- Council of Ministers presents anti-terrorist plan at Sarajevo meeting
- Zlatko Lagumdzija denies Bin-Ladin holds Bosnian passport
- Misic says names known of foreigners having BiH passports
- BiH Constitutional Court rules that BiH State Court is in accordance with the BiH Constitution
- Federation Ministry of Interior requests five Pakistani citizens to leave the country
- Federation Police say Bin Laden supporters may seek refuge in Bosnia
- Drama over the Mostar Action Plan continues
- Head of Mostar Stari Grad says Alliance wants to topple him down
- Zepce HVIDRA sent an open letter to the High Representative
- Uskoplje Municipal Council holds its last session
- Jasmin Durakovic – director of the Federation Television?
- Bosniak leaders meet in the Bosniak Institute in Sarajevo
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Mostar citizens polled by HTV Mostar Oscar-C support the US reprisal
- Kalinic “blocks” adoption of the RS Law on ICTY to achieve removal of Modrica Oil Refinery management
- RS politicians react to postponement of adoption of the RS Law on ICTY
- DNS warns ruling coalition could collapse over Modrica Refinery problems
- Members of the Oil Refinery Steering Board cannot enter the building
- Remains of 242 victims exhumed from mass grave near Zvornik
- RS Prime Minister says Izetbegovic approved issuance of BiH passports to mujahedeens
- RS Interior Ministry is looking into RS Chief Auditor’s report on the budget execution
- SNS leader announces creation of a new coalition
- Vecernji List: Interview with High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch
- PDHR Hays visits Mostar
- SFOR detain four suspected of links with terrorists: BiH TV
- SFOR Arrests Two Weapon Smugglers in Visoko
- Vecernji List: The Croatian Port of Ploce successfully cooperates with numerous BiH Companies
- Miroslav Tudjman says Croatian authorities have never issued documents to mujahedeens
- Kretschmer meets with Tomic and Jahic
BiH State-related Issues
Council of Ministers presents anti-terrorist plan at Sarajevo meeting
The chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lagumdzija, met on Sunday with representatives of the International Community and the BiH Federation and discussed with them the BiH participation in the global fight against terrorism. Lagumdzija informed his interlocutors about the details of the Council of Ministers’ plan aimed at combating all forms of terrorism and those involved in it. Media report that participants concluded that it was necessary to continue developing the partnership between the international organizations and representatives of the BiH institutions at all levels, especially during the implementation of the plan. The activities of the international organizations, primarily those of SFOR, OHR, OSCE and IPTF, have to be conducted in full cooperation with the competent institutions of Bosnia-Hercegovina and with full respect for the BiH and the Dayton Peace Agreement. The meeting was attended by the Federation Minister of Interior, Muhamed Besic, the Federation Prime Minister, Alija Behmen, the SFOR Commander, John Sylvester, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Jacques Paul Klein.
Zlatko Lagumdzija denies Bin-Ladin holds Bosnian passport
The chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lagumdzija, said on Sunday that Osama Bin-Ladin does not hold a BiH passport and denied the allegations that he (Bin Laden) visited Bosnia and Herzegovina on several occasions. In an interview for the Split-based Feral Tribune, Lagumdzija said that passports issued to volunteers from the Islamic countries during the last war were no longer valid. “The BiH passport has changed three times since the war , and in the course of these changes a large number of these easily-obtained passports have been eliminated and a thorough investigation is under way in case anything has been missed,” Lagumdzija said in his interview for Feral Tribune. Osama bin Laden himself told a pro-Taliban paper Ummat that there were jihad organizations in many places in the world including Bosnia and Herzegovina, reads Slobodna Dalmacija on Saturday.
Misic says names known of foreigners having BiH passports
BiH Deputy Foreign Minister, Ivica Misic, said that the BiH Archives Office was in possession of evidence on issuance of disputed BiH passports to foreigners from 1992 to date. He said that it was possible to go public with the names of the persons that were issued with the BiH passports, reads Vecernji List on Saturday.
