| RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1 (19,00 hrs) | FED TV (19,30 hrs) | RT RS (19,30) |
| HB documents still missing | | Excavation of mass graves | Stolen cars issue |
| Croat veterans on ICTY | War-time documents | FBIH Government Session | |
| FBIH Government session | Excavations in Pelenis | New Services of Telekom | New Elektropriv. building |
| 2 school calendars in HNC | Changes of | Central Bosnia HDZ funds | Exhumation in Kevljani |
| Oslobodjenje | George Soros paid a part of bail for Sacirbegovic |
| Dnevni Avaz | Graham Blewitt: Karadzic wanted to turn himself in |
| Dnevni List | VAT will destroy BiH publishing |
| Vecernji List | Smuggled kidneys in BiH patients |
| Slobodna Dalmacija | Referral slip for |
| Glas Srpske | Politics is tailoring justice; Radeta must leave |
| Nezavisne Novine | We will ask for entire war documentation of HDZ, HVO and Herzeg-Bosnia from |
| Blic | Invasion of promises in September; Subotica Dairy to buy Banja Luka Dairy: the aim is 100,000 litres; Only 1,200 out of 6,000 houses were reconstructed in Srebrenica |
| Vecernje Novosti | Features Serbian related titles |
| Belgrade’s Nacional | Features Serbian related titles |
| Dani | Hasan Muratovic: We must talk about the third entity |
| Slobodna Bosna | The first big CLASH between Americans and British in BiH – Donald Hays and Clifford Bond prevented Ashdown from dismissing Zlatko Miletic! |
Crime/security/investigations/legal proceedings | |
| Herceg-Bosna wartime documentation still missing
| Herceg Bosna Radio – FBiH authorities do not know where the war archive of Herceg Bosna is and the only thing they can do is keep looking for it, stated FBIH Minister of Justice Borjana Kristo. We do not know where the documents are, if they exist at all, stated Kristo for BHTV – Special division for war crimes of Oslobodjenje pg 4 ‘We will look for documentation in Croatia as well’, Dnevni Avaz pg 2, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5 ‘We will ask for entire war documentation of HDZ, HVO and Herzeg-Bosnia from Croatia’ by Hina – BiH Croat liaison officer with the Hague Tribunal Goran Mihaljevic on Thursday announced that they will address Croatian authorities asking from it to help in locating the documentation on wartime activities of HDZ, HVO and former Herzeg-Bosnia. |
| SB: Covic, Colak, Lozancic in panic
| Slobodna Bosna pgs 17-18 ‘Covic, Colak, Lozancic in panic look for ‘lost’ Herceg Bosna documents because they are facing removal!’ by Suzana Mijatovic – SB writes that “the real diplomatic war is currently being led between Chief ICTY Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte and HDZ BiH leadership over documents from the archive of former parastate Herceg Bosna and its institutions.” Author reminds that ICTY Prosecution sent 6 letters in the past two years to HDZ leadership requesting the same, however “the latest letter is significantly different from the previous ones in its intonation and warnings that the lack of cooperation of current HDZ leadership with the Hague Prosecution could be strongly sanctioned.” Apparently, Del Ponte asked HR Paddy Ashdown for help telling him about lack of cooperation, and subsequently wrote to officials in question that lack of cooperation “could result with a number of measures, including… dismissal of officials.” SB writes that HDZ took this warning very seriously, especially Dragan Covic, Barisa Colak and Niko Lozancic who met this meet to discuss their further actions. However, author also says that most probably current HDZ BiH leadership has no knowledge where is the archive. She claims that the majority of key documents were in the main HVO [Croat Defence Council] HQ in Grude under control of Mate Boban, which later most probably ended up in main logistic center of HVO in Grude, where again the majority of the archive went missing. As for the other part of the documents, SB speculates it was under control of SNS [National Security Service] in 1998 and some less important documents were transferred to Central archive in |
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| BHTV – Approximately 16 million euro raised and intended for first two years of work of |
| ‘George Soros bailed for Sacirbegovic’
| Oslobodjenje cover page, pgs 4-5 ‘George Soros partly bailed for Sacirbegovic’ – A famous philantropist, George Soros, has paid 322,000 US dollars as a part of bail for former BiH Foreign Minister and Ambassador at UN Muhamed Sacirbegovic’s release from the extradition custody in New York. This was confirmed for Oslobodjenje by Muhamed’s father, Nedzib Sacirbegovic. |
| ‘Chetnics from
| Oslobodjenje pg 3, mentioned on cover ‘Chetniks from |
| Former ICTY Prosecutor Blewitt says Karadzic wanted to surrender
