BosNet NEWS / Mar. 19, 1996

From: Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

From: Nermin Zukic <[email protected]>

Subject: BosNet NEWS / Mar. 19, 1996

CONTENTS

[01] Iranian Connection STOPS Funding

``A continuing military and intelligence relationship with Iran clearly jeopardises Bosnia's future as a pluralistic democratic state in Europe,'' Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, author of the proposal, said after the vote to withhold $200 million of civilian aid to Bosnia until President Bill Clinton certifies Iranian military and intelligence officials have left the country.

Dole's plan would also limit use of U.S. aid to projects in the sector of Bosnia supervised by U.S. The bill also require Clinton to certify that the combined donations from other countries have matched the total $532 million U.S. contribution for reconstruction.

The Bosnia amendments were added to a general government spending bill that also provides $777.7 million for U.S. military efforts and training of Bosnian forces. The $200 million withheld was for construction projects in Bosnia.

``Dayton gave Bosnia the opportunity to reconstitute on a multi-ethnic basis. It did not guarantee the result... What's happening now is de facto partition along ethnic lines, which is unlikely to produce stability. That suggests more conflict or an extended role for NATO and the international community, with Bosnia a sort of protectorate,'' a Western diplomat said.

[02] MATE GRANIC ON PLOCE HARBOR AND GEN. BLASKIC

Zagreb, March 19,1996 (Press TWRA)

In the last night's Croatian TV show "Slikom na sliku" Croatian Government vice-president and foreign minister Mate Granic commented on several current issues. Asked weather the Serbian President's approval for use of Montenegrian harbor Bar for delivery of the cargo to B-H would have any influence on agreements about harbor Ploce, Granic said: "This only confirms how important is to reach the agreement with B-H Federation on free zone in Ploce's harbor which will not violate neither territorial integrity nor Croatian sovereignty, nor will question the demographic structure". Granic added that Bosniaks negotiated with Milosevic about the use of harbor Bar not only for the cargo intended for Serbian entity but also for B-H Federation. Minister Granic in the interview also announced that General Tihomir Blaskic, indicted by The Hague Tribunal for war crime, "on his own decided to leave for The Hague, by the end of the month because he believes he is innocent and before the adoption of the law on Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal". Granic added that US agreed Gen. Blaskic will have "special treatment" in The Hague. (end) S.K.

[03] REINTEGRATION OF SARAJEVO COMPLETED

Sarajevo, March 19, 1996. (Press TWRA)

Sarajevo municipal settlements: Grbavica and Vrace, parts of the municipalities of Stari Grad (Old town) and Centar (Center), including a part of Dobrinja (one part has already been under BH control, while the third part will remain under Serbs), slopes of Trebevic mount. (its peak remains under Serbian control) as well as the area connecting Gorazde to Sarajevo and to the rest of BH Federation (corridor wide some 8 to 20 kms), were reintegrated in the territory of the BH Federation, by which the reintegration of Sarajevo has been completed, as defined by Dayton peace-accord, according to which a great part of 10 Sarajevo civic and suburban municipalities enter in the BH Federation territory, while the Serbian entity is composed of Pale, part of the municipality of Trnovo (incl.Trnovo), Lukavica barracks and neighboring area, situated south and southeast of the town.

Enes Bezdrob, Commander of Sarajevo police (CSB), gave today a guarantee for personal, proprietary and legal safety and equality for all inhabitants of Grbavica, no matter of their nationality. At yesterday's press-conference, IPTF porte-parole, A.Ivanko said Sarajevo police announced that 50 to 100 federal policemen, among whom 20 Serbs and 5 Croats, would enter Grbavica. He also added that it is not in accordance with a pre-war census, so BH police was requested to accommodate its personnel to the pre-war ethnical composition of the area. Yesterday, on the last day of the occupation of Grbavica, Serb terrorists organized many smaller and some 20 serious fire- raising, so Italian IFOR soldiers arrested 12 inciters and delivered them to the Serbian police, following the orders of the IFOR Command. Serbian police, however, immediately liberated all of them. <end> A.S.

