BOSNEWS digest 442 -- 22/10/95

From: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@sms.business.uwo.ca>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] TWENTY GOALS OF BOSNIAN DELEGATION AT THE NEGOTIATIONS IN USA

Sarajevo, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - At yesterday's meeting of the SDA Executive Board in Fojnica, president of the B-H presidency and the SDA chairman A. Izetbegovic put forward the goals and views of B-H delegation in 2O items in the eve of the peace negotiations to be held in the USA.

The following is excerpt from the President's speech: "Our starting viewpoint is maintenance of sovereign and integral B-H which must be based on the joint institutions:

Parliament,Government, Presidency, Constitutional Court and Central Bank.

The state must have authority in the fields of:

foreign affairs,defence, human right protection, citizenship, border protection,communications, currency, customs, foreign trade, budget and finances at the state level.

We need a state which functions and must not let the pre-war situation be repeated when due to consensus none decision could be reached.(...) The contact group map is valid if changes are agreed. We will not give up Gorazde, Brcko what the US mediators have been several times informed on. (...) One of the greatest problems is the status of Sarajevo. We have a few solutions, based on the concept of integral, undivided town. (...) The peace agreement, if signed, could be implemented only with the support of powerful international forces. It cannot be UNPROFOR. It could be the NATO forces. If Russia offers soldiers, their number should equal to that of the soldiers from Islamic states. (...) The peace implementation troops should be deployed in garrisons throughout B-H. We cannot accept their deployment only along the separation lines.(...) Croatia's units can remain on the B-H territory 3O days at most after signing the peace agreement and prolong the stay only on demand of the B-H Presidency.(...) International implementing forces cannot impede the efforts of B-H army. They can stay in B-H for a year and extend the stay at the demand of the B-H Presidency."

President Izetbegovic announced in his speech that Croatia and Serbia will be asked at the negotiations in Dayton, to issue a "solemn statement they have no territorial aspirations towards B-H and they will not encourage separatism or secession." He also put forward a proposal for Croatia and B-H to be received to the "Partnership for Peace" at the same time what could, as he stressed, "positively affect the relations between the two states and stability in the region."

Executive Board of SDA backed the proposals of the President Izetbegovic with the notion that the issue of Sandak should be included in the process of reaching the final peace ./end/ S.K.

[02] EXCHANGE AT THE SARAJEVO AIRPORT

Sarajevo, Oct 22, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Detainees and POWs were exchanged between Bosnian govt. and Bosnian Serbs at the Sarajevo airport yesterday. Ten persons were released on both sides. Bosnian side released Serb soldiers captured in recent fighting while in the group released by Serbs were Turkish journalists and 3 humanitarian workers. Serbs also released the writer Vladimir Srebrov captured in 1992 at Ilidza when he attempted to organize a rebellion of local Serbs against Karadzic's Serbs. /end/ S.K.

[03] KOSCHNIKS' REPLY TO ZUBAK

Mostar, Oct 22, 1995 (Press TWRA) - EU administrator to Mostar H. Koschnik sent a sharp reply to the letter of B-H Federation president Zubak in which Zubak resented settlement of RRF soldiers in the objects of hydro electric power plant (HE) Mostar, stressing that deployment of those soldiers was inappropriate and contrary to the agreement on demilitarization zone of Mostar. Koschnik informed Zubak that the RRF soldiers had left HE Mostar responding also to some other complaints. "You should not rebuke us that, by placing RRF soldiers we could forget out common intention to normalize the life in the town and I am almost offended with your fear that I am interested in unilateral taking the objects of HE Mostar. I really wonder why the statements which cannot be proved are being covered by a veil of mistrust and who encourages the suspicions", writes Koschnik. Explaining his decision on approving the placement of RRF soldiers in eastern Mostar, Koschnik says that it was in principle agreed with the authorities in eastern Mostar. Participation of local authorities from western bank of the River Neretva was not possible to occur as it is those authorities which insist on separate responsibilities." Besides, Koschnik reminds in his letter that it was Croat representatives in Mostar who blocked the freedom of movement and impeded the establishment of combined police." Koschnik also accused authorities of the western Mostar of "betraying the memorandum on understanding." /end/ S.K.

[04] CHIRAC - YELTSIN

Paris, Oct 22, 1995 (Press TWRA) - After French-Russian meeting and before he left Paris, Russian president Yeltsin said that Russia was not ready to send its soldiers to B-H under NATO command. He stressed that Russia would accept further negotiations with Clinton, Mayor and Kohl believing that a compromising solution would be reached so that Russia could have its command and coordination between Russian and NATO command "to make everything goes well". Yeltsin supported by Chirac put forward the idea for three-partite meeting Izetbegovic-Tudjman - Milosevic to be held where "cease fire agreement should be consolidated. Yeltsin proposed the international conference on the balance in the Balkans to be held in Moscow early next year.

[05] TWENTY GOALS OF BOSNIAN DELEGATION AT THE NEGOTIATIONS IN USA

Sarajevo, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - At yesterday's meeting of the SDA Executive Board in Fojnica, president of the B-H presidency and the SDA chairman A. Izetbegovic put forward the goals and views of B-H delegation in 2O items in the eve of the peace negotiations to be held in the USA.

