BOSNEWS digest 458 - 06/11/95

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

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

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

BOSNEWS Digest 458

CONTENTS

[01] Croatian President Tudjman: ``I do not know the details but I do know...''

Croatian President Franjo Tudjman denied Saturday that nationalist Bosnian Croat forces were preventing Jajce residents to return for prayers: ``I do not know the details but I do know ... that in the region of Jajce liberated by Croatian forces, five to six thousand Muslims have already been allowed to return... That is not the case (for Croat refugees) in other towns which are under the control of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina... It is also not true that Croats are putting up resistance. There are, of course, extremists on both sides who are not contributing to the implementation of the (Croat-Muslim federation in Bosnia)...''

``But it is generally known and is known to those people who are involved in the international arena that there is greater resistance on the Muslim side,'' President Tudjman claimed, despite statements by the EU representatives in Mostar to the contrary.

Other Western analysts say Tudjman-backed Croat nationalists in Bosnia are more to blame for the shaky status of the federation than the Bosnian government.

[02] ``In my opinion, (the meeting) goes very well,'' said Izetbegovic.

The Bosnian leaders took a break to watch a football game between Louisville and Tulane, the New Orleans university where Sacirbey attended in the 1970s on a football scholarship. Muhammed - Mo Sacirbey's father, Nedzib a political adviser to the Bosnian president, also attended the event.

[03] "STICK AND CARROT" IN DAYTON

Dayton, Washington, nov 2, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Negotiations between Tudjman, Izetbegovic and Milosevic have continued today in the Wright Patterson air base. The talks are held behind the closed doors and it will remain so until likely political agreement is reached. Franjo Tudjman arrived in his, presidential jet, Slobodan Milosevic in a jet of Serb airline JAT, Alija Izetbegovic in the US jet provided by Clinton Administration for this purpose. It is reported that president Tudjman will fly back to Croatia today and when needed fly again to the USA. The others remain in Dayton.

US mediators offered "stick and carrot" to the guests in Dayton. Although the White House and State Department deny their connection with or influence on the work of the International Tribunal in the Hague regarding it as independent on the views of the Washington govt. Still it is obvious that the USA is willing to hand over a lot of documents on direct involvement of Milosevic and his government (ministers Radmilo Bogdanovic and Mihalj Kertes and the head of the Yugoslav military HQ Momcilo Perisic) in the crimes committed by Karadzic's Serbs in Bosnia including Srebrenica. It might happen if Milosevic is not "cooperative". Otherwise, sanctions against FR Yugoslavia, i.e. Serbia and Montenegro are likely to be lifted. Belgrade would receive aid from the West as Moscow is not able to provide sufficient economic help. The Belgrade govt. might be also spared of war reparations it owes to Sarajevo as the blame would be put on Karadzic's Serbs in B-H. The word is in Washington that a director's post of a US bank in Greek capital is open for ex- banker to the USA, Milosevic.

On the other side, Croatian president Tudjman is also expected to be "cooperative" as he is offered a financial support and link to western integrations. Otherwise, some irregularities at just held elections, bad position of Serb minority to Crate would be referred to, including ban for hundreds of thousands Serbs who fled from Croatia, human right violations of other citizens of Croatia including the lack of freedom of media like recent beating up of the papers "Bemiring" editor in chief Goran Flauder from Osijek. Yet, within the context, the accent is on Croatian restraint from launching offensive in eastern part of the state (for a while at least) and relation towards B-H which Washington holds as dubious and insincere. Tense relations with Bosniaks and the Sarajevo govt., undermining Bosnia's integrity and continuation of the policy of ethnic segregation in the B-H Federation cause discomfort and rage of the USA in relation to Croatia being still regarded as an ally by the USA.

Contrary to the examples of the US "stick" everyone is offered a "carrot" in the form of abundant financial assistance in the first place for reconstruction and development of B-H but well informed source in Washington claims that it has not been decided yet how the US dollars secured for the purpose will be directed.

[04] KOSCHNIK ON REASONS FOR FAILURE OF EU IN MOSTAR

Mostar, Nov.2,1995 (Press TWRA) - At the meeting of Foreign Ministers of countries members of EU, H. Koschnik, EU Administrator in Mostar received full support for the implementation of "Memorandum on tolerance" which defines two years' EU mandate in Mostar. The EU Administration in Mostar issued a press release with the parts of Koschnik's speech on the ministerial meeting where he talked about the reasons why EU failed to "unite again the national groups in Mostar". "The reason for that was not the lack of good will among the Mostar citizens but Herzegovinian Croats' head officials significant refusal of the solution", said Koschnik and accused Croatian side that denies freedom of movement, obstructs the implementation of the second faze of joint police units and is against the return of refugees to their homes. "When I speak of Croatian side I think of Herzegovinian Croats", emphasized Koschnik and added that Government of Republic Croatia firmly promised its support and that it used every occasion to express its support to B-H Federation.

[05] MASSACRE NEAR SANSKI MOST CONFIRMED

London, Nov. 2,1995 (Press TWRA) - According to the statements of civilians whom Karadjic's Serbs exchanged this week near Sanski Most Serbian forces during withdrawal from that city killed Muslim population massively, reported "The Guardian". These prisoners where part of the group of 3O3 Muslim civilians and 21 soldiers who were exchanged for 136 Serbian soldiers and 2 civilians. They stated that members of Serbian paramilitary units on October 11, killed 11 detainee before they withdrew and took the rest with them. "The Guardian" also stressed that B-H authorities and foreign monitors who arrived several days latter after the town was liberated found 11 bodies and another 11O bodies in a town and surrounding villages. (end) S.K.

[06] UN DEPLOYS MONITORS

Sarajevo, Nov. 2,1995 (Press TWRA) - UN today started to deploy military monitors in all headquarters of Bosnian Serbs Corps in B-H, reported today the UNPROFOR headquarters in Sarajevo. This decision was made by Generals R. Smith and B.Janvier in order to more efficiently monitor the situation on the ground and respect of cease fire. In the first faze 15 UNPROFOR officers will be deployed on Bosnian Serbs forces commanding posts, and in the next two weeks another 12 monitors. The UNPROFOR representatives estimated that "in the last two months the situation in B-H changed so much that, at the moment, the military monitors are secure although Serbs earlier took them as hostages".