YDS 9/13

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: [email protected] (D.D. Chukurov)

13. SEPTEMBER 1995. YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY

CONTENTS:

BELGRADE DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITIES - MILOSEVIC, BILDT: END TO ALL MILITARY ACTION

THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA - INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOT READY TO HALT THE WAR - BOSNIAN SERBS ASK RUSSIA, CHINA FOR URGENT HELP TO STOP NATO STRIKES - NATO CONTINUES AIR STRIKES

INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS ON NATO AIR STRIKES - RUSSIA ACCUSES NATO OF GENOCIDE AGAINST SERBS - RUSSIAN CONTACT GROUP MEMBER: NATO RAIDS ON BOSNIAN SERBS THREATEN PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO CRISES - UKRAINE'S SUPREME SOVIET CHAIRMAN OPPOSES BOMBING OF BOSNIAN SERBS - GADDAFI SAYS ATTACKS ON BOSNIAN SERB TARGETS AIMED AT INTIMIDATING WORLD

MEMORANDUM - NATO - UN - MOSCOW CONCERNED ABOUT NATO-U.N. 'MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING'

UNHCR - REFUGEES - UNHCR PROMISES MORE AID TO YUGOSLAVIA TO COPE WITH REFUGEES

FROM FOREIGN PRESS - THE NEW YORK TIMES ADVOCATES END TO AIR STRIKES AGAINST BOSNIAN SERBS - NEPSZABADSAG DAILY: NATO HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES IN BOSNIA - SPANISH DAILY: CROATS DESTROYING KRAJINA TO PREVENT RETURN OF SERBS

BELGRADE DIPLOMATIC ACTIVITIES

MILOSEVIC, BILDT: END TO ALL MILITARY ACTION

B e l g r a d e, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic talked Tuesday afternoon with the Co-Chairman of the International Conference on the Former Yugoslavia Carl Bildt on the current issues related to the peace process. Milosevic and Bildt talked about the latest situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and moves that should be made to maintain the present dynamic towards a successful outcome of the peace process, a statement issued after the meeting said. It was stressed that the international community's declared commitments regarding a quick and efficient establishment of peace and conclusion of a political settlement were in direct contradiction with an escalation of combat action, and especially with NATO air strikes. Resorting to aggressive methods at a time when all political conditions had been created to finally reach peace in the war-torn areas only support the forces that wish to prolong the war. It is therefore necessary to immediately end all military action and contribute to a rapid and intensive development of the negotiating process that should result in an international peace conference.

THE REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY NOT READY TO HALT THE WAR

B e l g r a d e, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Foreign Minister of Republika Srpska Aleksa Buha said Tuesday that the international community had still not confirmed its readiness to halt the war in the former Bosnia-Herzegovina. In a statement to Serb radio Buha said that the bombing of Bosnian Serbs by NATO could halt the peace process and lead to an even more tragic situation than the one now, perhaps the most serious situation since the breakout of the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The international community is now appearing in the form of NATO which had relentlessly continued bombing Serb civilian and military targets while the talks in Geneva were underway, Buha said. 'If the peace process has begun then it is necessary to conclude an agreement on a lasting cessation of hostilities,' Buha said adding that this was also called for at the Geneva meeting.

SERBS ASK RUSSIA, CHINA FOR URGENT HELP TO STOP NATO STRIKES

B e l g r a d e, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Bosnian Serb Foreign Minister Aleksa Buha invited on Tuesday Russia and China, in their capacity as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, to make an effort to stop NATO's 'criminal' attacks on the Bosnian Serbs. Buha wrote to the Russian and Chinese embassies in Belgrade that the peace process would be halted and the Serbs west of the Drina river wiped out if NATO continued its aggression. The barbarous, indiscriminate and unprovoked NATO attacks on the entire territory and population of the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska have forced its government to turn to the governments of Russia and China for urgent diplomatic and political help, the letters said. Buha said that NATO air strikes were contrary to provisions of international law of war and U.N. Security Council resolutions. He said they were continuing even after the Republika Srpska had upheld the Geneva accord on Bosnia and shown a willingness to deal with the conflict by peaceful means. NATO is seeking total destruction of the Republika Srpska and its people, Buha said. There can be no other explanation, he said, for its bombing not only army targets, but every day killing hundreds of Serb civilians, children, the sick and the old, demolishing schools, hospitals, factories, water supply systems, power lines, bridges and houses.

