Bosnia: NATO ready for new actions; Wild privatization deals
1. On NATO Orders, Bosnia To Develop Central Military Command
(France-Presse 25/9/2003)
2. Dynamic Response 03 preps for possible Balkans action
(Stars And Stripes, September 22, 2003)
3. Bosnia hopes to boost NATO ties with defence reform
(Reuters, September 26, 2003)
4. Explosions Shake Sarajevo, Wild Privatizations on the Background
=== 1 ===
From: Rick Rozoff
Subject: On NATO Orders, Bosnia To Develop Central Military Command
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ci/Qbosnia-military-nato-eu.R9S2_DSP.html
Agence France-Presse
Bosnian leaders agree on central command for armed
forces
-"We have reached an agreement," said Verdan Perisic,
spokesman for the international community's top
representative in Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown.
-The reform is key to securing Bosnia's entry into
NATO's Partnership for Peace program, launched in 1994
as a mechanism for building trust between NATO states
and countries that had been part of the Soviet-era
Warsaw Pact. [Of course Bosnia, being then part of
Yugoslavia, was never a member of the Warsaw Pact.]
SARAJEVO, Sept 25 (AFP) - Bosnia's Serb, Muslim and
Croat leaders late Thursday reached an agreement aimed
at establishing a unified command for the country's
armed forces, the first step toward joining NATO's
Partnership for Peace program.
"We have reached an agreement," said Verdan Perisic,
spokesman for the international community's top
representative in Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown.
Under the accord, the armies of Bosnia's two
highly-independent entities - the Croat-Muslim
Federation and the Republika Srpska - will have a
central command headquarters, the same flag and
uniform but will remain ethnically distinct.
Ashdown on Monday had voiced concern about lagging
defence reform, one of the most sensitive issues in
the country since the end of the 1992-1995 war, which
saw bitter fighting between the country's Croat,
Muslim and Serb communities.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier
Solana also warned Bosnia its reputation would be
"dangerously and seriously harmed" if the negotiations
on reforming the defence sector failed.
The reform is key to securing Bosnia's entry into
NATO's Partnership for Peace program, launched in 1994
as a mechanism for building trust between NATO states
and countries that had been part of the Soviet-era
Warsaw Pact.
The Muslim nationalist Party of Democratic Action
(SDA) last week had said the reform was unacceptable
as it did not plan for unifying the country's armies,
now divided along ethnic lines.
=== 2 ===
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=17644
Stars And Stripes, September 22, 2003
Dynamic Response 03 preps for possible Balkans action
By Ivana Avramovic
MANJACA, Bosnia and Herzegovina — U.S. soldiers from
Task Force 1-18 Infantry in Germany joined
international troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina in
patrols and at checkpoints last week as part of the
monthlong Dynamic Response 03 exercise.
The troops were practicing for a situation in which
they would have to deploy quickly to the Balkans and
provide stability to the region, said 1st Lt. Scott
Hady.
“We don’t need [troops] right here in Bosnia if we can
deploy and operate in a short period of time,” Hady
said.
“So for the people, it’s showing they still have a
safe and secure environment even though we’re not here
in the country.”
Troops from seven NATO and Partner nations deployed to
Bosnia and Kosovo to rehearse different scenarios and
demonstrate the ability of international forces to
react quickly. The annual exercise began Aug. 26, with
paratroops jumping into Bosnia, and ends Wednesday.
Last week Hady’s soldiers went through a military camp
at the Manjaca Range of the Republika Srpska military
from the Serb-run part of the country. They searched
weapons storage sites and other buildings to see if
Serb forces are complying with regulations on types
and numbers of weapons and ammunition they are
authorized to have.
They found “a fair amount of stuff” including rounds,
ammunition and projectile fuses.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything major. It’s not a
noncompliance issue,” Hady said, suggesting it was
rather misplaced.
“They’re not breaking any serious regulations, but if
we do identify any small infractions, we will
confiscate the weapons.”
British soldiers who have been in the country for the
last six months went with the Americans to help clear
up any questions on what is and is not authorized.
“I’ve not found that I needed to interfere with the
U.S. troops. They are very professional,” said British
Sgt. H. Gledhill of 7th Regiment Army Air Corps.
The U.S. troops helped the limited staff on ground
cover the 75 square miles of the range near Banja Luka
in northwest Bosnia.
“To be honest, to have people to look in areas where
you’ve never had time to look, its outstanding
really,” Gledhill said.
