European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes War in the Balkans sunday july 25,1993 s i Sarb Obom traffic backs up at Jazine crossing along the Border of Macedonia and the serbian province of Kosovo. The area is under the watchful Eye of observation Post 33, staffed by norwegian  quiet reign at Remote outpost Dybo Klose staff writer Jazine crossing Macedonia it is very quiet Here pvt. Oddvar Andreasson a 24-year-old norwegian Soldier said As he stood at the Edge of observation Post 33 overlooking Jazine crossing at the foot of a Mountain pass on the Border of Macedonia and the serbian province of Kosovo. From the hot and dry wind swept Peak Andreasson scanned the terrain below across Valley Farmland to the opposite Hillside and Southern territory of Serbia. The serbs have patrols there. We see them each Day two Man patrols said Andreasson an automatic Rifle Slung Over his shoulder and a baseball Cap shield ing his face from the Sun. There s two there now he said. Andreasson pointed across the Valley to where two serbian soldiers just specks against the Hillside walked slowly Down a dirt  is routine said , the sighting would be part of Andreasson s report when he was relieved after three hours observation duty. Andreasson is part of the 700-member nordic in of the United nations Protection Force on peacekeeping duty in Macedonia. His duty station at observation Post 33 is one of several training grounds for the 300 americans from the Berlin brigade joining the tripwire Strung across the Northern Border of this former yugoslav Republic. Early next month the american combat soldiers who were deployed to the macedonian capital of Skopje two weeks ago will assume the role of . Peacekeepers. Their Job will be to observe and report activities on the Border in Hopes of discouraging the kind of fighting that has plagued Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina from erupting in Macedonia. Tedor Mal Zanski Macedonia s undersecretary of defense said americans take up the peacekeeping mis Sion at a particularly Dicey  is a very dangerous period and will remain so until december when it la be too cold on the Mountain passes. But now All the borderlines Are open he said. Alan Roberts director of press and civil affairs at the . Headquarters in Skopje offered a slightly less threatening View. This whole area is pretty Calm. Not stable but Calm Roberts said. Up at observation Post 33, pvt. Andreassen indicated he s looking Forward to going Home in August when his six month deployment in the Balkans is Over. It is Good that it is quiet he said. But sometimes it is a Little  Boring and isolated if All the . S 20 observation posts Are like the Mountaintop above the Border Village of Jazine. The . Peacekeeping outposts stretch the mountainous macedonian serbian Border from Bulgaria to Albania and were established at the request , the southernmost Republic of the former yugoslav federation declared Independence in 1992. The Yugoslavia National army pulled out of Macedo Nia in 1992, taking with it All heavy weapons tanks and air Force aircraft and leaving Macedonia with a Small lightly armed 12,000-member army. So far Macedonia has escaped the fighting that has raged in Bosnia and Croatia. But earlier this year the United nations sent peacekeepers into Macedonia based on the new Independent government s fears that militant serbs might attempt to Force Macedonia Back into the yugoslav federation or that violence by serbs against muslims in the Southern serbian Region of Kosovo would spill Over its Borders. The . Force a battalion made up of swedes 8&s Bobo norwegian army 2nd u. Tom Solberg scans the terrain covered by observation Post 33, part of the . Effort to keep the Balkan War from spreading to Macedonia. Let. Doors to the Kitchen and toilet Are absent testimony to the ferocity of Winter winds that Tore them from their hinges a few Days after they were  troops As Many Ai 10, hold Down each outpost for seven Day shifts. They travel aboard armoured personnel carriers big six wheelers manufactured in Finland. In addition to the Mountaintop Lookout observation Post 33personnel patrol Between additional Lookout stations across the Valley marked by White Oil Drums. Though their Mission is peacekeeping they Are armed with personal weapons machine guns recoilless rifles and grenade launchers. So far Solberg said not a shot has been fired in anger. Only on the firing Range he said. The peacekeepers role limits them to observing and re porting Border activity to . Authorities. Should they observe serbian troops on macedonian ground their or Ders Are to seek a peaceful Resolution to the problem. They won t use their weapons unless it is necessary. Necessary Means if our position is attacked or if someone fires on us said Solberg. If we have to we will protect ourselves with the weapons we  the outpost can be reinforced by helicopter from a . Base a few Miles Down the Highway in Macedonia. Solberg said relations with serbian forces have been cordial although reserved. We Don t have any relations with the serbs. Only today hello he said. Solberg said the most serious incident involving peacekeepers in Macedonia was the Brief capture and interrogation of several swedish peacekeepers who serbian troops claimed strayed into serbian territory. The most serious episode overlooking Jazine Cross ing involved a favorite spot where serbian troops routinely stopped for a smoke break. It was macedonian soil he said. We talked Stover and they moved  Pristina Kosovo is finns and norwegians has operated the 20 Obser vation posts 24 hours a Day since february. A team from Norway maintains the Lookout above Jazic crossing an hour s drive North and West of Skopje. The norwegian peacekeepers look directly Down on the two Lane Highway where trucks and cars Back up into Long lines As customs inspectors search for cargo forbid Den under the . Embargo that bars supplies other than humanitarian goods and food from entering Serbia. This is one of the main Border Crossings of the area said norwegian army 2nd u. Tom Solberg. The outpost is on a Flat space Cut out of the Side of the Mountain and Home is five prefabricated sleeping trailers a Small Kitchen dining room Shower and Toi cd to r a