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BosNet NEWS - May 5, 96Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@sms.ivey.uwo.ca>CONTENTS
[01] RESOLUTION ON THE EXTENSION OF NATO MANDATE AFTER ELECTIONSWashington, May 4, 1996 (Press TWRA)NATO Commander for Europe, General George Joulwan expressed concern due to maltreatment of the refugees who wanted to return to their homes in BH. The last incident happened on Monday when two Bosniaks were killed and 10 wounded while trying to visit their family vaults near Doboj. Joulwan stated NATO forces would try to ensure full freedom of moving till the September elections, adding the final resolution on IFOR withdrawal would be made afterwards. According to the statement of one American official, the administration "can not give approval for the extension of NATO mandate at the moment, but the ground has being prepared for it is clear to anyone the considerable forces should remain in BH in order to prevent further conflicts". "The Administration will wait for applications: from the seat of NATO, UN, EU and then will, unwillingly, decide about a certain kind of the extension", he concluded. Diplomatic sources in Washington claim about the possibility of the formation of IFOR ll, composed of European and other forces, in which Americans should provide logistic support and include their air and marine forces. The operation should also be under the command of General L. Smith, while the ground forces should be commanded by a British general. As the American administration is concerned the announcement of the possible extension could slow the peace-process, the final resolution can not be expected before the conclusion of the elections in BH. (end) S.K.[02] "BOSNIAN SERBS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOBOJ INCIDENT", BILDT SAIDPodgorica, May 4, 1996 (Press TWRA)BH High Commissioner, C.Bildt said Bosnian Serbs authorities are responsible for the incident in Doboj in which two civilians were killed. The incident took place at the territory of Bosnian Serbs, so their authorities are obliged to find the reponsibles", Bildt said in Milocer, where he met with President Bulatovic. "A part of Bosnian Serbs' leadership prevented a participation of Serbia at the donor conference in Brussels and, consequently, Bosnain Serbs would be deprived of the economic support", Bildt pointed out. Requests for the separation of Montenegro from FRY, coming from the top of DPS (Democratic party of socialists), headed by Prime Minister Djukanovic are becoming more evident. Montenegrian government recently independently decided to open a new border to Albania, nearby Ulcinj and Montenegrian TV launched a morning program which should replace Serbian TV,introducing also a second program. Montenegro is founding the ground to its independence, however, the most important aspect, the economic independence from Serbia, is not easy to realize in a short period of time. Djukanovic is trying to attract foreign investors to ensure the further independent development. Besides the more and more frequent conflicts between Serbia and Montenegro, Bulatovic and Djukanovic are trying to maintain the balance. While Djukanovic is criticizing the Serbian regime, saying Montenegro will remain a part of the Federation only as an equal partner, Bulatovic speaks about the "glimmering future" of the country within FRY. (end) S.K.[03] WILLIAM PERRY ON MILITARY SUPPORT TO B-H FEDERATIONWashington, May 2, 1996 (Press TWRA)A multinational program to equip & train the Bosnian Federation Army should start in full force in June, said the US defense secretary, William Perry, adding the program was designed to establish defense balance in Bosnia between the Federation and the Bosnian Serb entity. According to Perry, the program was delayed because the B-H Government did not fulfill some of its obligations, especially the one that all foreign forces must leave Bosnia's territory. Meanwhile, Perry also stated that the secret arms exports to Bosnia in 1994, that were supplied by Iran, were overlooked by the US, and that such actions facilitated the Dayton agreement. (end) A.S.[04] IZETBEGOVIc - ORU+EVIc ON ELECTIONS IN MOSTARSarajevo, May 1, 1996 (Press TWRA)Bosnian president Izetbegovi5 and the Mostar mayor Safet Oru^evi5 had talks today. They discussed the elections in Mostar on May 31, this year. It was stressed that a wide-scale action is needed to enable each person who fled Mostar to vote at the elections. Those who cannot vote in Mostar, can do that in Bosnia's diplomatic offices, it specially refers to Germany, Norway and Sweden where most of the expelled residents of Mostar live. (end) A.S.[05] GERMANY POSTPONED THE RETURN OF BH REFUGEESBonn, May 4, 1996 (Press TWRA)Ministries of Internal Affairs (federal and regional) decided to postpone the final resolution about the return of BH refugees (according to official data, there are 320.000 of them in Germany) till the end of June. According to the first resolution (January 1996) refugees should start returning from July 1, in three phases. After the recent incident in BH, discussions about refugees intensified for, according to some estimations, their chances to return to their homes, decreased. Besides of all the problems connected with the accommodation of the refugees, Commissars for foreigners of the federal and regional governments requested Ministers to prolongate date-limits, believing conditions for the return will not be fulfilled till July 1. (end) S.K.