During the exercise, a British Merlin helicopter
sling-loaded a U.S. Humvee, the first time the two had
been paired together. Information on how fast and at
what angle the helicopter can fly while carrying the
Humvee will be added to the helicopter’s manual on
bearing different loads.
Other U.S. troops, along with Dutch, Canadian and
British forces stationed in Bosnia, went through
communities asking about possible weapons caches left
from the war. The patrols were aimed at ridding the
country of dangerous weapons and strengthening
relationships between the coalition forces.
In Bosnia, the number of international troops has
dwindled from 60,000 in 1996 to fewer than 12,000 now.
The exercise showed how quickly reinforcements could
be in place.
“No matter how small the force gets, we can still
react [with] the troops in Europe,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Benjamin Cortes, fire support and information
operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the
exercise.
Some of the troops in Task Force 1-18, a part of the
1st Infantry Division, performed similar operations
during an eight-month deployment in Kosovo that ended
in July, but some were new to the unit or did not get
to go there.
The 1st ID is scheduled for a rotation in Iraq next
year, and this exercise proved good training for
future missions.
“It gives the soldiers experience they need to get
better. For our unit, this was very helpful
experience,” said Maj. Steven Miska, operations
officer for Task Force 1-18.
For example, troops and equipment had to move through
different countries and government systems, Miska
said.
Also, troops learned the importance of establishing a
good relationship with the local people and explaining
to them the military’s goals, he said.
“You can only be as efficient as the local people will
tolerate,” he said.
Rehearsing operations such as searches, checkpoints
and urban reconnaissance is also good training, Hady
said.
“We’ll have a stepping stone to launch ourselves in a
more dangerous situation,” he said. “What we’re doing
here is what we’re gonna be doing there [in Iraq], but
it’s much more dangerous there. The environment is
different, but the operations are pretty much gonna be
the same.”
=== 3 ===
From: Rick Rozoff
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters09-26-064100.asp?reg=EUROPE
MSNBC / Reuters, September 26, 2003
Bosnia hopes to boost NATO ties with defence reform
By Maja Zuvela
-The agreement, a key condition for membership in
NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) cooperation
programme, was hammered out by a U.S.-chaired defence
commission late on Thursday.
-Government officials hope NATO, which runs a
12,000-strong peace force in Bosnia, can accept it as
a member of the PfP by early 2004. Grouping more than
40 countries [in addition to 19 current NATO members
and seven more Mediterranean Dialogue adjuncts, in all
63 nations from Latvia to Kazakhstan, from Morocco to
Georgia, from Israel to Iceland], it is the alliance's
basis for security cooperation with non-members.
SARAJEVO, Sept. 26 — Bosnia's Serbs, Muslims and
Croats, who fought each other in a 1992-1995 war, have
agreed to a joint command of separate armed forces to
try to move closer to NATO in the country's most
radical post-war military reform.
The agreement, a key condition for membership in
NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) cooperation
programme, was hammered out by a U.S.-chaired defence
commission late on Thursday. It must still be approved
by Bosnia's state parliament.
NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said in a
statement the agreement was ''only one step'' towards
the PfP.
''But it was a fundamental step if that ambition is to
be fulfilled and I congratulate the political leaders
of Bosnia and Herzegovina on their wisdom and
vision,'' Robertson said, adding this proved how much
progress post-war Bosnia has made.
The U.S.-brokered 1995 Dayton peace agreement that
ended Europe's worst conflict since World War Two
divided Bosnia into two autonomous regions, the Serb
Republic and the Muslim-Croat federation, with their
own armies and police.
Western diplomats have long made clear they would like
to see strengthened ties between the former deadly
foes.
Government officials hope NATO, which runs a
12,000-strong peace force in Bosnia, can accept it as
a member of the PfP by early 2004. Grouping more than
40 countries, it is the alliance's basis for security
cooperation with non-members.
''Completion of this process will make Bosnia and
Herzegovina a credible candidate for Partnership for
Peace,'' said U.S. diplomat James Locher, who chaired
the commission.
Bosnian Muslim leaders had pushed for creating a
single and multi-ethnic army but had to settle for
less under pressure from Western diplomats seeking a
compromise with Bosnian Serb officials, generally more
wary of giving up regional powers.
Under the agreed package, Bosnia will get a state
defence minister and general staff that will command
the two armies, roles until now conducted by the
Bosnian Serb president and the Muslim and Croat
members of the state presidency.
The defence ministries of the Serb republic and the
federation would remain in place but with reduced
roles. Soldiers will wear common uniforms with state
insignia on them and will take an oath to the country.
It would also give state parliament wider powers, for
example in declaring war. The legislature would
oversee the military as well as state defence
institutions.
