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Serbia Today 96-02-08
8 February 1996
In This Edition
CAPTURE OF SERBIAN OFFICERS IS OPPOSED TO THE WAR LAW
CROATS ATTACK HANS KOSHNIK
CONTENTS
[01] HIGH AFFIRMATION OF OUR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
[02] YUGOSLAVIA - A LEADING COUNTRY OF THE REGION IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC REFORMS
[03] AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED SOON ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH ROMANIA
[04] CAPTURE OF SERBIAN OFFICERS IS OPPOSED TO THE WAR LAW
[05] DANGEROUS PROVOCATION
[06] CROATS ATTACK HANS KOSHNIK
[07] A LOT OF MUJJAHEDINS HAVE REMAINED
[08] LORD OWEN WITNESS IN THE INDICTMENT AGAINST IZETBEGOVIC
[09] ETHNICALLY CLEAN VIEWS OF TUDJMAN'S ADVISOR
[10] GERMAN DEPUTIES ALSO OPPOSE TUDJMAN'S ABUSES
[11] USTASHI ROOTS AND FAMILY TREE
[01] HIGH AFFIRMATION OF OUR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD
Discussions about the perspectives for peace in the Balkans
were the first opportunity which the delegation of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had, after suspension of
sanctions, while attending the World Economic Forum in Davos
Switzerland, to state its views on the international
relations. This was stated by the Federal Prime Minister Dr.
Radoje Kontic upon his return to Belgrade. "Our delegation
has supported the main slogan of the Forum that peace in the
Balkans can be achieved only through a fast economic and
enterprising development. At the same time our delegation has
pointed out that this target can not be achieved under
conditions of restrictions and limitations which the
international community has imposed on the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska. We have insisted
that without conditions, sanctions be lifted and complete
reintegration of the FR of Yugoslavia performed in the
international organizations", said Kontic. He also underlined
that our delegation had a number of bilateral meetings with
the outstanding world and European politicians, statesmen and
businessmen, and that they have all expressed readiness to
renew and expand bilateral cooperation with the FR of
Yugoslavia. "It is very important that all of them have
understood that without the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia no
lasting peace in the Balkans can be achieved, because it is
an irreplaceable factor of stability and cooperation", said
the Yugoslav Prime Minister. (Politika, February 8, 1996)
[02] YUGOSLAVIA - A LEADING COUNTRY OF THE REGION IN SOCIO-ECONOMIC REFORMS
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used to be a leading country
in the region by the degree of implemented socio-economic
reforms. After five years of stagnation it is still not
lagging behind and is more advanced than many other eastern
countries in the period of transition. There is certainly no
reason why it should not, and soon, become again the leading
country of the region. This was the view stated after a
three-day visit to Yugoslavia by Charles Garet and Kiron
Sarkar, representatives of the Fond for Knowledge Transfer of
the British Foreign Office. Impressed by "a positive
atmosphere and fantastic enthusiasm" of many counterparts,
Garet and Sarkar said that in Yugoslavia there is a great
knowledge about the functioning of the paper of value market
and stock exchange and that this is an excellent prerequisite
for the future trading of stocks in the country. (Politika,
February 8, 1996)
[03] AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED SOON ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH ROMANIA
At the plenary session of the Yugoslav and Rumanian
businessmen, held yesterday in the Chamber of Economy of
Yugoslavia, it was jointly stated that an agreement on
cooperation between the economies of the two countries should
be signed very soon. Vice President of the Yugoslav Chamber
Danilo Perovic said that the past volume of goods exchange
which used to reach some 400 million US dollars per year, is
not adequate to the traditionally good relations and
potentials of the two economies. The head of the Rumanian
delegation Secretary General of the Commercial and Industrial
Chamber of the Rumanian County of Prahovo Aurelian Gogulesku
underlined special interest for cooperation in the field of
power and attracting of the Yugoslav capital. (Politika,
February 8, 1996)
[04] CAPTURE OF SERBIAN OFFICERS IS OPPOSED TO THE WAR LAW
The arrest of General of the Republic of Srpska Army Djordje
Djukic, Colonel Aleksa Krsmanovic and a group of military, is
threatening to jeopardize the already fragile peace in
Bosnia, best illustrated by the decision of the Republic of
Srpska Government to suspend all relations with the
representatives of the Muslim-Croat Federation. It is well
known that the arrested officers were unarmed, that they had
the necessary personal identification documents and that they
were going to a meeting with the representatives of the IFOR.
