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Serbia Today 96-01-05
Serbia Today
5 January 1996
In This Edition
'FEDERATION IS MAKING POOR PROGRESS'
TRUTH CAN NOT BE DESTROYED BY DYNAMITE
CONTENTS
[01] NATIONAL BANK HAS STRENGTH TO PRESERVE DINAR
[02] BILDT: "CIVILIAN PHASE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT"
[03] REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA IS ASKING FOR A MORE JUST BALANCE IN ARMAMENT
[04] MUSLIMS LEAVE THE CONFERENCE HALL BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA NAME
[05] IZETBEGOVIC: "FEDERATION IS MAKING POOR PROGRESS"
[06] NEW INCIDENT IN MOSTAR
[07] IFOR TO SUPPORT BLUE HELMETS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA
[08] UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES WITH THE PARDONED SERBS
[09] TRUTH CAN NOT BE DESTROYED BY DYNAMITE
[10] CROAT TAX ON HUMANITY
[11] WEST USING FALSEHOODS IN 'THE DESERT STORM'
[01] NATIONAL BANK HAS STRENGTH TO PRESERVE DINAR
National Bank of Yugoslavia (Central Bank) is having strength
tomaintain the foreign exchange rate of the dinar and pay for
necessary imports,stated the first Vice-Governor of the
National Bank of Yugoslavia ZarkoTrbojevic, while commenting
on the first results of the implementation of"Program Two".
In maintaining the value of the national currency no
foreignexchange limitations will be used, said Trbojevic and
underlined that makingofficial the real market exchange rate
has enabled circulation of foreigncurrency in the official
bank channels. Purchased foreign exchange input inthe
National Bank of Yugoslavia is being returned to the
companies so thatthey can finance continuation of production.
Thanks to the suspension ofsanctions and the Program, economy
and banks are beginning to make contactswith the world,
establishing new and reviving the old connections. Already
thefirst deals are being contracted, says Trbojevic, and for
them the guaranteesof our banks have been accepted. While
commenting on the possibility forYugoslavia to solve its
status in the International Monetary Fund before Junefor
which term the time has been extended, Trbojevic expressed
optimism thatmembership can be regulated even in the first
quarter of this year. (Politika,January 5, 1996)
[02] BILDT: "CIVILIAN PHASE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT"
In spite of anxiety and mistrust now present in Bosnia, the
key to peaceis, nevertheless, in the hands of all the three
peoples of Bosnia-Herzegovina,stated yesterday in Banja Luka
the high representative of the European Unionfor
Bosnia-Herzegovina Carl Bildt prior to his meeting with the
Vice Presidentof the Republic of Srpska Biljana Plavsic and
the Prime Minister of theRepublic of Srpska Rajko Kasagic.
Bildt expressed satisfaction with thedynamics of
implementation of the military part of the mission, but
alsovoiced his concern for the implementation of the civilian
part of the DaytonAgreement. When asked about plans for
protection of Serbs in Sarajevo, Bildtstated that he had
talks and will have additional talks with therepresentatives
of Ilidza, just as he came to Banja Luka to establish
goodrelations. (Borba, January 5, 1996)
[03] REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA IS ASKING FOR A MORE JUST BALANCE IN ARMAMENT
In the Vienna headquarters of the Organization for Security
andCooperation in Europe (O.S.C.E.) the first round of
negotiations was heldyesterday, about the confidence building
measures between the conflictingsides, as the continuation of
the Conference which started on December 18,1995 in Bonn.
Head of the delegation of the Republic of Srpska,
ForeignMinister Aleksa Buha requested at the beginning of
negotiations for the changeof the separation lines between
the armed forces, as well as a more justmilitary balance
between the Republic of Srpska and the
Croat-MuslimFederation, because the Dayton Agreement is
prescribing a 2:1 ratio in favorof Croats and Muslims.
Delegation of Bosnian Serbs is asking for the fact tobe taken
into consideration that all the military factories are
located in theterritory of the Croat-Muslim Federation.