(Additional reporting by Sebastian Alison in Brussels)
=== 4 ===
http://www.balkantimes.com/
default3.asp?lang=english&page=process_print&article_id=20772
Explosions Shake Sarajevo
By Ena Latin for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo
15/08/03
In the past ten days, four explosive devices have detonated in
Sarajevo, causing significant damage to infrastructure and creating
fear. Fortunately, no one has been killed in the blasts and at this
point, there have been no authorititive explanations concerning the
nature or motive for the bombings. Some have classified them as
terrorism, while others attribute them to the mafia settling scores
with wealthy businesspeople. Whatever the case, the opposition has
sought to use the blasts as proof that current authorities are
incapable of leading the country and to call for early elections.
On 4 August at about 11 pm, a bomb exploded under a Land Rover owned by
the Stanic electronic merchandise company. The vehicle was destroyed
and a nearby house was damaged. On 6 August, a shoulder-launched RPG
fired a rocket at the house of the director and major shareholder of
the Hilmo Selimovic brewery, causing extensive damage. On 7 August, a
hand grenade was thrown into the yard of a family in Zehirovic, whose
members later admitted that they had received threatening phone calls
over unpaid debts. Several cars were damaged and the windows of
neighbouring houses shattered. On the same day, an explosive device was
found in the toilet of a popular cafe in central Sarajevo. Most
recently, in the early hours of 11 August, a bomb completely destroyed
a luxury double-decker coach that was supposed to take several dozen
passangers to Sweden the following morning.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) police have vowed to bring the
perpetrators to justice, but thus far have not been able to establish
any real motives for the bombings. However, the state prosecutor says
the incidents can be clasified as terrorist attacks.
"There are indications that the goals of the attacks were to endanger
civilians, and we certainly have a frightened population as a
consequence of these acts, which is why they can be interpreted as
terrorist attacks," prosecutor Zdravko Knezevic said, adding that he
might bring terrorism charges against the perpetrators.
© 1999 - 2003 Southeast European Times. All Rights Reserved.
---
http://balkanreport.tol.cz/look/BRR/
article_single.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=9&NrIssue=1&NrSection=4&Nr
Article=10503&ST1=body&ST_T1=brr&ST_AS1=1&ST_max=1
27 August 2003
Explosive Dealings
An explosion that rocked Bosnia’s capital--one of several in the past
month--brings attention to dirty methods and ethical lapses at the
country’s most popular newspaper.
by Anes Alic
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina--In early and mid-August, the Bosnian
capital of Sarajevo began once again to resemble a war zone, if not the
scene of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, as a series of explosions
over seven days shocked the capital.
Police say the explosions, which remain unsolved, do not appear to be
connected, but one assault in particular has generated an inordinate
amount of publicity: a rocket attack on the house of Hilmo Selimovic,
the director and major shareholder of the Sarajevo Brewery. After
Selimovic accused a prominent newspaper, Dnevni avaz, and its owner of
being behind the crime, attention soon focused on the sorry state of
Bosnian journalism, where the country’s biggest circulation daily
regularly engages in calculated smear campaigns--and gets away with it.
The 6 August hand-held rocket launched at Selimovic’s house came in the
middle of a violent week that saw a bomb explode under a Land Rover
belonging to an electronics company; a hand grenade thrown into the
yard of family that had earlier received threatening phone calls over
unpaid debts; an explosive device found in the restroom of a popular
café; and a bomb completely destroy an empty, luxury tour bus.
Selimovic is refusing to speak to the media during the police
investigation into the incident, which his family, in the house at the
time, narrowly escaped unharmed. But Nikica Grzic, Selimovic’s lawyer,
has spread the word that his client believes Fahrudin Radoncic, the
owner of the Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz is behind the attack.
Grzic has, however, provided no proof of that accusation, and the
police have not yet charged anyone.
On 15 August, the Sarajevo Prosecutor’s Office ordered the
interrogation of 40 people in connection with the attack on Selimovic’s
house. Prosecutors say they may have information that could lead to
those responsible for the attack. Radoncic was listed among the 40.
Radoncic, who was interrogated for more than five hours, has refused to
give details of his testimony, telling local media only that he was
interrogated as a witness and not as a suspect. He has denied
Selimovic’s accusations, insisting that his newspaper has simply
reported on Selimovic’s alleged crimes in accordance with journalistic
ethics.
SMEAR CAMPAIGN
Selimovic’s statement that Dnevni avaz owner Radoncic is behind the
attack is perhaps unsurprising. In the past eight months Selimovic has
been the victim of a relentless media attack by Dnevni avaz journalists.