NATO CONTINUES AIR STRIKES

Banja Luka, Doboj, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - NATO continued air strikes against the Republika Srpska, inflicting extensive damage on civilian targets, the Bosnian Serb Army said Tuesday. The Bosnian Serb Army General Staff said in a statement that several waves of NATO air raids had hit Serb districts of Sarajevo, the surrounding settlements of Vogosca and Hadzici and the area of Pale. NATO's 500-1,000 kg bombs hit several residential buildings in Vogosca, destroyed its water and power supplies, put its access roads out of use and left several buildings ablaze. The statement said NATO raids had been concerted with Bosnian Muslim artillery attacks on civilian targets in Vogosca. Bosnian Serb Army sources reported that NATO air strikes against the area of Srbinje (formerly Foca) in the Southeast of the Republika Srpska on Monday killed one civilian and injured many others, including several women and children. A dozen NATO bombers were involved in the air raid against Srbinje, blasting roads and bridges and hitting several residential buildings in surrounding villages. A NATO bomb fell between the church and school in the village of Donji Vijacani, 12 km South of the town of Prnjavor in Northern Republika Srpska, but fortunately did not explode. There had never been any military facilities in that village, which was bombed on Sunday night, Bosnian Serb military sources said. NATO planes launched the fourth attack on Tuesday on suburbs of Doboj. The industrial zone of Usora bore the brunt of the fiercest attack, going up in flames and smoke. Two persons were killed and several wounded in the earlier attacks on Tuesday. Muslim forces are attacking Serb positions around Doboj.

INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS ON NATO AIR STRIKES

RUSSIA ACCUSES NATO OF GENOCIDE AGAINST SERBS

M o s c o w, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Russia accused NATO on Wednesday of killing Serb children in Bosnia-Herzegovina, stressing that the survival of the present generation of Bosnian Serbs was endangered by genocide being perpetrated against it. A very acute statement by the Russian Federation's government voiced 'resolved protest' against the 'unilateral uses of NATO combat forces in Bosnia against the Serb population.' Russia cannot remain indifferent towards the 'tragic fate of the children of our Slav brothers,' said the statement. 'It is difficult to determine the number of children who lost their parents and homes. Now the question arises as to the survival of the present generation of the Bosnian Serbs threatened by genocide,' the statement said. At the same time Russia intends to evacuate Serb children from the endangered area to save their lives and protect them from the heavy consequences of warfare, it is said in the statement.

NATO RAIDS THREATEN PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO CRISES

B e l g r a d e, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Russia's representative in the Contact Group Alexander Zotov said on Monday that the NATO air strikes against the Bosnian Serbs would 'only increase the difficulties on the road towards a peaceful solution to the crises.' Speaking to radio Voice of Russia in a Serbian-language program monitored in Belgrade, Zotov said that instead of a peace mission, NATO is now engaged in systematically weakening one of the sides in the conflict under the pretext that this is the only way to create the most favourable conditions for reaching a peace. 'We are astounded that the demand for the withdrawal of the heavy weapons from the safe areas refers only to one side - the Serbs,' Zotov said. He said that 'it is clear that the other side (Muslim) is at the same time massing troops for possible offensive actions.' 'Russia urges a solution according to which no-one would win or lose in Bosnia and in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, that all military actions are stopped, first those launched by NATO and then those between the warring sides,' Zotov said.

UKRAINE'S SUPREME SOVIET CHAIRMAN OPPOSES BOMBING

K i e v, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Chairman of Ukraine's Supreme Soviet Alexander Moroz has opposed the NATO bombing of Bosnian Serb defences, the Golos Ukraini newspaper stated on Tuesday. The paper quoted Moroz as saying Ukraine refused to recognise the United Nations as an instrument for settling international conflicts by force. Moroz also opposed imposition of sanctions in the world.

GADDAFI SAYS ATTACKS AIMED AT INTIMIDATING WORLD

B e l g r a d e, Sept. 12 (Tanjug, Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Tuesday that U.S. cruise missile attacks on Bosnian Serb positions were a ploy to intimidate the world and ensure that U.S. President Bill Clinton wins re-election next year. He said the attacks were the latest in the long U.S. record of aggression against foreign countries, including Libya, Iran, Iraq, Somalia, Grenada, Panama and Haiti. 'On the one hand it is terrorising the world so that it will submit to NATO and on the other a prelude to the American elections, which have come to require human sacrifices every four years,' Gaddafi said. The Libyan leader said that 'no sane man would believe that NATO, the traditional enemy of islam, would use its missiles to defend the religion of Mohammad.'

MEMORANDUM - NATO - UN

MOSCOW CONCERNED ABOUT 'MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING'

M o s c o w, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Russia on Tuesday expressed concern over a secret document 'on understanding' between the United Nations and NATO, and regret that Moscow had not been consulted about it. Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigory Karasin said the document annulled the 'second key' to decisions to end the use of force. The ITAR-TASS news agency has obtained a copy of a secret 'Memorandum of understanding' between the NATO and the U.N. force in former Yugoslavia' which gives NATO a free hand in bombing the Bosnian Serbs. The document states that the bombing may be stopped only in the case if the U.N. and NATO get enough evidence that the Bosnian Serb military potential is totally destroyed. The memorandum was signed between U.N. force Commander in former Yugoslavia Bernard Janvier and Commander of the NATO force in Southern Europe Leighton Smith at the Pleso airfield on Aug.10, said ITAR-TASS. According to the document, NATO planes have the right to bomb Serbs in Bosnia, even if the Serb army does not make any attempts to start combat operation. Not only direct attacks on the 'protected zones' of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Bihac and Gorazde, may become a pretext for NATO air raids, but also 'threats of an attack', said ITAR-TASS. NATO planes are permitted to bomb for more than two weeks the facilities of Serbs, situated sometimes hundreds and more kilometres from U.N.- protected zones, said ITAR-TASS. The memorandum assigns the unseemly role of spies to the U.N. troops, deployed since 1992 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Naturally, they learned a great deal about the military potential of Bosnian Serbs, said ITAR-TASS. NATO planes are allowed to destroy Serb air defense facilities and strike blows not only in Bosnia, but also in the areas of Croatia, populated by Serbs. The memorandum formulated the terms under which NATO air attacks could be stopped: it can be done only on the basis of a decision, taken jointly by the Command of the NATO force in Southern Europe and the U.N. force in former Yugoslavia on grounds of a conclusion that the threat of attacks on U.N. - protected zones in Bosnia no longer exists.

