- Radisic says BiH will access to Partnership for Peace
- Sefer Halilovic and Jadranko Prlic go to The Hague
- Vecernji List: Five Croats to face the Hague Tribunal in one month
- Vjesnik: Halilovic in The Hague: an indictee or witness against Izetbegovic
- SDP Presidency says authorities due to announce number and status of BiH citizens of foreign origin
- BiH Republicans say BiH could face permanent isolation
- NHI requests BiH Federation President to check on disputed appointment of Mirsada Zutic-Beganovic as the BiH Federation Interior Ministry Secretary
- SDA to challenge Petritsch’s Decision on Zepce before the BiH Constitutional Court
- HDZ BiH assesses non-appointment of eight Federation Supreme Court judges as an attack on the independence of judiciary
- Besic says Osama bin Laden has never been in BiH
- An order issued for financial audit of Mostar Aluminium
- Herceg-Bosna Employment Bureau finances so called Croat self-rule
- Beriz Belkic comments on withdrawal of Haris Silajdzic
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Prlic and his partners now launder their money in the clean sea of Makarska Riviera
- Slobodna Dalmacija: Who will be the President of the Stolac Municipal Council
- Vecernji List: Federation Supreme Court overrules Jelavic’s motion for exemption of judges
- Jutarnji List: Lijanovici Company says not asking for export from our Canton only
- Ivanic to replace Ministers Savanovic, Kunic, Maric?
- Sarovic asks for evidences on activities of mujahedeens in BiH
- Compromising moves of the RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic
- A regional Serb refugee association to demand damage compensation from the Federation
- Offensive graffiti appear on the BiH Islamic Community Building in Banja Luka
- Petritsch addresses United Nations Security Council
- United States continues implementation of the Equip and Train Program
- Americans checking passports issued to Mujahedeens in BiH
- OHR dissatisfied with property laws implementation instructions proposed by Mehmedagic
BiH State-related Issues
Radisic says BiH will access to Partnership for Peace
The Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, said in an interview with the Banja Luka Nezavisne Novine that BiH would access the NATO Partnership for Peace Program, as a state with its current constitutional-legal structure. “Following the talks with the NATO representatives, it is definitely clear that BiH is entering the Program without any changes of the Constitutions either of the state or of the entities,” Radisic said.
Federation
Sefer Halilovic and Jadranko Prlic go to The Hague
Dnevni Avaz and Oslobodjenje report in their Sunday’s and Monday’s editions that Sefer Halilovic, the current BiH Federation Refugee Minister and wartime Commander of the BiH Army, has decided to voluntarily turn himself in to The Hague Tribunal early this week. Halilovic has been accused of his alleged involvement in war crimes committed against Croat civilians in Grabovica during the war. According to the dailies, the Sarajevo magazine Ljiljan published a list of some other allegedly indicted individuals including the Bosniaks Dzevad Mlaco (former Bugojno Mayor) and Dr. Safet Cibo, and the Croats Jadranko Prlic (current BiH Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations), Bruno Stojic, Valentin Coric (former Hercegovina-Neretva Canton Interior Minister), Pero Markovic and General Zlatan Mijo Jelic. Halilovic’s lawyer Faruk Balijagic confirmed to AFP on Monday that Halilovic had been indicted by the Hague Tribunal and that he would voluntarily go to The Hague on Tuesday. AFP quoted Balijagic as saying that “Halilovic has been indicted for his apparent failure to prosecute those responsible for the Grabovica massacre.” According to AFP, in September 1993, the BiH Government army killed 32 Croat civilians in the southern village of Grabovica during an offensive called Neretva 93. Halilovic, who headed BiH army between May 1992 and November 1993, led a seven-men coordinating body during the operation.
Vecernji List: Five Croats to face the Hague Tribunal in one month
Written by Zdenko Jurilj (provided by OHR Mostar)
Jadranko Prlic, a former Prime Minister of Herzeg-Bosnia, Valentin Coric, a former Chief of the Military Police, Pero Markovic, the wartime Mayor of Capljina Municipality, HVO General Zlatan Mijo Jelic and former Defense Minister Bruno Stojic are going to The Hague in one month on account of the war crimes they are suspected of having committed during the conflict between Bosniaks and Croats.
