Friday
| CROAT RADIO HERCEG-BOSNA (18,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| Herc. Bank on sale | Samac group sentenced | New verdicts in ICTY | Three verdicts in ICTY |
| Samac group sentenced | New BiH Telecom board | Indian investor in TK | OHR condemns RSNA vote |
| Regional news | Suicide threat in protest | New BH Telecom board |
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| New BH Telecom board | Liver transplantation | Croatia Parliament |
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Saturday
| NTV HAYAT (19,00 hrs) | BH TV 1(19,00 hrs) | FED TV(19,30 hrs) | RT RS(19,30) |
| Turkish PM in BiH | Visit of Turkish PM | Visit of Turkish PM | Deficiencies of RS budget |
| Reg. mtg. of female MPs | Mikerevic on ICTY | Indian-UK company in BiH | Law on origin of property |
| Topic: Law on FTV | UK-Indian company in BiH | Privatisation of “Sretno” |
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| Wages in Brcko |
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Saturday
Oslobodjenje | BiH Foreign Ministry provided visas for false RS officials |
| Dnevni Avaz | Malaysia will help construction of 5c corridor |
| Dnevni List | “Halilovic and OHR will put an end on political career of Haris Silajdzic”; “Students without Christmas holidays” |
| Vecernji List | “Hercegovacka Bank Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson: Bank does not give up Eronet”; “Address of Bishop Peric at presentation in Mostar: Old Bridge is not Islamic monument” |
| Glas Srpske | Is Islamic fundamentalism spreading across the Balkans: Gate without a key? |
| Nezavisne Novine | Paddy Ashdown: Corrupt and bad leadership diminished the price of telecom; The Hague Tribunal: Samac group sentenced to 31 years imprisonment all together; Banja Luka: Tender for the sale of Banjaluka Brewery by the end of this year; Clinical Centre Banja Luka: Health Workers did not get the promised salary; Branko Krsmanovic: There will be removals at the Republika Srpska Finance Ministry |
Sunday
Oslobodjenje | Three SBS officers fired due to involvement in women trafficking |
| Dnevni Avaz | Turkish Premier Erdoan in BiH – Izetbegovic extraordinary appreciated in Turkey |
| Dnevni List | “Mujahedeens are preparing attacks on SFOR and Americans”; “7th session of HKDU Senate: International Community in BiH is trying to assimilate Croats” |
| Vecernji List | “BiH and Macedonia on target of terrorists”; “Pavo Boban or Ljubo Pravdic at Head of Agency for Roads” |
| | Political developments |
| Terzic on the stabilization and association agreement with EU | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Adnan Terzic: At the end of next year we will sign the agreement on association with the Union’ – The Chairman of the BiH Council of Ministers, Adnan Terzic, hopes that, in mid November this year, the European Commission will positively assess the feasibility study on the stabilization and association of BiH with the European Union. “We are expecting a positive response that will recognize activities and efforts being made by the current BiH authorities on the path of reforms. I believe that the response will be stimulating and that it will lead to signing the agreement on the stabilization and association with the EU at the end of next year,” said Terzic in a statement for the newspaper. |
| Tihic addresses OIC Summit in Malaysia | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Even in the most difficult times we were a nice example of Islam’, Oslobodjenje pg. 5 ‘Appeal for financial support to BiH’s reconstruction’ – In his address to the participants at the Organization of the Islamic Conference Summit in Malaysia, Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic called on Islamic countries to help BiH through investing in the country’s economy and reconstruction of its infrastructure. He particularly asked for support to the return of refugees and an active participation of the Islamic countries in work of a donor’s conference in The Hague to collect necessary funds for operations of the BiH war crimes chamber. Commenting on the results of the visit to Malaysia and presence at the OIC Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Tihic told Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Tremendous possibilities for cooperation with Malaysia’ he was very satisfied with the echo of the Summit and particularly with the status BiH was enjoying in the Islamic world. |
| SD editorial: “Since when BiH has become Islamic country!?” | Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 17, by Antonio Karamatic) carries an editorial in which the author wonders when BiH has become an Islamic country and thus it attends the Summit of the countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Conference. The author goes on to say: “As long as distinguishing of Croat and Serb prefixes is being viewed as promotion of nationalism and not of a national identity, and for this reason all-mighty CRA issues an order to erase all national prefixes, the things like this will be happening to us. In this way Serbs and Croats are being deprived, and Bosniaks can keep the names such as Avaz, Hayat etc. Actually, this decision does not refer to them although they have an Islamic origin. Loophole in a law.” |
