OHR BiH Media Round-up, 16/8/2002 - Office of the High Representative

Headlines in Print Media
Oslobodjenje: Party for BiH from Maglaj – Galijasevic accuses Siljadzic of destroying the Alliance for Change; Operation in Celebici – Helicopters monitor the border

Dnevni Avaz: The Financial Police ordered to conduct an investigation into the Customs Administration operations; Bond with the Presidency -US wants to reach the agreement with BiH

Jutarnje Novine: Several thousands citizens in the Una-Sana Canton signed an appeal for justice in “Pogorelica” case – let the suspects defend themselves from liberty; the Head of the BiH Islamic Community visit Pogorelica and Bahto cases’ suspects in the Sarajevo Central Prison

Dnevni List: Paddy Ashdown on the reform of the defense system and the creation of a single army – BiH may join NATO if it establishes common army

Vecernji List: SFOR catching Karadzic’s supporters

Glas Srpski: SFOR withdraws from the positions in Celebici – They left to come back

Nezavisne Novine: The Sarajevo Milkos (milk factory) employees threaten to go on hunger strike; BiH Presidency members meet with the US Ambassador to BiH – there are no pressures on BiH

FRY Nacional: Luka Karadzic: Radovan has great intelligence officers – SFOR will disgrace itself once again

Vecernje Novosti: SFOR withdraws from Celebici: SFOR hallucinates Radovan

Euro Blic: Search for supporters; Special guards in Razljevo near Brcko; Sarovic: BiH institutions can be in Banja Luka as well; Djokic: SFOR helps the SDS campaign

Slobodna Bosna: Alija, where is that piece of paper?!

BH Dani: Mustafa Ceric, a politician at the service of religion – Why is Reis (Head of the Islamic Community) against Bosniaks?

Operation continued against Karadzic’s support network – SFOR helicopters monitor state border with Montenegro
“Today, SFOR soldiers from Multinational Division Southeast, supported by soldiers from Multinational Division North, are continuing their ground and helicopter patrols throughout southern Republika Srpska. The aim of these patrols is unchanged from yesterday: SFOR is pursuing information it has received concerning Radovan Karadzic’s support network. By support network, I mean the circle of people who shelter, feed, alert, guard and move Karadzic in an effort to keep him from justice. The network also includes the locations, routes and methods of transportation Karadzic uses to remain at large,” SFOR Spokesman Scot Lundy told journalists in Sarajevo on Thursday. (Oslobodjenje, p 3, announced on the front page, Dnevni Avaz, p 4, Glas Srpski, front page, Nezavisne Novine, p 2)

Glas Srpski(front page) and Nezavisne Novine (front page, p 2) report that on Thursday around 2 PM SFOR troops started to withdraw from Celebici. Glas Srpski learns that German soldiers withdrew, while the US and French troops stayed in the border area between Montenegro and BiH. The paper carries statements of the local people from Celebici who were there during the SFOR operation. These people claim they were searched by SFOR and say that what they experienced certainly cannot be called civilized behaviour. (FRY Nacional p 4, Blic p 9, Vecernje Novosti p 15 and Jutarnje Novine, p 3, carried a similar report)

All Croat/ian dailies also report on the SFOR’s action in region of Foca in destroying of a network of support to war criminal suspect Radovan Karadzic. Dnevni List (page 4) reports that SFOR troops were very brutal against local population in searching and checking. After testimonies of local population that SFOR soldiers have forced some of them to spread their legs and arms before guns, and with their things thrown around, the daily quotes professor Zeljko Trojer: “Me and my colleague, we had to stand on two sides of the car, so that the car registration plate is visible, and then they photographed us.” Vjesnik (front and page 8), Vecernji List (front and page 18), Slobodna Dalmacija (page 9) and Jutarnji List (page 2) also carry reports on the SFOR operation in Celebici. Jutarnji List carries statement of SFOR’s spokesperson Scott Lundy: “We wish that Karadzic is already imprisoned … If nobody else does that, SFOR will arrest him for sure.“