BiH Constitutional Court rules that BiH State Court is in accordance with the BiH Constitution
At a session which was held behind the closed doors on Sunday, judges of the BiH Constitutional Court ruled that the State Court, which was imposed by the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, was constitutional. The court made this decision after a series of discussions. Dnevni Avaz reported that the initiator of this proceeding, Radomir Lukic, who is representing 25 deputies in the RS National Assembly, strongly protested the fact that the High Representative or one of his envoys was not present during discussions. Lukic said he would ask Petritsch to provide a written explanation for his absence. However, the judges rejected Lukic’s request, as the Court’s Rules and Regulations do not require presence of both sides during legal proceedings.
Federation
Federation Ministry of Interior requests five Pakistani citizens to leave the country
In a statement for the press, the Federation Ministry of Interior said
that five Pakistani citizens left the country Sunday at the ministry’s request. The five were asked to leave as police assessed that their safety on the territory of the Federation could no longer be guaranteed.
Federation Police say Bin Laden supporters may seek refuge in Bosnia
A group of up to 70 Afghan supporters of the Saudi-born extremist Osama bin Laden may be seeking to leave Afghanistan and to hide out in BiH, the Federation Minister of Interior, Muhamed Besic, said on Friday quoting “trustworthy intelligence sources.”
“We received information from trustworthy intelligence sources that 70
people linked to bin Laden are preparing to leave Afghanistan and hide in Bosnia,” Besic said at a press conference. He, however, stressed that bin Laden’s supporters were wrong in their belief that BiH was a safe place for them. “They believe that there is a paradise waiting for them here,” Besic said. “But, I promise to all those linked with terrorism that Bosnia will be a hell for them,” he added.
Meanwhile, Besic’s deputy, Tomislav Limov, said that five people had been placed under police scrutiny at the request of the US embassy in Sarajevo. “On the basis of our own information, five more people are under police surveillance”, Limov said.
Drama over the Mostar Action Plan continues
The HDZ caucus in the Mostar City Council said in a statement that the chairman of the Council, Milan Jovicic, has been solely representing the political will of his political mentors fully disregarding the view and input of HDZ councilors. “All initiatives and decisions made by the rump city council, without legally elected councilors representing the Croat people, will not be binding for us,” read the statement. The HDZ councilors also expressed their concern about the manner in which the Council adopted the so-called Action Plan for the Reintegration of Mostar.
During his visit to Mostar, the Principal Deputy High Representative, Donald Hays, also commented on the drama created following the dubious adoption of the Action Plan. “You don’t have all the time in the world for political games. You need less politics and more concrete work,” said Hays.
Representatives of the Alliance for Change Mostar, Safet Omerovic and Jadranka Kevric, said at yesterday’s press conference that this coalition supports al provisions in the Action Plan for reintegration of this city and which was adopted at the latest session of the City Council. The two stressed that journalists and deputies have concrete evidence that the plan was indeed adopted, namely the tone record of the session. They added that the Plan could be placed on the agenda for the next session which would enable the Mayor, Neven Tomic, and his Deputy, Hamdija Jahic, to – this time around – vote on it. They also stressed that the Action Plan is no political game and added that even the OHR Mostar has its own version of the Plan. “After everything that happened, we believe that the OHR in Mostar is fully incompetent to lead such processes, while the OSCE does not follow political events in the city in an adequate manner.” Omerovic and Kevric said at the end that the aim of the Action Plan is not to topple down Tomic.
Head of Mostar Stari Grad says Alliance wants to topple him down
Head of the Mostar’s Municipality Stari Grad, Zijad Hadziomerovic, addressed the public with an open letter in which he warns that after the failed attempt to remove him from the office there are rumors that such scenario could take place again on Monday at the following session of the Municipal Council, reads Slobodna Dalmacija. He also warns that the Mostar’s Alliance, secretly headed by ex-Mostar mayor Safet Orucevic, is creating chaos within the City Council in order to remove Mayor Neven Tomic.