| Ashdown met with Mostar students | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 5 ‘Exodus of young people from BiH must be stopped’ – During his visit to Mostar (on Thursday), the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, also met with the students of the both town’s universities. The meeting was organized by the Mostar Office of the Nansen Dialogue Center. Ashdown particularly expressed his concern about the exodus of young people from BiH saying he would try to stop this process, which represented one of the biggest threats to the country. Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 18, “War is still in heads of many Mostarians”, by M. Landeka) carries that during the visit paid to Mostar last Thursday High Representative Paddy Ashdwon visited Nansen Dialogue Center where he talked with students from both Mostar Universities. Replying to the question about possible unification of these two Universities, the HR stated that in case that BiH wants to be a member of the EU it has to set free the education system which is ethnically divided and this is not only ethically right but such is the European standard. Talking about the current situation in BiH, the HR stated that the progress could be noted during the last years, however, this is not the case with Mostar and this makes him sad. He added: “Mostar has achieved the smallest progress in BiH. Nothing has changed in the heads of some people and the war is still in the heads of some people in Mostar.” |
| Oslobodjenje editorial: Ashdown’s fruitage | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Ashdown’s fruitage’ In Focus column by Gojko Beric – “The mission of the current High Representative in BiH is becoming more and more paradoxical. On one side, the media and opposition and often the representatives of the current authorities are blaming him for misuse of authorities and their too wide application, which is getting the proportion of protectorate. On the other side, the governing coalitions of national political parties have been showing from the very beginning (of their mandate) an obvious incapability to run the country,” said Beric. “That is why in the continuation of the HR’s mission nothing essentially will change. Ashdown will sign decisions and decrees every day, he will be announcing reforms that will not be implemented in practice, he will continue being filmed among refugees or on farms, and, at the end, he will return to England,” concludes Beric. |
| DL editorial on BiH opposition | Dnevni List (Saturday, page 6, “Opposition has started to act”, by Z. Jukic) carries that the political offensive of the BiH opposition has started. The author also says that the ruling parties are in panic and the fact that together with the OHR they responded to democratic acting of the opposition by further repressive measures in public companies and instrumentalization of secret services proves this claim. According to the editorial, Party for BiH left the coalition with SDA in Mostar and that SDP Mostar leadership is not connected to SDA due to personal interests, Party for BiH and SDP might pull down SDA’s rule in some Mostar Municipalities and thus give a final blow to the Party for BiH and SDA Coalition at the state level, that is at its last gasp. The author also says that High Representative Paddy Ashdown is in a hurry since the end of his mandate is approaching and he wants to secure its extension and the author concludes that due to this situation further repression against the opposition is not excluded. The editorial also says that in case that SDP, NHI and SNSD oppose further, probably more repressive measures and if a part or whole Party for BiH joins them, then Ashdown will go home soon and BiH voters will have a new chance to choose better future at the elections. |
| DL: “Halilovic and OHR will put an end on political career of Haris Silajdzic” | Dnevni List (Saturday, front and page 7, by Z. Jukic) carries an article saying that voting of the members of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Government from the line of Party for BiH (SBiH) for the removal of the BH Telecom Steering Board has already caused the situation that might result in a split within this party. The editorial says that the fact that founder of SBiH Haris Silajdzic joined this game proves that the situation is serious and that Silajdzic finally realized that Safet Halilovic tricked him with the help of the OHR. In addition DL carries that a source from SBiH revealed as to what happened at the session of the SBiH Presidency when this party decided to come to power. The source says that the same evening High Representative Paddy Ashdown was a guest at FTV show and left the show due to some important obligations and actually the HR attended the session of SBiH Presidency. During the session, the HR demanded from the SBiH to join the new authority and Silajdzic, who did not want to come in a conflict with the HR, stated that he does not feel like staying with Lagumdzija in the opposition but also that he does not want to be in power with SDS. Silajdzic called on the Presidency to decide on this issue and it was clear to the HR that he will have to exclude Silajdzic and members of the SBiH who opposed his demand (Beriz Belkic and Azra Hadziahmetovic) from the decision-making in SBiH in order to prevent them from taking the party in the opposition. DL says that we can see now that is plan is being realized. |