Representatives of the Republic ofSrpska are insisting also
on clarification of the matter of sanctions againstthe
Serbian state in Bosnia, its status in the O.S.C.E. and an
equitabletreatment of all the participants at the Conference.
(Politika, January 5,1996)
[04] MUSLIMS LEAVE THE CONFERENCE HALL BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA NAME
Conference on Control of Military Potential and Disarmament
in theBalkans was suspended, it is unofficially learnt,
immediately after itsinauguration, yesterday at 15.00 hours.
Fearing a scandal, the organizer isstill not disclosing
reasons to the public, but it is learnt that there wasa
verbal duel between the delegations and that Muslims have
left theconference hall in protest. The reason for this was
the plate with the nameof the Republic of Srpska on the table
of the delegation which has causedstrong protests of the
delegation of the Croat-Muslim Federation. Chairman ofthe
Conference, Norwegian Viglaik Eide is trying to find a
solution for theConference to continue. (Vecernje novosti,
January 5, 1996)
[05] IZETBEGOVIC: "FEDERATION IS MAKING POOR PROGRESS"
Alija Izetbegovic and Franjo Tudjman have met in Sarajevo to
discuss thefuture of the Federation and its cooperation with
Croatia, as prescribed bythe Dayton Agreement. Leader of the
Bosnian Muslims Izetbegovic stated afterthe talks with
Tudjman that the Muslim-Croat Federation "is making
poorprogress" ever since its establishment. (Politika,
January 5, 1996)
[06] NEW INCIDENT IN MOSTAR
Muslims in Mostar have thrown stones and fired from fire arms
on thecars with Croat registration plates, Reuters reports.
In the incident no onewas injured, and in the seat of the
European Administration of Mostar they didnot wish to comment
on this incident. Reuters is recalling that the
tensionsbetween nations in Mostar have intensified again last
weekend, when Croatpolice killed one Muslim. (Vecernje
novosti, January 5, 1996)
[07] IFOR TO SUPPORT BLUE HELMETS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA
Atlantic Alliance has expressed readiness to offer "close air
support"to the future international forces for securing
transitional administrationin Eastern Slavonia. This offer
was made by the NATO Secretary General XavierSolana to the
future UN Administrator for Eastern Slavonia, the U.S.
GeneralJacques Klein. International forces which are to
arrive in Eastern Slavoniawould be authorized to use force,
and NATO is not planning any otherengagement except the close
air support, because it is of the view that themission in
Slavonia is exclusively in the competence of the UN. In
BrusselsGeneral Klein received again the request of Belgium
to obtain military commandover the international troops in
Slavonia of at least 4,000 soldiers, with theexplanation that
the past experience has shown that Belgian soldiers
andofficers are enjoying the confidence of both the Serbian
and the Croat sides.Well informed sources in Brussels are
saying that the American General hasoffered assurances that
the UN mission will secure peace and will satisfyexpectations
both of the Serbian and of the Croat side. (Politika, January
5,1996)
[08] UNHCR REPRESENTATIVES WITH THE PARDONED SERBS
Croat authorities have allowed the representatives of the UN
HighCommissariat for Refugees to make contact with the group
of 349 Serbs who havebeen transferred from different Croat
prisons to the collection center inGasinci, reports the
Belgrade UNHCR office. After the Croat aggression on
theRepublic of Serbian Krajina, in August last year, in the
Croat prisons thereare some thousand Serbs. By the decree of
President Tudjman on the New Year'sEve, according to the
Croat sources, 455 Serbs were pardoned, but the UNHCRis
having the data showing that 451 persons were pardoned. From
this number102 persons decided to remain in Croatia, while
the others are accommodatedin the center in Gasinci near
Osijek until their departure to the FederalRepublic of
Yugoslavia. All Serbs are still under 'temporary detention'
andare guarded by the Croat police. Delegates of the UNHCR as
of yesterday aremaking group and individual interviews with
the prisoners, in order to findout where they would wish to
go. (Politika, January 5, 1996)
[09] TRUTH CAN NOT BE DESTROYED BY DYNAMITE
