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BosNet NEWS - May 24, 1996Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@sms.ivey.uwo.ca>CONTENTS
[01] "IRANGATE TWO" GOES ON, USA PREPARES TO HELP BOSNIA MILITARILYWashington, May 26, 1996 (Press TWRA)"We expected that Zagreb would properly understand our well-considered answer being actually non-answer, regarding delivery of Iranian arms to B-H via Croatia. Zagreb understood non-answer. Iranian arms helped B-H government to survive," said the US deputy secr. of State, Strobe Talbott in the Senate."When we silently agreed for Croatia to let Iranian arms forBosnia pass, it seemed that Federation would fail, as B-H was under most severe assaults. Federation is the ground of all we had reached and it was important for Bosnia to be able to defend itself. Iranian arms had been provided for B-H before that while later on, we took steps to stop it," said Clinton's advisor for national security Anthony Lake. US ambassador to Zagreb P. Galbraith told the Congresscommission that he had not broken any law or directly suggested Croatia let free passage to Iranian arms. Congress commissions which conducted investigation demandedby Republicans, found out they could not confirm Clinton's administration had violated the US laws. Some commentators (William safire) claimed it was due to exemptions that Clinton, as President used to avoid overall and thorough investigation. At that time, in pre-election campaign, Democrats and Republicans, continued with mutual accusations of hypocrisy in this respect - Republicans are accused of demanding the arming B-H and now criticize Clinton for doing the same, and Democratic Govt. of rejecting unilateral lifting the arms embargo, what Congress demanded, but secretly violated the decision, with Iran's help, bringing US credibility in question among the allies, increasing the impact of Islamists in BH. R. Holbrooke told the Congress that In April 1994, the USAconducted the policy without policy towards Bosnia. The USA tried to decrease the Iranian-arms dependence of B-H, calling indirectly the third states to help the Sarajevo Government, said Holbrooke. He claimed, during his recent visit to Britain, in the interviews for media that the arms provided from Iran for Bosnia helped in obtaining military balance, being a pre-condition for successful political negotiations on equal terms, so he is proud of his recommending it in consultations to Clinton's administration. Holbrooke stressed that the USA alone could not send the arms for the B-H army as it complied with the UN arms embargo, although it did not agree with it and that B-H government needed an urgent help in heavy arms, which enabled its survival, which if had failed, would have increased the impact of Iran and other integrist states and groups among Muslims in Europe and Muslim states. As embargo is meanwhile, lifted, the USA along with S.Arabia, Kuwait and UA Emirates established a fund to raise USD 500 mill. for equipment and training of B-H army. At the meeting with Malasiyan prime minister M. Mahathir in Washington a few days ago, the US president Clinton called the government in Kuala Lumpur to join the fund of the US administration and Arabic Gulf states. Training of B-H soldiers in Turkey is underway for which theUSA previously claimed that would begin only when all Islamic volunteers left B-H. It seems a compromise is reached, according to which some of mujjahids could stay in B-H as civilians and Bosnians who were in Islamic units, if joined in regular B-H army units. Federation will have entirely integrated armed force which, within 3 years, should lose its ideological, party and religious characteristics and become a state, i.e. depoliticized. That was repeated in the statement of the B-H Federation deputy defence minister Hasan Cengic who said that by tomorrow he and defence minister Vlado Soljic should submit final proposal of the Bill on Defence of the B-H Federation, agreed recently in the USA. Military issues might be discussed in Ankara where the hosts will meet B-H and Croatian delegation led by foreign ministers. The crisis in M. Yilmaz's government which "Doruyol" T.Ciller left has no impact on the policy towards the Balkans. (end) A.S. [02] CASADO CONFIRMED POSTPONEMENT OF THE MOSTAR ELECTIONSMostar, May 24, 1996 (Press TWRA)EU administrator to Mostar, R. P. Casado confirmed that local elections in Mostar were postponed till the second half of June as the agreement was reached with all sides in Mostar. Refugees from Mostar can vote in absence, but nothing has been agreed on their voting in the B-H embassies and consulates, Casado says. Asked if refugees from Mostar in Serbia and Croatia could vote, EU administrator said European Union could demand from those states to allow them to.Zagreb - Croatia's Govt. Office for refugees&displacedpersons released that the Mostar refugees in third states would be given permit to pass through Croatia. Mostarians in Croatia could leave to vote without their refugee status being affected. (end) A.S. [03] FIVE HOUSES MINED IN BOSNIAK VILLAGE IN SERB ENTITYTuzla, May 24, 1996 (Press TWRA)Six houses in Bosniak village of Dugi Dio near Zvornik joined to Republic of Srpska were mined yesterday. No casualties are reported and the perpetrators are searched for, International police (IPTF) released. (end) A.S.