| | Economic/social issues |
| Malaysia to support construction of 5c corridor | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 3 ‘Mahatir: Malaysian Government will help construction of the highway’ – During the second day of the Organization of Islamic Conference Summit in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur, Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic and BiH Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic had a series of bilateral meetings with heads of the states attending the event. Among the most important ones was a meeting with current Malaysian Prime Minister Muhammad Mahatir and his successor Abdulah Ahmed Badavi. The topic on the agenda was construction of the 5c corridor through BiH. Mahatir said that the Malaysian Government would help the construction through stimulating Malaysian businessmen to invest in the project. |
| Dokic on BOSMAL, 5c corridor construction | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 4 of Pogled weekly supplement ‘If BOSMAL does not provide 300 million euros, we will seek for other highway financiers’ – Interview with Branko Dokic, the BiH Minister of Transport and Communications. Dokic does not exclude any option in order for the 5c corridor to be constructed through BiH. This includes possibility that BOSMAL ensures required 300 million euros but also all other options: advertising an international tender and even possibility that BiH constructs the highway by its own. |
| Robinson advertise sale of Hercegovacka Bank | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna on Friday, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 4 ‘Robinson advertise sale of Hercegovacka Bank’ – On the basis of a request made by High Representative Paddy Ashdown, the Hercegovacka Bank provisional Administrator, Toby Robinson, advertised in some media on Friday sale of the bank. The evaluated value of the bank’s assets amounts approximately 114 million KM. The deadline for submission of bids expires on December 9 when the new owner of the bank will be known. |
| VL: Interview with Hercegovacka Bank Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson | Vecernji List (Saturday, front and page 5, “Hercegovacka Bank does not give up Eronet”, by Z. Jurilj) carries an interview with Hercegovacka Bank Provisional Administrator Toby Robinson with regard to the international tender on the sale of Hercegovacka Bank. Robinson says that they hope that the best purchaser will be selected by Christmas this year. She added that in case that it is necessary to extend the deadline for the selection of the best purchaser in order to get the best price she will do it. According to Robinson, Hercegovina Osiguranje, Herbos Invest, Auto-Centar, Agroman will be sold as well. Wit regard to the Eronet issue, Robinson says: “Eronet is not a part of the tender at the moment. I will exert all efforts in order to resolve the Eronet issue positively for Hercegovacka Bank, Hercegovina Osiguranje and for Eronet itself…I am not intending to give up Eronet…I am sorry that Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina authority institutions are giving wrong information on registration of Eronet and resolving of the ownership structure of that company.” Asked to explain reasons because of which Hercegovacka Bank was closed down, Robinson said: “I am not the person who could talk about the reasons because of which the bank was blocked. This is the question for the OHR. They were obviously concerned that the business operations of this bank might be used for political purposes, as well as, for criminal activities that existed according to their estimations” |
| SD commentary on sale of Hercegovacka Bank | Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, “Sale of Hercegovacka Bank to start soon”, by V. Vegar, N.B. Pls note that SD carries identical article on page 15, signed by Marin Erceg) carries that the tender on the sale of Hercegovacka Bank will be invited soon. The commentary says: “It is certain that deposits were not kept well because the ‘experts’ who were working on the investigation were paid even 75 $ per day and their job was to make copies of various papers.” The author ironically says that after two and a half years of the investigation only transaction to one company that gave the money to the other company was revealed. The author added: “There was no any need to introduce the Provisional Administration for this sort of ‘crime’, but to carry out an inspection as it was done many times. Obviously, this decision was politically motivated, and its goal was a strike on the Croat self-rule that was proclaimed at that time.” |
| Update to privatization process in Republika Srpska | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 6, ‘Tender for the sale of Banjaluka Brewery by the end of this year’ – Goran Skrbic, Director of the RS Directorate for Privatisation, confirmed that the tender for privatisation of the Banjaluka brewery will have been announced by the end of this year. |
