Lieut-Gen Mike Jackson, the commander of the Kfor peacekeepers in Kosovo, has given a blunt warning to the Kosovo Liberation Army over the former rebel group's attempt to start an underground police force, Kfor sources said yesterday.
In talks on Monday with KLA military leader, Mr Agim Ceku, Gen Jackson cautioned that under the UN resolution on Kosovo, Kfor was the sole legitimate armed force in the province - "and no others will be tolerated".
Gen Jackson was particularly angry over the activities of senior KLA member, Mr Rexhip Selimi, who is the "interior minister" in the KLA's self-styled "provisional government", the source said.
Mr Selimi was stopped last week by British peacekeepers who spotted his car with a police-style flashing blue light on its roof. Mr Selimi allegedly pointed a loaded pistol at one of the soldiers and said "this one's for you". The patrol grabbed him and confiscated his weapon.
Kfor sources at the time said the soldiers also took away his Kfor-issued identity card which names him as part of the Joint Implementation Commission chaired by Gen Jackson which is tasked with overseeing the KLA's disarmament and transformation into a civilian body.
Soldiers later searched a house occupied by Mr Selimi and other members of his "interior ministry police".
The soldiers found and confiscated several weapons, ammunition, 20 radio scanners and "ministry" identity cards purporting to give the bearer the authority to detain people, confiscate property and carry and use weapons - all illegal under Kfor's mandate.
The Kfor source said as result of these incidents, the system of implementation commission identity cards "is under review."