By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON -- Progress restoring order and infrastructure
in Kosovo may be "slow and inconsistent, but the trend is
encouraging," according to the American sector commander.

"We'll take two steps forward one week, and the next week
we'll step back," said Army Brig. Gen. John Craddock. "But
we are at least getting [the Serbs and Albanians] to talk
to us, and on occasion, [getting] them to talk to each
other. That's encouraging."

Via telephone from Kosovo, Craddock updated reporters on
the situation during an Aug. 11 press conference. The Task
Force Falcon commander said U.S. military officials are
helping Serbs and Albanians to set up civil
administrations, restore public works and reopen schools.

About 6,000 U.S. soldiers along with 2,000 Greeks, Poles,
and Russians are deployed in the sector. In recent weeks,
the troops have provided security while Serb and Albanian
farmers harvested their crops. They've also provided fuel -
- a commodity hard to come by in the area right now -- for
tractors and combines, Craddock said.

Crime is rampant in the sector and U.S. military police are
being stretched enforcing law and order, Craddock said. The
commander said he looks forward to the arrival of trained
international police. About 200 have arrived in Kosovo, but
so far, only 16 are working in the American sector.

"My soldiers are not policemen," Craddock said. "I've got
military police and they are stretched … because we're
running military police stations in the larger towns in our
area. We're doing investigations when crimes are reported.
Those [military] police are out patrolling both alone and
now with [the 16] U.N. international police [here].

"I will welcome, heartily endorse and pull in as many U.N.
international police as we can get," Craddock said. "We
will take all we can get as soon as we can get them. Law
and order is exactly what we're after. Most of them will
have executive powers which means they'll carry weapons,
and they can make arrests."

Craddock said Russian troops in the American sector are
responding well to a tough situation. "There appears to be
a significant disinformation campaign against the Russian
soldiers," Craddock said.

"In my judgment," he continued, "[they faced] a lot of bias
and preconceived notions when they got there. There is
great concern from the Albanian population, a preconceived
notion that the Russians will favor the Serbs. We have not
seen that."

U.S. troops train and patrol with Russian counterparts in
what Craddock described as "a very disciplined unit." In
recent incidents, the Russians showed great restraint after
being attacked by small arms fire, hand grenades and what
appeared to be homemade bombs, he said. "They showed good
control. The soldiers were defensive. They postured
themselves correctly. Their response was measured and
correct. They reported what was going on very accurately
and very timely."

Overall, Craddock said, Russian soldiers in the U.S. sector
have performed admirably, fairly and impartially, Craddock
said. They understand the mission. "One yardstick I have
that says that's true, is the fact that right now at our
police station in Kamenica, we are receiving as many
complaints about the Russians from the Serbs as we are from
the Albanians. That tells me they are pretty even-handed in
their approach."

The complaints are the same as those made against all NATO-
led troops throughout the area, Craddock said. "It's 'I'm
having a problem and you're doing nothing about it.
Someone's been kidnapped and I want to know where they are.
You stopped my car, and you didn't stop somebody else's
car. … You are showing favoritism one way or the other.'"

The press briefing was Craddock's last from Kosovo. He
turned command of Task Force Falcon over to Army Brig. Gen.
Craig Peterson. Craddock will become commander of the 7th
Army Training Center at Grafenwoehr, Germany. Peterson was
1st Armored Division chief of staff at Bad Kreuznach,
Germany.