[06] BELGRADE ACCUSED SARAJEVO FOR GENOCIDE UPON BOSNIAKSThe Hague, May 2, 1996 (Press TWRA)"Behavior of FR of Yugoslavia and its claim that B-H is to guilty for genocide on its own people, is top of cynicism. It is manipulation of law. FR of Yugoslavia refuses to admit the facts, what makes impression that it tries again to advocate idea of the Greater Serbia, which would include all its neighbors" said Sacirbey, B-H ambassador to the UN, who leads the B-H delegation in process against FRY before the Hague's International Court of Justice (ICJ). His statement followed that of British Ian Brownlie, the Yugoslav delegation member, who disapproved Bosnia's claim that Belgrade was guilty for genocide committed during Serbia's aggression on Bosnia. Brownlie said Belgrade had no influence on situation on B-H's territory, after that Republic seceeded from Yugoslavia, so it cannot bear the responsibility for events in the area. The only government which might be responsible for the genocide in Bosnia is the one in Sarajevo, which failed to avoid or punish the genocide on the territory of its own country, Brownlie said. (end) A.S.[07] BOSNIA - IFOR: SUSPICIONS ABOUT CHEMICAL AND NUCLEAR WASTESarajevo, May 5, 1996 (Press TWRA)Bosnian authorities suspect IFOR of building the vast dump near Kladanj, in the area between Sarajevo and Tuzla, and look for increased possibility of monitoring the actions of IFOR and the foreign companies which work with IFOR support in B-H, without consulting the representatives of host country. The B-H authorities demand the possibility to check the material IFOR and the attached companies input in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Without announcing or getting permission from local or state authorities IFOR took about 2O OOO m2 of land which is state property, near Kladanj and built a waste dump from where "the smell similar to soap" was coming, and where the more dangerous chemical materials could be store. The Government commission from Sarajevo visited the dump and Zagreb's newspaper "Vjesnik" reported that on the occasion US officer from the base "Lindo", who accompanied Stjepan Bagaric, B-H Federation's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Waterpower, said: "US Army respects the laws of the country but it does not necessarily implement them". Bosnian officials approached IFOR since the municipality authorities should have been consulted, and they would surely found more appropriate place for building the dump. The present place threatens the nature, the small river Stupacnica in the first place, but also the most important rivers in the central and north east Bosnia - Krivaja and Bosnia. IFOR located the dump in the village Cule, and arranged with US company "Brown and Root" to build it. Bosnians are afraid that similar arrangements could bring more dangerous chemical materials to Bosnia from abroad.On several occasions, Bosnian authorities criticized IFOR forthe way their units act, too demonstratively patrolling the streets of Bosnian towns and drove armed transporters through town centers, plundered the shopping center Skenderija in Sarajevo, and the Post building on Sarajevo's railway station, their vehicles occupy the elite spaces in the city etc. Even before the waste dump incident Bosnian authorities accused IFOR of ecological pollution of Mt. Igman and Bjela\nica, and to excessive cutting of the Bosnian woods. Bosnia-Herzegovina Prime Minister Muratovic already warned about the fact that the "waste" dumped in the areas which IFOR denoted for that purpose in Bosnia could contain besides the waste dangerous chemical and radio-active materials and emphasized that possible attempt of some foreign companies which are hiding behind the IFOR authority to bring the dangerous materials to Bosnia must be prevented. The former B-H Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Waterpower Ahmed Smaji5 accused IFOR of threatening the health of people in Sarajevo by dumping uncontrollably the garbage and by spilling the great quantities of oil and its derivations, on Mt. Igman and Bjela\nica, and by polluting the water which citizens of Sarajevo drink in the first place. Smajic warned that B-H Government delegation was not allowed to visit some suspicious places which IFOR used on Mt. Igman for dumping the waste, and also emphasized that IFOR vehicles and their cargo are not under Bosnian authorities control. Smaji5 stated that it is very possible that on the places where IFOR dig the sand for the fortifications the great number of barrels filled with nuclear waste, brought from the ships which wonder on world's seas, is located. After Serbs left IlidWa in the middle of March, the Factory of thermal equipment building (TAT) which belongs to "Enegoinvest" company, came under BH Federation authority. There was found the concrete bunker and four barrels of radio-active material. That is the consequence of the TAT's pre- war work on building the equipment for nuclear industry. Sarajevo's newspaper "Dnevni Avaz" reported that contaminated material from that building spreads dangerous radiation in the range of one kilometer. IFOR announced that its experts visited the building and confirmed the dangerous radiation due to which the building was as a precaution closed and distinctly marked, and entrance was forbidden. Radiation spreads out from the facilities and endangers citizens in near by buildings and international police forces (IPTF) located on IlidWa, reported IFOR. French soldiers registered in that building the high level of radioactivity with their measuring devices. (end) A. S. [08] FINANCIAL POLICE THE "PANORAMA" WEEKLYZagreb, May 1, 1996 (press TWRA)Allegedly for financial violations, Croatia's financial police closed the office of Croatian weekly "Panorama" which came out two years ago releasing different articles from sensationalistic to serious ones. The weekly was regarded close to a group of businessmen and government officials originating from Herzegovina. Some journalists close to "Herzeg Bosnia" wrote in it. Son of ex- Yugoslav diplomat, Croatian journalist originating from