The chairman of the RS Socialist Party and candidate running for the post of RS president, Petar Djokic, has said that the operation staged by SFOR in Celebici on Wednesday was not needed, adding that the international peacekeeping force in BiH with such actions “is interfering with the pre-election campaign and helping directly the Serb Democratic Party (SDS, President Mirko Sarovic’s party)”. “This is an absurd situation considering the well-known stands of the international community with regard to elections. I think that such activities are contributing in some ways to consolidate the BiH citizens around the political parties with a nationalistic orientation,” Djokic told a news conference in Banja Luka on Thursday. (Oslobodjenje, p 8, SRNA, Glas Srpski, p 2, Nezavisne Novine, p 5, Blic p 3, FRY Nacional p 11)

“The latest SFOR campaign against Karadzic’s support network has not been particularly commented by the RS leaders. However, the indicative is a statement by the RS Interior Ministry’s spokesman that this institution will in the framework of its authorities foreseen by the law undertake measures if needed. Doesn’t this mean that the RS authorities have finally forced to in certain way cooperate in apprehending the most wanted war crime suspects? This would together with the return of refugees be the key pre-condition for remaining of the most responsible RS politicians in power,” Zija Dizdarevic wrote in the Oslobodjenje’s In Focus column (p 2).

Luka Karadzic, Radovan’s brother, said he was not in contact with Radovan and that he had learned about the SFOR action from the media. “I am worried about Radovan”, Luka said. He added that Radovan has a great intelligence network, and that SFOR action will once again fail. (FRY Nacional p 4)

OHR activities
The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, warned that only with the common defense structures at the state level BiH might be admitted in the NATO Partnership for Peace program. Ashdown told journalists in Sarajevo on Thursday, following his working meeting with the BiH Presidency members, that there were opposite opinions about a common defense structure, particularly in the RS. “Claims of those in the RS, who say that the accession to NATO is possible if the separated structure continue to exist are totally senseless. That is why I together with the Presidency stand behind the reforms in this area,” Ashdown said. Fors his part, Beriz Belkic, the chairman of the Presidency, said that the judicial reforms had also been discussed at the meeting. According to Belkic, the current composition of the high judicial and prosecutorial councils was indeed a result of the present formal-legal circumstances. (Oslobodjenje, p 6 Vedrana Zivak, Dnevni Avaz, p 2 Almasa Bajric, Jutarnje Novine, p 3 FENA report, Glas Srpski, p 3, Nezavisne Novine, p 3, Dnevni List, front and p 3, p 2, Slobodna Dalmacija, back page, Vecernji List, p 2, Blic p 3)

“The system of the criminal judiciary as it is now represents one of the basis problems in BiH, which must be resolved,” said Manfred Dauster, acting Head of the OHR Serious Crimes Unit and the Head of the Unit for Criminal Bodies and Prosecutor’s Offices Reform, at the beginning of the interview for this week’s Slobodna Bosna.

This week’s BH Dani gave the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, one star (good move) on the Bosnian Barometer pages (assessing moves of the individuals and the institutions on the past week) for his support to a meeting of the BiH state and entity’s finance ministers at which the abolishment of the double-taxation system was agreed.

“There seems to be some confusion regarding the reporting of the High Representative’s decision to impose the amendments to the Republika Srpska Law on Urban Planning. The amendments to the law will ensure that monuments listed under Annex 8 will be exempted from the licensing regime envisaged in the Law on Urban Planning, thus speeding up the implementation of Annex 8.These changes basically harmonise Entity legislation necessary for the proper protection, conservation, presentation and rehabilitation of designated National Monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This does not mean that the technical requirements for construction are in any way loosened or, in fact, removed. It is not now possible to construct without permission. In all cases permission to reconstruct is still required. The High Representative’s decision relates to firms undertaking this reconstruction which, as before, still have to comply with the respective articles of the Republika Srpska Law on Urban Development, which ensure that the company is professional and responsible and has a court registration. What has changed, i.e., what is now not necessary, is for that company to get a secondary — additional — administrative license from the Republika Srpska Ministry for Urban planning, for that company to work in the Republika Srpska,” OHR Spokesman Oleg Milisic told a press conference in Sarajevo on Thursday. (Oslobodjenje, pages 4-5, Dnevni Avaz, p 4)