While commenting on the claims by the Split daily "Feral
Tribune" thatthe Memorial Center Jasenovac was destroyed and
is no more, Ana Pocar, formany years a curator and director
of the Memorial Center, stated that bydestruction and mining
no one can destroy the terrible historical truth withmany and
convincing documents and sources. Even in the year 1945 the
statecommission for war crimes of the then-Yugoslavia,
estimated that at Jasenovacexecution grounds 600,000 persons
have perished (while the additionalinvestigations have come
up with the estimated number of 700,000 victims),mostly
Serbs, Jews and Gypsies. About these victims, the memoirs of
German andAustrian officials in the then-Independent State of
Croatia are bearingwitness. In the summer of 1991 Jasenovac
was occupied by the Croat Army andsince then news are
arriving of its destruction. Liberated Jasenovac was
laterguarded by the Republic of Srpska Army, and in spring
this year Jasenovac wascleaned and prepared for re-opening of
the exhibition on the martyrdom ofJasenovac inmates. In May
last year, when the Croat army attacked and occupiedWestern
Slavonia, the only thing known about Jasenovac is what was
reporterby the foreign journalists. Historian Dr. Dusan
Plenca stated for the Split"Feral" that he is not surprised
with the news that the Memorial CenterJasenovac is destroyed,
because this is "an anticipated news about vandalismof
neo-Ustashi". Croat President Tudjman, according to his own
words, hastried to destroy Jasenovac some ten years ago with
his pamphlet "Wastelandsof Historical Reality", trying to
minimize the number of Jasenovac victims.(Borba, January 5,
1996)
[10] CROAT TAX ON HUMANITY
Since the local Croat authorities in Herzegovina having
introduced taxfor transit of convoys with humanitarian aid,
the UN High Commissariat forRefugees has stopped sending aid
to central Bosnia. This was stated yesterdayby the UNHCR
spokesman in Zagreb, Mans Nieberg. He specified that the
Croatauthorities in Mostar are charging 50 kuna (some 10 USD)
per truck of aidpassing along the routes under control of
Croat army in Herzegovina,qualifying this as the limitation
of the freedom of movement. For as long assuch behavior of
the Croat authorities remains, UNHCR will not send aid
tocentral Bosnia, said Nieberg. (Politika ekspres, January 5,
1996)
[11] WEST USING FALSEHOODS IN 'THE DESERT STORM'
Western allies, the United States and Great Britain most of
all, in thepreparations for and during the Gulf War were
using falsehoods and deceit oftheir own public. This is
stated in the research of the London newspaper"Guardian" and
the TV Channel 4, on the occasion of the fifth anniversary
ofthe armed conflict of the western military and political
machinery againstIraq. Media campaign was conducted by one
American agency, which was paid bythe Kuwaiti Government 11
million USD. Through this agency falsehoods werebroadcasted
throughout the world, which were then used as "official"
materialin the U.S. Congress and the UN - from the claims by
the daughter of theKuwaiti Ambassador in Washington D.C.
about bestialities of the Iraqi in thematernity wards in
Kuwait, up to the accusations for rape, massacres,
allegedsatellite photos, and 'packaging' to compare Iraqi
regime with Hitler andFascism. All this was later on mostly
proved as false, but these falsehoodswere used by those in
the highest and most official places, including the
U.S.President. "Guardian" and "Channel 4" are underlining
that western politiciansand military commanders were
deceiving even their own soldiers. It waspersistently
concealed from the soldiers and is still not admitted that
theIraqi were using chemical and biological means. For this
reason, thousands ofsoldiers have become ill because they did
not have timely protection. This wasconcealed from them and
from the public in order not to lower 'combat morale'.It was
also concealed from the western public what unprecedented
atrocitieswere committed by the allied soldiers on the Iraqi,
among them thoseunrecorded in the past warfare, such as
burial of live Iraqi soldiers byspecial bulldozer tanks.
Western public has never known that its army in Iraqwas
destroying civilian targets. (Politika, January 5, 1996).
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