Latest radio news broadcast at 12.00 on 1 March
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (12,00 hrs) | BH Radio 1 (12,00 hrs) | RTRS (12,00 hrs) |
| BiH Independence Day | 1 March marked only in FBiH | Rebellion at BL Correctional Facility |
| ICTY trial against Krajisnik continues | | 1dt March marked only in BiH |
| Parliamentary Forum ends in Cetinje | Conference on | |
TV news broadcast on 28 February
| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | TV PINK (18,00 hrs) | BHT 1 (19,00 hrs) |
| Delic case | Delic in | Covic indictment |
| General Miletic case | Joint Military Commission session | Sentences in Prijedor camps case |
| Regional news | EUFOR checkpoints | Delic case |
| Possible indictment vs. Covic | TI on corruption in BiH | Miletic in |
| NTV Hayat (19,00 hrs) | FTV (19,30 hrs) | RTRS (19,30 hrs) |
| Delic in | Sentences in Prijedor camps case | RS NA in session |
| Miletic in | Delic case | Delic and Miletic cases |
| Sentences in Prijedor camps case | Miletic in | Initiative of RS veterans |
| Conference on mediation procedure | Suicide car bombing in | Jasenovac liberation anniversary |
| Oslobodjenje | General Delic: Justice wins; Federation celebrates, RS doest acknowledge 1 March |
| Dnevni Avaz | Nadarevic: Decrease of disability pensions is demanded by the World Bank; Covic: I will gladly respond to any court summon; Dlic: Justice will win |
| Dnevni List | OHR: Covic should withdraw |
| Vecernji List | Indictments: Politics-Dragan Covic; Church-Cardinal Vinko Puljic; Economy-Mijo Brajkovic |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Ljubuski: Tobacco station burning |
| Nezavisne Novine | Correctional facility |
| Glas Srpske | Presidency of Veterans’ Association: New picture of war |
| EuroBlic | Fear from Al Q’Aeda |
| Vecernje novosti | Features Serbian related topics |
| Nacional | Features Serbian related topics |
LATEST NEWS OF TODAY | |
| BL prison inmates refuse to cease rebellion | RHB, BH Radio 1 – Around 80 inmates at Correctional Facility Tunjice in |
| Dodik meets German Ambassador, discuss defence reform | RTRS – Milorad Dodik, SNSD President, has today informed German Ambassador to BiH, Arner von Kietlitz, of the SNSD stance regarding defence reform, which anticipates abolishment of regular military service. Dodik told the press that SNSD was of the view the minimal professional structure of armed troops needs to be maintained in BiH. |
| Ivanic says law on holidays needed as soon as possible | FENA – BiH Minister of Foreign Affairs Mladen Ivanic stated that he is working today since the Law on Holidays at the BiH level does not exist. He added that all controversies regarding this Law are the best proof that this Law should be passed as soon as possible. |
War crimes issues | |
| General Delic arrives in Hague | RHB, PINK, BHT 1, Oslobodjenje cover splash, pgs 4-5 ‘General Delic: Justice wins’ Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Veterans saw off their Commander to the Hague’, mentioned on cover ‘Delic Justice will win’, by E. Sarac, Dnevni List, pg 4, mentioned on front ‘Rasim Delic in UN detention at Scheveningen’, by Hina, Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘Delic seen off by green berets, received by The Hague’, mentioned on front ‘General behind the bars’, by Dejan Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 7, mentioned on front ‘Green beret saw Delic off’, by Z. Rerig, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Delic and Miletic in The Hague’ by M. Cubro; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Delic in Scheweningen’ and Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Miletic arrived too’, EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘To prison with guarantee’ by Dusanka Stanisic– Retired BiH Army General, Rasim Delic, who decided to voluntarily surrender to the ICTY, arrived in the Hague on Monday.FBiH Minister of Internal Affairs Mevludin Halilovic, who escorted Delic, will offer guarantees for his release from custody until the beginning of the trial. Addressing the people who gathered at the airport, Delic said that he is going to Hague to prove that he is innocent. Delic is being charged with the violation or customs and laws of the war i.e. war crimes committed in the Vozuca and Ozren areas by members of the BiH Army El Mujahid unit. |
| Reactions to Delic’s indictment
| Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘ICTY Prosecution has not managed to resist the pressure’ by Onasa, Dnevni List, pg 6 ‘Ambassadors of Islamic countries on Delic’s departure to The Hague’, by NINA – Sulejman Tihic, BiH Presidency member, on Monday met with the Ambassadors of the Islamic countries in BiH. The officials all welcomed Rasim Delic’s decision to surrender, and expressed sorrow that ICTY Prosecution did not manage to resist political pressure which is showed in a tendency to equalise victims and agressors. Hayat, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘He prevented the BiH Army to become revengeful’ – “General Delic is to be credited for the fact that the [BiH] Army did not turn into a revenge army. I hope that there would be justice for Rasim Delic, for the Army and for the nation the Army defended”, said Bakir Izetbegovic. RTRS, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘I welcomed his decision’, Oslobodjenje pg 4 inset – The Chair of the Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic was also present at the airport, and he congratulated Delic for his decision to surrender voluntarily. FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 2 ‘Here, the aim is something completely different’ – One of the BiH officials who was at the |
| “60 minuta” claims Delic had to know about crimes in Vozuca
| FTV “60 minutes” current affairs program, editorial – Referring to the case of Rasim Delic, magazine stresses that he and his leadership skills have made the BiH Army to look like the real Army and that he was the one who decided to exterminate criminal from the Army in October of 1993. Nevertheless, Magazine also emphasised the fact that General Delic was the one who has signed the authorization for establishment of Military Unit “El- Mujahid” on August 13th 1993, after which the crimes in Vozuca have happened committed by Mujahedeens, stressing that numerous video tapes of those crimes were released and that there is no chance that General didn’t know about them, even though he was informed by his associates, but he has done nothing to prosecute those crimes. |
| General Radivoj Miletic arrived in Hague
| BHT1, Hayat, FTV, RHB, PINK, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Radivoje Miletic in Scheveningen since yesterday’ by Onasa, Oslobodjenje pg 8 ‘Gathering of Mladic’s HQ in Scheveningen’, Dnevni List, pg 4 ‘General Miletic arrived to The Hague’, by NINA, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘General Miletic in detention’, by rt, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 8 ‘Serb general Miletic in detention in The Hague’, by H, Nezavisne Novine pg 3, announced on cover ‘Delic and Miletic in The Hague’ by M. Cubro; Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Delic in Scheweningen’ and Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Miletic arrived too’, EuroBlic RSpg 3 ‘To prison with guarantee’ by Dusanka Stanisic– Retired RS Army general Radivoj Miletic also arrived in the Hague on Monday, accompanied by Zoran Loncar, member of SCG National Council for Cooperation with ICTY and Serbian Minister for Administration and Local Self-government. Miletic has been accused of war crimes committed in the Srebrenica and Zepa areas. As he turned himself in to ICTY voluntarily, the |
| ICTY welcomes surrenders, but urges more to be done
| RTRS by Vesna Cibic – ICTY spokesman Jim Landale welcomed Delic’s and Miletic’s arrivals but stressed that one should not forget that 10 years have passed since indictments against Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic have been raised and since crimes in Srebrenica were committed. Landale added that it is about time for persons indicted for those crimes to be transferred to |
| Hague Tribunal backs sentences for a war crimes in Prijedor camps
| BHT 1 Boris Grubesic – ICTY Appeal Council confirmed the prison sentences to four Bosnian Serbs for war crimes committed in detention camps Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje. Zoran Zigic, sentenced for a torture and killing of prisoners, got 25 years of prison. Former guard commander in Omarska camp Mladjo Radic was sentenced to 20 years, and the two former assistant commanders of the Omarska camp, Miroslav Kvocka and Dragoljub Prcac, were sentenced to seven and five years in prison respectively. The Appeal Council practically rejected all arguments of defense, and confirmed the sentences issued in November 2001. More than 6.000 Bosniaks and Croats were imprisoned in Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje camps in 1992. Another trial for the war crimes commited in Prijedor detention camps will be transferred to Court of BiH during next few months. RTRS, FTV, Hayat, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Verdicts for Omarska case confirmed’ by Onasa, Oslobodjenje pg 6, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘Sentences to Bosnian Serbs for crimes at Omarska confirmed’, not signed, Slobodna Dalmacija, back pg ‘ICTY: Appeals Chamber confirm verdicts to Kvocka and others’, by H, Nezavisne Novine pg 2 ‘Verdicts for Omarska upheld’ by BETA– also reported. |
| GS criticises HR for statement on lack of cooperation RS
