BOSNEWS digest 484 - 30/11/95

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

BOSNEWS Digest 484

CONTENTS

[01] IFOR'S ADVANCE GUARD - NEXT WEEK

Brussels, Washington, Nov 27, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, gen. Shalikashvili has announced the the arrival of the first IFOR troops with the task of inspecting the terrain, at Bosnia as soon as next week ie, early next month. Prior to that, North Atlantic Council should approve sending the NATO advance guard to Bosnia. The decision is expected tomorrow.

The USA demanded a permit to place the IFOR logistic support in Hungary whose Parliament will decided on it tomorrow. EU peace mediator to ex-Yugoslavia C. Bildt said that, despite Karadzic's threat, the peace agreement implementation was not jeopardized. "We expected even more severe opposition," said Bildt.

B. Clinton will soon visit Britain, Spain, Ireland and along with Helmuth Kohl the US military base to Germany from where the troops will be directed to peace implementing operation in B-H.

Tuzla - In the radio address for "Serb Radio Doboj", Karadzic says: "I am the only one who can, on behalf of Republika Srpska, sign the peace agreement at the Paris Conference. If I am not enabled to do that, our people will know how to prevent the occupation of our territories." /end/ A.S.

[02] SACIRBEY ON THE PEACE AGREEMENT

Zagreb, Nov 27, 1995 (Press TWRA) - B-H foreign minister Sacirbey held a press conference in Zagreb today. "In following days, the Dayton peace agreement will be discussed at the sessions of the Republic of B-H Assembly called for Nov 29, by its president Miro Lazovic and of the Constitutional Assembly of the B-H Federation to be organized by the president Mariofil Ljubic. The agreement brings an ugly and realistic peace. Personally, I am not satisfied with what is achieved. At the crucial moment, the leading members of Serb and Croat delegations, presidents S. Milosevic and F. Tudjman, respectively, jointly proposed the final separation line map of the two B-H entities, what we also had to accept, though we endorsed the demand of Kresimir Zubak, the B-H Federation president, for Posavina not to be taken from Federation and given to "Serb entity". We did not exchange Posavina for Sarajevo. Serb protests against leaving the areas around Sarajevo are the sign of unclear consciousness of those who all these years were destroying the town and killing its people, basing their policy on terrorist actions. We hope that Serb entity will realize they should come out of isolation and join the way that modern Europe goes, which is our way. The aim of the peace agreement is not to set up the interior separation lines in B-H for all the times but to disappear for some period of time so that some level of justice can be reached and enable the return of refugees after the war criminals are sentenced in The Hague. Claims that I resigned to the president Izetbegovic, not the prime minister Silajdzic, are invalid as I only announced it. It was motivated by establishment of the Federation on the ground and by the distribution of power. If the Federation had entirely functioned prior to Dayton, the peace agreement would have been more favourable both for Croats and Bosniaks. /end/A.S.

[03] ISLAMIC COUNTRIES READY TO HELP REBUILDING OF B-H

Teheran, November 27,1995 (Press TWRA) - Iranian agency IRNA reported that high officials of 12 Islamic countries will meet tomorrow in Teheran in order to talk about the economical and military help to Muslims in B-H.Vice-ministers of Iran, B-H, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will talk next two days about coordination of aid for B-H. It is expected military officials and representatives of Foreign Ministries will discuss several topics like project for aid and rebuilding of B-H. (end) S.K.

[04] PROTEST MEETINGS OF BOSNIAK AND CROATIAN REFUGEES

Slavonski Brod, November 27,1995 (Press TWRA) - Refugees from Bosanska Posavina, Bosniaks and Croats, gathered yesterday on the protest meeting in Slavonski Brod in order to express their disagreement with the Dayton's peace deal. The press release issued after the meeting says that the agreement is "illegal because it annuls the continuity of peace efforts of Croatian and Bosniak nation and international community denoted with Washington agreement and other documents". Refugees in their press release stress that if Bosanska Posavina shall be the part of so called "republic srpska" 2OO OOO people who lived and still live in Posavina will demand from Germany, Austria, France England, US, Canada, Sweden and other countries to keep the refugees and to accept rest of population which can not neither live with their murderers nor live in Drvar, Grahovo and Glamoc.

Frankfurt - Representatives of 5OO OOO refugees from B-H who live in West Europe called all Bosniaks to demand referendum on Dayton agreement. Representatives of about 1OO Bosniak associations in Germany and surrounding countries stressed that agreement which supports separate administration of B-H Federation and Serbian territory must not lead to division of B-H.Press release says that Bosniak refugees gathered in European Forum for B-H "do not approve the principal of existing of two republics in B-H "because there is no Serbian territory in B-H, there are only individual municipality with Serbian majority". (end) S.K.