Vecernji List learned from a well-informed source close to the Federation Government that Sefer Halilovic, Dzevad Mlaco, Safet Cibo, Ramiz Delalic Celo, Zulfikar Alispago Zuka are leaving for The Hague at 7:45 a.m. tomorrow and will travel by a UN plane, accompanied by the SRSG Jacques Klein. The source told the daily that there will be more indictments against Croat and Bosniak suspects and that Generals Stanko Baja Sopta and Slobodan Praljak will have ended up before the ICTY by the end of the year. The paper reads some analysts say that Haris Silajdzic’s recent resignation is linked to existence of a secret bill of indictment against him.
The Croat suspects were supposed to leave for The Hague this week, but their extradition has been postponed due to some obstacles of legal and private nature.
The daily says that it is symptomatic that the SRSG Jacques Klein is to accompany the Bosniak suspects and that some people link this with the engagement of the International Community in the extradition of all ICTY suspects from BiH. International Community officials in BiH have promised, most likely to the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte, that all the suspects will be brought to the Hague Tribunal via their institutions, reads Vecernji List.
Slobodna Dalmacija also reports that Sefer Halilovic is leaving for The Hague on Tuesday. Dzevad Mlaco, according to this daily, is not supposed to go together with the other Bosniak suspects because the documentation of the crimes he is charged with, has not been completed yet. Speaking of the allegations of him being a suspect, Jadranko Prlic said there is nothing disputable about the fact that crimes were committed. “The Tribunal is too serious an institution to be under the influence of media and other campaigns incited probably in Herzegovina, Zagreb and a wider region by those who are afraid because of their own responsibility,” said Prlic. He wants the responsibility to be established as soon as possible so that the names of the government and 76,000 HVO members can be cleared. He said that the Herzeg-Bosnia government made over 10,000 decisions, none of which were discriminating, and that no one ever mentioned the idea of annexation to Croatia nor could it be found in any of the Herzeg-Bosnia government documents.
Vjesnik: Halilovic in The Hague: an indictee or witness against Izetbegovic
Written by Alenko Zornija; (partial translation provided by OHR Mostar)
Sefer Halilovic, Minister for Refugees, Displaced Persons and Social Affairs in the Federation of BiH Government and ex-Commander of the BiH Army, is definitely traveling to The Hague to face the charges over his accountability for the slaughter of Croatian civilians and prisoners of war in the North Herzegovina villages of Grabovica and Uzdol during the operation “Neretva 93” that he led.
According to Vjesnik sources close to the BiH authorities, the publishing of the indictment bill against Halilovic has already been postponed once thanks to Bosniak leaders in the ruling Alliance for Changes, mostly due to the efforts of Zlatko Lagumdzija and Beriz Belkic.
However, the ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, during her September visit to Sarajevo, announced that BiH would receive another sealed indictment with an extradition request by October. It was presumed that Sefer Halilovic was the one. But according to Vjesnik’s source, a senior official in the Alliance for Changes and the leader of one of the parties that participate in the coalition, Halilovic could be a key witness in a different, more important process. Of course, it is the case of a possible indictment against the former Bosniak leader Alija Izetbegovic.
“He could play a role similar to the one played by Biljana Plavsic. He would reiterate what he already had written in his book entitled “Wise Strategy,” in which he directly accuses Alija Izetbegovic and the then Commander of the BiH Army, Rasim Delic, of the crimes and of the failure to penalize them”, says the source.
Speculations of an indictment against Izetbegovic have become frequent lately, especially in the light of the extradition of the three senior Bosniak officers.
“I am ready to share the destiny with our generals,” Izetbegovic commented on the announcements that he could end up in The Hague as an indictee.
Vjesnik got the information that the BiH authorities have been informed that an indictment against Bakir Izetbegovic, Alija Izetbegovic’s son, will be issued almost for certain. According to The Hague investigators, Bakir Izetbegovic was supervising the work of secret services and special military and police units that are suspected of committing crimes against Serbs and Croats. He is also reportedly linked to some unsolved cases of murders or attempted assassinations against political opponents of his father, reads Vjesnik.
SDP Presidency says authorities due to announce number and status of BiH citizens of foreign origin
Oslobodjenje reports on Saturday that the SDP BiH Presidency concluded at its regular session that there were attempts to create a picture about BiH as a country, which was a suitable ground for the activities of terrorist groups. The Presidency therefore insisted that the BiH authorities provide a full information both to the domestic and international public about the number and status of the BiH citizens of foreign origin.
