Marine platoon arrives in Skopje
to boost security at U.S. Embassy
By Terry Boyd, Stars
and Stripes
A platoon of about 50 U.S. Marines have landed in Macedonia’s capital city,
Skopje, to enhance security at the U.S. Embassy after anti-American violence erupted
earlier this week.
The Marines are part of a "fleet anti-terrorist security team," or FAST, said
Navy Lt. Doug Gabos, deputy public affairs officer at headquarters, U.S. Naval Forces
Europe in London. The team, part of the Navy’s 6th Fleet, departed from Naples,
Italy.
The Marine platoon that entered Macedonia is forward deployed to Naples, where it can
deploy quickly to supplement security in the U.S. Navy Europe’s area of
responsibility, Gabos said.
In Macedonia, the Marines will reinforce anti-terrorist measures and physical security
at the embassy. The force was not sent in to evacuate personnel, Gabos added.
"It’s strictly a defense force. They’re armed only to deter, detect and
defend against terrorist threats," Gabos said.
The Marines flew to Macedonia at the request of U.S. Ambassador Michael Einik,
according to Gabos.
An embassy spokesman declined to comment.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that" Einik requested extra protection, said
Yolanda Robinson. "Certainly, we’re on a heightened level of security due to the
situation, but I can’t discuss that."
Plans call for the Marine team to remain in Skopje temporarily, but Gabos said there is
no time frame for departure.
Recent events in Macedonia suggest that they might not leave any time soon.
On Tuesday night, a crowd of about 500 Macedonian Serbs threw rocks at the U.S. and
British embassies and damaged vehicles belonging to international agencies, according to
media reports.
The anti-Western violence in Skopje erupted after ethnic Albanian rebels drove
Macedonian security forces and Serb residents out of villages on the edge of Tetovo,
Macedonia’s second largest city.
U.S. military officials in Europe are briefed daily on the level and location of
fighting, which is escalating, according to a U.S. military intelligence source who asked
not to be identified.
"In my briefing Wednesday, I told [commanders] that the cease-fire and
negotiations are, for all practical purposes, over," the source said.
Some media reports quoted Pentagon officials as saying that U.S. troops in Europe were
on alert because of the instability in Macedonia. However, Gabos said there are no plans
to send in other Marine forces, and he was unaware of any other U.S. forces on alert.
No USAREUR soldiers in the European Command’s central region are on alert because
of Macedonia, said Millie Waters, a USAREUR public affairs specialist.
Late Thursday, Tetovo, Skopje and the area around Camp Able Sentry were calm, said Maj.
Barry Johnson, a spokesman for KFOR’s Rear Detachment. There was an anti-Kosovo Force
rally called by Macedonians around KFOR Rear headquarters on the edge of Skopje, better
known in-country as "the Shoe Factory."
Though the rally never materialized, "there’s a chance that people could show
up tonight. These things tend to happen at night when it cools down," Johnson said.
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