| Update to situation at Banjaluka Clinical Centre | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 8, ‘New leadership broke the promise’ – The workers at the Banjaluka Clinical Centre on Friday did not get the May pay, which was promised to them by the new leadership of this centre. The meeting between Dragan Kostic, Acting Director of CC, and Striking Board of health workers held a meeting on Friday, but no press statements were given by any party. |
| Interview with RS Finance Minister Ksrmanovic | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pgs. 7, 8 & 9 in NN supplement REVIJA, ‘There will be removals at the RS Finance Ministry’ – Branko Krsmanovic, RS Finance Minister, confirmed in an interview to NN that he would request resignations of some officials of this Ministry, owing to their involvement in errors made at this Ministry, and which were disclosed in audit report. |
| Dokic on privatization of telecom operators | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 2, ‘Telecom operators in BiH are not ready for privatisation’; Glas Srpske, pg. 2, ‘First plan, then profit’ – Branko Dokic, BiH Minister of Traffic and Communication, stated in Bled on Friday that telecommunication operators in BiH are still not ready for the privatisation. As a reason for this, Dokic referred to the fact that there “are no programmes, that would define goals and the method of privatisation, neither are there detailed plans for strategic development of this sector”. |
| Telekom Srpske related investigations | Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘RS police completes a part of investigation on Telekom affair’ – Zoran Glusac, Spokesperson of RS Ministry of Internal Affairs, confirmed that police investigated into some allegations published in NN regarding Telekom Srpske and forwarded information compiled to Banja Luka Prosecutor’s Office. He could not disclose details related to these investigations and cases. |
| | War crimes |
| Verdicts announced in case of ‘Samac Group’ | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, BHTV, FTV, RTRS on Friday – Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 2, mentioned on the front page ‘Simic sentenced to 17, Tadic to 8 and Zaric to 6 years in prison’, Oslobodjenje pg. 9, mentioned on the front page, Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 3, ‘Samac group sentenced to 31 years imprisonment all together’ – The Hague Tribunal on Friday sentenced wartime Mayor of Bosanski Samac Blagoje Simic to 17 years in prison. At the same time, his close associates Miroslav Tadic and Simo Zaric were sentenced to 8 and 6 years in prison. The three were found guilty for the persecution of non-Serbs in Bosanski Samac on the political, racial and religious basis as well as war crimes against humanity committed in the area during the ears of 1992 and 1993. |
| Tihic on verdicts in case of Samac Group | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Tihic: Confirmation that a large number of crimes were committed’, Oslobodjenje pg. 6,FENA – “Sentencing of Blagoje Simic, Miroslav Tadic and Simo Zaric together with earlier verdicts in case of so-called Samac Group confirmed that the Serb forces expelled Croats and Bosniaks from Bosanski Samac committing at the same time a large number of crimes,” said Bosniak member of the BiH Presidency Sulejman Tihic, who was himself the victim of crimes committed in the town. |
| Masovic says certain progress visible in the latest RS report on Srebrenica | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘RS Government for the first time accepted the fact that an organized crime had happened’, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 “Genocide not admitted’ – President of the FBiH Commission for Missing Persons Amor Masovic said a certain progress was visible in the latest RS Government’s report on Srebrenica comparing to the previous one that had been rejected both by the domestic and international public with indignation. “The RS Government has for the first time clearly and precisely said that the crime (in Srebrenica) had been committed by the members of the Bosnian Serb Army, police, civil authorities and local population,” Masovic told ONASA. |
| OHR: Cavic cannot deny responsibility for the military | Croat Radio Hereceg Bosna, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Cavic cannot deny responsibility for the military’, Oslobodjenje pg. 2, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 3, ‘Agreement between Cavic and Mikerevic awaited for’ – Commenting on the RS President Dragan Cavic’s claims that he has no constitutional authority to form a commission for investigating into Srebrenica wartime developments, OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic told FENA that Cavic could not deny his responsibility for the RS Army that would be a key source of information for the mentioned commission. Vecernji List (Saturday, page 2, by B. Stevandic)Dnevni List (Sunday, page 9, “Cavic cannot deny responsibility for RS Army”, by Fena) also carried the OHR statement. |