| Dnevni Avaz cover page, pg 5 ‘Karadzic wanted to turn himself in’ – The most wanted war criminal Radovan Karadzic wanted to surrender to the Hague Tribunal in 1999 if some of charges against him are dropped, former Deputy ICTY Chief Prosecutor Graham Blewitt said in an interview with the daily. Karadzic requested not to be charged with massacre in Srebrenica and siege of |
| ‘Six BiH Croats to be tried in
| Dnevni Avaz pg 2, mentioned on cover ‘Six BiH Croats to be tried in |
| VL: Instead to
| Vecernji List, pg 5 ‘Instead to The Hague, Dr. Cibo runs for director’, mentioned on front, mentioned on front, by mj – the daily claims to be in possession of a letter that the then Deputy ICTY Prosecutor, Graham M. Blewitt, had sent to the then investigative judge of the Mostar Cantonal Court, Vjekoslav Lovric, in which Blewitt notes that the Cantonal Prosecution in Mostar can launch an investigation against a former (war-time) Mayor of Konjic, Jablanica and Prozor, Safet Cibo, who was installed, according to VL, by the late Alija Izetbegovic, in March of 1993. VL notes that the letter, which dates back to the year 2000, places the case against Cibo under the ‘A’ category. VL argues that instead of ending up in |
| OSA
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4 ‘Pogorelica terrorist camp trainees in BiH OSA soon’ by M. Cubro – A source from OSA has stated for Nezavisne that employees of former Bosniak Intelligence Service AID, who have been trained at Pogorelica camp, might soon be employed at BiH OSA. ‘They have not passed the employment procedure at the Federation of BiH Intelligence Service and were put at disposal of the Federation of BiH Government. Nevertheless, activities on creating terms for their employment have been ongoing for quite a long time now. Adi Sijercic and Himzo Suvalija are in charge of these activities’, the source has stated. The author of the article did not manage to contact OSA Director Almir Dzuvo yesterday. CoM Chairman Adnan Terzic has stated he fully trusts in the work of the Commission for verification of future OSA employees. Asked whether intelligence agents who have been trained at Pogorelica camp should be employed at OSA, Terzic said this should not be the case should it be proven Pogorelica camp was a camp for training of terrorists. |
| Update to “Hajducke vode” case
| Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3 ‘Policemen claim they are not guilty of murdering Bijelic’ by D. Risojevic – Teslic Basic Court has confirmed that all 11 employees of Doboj Public Safety Centre have rejected responsibility for murder of Predrag Bijelic during a police action conducted a year ago in Hajducke Vode near Teslic. The policemen participated in the action, which should have broken a heroin smuggling chain. According to some information, the trial will not be held in Teslic but, most probably, before some other court. |
| Association of Families of Missing Persons requests Aleksandar Radeta’s resignation
| Glas Srpske, cover page ‘Radeta must leave’ by B. T. – A member of the Steering Board of the RS Association of Families of Missing Persons, Marko Grabovac, has stated that the Head of the RS Office for Missing Persons, Aleksandar Radeta, should resign from his position because he is the most responsible for omissions in the work of the Office. He added that the Association requests for a meeting with the leadership of RS, in order to inform them on problems in seeking for missing Serb people. |
| VL: So-called Igman group involved in former FBiH Deputy Interior Minister Leutar assassination
| Vecernji List, pg 2 ‘Igman group involved in Leutar assassination’, by Zoran Kresic – the author notes that the ‘Leutar’ case could be made topical once more after new information surfaced. Apparently, new evidences indicate that former Bosniak Police officers, AID employees (former Bosniak intelligence) and Islamic militants in BiH are involved in organization of the assassination. According to data of the intelligence community, top suspects for planting of an explosive device under Leutar’s car are members of the so-called ‘Igman group’, namely Mounir Hanouf, Muhammad Ebu Gazalij and Bas Murat. VL claims that the troika were arrested one month after the assassination, however they were released despite being in possession of devices used for terrorist acts and being spotted not far from the crime scene. VL also notes that the Italian Interpol has issued arrest warrants after the troika because of terrorist activities. Finally, VL notes it is going to be interesting to investigate into role of former senior Police official, Faik Lusija, and (Interior) Minister, Mehmed Zilic. |
| SB on alleged dispute between British and US diplomats in BiH over planned removal of Miletic
