Hague – ICTY Judge Kirk McDonald addressed a Court order to Republic of Croatia and Croatian Defence Minister Susak, to deliver all necessary documents regarding the Croatian military personnel between November 1 1991 and July 1 1994. Republic of Croatia objected to this decision explaining that the Tribunal is not allowed to address a Court order to a sovereign state nor to it’s higher official. The Tribunal rejected these objections. ICTY also ordered to Republic of Croatia and Susak to respect this order within 30 days.
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Bosanska Gradiska – The UN office announced that a bomb exploded this morning in IPTF officer’s apartment. This was assessed to be retaliation for NATO’s arrest of war criminals. UN spokesman Alun Roberts said in BL that the officer was not injured. Roberts also said that posters with Karadzic’s face were plastered all over the area, with a text reading do not touch him – he means peace.
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Sarajevo – During today’s visit to Sarajevo, the new European NATO commander General Clark said that there was no change in the SFOR mandate, and that NATO will keep on arresting war criminals if they come across them, and if situation allows it. General Clark and SFOR commander general Crouch also met BiH President Izetbegovic, and Presidency member Zubak with whom they talked about the implementation of the DPA. Clark expressed his disappointment regarding the implementation of civilian part of the DPA.
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BiH TV news comment – RS officials are determined to obstruct the joint institutions of BiH Parliament. Yesterday, RS representatives did not attend the CoM session, and today Krajisnik did not attend the conversation between BiH President Izetbegovic and Presidency member Zubak with General Clark, although he was invited. RS representatives also did not attend today’s succession talks. Serb leaders involved in war crimes are bitter at SFOR whose soldiers they call the occupying force… The peak of resistance was today’s letter from Co-President Bosic to HR Westendorp where he informs Westendorp that all further work of the RS representatives is very seriously under question, after the recent SFOR actions, since SFOR obviously broke it’s mandate. Bosic explained that RS representatives did not attend yesterday’s session, because SFOR soldiers were searching for people for reasons only known to them.
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Sarajevo – US special envoy Gelbard said that the IC is trying to increase the pressure so Pale will not receive any aid before local authorities begin to co-operate. He also said that the US wish to establish the special foundation for paying the former Yugoslavia authorities to help arrest war criminals. Gelbard said that he will present this plan at the Donors conference in Brussels.
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Sarajevo – The session of the Steering Board for the DPA implementation was held today at the OHR. The representatives of EC, World Bank, UN, OSCE, Islamic Conference Organisation, and countries, members of Contact Group attended the session. The subjects of the session are security co-operation and military control, conditions for refugee return, co-operation in arrest of war criminals, full implementation of BiH Constitution, human rights, freedom of movement merchandise, and communications. The special aspect of the session is on media, and forthcoming elections.
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Sarajevo – CoM Co-President Silajdzic talked to Luxembourg Defence Minister Bodry. They agreed that extradition of war criminals to the Hague is one of the most important conditions for the full DPA implementation.
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Sarajevo – BiH Federation Vice-president Ganic talked to ambassador Montgomery. The subject of the conversation was current situation of the DPA implementation. It was said that obstruction of refugee return represents serious violation of human rights.
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Sarajevo – The main subject of conversation between OHR special negotiator for the matters of succession sir Arthur Watts and BiH Succession directorate representatives was the draft of revised memorandum about succession matters. As said by sir Watts, nothing was achieved, for neither one of former Yugoslav countries did not accept the draft as a whole. BiH succession directorate representatives proposed to divide the property that has no obstacles for doing so.
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Sarajevo – Yesterday, the elections appeal sub-committee announced that they have unearthed irregularities during the registration process in municipalities of Jajce, Zepce, Bosanski Brod, Stolac and Zenica. OSCE spokesman Foley said that, depending on which municipality, the leading political parties are bearing responsibility for irregularities, so OSCE removed two to three candidates from each party’s list.