The following is excerpt from the President's speech: "Our starting viewpoint is maintenance of sovereign and integral B-H which must be based on the joint institutions - Parliament, Government, Presidency, Constitutional Court and Central Bank. The state must have authority in the fields of foreign affairs, defence, human right protection, citizenship, border protection, communications, currency, customs, foreign trade, budget and finances at the state level. We need a state which functions and must not let the pre-war situation be repeated when due to consensus none decision could be reached.(...) The contact group map is valid if changes are agreed. We will not give up Gorazde, Brcko what the US mediators have been several times informed on. (...) One of the greatest problems is the status of Sarajevo. We have a few solutions, based on the concept of integral, undivided town. (...) The peace agreement, if signed, could be implemented only with the support of powerful international forces. It cannot be UNPROFOR. It could be the NATO forces. If Russia offers soldiers, their number should equal to that of the soldiers from Islamic states. (...) The peace implementation troops should be deployed in garrisons throughout B-H. We cannot accept their deployment only along the separation lines.(...) Croatia's units can remain on the B-H territory 3O days at most after signing the peace agreement and prolong the stay only on demand of the B-H Presidency.(...) International implementing forces cannot impede the efforts of B-H army. They can stay in B-H for a year and extend the stay at the demand of the B-H Presidency."

President Izetbegovic announced in his speech that Croatia and Serbia will be asked at the negotiations in Dayton, to issue a "solemn statement they have no territorial aspirations towards B-H and they will not encourage separatism or secession." He also put forward a proposal for Croatia and B-H to be received to the "Partnership for Peace" at the same time what could, as he stressed, "positively affect the relations between the two states and stability in the region."

Executive Board of SDA backed the proposals of the President Izetbegovic with the notion that the issue of Sandak should be included in the process of reaching the final peace ./end/ S.K.

[06] "AL GAMAA AL-ISLAMMIY" TOOK OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR EXPLOSION

Kairo, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Egyptian militant group "Al- Gamaa al-Islammiya" took over the responsibility for yesterday's auto-bomb explosion in Rijeka. As the reason they state the arrest of the group founder's Talat Fouad Qassem (38) that occurred in Croatia. Quassem was tried in absentia in Egypt and sentenced to death in 1992. Croatian govt. announced in the middle of September, when the group first threatened Croatia, that Qassem had left Croatia on Sep. 18.

[07] B-H DEMANDS FIKRET ABDIC BE EXTRADITED

Sarajevo, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - B-H Ministry of Justice has officially demanded from Croatian authorities extradition of F. Abdic to Bosnian judicial bodies. The demanded is based on the procedure going on before the Higher Court in Bihac which charges Abdic with war crimes against civilians and POWs as well as with destruction of cultural and historical monuments. /end/ S.K.

[08] CEASE FIRE AROUND SANSKI MOST

Sarajevo, Oct 21 1995 (Press TWRA) - After minor fighting around Sanski Most, cease fire was agreed for the area at yesterday's meeting between the military commanders of Bosnian army, HVO and Karadzic's Serbs. This meeting followed continuation of fighting around Sanski Most after the cease fire for all B-H came into force. Commanders agreed to meet every day to hold the cease fire on the whole territory, Radio B-H reports. /end/ S.K.

[09] CLAES'S RESIGNATION DOES NOT AFFECT NATO RELATION TO B-H

Brussels, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Having been denied PM's immunity by majority votes (97 of 15O) in Belgian Parliament so that he can be indicted due to corruption in the Augusta and Dassault affairs, NATO secr. general W. Claes resigned. He will be tried at the Belgian Supreme Court due to bribery and the documents' forgery in purchasing military aircraft when he was the head of Belgian Ministry of Economy.

The disputes over Claes's likely successor have been going on in NATO recently. Among them are EU commissary and Holland's ex-foreign minister Van den Broek and its ex-prime minister Ruud Lubbers and Danish ex-foreign minister Uffe Ellemann-Jensen. According to some diplomatic sources, Ruud Lubbers has the greatest chances although Washington will have the last word as it had in case of election of W. Claes.

Washington - US defence minister W. Perry expressed his regret over resignation of the NATO secr. general Claes. Asked how Claes's resignation would affect the likely NATO peace mission in B-H, Perry said that "it will not influence the military plans and command." /end/ S.K.

[10] SERBS INTENSIFIED TERROR AGAINST THE RESIDENTS OF BANJALUKA

Zagreb, Oct 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - UN spokesman Ch. Gunness has informed that the wave of terror against non-Serb population in the Banjaluka region has been intensified since last week.=20 "Bosniak refugees who arrived at Bosanski Petrovac a few days ago, has confirmed the reports on Serb terror. According to a report, 55 elderly women who refused to leave their homes in Prijedor were beaten to death. Refugees were forced to walk across the front line between Teslic and Tesanj. From convoy in Teslic, Serbs separated 30 militarily fit males who are missing now, said Gunness. By UN estimates, about 15,OOO Bosniaks and Croats have remained in the Banjaluka region. Although the UN observers have entered Banjaluka, local Serb authorities do not let them to the sites of terror.

[11] DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT AND ON THE GROUND IN THE BALKANS

Representatives from the Bosnian Army and Serbian forces met under U.N. auspices on the front-line in northwestern Bosnia to establish a truce. Fighting has continued in the region despite an official cease-fire. Serbian forces recently advanced four miles into government-held territory north of the strategic town of Sanski Most.

The Croatian government and Serbian forces plan to resume negotiations next Monday over the future of eastern Slavonia, the only region of Croatia still occupied by Serbian forces. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman recently assured Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke that, contrary to speculation about Croatian troop movements, Croatia would not attempt immediately to liberate the region by force, at least so long as negotiations led to a peaceful settlement before the end of November.

Beginning on October 31, the U.S. will host peace negotiations between Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. Izetbegovic issued today 21 demands for the talks. The demands included terminating the arms embargo against Bosnia if a peace accord is signed and banning suspected war criminals from taking part in elections in post-settlement Bosnia. Izetbegovic also said that Russian troops participating in the settlement implementation force should be matched by an equal number of troops from Muslim states. Russian UNPROFOR troops have been notoriously pro-Serbian. Russian and NATO officials remain unable to agree to an integrated command structure to accommodate Russia's demand that its troops not be under NATO command.