BOSNEWS digest 471 - 19/11/95

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

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

CONTENTS

[01] CONGRESSIONAL UPDATE

On Friday night, the House passed a binding House bill (HR 2606, the Hefley-Rohrabacher Bill) addressing President Clinton's plans to deploy 20,000 U.S. troops to implement a Bosnia peace settlement. The bill, which received the backing of virtually every Republican but only a handful of Democrats, would prohibit the use of Department of Defense funds for any U.S. troop deployment in Bosnia unless Congressional approval is granted by law. It would also prohibit the Department of Defense from using any existing funding to pay for such a deployment. President Clinton recently estimated the cost of deploying U.S. troops to Bosnia to be $1.5 billion a year.

On October 30, House members approved by a bipartisan vote of 315-103 a non-binding measure (the Buyer-McHale Resolution) stating that the President should obtain Congressional approval for a Bosnia troop deployment and that Balkan leaders should not count on U.S. troops to enforce a peace agreement reached in Dayton.

Although the President has pledged to seek Congressional support for the deployment, he and top Administration officials have repeatedly warned that U.S. troops would be deployed regardless of Congressional action.

[02] THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT AND ON THE GROUND IN THE BALKANS

Speculation continued today that the peace talks between the presidents of Bosnia, Croatia, and Serbia at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, are drawing nearer to a comprehensive settlement. Secretary of State Warren Christopher cut short an Asian trip Friday to join the talks. Secretary of Defense William Perry and NATO commander General George Joulwan also joined the talks.

President Franjo Tudjman, who returned to Zagreb on Thursday, announced Friday that Croatia would establish normal diplomatic relations with Serbia. Bosnian Croat leaders criticized Tudjman Friday for supporting Serbian demands in the Dayton peace talks to widen the strategically vital Posavina corridor, which links Serbian-occupied lands in eastern and western Bosnia. Tudjman also reportedly supports giving Serbian forces territory in western Bosnia recently liberated by Croatian and Bosnian forces.

The U.N. announced Friday that Serbian forces continue to persecute non-Serbs in the Banja Luka region. The U.N. War Crimes Tribunal Thursday issued new charges against Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. The two were charged with orchestrating the suspected massacre of as many as 6,000 Bosnian Muslims after the fall of Srebrenica. The Red Cross estimates that as many as 8,000 are missing from Srebrenica and believed killed. Chief Prosecutor Richard Goldstone, speaking Thursday after meeting in Washington with U.S. officials, stated that it would be "objectionable" if Karadzic and Mladic were allowed in a settlement reached at Dayton to step down from power but not be prosecuted by the Tribunal.

[03] GOJKO SUSAK IN FRONT OF THE HAGUE'S TRIBUNAL?

New York, November 17,1995 (Press TWRA) - The US journalist Roy Gutman, the winner of Pulitzer's Prize, who uncovered the Serbian concentration camps in B-H claims in "Newsday" that The Hague's Tribunal could soon rise indictment against Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak and other Croatian officials. Gutman based his claims on the fact that Dario Kordic, Tihomir Blaskic and another four Croats were, at the time of crimes, on the Zagreb's pay roll. Gutman emphasized that such development depends on whether Bosnian Croats and Croatia would extradite the above mentioned six Croats to the Tribunal and on other testimonies.The US media wonder how probable is that Kordic and Blaskic will be extradited to the Tribunal and "Washington Post" reports the statement of one anonymous B-H Government's official who claims that since these territories are under Croatian forces control the only possibility to arrest and extradite them to the Tribunal is if Croatian President Tudjman agrees with that. (end) S.K.

[04] POPE FOR CHRISTMAS IN SARAJEVO

Rome, November 17,1995 (Press TWRA) - According to Italian daily "Il Picolo" Pope John Paul II could visit Sarajevo for Christmas. Although the negotiations with the representatives of Catholic church and UNPROFOR in Sarajevo are still on the planned visit would be quick and short, and Pope would visit the places which were damaged the most during three years of war. Pope would held a midnight mass in Sarajevo after which he would return to Rome to have morning mass in St. Peter's Basilicas and to benedict from the basilicas balcony "Urbi et Orbi".(end) S.K.

