Medical detectives in Kosovo said yesterday the remains of 45 ethnic Albanians may have been tampered with – and the truth may never be known about their apparent massacre at the hands of Yugoslav police.
The report from Finnish pathologists came as both sides in the Balkans hardened their resistance to a cease-fire.
A U.S.-brokered truce was badly damaged two weeks ago when the Albanians’ bodies were found in the Kosovo village of Racak.
Yugoslav officials claimed the victims were rebels killed in battle earlier this month – but the U.S. chief of a group of international peace monitors called it a massacre by Serb police.
The head of the Finnish team said yesterday there were reports that some of the bodies tested positive in paraffin tests, indicating the bodies had residue of gunpowder – and the victims may have fired weapons.
But paraffin tests can be altered because tobacco and some fertilizers can be made to appear to be gunpowder.
“There is a possibility of contamination and a possibility of fabrication of evidence,” said Helena Ranta, lead pathologist of the Finnish team.
The bodies were laid out in a local mosque a day after they were found in Racak, and then moved to the Pristina hospital by Serb police.
Meanwhile, both sides indicated they would ignore a demand by Western leaders for immediate peace talks.
Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vuk Draskovic said he saw no point in negotiations because the Kosovo crisis is “nearing an end.”
The separatist rebels called instead for an end to the Yugoslav crackdown, which has killed more than 2,000 since last February.
“There can be no political process while massacres and terrorist offensives of the Serb regime are still going on in Kosovo,” said a spokesman for the political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Western diplomats said the major powers will tell both sides on Friday that they must open peace talks within 10 days or face NATO military action.
Also yesterday, the White House said President Clinton had authorized spending up to $25 million to help Kosovo refugees.