Today's Story Line

A few hundred american citizens are preparing to fight on the ground in Kosovo - frustrated that NATO is not willing to do so. They're Albanian-Americans who have joined the Kosovo Liberation Army and are known as the "Atlantic Brigade". But with rifts within the KLA, their contribution may be minimal. Quote of note: "You know what made me come back? I watched [Kosovo coverage on] TV every night. I could not watch any more." - Sandria Mehaj, a father of three and owner of a New York pizzeria.

A half-century of nation-building has not rid Indonesia of tensions that could rip it apart and destabilize Southeast Asia. The potential for a split-up has risen with the return of full democracy, a referendum on freedom for East Timor, and an economy in a tailspin. Quote of note: "We are various ethnic groups, but were colonized by the same power, we suffered the same occupation under the Japanese, and we struggled for independence together." - former government minister Emil Salim.

Helping save animals that travel the globe is particularly hard. For ocean-migrating sea turtles, protection may be on the way in the Western Hemisphere, where six of the world's seven species live.

- Clayton Jones, World editor

REPORTERS ON THE JOB

* NO HYPHENATED LABELS, PLEASE: In researching the unity of such a diverse country as Indonesia, reporter Nicole Gaouette asked many ordinary people how they identify themselves. Would their responses be like the identity politics of America, where people refer to themselves as "Irish-American" or "Mexican-American"? Would they see themselves as Christian first? Or Balinese? She asked people from a range of religions, ethnicities, and provinces. To everyone the answer was so obvious that they were sure they misunderstood the question. Most people laughed when it was finally clear what she was asking. All of them gave a variation of the answer given by a young Christian woman from Madura island off Java: "I'm Indonesian. What else would I be?" The answers underscore what many analysts say about the strength of Indonesian unity.

* IN THE BUR-R-R-REAU: The Monitor's Moscow bureau is in a building where the temperature is controlled by the government. On cold days, guests gratefully accept the ritual offer of a hot drink to warm their hands. In mid-May, bureau chief Judith Matloff was seen typing at her desk in a sheepskin coat with the hood up, a week after working in a tank top and sandals. Her dog, a husky named Kiya, found himself trying to grow a summer and a winter coat at the same time.

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