| Dnevni Avaz editorial: Fear of the truth | Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 3 ‘Fear of the real truth’ Commentary of the Day by Elvir Huremovic – According to Huremovic, RS President Cavic does not want to form a commission for Srebrenica because he is obviously afraid of what facts this commission comprising experts, OHR and the Hague tribunal representatives and members of the Srebrenica victims’ families will determine. “It is quite certain that the results of the commission’s work will confirm that the RS was being built on the grounds of crime and genocide,” he concludes. |
| SDA on Srebrenica report | Dnevni List (Sunday, page 4, “SDA demands establishment of Agency for Reconstruction of Srebrenica”, by Zeda) carries that SDA Headquarters issued a press release saying that this party condemns new prolonging of the deadline for submitting the RS Government report on Srebrenica. SDA also expects from the International Community, first of all from the OHR, to sanction responsible ones in the RS Government if a new deadline for submitting of the report is missed. |
| | Media |
| RSNA demands RTRS management’s resignation | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘Resignation of RTRS management requested’, SRNA, ONASA – The RS National Assembly late on Thursday adopted conclusions demanding that the RTRS Steering Board, Director and Editor-in-Chief of the news/political program resign their posts right away because they violated the law and because their professional and moral responsibility for the overall situation in this media house. |
| OHR says RSNA exceeded its authority | Croat Radio Herceg Bosna, RTRS on Friday, Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 8 ‘RSNA exceeded its authority’, Oslobodjenje pg. 9 ‘RSNA voted against European standards’, Nezavisne Novine, pg. 4, ‘OHR condemns request for replacement of RTRS management’; Glas Srspke, pg. 2, ‘Voice against Europe’ – Under the current legal framework, the RS National Assembly has exceeded its authority in demanding resignations of RTRS Board of Governors, the Director and news editors, according to OHR. “The vote in the RSNA on Thursday night, as with vote in the Federation Parliament a day before, is the vote against Europe,” said OHR in a press release issued on Friday. “Dragan Kalinic and the RSNA will need to decide whether they want to control RTRS or join Europe. They cannot do both,” the release read. |
| HR on RTRS for Nezavisne Novine | Nezavisne Novine, cover and pg. 5, ‘Corrupt and bad leadership diminished the price of telecom’ – The High Representative to BiH, Paddy Ashdown, in an interview to NN said that Republika Srpska NA has returned the BiH in the past times and accordingly a step back from Europe by having requested the RTRS leadership to reign. Ashdown claims that politicians cannot demand replacements and perform dismissals of directors of public broadcasters, because such are communist not European standards. |
| Dnevni Avaz: What is happening with the Public Broadcasting Service? | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 11 ‘Svrakic: One cannot have everything (technical equipment and money)’ By A. Delic – “One cannot have everything (both funds and technical equipment) and they (public broadcasters) have money collected through subscription and they therefore have to act in the interest of the public. If they do not want to perform so, then they should create room for the others (commercial broadcasters) to take over their responsibilities,” said Elvir Svrakic, the Director of the Hayat Independent TV station. Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 11 ‘Financial stability and editorial freedom’ – “OHR stands for a re-organization of legal framework, which the public service is operating in, and we believe it can be done through a model of law we have offered. This model can ensure full financial stability and editorial independence of public broadcasters,” said OHR Spokesman Vedran Persic. Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 11 ‘Television is losing any sense with irresponsible parliamentarians’ – “I think that our parliamentarians do not realize that the public broadcasting services are independent from the government, and that, if the authorities want their promotion, then they are entering into a commercial arrangements with either public broadcasters or commercial stations,” BHTV Director Drago Maric said. |
| Oslobodjenje editorial on obligatory broadcast of parliamentary sessions in FBiH | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje pg. 2 ‘Political violence’ Editorial by Mirko Sagolj – “If Ashdown does not suspend the decision on obligatory live broadcast of the parliamentary sessions in the Federation of BiH, he can go back home immediately – without his mission completed,” wrote Sagolj. |