| Glas Srpske pg 5 ‘Engaged in new threats’ by R. Jovic – The article comments on the statement of HR Paddy Ashdown (when he said he would be forced to reach for his authorities owing to RS failure to cooperate with ICTY), when he said that all Generals from F BiH charged by ICTY were transferred to the Hague. The author notes that HR suppressed that RS Generals, whom ICTY has charged with crimes, are living in Serbia and Montenegro and hold dual citizenship, and also that Ashdown failed to state whether indictments against Generals Milan Gvero, Zdravko Tolimir and Radivoje Milekic have been handed to RS authorities at all. On this, the author notes the ICTY decided to address these indictments to Serbian Government. The author also reminds of many voluntary surrenders of persons charged for crimes from RS. |
| Initiative for forming of memorial-documentation centre on crimes committed against Serbs | Glas Srpske cover pg splash ‘New picture of war’ by M.Dj. – Presidency of RS Veteran’s Organisation visited Brcko District Monday. Chairman of RS Veteran’s Organisation Savo Cvjetinovic stated that crimes committed against Serbs cannot be left unpunished, noting that organisation will file an initiative with the RS Government for forming of memorial-documentation centre. The task of the centre would be the gathering and documentation of war crimes committed over Serbs. Cvjetinovic hopes that the indictment against former general Rasim Delic and possible indictments against other Bosniak officials will reveal the real character of war in BIH which in his opinion was civil, interethnic and religious. |
Legal issues | |
| EC presents draft BiH law on waters
| RHB, FTV, Dnevni List, pg 5 ‘BiH close to EU only when it comes to pollution of waters’, by D. Polovina-Mandic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg ‘Four agencies to be formed’, by D. Pasic– Chief of EC delegation in BIH Michael Humphreys submitted a new draft law on waters to entity and state authorities. The law is drafted in accordance to EU standards and represents a beginning of institutional reform in the area of water management. PINK – The new law stipulates allocation of more funding and it should start being effective in June 2005. “This is the law which has not been imposed, but it was coordinated within the state, and BiH authorities have to take over the ownership”, said Humphreys. Hayat – “For the past 7 years, we were this issue; the talks we have had were extremely hard, but the draft law we are presenting here today (Monday) is the law which was coordinated and discussed by all relevant BiH institutions”, said the Humphreys. “Implementation of frame regulation on waters has to be ensured, law on waters has to be brought, water sector has to be institutionally strengthened, and we have to make the system financially sustainable”, said FBiH Minister Agriculture, Water-Management and Forestry Marinko Bozic. BHT 1 – The BiH Council of Ministers recently discussed the information on Buk Bijela dam project, and asked for additional explanations on ecological consequences. It is still unknown who is competent to give concessions for this project – BiH or RS, although according to new draft law, such things are in the jurisdiction of the entities and cantons. |
| RSNA postpones pay out of war damage compensation
| Hayat, RTRS, Glas Srpske pg 2 ‘Law halts payments’ by G. Dakic, EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Law protects budget’ by Tijana Veselinovic, Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘Postponing the war compensation’ by O. Vukovic– The RS National Assembly on Monday adopted the Law amending the Law on the Executive Procedure, whose implementation should overcome the blocking of municipalities in RS due to payments of wartime compensations. The amendments state that all launched such payments which halt certain funds from the budget accounts will be postponed until the other legal regulations are passed. Authorized departments in the municipalities are also obliged to submit data to the Government on possible such budget claims within next 10 days. “This should not be understood as an attack on the story called Alijagic but this refers to all court decisions in RS for that period. It has nothing to do with ethnicity”, says Milorad Dodik SNSD Chairman, who also said that the individual responsibility in Alijagic case needs to be determined. PINK– SDS representative Borislav Bojic claims that over 30 000 requests for compensation of war damages have been submitted to RS Courts, and RS would go bankrupt if those were paid. BHT 1– Salih Alijagic, in his statement for the BHT1 made by the phone, said that this new law does not concern him, because this case is in the jurisdiction of the BiH Constitutional Court jurisdiction, not RSNA. Nezavisne Novine pg 4, announced on cover ‘Payments of war reparations in RS were postponed’ by V. Popovic – SDA Caucus Chairman Tarik Sadovic thinks the law is in opposition with human rights conventions, BiH and RS Constitutions. He has stated he would plead for the Bosniak Caucus at RS CoP to launch the issue of protection of vital national interests upon the adoption of the law. |