By his latest decision amending the RS Law on Urban Planning, “the High Representative has made it clear to all those playing games with the BiH’s future that there will be no more ignorance towards the signed documents. He has also given a lecture that the history, which in these areas has a thousand-year tradition, cannot be erased,” Edina Sarac wrote in the Dnevni Avaz’s Commentary of the Day.

DNS (Democratic People’s Union) thinks that High Representative Paddy Ashdown’s decision to exempt national monuments from the licensing regime envisaged in the RS Law on Urban Planning does not contribute to promotion of democracy and rule of law. The press release issued by the DNS says it is obvious that the High Representative has lost his patience and acted improperly. “With this move the High Representative has left at the mercy of extremists all churches and mosques in the RS”, the press release reads. (FRY Nacional p 11)

The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, has appointed Ambassador Bernard Fassier as Senior Deputy High Representative and Head of Rule of Law unit. Mr. Fassier was born in France in 1944. (OHR PR prominently carried almost in full by Oslobodjenje, p 5, Dnevni Avaz, p 2, Jutarnje Novine, p 2, Blic, p 3)

US/BiH relations – BiH Presidency members meet with Bond
The US ambassador to BiH, Clifford Bond, on Thursday briefed the BiH Presidency on the US interest in concluding a bilateral agreement on extradition of citizens of these two countries to the International Criminal Court (ICC), a statement issued by the Presidency says. The statement adds that it was concluded jointly at the meeting that this issue deserved a long-term treatment, which would take into account international obligations and international status of both countries. The meeting between Bond and the Presidency members was the first official discussion between US and BiH representatives about the US efforts to ensure that a large number sign this agreement exempting Americans from the ICC jurisdiction. (Nezavisne Novine, p 7, announced on the front page, Oslobodjenje, p 4, Dnevni Avaz, p 2, announced on the front page, Jutarnje Novine, p 3, Vecernji List, p 2)

Slobodna Dalmacija (page 16) carries Jerko Ivankovic-Lijanovic, Vice President of Through Work to Prosperity party as saying: “If Americans directly condition their remaining in the international peacekeeping missions by staying out of the International Criminal Court, than we firmly support this position”. This Party declares that the United States have been more concrete and decisive from the other countries in stopping the bloodshed in BiH and have contributed to normalization of situation by their post-war engagement. The Party also stated that the American judicial system is guaranty enough that all eventual crimes would be prosecuted. The Party, however, emphasizes that it does not wish to jeopardize the position and the establishment of the International Criminal Courts, but it supports it without reserve.

An offer which Washington has forwarded to Croatia relating to a bilateral agreement on not extraditing US citizens to the International Criminal Court is being considered but a final decision will be made once attitudes are harmonized between the government and other state institutions, the acting spokesman for the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The US demands are being mulled, and the Croatian government and other government institutions are to harmonize attitudes and make a final decision, Zarko Plevnik told Hina.

However, Croatia will more than likely refuse the US offer for the bilateral agreement, Plevnik added, citing a statement by Foreign Minister Tonino Picula to Croatian media. (Oslobodjenje, p 4)

“The persistence of the George Bush’s administration in opposing a project of the universal International Criminal Court’s jurisdiction over sanctioning crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has surprised those who have been following just rhetorical level of the American loyalty to the human rights. If we put aside gentle phrases largely used by the American political leaders, we will have more time and space to look into the facts which a shameful list of the American persistent fight against policy of the universal human rights can be made from. In addition to the opposition to the ICC, these facts include a shocking opposition to the adoption of the UN Convention against torture and a recent final position made by the US authorities not to allow a status of war prisoners to the inmates in the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba,” Edina Becirevic wrote in this week’s Slobodna Bosna.