UNHCR - REFUGEES

UNHCR PROMISES MORE AID TO YUGOSLAVIA

G e n e v a, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees will double aid to Yugoslavia for the new influx of more than 160,000 refugees from Krajina, UNHCR Sadako Ogata said on Tuesday. This year's budget for Yugoslavia amounted to 23 million U.S. dollars. The UNHCR will ask its donors for another 25 million dollars, said Ogata in talks with a Yugoslav delegation in Geneva. The Yugoslav delegation, headed by Minister for Humanitarian Affairs Tomica Raicevic, said Yugoslavia, encumbered by the international sanctions, was unable to cope with the refugees alone. Before the last wave of refugees from Krajina, there were about 500,000 refugees in Yugoslavia from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. In talks with Vice President of the International Committee of the Red Cross Eric Rothlisberg, Yugoslav officials said they hoped the ICRC would shed light on the disappearance of about 10,000 Krajina Serbs who went missing in Croatia. Rothlisberg said investigations were hindered as the Croatian authorities would not allow ICRC officials access to the locations. The Yugoslav side called for the convening of a conference in Geneva at the end of the month.

FROM FOREIGN PRESS

THE NEW YORK TIMES ADVOCATES END TO AIR STRIKES

N e w Y o r k, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - The U.S. daily the New York Times warned on Tuesday U.S. President Bill Clinton that the dictates of common sense said that the bombing of Bosnian Serbs should be halted. The paper warned Clinton that absolutely nothing would be accomplished by dropping bombs but that, on the contrary, the bombing was risky and could even undermine peace. The paper said that the United States should give up missiles and bombs and focus on efforts deployed in Europe by Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, who is embarking on a new peace mission. The New York Times wondered about the reasons which led the U.S. to launch bombs and rockets against one side in the conflict at a time when an almost impossible thing had been accomplished, that is, when the conflicting sides agreed to sit at the negotiating table.

NEPSZABADSAG DAILY: NATO HAS ULTERIOR MOTIVES

B u d a p e s t, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag said in a commentary on Tuesday that 'although even previously there had been no dilemma, now it is quite clear NATO is not protecting the civilian Muslim population in Bosnia, but wants to crush the backbone the officially recognized Bosnian Serb state Republika Srpska.' The paper's commentator Endre Aczel said that NATO is using increasingly tougher measures to realize this aim, like the latest launching of the tomahawk cruise missiles against Bosnian Serb anti-aircraft installations near Banja Luka. As soon as this is achieved, the f-16 and f-18 bombers will be able to drop their deadly loads, Aczel said. According to Aczel, the Bosnian Serbs are justified in refusing to withdraw their heavy weapons from around Sarajevo because the Bosnian Muslim troops would immediately occupy this empty space. On the other hand, NATO does not want to guarantee that this will not happen so that the Serbs are now trying to endure the air strikes, Aczel said. Weekly Szines Vasarnap came to a similar conclusion in its latest issue. The weekly said that the Sarajevo Muslim government favours a continuation of the war, rather than a peace. 'The aim of the current NATO air raids is to help the troops of the Muslim-Croat federation achieve their final victory against the Serbs once the Bosnian Muslims have been exempt from the arms embargo,' Szines Vasarnap said.

SPANISH DAILY: CROATS DESTROYING KRAJINA TO PREVENT RETURN OF SERB S

M a d r i d, Sept. 12 (Tanjug) - Croats are systematically destroying entire towns in Krajina in order to prevent the possible return of the expelled Serb population to their homes, the Spanish daily El Mundo said quoting reports by U.N. observers. 'Churches, apartment buildings and houses, cemeteries are being vandally destroyed and torched' in Krajina, said the daily, quoting these sources. 'Krajina is literally in ruins - between 60 and 80 percent of the houses have been burned to the ground intentionally,' El Mundo said, quoting a statement by UNPROFOR spokesman Christopher Gunness. El Mundo quoted Gunness as saying that towns in Northern Krajina - Vojnic, Topusko, Glina and Petrinja - were 'ghost towns' where only buildings reduced to rubble, broken glass, and smashed vehicles can be seen. These are towns where the only people one can see are members of the Croatian army and police, the Spanish daily said. El Mundo said, however, that certain new-comers could also be seen lately. They are Croats who are moving into Serb houses because 'Croatia is offering good salaries to Croats who would be ready to leave other places and come to Krajina to live and work there,' said the Spanish daily.

- I speak for no one and no one speaks for me --