| DA: BiH Prosecution to issue bill of indictment against criminal group/Covic: I will respond to court summon
| Dnevni Avaz pg 4, mentioned on cover ‘I will respond to each court summon’ by F. Vele carries that the BiH Prosecution confirmed that Prosecutor Mats Matson completed the investigation on the so-called ‘criminal organization’ responsible for tax evasion and receiving of bribe which is being brought in connection with Meat Industry ‘Lijanovici’. DA also says that according to confirmed information the bill of indictment will be issued against all suspects in this case. Head of the Special Department with the BiH Prosecution John McNair did not want to either confirm or deny the aforementioned information saying that he cannot give statements until the bill of indictment is officially issued. A suspect in this case, Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic stated that he would respond to each court summon in order to defend his innocence. He added that he does not have official information on this issue, however, he believes that this time, perhaps, it is not about speculations. Asked to comment on the announcements that he might leave his current position and that Deputy Chairman of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly Martin Raguz might be his successor Covic says that he is doing his job and that there is legal procedure for possible removals. BHT 1, RHB, Hayat, RTRS – carried out that Covic will be indicted. Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Without arguments against me’, by zk – Carries a comment by Dragan Covic, who says there are no reasons to raise an indictment against him. Covic did not want to comment to the question whether he would withdraw from the BiH Presidency or whether he would wait for the HR’s decision. Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Covic without comment’, by B. Kristo – SD says Covic has no comment to the article published in Dnevni Avaz on Monday. |
| DL: ‘OHR: Covic should withdraw’
| Dnevni List, front pg splash and pgs 2-3 ‘OHR: Covic should withdraw’, by Investigative team of Dnevni List – A source from the OHR revealed to DL that the OHR regrets the news that the Croat member of BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, will be processed for customs embezzlements and damages that were inflicted upon the FBiH budget during the time Covic was the FBiH Finance Minister. The source says: “However, the process in this matter obliges the OHR to remove Covic from the Presidency, in one way or the other. We must say that Covic had a great cooperation with our institution and that he undertook a series of concrete actions in implementation of reforms, however due to the processes in courts, it is time he left the office of a member of BiH Presidency”. DL’s sources reveal that Covic will not be removed by decision of the High Representative for BiH, instead the same method that was used to remove Mirko Sarovic from the Presidency will be used in this case too. Dragan Covic’s office did not much comment on the story. Ljerka Boric from the Covic’s public relations office stated that Covic’s office did not have a comment about the issue. DL also notes that the most likely successor to Covic, should he be removed, is Martin Raguz, the current Deputy Speaker in the BiH Parliament’s House of Representatives. Other two serious candidates, according to DL, are Vinko Zoric and Ivo Miro Jovic. |
| VL: ‘Indictments: Politics-Dragan Covic; Church-Cardinal Vinko Puljic; Economy-Mijo Brajkovic’
| Vecernji List, front pg splash ‘Indictments: Politics-Dragan Covic; Church-Cardinal Vinko Puljic; Economy-Mijo Brajkovic’ and pgs 2-3 ‘Indictments for Croats’, by Zoran Kresic – Commenting on announcements about possible indictment against Dragan Covic, the author argues that the timing of the indictment coincided with the Neum meeting of political parties, which was initiated by Covic, and in that context, the author says signals that were sent from Neum that representatives of the three peoples in BiH can sit down and discuss important issues for BiH, were not to the Brussels’ liking “whose bureaucracy, secretaries, interpreters…are more important than any minister in the country”. VL also notes that recent accusations against Cardinal Vinko Puljic (connected to hiding of runaway general Ante Gotovina) are not a coincidence, and on top of this, VL cites the issue of ‘revision of privatization in the ‘Aluminij’ Company. All this leads the author to say that the IC agrees to arrange BiH without the Croats. |
| Transparency International present their local initiatives to fight corruption