[05] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - SLOVENIA

Sarajevo, Nov 28, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Bosnian and Slovenian prime ministers Silajdzic and Drnovsek announced that already good political relations between the two countries would be improved and the existing economic cooperation would be further developed. Slovenia could play an important role in the reconstruction of Bosnia. Silajdzic also met with Slovenia's president Kucan and Speaker of the Parliament Skoljc. (end) A.S.

[06] CLINTON STILL HASN'T ASSURED THE AMERICANS

Washington, Nov 28, 1995 (Press TWRA) - US president Clinton addressed the nation and demanded support for sending 20000 US soldiers to Bosnia implement the Dayton agreement, after ceremonial signature in Paris in mid-December. US president justified this with necessity to stop the bloodshed and spreading the war in Balkans which would destabilize Europe. Clinton is convinced that without such an action Bosnian cease fire will not hold and the peace will not be realized. Questioned will also be the US role as the leading nation of NATO and the international community. CNN and Gallup investigation show that after Clinton's speech, number of opposers to the plan for sending US troops fell at 40% (before 49%). However, number of the supporters haven't increased (47% before, 46% after).

Republican leaders continue to oppose sending the US troops. They prefer the combination of the arms embargo lifting and air strikes. After the Dayton agreement they seem to be less skeptical to the Clinton's request. Now they demand the White House to give additional assurances. While Ph. Gramm (rightist, Texas) opposes any intervention, senators Dole and Lugar are more cooperative to the Clinton's plan. (end) A.S.

[07] YUGOSLAVIA MASSIVELY PRODUCES CHEMICAL WEAPONS

London, Nov 28, 1995 (Press TWRA) - British TV showed evidences in the broadcast "World in action" that Yugoslavia produces significant quantities of chemical weapons. British major David Craig and Swedish institute SNDE found out the former Yugoslav national army (JNA,) before withdrawing from Mostar, produced sarin, the same used by terrorists in the Tokyo subway. Belgrade was helping Saddam Hussein in the chemical weapons production in Samarra which was used against Iran and the Kurds. In return, Iraq helped Yugoslavia in the "Orkan" multi-rocket launchers production. Serbia continues to produce chemical weapons in several factories, ready to endanger the whole region. In the same broadcast, Croatian politician Stipe Mesic testified that he had visited the Pentagon in the secret mission 4 years ago as the president of the Yugoslav presidency and presented evidences on the Yugoslav (Serbian) production of military poisons. Mesic had gone to a private visit to Austria and then he had flown by a special US plane to Washington. (end) A.S.

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

Serbian nationalists continued today to orchestrate demonstrations in Sarajevo against the Dayton accord. French President Jacques Chirac today voiced support for Serbian nationalist demands for special "guarantees" in Sarajevo.

U.N. officials are reporting little to no progress in implementing the recent agreement between Croatia and Bosnia to facilitate the return of Muslim and Croat refugees to regions ethnically cleansed during fighting between separatist Croat forces and the Bosnian Army in 1993. Bosnian Croat leaders continue to be the party primarily opposed to reconciliation.

UNPROFOR is reportedly contemplating using force against Serbian forces in Bosnia. Serbian forces continue to interfere with freedom of movement between Sarajevo and Gorazde in violation of the cease-fire agreement of early October.

Serbian forces today purged 93 mostly sick and elderly Bosnian Muslims from the Banja Luka region in northwestern Bosnia. The expulsion would violate the provisions of the Dayton accord accepted by the Bosnian Serb leadership.

President Clinton's Monday night address, in which he sought to win Congressional and public support for deploying 20,000 U.S. troops to help implement the Bosnia accord initialed on November 21, won mixed reviews from members of Congress and the public. Polls suggest public support has increased slightly among those who saw or heard the address, but the balance of opinion continues to oppose the deployment. A USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll found 46% support the deployment and 40% oppose it. However, an ABC poll found 57% oppose, and a CBS poll found 58% oppose. Members of Congress who remain skeptical about the President's plans include Republican Senator John McCain and Democratic Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska.

The Senate Armed Services Committee opened hearings on the issue today. The President met with Congressional leaders to discuss the deployment before beginning a six-day trip to Europe. Secretary of Defense William Perry said that 700 U.S. troops would arrive in Bosnia this week as part of a NATO advance team to prepare for the larger force of some 60,000 allied and non-allied troops.