| Slobodna Bosna cover page ‘The first big CLASH between Americans and British in BiH’, pgs 6-7 ‘US Ambassadors Bond and Hays, prosecutor McNair prevented Ashdown from replacing Zlatko Miletic?!’ by S.B. – SB claims it learns from ‘diplomatic circles in BiH’ that about ten days ago the High Representative Paddy Ashdown intended to dismiss FBIH Police Director Zlatko Miletic, which caused a quarrel between US and British politicians. Apparently “Ashdown found the reason for the dismissals in information leaking to media from Police Administration.” SB further says that this was strongly opposed by both Principal Deputy HR Donald Hays and Senior Deputy HR Bernard Fassier, “both believing that FBiH Police Director does his job well,” as well as international prosecutors working in BiH Prosecution who threatened to resign in case of Miletic’s removal. “However, nothing could disturb Ashdown in his intention, until outgoing |
Economic/social issues | |
| Insurance legislation, draft law on public moneys forwarded to the FBiH Parliament
| Herceg Bosna Radio, FTV, Oslobodjenje pg 17 ‘Insurance market to get its ombudsmen as well’, Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘Law on control of privatisation and registration of shares harmonised’, Dnevni List pg 3 ‘BiH ready for meeting of the condition for getting EU loan’ by M. Relota, Vecernji List pg 3 ‘Work will be banned in privatized companies in which there is no production’ by D. Jazvic, Slobodna Dalmacija ‘Office for Prevention of drugs established’ by N. Dimitrijevic, FENA – At a session held on Thursday, the FBiH Government passed and forwarded to parliamentary procedure a set of draft laws stipulating the insurance sector in the entity. The Government also adopted the drfat law on investments of public funds. |
| BiH Association of Publishers and Booksellers against VAT
| Dnevni List front and pg 5 ‘VAT will destroy BiH publishing’ not signed – Reacting against a Draft law on Value Added Tax (VAT), which envisages introduction of 17 % VAT on books, the Association of BiH Publishers and Booksellers launched a petition for exempting of books and publishing trade from paying the VAT. In this petition, the BiH Association of Publishers and Booksellers demands from the BiH Council of Ministers not to adopt a proposal of the Ministry of Finances and Treasury, demanding to exempt publishing from paying the VAT since this is an area of public interest. Dnevni Avaz pg 9 ‘Book and bread have to be freed from VAT’ quotes FBiH Culture and Sports Minister Gavrilo Grahovac as saying that VAT might bring into question the survival of publishing sector in BiH. |
| On financial problems of FBiH Army
| Slobodna Dalmacija pg 10 ‘Conscripts on hold’ by D. Juka – Although some media reported that conscripts who started military service in April were allowed to go to their homes before the end of their military service due to financial problems in the Federation of BiH Army, Camil Husejnbasic, an assistant to the FBiH Defence Minister who is in charge of logistics, denied these reports saying that this was not the case since these conscripts came in April and they spent 4 months in the barracks as the Law on the FBiH Defence prescribes it. As far as the of coming of the conscripts who were supposed to start their military service in July is concerned, Husejnbasic says that their coming has been postponed until logistic and financial situation improves. |
| Old foreign currency savers seek for help of HR
| Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘Paddy, help!’ by M. Mi. – The President of the Association of Old Foreign Currency Savers, Svetozar Nisic, yesterday asked from HR Paddy Ashdown to protect rights of old foreign currency savers. He reminded HR in a letter that the Association has been sending letters to the highest authorities of RS, Federation of BiH and joint bodies of BiH asking from them to help to resolve this issue. |
| Update to Banja Luka Dairy
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Dairy to be sold soon’ by P. Klincov, EuroBlic, cover ‘Subotica Dairy to buy Banja Luka Dairy: the aim is 100,000 litres’ and pg. RS8 ‘The aim is 100,000 litres’ by Tijana Veselinovic – Representatives of RS Government and RS Privatisation Agency yesterday reached an agreement on reprogramming of the Dairy’s debts with a buyer interested in purchasing Banja Luka Dairy. The Deputy President of RS Government, Boris Gaspar, has stated that it was agreed with “Subotica Dairy” that Banja Luka Dairy’s debts towards the RS Government should be reprogrammed to seven years with a two-year-long grace period. Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2 ‘Dairy to be sold soon’ by P. Klincov carries the inset ‘Contract on September 10’, which reads that, according to Boris Gaspar, Banja Luka Dairy should sign agreements on settling of debts with all creditors by August 31, in order for the RS Government to sign a contract on sale with Subotica Dairy on September 10. |
| RS education workers want higher salaries
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 6 ‘Education workers are asking for higher salaries’ by Bi. G. – The RS Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture will send a request to the RS Government, asking for an increase in salaries of education workers. Ranka Misic, the President of the Trade Union, has stated that salaries of education workers are regular but so small that cannot even pay for basic needs. |