Dnevni avaz is the leading Bosniak nationalist daily. Radoncic, who has
often been described as one of the wealthiest Bosniaks, is thought to
have built his media empire thanks to his connections with Bosniak
wartime leader Alija Izetbegovic. Avaz was launched during the war as a
party paper, but Radoncic, a Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) journalist from
Montenegro, was soon able to start a series of other publications and
buy numerous marketing and production facilities.
In recent months, Dnevni avaz has accused Selimovic of various
crimes--among other things, of illegally privatizing the Sarajevo
Brewery, committing nepotism, stealing from workers, confiscating
apartments owned by the previously state-run factory, planning to evict
residents from buildings near the factory, and of being a spy for
Serbia and committing treason against Bosnia.
The daily’s reporters claim that Selimovic and his family are members
of the “Kaljina” criminal gang (Kaljina is the small village in eastern
Bosnia from where Selimovic hails). They have also accused the brewery
director of financially supporting indicted Bosnian Serb war criminals.
In addition, Dnevni avaz reporters claim that Mujo Selimovic, Hilmo’s
son, had close ties with a Moldovan mafia ring that specializes in
human trafficking. The daily later claimed that Mujo had fallen out
with the Moldovan gang, which then sought to kill him.
Five months ago, Selimovic and his son reported to police that they had
received several threatening telephone calls and letters, saying that
those threats coincided with negative stories about the brewery’s
activities published in Dnevni avaz and other publications owned by
Radoncic.
Grzic said that the Selimovic family sent requests for protection to
all the relevant institutions in Bosnia, including the Office of High
Representative (OHR), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE), and the Bosnian Press Council. They also demanded local
police protection.
NO LIMITS
Uncorroborated and often wild allegations are a standard feature of
Bosnia’s public life. Even though many such statements in the press or
in parliament could be considered slanderous, libel charges are very
rarely pressed.
But the Selimovic family had initiated a libel case against Dnevni avaz
in April and asked for damages of $250,000.
After four months of deliberation, the Sarajevo District Court One
found the daily guilty of slander, saying that over the course of the
past eight months, Dnevni avaz had published 52 articles about
Selimovic and his son, all of them false and slanderous.
The court’s decision, however, did little to stop the daily’s campaign
against Selimovic. Dnevni avaz continued to publish accusations against
Selimovic, labeling him a “Serbian spy,” “thief of Bosniak (Bosnian
Muslim) property,” and “mafia spokesperson.”
In response, Judge Dinka Beslagic on 13 August forbade Dnevni avaz and
other publications owned by Radoncic to publish anything at all about
Selimovic. It was a decision without precedent in Bosnia’s legal
history.
ADVERTISE OR ELSE
Selimovic is not the only high-profile businessman under attack by
Dnevni avaz. The media campaign launched against Selimovic coincided
with similar attacks on the director of the Sarajevo Klas bakery,
Husein Ahmovic, and Bosnalijek pharmaceutical company director Edin
Arslanagic.
All three were accused of illegal privatization and embezzlement. But
the campaigns against Ahmovic and Arslanagic were short-lived. In a
matter of only a few days, the two directors were suddenly transformed
into respectable businessmen on the pages of Dnevni avaz.
Workers and trade union members had stood up in a show of support for
the Klas bakery and Bosnalijek directors, forcing the daily to back
down on its unproven accusations.
Some independent media connected the daily’s changing attitudes to the
three businessmen to what the media have called Dnevni avaz’s shotgun
advertising strategy. The independent weekly Slobodna Bosna says that
Selimovic, Ahmovic, and Arslanagic had recently refused to buy $50,000
each in advertisements in Dnevni avaz, concluding that the daily was
blackmailing them to advertise. The result of their refusal was a
heavy-hitting media campaign that attempted to portray them as
criminals.
With the unflattering publicity surrounding Dnevni avaz and Radoncic, a
key supporter of the ruling Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA),
the Selimovic attack was bound to have political
connections--especially amid the other unexplained incidents of
violence.
Following the series of explosions, the opposition leader of the
moderate Social Democratic Party (SDP) Zlatko Lagumdzija asked both
Bosnian and Federation Parliament to address the country’s security
issues.
Lagumdzija’s demands, however, failed to meet with approval among the
ruling nationalist parties, the SDA and the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ). Both parties accused Lagumdzija of using the incidents to create
an atmosphere of chaos and fear among the citizens and force early
elections.