BiH Republicans say BiH could face permanent isolation
According to the Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the BiH Republican Party emphasized that the recent events had once again confirmed necessity to establish an absolute control over the stay of foreigners, both individuals and organizations, in BiH. The Party leader, Stjepan Kljujic, told press conference in Sarajevo that BiH, with a heavy burden of its history, had become interesting for a large number of intelligence and security services. All this, according to the Republicans, has compromised BiH bringing its citizens into a very difficult situation. Kljujic said that even certain measures of isolation of BiH had been announced.
NHI requests BiH Federation President to check on disputed appointment of Mirsada Zutic-Beganovic as the BiH Federation Interior Ministry Secretary
Oslobodjenje reports on Saturday that the New Croat Initiative (NHI) sent a letter to BiH Federation President Karlo Filipovic requesting him to, in the framework of his authorities, urgently determine all necessary facts concerning the appointment of Mirsada Zutic-Beganovic on the post of the BiH Federation Interior Ministry’s Secretary. “If it is really about a person who is responsible for issuance of forged documents to the foreigners, which allowed them to become BiH citizens, NHI is requesting not only her but also the removal of all those who participated in such illegal activities,” the Party said in the letter.
SDA to challenge Petritsch’s Decision on Zepce before the BiH Constitutional Court
The SDA deputies to the BiH Federation House of Representatives will challenge the constitutional foundation of High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch’s decision on Zepce. The Party’s spokesman, Sefik Dzaferovic, told journalists on Friday in Sarajevo that the decision had completely ignored the conclusions on the issue recently made by the BiH Federation Parliament. According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, SDA also requests the governing Alliance for Changes and the international community to forbid the fictive returnees to the BiH Federation to purchase socially-owned apartments and sell them. “Otherwise, with these funds, the houses will be constructed mainly on the Bosniak land in the Republika Srpska, which leads to the partition of the country,” Dzaferovic said.
HDZ BiH assesses non-appointment of eight Federation Supreme Court judges as an attack on the independence of judiciary
According to Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the HDZ BiH said in a press release that the non-acceptance of the appointment of eight BiH Federation Supreme Court judges was a so-called Alliance for Changes’ attempt to establish complete control over the highest instance of judicial authority in the entity. “The Alliance’s final aim is to make the Supreme Court a partisan machinery for processing those not sharing its political opinions,” the release read.
Besic says Osama bin Laden has never been in BiH
In an interview with the Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, BiH Federation Interior Minister Muhamed Besic said that the Ministry had not a single information to support allegation according to which Osama bin Laden had been in BiH. Besic also denies claims that Bin Laden has network of his terrorist organization developed in BiH.
An order issued for financial audit of Mostar Aluminium
According to Monday’s Dnevni Avaz, the inspectors of the BiH Federation Financial Police are expected today to start a comprehensive audit of Mostar Aluminium. Their goal will not be only to determine the current level of the company’s capital, but also to check on its permanent reduction starting from 1991. The legality of the privatization by a part of employees, way in which Sibenik-based TLM added the certain amount of capital in the company, and the Aluminium business relations with the German Debis Company will also be subject of the audit.
Herceg-Bosna Employment Bureau finances so called Croat self-rule
A former official of the Mostar-based Herceg-Bosna Employment Bureau, who spoke under the terms of anonymity, told Dnevni Avaz (Saturday’s edition) that the Burea was one of the healthiest source of funding of the so-called Croat self-rule. The official said that the Bureau Director, Petar Golemac, “has been regularly meeting with Martin Raguz and his associates tasked to work on financial construction of the so-called self-rule ever since its establishment, and particularly since the opening of Hercegovacka Banka case.”
Beriz Belkic comments on withdrawal of Haris Silajdzic
In a short interview with the Nezavisne Novine, Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Beriz Belkic comments on the withdrawal of Haris Silajdzic, President of the Party for BiH, from the top party position saying that this act is a result of various circumstances of private and political nature but that Silajdzic definitely remains in the project of Party for BiH. “He will remain at disposal of the party as its founder and member”, says Belkic.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Prlic and his partners now launder their money in the clean sea of Makarska Riviera (provided by OHR Mostar)
Written by Neven Katunaric and Marijan Puntaric; summary/partial translation
Slobodna Dalmacija says not many people understand why Jadranko Prlic and Neven Tomic have only given Marko Tadic, dismissed Rector of the Mostar University, the modest position of the Director of the BiH Veterinary Medicine Office. According to the daily, Tadic was performing the same duty in the Veterinary Medicine Office of the Republic of Croatia from 1992 to 1996, but after the mad cow disease appeared in Great Britain, he allowed the Lijanovici family to import dubious meat contingents via third countries. After this was revealed, Croatian farmers started threatening with riots because of the fictitious import of cattle into BiH and export to Croatia, and Tadic was dismissed. The daily says since he has been appointed the Director of Veterinary Medicine Office in BiH, he can play the same role for the Lijanovici family and himself, but this time under much more favorable political conditions.