According to the first explanation by Bakir Alispahic, chief
of state security of the Sarajevo government, the officers
were arrested because they were "in a stolen car" and because
of the alleged suspicion of taking part in the war crimes
"from Vlasenica and Gorazde up to Foca and Olovo". The first
claim is obviously poor, and soon the second one was disputed
as well because the representative of the International
Tribunal in The Hague stated that the above mentioned
officers are not on the list of those indicted for war
crimes. In the additional communique, Alispahic changed his
claims and said that the captured officers will be indicted
as "witnesses to the war crimes". Defense attorney Jovan
Buturovic, also a former judge of the Supreme Military
Tribunal, while commenting the legal theory and practice,
said that the officers of the Bosnian Serbs, as negotiators
must have been protected according to the international war
law. Buturovic also says that according to the Statute of the
International Tribunal in The Hague, witnesses can not be
arrested. Serbian side is pointing out that the arrested
officers Djukic and Krsmanovic are persons of advanced age,
typical rear lines officers who were throughout the duration
of war in charge only of the food supplies, sanitary and
technical problems. Whoever had arrested these officers is
obviously not having peace in mind but continuation of war.
It seems that the Muslim side was rather keen on provoking
nervous reactions. (Politika, February 8, 1996)
[05] DANGEROUS PROVOCATION
Two of the leading American dailies "The Washington Post" and
"The New York Times" are underlining in their yesterday's
articles about the arrest of Serbian officers by Muslim
authorities in Sarajevo, that this is a dangerous provocation
which can jeopardize the peace process. This is the most
serious incident since signing of the Dayton Agreement which
is putting in an extremely awkward situation both the NATO
peace forces responsible for security in these zones, and is
threatening to cause a reaction of much larger proportion.
British "Daily Telegraph" quoting the statements by NATO
officers leading the IFOR forces, is of opinion that Muslim
government has "very inadvertently" and "at a very delicate
moment" placed in jeopardy the peace agreement. This is yet
another attempt by the Muslims to put pressure on the
international military forces and NATO most of all, to be
involved in the jobs which are not prescribed by the Dayton
Peace Agreement. Although the IFOR Command is claiming that
the latest problems are not within its competencies, London
recalls that the arrest took place in the so-called
separation zone, within the jurisdiction of the international
forces and NATO police. At the news of the arrest of Republic
of Srpska Army officers, Greek media are expressing concern
that such behavior of Muslims could endanger the
implementation of the peace agreement. Muslims are applying
the tactics which even made NATO worried, writes
"Elefterotipia". Athens press these days was underlining that
Muslims are actually causing the greatest problems in the
implementation of the peace plan and are causing concern of
the international mediators, most of all Americans. (Borba,
February 8, 1996)
[06] CROATS ATTACK HANS KOSHNIK
French forces were deployed yesterday in front of the Mission
of the European Union in Mostar after the Bosnian Croats have
attacked the EU Administrator of Mostar Hans Koshnik, who is
entrusted with arbitration in the dispute between Muslims and
Croats about the future set-up of the divided city. According
to Koshnik's decision, the city would again become one entity
with three Muslim, three Croat and one joint municipality.
This has caused strong Croat reaction, because it is
practically the end of aspirations of the Croats in Bosnia
for Mostar to become some sort of a capital of their separate
entity within the Muslim-Croat Federation. Some 2,000
demonstrators have gathered in front of the hotel which the
EU is using as its headquarters. Koshnik tried to go out of
the building, but was blocked. "They are breaking down cars,
jumping on them, covering them with Croat flags and burning
the EU frags. They are shouting slogans 'He should be
killed'", said the EU spokesman in Mostar Dragan Gasic and
added that the Croat police was calmly watching the
protesters without trying to stop them. Local Croat Radio is
transmitting the report by the Croat authorities which says
that "mission of Administrator Koshnik has ended today in
Mostar". (Politika, February 8, 1996)
[07] A LOT OF MUJJAHEDINS HAVE REMAINED
One western military expert stated yesterday for the France
Press news agency that according to the data of the U.S.