[04] BH ARMY WITHDRAWAL FROM SARAJEVO BARRACKS

Sarajevo, March 19, 1996. (Press TWRA)

IFOR porte-parole, Maj. Simon Haselock, warned that exclusively NATO forces are responsible for safety in demarcation areas, along bordering lines between BH entities, so the presence of any other military forces is consequently forbidden. It is esp. related to the situation in Sarajevo. Adm. Leighton Smith, IFOR Commander, sent a letter, by the beginning of this week, to BH Army, HVO and Serbian army Commanders, reminding them they were obliged to withdraw, till the last midnight, all their military forces and arming from the demarcation areas.

BH government officials requested one exception to be made in Sarajevo where several thousands of BH Army soldiers are situated, esp. in the barrack "Marshal Tito" and in BH Army Headquarters and BH Army First Corps HQ. But, Adm L.Smith refused such a possibility. "We possess means to force BH Army to fulfill its duties. We are prepared to offer even a logistic aid to the BH Army during the evacuation of its soldiers and arms, and our soldiers will be a guarantee for a full-safety of the inhabitants of Sarajevo", Maj. Haselock stated. <end> A.S.

[05] ICTY OFFICE IN REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA

Sarajevo, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

Assistant of the ICTY main prosecutor, Australian Graham Blewitt said ICTY might be permitted to open the office in Republic of Srpska. "It was an important meeting providing a stable ground for conducting investigation in Republic of Srpska and searching for victims and witnesses in cases when Serbs were victims," said Blewitt after the talk with prime minister of Republic of Srpska Rajko Kasagic "We discussed our mutual cooperation. ICTY wants to send its experts to talk with Serb victims and inspect the mass graves," said Rajko Kasagic. /end/ A.S.

[06] BICAKCIC: A LIKELY DISTRICT WITHIN THE SARAJEVO CANTON

Sarajevo, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

Vice-chairman of SDA, Edhem Bicakcic said SDA was ready to talk on establishing district within the Sarajevo canton similar to that in Mostar. Bicakcic reminds that Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnian state, not only one of its part (Federation), so Serbs in Sarajevo could not be treated like "others", if reintegration of the whole state is to be achieved. /end/A.S.

[07] SILAJDZIC ON THE SITUATION IN THE REGION

Sarajevo, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

Bosnian ex-prime minister Haris Silajdzic was a guest to the session of "Circle 99" composed of the intellectuals calling themselves independent. Silajdzic leads now the "Party for Bosnia-Herzegovina", whose slogan is "Our Bosnia".

In his yesterday's speech, Silajdzic said: "The Dayton accord is being implemented in wrong direction that might lead to final dissolution of B-H. What is going on now is a sheer inversion of priorities. The first goal of the peace accord was maintaining B-H as a unified and sovereign state, but the international community, instead of securing external borders, by its acting reinforces the separation lines between the B-H entities. Responsibility for the state's disintegration is partly on the B-H state leadership which is neither reacting nor opposing to such occurrences at all. Current situation is that B- H is occupied by its neighbouring states. If Bosniaks are tried to be put into ghetto within B-H, then the other nations will live in ghettos as well, causing far-reaching consequences for the situation in Europe. Such situation leads to realization of greater states projects. It should not be forgotten that establishment of Greater Serbia is not possible without establishing Greater Croatia or for instance Greater Albania. Relations between Croatia and B-H are vital for the situation in the region. They are now based on frail grounds being unaccepted and unpopular. Coordination and cooperation of democratic forces in both states is necessary to change the situation. /end/A.S.

[08] ZUBAK AGAINST REINTEGRATION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Sarajevo, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

On the second anniversary of signing the Washington agreement, the Split daily "Slobodna Dalmacija" released the interview with the B-H Federation president Kresimir Zubak who lately radicalizes his views nearing the Croat extremists' standpoint.