The paper next speaks of the ‘Interinvest’ Building Company, owned by Prlic’s business partner and friend Dinko Slezak Dika. Before the war, Slezak used to drive trailer trucks for the Transportation Company ‘Autoprijevoz’ and was dealing in gold. His property has been estimated to 500 million Marks and his company ‘Interinvest’ has constructed all of the prominent public buildings in Mostar: the Federation Government, Payment Operations Bureau and Pension Fund buildings, and even the Hercegovacka Banka building. Since all of the ‘Interinvest’ edifices look alike, people in Mostar call them “cloned buildings.”
In Bisce Polje, a settlement near Mostar, Slezak built a concrete-elements plant, Niko Dodig built a gas station and Marijan Primorac a warehouse of ‘Primorka.’ The three of them are reportedly Prlic’s most important partners. Slezak is allegedly preparing to undertake another major building endeavor. He has already arranged with the Hotel Company ‘Makarska’ the purchase of the Hotel ‘Park,’ where ‘Interinvest’ would build an eight-story hotel. This investments is worth 15 million Marks.
Slezak, Primorac and Dodig own the ‘Optima’ Mostar and ‘Optima’ Banja Luka, which have been holding exclusive contracts for the procurement of computer equipment with the authorities of Herzeg-Bosnia, Federation of BiH and all international agencies.
Although it was known as far back as last year that the payment operations bureaus (ZAP) would be abolished and that the internal payment operations would be taken over by business banks, the ZAP management launched a project of building new cantonal offices in Mostar and Siroki Brijeg. ZAP purchased the most expensive computer system and equipment from ‘Optima.’ This game cost the taxpayers 10 million Marks.
“All business and political systems in BiH could develop and survive only if they had their own business bank within their group. Prlic and Tomic first chose Hrvatska Banka and made favorable credit arrangements with Berislav Kutle. When Hrvatska Banka got out of their control, Hrvatska Postanska Banka (HPB), now Reiffeisen Bank, became their accompanying bank. The friendship between Neven Tomic and HPB Director Davor Simic was of crucial importance for the development, business operation and privatization of this Bank.
The Public Company HPT Mostar owned 51% of the HPB shares. Based on the item of founder’s deposit, HPT Mostar ceded 20% of their share in the HPB capital to Hrvatska Postanska Banka Zagreb, which was run by Ljerka Ercegovic. The remaining 31% became the socially owned capital, which was supposed to be held by the Federation Government.
The first step in taking over the HPB Mostar that Prlic’s group made was co-capitalization, when the initial capital of the HPB Mostar was raised to 10 million Marks, in accordance with the law. However, for a purpose or not, the deadline for privatization of those 31% of the state-owned capital in the HPB Mostar expired. No one announced the purchase, so the Federation Banking Agency took upon itself to manage this capital share. However, as soon as the value of the 31% of the bank’s capital dropped considerably, “kind” buyers appeared.
Four buyers bought the state-owned capital from the Agency at a very favorable price. Needless to mention it was Dodig, Primorac and Slezak that became the new co-owners of HPB Mostar. The fourth buyer was Dubravko Grgic, the owner of ‘Euroherc Osiguranje’ (insurance company). Despite being closer to the Lucic brothers’ group, Grgic responded to Neven Tomic’s appeal. However, that was not the end of the operation. Austrian Reiffeisen Bank bought Hrvatska Postanska Banka. Because of the severe blow and incrimination that Hercegovacka Banka experienced, Austrians realized that HPB Mostar had great possibilities ahead of it because of the destruction of the competitive Hercegovacka Banka, so they did not spare money. Thus, the new HPB Mostar owners managed to sell for 80 million Marks the Bank that was initially worth 10 million Marks. Davor Simic remained the Director of Reiffeisen Bank Mostar.
Since according the recently published plan of Colin Munro referring to the support to the Mostar Mayor Neven Tomic, Tomic persistently requested that the business operations and audit results in Hercegovacka Banka be incriminated, so that the public can hear the allegations that Neven Tomic requested the most radical showdown with Hercegovacka Banka as a hotbed of nationalists and hard-liners, one cannot discard the idea that the strike against Hercegovacka Banka was least of all a matter or principle or policy but was, in fact, a direct conflict between Prlic’s group and his competition at the banking market in BiH.