Zepce HVIDRA sent an open letter to the High Representative
The Zepce branch of HVIDRA (the BiH Croat veterans association) sent an open letter to the High Representative in which they described the indictment against the group of 15 Croats from Zepce as a political process aimed at persecuting of Croats in the whole Zenica-Doboj Canton. HVIDRA reckons that the fictitious process would make the ethnic cleansing of the Canton even more successful and want the High Representative to put an end to it, reads Slobodna Dalmacija on Saturday.
Uskoplje Municipal Council holds its last session
The Municipal Council of Uskoplje, following the High Representative’s decision on establishing of the Municipality Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, held its last session at which the Vice President of the HDZ BiH, Zdravko Batinic, said that the future work of the councilors in the Interim Council would remain to be aimed at re-establishing the Croat Municipality of Uskoplje in which the Croats could protect their interests, reads Slobodna Dalmacija on Saturday.
Jasmin Durakovic – director of the Federation Television?
Oslobodjenje reports that the present editor of the Cultural program of the BiH TV, Jasmin Durakovic, is the most likely director of the future Federation Television. The official results of the election will take place on Wednesday, while Durakovic is to appear before the Fed TV council today (Monday) and present his operational plan for the new television.
Bosniak leaders meet in the Bosniak Institute in Sarajevo
All Sarajevo media reported that the Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Zlatko Lagumdzija, the President of the SDA, Alija Izetbegovic, the former Party for BiH leader, Haris Silajdzic, and the head of the Islamic Community BiH, Mustafa ef. Ceric, met on Saturday at a Bosniak Institute. The gathering was organized by the Institute director, Adil Zulfikarpasic. Although media widely speculated that this was a very important political meeting of prominent Bosniak political and religious leaders, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly denied the allegations. “This was simply a private dinner,” the Ministry said in a statement.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Mostar citizens polled by HTV Mostar Oscar-C support the US reprisal
Written by Miroslav Landeka (provided by OHR Mostar)
Landeka says the terrorist attacks on the USA have been condemned by the whole world although some people have openly expressed their satisfaction at the criminal act that resulted in the deaths of several thousand innocent citizens.
“We are witnessing the world being on the edge of a new war because the attacks on New York and Washington have been followed by the extensive preparations of the USA and its allies for a war with terrorists and their sponsor countries. Of course, on the other hand, thousands of people all over the world, including the USA, are holding anti-war rallies in protest against military retaliation. Apart from the USA, anti-war rallies have been held in Greece, Italy and other countries, but such activities have not been noted in BiH.
Unfortunately, after the terrorist attacks on the USA, some people in our country shared the joy with the criminals and terrorists, but indeed, those are fewer than the people who think the USA should launch a strong response against the terrorists and their aides.”
The article next reads that this view is shared by most of the Mostarians who participated in the opinion poll conducted by the HTV Mostar Oscar-C. To the question if the USA and its allies should offer a strong reprisal against the authors and sponsors of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, most of those interviewed gave the positive answer.
Of 198 persons polled, 158, i.e. 80% think that the USA should retaliate, and 28 of them, i.e. 14% do not support this view.
Republika Srpska
Kalinic “blocks” adoption of the RS Law on ICTY to achieve removal of Modrica Oil Refinery management
Weekend edition of Nezavisne Novine quotes an anonymous source close to the Republika Srpska Government, as saying that the RS National Assembly Speaker, Dragan Kalinic, is applying an enormous pressure on members of steering boards of the RS Oil Industry and the Oil Refinery from Modrica. The source tells Nezavisne Novine that Kalinic demanded the steering boards’ members to dismiss the leadership of the Modrica Refinery including its general manager, Milan Jelic. “Kalinic signed a proposal for removal of the Oil Refinery leadership and requested appointment of his own candidates. These three candidates are: Ranko Vidovic, Jovan Simeunovic and Savka Ilic (all three persons are from Modrica). All three persons are well known as bad managers who ruined the enterprises where they used to work before. Everything is going on in accordance with a very simple scenario: SDS parliamentary deputies from Modrica, Mico Josipovic and Djuka Ristic told Kalinic that they would not vote for the RS Law on Cooperation with the ICTY unless Kalinic appoints their candidates to the Modrica Oil Refinery until Tuesday”, says the source. The Oil Refinery in Modrica is one of the most successful enterprises in the RS but obviously Kalinic does not care about it. The representatives of the Oil Refinery Trade Union told Nezavisne Novine that they are going to protect their interests, the current leadership of the Refinery and General manager, Milan Jelic. The Trade Union representatives also announced that they would organise a rally before the RS National Assembly building in Banja Luka on Tuesday.