| Hayat – BiH Transparency International has organized annual meeting on project of Centre for assistance in the fight against corruption. This regional project, on-going in BiH since last year, resulted with 3500 reports on corruption filed by the BiH citizens up to now. “The greatest number of reports filed by the BiH citizens refers to the local administration, namely municipality and Cantonal levels, and I have to point out reports against inspection services which were said to be the most corrupted ones”, said the TI Spokesperson, Srdjan Blagovcanin. The TI representatives presented the problem to the authorities. “What is characteristic for BiH is connection between authorities and organized crime, which especially impacts foreign investments”, said Blagovcanin. FTV, Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘Of 3500 reports of citizens, only seven ended up with the Prosecution’, by D. P. Mandic – Out of these 3.500 complaints, only seven made it to the Prosecutor’s office. PINK – “Messages we have sent to BiH authorities are that, in a very complex state organization, there is possibility for corruption to progress,” said Blagovcanin. RTRS – TI also received 2 reports against OHR employees but no institution in BIH has the mandate to investigate such allegations apart from OHR itself. OHR determined that there was no corruption on the work if its employees. |
| Conference on mediation in court practice starts in
| Hayat by Asim Beslija – Conference on introduction of mediation procedure in the court practice has been organized in |
| Hercegovacka Bank case continues
| Dnevni List, pg 9, mentioned on front ‘Claims of prosecutor McNair that there was no production at Sokovit denied’, by Erna Mackic – Reports that the continuation of trials to Ante Jelavic before the |
| “60 Minuta” believes that FBiH Supreme Court will rule in favour of “Hercegovacka Banka” under political influence
| FTV “60 minutes” current affairs program, by Zvonimir Jukic– Chairman of FBiH Supreme Court Amir Jaganjac will have full hands with the case “Eronet” and Magazine speculates that he will slack under the pressure and rule in favour of “Hercegovacka Banka” and criminal groups, which are trying to confiscate BiH’s property. Further on Magazine claims that after Cantonal Court of Mostar ruled in favour of HT Mostar, meaning against “Hercegovacka Banka”, Bank’s Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson has started an amassing campaign, saying that this was a political decision, with a final goal to influence the FBiH Supreme Court, whose Judges will now lead this case. Further on, Magazine claims that Robinson desperately wanted to sell “Eronet” to Austrian “Mobilcom” and that her plans were spoiled by FBiH Government, which is only trying to protect its property. On the other hand, Stipe Prlic, Director of HT Mostar, claims that ruling of Cantonal Court wasn’t political and that it is quite the opposite and that Robinson is the one who is making shameless political pressures, trying to use her position. Report by by Amarildo Gutic– Magazine also accuses Amir Jaganjac, for minimizing of case “Pogorelica” being that he has overruled the part of the indictment for supporting of terrorism. Reporter comments that FBiH Court has become the dream for every criminal, being that on this way they are very close to be liberated or get the lowest sentence, being that only difference is in the background of the ruling, which can be of political nature, sympathy among colleges or something in cash, while Jaganjac is alpha and omega of all weird events within that Court. |
| IWPR says international prosecutor under growing pressure | Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Indictments based on – rumours!’, by Valentina Rupcic – According to a recently published report of the London-based Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), international prosecutors in BiH are being exposed to ever growing pressures because of criticism that they cut too many deals with suspects from Mafia circles. According to an (anonymous) international expert “international prosecutors have set a very bad example in cases they have been running so far. If you read their indictments, you will see that they are in big parts based on rumours”. VL also carries a (anonymous) senior official in the |
Political issues | |
| SDP submits draft Law on BiH Holidays: six state, six religious holidays