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Summary SRT TV News
The SRT learned from circles close to the IC that the RS will not be included in distribution of the donors’ cake if it doesn’t accept new ultimatums and pressure such as handing over of indicted of war criminals. With that regard Krajisnik talked to the head of the ECMM Dean Everts and said that all the pressure imposed on the RS can bear negative consequences on implementation of the DPA. He added that the RS wants to co-operate with the IC, but the IC’s unequal treatment towards the RS followed by the list of sealed indictments do not help implementation of peace in the region. Krajisnik warned that fear and panic among the population could cause incidents which can grow to something much more serious and endanger the whole process. He appealed on the IC to remove indictments and secret lists.3:00
Banja Luka – Biljana Plavsic’s legal advisor, Dupolj said that if the RS Constitutional Court does not decide in favour of Plavsic with regard to the dissolution of the Parliament, the issue will be handed over to the BiH Constitutional Court. Belgrade papers Vecernje novosti also reported on this information, adding that in order to keep her power, Plavsic will co-operate with the devil himself.
Plavsic visited Kotor Varos today and talked with the local leadership about the crisis in the RS. After the meeting which was held behind closed doors, Plavsic said that the meeting was about several documents which she had allegedly signed, such as the Sintra Declaration, inhabiting of the ZOS etc. ‘If they find my signature and my seal on them, I will give them my life. This a very serious issue. Those lies have come from the most responsible people,’ Plavsic said.
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Parliament Speaker Kalinic sent Plavsic a protest letter with regard to Plavsic’s accusations against Kalinic at her rally in Derventa. Kalinic said that he and other officials kindly asked Plavsic a number of times to stop with accusations. However, Plavsic used the opportunity to say that ‘a man who runs the Parliament took money from the state reserves and takes credits from abroad. He took DM 17 million of credit in Italy, and on June 11 1993, DM 32 million were taken from Banja Luka state bank and Kalinic followed the car loaded with money to check where the money will go.’ Therefore, he demanded of Plavsic to explain the above publicly within three days, otherwise he will sue her in order to protect his reputation, whereas resources that will be gained from this proceeding will be donated for charity.
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The RS Government will participate at the donors’ conference to be held on July 23 and 24 in Brussels. The WB and EC sent an invitation to the Government, which definitely denies all speculations on additional ultimatums and conditions. The Government expects that the IC will finally stop being biased.
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After the brutal arrest by SFOR, Dr Kovacevic had a stroke last night. His illness was made worse by inhuman treatment by the medical staff at the Hague. With regard to that, the RS Government sent an open letter to the Hague, saying that it demands of the Hague to release Kovacevic because he was kidnapped, as well as to allow the RS doctors to examine Kovacevic and establish whether his health got worse because of bad SFOR treatment or because of inadequate treatment at the Hague. ‘We don’t believe that the Hague medical check up will be professional and objective. We are afraid for Kovacevic because of bad experience we had with Gen. Djukic.’
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In view of the terrorist SFOR actions on one hand, and attacks on SFOR as a result of that on the other, MUP released a report in which it strongly condemned the latest incidents, but confirmed that incidents constituted revenge because of the murder and the kidnapping. MUP said that they will work closely with SFOR and IPTF in order to find perpetrators and asked the RS citizens to help peace and help in calming down of the situation.
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Rogatica and other RS towns – The RS citizens refuse to sell goods and refute hospitality to IC representatives. SRT talked to several people who said that although they make less money these days, they will not sell ‘even a chewing gum’ to internationals. Due to the terror of foreign special forces (such as SAS and DELTA force) against the RS citizens, this morning all towns in the RS were covered with posters with Karadzic’s picture on them and a text in English that said: ‘Don’t touch him! He is freedom!’ The RS authorities do not know who committed this act. [The SRT showed posters hanging in every corner of Zvornik, Bijeljina, Banja Luka, and Rogatica].
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Pale – The CoM Co-chair Bosic held separate meetings with the Slovenian and Luxembourg Ambassador, and discuss the economic co-operation and holding of the donors’ conference.
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President of the National Party Brdjan asked his supporters to boycott the SRT programme. The SRT wonders if this act is only an imitation of the leader of another unimportant party [Party For Peace and Progress], Ljubisa Savic Mauzer although the SRT promote him into a great soldier and a leader. ‘I will throw the egg on the SRT building first, and I expect that those who share Plavsic’s opinion will follow me,’ Mauzer said.
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