| GS cover page story on participation of Serb refugees in privatisation process in FBiH
| Glas Srpske, cover page story ‘Politics is tailoring justice’ by D. V. M. – The article reads that approximately 24,000 Serb refugees from the Federation in BiH have been deprived of their right to certificates. ‘The law gives them the rights to privatisation certificates and the Agency deprives them of this right. It seems as if the Agency is above the laws, even above OHR, which has no power, or perhaps will, to resolve this issue’, the article reads. It explains that these people have registered for vouchers in RS and at the same time got the right to privatisation certificates in the Federation of BiH, after which they have renounced the vouchers in order to be able to privatise apartments by using certificates. The Agency blocked their certificates, explaining that they have wanted to exercise their rights both in RS and the Federation of BiH. ‘Lower employees of OHR are participating in talks and they agree certificates must be unblocked. Nevertheless, they point out they have no authorisation to resolve this issue’, Dragan Cerovac, an employee of RS Privatisation Agency has stated. |
| VL says BiH citizens get organs in
| Vecernji List, front and pg 3 ‘Smuggled kidneys in BiH patients’, by Zoran Kresic – claims that a dozen or so BiH citizens got new organs in India, mostly kidneys and livers, after paying some 70.000 KMs for the transplantations. According to information at VL’s disposal, a group from |
Political developments | |
| DL on systematisation of jobs in
| Dnevni List, pg 7 ‘Workers stay jobless and without social programmes’, mentioned on front, by Zvonimir Jukic – claims that according to the systematisation of jobs in the City administration of Mostar, of 700 current employees, 390 of them will keep the jobs. However, the author claims that the process of systematisation has revealed all shortcomings of the Mostar authorities, claiming that he has learned from its source in the City administration that Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mostar, Hamdija Jahic and Ljubo Beslic respectively, have not made an analysis of employees in the City administration i.e. they do not have a clear picture about professionals at their disposal. Furthermore, the author claims that the systematisation was not carried out together with the Unions of employees of the City administration, although the OHR had promised the Inset entitled ‘Filling in harmony with law’ carries an OHR spokesperson, Sanela Tunovic, as saying that the filling of positions in the City administration will have to be done in accordance with the Law on state appointments. |
| Proposals of re-organization of BiH, reactions
| Dnevni List, pg 9 ‘All three peoples decide about future of BiH’, by Indira Tabucic – carries reactions to the SDP’s proposal of organization of BiH, which would be organized as a republic with municipalities as units of local self-government and regions as units of regional self-government. According to President of SNSD’s Executive Board, Nebojsa Radmanovic, the SNSD has decided not to comment on “individual proposals”. However, Radmanovic says the issue must be solved through agreement of relevant political and expert representatives from all three peoples in BiH. Radmanovic notes it is counterproductive to raise such issues during the pre-election campaign. DL also carries the President of SDU, Miro Lazovic, as saying that a political goal of the SDU is to have BiH organized as a single state with municipalities, in which BiH would be integrated on basis of economic regions, and Hasan Muratovic, a senior SDA official, who recently told DL that BiH should have two levels of authority – either a state with municipalities or state with six regions. |
| HNC Education Minister Musa says Croatian language will not disappear
| Dnevni List, pg 10 ‘Musa: Croatian language is not threatened with extinction’, mentioned on front, by NINA, Slobodna Dalmacija, pg 11 ‘We take care of Croatian language well’, by Darko Juka – triggered by media report that suggested that the Croatian language in BiH will disappear, the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Government organized a press conference yesterday at which the HNC Education Minister, Jago Musa, denied the claims in the press. According to Musa, lectures in one language only “cannot go through”, however, Musa says “the will of the parents is the law to the Education Ministry, which will not be violated”. |
| VL says technical details will delay BiH mission to