| PINK Dragana Erjavec – SDP Caucus in the BiH House of Representatives and SDP representative in BiH House of Peoples Tomislav Limov jointly have sent proposal of law on BiH holidays to the Parliament which regulates the state and religious holidays in BiH. According to SDP’s proposal, state holidays in BiH would be New Year (January 1st and 2nd), Independence day (March 1st), International Labour’s Day (May 1st), Europe’s Day (May 9th), Remembering the Srebrenica Victims Day (July 11th) and BiH Statehood Day (November 25th). If parliamentary members adopt this proposal, six religious holidays will be included, two for each major religion in BiH, plus two days for other religions and atheists. “Lack of such law, by which all holidays would be marked on the whole BiH territory, causes certain problems which impact work of all BiH institutions, and it presents an obstacle to establishment of a single economic space”, said Limov. Hayat, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 3 ‘Nine days in a year intended for holidays’ by Az. Kalamujic, Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Mark six state and six religious holidays’– also reported. |
| Covic, Tihic mark Independence Day; Paravac: 1 March brings negative memories
| FTV, Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Tihic and Covic mark Independence Day, Paravac ignores it’ by A. Malagic – BiH Presidency Chair Borislav Paravac on Monday said that he does not regard March 1 as a BiH State holiday, “primarily because of the fact that this day rouses negative memories of the anti-Serb referendum that resulted in issuing the decision on BiH’s secession from the former SFRY without the compliance of the Serb people”. Paravac said he would accept all holidays under the BiH law, stressing that 1 March is not appropriate. “There are significant dates in BiH, which can be accepted by all peoples and marked as state holidays,” reads the statement issued by Paravac’s cabinet. Dnevni Avaz pg 8 ‘Tihic and Covic mark Independence Day, Paravac ignores it’ by A. Malagic carries that Croat member of the BiH Presidency Dragan Covic and Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic mark March 1 as the BiH Independence Day. Commenting on this holiday Tihic said that March 1 is a historic event for BiH. On the same issue Covic said that 13 years ago most of BiH citizens voted for independence of BiH and now it is quite certain that survival of internationally recognized BiH is not questionable. EuroBlic RSpg 2 ‘Paravac: I do not recognise 1st March’ by D.S., Nezavisne Novine pg 3 ‘Independence Day celebrated in F BiH’ by Agencies, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 16 ‘Six state holidays with 7 non-working days’, by F – reports on celebration of 1st March in FBiH. |
| VL: Tihic will remain SDA President
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘BiH Independence Day?’, by Ljuba Djikic, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 16 ‘What does BiH make independent?’, by Emil Karamatic – On the occasion of March 1, which is being celebrated as the Independence Day of BiH, but only in the FBiH, both dailies question how independent BiH really is, noting that majority of important decisions are not taken by domestic institutions. In that context, SD notes among other things that the country is being run by the High Representative for BiH, Paddy Ashdown, and his well paid foreign clerks, and that foreign banks control the financial market in BiH. SD concludes: “Even the High Representative supports the independence of the RS more, and he has shown it thousands of times, more than he was ever interested in the independence of BiH”. |
| Update to status of PDP officials at BiH CoM
| Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Tihic to lead SDA again’, by Miso Relota – VL learns from a “senior official of SDA” that the current President of SDA, Sulejman Tihic, will remain the SDA President after the SDA Congress that is scheduled for May 26, 2005. According to the article, Adnan Terzic, who has been mentioned as a contender for the office, will become new Vice President of the SDA. When it comes to Bakir Izetbegovic, VL notes that he too will become a new Vice President in case he breaks off “his agreement with former Mayor of Mostar Safet Orucevic”. |
| NN op-ed critical of Terzic
| Nezavisne Novine pg 4 ‘PDP left on its Head Mladen Ivanic to make decision’ by V.P. – Sinisa Djordjevic, member of PDP Presidency, on Monday confirmed that PDP had left it upon its Head, Mladen Ivanic, to decide whether he would withdraw resignation he filed to the position of BiH Foreign Minister or not. Djordjevic stated that Ivanic would make decision by the end of this week, expressing his view that Ivanic is the only person, who can properly confront the policy run by Adnan Terzic, owing to which reason he should remain at this position. Terzic on Monday commented on this issue by saying that: “If he failed to make decision, I would make it.” |
| Jamie Shea on situation in the Balkans
| Nezavisne Novine op-ed pg 7 ‘Witch-hunt’ by Almedin Sisic – The author is critical of the recent statement of Adnan Terzic, when he said that 15 out of 18 war crime fugitives are in |
Defence and security issues | |