intelligence service, there are still tens and tens of
Islamic fighters in Bosnia. It is suspected that they are
linked with Iran and the question is raised as to how
justified it is to continue with giving assistance to the
Muslim Army, said this expert, who wished to remain
anonymous. In Bosnia there are still some 200 mujjahedins -
the remains of several thousand Islamic volunteers, now
located in the region of Zenica, close to the zone where the
U.S. contingent of the IFOR forces is stationed. There are
growing accusations at the expense of the Muslim government
in Sarajevo that these mujjahedins were given Bosnian
nationality which is strictly forbidden by the provisions of
the Dayton Agreement, quotes France Press the military
expert. (Vecernje novosti, February 8, 1996)
[08] LORD OWEN WITNESS IN THE INDICTMENT AGAINST IZETBEGOVIC
The book by Lord David Owen "The Balkan Odyssey" which has
just appeared in London, is strongly accusing the Muslim
President Alija Izetbegovic of having ordered Muslim soldiers
to prepare and execute the massacre in Sarajevo Markale
market on February 4, 1994, when 69 Sarajevo citizens were
killed and some 200 wounded. This crime was immediately
attributed to Serbs. Owen accuses the UN officials for having
participated in concealing of the Muslim crime and claims
that the crime was intentionally ascribed to Serbs. "Not even
the slightest suggestion was allowed that Muslims are a
guilty party", says Lord Owen and adds: "NATO had just
decided to bombard Serbs and would have been in a chaotic
state if suddenly the public image of Serbs responsible for
the bomb on the market would be destroyed". This testimony by
Lord Owen will be used by a group of German citizens - among
them those of Serbian origin, but also true Germans,
intellectuals and members of the Bundestag - to prepare for
the International Tribunal in The Hague accusations charging
Alija Izetbegovic with war crimes against his own people. The
crown witness will be Lord David Owen. (Politika ekspres,
February 8, 1996)
[09] ETHNICALLY CLEAN VIEWS OF TUDJMAN'S ADVISOR
Advisor to the Croat President Tudjman and professor at the
Zagreb University, Djordje Pribicevic, is forecasting a
somber fate of Serbs and other minorities in Croatia, basing
his views on the estimate that nation is the basis for
democracy. Therefore, in order for the state and democracy to
exist, population must be ethnically pure - practically 80 to
90 percent must be of the same nation. In the weekly
"Panorama" Pribicevic stated that he is not anticipating a
mass return of exiled Serbs to Croatia. On the contrary, "the
process of departure of Serbs from Croatia will continue but
to a lesser degree". All ethnic minorities which are "in the
wrong place", there where there is no their titular people,
will be moving away both in Croatia and in Bosnia, states
Pribicevic and adds that "only the minorities will remain
which will cultivate letter and folklore". (Politika,
February 8, 1996)
[10] GERMAN DEPUTIES ALSO OPPOSE TUDJMAN'S ABUSES
The petition of German intellectuals against the proposal of
Franjo Tudjman for Jasenovac to be proclaimed "Memorial to
all victims of World War Two" and in that area to bury all
"victims of the motherland war" - is now joined by the group
of deputies in the German Parliament. Eva Builing-Shreter,
Dr. Ludwig Eim and Uve Jans Hauer, members of the Party of
Democratic Socialism, and Prof.Dr. Peter Gloc and Otto Zaf,
members of the Social Democratic Party, have joined the
petition which is submitted to the United Nations, to the
European Union, International Committee of the Red Cross,
O.S.C.E. and UNESCO. Intellectuals and deputies are
underlining that the death camp of Jasenovac, organized by
the Independent State of Croatia, was the version of the
terrible death camp of Auschwiz and that Tudjman must not be
allowed "to alter by falsehoods the truth about massacres of
Serbs, Jews and Gypsies" in Jasenovac. (Vecernje novosti,
February 8, 1996)
[11] USTASHI ROOTS AND FAMILY TREE
Recently an information was published that one of the
generals within the UN troops in Eastern Slavonia will be a
certain Belgian by the name of Van de Vege. Milan Nadezdin
from Belgrade, who is for a long time now researching Croat
and Muslim crimes over Serbian people during World War Two,
presented to the public documents about the Ustashi origin of
this "Belgian". Nadezdin knows in full detail 'activities' of
the roots and family tree of this Ustashi family from
Capljina. For the Ustashi prison camp warden in Capljina
county in 1941, student Franjo Vego (of father Luka) was
nominated, brother Janko was appointed deputy county official
in Capljina. Dane Vego (of father Joza) was a member of the
Ustashi leadership of the prison camp, to which also belonged
Marko and Pero Vego. The Ustashi "team" of brothers Vego,
together with the criminals from Stolac area, have killed in
two counties over 3,000 children, women and men of Serbian
nationality. Nadezdin who has 500 court verdicts of regular
and military tribunals prosecuting war crimes, conducted
after World War Two, is pointing out that by publishing the
story about the origin of General Van de Vege it became clear
why Belgium and Croatia insisted on his nomination for the UN
forces commander in Slavonia. "The name of general's father
is missing, but it is well known that Ustashi Franjo, Janko
and Dane have escaped abroad and that Marko Vego in early
1943 with another two of his 'colleagues' was interned in
Italy, and nothing further is known of him", says Nadezdin.
(Politika ekspres, February 8, 1996)
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