Jadranko Prlic and the group around him are most certainly the strongest economic and financial group in BiH. Prlic’s empire has been estimated to 3 billion Marks. (…)
Prlic and Tomic’s system confirms that policy is only a framework and a means that ensures, justifies and provides an alibi for any economically viable move.
The logic of the insatiable appetite of Prlic’s business empire has been confirmed in a new tobacco war over the Tobacco Factory in Sarajevo (FDS). British American Tobacco and Tobacco Factory Rovinj, whose interests are represented by Tomic and Prlic, have started a battle for the control package of FDS shares. It is not surprising because the Tobacco Factory in Sarajevo makes an annual profit of 250 million Marks,” reads Slobodna Dalmacija.
Slobodna Dalmacija: Who will be the President of the Stolac Municipal Council
(provided by OHR Mostar)
Stjepan Boskovic, the Vice President of the Stolac Municipal Council, has called a session for September 25.
Kemal Isakovic, the President of the Stolac Municipal Council, who is at the same time the Cantonal Minister of Justice, has been refusing to call a Municipal Council session for a longer period of time. According to Colin Munro, the Head of the OHR South, Isakovic does not have a right to perform two duties at the same time. According to Munro, between two positions, Isakovic decided to perform the duty of the Minister of Justice and the OHR will give him its approval.
The position of the President of the Stolac Municipal Council remains vacant and according to an inter-party agreement this position belongs to Bosniaks. Having in mind that during the last two months Dr. Zdravko Kuzman, the Head of the Stolac Municipality, has been in Mostar most of the time working as a doctor, and that only occasionally he comes to Stolac Municipality, which is in debts up to its ears; that the Acting Head of the Police comes from Mostar and that a legally elected Head of a Municipal Department does not come to work at all, the picture is complete. The official stand is that they are still looking for the new Head of the Municipality and that it is awkward to come out in public with some names.
Vecernji List: Federation Supreme Court overrules Jelavic’s motion for exemption of judges
Written by Z. Kresic (provided by OHR Mostar)
The Supreme Court of the Federation of BiH, whose mandate has expired, overruled Ante Jelavic’s motion for exemption of the President of the Federation Supreme Court Suada Selimovic, as well as the President and all judges at the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo.
They requested exemption of the Supreme Court President because she allowed that the legal proceedings be conducted before the Cantonal Court in Sarajevo, although the Cantonal Court in Mostar is the only court that has the jurisdiction in this case, reads Vecernji List.
“The whole case is becoming even more of a judicial and political farce because the ruling Alliance for Changes does not want to nominate eight new judges in the Supreme Court, although the mandate of Suada Selimovic and her team has expired a long time ago,” reads the article.
In conclusion, Vecernji List says the HDZ BiH marked the refusal to nominate eight judges in the Supreme Court as an Alliance’s attempt of establishing full control over the highest judicial instance in the Federation.
Jutarnji List: Lijanovici Company says not asking for export from our Canton only (provided by OHR Mostar)
According to Nadan Vidosevic, the Head of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, and his statements made on the HTV’s (Croatian TV) show “Economic relations between BiH and Croatia,” it is obvious that the Croatian Veterinary Administration is misinforming the public, especially when Mr. Vidosevic says that the Republic of Croatia permits import of meat products from BiH, which is not the case with fresh meat, says the “Lijanovici” Company press release, reads Jutarnji List.
The fact is that BiH cannot export a single medium-life product to the Republic of Croatia. It is incorrect that the “Lijanovici” meat industry is asking an export permit for the Canton 8 only. It is also incorrect that the Veterinary Administration is therefore protecting Republic of Croatia’s export to the European Union, because Croatia was importing products from BiH and at the same time exporting to the EU between 1996 and 2000, reads the press release.
Lijanovici hope that the Agreement on Free Trade between Croatia and BiH will be truly implemented and that proper solutions for overcoming of these problems will be found soon, reads Jutarnji List.
Republika Srpska
Ivanic to replace Ministers Savanovic, Kunic, Maric?
According to the Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, a conclusion of Republika Srpska National Assembly that an urgent entity’s Government reshuffle would significantly contribute to removal of a large number of weaknesses in the implementation of the RS Budget was made at the request of Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic. Ivanic, who has been earlier announced the Government reshuffle, need the parliamentary support for the action. The newspaper reads that RS Education Minister Gojko Savanovic, RS Minister of Administration and Local Self-rule Petar Kunic and RS Justice Minister Biljana Maric might be among ministers to be removed.
