US blocks release of pilot's video

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US blocks release of pilot's video
By Andrew Gilligan, Tom Baldwin Olga Craig in Macedonia and David Wastell in Washington

THE United States has blocked Nato from releasing the cockpit video of last week's attack on a refugee convoy in Kosovo. The Telegraph has learnt that the US action has provoked a bitter row inside the alliance.
A senior Nato officer has revealed that Jamie Shea, the official spokesman, was about to show the video at Friday's press briefing when the Americans intervened. Nato officers suspect the film undermines the account of the raid given by US officials to the American press. "We are not sure there is any sort of a cover-up," said the Nato officer. "It may just be that the Americans are trying to get their stories to tally and will release the video later when the public attention is off."


The Serbs claimed last week that Nato aircraft attacked a refugee column in Kosovo, killing at least 64. Western journalists were taken to view bodies at a site south-east of Djakovica. Nato officials admitted responsibility and expressed "regret" for an attack on civilians - but the details the officials gave suggested that they might have been apologising for a different event. Despite requests from journalists, only a voice tape of the pilot in Nato's admitted attack was released, on Thursday. The failure to release the cockpit video has added to confusion surrounding the incident.



Yesterday, Nato continued to insist that "no further information" was available on the refugee deaths. In heated exchanges with reporters, Mr Shea said: "I have received over the last 24 hours no new information on the convoy incident. I have told you what I know. When I receive more information I will pass it on."



Further arguments between members of the alliance are likely at Nato's Washington summit, this week, as it attempts to work out a way forward in the campaign. One senior Ministry of Defence official said the summit would include consideration of "new diplomatic road maps, such as the German plan" and would once again emphatically reject any full-scale invasion of Kosovo. But there is room for debate over what constitutes a "permissive" environment which could allow Nato troops to enter the republic without Slobodan Milosevic's consent.



Tony Blair is believed to have persuaded President Clinton to back a changed agenda allowing the first full discussion of when and how ground troops could be deployed. On Tuesday Mr Blair is expected to visit RAF pilots flying missions from Germany.



Meanwhile, Nato has warned Serb forces that they face a massive and imminent land attack. Leaflets dropped on Kosovo warn the Serbs to throw away their weapons and retreat, saying: "If you decide to stay, Nato forces will continuously attack you with many weapon systems from many nations from land, air and sea."



A Nato spokesman insisted that there had been no change in policy, which has so far ruled out the deployment of land forces. He then added confusion by saying the leaflet "probably refers" to Kosovo Liberation Army action on the ground - even though they are not part of the alliance.



In Macedonia, soldiers of the Royal Engineers were strengthening bridges on roads to the Kosovo border in preparation for any land invasion.


The propaganda offensive came as Nato released new figures yesterday showing that 3,200 Kosovars had been killed and one million made homeless by the Yugoslav military.


Last night a Downing Street spokesman said Britain had received reports of a sinister development in the conflict. "They appear to be using unarmed people, all dressed in red, and almost certainly prisoners, to clear up after the massacres. "We believe they are being made to carry bodies miles away from the scene of the killing: their uniform is to distinguish them from ordinary civilians who might otherwise be murdered."