[04] MAJOR - KASAGIC, MAJOR - IZETBEGOVICBanjaluka, Sarajevo, May 24, 1996 (Press TWRA)British prime minister J. Major visited in Banjaluka the British IFOR soldiers and talked with ex-prime minister Rajko Kasagic and representatives of the opposition in the Republic of Srpska. After the meeting with politicians opposing Karadzic's radicalism, Major said: "The talks were very interesting and useful." British prime minister is to visit Sarajevo this evening and talk with the president of the B-H presidency Alija Izetbegovic about the elections in B-H. (end) A.S.[05] CONFLICT OF SERB TERRORISTS AND UN JORDAN SOLDIERSZagreb, Vinkovci, May 24, 1996 (Press TWRA)UN spokesman Philip Arnold said that unidentified perpetrators attacked last night the UN check point in Privlaka, southwest of Oriolik. Jordanian soldiers responded with mortar, automatic machine guns and tank fire (UNTAES rules permit soldiers to use arms in self-defence and securing freedom of movement). It is not known if there are any casualties among the perpetrators. Arnold assumes those were 16 to 17 "scorpios", Serb para-military troops led by "Arkan" who fled in recent UNTAES tank and helicopter-born attack on Djeletovci, when UN saw off the "scorpios" by force to the FRY border. Arnold said the perpetrators used guns and machine guns last night. Asked by journalists, he admitted their firing six shells. (end)A.S.[06] PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN CRITICIZES COUNCIL OF EUROPECroatian President Franjo Tudjman criticized the decision of the Council of Europe this month to put Croatia's membership application on indefinite hold. The 39-nation organization, in which the EU members are powerful bloc, exists to promote democracy and human rights in Europe.``We face criticism about Croatian democracy from those who have been accepted by the Council of Europe as members -- all those democratic countries like Albania, Romania, Moldova and Russia, (which used) tanks against parliament or Chechnya... We are ready for constructive dialogue and cooperation, but not for humiliating conditions...'' Tudjman said. ``There are misunderstandings and one-sided interpretations of the council's decision. We are faced with intentions to include Croatia in a framework of Balkan integration.'' ``Croatia is respected in the world's military and financial circles, in NATO's headquarters... We have achieved partnership with the United States, the major world power... But in Europe, everything is being done, in all areas, to place Croatia in the ex-Yugoslav, Balkan region,'' Tudjman claimed. ``We favor normalization with all states in the region of former Yugoslavia and in Balkan-southeastern Europe. But we (also) favor integration with Central Europe... Historically and culturally, we belong to the same Central Europe to which Slovenia, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland belong.'' Some observers have seen this rhetoric as an attempt to generate more public support. Roman Catholic Croatia ``belongs to the Western circle of civilization, not the East European, Orthodox circle... This issue is of vital importance to Croatia's future.'' Tudjman however failed to address any of the relevant issues: freedom of press and speech, widespread corruption, the nationalist policies towards Bosnia and his authoritarian leadership (including several suspensions of democratically elected Zagreb's city council). [07] JUDGE ANTONIO CASSESE SPEAKS TO KLAUS KINKELJudge Antonio Cassese told German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel at a meeting in Bonn that ICTY would hear evidence against nationalist Bosnian Serb leaders Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic: ``Afterwards the matter of issuing an international arrest warrant would have to be decided... President Cassese explained it was probable that the international arrest warrant against Karadzic and Mladic would be issued on July 15.''The June 27 hearing, under the so-called ``Rule 61'' is a mechanism that allows prosecutors to present evidence against those charged with war crimes but not arrested. [08] WAS GEN. RATKO MLADIC DETAINED?``After an hour of calling around we don't have any evidence to corroborate that [indicte war criminal Gen. Ratko Mladic was detained]... We have not been able to confirm it,'' State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said. He added Washington ``would be pleased if the report were true.''Belgrade Dnevni Telegraf, reported Thursday that Serbia's President Slobodan Milosevic had prevented Mladic from returning to nationalist Bosnian Serb territory. Washington accused Milosevic of violating the DPA on this matter and has threatened to re-impose old sanctions on Belgrade. ``Speculations exist that Milosevic is not allowing Mladic to return to Republika Srpska,'' source claimed. Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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