Sarovic asks for evidences on activities of mujahedeens in BiH
Sunday’s Oslobodjenje reports that Republika Srpska President Mirko Sarovic requested the RS Interior Minister and the RS Government’s Documentation Center to collect relevant evidences on the involvement of mujahedeens in war crimes committed during the war in BiH.
Compromising moves of the RS Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic
Nezavisne Novine reports about a decision of Republika Srpska Prime Minister Mladen Ivanic by which he approved to the PDP (Party of Democratic Progress) deputy to the RS National Assembly, Miro Jurisic, to cut the forest wood worth up to 647 439.45 KM. According to the findings of Nezavisne Novine, the decision was made at a session of the RS Government of July 18 2001. It allowed the owner of the private company Trgokomerc to cut woods in the mentioned value as a compensation for a debt of the RS Government to the company.
A regional Serb refugee association to demand damage compensation from the Federation
Glas Srpski reports that the Association of Serb refugees and Displaced Persons in the municipalities of Bijeljina, Ugljevik and Lopare have completed documentation about 420 cases of destroyed property, which would be included in lawsuit against the Federation BiH asking for a damage compensation. According to the newspaper, the deadline for gathering of documentation, due to slowness of local authorities in the Federation, was extended by October 20. President of the Association Radovan Brankovic says that the municipal authorities in the Federation most frequently issue incomplete documentation or delay with the issuance and such attitude is the most present in Visoko, Ilijas, Zenica and Tuzla.
Offensive graffiti appear on the BiH Islamic Community Building in Banja Luka
Nezavisne Novine reads about (and show the photo of) the offensive graffiti that appeared on the BiH Islamic Community building in Banja Luka. Vandals, the daily reports, have, in the night between Friday and Saturday, written, with spray, the following lines: “Serbia”; “God Save Serbs” as well as SDS sign. According to the daily, the police have already identified the responsible individuals (two high school students). The OHR’s spokesperson Sonja Pastuovic condemned the act describing it as vandalism. However, she added that she was glad the police had done its job properly and found the perpetrators.
International Community
Petritsch addresses United Nations Security Council
The High Representative, Wolfgang Petritsch, visited New York on Thursday and Friday to address the UN Security Council and to hold talks with, among others, UN Development Program Regional Director for Europe and the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States), Kalman Mizsei. In his address to the Security Council on Friday morning, which was received with great interest, the High Representative outlined the progress that has been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the last six months in the key strategic areas of institution-building, economic reform and refugee return, as well as his efforts in streamlining the current international civilian implementation structures in BiH. The Security Council members were also addressed by Head of the UN Mission to BiH Jacques Klein. (Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz and Jutarnje Novine carried BH Press news agency’s report on the issue, as Sunday’s Oslobodjenje carried the OHR Press Release in full, Monday’s Jutarnje Novine also carried the PR prominently)
United States continues implementation of the Equip and Train Program
According to the Saturday’s Oslobodjenje, the US Government continues providing its advisory military assistance to the BiH Federation, which is guaranteed by the Dayton Peace Agreement, even after the recent terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. Asked by the newspaper whether there were any changes in the Equip and Train Program of assistance to the BiH Federation Army, which is being implemented by the US Military Professional Resources Inc. (MPRI) private company, the US Embassy to BiH said that the status of the program was unchanged. “However, the US Government currently does not have funds available for the program, and it is working on to provide these funds,” The Embassy said.
Americans checking passports issued to Mujahedeens in BiH
Glas Srpski, on the cover page, writes that the American experts have arrived in Sarajevo to review documentation on BiH passports issued to the mujahedeens in BiH, as confirmed to SRNA news agency by source close to Sarajevo authorities.
According to the same source, the daily writes, the review includes a BiH citizen called Amir, who is suspected for taking part in organization and execution of terrorist attacks in New York and Washington.
OHR dissatisfied with property laws implementation instructions proposed by Mehmedagic
According to Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz, BiH Federation Minister of Urban Planning Ramiz Mehmedagic has, following OHR recommendations for drafting instructions to facilitate the implementation of the latest High Representative’s property-related decision, sent back his draft. OHR, however, is not satisfied with the proposed text of the instructions and the consultations with Mehmedagic on the issue will continue. “The instruction has not defined in detail the obligation to submit documents by which the claimants prove that they have vacated some one else’s property,” Head of the OHR Press Office Alexandra Stiglmayer told the newspaper.