The story has also been confirmed by the member of the BiH House of Representatives, Nikola Spiric, who told a press conference on Saturday that Kalinic was blackmailing the RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic. Spiric also gave an interview with the Banja Luka based Alternativna Televizija on Saturday when he showed the document in which Kalinic requests removal of the Modrica Oil Refinery leadership.
RS politicians react to postponement of adoption of the RS Law on ICTY
Nezavisne Novine quotes the President of the Democratic National Alliance (DNS), Dragan Kostic, as saying that there has been no reason for postponement of discussion on the Republika Srpska Law on Cooperation with the ICTY since the presence of the RS top officials, Mirko Sarovic, Zivko Radisic and Mladen Ivanic, was not necessary. “The behaviour of SDS deputies in the parliament indicates that the talk about Government reshuffle and removals in the Oil Refinery in Modrica is true. SDS wants to remove the general manager of the Oil Refinery and blackmails the RS Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, because if the RS Government doe not remove the general manager then certain number of SDS deputies will not vote for the RS Law on ICTY in the Assembly. This is one of the reasons that caused the postponement of the discussion on the RS Law on ICTY”, says Kostic. President of the RS Democratic Party and the deputy in the RS National Assembly, Gavrilo Antonic, also confirmed this story. On the other hand, the head of the PDP caucus, Nevenka Trifkovic, says that the postponement of the discussion has nothing to do with existence of the parliamentary majority in the RS Assembly. According to her, the main reason is that Mirko Sarovic, Mladen Ivanic and Zivko Radisic could not attend the session on Friday and that is why the RS parliament decided to schedule the discussion for Tuesday.
DNS warns ruling coalition could collapse over Modrica Refinery problems
Vice-president of the Democratic People’s Alliance (DNS) Jovan Mitrovic said on Saturday that the ruling RS coalition might fall apart over the latest events in the Modrica Oil refinery. He said that if the leading staff of the refinery is changed, the RS Socialist Party might step out of the coalition with the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Party for Democratic Progress (PDP). The DNS will also ask for resignation of Zivko Radisic from the post of member of the BiH Presidency, “since he has repeatedly approved certain documents that are against interests of the RS, putting the RS Assembly into a position to later re-consider those decisions”.
Members of the Oil Refinery Steering Board cannot enter the building
Weekend edition of Glas Srpski reports that three members of the Modrica Oil Refinery Steering Board, Risto Stankovic, Petar Blagojevic and Joco Cvjetkovic, were not allowed to enter the building of the factory on Friday while the Steering Board meeting was taking place. The meeting was to be chaired by the President of the Steering Board, Milan Maric, and also attended by the President of the Steering Board and general manager of the RS Oil Industry, Momcilo Tepic. Tepic and Maric were inside the building while the three members were trying get in. The answer to the question why the three Steering Board members could not attend the meeting can be found in a log-in book. The Oil Refinery Chief of security, Andjelko Simic, ordered his staff to step up security and that two armed firemen have to be in the building from Friday, 28 September till Tuesday, 2 October and that nobody except workers is not allowed to enter the building. The order also pertains to the police officers.
