BosNet News: Press TWRA (96-09-26)

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From: Adnan Smajlovic <asmaj@spectranet.ca>

CONTENTS

[01] EXHUMATION OF THE COLLECTIVE GRAVES IN BH STOPPED

[02] BOSNIAKS MUST GO IN ORDER TO RETURN TO JUSICI

[03] GERMANY UNDERTAKES THE CONTROL UPON IFOR ?

[04] FLOODS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

[05] PRESIDENT IZETBEGOVIC'S SPEECH IN THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

[01] EXHUMATION OF THE COLLECTIVE GRAVES IN BH STOPPED

Tuzla, Sept. 25, 1996 (Press TWRA)

The Hague Court investigators who have been started, since lastJuly, the exhumation of the collective graves in BH, stopped yesterday this operation. As it was stated by UN spokesman, A. Angeli, due to weather conditions the forensic-experts would stop the exhumation but would continue with the identification of the bodies in the Kalesija collective grave. Exhumations have been done in four BH locations: in Cerska, Nova Kasaba, Lazate and Pilice. 400 to 500 bodies have been found so far. Owing to the fact that their skeletons have started to decompose, the experts are not in the position to define the exact number of the exhumed bodies. For instance, some 150 remnants have been exhumed from the collective grave in Pilice, but it has not yet been designed the exact number of the bodies. Experts have also found out these collective graves had already been dug. Expert-team presented yesterday to Chief of the Commission for the exchange of war- prisoners and tmissingv persons, A. Masovic, skeletons, clothes and anthropologic evidences about 33 bodies, exhumed in Nova Kasaba area. Only in two cases, documents have been found which enabled the identification of the bodies.(end) S.K.

[02] BOSNIAKS MUST GO IN ORDER TO RETURN TO JUSICI

Sarajevo, Sept. 25, 1996 (Press TWRA)

As reported by BH radio, tensions in the village Jusici area havebeen calmed down since the yesterday meeting between the representatives of the international community and BH Federation, IFOR spokesman, Major Brett Boudreau, stated, adding the weapons taken away from Bosniaks in this village were destroyed and IFOR units continued supervising the area. According to IPTF information, the number of refugees, namely Bosniaks who returned to their village situated in the BH Serb entity, increased during the last few days, UN spokesman, A. Ivanko, stated. tAccording to our information, majority of people in the village are reconstructing their houses. We have not registered any subversive activity. Serb policy is present in that area but has not yet intervened so farv , Ivanko said, adding his was given a guarantee by Commander of the Serb police in Zvornik they would not intervene within next 48 hours. As stated by UNHCR spokesman, Nyberg, BH Prime Minister Muratovic accepted yesterday the idea proposing Bosniaks should temporarily leave the village Jusici until the full documentation for their return is not collected. The aim of UNHCR is a creation of the conditions necessary for the constant return of refugees due to which Bosniak refugees have already been given the returning formulars. tLatest within two weeks, Bosniaks will return to Jusici, in accordance with the agreed procedurev, Nyberg stated. (end) S.K.

[03] GERMANY UNDERTAKES THE CONTROL UPON IFOR ?

Bergen, Sept. 25, 1996 (Press TWRA)

16 Defense Ministers of the NATO countries-members arrived today toNorway on a two-day meeting on which they are supposed to discuss the two following items: peace in BH (continuation of the IFOR Mission in BH) and NATO expansion in the East of Europe. According to some reliable diplomatic circles. a new IFOR mission, IFOR - 2, will be composed of a less number of soldiers - some 20.000, but having wider responsibilities. The role of the German soldiers within IFOR will b more important. They will be placed in BH and will posses so-called fighting warrant and thus will be equalized with other NATO units. According to the U.S. military weekly tDefense Newsv, Germans are supposed to provide to NATO their main military contingent which means they are going to undertake the main position in NATO from U.S. German defense ministry refused such analysis and Minister Ruhe estimated as impossible any action without Americans, adding that tAmericans will not leave Bosnia alonev. However, the fact that German is going to be Commander of IFOR 2 HQ and that the new HQ is going to be situated in Heidelberg, proves the above mentioned suppositions. At the same time, U.S. Defense Minister Perry stated tall suppositions regarding a new IFOR mandate are too early and Washington will not confirm the assistance of the U.S. forces for as long as all possibilities are not examinedv. (end) S.K.

[04] FLOODS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Sarajevo, Sept. 25, 1996 (Press TWRA)

Immense floods caused considerable damages in various parts ofBosnia-Herzegovina, endangering human lives. Driving conditions have been worsen. Mudslides and pieces of stones have been registered along the road Bugojno-Kupres. Many holes full of water and other road damages have been noticed. Traffic has been blocked along the roads Sanski Most-Kljuc, Bihac-Bosanska Krupa and Bugojno-Gronji Vakuf. From 8 a.m. to 18 p.m. each day a traffic is stopped along the communication line Sarajevo-Gorazde, over the gorge of Grebak.