Zubak says:"(...) Muslims predominantly look on Federation as the instrument of the B-H reintegration. Basically, it is not wrong approach if we did not know their final vision of B-H. Such Bosnia would be Republic, decentralized but not established in the way that Federation is defined. Therefore, we cannot accept their final aim. They interpret Federation differently from us. The preamble principles of the Federation Constitution clearly state it is the common state of two nations who administratively organize the areas where they live in a few cantons. The biggest problem is that Muslims regard Federation as a state composed of cantons.(...) Silajdzic's recent statements confirm what I have claimed for long and it is that Silajdzic is one of the problems in establishing Federation. Yet, I am surprised by his interpretation of Federation, even more as he was involved in negotiations during the Washington agreement creation. He was assisted by a number of experts in law and he had to know what he signed. The first item of the agreement clearly states the community of two nations, not as he now claims, wishing to put it into practice, a state composed of cantons.(...) As for the claim of A. Izetbegovic's ex-advisor Francis Boyle that the Washington agreement means already divided B-H, it is a process which in B-H might end that way. But, it is only one of likely directions, the second one is the B-H reintegration. My personal view is that there is no reintegration the way Silajdzic foresees it as neither Croats nor Serbs will accept, but even less acceptable is the way Izetbegovic sees it. Allegedly, it will be a citizen, democratic state, but actually a national state of Muslim people in which Croats and Serbs - Izetbegovic said that in Zenica - would be minority population. Whoever thinks it is possible, he signs the death sentence for Federation and B-H.(...) As for the claim of the Sarajevo media that I demanded AID (Agency for investigation and documentation) be revoked, as AID allegedly disclosed my secret meeting with the Pale leadership there, you should know that the Sarajevo media use dishonest means well surpassing Serb ones. Syndrome of the late Risto Djogo dominates the Sarajevo media." /end/ A.S.

[09] BELGRADE ABOLISHED EXIT VISAS FOR ALBANIA

Pristine, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

President of the Democratic League for Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova welcomes the Yugoslav authorities' decision to abolish exit visas for Albania, expressing his hope for soon pulling down of the Berlin wall Kosovo/Serbia/Yugoslavia and Albania, adding the visas were not lawful and needed impeding relations among Albanians. /end/ A.S.

[10] STATE DEPARTMENT ON SERB VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Washington, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

State Department submitted a report on the state of human rights in FR Yugoslavia in the last year. The report stresses the role of numerous and well armed police in Serbia being the main support of current regime responsible for extensive, brutal and systematic violation of human rights. Among the human rights violation committed by police are maltreatment & unfounded arrests. Especially repressed are Albanians at Kosovo and Bosniaks at Sanjak and to some lesser extent non-Serbs at Vojvodina. It is a campaign aimed at keeping a third of the population terrified, deprived of basic human, citizen and minority rights. Political trials are also recorded in Serbia and the indicted are Bosniaks from Sanjak and Albanians from Kosovo. It is reported that Montenegrian president Momir Bulatovic released political prisoners in his Republic. Police in Yugoslavia proceeds routine spying the opposition leaders, members of the associations for human right protection and political dissidents. State Department estimates that a serious problem is denial of right of fair trials and misuse of legal system in Serbia. The government in Belgrade restricted the right to gather and associate but is very tolerant and yielding to violence against members of many minority confessional groups.

As a significant factor of Milosevic's rise to power, maintaining the position and absolute domination over political life stressed is his control and manipulation of the state media, while at the same time his government discourages and represses independent media by watching, restricting or even banning them. Opposition is denied access to the media as a routine.

In the report on the state of human rights in B-H last year, State Department alleges that all sides violated human right but Serbs to B-H bear the greatest responsibility as they have continued ethnic cleansing during 1995, including mass killing and assaults on residential areas. Repressive authorities of Karadzic's Serbs impeded collecting data on violations, reminds State Department releasing the data and details which were available on mass executions and other crimes that Serbs committed against Croats and Bosniaks in B-H. /end/ A.S.

[11] HILLARY CLINTON ARRIVES IN EUROPE AND BOSNIA

Washington, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

White House has announced that Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit the US soldiers at Tuzla, March 23, within her tour of the US military bases to Germany, Italy (Baumholder and Aviano), Greece and Turkey. Spokeswoman of the US president's wife Lisa Caputo stressed the tour's aim is - "to confirm the US commitment to democracy and support to the US soldiers to B-H and their families." /end/ A.S.