Dubrovnik ,Goran Mili5, once popular TV Belgrade News editor in early 90- ies, editor in chief of "Yutel" in Sarajevo, wrote in it. Mili5 lived in many countries and worked at the UN seat in New York. It is believed the action of financial police followed the articles of Josip Jovi5 and Slaven Letica in the latest "Panorama" issue. Letica, sociologist and economist, prof. at the Medical School of the Zagreb University, from 1990-91 was the president Tudjman's advisor, then became one of his most severe critics. J. Jovi5 criticized the opposition for some time in "Slobodna Dalmacija", and was its editor in chief. He was replaced when he started to criticize the authorities. In the latest issue of "Panorama, he wrote about corruption and stealing under disguise of authorities. (end) A.S. [09] CROATIA'S PARLIAMENTARIAN DELEGATION IN B-HVitez, May 1, 1996 (Press TWRA)Returning recent visit of B-H parliamentary delegation to Zagreb led by presidents of the parliaments of the Republic & the B-H Federation, Miro Lazovi5 & Mariofil Ljubi5, delegation of Croatia's Parliament visited B-H. The delegation, led by its vice-president Vladimir heks started the visit with a little town of Vitez, a stronghold of Croat militia in central Bosnia. They were met by the officials of the local authorities in Croat held Vitez, Busova^a and Novi Travnik, although the number of Bosniaks is little less than of Croats where also some Serbs lived. Chairman of central Bosnia's HDZ Zoran Mari5 attended at the meeting. The hosts asked for help of their Zagreb guests to make pressure on Bosniaks " to specify their relations with Croats as being their partners as well as on the B-H Federation," expressing concern about "acts of Bosniaks ranging from terrorism, to charges against the HVO members due to alleged war crimes, to disturbing acting of Bosniak leaders. B-H authorities have not commented the case described by B-H media as a diplomatic provocation and arrogance of Croatia. (end) A.S.[10] LETICA & IDS ON "PANORAMA"Zagreb, May 2, 1996 (Press TWRA)On the action of financial police, which closed the office of the "Panorama" weekly in Radi5eva 12 and Marti5eva 17, speaks its columnist Slaven Letica: "Decision signed by two inspectors, Balka Barnjak and Ivan Balek, says that the office is closed due to fact that the publisher, "Croata Ltd.", did not obtain a certificate of administrative body that the office meets health, technical, ecological requirements. It is a formal reason, cynical I would say. The Panorama's office is really suitable, recently decorated, with an adequate sanitary system, a small kitchen, so the alleged reasons are far from truth. (...) The matter is that the authorities have become a bit too nervous. If we analyze the mosaic of various recent attempts to limit the freedom of speech, we see that what I called capillary totalitarism, is growing. Once it is allegedly unpaid customs duties, as in case of "Novi List", somewhere the police interrogates journalists, as in "Nacional" case, somewhere is removed the editor-in-chief, as in case of Josip Jovi5 in "Slobodna Dalmacija", who accidentally became editor-in-chief of "Panorama", phones are sometimes bugged, as in case of cardinal Kuhari5. Anyhow, those are lower clerks, whose excuse is probably the very top state authorities, so they maybe speak on bad mood / displeasure of president Tu-man with some article, though I do not think so. In Panorama's last issue, I wrote a very favorable text on president Tu-man. The key idea is that opinion of president Tu-man himself is that till our time, communist ex-dictator and his neighbor, president Josip Broz Tito, was the greatest Croat, and that from now, it is president Tu-man alone. So in the text, written as a warm human tale, I defend the view that president Tu-man sincerely loves his neighbor Tito, and that he expressed many compliments about him in the latest interview. I tried to put forward several possible motives of him to do so. So, there is nothing controversial in my text."In front of the closed Panorama's office doors, editor-in-chief of the paper, J. Jovi5, held a press-conference, and said: " The editorial staff and myself bear responsibility for what is released in "Panorama". We want to make a state-building paper, critical to any obstacle in developing the democratic state and its institutions. Jovi5's deputy Andrej Rora said the financial police visited "Panorama" two months ago, but they had no complaints about the sanitary conditions in the editorial office. This time, the policemen took away diskettes with already prepared texts, without recording it. Jovi5 said no criticism can harm the state as much as this action of police, i.e. authorities. The IDS (Istrian democratic assembly) statement speaks aboutthe pressure put on press: "IDS uses the opportunity to express its concern due to possibility that financial police's break-in at the Panorama office is a part of the HDZ campaign of pressure upon free & independent media in Zagreb, Rijeka, Istria, Split... elsewhere in Croatia". (end) A.S. [11] VLADIMIR hEKS ACCUSED BOSNIAKS FOR BLOCKADE OF FEDERATIONSarajevo, May 2, 1996 (Press TWRA)Vladimir heks, vice-president of the parliament of Croatia, leading Croatia's parliamentary delegation to Bosnia, said after the talks with the BH Federation leadership that Bosniaks were to blame for stalemate of the Federation, blockade of the Dayton and the Sarajevo accords, defense law and banking agency law, unsolving the status of Sarajevo, delay in establishment of the central and local authorities.Among the politicians who received the guests from Croatia,there was no Ejup Gani5, the highest-ranking Bosniak official of the Federation. (end) A.S. Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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