Remains of 242 victims exhumed from mass grave near Zvornik
After 25 days of exhumation in the village of Kamenica in Zvornik municipality, the expert team for missing persons from Tuzla and the Hague tribunal’s investigators have completed the exhumation of another big mass grave. According to the head of the Tuzla commission for the missing, Murat Hurtic, the remains of 242 people had been exhumed from the secondary site near Kamenica, which brings the number of bodies exhumed from mass graves in Liplje and Glogova to 750. Hurtic and the investigative judge of the cantonal court in Tuzla, Emin Halilevic, said that, on the basis of documents and other things found on the bodies, it could be said with certainty that these were people from Srebrenica, liquidated in July 1995. As many bags contain only body parts, the exact number of victims in this secondary mass grave will be established after expert processing in Tuzla. The exhumation in Podrinje will continue in a few days’ time.
RS Prime Minister says Izetbegovic approved issuance of BiH passports to mujahedeens
Monday’s Nezavisne Novine quotes Republika Srpska Prime Minister, Mladen Ivanic, as saying that leaderships of the RS, the BiH Federation and BiH common institutions are of view that BiH should become a part of a joint front in the fight against terrorism. “In that sense, the RS has no reason not to join the fight against terrorism, especially the parts of terrorism connected to Islamic fundamentalism”, says Ivanic. Commenting on reports that Bin Laden’s network exists in BiH, Ivanic said that the he was absolutely sure that such network did not exist in the RS, adding that the representatives of the international organisations in BiH have the best information about that. “The fact is that there is a certain number of people who came from so-called high-risk countries and who were granted BiH citizenship without going through transparent procedure. We have already presented a war-time document, which states that Alija Izetbegovic himself ordered the responsible personnel to approach granting of BiH passports to foreign citizens in a very receptive way”, said Ivanic. As to the terrorist network in BiH, Ivanic said that the BiH Federation authorities should give the information about the existence of such network in BiH.
RS Interior Ministry is looking into RS Chief Auditor’s report on the budget execution
Weekend edition of Glas Srpski quotes the spokesman for the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry, Zoran Glusac, as saying that the RS Interior Ministry is looking into a report on the execution of the RS budget for the last year, submitted by the RS Chief Auditor. “The RS Interior Ministry is collecting all relevant data and taking all segments into account”, Glusac told the Bijeljina-based BN Television. He could not say which cases will be prioritised, but he emphasised that “huge social perils always have priority”. Glusac also says that first results can be expected in seven to ten days. Glusac neither confirmed nor denied an unofficial information that the RS Interior Ministry formed a special team in charge with the issue.
SNS leader announces creation of a new coalition
Monday’s edition of Nezavisne Novine reports that Branislav Lolic, former Serb National Alliance (SNS) deputy president, was elected the party president in Banja Luka on Saturday. After the SNS conference, Lolic said that the party would immediately create a serious plan of action based on a completely new and realistic program of activities thereby ensuring good results in the next elections. Lolic told a press conference that a SNS delegation had visited Biljana Plavsic in Belgrade before the conference and that she supported the decision for a new leadership to be appointed. “The SNS leadership intended to elect Plavsic honorary party president but she said that, at the moment, this was unnecessary because of her situation” he added. The conference was attended by representatives of the Christian Democratic Party of Serbia as well as those of the Party of Independent Social Democrats, the Democratic Socialist Party and the Socialist Party of the Republika Srpska. Nezavisne Novine also quotes Lolic as saying that a new “development coalition” could be formed, which practically means that the SNS will become an ally with other political parties and NGOs. “I think that the coalition will be called “Development Coalition for the RS” and it is not a secret that the New Workers’ Party, the Party of Economic Renewal, the Serb Peasant Party and some other organisations have already agreed to join the coalition. On the other hand we have always had good co-operation with the Party of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD) and the Democratic Socialist Party (DSP).”