| TV Hayat on the law obliging FTV to broadcast all sessions of the Parliament | TV Hayat Central News with Senad Hadzifejzovicon Saturday. Guests were Mirnes Ajanovic and Julian Braithwaite. There was an interesting introduction for both of them. Mirnes Ajanovic, the President of BOSS and deputy in Federal Parliament, was described like a controversial man who is always confronting to the High Representative. Julian Braithwaite, officer of the OHR and press representative for High Representative, was described like someone with so much power that he is in fact the first man of the OHR. Topic was the law that obligates FTV to broadcast all sessions of the Parliament. Mirnes Ajanovic said that he stands behind the law, and that it is his obligation to defend democracy, because OHR and High Representative want to take control on public speaking. He argued that everywhere in the world exists a pressure on public TV services, and that citizens must know what is Parliament doing and how. Braithwaite said that it is not OHR’s job to bring B&H to Europe, but the job of the representatives in the Parliament, who are democratically elected, and that they have to decide if they are going to support independent media and enter EU or to be left behind. ”People want better jobs, better schools, higher pensions, and what are you giving them? You give them direct broadcast of Parliament sessions. How will you explain that to your citizens? You think they voted for that? ”, asked Braithwaite. -Ajanovic said that these accusations cannot be made because it is the Parliaments job to make the law, and so they did. They do not interfere in editorial policy of FTV, it is their duty to broadcast political events truthfully, and that they are defending citizens constitutional right to be informed. Braithwaite said that this is not the way towards the EU, because European Commission stated that all media has to be independent. But the Parliament has made the decision and will have to bare the consequences of damage they caused B&H and its people. Braithwaite hopes that they will change their decision, since he also thinks that they should broadcast Parliament sessions, but it has to be media choice. Ajanovic responded that it is essential that people of B&H know what is happening in the Parliament and if that means that they will not enter the EU and Europe ”who stood for four years watching us dieing”- than so be it. On Ajanovic’s argument that Bill Clinton is the only one who did something for B&H, and that next High Representative should be elected by people of B&H, Braithwaite said (quote)” It would be much better if there is not next High Representative and no OHR in this country. But until you are prepared to show responsibility to make decisions which will help this country to join EU, what can International Community do but think that you are not being responsible to give this country better future, so that this people can travel anywhere they like, to really be a part of this family of the states and whose part should be B&H. But you have to decide that, we cannot do that for you. I understand your frustration. In London they have the same problem with BBC, but public service has to make its own decision. It is not that I do not agree with you, I do not agree with the way you are doing that” (end quote). |
| NN editorial on public broadcasters | Nezavisne Novine editorial by Josip Blazevic, pg. 7, ‘Attack on public broadcasters’ – The author is extremely critical of the decisions by Republika Srpska Parliament and Federal House of Peoples’ regarding public broadcasters, namely their interference in the work of entity public broadcasters. All in all, Blazevic is supportive of the ongoing reform of public broadcasting system in BiH, because it represents one of pre-requisites for BiH admission to EU. |
| | Affairs/investigations/security |
| BiH Foreign Ministry provided visas for false RS officials | Saturday’s Oslobodjenje front page, pg. 7 ‘BiH Foreign Ministry provided visas for false RS officials’ – The BiH Foreign Ministry, more precisely its consular department, has provided through the diplomatic channels at least six visas for the persons from RS on the basis of forged requests by the RS National Assembly and RS Government, learns the newspaper. Head of the Ministry’s Department for Consular-Legal Matters Ibrahim Djikic did not want to comment on the issue in order not to damage the ongoing investigation. |
| Fight against human trafficking | Sunday’s Oslobodjenje front page ‘Three SBS members fired over involvement in women trafficking’, pgs. 4-5 ‘Women trafficking in BiH significantly decreasing’ – In organization of the Mostar-based La Strade BiH, a two-day regional conference on women trafficking opened in Mostar on Saturday. Apart from hosts from BiH, the conference is attended by representatives of the similar organizations/associations from Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Bulgaria who presented their experiences in fight against human trafficking. With regard to the issue, Ismail Saric, a senior BiH State Border Service officer, told Oslobodjenje that the Service had achieved significant results in preventing and fighting women trafficking. Among other things, three SBS members have been fired and criminal charges have been pressed against them over their involvement in women trafficking. |
