaner sidewalks an expat looks at pampered Parisian pooches Disappearing Concierges... Is the typical Parisian concierge becoming an endganered species? Paris Street Music... The sounds of the Paris street are the sounds of the world France's Legion of Honor... A look at France's Legion of Honor from a personal perspective In a Green Haze of Absinthe Absinthe inspired a generation of artists before it was banned in 1915. Will it make a comeback? A Search for the Ideal Cafe A ramble through Paris via the corner cafes SPECIAL REPORT ARCHIVE what's happening and what we think about it   understanding those serious issues   cool stuff to do music, art, food, etc.   Now you can listen to ParisTempo's new musical selections online right here...   Want to know more about Paris Tempo? Read this message from the Paris Tempo Team		French Policy in Kosovo An examination of key trends in French policy during the Kosovo crisis Text & Photos by JoMarie Fecci From the very beginning of the crisis, France has consistently encouraged the political settlement of the Kosovo issue through the establishment of a status of substantial autonomy inside the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. France played a decisive role in ensuring a united reaction to the first wave of violence. As early as spring 1998, France proposed using the threat of military force to back up the diplomatic effort. The French position was very similar to that of the USA, except that France insisted on the need for progressiveness (to make the threat credible), political control and the integration of any NATO action into the international community's strategy. France was determined to safeguard the prerogatives of the UN Security Council. While France was in the vanguard of the humanitarian action in response to the first wave of refugees that summer, they continued to press the diplomatic initiatives. In October, the threats of force finally persuaded Milosevic to allow the deployment of an OSCE Verification Mission, with the number two post held by a French officer. However, the OSCE mission was never able to operate effectively. The situation deteriorated swiftly during the winter, with Serb operations in retaliation for KLA provocation and vice versa. After the bodies of 30 Kosovo Albanians were found in Racak on15 January, French foreign minister Védrine proposed to President Chirac bringing the parties together in a specified place and cutting the negotiators and mediators off from the outside world. The place chosen was the château de Rambouillet. President Chirac formally opened the Rambouillet meeting on 6 February. The conference was held under Franco-British co-chairmanship, and on 23 February, they recorded the parties' agreement in principle on the political framework for the substantial autonomy of Kosovo and decided to convene a meeting to finalize the agreement including its implementation chapter. But the Rambouillet Accords were signed by the Kosovar delegation alone. A last-ditch mission by Richard Holbrooke to Belgrade proved fruitless. From that point on, the recourse to force became inevitable. NATO air strikes began on 24 March 1999. See how French troops are helping the Kosovars now Kosovar Albanians in a refugee camp, Albania, 1999. © JoMarie Fecci Learn about what French Forces have done in Kosovo France fully participated in the military campaign, carrying out 10% of all the air sorties,13% of the offensive missions and 20% of the reconnaissance missions. However, the French made sure that they exercised strict political control over the choice of targets. Conditions for ending the airstrikes were as follows: a halt to the repression, withdrawal of the troops, acceptance of the return of the refugees, launch of a political process based on the Rambouillet Accords and an international security guarantee. On 2 June 1999, Milosevic accepted a plan based on these conditions. After the military technical agreement for withdrawal was signed by NATO and the Yugoslav armed forces (evening of 9 June), the Alliance saw evidence of the beginning of Yugoslav withdrawal on 10 June. This led immediately to the suspension of the air strikes, the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1244 and the deployment of KFOR. NATO troops entered Kosovo at dawn on 12 June, the Serb troops completed their withdrawal on 20 June and on 21 June the KLA pledged to demilitarize. Bernard Kouchner's appointment as the UN Secretary-General's special representative for Kosovo crowned France's efforts to play a key role in the administration and reconstruction of Kosovo. discuss this story Special Report: The French in Kosovo Part II French Forces in Kosovo French soldiers are responsible for one of the most volatile sectors in Kosovo. They have successfully carried out a very complex mission over the past year. Part I Healing a Divided City A year after the end of the Kosovo war, French soldiers are working hard to reunite people across the divided city of Mitrovica. Part III French Policy in Kosovo An examination of key trends in French policy during the Kosovo crisis highlights European efforts to resolve the conflict.
		all contents copyright 2003, Paris Tempo. contact us at paristempo@aol.com.