Milosevic eyeing Montenegro — US

The United States believes Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic may try to overthrow the government of Montenegro, the State Department said. “We do have information suggesting this is a possibility,” spokesman James Rubin told reporters, warning Milosevic that such a move would prompt NATO to step up military action against Serb positions.

“Any attempt by Belgrade to overthrow the democratically elected government in Montenegro would only fuel wider regional instability, lead to deeper isolation for the Yugoslavian authorities and escalate the conflict with NATO,” Rubin said. He said “serious indications” in the past few days about a Belgrade plot to fully take over Montenegro — now Serbia’s junior partner in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia — had prompted Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to call Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic.“She told President Djukanovic that she remains concerned about a possible attempt by Belgrade to oust his government,” Rubin said. He added that Albrighthad “commended (Djukanovic) for his steadfast leadership through difficult times and underscored that American support for Montenegro is strong and unwavering”.

Though linked to Belgrade in the Yugoslav federation, Podgorica Montenegro is opposed to Milosevic’s policy towards Kosovo, which has spurred NATO air strikes on Serb positions including some in Montenegro. Rubin appealed for Montenegrins to remain calm in the face of the bombing and assured them that the targets there had been selected with the utmost of care.

“We have worked closely with NATO to exercise restraint and care in targeting Yugoslav military capabilities in Montenegro,” he said, adding that Washington would also be boosting humanitarian aid to help it deal with the influx of refugees from Kosovo. More than 30,000 refugees from Kosovo have arrived since Saturday in Montenegro, and 40,000 more are expected, according to authorities there.