| Vecernji List, pg 4 ‘Soldiers are going to Iraq for time being’, mentioned on front, by Zdenko Jurilj – notes that in situation when the authorities and opposition are exchanging pre-election blows whether to send BiH troops to Iraq or not, it is yet uncertain who is going to pay the 36-strong unit. According to VL, the troops will be paid 4.000 KMs a month per soldier. The daily learns from the BiH Council of Ministers that details about sending the troops to Dnevni Avaz pg 4 ‘There is no money for mission to Iraq’ – In a statement for Dnevni Avaz, BiH Council of Ministers Chairman Adnan Terzic confirmed that there was no money foreseen in the state Budget for military mission to Iraq. Terzic added that the CoM would face tremendous problem in order to implement the BiH Presidency’s decision on sending of the BiH de-miner’s unit to |
| SPRS on Mikerevic
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 10 ‘Inappropriate Mikereivc’s statement’ by V. P., Glas Srpske, pg. 2 ‘People is not forgetting’ by M. Mi. – SPRS has assessed Prime Minister Dragan Mikerevic’s statement, saying that he is in no hurry to appoint a Minister of Interior, as inappropriate in time when crimes and corruption are expanding in RS. ‘Mikerevic is in no hurry because international representatives in BiH want a professional to be appointed to this position, which would mean an equal treatment of all and would also mean that some members of parties on power might come under a strike of the Ministry of Interior as well’, a press release of SPRS reads. Oslobodjenje pg 6 ‘Mikerevic afraid of professionals’ also carried the statement. |
| GS on BHT and PBS
| Glas Srpske, pg. 5 ‘In accordance with Tihic’s measure’ by G. Dakic and S. Majstorovic – Bosniak member of BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic has given a statement on the occasion of his recent visit to BHT; ‘We should jointly strive for creating conditions for establishing of a single TV house with two or three channels, which would impartially report on all events in entire BiH’. GS article brings two interpretations of the statement: RTRS and FED TV should be abolished and reduced down to a form of channels that would serve BHT. Everyone in BiH must wish for same things as Sulejman Tihic. A Delegate at HoP of BiH Parliamentary Assembly, Bosko Siljegovic, says Serb people in RS does not see BHT as their informative house, since its editorial policy ignores the Dayton organisation of BiH. He says Croats too do not see BHT as their informative house and this has become a sensitive political issue. Krstan Simic (SNSD) and Petar Kunic (President of the Democratic Forum) think BHT is not adequately reflecting interests of all three peoples. Ognjen Tadic (SRS “Dr. Vojislav Seselj”) says BHT is conducting an anti-Dayton editorial policy and is “suffocating” languages of BiH constitutive peoples. The article carries the inset ‘Rating’, in which it quotes the Head of the Office of RTRS Director, Sasa Risovic, as saying that establishing of a single TV service in BiH is unnecessary. He said there is already a single PBS in BiH, composed out of three equal and independent broadcasters who successfully cooperate with each other. |
Human Rights | |
| Interview with BiH ombudsman Mariofil Ljubic
| Vecernji List pg 5 ‘Authority’s moves endanger independence of ombudsmen’ by E. Medunjanin – In an interview given to VL, BiH ombudsman Mariofil Ljubic says that in general BiH ombudsmen cannot be satisfied with the situation when respecting of human rights in BiH are in question. Ljubic says: “We expect that the reforms, especially the ones in the area of judiciary, will help improving the area of human rights protection.” Asked about his opinion on unification of the institution of ombudsman, Ljubic says: ‘”The BiH Council of Ministers has prepared a proposal of the Law, which is obviously not taking into consideration positions of the institution of the BiH ombudsman and in my opinion some solutions are very disputable and they can affect the independence of the institution. If the things remain as such it might be fatal for the work of such an institution, which must be completely independent without political and other influence. We shall warn representatives of this situation during adoption of the Law.” |
| BiH Ombudsman Popovic on SFOR
| Nezavisne Novine, pg. 13 ‘SFOR under a magnifying glass of BiH Ombudsmen’ by D. R. – BiH Ombudsman Vitomir Popovic yesterday stated that BiH Ombusmen will soon publish an analysis of violation of human rights in BiH by SFOR soldiers, IPTF and other international organisations. ‘We have dealt with certain analyses of human rights violation by international organisations in BiH, including SFOR in case of the Starovlahs’, Popovic has said. According to Popovic, the report will be published after RS Ombudsmen finished their part of the work, since Starovlah family have addressed it asking for a protection of their human rights. On the other hand, RS Ombudsmen Office has stated that they are not working on the Starovlahs case, since they have received no complaint from the Priest’s family. |