Lagumdzija and other opposition politicians in the Federation also
demanded that the Federal government hold an urgent special session to
discuss the recent explosions. Their request was denied, with
Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic (SDA) asking: “Do they
really expect that we are going to hold a session after every explosion
in the Federation?”
Anes Alic is TOL’s correspondent in Sarajevo.
1. On NATO Orders, Bosnia To Develop Central Military Command
(France-Presse 25/9/2003)
2. Dynamic Response 03 preps for possible Balkans action
(Stars And Stripes, September 22, 2003)
3. Bosnia hopes to boost NATO ties with defence reform
(Reuters, September 26, 2003)
4. Explosions Shake Sarajevo, Wild Privatizations on the Background
=== 1 ===
From: Rick Rozoff
Subject: On NATO Orders, Bosnia To Develop Central Military Command
http://www.ptd.net/webnews/wed/ci/Qbosnia-military-nato-eu.R9S2_DSP.html
Agence France-Presse
Bosnian leaders agree on central command for armed
forces
-"We have reached an agreement," said Verdan Perisic,
spokesman for the international community's top
representative in Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown.
-The reform is key to securing Bosnia's entry into
NATO's Partnership for Peace program, launched in 1994
as a mechanism for building trust between NATO states
and countries that had been part of the Soviet-era
Warsaw Pact. [Of course Bosnia, being then part of
Yugoslavia, was never a member of the Warsaw Pact.]
SARAJEVO, Sept 25 (AFP) - Bosnia's Serb, Muslim and
Croat leaders late Thursday reached an agreement aimed
at establishing a unified command for the country's
armed forces, the first step toward joining NATO's
Partnership for Peace program.
"We have reached an agreement," said Verdan Perisic,
spokesman for the international community's top
representative in Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown.
Under the accord, the armies of Bosnia's two
highly-independent entities - the Croat-Muslim
Federation and the Republika Srpska - will have a
central command headquarters, the same flag and
uniform but will remain ethnically distinct.
Ashdown on Monday had voiced concern about lagging
defence reform, one of the most sensitive issues in
the country since the end of the 1992-1995 war, which
saw bitter fighting between the country's Croat,
Muslim and Serb communities.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier
Solana also warned Bosnia its reputation would be
"dangerously and seriously harmed" if the negotiations
on reforming the defence sector failed.
The reform is key to securing Bosnia's entry into
NATO's Partnership for Peace program, launched in 1994
as a mechanism for building trust between NATO states
and countries that had been part of the Soviet-era
Warsaw Pact.
The Muslim nationalist Party of Democratic Action
(SDA) last week had said the reform was unacceptable
as it did not plan for unifying the country's armies,
now divided along ethnic lines.
=== 2 ===
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=17644
Stars And Stripes, September 22, 2003
Dynamic Response 03 preps for possible Balkans action
By Ivana Avramovic
MANJACA, Bosnia and Herzegovina — U.S. soldiers from
Task Force 1-18 Infantry in Germany joined
international troops in Bosnia and Herzegovina in
patrols and at checkpoints last week as part of the
monthlong Dynamic Response 03 exercise.
The troops were practicing for a situation in which
they would have to deploy quickly to the Balkans and
provide stability to the region, said 1st Lt. Scott
Hady.
“We don’t need [troops] right here in Bosnia if we can
deploy and operate in a short period of time,” Hady
said.
“So for the people, it’s showing they still have a
safe and secure environment even though we’re not here
in the country.”
Troops from seven NATO and Partner nations deployed to
Bosnia and Kosovo to rehearse different scenarios and
demonstrate the ability of international forces to
react quickly. The annual exercise began Aug. 26, with
paratroops jumping into Bosnia, and ends Wednesday.
Last week Hady’s soldiers went through a military camp
at the Manjaca Range of the Republika Srpska military
from the Serb-run part of the country. They searched
weapons storage sites and other buildings to see if
Serb forces are complying with regulations on types
and numbers of weapons and ammunition they are
authorized to have.
They found “a fair amount of stuff” including rounds,
ammunition and projectile fuses.
“I wouldn’t say it’s anything major. It’s not a
noncompliance issue,” Hady said, suggesting it was
rather misplaced.
“They’re not breaking any serious regulations, but if
we do identify any small infractions, we will
confiscate the weapons.”
British soldiers who have been in the country for the
last six months went with the Americans to help clear
up any questions on what is and is not authorized.
“I’ve not found that I needed to interfere with the
U.S. troops. They are very professional,” said British
Sgt. H. Gledhill of 7th Regiment Army Air Corps.
The U.S. troops helped the limited staff on ground
cover the 75 square miles of the range near Banja Luka
in northwest Bosnia.