[05] SCHWARZ-SHILLING ON NEGOTIATIONS

Bonn, November 17,1995 (Press TWRA) - Christian Schwarz-Shilling, German representative on the Dayton's negotiations estimated for the German TV station NTV that the negotiations have 5O % chance to succeed. If the negotiations fail "the biggest danger will be the renewal of the war", said Schwarz-Shilling emphasizing that in case of failure UN will have to lift the arms embargo against Bosniaks and Croats".

[06] ELECTIONS IN MOSTAR UNTIL END OF MAY

Mostar, November 17,1995 (Press TWRA) - If until the end of December 1995, Bosniak and Croatian Administration in Mostar fail to reach joint and acceptable solution for the Statute of the city of Mostar EU Administrator Koschnik will with the formal decreet take over that task, reported our correspondent from today's press conference. Koschnik reminded that the sides agreed in Dayton that Mostar will have six municipalities. The transition statute of the city is important for the organization of the elections of all Mostar's 6 municipalities for the city Government. The elections will be based on the results of the Mostar census from 1991. The right to vote will have the citizens who were in 1991 on election lists and those who live there now. The EU spokesman in Mostar as example of "freedom of movement" and bureaucracy in Mostar also mentioned the case of the 4-year old boy to whom the EU Administration issued identity card so that he could go from one part of the city to his kindergarten in the other part.

[07] THE HAGUE EXTENDS INDICTMENT AGAINST KARADZIC AND MLADIC

The Hague, Nov 16, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The International Crime Tribunal in the Hague extended the indictment against Mladic and Karadzic accusing them of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity having been committed against the residents of Srebrenica. Karadzic and Mladic are personally responsible for planning, encouraging, preparing and committing crimes, is stated in the indictment and both are responsible for the crimes committed by their subordinates. The ICTY charges Karadzic and Mladic with the following: mass killing of Muslim males and females near and in the UN military base in Potocari (on July 12, 13, 1995 ); mass killing of Muslim males not involved in fighting as they were wounded, captures or surrendered themselves after trying to escape through the woods to Tuzla (between July 13 and 22, 1995); mass killing of Muslim males at and near Karakaj (around July 14, 1995). The indictment was confirmed by the judge Fouad Riad who also signed the arrest warrant for the accused ones. The indictments and arrest warrants will be delivered to the authorities in Sarajevo, Pale and Belgrade.

[08] MLADIC WITNESSED MASS KILLINGS

Boston, Nov 16, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The US journalist David Rhode who was held ten days in captivity by Serbs being accused of spying, has announced that he found the evidence of mass killing of civilians after the fall of Srebrenica. Rhode claims that he visited two sites late last month, where the captured residents of Srebrenica were mass killed. Both mass graves are near Sahanici, one near a school and the other near a dam. According to the latest data of Red Cross, of 4O,OOO people who were in Srebrenica when it fell, 8,5OO males are still being searched for.

Before he set off with the forged documents to the occupied areas, Rhode interviewed 9 persons who escaped mass killing in July, for the US papers "Christian Science Monitor". Rhode states that Gen. Mladic witnessed at least one mass killing. Rhode estimates that both mass graves which he saw, are big enough for at least 1,OOO people. On the other site he saw, Karadzic's Serbs captured him and took all photographs and evidence. In August this year, Rhode was the first reporter informing on mass graves near Nova Kasaba estimated to include at least 6OO people. The USA released the satellite records of the graves and according to their sources, there is proof for at least 6 mass graves around Srebrenica.

Despite the protests of the Hague Tribunal, Karadzic's Serbs started removing the evidence on mass graves near Sandici and Tatari.