Bihac- the most serious damages have been registered onfields,comunal infrastructure objects and living areas. The rivers of Una and Klokot has flooded away, causing material losses in the settlements of Kamenica, Klokot, Pokoj and Kralj. Major part of the economic property Bugar is under the water as well as the areas along the rivers of Korana and Mutnica, in the Cazin municipality. The flood has reached a major part of the muncipalities of Bosanska Krupa, Kljuc, Sanski Most. The road from Kljuc to sanski Most has been closed. In just one night some 36,5 liters of rain fell on a square meter. Bad weather conditions endangered agricultural works in the Bihac region that started just few days before the flood, supported by an Austrian economic donation. Namely, a government of the Austrian region Tirol, offered to Ministry of the agriculture of the Una-Sana Canton, within the cooperation with BH Joint Union, agricultural machines and tractors worthy several hundred thousands DEM. Herbert Frock, Tirolian Vice Prime Minister, explained: tThere are many Bosniak refugees in Austria. By looking them, we could see how many Bosnia had suffered. We decided to help them to become independent and to make them being able to decide themselves and organize their lives. We want to help them to make a first step.v

President of BH Joint Union stated: tThis donation is very importantfor our union. We are thankful to Mr. Frock and Mr. Lindner for all they have done so far, helping us to reconstruct our destroyed country. Their donation includes 25 tractors, several trucks and one car.v This flood could have considerable influences on the economic situation in this region which, besides the total blockade since 1992 to 95 and a fact that it used to be one of the poorest BH regions (high population density), succeeded in having the highest average salary in BH Federation - 239 DEM (the smallest BH Federation salary is in the Zenica-Doboj Canton: 158 DEM; average salary in BH Fedeartion is 190 DEM and in the BH Serb entity: 100 DEM). However, a majority of the population in BH is still living very miserably and mostly supported by the humanitarian aid. A number of unemployed persons is still very high.

Tesanj - the rivers of Usora and Tesanjka have run out and caused aconsiderable material damages. Twenty years ago, a great flood caused even human casualties in this region. The bridge over the Usora river has been damaged. Izudin Ahmetlic, Deputy District Council Chairman, said the most serious damages have been registered along the river of Tesanjka. Travnik - a long-lasting rains have caused floods which caused death of Safija Sazic (the village of Potok).

Maglaj - the river of Bosna caused a great damages due to an augmentedamount of water, caused by the latest weather conditions. Several hundreds of houses in Lijesnica and Brankovici have been flooded as well as the neighboring roads and bridges. Sulejman Delic, Maglaj District Council Chairman, announced a state of emergency in Maglaj, Lijesnica, Ulisnjak and Ravna. (end) A.S.

[05] PRESIDENT IZETBEGOVIC'S SPEECH IN THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

New York, Sep. 26, 1996 (Press TWRA)

President of Bosnian presidency addressed last night the UNGeneral Assembly on its 51st session. Excerpts:

"I am happy as I can tell you I come from Bosnia where people do notdie any longer.

(...) Flying to New York yesterday I read an article released in arespectable UN newspaper about arming the B-H army during the war. Author of the article does not say explicitly but implies that all being Muslim smells of terrorism. For him, it is obviously enough for someone to have a Muslim name and wear beard to be a suspect. The writer names some people. Their only guilt is their assistance in supplying the B-H army with some arms during the war. More than a billion Muslims live in the world today and I do not know whose interests are to push them, by writing such and similar articles, into the extremists' arms. Our country and our people went through a hell. The world thought it had the right to enforce the arms embargo against us, we hold we had the right for self-defence. In the competition of these two rights, we believed and will believe that our right was stronger. Therefore, I am not going to apologize to anyone because we did all we could to get into possession of some arms for our self-defence. On the contrary, I must express acknowledgment to those brave people and gratitude to friendly states which helped us in the war. That page of our history has ended we have turned another: peace. We are grateful to the USA for starting the peace initiative, making the effort along with other states, to strengthen this fragile and complex peace.

(...) We are a small state and must lead frank and fair policy.Secret diplomacy and double games are privilege of big ones. For that and many other reasons, just mentioned article is among them, I will repeat some facts and our goals. Bosnia is possible only as a democratic state of three equal peoples and free citizens. This fundamental principle of peace in the Dayton accord we accept with all consequences. It is known formula. One state, two entities, three peoples.