“To be honest, to have people to look in areas where
you’ve never had time to look, its outstanding
really,” Gledhill said.
During the exercise, a British Merlin helicopter
sling-loaded a U.S. Humvee, the first time the two had
been paired together. Information on how fast and at
what angle the helicopter can fly while carrying the
Humvee will be added to the helicopter’s manual on
bearing different loads.
Other U.S. troops, along with Dutch, Canadian and
British forces stationed in Bosnia, went through
communities asking about possible weapons caches left
from the war. The patrols were aimed at ridding the
country of dangerous weapons and strengthening
relationships between the coalition forces.
In Bosnia, the number of international troops has
dwindled from 60,000 in 1996 to fewer than 12,000 now.
The exercise showed how quickly reinforcements could
be in place.
“No matter how small the force gets, we can still
react [with] the troops in Europe,” said Sgt. 1st
Class Benjamin Cortes, fire support and information
operations noncommissioned officer in charge for the
exercise.
Some of the troops in Task Force 1-18, a part of the
1st Infantry Division, performed similar operations
during an eight-month deployment in Kosovo that ended
in July, but some were new to the unit or did not get
to go there.
The 1st ID is scheduled for a rotation in Iraq next
year, and this exercise proved good training for
future missions.
“It gives the soldiers experience they need to get
better. For our unit, this was very helpful
experience,” said Maj. Steven Miska, operations
officer for Task Force 1-18.
For example, troops and equipment had to move through
different countries and government systems, Miska
said.
Also, troops learned the importance of establishing a
good relationship with the local people and explaining
to them the military’s goals, he said.
“You can only be as efficient as the local people will
tolerate,” he said.
Rehearsing operations such as searches, checkpoints
and urban reconnaissance is also good training, Hady
said.
“We’ll have a stepping stone to launch ourselves in a
more dangerous situation,” he said. “What we’re doing
here is what we’re gonna be doing there [in Iraq], but
it’s much more dangerous there. The environment is
different, but the operations are pretty much gonna be
the same.”
=== 3 ===
From: Rick Rozoff
http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters09-26-064100.asp?reg=EUROPE
MSNBC / Reuters, September 26, 2003
Bosnia hopes to boost NATO ties with defence reform
By Maja Zuvela
-The agreement, a key condition for membership in
NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) cooperation
programme, was hammered out by a U.S.-chaired defence
commission late on Thursday.
-Government officials hope NATO, which runs a
12,000-strong peace force in Bosnia, can accept it as
a member of the PfP by early 2004. Grouping more than
40 countries [in addition to 19 current NATO members
and seven more Mediterranean Dialogue adjuncts, in all
63 nations from Latvia to Kazakhstan, from Morocco to
Georgia, from Israel to Iceland], it is the alliance's
basis for security cooperation with non-members.
SARAJEVO, Sept. 26 — Bosnia's Serbs, Muslims and
Croats, who fought each other in a 1992-1995 war, have
agreed to a joint command of separate armed forces to
try to move closer to NATO in the country's most
radical post-war military reform.
The agreement, a key condition for membership in
NATO's Partnership for Peace (PfP) cooperation
programme, was hammered out by a U.S.-chaired defence
commission late on Thursday. It must still be approved
by Bosnia's state parliament.
NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson said in a
statement the agreement was ''only one step'' towards
the PfP.
''But it was a fundamental step if that ambition is to
be fulfilled and I congratulate the political leaders
of Bosnia and Herzegovina on their wisdom and
vision,'' Robertson said, adding this proved how much
progress post-war Bosnia has made.
The U.S.-brokered 1995 Dayton peace agreement that
ended Europe's worst conflict since World War Two
divided Bosnia into two autonomous regions, the Serb
Republic and the Muslim-Croat federation, with their
own armies and police.
Western diplomats have long made clear they would like
to see strengthened ties between the former deadly
foes.
Government officials hope NATO, which runs a
12,000-strong peace force in Bosnia, can accept it as
a member of the PfP by early 2004. Grouping more than
40 countries, it is the alliance's basis for security
cooperation with non-members.
''Completion of this process will make Bosnia and
Herzegovina a credible candidate for Partnership for
Peace,'' said U.S. diplomat James Locher, who chaired
the commission.
Bosnian Muslim leaders had pushed for creating a
single and multi-ethnic army but had to settle for
less under pressure from Western diplomats seeking a
compromise with Bosnian Serb officials, generally more
wary of giving up regional powers.
Under the agreed package, Bosnia will get a state
defence minister and general staff that will command
the two armies, roles until now conducted by the
Bosnian Serb president and the Muslim and Croat
members of the state presidency.