| GS on Islamic radicals in BiH | Glas Srpske, cover page story, ‘Gate without a key’ – Darko Trifunovic, the Serb expert in terrorism, (who is currently attending the meeting on terrorism with the eminent members of US Congress in Washington), claims that ten mujahedeens, trained in Afghanistan, managed to cross the border in BiH and are currently residing at “Al Q’Aeda” camps near Zenica and Tuzla. He also stressed that the US anti-terrorism experts, are extremely concerned over the fact that the most extreme islamists (Islamic radicals) are currently in BiH, where they plan to attack US troops. Vecernji List (Sunday, front and page 3, “BiH and Macedonia target of terrorists”, by R. Soldo), Dnevni List (Sunday, front and page 5, “Mujahedeens prepare attacks on SFOR and Americans”, by M.R.) also covered this issue. |
| DL says that OHR replied to A. Hadzipasic with regard to problems in FBiH MoI | Dnevni List (Sunday, page 2, “All Police Commissioners are going to resign”, by D.L.) carries that according to unofficial information the OHR unofficially replied to the letter of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic on the problems in the FBiH Ministry of Interior. The source close to the OHR stated that Hadzipasic was told that the OHR will not interfere in internal issues of the MoI. The OHR said that they will not either support or stop the removal of Head of the FBiH Police Zlatko Miletic. The OHR also said that they will discuss the information on consequences of Miletic’s removal (if it takes place) that they have at their disposal. DL says that it was said by the OHR that they have information that all Cantonal Police Commissioners will resign if Miletic was removed. |
| SD: “FOSS under control of British agents?” | With regard to the recent, SFOR’ search of the Federation of Bosnian and Herzegovina Intelligence Service (FOSS) building, Slobodna Dalmacija (Saturday, page 16, by Zlatko Tulic) carries that it has been speculated in public that the results of the action might reveal that FOSS was under complete control of the British Intelligence Service. A source close to the FBiH Ministry stated for SD that the results of the investigation might reveal the evidence on illegal wiretapping of military Intelligence Services of the countries whose units are a part of SFOR, as well as of a few international organizations and officials. In this context the source mentioned the names of Head of The Hague Investigative Team Patrik Lopez, of his colleague in the Sarajevo office Raymond Carter, Head of the OSCE Mission Robert Beecroft, high-ranked SFOR officer Oscar Vera and one of the closest aids of Principal Deputy High Representative Donald Hays. SD says that it is certain that Head of FOSS Ivan Vuksic will suffer consequences for these illegal actions. It has been believed that the most important evidence on FOSS illegal activities were found in the office of Head of the Department for Special Operations Kristina Silic (SFOR took 2 computers from this office). It has been speculated that British intelligence Service agents had access to the data of one computer. |
| | Izetbegovic passed away |
| Izetbegovic died in Sarajevo hospital on Sunday | BH Radio 1 – Alija Izetbegovic, former chairman of the BiH Presidency and honorary chairman of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) has died in Sarajevo at the age of 78. The head of the medical team at the Clinical Centre of Sarajevo University, Amila Arslanagic, said the following: “The medical team is announcing that as a long-running heart condition, caused by an earlier heart attack and made worse by multiple rib fracture accompanied by complications, led to terminal heart failure and cessation of Mr Alija Izetbegovic’s heart activity on 19 October 2003 at around 1425. |
| Ashdown mourns death of Izetbegovic, “father of his people” | SRNA – High Representative Paddy Ashdown mourns the death of Alija Izetbegovic, “the father of his people”, OHR said in a statement. “I know that I am expressing the opinion of many when I say that we mourn the death of Mr Izetbegovic. Our thoughts, prayers and sympathy are with his family. He was the father of his people in a real sense,” Ashdown said. He added that he doubted BiH would exist today had it not been for Izetbegovic. “Many things will now be said and written about Izetbegovic. Many will experience this as an earthquake but our task now, when we are mourning his death, is to continue building BiH – safeguarding its borders in the service of all its citizens,” the statement said. |
| Turkish Prime Minister visited Izetbegovic | TV Hayat, BHTV, FTV on Saturday, Sunday’s Dnevni Avaz front page, pg. 3 ‘Alija Izetbegovic has a special place in hearts of people in Turkey’, Oslobodjenje ‘Turkish Premier Erdoan visited Alija Izetbegovic’ – Turkish Prime Minister Redzep Erdoan on Saturday visited Honorary SDA President Alija Izetbegovic, who is being medically treated in the Sarajevo Clinic Center. Erdoan said this was a private visit to a friend and a significant person and he did not want to answer any political questions. |
| Ashdown again visited Izetbegovic | Saturday’s Dnevni Avaz pg. 2 ‘Paddy Ashdown again visited Izetbegovic’ reports that on Friday the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, visited Izetbegovic for the second time since he had been received to the Sarajevo Clinic Center for medical treatment. According to the medical team treating the Honorary SDA President, Izetbegovic’s condition is unchanged/still difficult. |