| JMC meeting; Leakey: ‘Leaky: We shall deal with those who help war criminals soon’ | Dnevni Avaz pg 3 ‘Leaky: We shall deal with those who help war criminals soon’ by M. Drinjakovic carries that the meeting of the 44th Joint Military Commission chaired by EUFOR Commander David Leaky was held in Butmir on Monday. Commenting on this meeting, Leaky said that the main purpose of this meeting was presenting of 22 changes in the Instructions to the parties from the Dayton Peace Accord in order to help re-organization of BiH armed forces. Leaky added that they also talked about the arrest of war criminals and he added: ‘During the meeting I said that we shall deal soon and in efficient manner with those persons and organizations that are involved or that help hiding of war crime indictees.’ PINK, RTRS, Vecernji List, pg 3 ‘Meeting of Joint Military Commission held’, by F– also carried out. |
| Defence officials and analysts speculate on possible abolishment of entity Defence Ministries
| RTRS “Pecat” current affairs program, by Gordana Cimesa – RTRS says that based on the order of the HR Paddy Ashdown, the entity Defence Ministries should be abolished by autumn. The first phase of defence reform seems to be finished, however the it’s not clear what the second phase would be and despite the statement of HR, none of RS officials so far clearly explained whether RS would lose its Army by the end of the year. RS officials probably don’t want to speak about abolishment of RS Army in public, because they don’t want to discomfort the public before the elections. RS Defence Minister, Milovan Stankovic, said that he personally believes that there is no need to abolishment army, but added the final decision is not up to him. FBIH Minister of Defence Miroslav Nikolic believes that the entity Ministries of Defence are going to be abolished. Some RS politicians claim that they would rather accept the total demilitarisation of BIH than the establishment of unified state army. Military analyst Ostoja Barasin believes that BIH is going to have a unified army. Military analyst Antonio Prlenda believes that the entity MoDs are going to be abolished, but entities will keep the entity armies, which will have a joint command and headquarter on state level to deal with issues of personnel, education and logistics. BIH Minister of Defence Nikola Radovanovic explained that one of the requirements for joining NATO is the establishment of state MoD. Stankovic stated that NATO will probably insist on unified BIH army, but this army should be established with respect to constitutional, historical, cultural and religious varieties in BIH. |
| Nadarevic on Law on defenders’ rights: Implementation slow
| Dnevni Avaz cover pg splash and pg 5 ‘World Bank demands reduction of disability allowances’ by A. Basic carries an interview with Federation of BiH Minister for Defenders’ Issues Ibrahim Nadarevic. Asked whether he is satisfied with implementation of the Law on rights of defenders and members of their families, Nadarevic says that implementation does not go that fast as it was planned since the FBiH Defense Ministry is late when issuing of certification on circumstances under which a person got injured is in question. Nadarevic added that also, due to the fact that competent municipal bodies and services do not exist especially in the Herzegovina-Neretva, Zenica-Doboj and Tuzla Canton, there is a big number of beneficiaries of the aforementioned rights in the |
| Blic: NATO fears Al’Qaeda in BiH
| EuroBlic pg RS3, announced on cover ‘Fear from Al-Q’Aida’ by Beta – Report refers to an article published in Patriot magazine and reads NATA HQ in Sarajevo has asked from Sarajevo Prosecutor’s Office to find out which BiH citizens of Islamic countries’ origins have gained the right to BiH citizenship through participation at armed forces of BiH during the war. NATO demanded from BiH Prosecutor’s Office to strip off BiH citizenship of those persons and to deport them from the country. Reportedly, NATO has decided to undertake this step in order to reduce the possibility of terrorist actions and influence of Al-Q’Aida and other influential Islamic groups. According to the article, this move of NATO is just an introduction to a large action NATO HQ is preparing, the essence of which is to “settle accounts with radical wing of SDA” that should follow in the next several months since NATO has collected enough evidence on connections of certain high officials of this party with terrorist organizations throughout the world. |
| Interview with candidates for leading SIPA positions on Monday | Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Commission carried out interviews with 13 candidates yesterday’ by A.B. – The Commission for election of candidates for SIPA’s leading positions carried out interviews with 13 candidates on Monday. DA says that BiH Security Minister Barisa Colak should have results of this interview as early as on Wednesday and then he will propose future leading SIPA officials to the BiH Council of Minister which will pass the final decision. |