The defence ministries of the Serb republic and the
federation would remain in place but with reduced
roles. Soldiers will wear common uniforms with state
insignia on them and will take an oath to the country.
It would also give state parliament wider powers, for
example in declaring war. The legislature would
oversee the military as well as state defence
institutions.
(Additional reporting by Sebastian Alison in Brussels)
=== 4 ===
http://www.balkantimes.com/
default3.asp?lang=english&page=process_print&article_id=20772
Explosions Shake Sarajevo
By Ena Latin for Southeast European Times in Sarajevo
15/08/03
In the past ten days, four explosive devices have detonated in
Sarajevo, causing significant damage to infrastructure and creating
fear. Fortunately, no one has been killed in the blasts and at this
point, there have been no authorititive explanations concerning the
nature or motive for the bombings. Some have classified them as
terrorism, while others attribute them to the mafia settling scores
with wealthy businesspeople. Whatever the case, the opposition has
sought to use the blasts as proof that current authorities are
incapable of leading the country and to call for early elections.
On 4 August at about 11 pm, a bomb exploded under a Land Rover owned by
the Stanic electronic merchandise company. The vehicle was destroyed
and a nearby house was damaged. On 6 August, a shoulder-launched RPG
fired a rocket at the house of the director and major shareholder of
the Hilmo Selimovic brewery, causing extensive damage. On 7 August, a
hand grenade was thrown into the yard of a family in Zehirovic, whose
members later admitted that they had received threatening phone calls
over unpaid debts. Several cars were damaged and the windows of
neighbouring houses shattered. On the same day, an explosive device was
found in the toilet of a popular cafe in central Sarajevo. Most
recently, in the early hours of 11 August, a bomb completely destroyed
a luxury double-decker coach that was supposed to take several dozen
passangers to Sweden the following morning.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) police have vowed to bring the
perpetrators to justice, but thus far have not been able to establish
any real motives for the bombings. However, the state prosecutor says
the incidents can be clasified as terrorist attacks.
"There are indications that the goals of the attacks were to endanger
civilians, and we certainly have a frightened population as a
consequence of these acts, which is why they can be interpreted as
terrorist attacks," prosecutor Zdravko Knezevic said, adding that he
might bring terrorism charges against the perpetrators.
© 1999 - 2003 Southeast European Times. All Rights Reserved.
---
http://balkanreport.tol.cz/look/BRR/
article_single.tpl?IdLanguage=1&IdPublication=9&NrIssue=1&NrSection=4&Nr
Article=10503&ST1=body&ST_T1=brr&ST_AS1=1&ST_max=1
27 August 2003
Explosive Dealings
An explosion that rocked Bosnia’s capital--one of several in the past
month--brings attention to dirty methods and ethical lapses at the
country’s most popular newspaper.
by Anes Alic
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina--In early and mid-August, the Bosnian
capital of Sarajevo began once again to resemble a war zone, if not the
scene of the latest Hollywood blockbuster, as a series of explosions
over seven days shocked the capital.
Police say the explosions, which remain unsolved, do not appear to be
connected, but one assault in particular has generated an inordinate
amount of publicity: a rocket attack on the house of Hilmo Selimovic,
the director and major shareholder of the Sarajevo Brewery. After
Selimovic accused a prominent newspaper, Dnevni avaz, and its owner of
being behind the crime, attention soon focused on the sorry state of
Bosnian journalism, where the country’s biggest circulation daily
regularly engages in calculated smear campaigns--and gets away with it.
The 6 August hand-held rocket launched at Selimovic’s house came in the
middle of a violent week that saw a bomb explode under a Land Rover
belonging to an electronics company; a hand grenade thrown into the
yard of family that had earlier received threatening phone calls over
unpaid debts; an explosive device found in the restroom of a popular
café; and a bomb completely destroy an empty, luxury tour bus.
Selimovic is refusing to speak to the media during the police
investigation into the incident, which his family, in the house at the
time, narrowly escaped unharmed. But Nikica Grzic, Selimovic’s lawyer,
has spread the word that his client believes Fahrudin Radoncic, the
owner of the Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz is behind the attack.
Grzic has, however, provided no proof of that accusation, and the
police have not yet charged anyone.
On 15 August, the Sarajevo Prosecutor’s Office ordered the
interrogation of 40 people in connection with the attack on Selimovic’s
house. Prosecutors say they may have information that could lead to
those responsible for the attack. Radoncic was listed among the 40.