(...)The usual claim is that the Dayton accord is not good. It isgood as it stopped killing to Bosnia and there is not a better one. The main drawback is not in it, but in its implementation. All bad points of the accord would be suspended was it entirely and consistently implemented. Unfortunately, it is not the case.

(...) The accord foresees abolition of Herzeg Bosnia created as aparallel state during the war. Yet, it still exists, obstructing establishment of the B-H Federation. According to the Dayton accord, the other B-H entity, Republic of Srpska should enable return for more than a half a million expelled Bosniaks and Croats to their homes. Not only that it has not happened, but expelling continues.

(...) Generally, the problem of the Dayton accord is the problem ofits selective, i.e. partial implementation. Serbs, for instance, like the item 2 of Annex 4, speaking about the Republic of Srpska, but do not like Annex 7 stipulating return of the expelled . They accept the first but reject the second item. The World, first of all the members of the Contact group must clearly tell them: the Dayton accord is a whole. There is no Republic of Srpska without the return of the expelled. Otherwise, the Dayton accord will grow from small and tolerable into great and intolerable injustice and intolerable injustice leads into a new conflict.

(...) Particularly bad situation in this respect, is in the Serbentity territory. For the people from Federation neither before nor during the election was any freedom of movement, it is restricted and only Serb parties could be active. Moreover, electoral boards which registered voters and counted the ballots in this entity were in all cases, single-national and often one-party. As for freedom of media. significant improvement is made only in legal B-H govt. controlled territory where a great number of independent papers and magazines, 40 radio and 12 TV stations are operating."

"In pre-electoral period (last 50 days) on peak time TV B-H (from 8to 12 pm), the ruling party occupied 1/10 and the opposition 9/10 of time. Government temporarily approved work of OBN (Open Broadcasting Network) and is ready to extend it on condition that OBN covers all B-H territory and is open for all political trends - left and right.

(...)The problem of Brick will actually be resolved by the mainarbiter, an American Robert Wen as Serb side does not come to the arbitrary commission meetings. Both sides put forward their arguments. I want to stress that the main arbiter does not have free hands. He must comply with the principle of legality and justice as stipulated by item 5, Annex 2 of the Dayton accord. I will finish this short analysis of the Dayton accord implementation with conclusion that the main war criminals Karadzic and Mladic are free, despite Dayton, demands of The Hague tribunal and fundamental demands of justice.

(...) We would like to proclaim the principle of reconciliationamong persons and peoples. Bosnia needs that. Nobody here advocates the view of a people's collective guilt. The guilt is always individual regardless of number of culprits. But, to redeem the people, to open the way to reconciliation, criminals must be punished. That is why The Hague tribunal is established but, as known, neither the main prosecutor nor the president of ICTY to The Hague are satisfied with acting of the international community. They call the names of the indicted and send warrants in vain. In case of crimes, the World looks for some painless, mid-solution. Concerning the crimes like those committed to Bosnia any compromise is a shameful betrayal of justice. Unpunished crimes will continue poisoning the world, destroying its institutions.

(...) Some people in Europe and the USA ask if Bosnia, after all,is possible. Those people do not know the facts or they are morally dull. They either do not know that more than half a million people are killed and expelled on the Serb entity territory, being 40% of its autohtonous population, or indifferent towards this fact. My response is: if unpunished crime is possible Bosnia is not. I agree that punishment of genocide is expensive matter, but unpunished one is even more expensive for all the world. So the right question is not if the peoples can co-exist, it is much more concrete or prosaic and states: has majority people right to expel minority people and then with the slogan" we cannot co-exist" usurp their property demanding all the violence be forgotten and legalized? The real question is if Bosnia is possible and to people who have moral and principles, the answer is clear.

(...) We support reforms of the UN organization, Changes arenecessary, not only in organization but in psychology, if I can say so. Changes in the Security Council are needed in accord with the changes in the world, but also new attitude towards responsibilities. UN must not take responsibilities which cannot meet. It cannot proclaim security zone and then let it alone. It is unpermissible. My people paid enormously high price for this irresponsibility. The Srebrenica safe haven and its more than 8,000 innocent victims are not the only one but the most grave example of this ununderstandable relation. We do not know who is responsible but we demand changes to prevent similar things from occurring ever again.

(...) Yesterday, I signed general agreement on nuclear test ban inthis building. We are a small state and my signature has not great importance. Yet, we want, even symbolically, to take part in anything being constructive. One day Bosnia will through its representative sign agreement on prevention of terrorism and another day fight against drug and organized crime, etc. Bosnia will, I hope so, join any action aimed at preventing evil by moving the line towards good and a better and safer world." (end) S.K.

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