Although a summary of an early draft of the peace treaty was placed in the House of Commons library on 1 March, the full treaty and the military annexes together were not put in the library until 1 April – the first day of the parliamentary recess and a week after Nato’s bombing campaign began.The full annexes demanded Nato rights of road, rail and air passage across all of Yugoslavia, the use of radio stations, even the waiving of any claims of damages against Nato. The Serbs say they denounced it at their last Paris press conference – an ill-attended gathering at the Yugoslav Embassy at 11pm on 18 March. Was it presented by the Americans to force President Slobodan Milosevic to reject the whole peace package and permit Nato to bomb Serbia? Nato sources claim the Serbs would anyway never have abided by the Kosovo political accords: in which case, why did the West negotiate with Belgrade in the first place?
Even the text of the military appendix was not known to journalists reporting the two sets of “peace” talks in Rambouillet and Paris. Official obfuscation and confusion has ever since surrounded this all- important, last-minute addition to the Paris “peace” agreement.

Yet 79 days later, Nato – which had refused to contemplate a change in the military document – lost all interest in the annexe and at the final dramatic meetings on the Macedonian border was content with a Nato force inside only Kosovo. The Serb delegation – after agreeing to a political revolution in Kosovo – was presented with a military appendix to the treaty which demanded the virtual Nato occupation of all Yugoslavia The Serbs turned it down and Nato went to war. IN THE LAST days of the Paris peace talks on Yugoslavia last March, something extraordinary happened. That seems unlikely though, given that the earth removed to make way for the car park has long since been carted off and excavators and bulldozers have been in action, unchecked, for months.. The Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro Valls has said that “no archaeological remains have been found on Vatican soil”.Mr Bianchi and other academics maintain that among the tons of soil dug out to make space for the six storey parking building were the graves of early Christians martyred by Nero as scapegoats for the fire that destroyed Rome AD64.If that were proved, the fuss over the Domus and its wall would pale into insignificance.

As the extraordinary commissioner for the Jubilee Year, Mr Rutelli boasts that 90 per cent of Jubilee projects have been completed on time and within budget and doesn’t want any last minute hitches to ruin that record.After months of buckpassing, the problem has now landed in the lap ofItaly’s Cabinet which is today due to decide whether work on the ramp can proceed, destroying the ancient wall, or whether it must remain intact, allowing further archaeological excavation.The furore over the access ramp and the Domus has distracted attention from the car park itself, which is wholly on Vatican territory and close to completion.Lorenzo Bianchi, a respected archaeologist, has accused the Holy See of silently destroying a series of galleries and caves without telling a soul. They have staged sit-ins, lobbied parliament and appealed to Unesco.Rome’s mayor Francesco Rutelli, a former leader of the Green party, finds himselfopposing his former allies, arguing that not completing the car park would cheat taxpayers and risk chaos during such a major event.Up to 40 million people are expected in Rome next year as the Jubilee, which was first held in 1300, coincides with the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. Their discovery in August brought work on the ramp to a sudden halt.It was the start of a complex and at times paradoxical debate over Rome’s past present and future, whose tones have grown fiercer as the deadline for the car park completion draws closer.Archaeologists have dated the house to the second century AD; most of the frescoes have now been transferred to a museum, to prevent damage but environmental and heritage groups argue the the remains must be preserved and excavation continue to uncover the rest of the house. They appear to be the servants’ quarters of a patrician family home. But the ambitious pounds 28m project – financed jointly by the Vatican and the Italian government – is in jeopardy because of a wall. Not any old wall, but a massive brick structure, about 20 feet high and nearly as wide, that was, 1,800 years ago, part of the home, or Domus of awell-to- do family.
Descending what is to be the entry ramp to the new car park one comes face to face with it.The scene is reminiscent of Federico Fellini’s film Roma, when workers on ametro line stumble upon anancient villa, complete with mosaics and frescoes, only to see them disintegrate on contact with the air.On the other side of the immense wall, to one side, are several rooms with terracotta floors and well-preserved frescoes. Carved into the bowels of the Janiculum hill is a huge underground car park that is being built to ease the traffic congestion around St Peter’s Square during an intense year of religious celebrations.

WITH LESS than a month to go until the Pope knocks on a Holy Door in St Peter’s that is opened only in Jubilee years, work on one of the Vatican’s most ambitious projects of the new millennium is hanging in the balance. Everyone knows his qualities and we’re not exactly over-burdened with them,” he said.
Earlier this year Mr Heseltine warned that Mr Hague would have to “watch his back” if Mr Portillo returned to Westminster.
But today he insisted that Mr Portillo would be loyal to Mr Hague, at least for the duration of this Parliament.
“I believe that in this Parliament Michael Portillo’s loyalty is absolutely bedded in concrete,” he told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One.
Pressed further, he added: “Nobody knows what happens in the next Parliament.”. He’s got great qualities and great talents and we want to make sure these talents are used in the party.”
Responding to Mr Portillo’s comments about bringing the Conservatives “back up to strength”, Mr Hague said: “We lost a Member of Parliament in Alan Clark and this does bring us back up to strength.
“He brings us up to strength and adds a bit more as well.”
Seen as Tory leader in waiting by so many, both in and outside the party, Mr Portillo was at pains to remain “on message”.
But emerging from his Belgravia home in London he appeared to acknowledge that the Conservative presence in the Commons had been found wanting in his absence.
“I am very pleased to be back in the House of Commons looking forward to doing the work, representing the people of Kensington and Chelsea and bringing the Conservative team back up to strength,” he said.
With a turnout of just 29.8%, Mr Portillo managed a moderate swing of 4.35% from Labour to Conservative in the by-election.
And the former Defence Secretary pronounced himself well satisfied with what he described as “a splendid result”.
But while party insiders had feared the outcome would be far worse, it will increase fears that leader William Hague is far from realising his ambition of revitalising the party after its general election drubbing.
Cabinet Office Minister Ian McCartney said today that Mr Portillo’s return to the Commons was a threat to Mr Hague’s leadership of the Tory party.
“The grim reality for William Hague is that he now has a stalker on the backbenches.
“In the week that the Bond movie The World Is Not Enough is on general release, Michael Portillo’s motto is ‘Kensington and Chelsea is not enough – I want to be Tory leader’.
“This makes it the worst possible end to William Hague’s worst possible week,” Mr McCartney said.
Michael Heseltine, the former deputy Prime Minister, today predicted a speedy return to the frontbench for Mr Portillo.
“There’ll be nothing but speculation until that matter is resolved and what’s the point of mucking about. We’ve got a new and talented Member of Parliament and I think he will be a great ally for me and a great asset for the party.”
Mr Hague brushed off suggestions that Mr Portillo would soon be challenging him for the leadership, adding: “He gives me tremendous support.