In this week’s BH Dani Seventh Day editorialSenad Pecanin criticizes US policy towards the ICC saying that “with Bush’s administration, an ultra-unilateralism is on the scene, which makes enemies from American friends throughout the world.”

Dnevni List (page 2, by Jurislav Petrovic) and Vecernji List (page 4, by Miroslav Nikolic, a military analyst) carry that BiH is in a rather difficult position because due to the USA conditions regarding the International Criminal Court it has to chose between admission to Partnership to Peace and NATO and joining European integration. Petrovic wonders: ‘We shall see whether European countries will be strong enough to resist a blackmailing policy of the USA and show that they are still able to wage their policy by themselves.

Dispute, affairs in the BiH Federation, news from the entity
The municipal branch of the Party for BiH from Maglaj has accused the party leadership and its presidential candidate, Haris Silajdzic, of performing a Stalinist policy, of crime and its covering-up, of launching of the private-party’s projects as well as of re-establishment of the coalition with the SDA and HDZ. These and many other accusations including the one of destroying the Alliance for Change are stated in a letter sent to the Party’s leadership, which was signed by the Party’s Municipal Council in Maglaj headed by Dzevad Galijasevic (Oslobodjenje, front page, pages 4-5).

Under the slogan “the Appeal for Justice, the gathering was held on Thursday in Bihac, which was organized by the Initiative Board for the Release from Custody of Ejub Ikic, Edhem Veladzic and other actors of the “Pogorelica case.” Several thousands of the Una-Sana Canton citizens have allegedly signed the initiative for the release. (Dnevni Avaz, p 10, Oslobodjenje, p 6, Jutarnje Novine p 5, announced on the front page)

The Head of the BiH Islamic Community, Mustafa Ceric, on Thursday visited actors of the “Pogorelica” and “Bahto” cases in the Sarajevo Central Prison. (Oslobodjenje, p 6, Dnevni Avaz, p 10, Jutarnje Novine, p 5, announced on the front page)

“Former SDA leader Alija Izetbegovic differently from his private Reis Mustafa Ceric did not state that the Slobodna Bosna Editor-in-Chief was a psychopath and mentally ill person, He satisfied himself with describing Slobodna Bosna as one in a series of his criminal projects financed by the Muslim money. How incorrect this is witness a fact that Slobodna Bosna still exists differently from all other things handled by Alija Izetbegovic in the past ten years,” Senad Avdic wrote in an article of response to the Izetbegovic’s claims he had once given him money for launching the magazine.

‘Apel’, an association of journalists, issued a press release regarding a public debate between Sead Avdic, an Editor-in-Chief, and Reis Mustafa Ceric, which says that Apel is shocked at the way in which Reis Ceric attacks Avdic advocating shutting down of a magazine, whose writing he does not like. The press release also says: ‘In such publicly stated stand it is not difficult to recognize a threat, that is, a calling on a lynch of a journalists, who work for Slobodna Bosna, only because Reis Ceric does not like them.’

In a long article entitled: “Why is Reis Ceric against Bosniaks?”, BH Dani Editor-in-Chief Vildana Selimbegovic wrote that the time has come for the Head of the BiH Islamic Community to recognize a difference between the Bosniaks-Muslims just seeking their place under sun and those Muslims who had come to BiH 1993 to fight for a piece of the Muslim sun, and whom Mustafa Ceric fully agreed with on how should the Muslims in BiH look like.

Dnevni Avaz (front page) learns that the BiH Federation Financial Police inspectors have been ordered to enter the premises of the BiH Federation Customs Administration and investigate into a case of purchase of the uniforms for the BiH Federation customs officers, regardless of a fact the tender won by the Split-based Roberts International company had been annulled.