[12] SUSAK'S HEALTH CONDITION IMPROVING

Zagreb, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

After a successful surgery in the Washington military-health center Walter Reed, Croatian defence minister is recovering and will soon resume his duties, released the Public relations office of Croatia's government.

Croatian weekly "Nacional" gave the account of the health condition of Croatian defence minister Gojko Susak, who has been a member of all Croatian governments since 199O and is regarded as influential supporter of Herzegovinian lobby and "Herzeg Bosnia", and the most powerful man in Croatia after president Tudjman, who has always been his closest associate showing true loyalty. "Nacional" writes that for months Susak has suffered from frequent legache and backache, has sleeping problems and the Zagreb doctors diagnosed the problems with circulation and blood vessels. The first therapy was massage, later the syndrome was believed to be of some hard disease. Susak had already travelled to the USA to be operated, but president Tudjman invited him to return immediately to Croatia. The second time Susak left for the USA after a minor car accident that happened while driving his car in the center of Zagreb. It was on March 8, while on March 12 was released the president Tudjman's decision on changes on top of Croatian army (HV), being so far the most extensive change of Croatian officers. Experts differs in opinions about the changes. Some say there are no ex Yu-army officers in the HV top, some say it is usual change of generations that occurred at the moment of military and political calm while the third say that HV does not have any military strategists at the General HQ level. /end/ A.S.

[13] DELEGATION OF TURKISH AIR FORCE IN CROATIA

Zagreb, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

Delegation of the Turkish air forces led by its commander gen. Ahmet Corekci is in two-day visit to Croatia, where they met Imra Agotic & Zvonimir Cervenko, commander of Croatian Air force and the HV General HQ Chief of Staff, respectively. "Turkish Army is among the most modern in Europe, particularly air forces, so we can learn from them a lot. They showed understanding, and we hope for support in the ongoing good cooperation" says Cervenko. Agreements on military-technical cooperation and education of high ranking officers are announced to be signed after minister Susak's return to Croatia. /end/ A.S.

[14] RUSSIAN DIPLOMACY SYMBOLICALLY PRESENTED AT THE GENEVA MEETING

Geneva, March 18, 1996 (Press TWRA)

The secretary of mission of the Russian Federation to the UN in Geneva participated today's Contact group meeting, which took place just before today's talks Milosevic-Ganic-Tudjman. Moscow had announced it would not be presented in Geneva, but Kremlin has obviously decided in the meantime to participate at the low level. /end/ A.S.

[15] THREE BOSNIAKS AND TWO CROATS LIBERATED

Mostar, March 19,1996 (Press TWRA)

Our correspondent reported that two Croats who were captured last weekend by Bosniaks in eastern part of Mostar were liberated. Their arrest last weekend followed after three Bosniaks from eastern part were arrested in western part of Mostar under suspicion they attacked the cafi. These three Bosniaks were also liberated yesterday. (end) S.K.

[16] CROATIA - ONE STEP FROM COUNCIL OF EUROPE?!

Strasbourg, March 19,1996 (Press TWRA)

Council of Europe's Political Comity accepted Croatian application for admittance as a full member to Council of Europe to be put on the schedule of the next session of European Parliament. In other cases, this was one step from becoming a full member of CE. This decision was adopted with 26 votes "for", 3 "against" and 4 "abstained". In Croatian case the written consent to all obligations demanded by Council of Europe signed by Croatian President Tudjman and President of Croatian Parliament Pavletic has been crucial.

This Political Council's decision followed the European Parliament discussion on situation on the territory of former Yugoslavia and adoption of resolution. Two points in EP's resolution deal with the situation in Croatia: one is on general situation in Croatian and the other on appointing the mayor of Zagreb. The resolution emphasized that two times so far the decision of city assembly majority about appointment of the new mayor" has been blocked, and the Croatian President and Government are called to "accept in full the results of democratic elections". Also it has been emphasized that relations between EU and Croatia can approve only if Croatian Government and President "show necessary appreciation of democracy in the country". European Parliament, also, in its resolution calls European Commission and Ministerial Council to allocate the funds from PHARE program necessary for full implementation and reenforcement of democratic structures in Croatia. (end) S.K.