International Community
Vecernji List: Interview with High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch
Vecernji List on Saturday carries an interview with the High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, in which he talks about the investigation in the Hercegovacka Banka and the situation pertaining to the dismissed HDZ president, Ante Jelavic. High Representative said he believed that evidence on the Hercegovacka Banka will surface soon which will in turn open a possibility to make first concrete moves. Speaking of Jelavic, Petritsch said that if he were to be elected as the HDZ’s President again, that would weaken the HDZ’s position in BiH. (see the attachment for the full translation of the interview provided by OHR Mostar)
PDHR Hays visits Mostar
Slobodna Dalmacija on Saturday reports that the Principal Deputy High Representative to BiH, Donald Hays, visited Mostar on Friday. He told reporters that the world priorities had changed since September 11 and that BiH had to change its legislation if it wants to keep the interest of the world. Commenting on the BiH Federation Interior Minister Muhamed Besic’s statement, that a few dozens of persons connected to Osama bin Laden were going to enter BiH, Hays said that he felt secured and that he was aware of the BiH authorities’ efforts on tracking down the persons who are possibly connected to terrorism. Speaking about the petition that requests the removal of the Hum Cross, he said that people in his country did not talk about political convictions and confessions and that BiH could use that kind of attitude. Speaking about the “Action Plan for Mostar,” Ambassador Hays said that this was not a time for political games but for concrete work.
SFOR detain four suspected of links with terrorists: Bosnian TV
TV BiH reported late on Sunday that the SFOR arrested two BiH and two Saudi citizens for their suspected links with Islamic terrorists. According to the report, the two Saudis were detained already on Tuesday in a hotel in the Sarajevo suburb of Ilidza. The two Bosnians, working for a Saudi humanitarian organization, were arrested a day later at the organization’s headquarters in Ilidza. SFOR spokesman Daryl Morrell confirmed to the AFP that the peacekeepers had arrested four people in Ilidza on Tuesday and Wednesday. Those detained were unarmed, he said, but declined to disclose their nationality and the reason for the arrests.
SFOR Arrests Two Weapon Smugglers in Visoko
Weekend editions of both Banja Luka dailies report that the SFOR troops arrested 2 weapon smugglers at the Visoko Airport on Thursday night. A reliable source close to the Interior Ministry of the Zenica-Doboj Canton told Nezavisne Novine that the action is just a continuation of the mission aimed at arresting of weapon smugglers but this time the action also involved SFOR troops. Nezavisne also quotes SFOR Spokesman, David Morell, as saying that the SFOR arrested two persons and the investigation is underway.
Vecernji List: The Croatian Port of Ploce successfully cooperates with numerous BiH Companies
(Provided by OHR Mostar)
Apart from the people who are employed in ‘Aluminij’ Mostar, their families and numerous institutions in the city, the jobs and lives of other companies and citizens depend on this most successful company in BiH.
In the first place there are the power producers and distributors, the railways, and it has been estimated that around 30,000 people directly or indirectly live off ‘Aluminij’. This Mostar company uses about 33% of the Ploce Port capacity. ‘BH Steel’ from Zenica, companies from Tuzla, Sarajevo and the other cities, wood producers, consumers of oil products, food industry, humanitarian organizations and the ships with the SFOR military equipment also use this port.
Miroslav Tudjman says Croatian authorities have never issued documents to mujahedeens
“Croatia never issued personal Identification Documents and passports to mujahedeens. Those claims have no grounds. I have nothing more to say on the issue because I have nothing to do with that,” Miroslav Tudjman, son of the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, comments on an article in Slobodna Bosna which links him with issuance of Croatian IDs and passports to mujahedeens who allegedly entered Central Bosnia with legal Croatian documents during the war, reads Jutarnji List.
Kretschmer meets with Tomic and Jahic
Head of the EU Mission in BiH, Hans Jorg Kretschmer, visited Mostar where he held separate meetings with Mayor of Mostar Neven Tomic and his Deputy Hamdija Jahic, reads Vecernji List on Saturday. Following the meetings, he briefly told journalists that he had discussed with the City principals the reconstruction and reunification of Mostar, as well as its economic revival. Kretschmer also said that the EU would continue to support a unified Mostar regardless of political games concerning the issue. He accused the HDZ of almost every trouble in Mostar.