Vecernji List (page 2) and Dnevni List (page 3) carry that SNS and AID, two Federation Intelligence Services, officially stopped with their work yesterday and, in this way, a process of an internal organizing of a newly formed joint Federation Intelligence Security Service (FOSS), led by Ivan Vuksic and Munir Alibabic, has come to its end

RS news
“RS Ministry of Defence and the Army have fulfilled all the envisaged obligations in connecting with deploying of a transport unit from BiH under the auspices of the UN and declare that the BiH does not have a single reason to postpone its obligation towards the UN peace-keeping”, stressed the RS Minister of Defence, Slobodan Bilic, in a letter addressed to the UN SRSG, Jacques Paul Klein. Noting that apart from these results, the RS does yet not know the location where this transport unit from BiH would be deployed, Bilic expresses suspicion that “this process has been slowed down or in the worst case terminated without any proper justification”. (Blic p 3)

Glas Srpski reports on its front page that a 20,000 KM worth church bell was stolen from the church in a village Skipovac near Doboj. The vicar, Mirko Jokovic, told the paper that apart from the bell, which weighs 500 kg, an icon was stolen too. Nezavisne Novine carried the same story (page 3).

Pre-election campaign
The SDS candidate for the RS member of the BiH Presidency, Mirko Sarovic, said that he would be committed to a more equal disposition of BiH central institutions, feeling that some of them can be located in Banjaluka. “At the same time, I would be committed to granting a special status to Sarajevo,” Sarovic told SRNA. He added that Sarajevo would truly be accepted as the capital of BiH if a part of it would be granted a special status where central institutions would be located. (Blic p 3, FRY Nacional p 11)

The candidate of SNS for RS president, Vinko Lolic, said that this party is financing its campaign alone, in distinction to the ruling parties which extort money from big companies. “We are witness to a great transfer of money from Telecom Srpska to the accounts of the RS Government, and representatives of the ruling parties toured other big companies as well,” Lolic told reporters and added that the money is being collected by “money laundering” through public works. (Blic p 3, FRY Nacional p 11)

Vecernji List (page 2, by Davor Ivanovic) carries that both Serb and Bosniak politicians are talking about an endangered position of Serbs and Bosniaks respectively, during the ongoing pre-election campaign. VL says that when Reis Mustafa Ceric talks about this issue he is actually talking about his close friends, who are currently in prison charged with crime, or mujahedeens, who are being deprived of BiH citizens. Ivanovic says: ‘A Serb story about endangered position of the RS is very similar to Ceric’ story. There is an exclusive wish to preserve the RS, a Serb entity, to the damage of other two peoples. It is actually about endangered position of privileges, which are being defended more resolutely than rights. It is still ahead of Croats to win their rights.’

Dnevni List (page 11) carries a statement of Lidija Korac, the President of Election Commission BiH, who stated that the Commission will send a team to Herzegovina Neretva Canton to investigate complaints of SDP and Working for Prosperity party about 7,000 names of dead people on election lists. Korac stated that the mistakes are possible due to the fact that Election Commission is using previous election lists as a base for current lists.

Dnevni List (page 4, by Josip Blazevic) carries that a new trend of forming coalitions for the coming elections is very popular among Croat parties. Blazevic also says that it has been estimated that a large number of Croats will be boycotting the coming elections (even 70% of the Croats) and exactly they are a target of the Croat parties and coalitions. The editorial also says: ‘Still it is very useful to use national feelings in order to get votes, however, now it is necessary to add something new to it. Also, we should not be surprised if we receive a phone call of some election candidate or if he appears at our door-step.’

Headlines in Electronic Media
BHTV 1 (Thursday, 1900)

SFOR continues operation in the Celebici area
News from the region
Paddy Ashdown held a working meeting with members of the BiH Presidency
Bernard Fassier assumes duties of the SDHR and Head of Rule of Law unit

FTV 1 (1930)

Traders block Tuzla-Orasje road on Arizona market
The BiH Presidency members meet with US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond
High Representative Paddy Ashdown held a working meeting with members of the BiH Presidency

RTRS (1930)

SFOR satisfied with operation in Celebici, patrols to continue for next day or two
High Representative Paddy Ashdown meets with the BiH Presidency
The BiH Presidency members meet with US Ambassador to BiH Clifford Bond