Radoncic, who was interrogated for more than five hours, has refused to
give details of his testimony, telling local media only that he was
interrogated as a witness and not as a suspect. He has denied
Selimovic’s accusations, insisting that his newspaper has simply
reported on Selimovic’s alleged crimes in accordance with journalistic
ethics.
SMEAR CAMPAIGN
Selimovic’s statement that Dnevni avaz owner Radoncic is behind the
attack is perhaps unsurprising. In the past eight months Selimovic has
been the victim of a relentless media attack by Dnevni avaz journalists.
Dnevni avaz is the leading Bosniak nationalist daily. Radoncic, who has
often been described as one of the wealthiest Bosniaks, is thought to
have built his media empire thanks to his connections with Bosniak
wartime leader Alija Izetbegovic. Avaz was launched during the war as a
party paper, but Radoncic, a Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) journalist from
Montenegro, was soon able to start a series of other publications and
buy numerous marketing and production facilities.
In recent months, Dnevni avaz has accused Selimovic of various
crimes--among other things, of illegally privatizing the Sarajevo
Brewery, committing nepotism, stealing from workers, confiscating
apartments owned by the previously state-run factory, planning to evict
residents from buildings near the factory, and of being a spy for
Serbia and committing treason against Bosnia.
The daily’s reporters claim that Selimovic and his family are members
of the “Kaljina” criminal gang (Kaljina is the small village in eastern
Bosnia from where Selimovic hails). They have also accused the brewery
director of financially supporting indicted Bosnian Serb war criminals.
In addition, Dnevni avaz reporters claim that Mujo Selimovic, Hilmo’s
son, had close ties with a Moldovan mafia ring that specializes in
human trafficking. The daily later claimed that Mujo had fallen out
with the Moldovan gang, which then sought to kill him.
Five months ago, Selimovic and his son reported to police that they had
received several threatening telephone calls and letters, saying that
those threats coincided with negative stories about the brewery’s
activities published in Dnevni avaz and other publications owned by
Radoncic.
Grzic said that the Selimovic family sent requests for protection to
all the relevant institutions in Bosnia, including the Office of High
Representative (OHR), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE), and the Bosnian Press Council. They also demanded local
police protection.
NO LIMITS
Uncorroborated and often wild allegations are a standard feature of
Bosnia’s public life. Even though many such statements in the press or
in parliament could be considered slanderous, libel charges are very
rarely pressed.
But the Selimovic family had initiated a libel case against Dnevni avaz
in April and asked for damages of $250,000.
After four months of deliberation, the Sarajevo District Court One
found the daily guilty of slander, saying that over the course of the
past eight months, Dnevni avaz had published 52 articles about
Selimovic and his son, all of them false and slanderous.
The court’s decision, however, did little to stop the daily’s campaign
against Selimovic. Dnevni avaz continued to publish accusations against
Selimovic, labeling him a “Serbian spy,” “thief of Bosniak (Bosnian
Muslim) property,” and “mafia spokesperson.”
In response, Judge Dinka Beslagic on 13 August forbade Dnevni avaz and
other publications owned by Radoncic to publish anything at all about
Selimovic. It was a decision without precedent in Bosnia’s legal
history.
ADVERTISE OR ELSE
Selimovic is not the only high-profile businessman under attack by
Dnevni avaz. The media campaign launched against Selimovic coincided
with similar attacks on the director of the Sarajevo Klas bakery,
Husein Ahmovic, and Bosnalijek pharmaceutical company director Edin
Arslanagic.
All three were accused of illegal privatization and embezzlement. But
the campaigns against Ahmovic and Arslanagic were short-lived. In a
matter of only a few days, the two directors were suddenly transformed
into respectable businessmen on the pages of Dnevni avaz.
Workers and trade union members had stood up in a show of support for
the Klas bakery and Bosnalijek directors, forcing the daily to back
down on its unproven accusations.
Some independent media connected the daily’s changing attitudes to the
three businessmen to what the media have called Dnevni avaz’s shotgun
advertising strategy. The independent weekly Slobodna Bosna says that
Selimovic, Ahmovic, and Arslanagic had recently refused to buy $50,000
each in advertisements in Dnevni avaz, concluding that the daily was
blackmailing them to advertise. The result of their refusal was a
heavy-hitting media campaign that attempted to portray them as
criminals.
With the unflattering publicity surrounding Dnevni avaz and Radoncic, a
key supporter of the ruling Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA),
the Selimovic attack was bound to have political
connections--especially amid the other unexplained incidents of
violence.
Following the series of explosions, the opposition leader of the
moderate Social Democratic Party (SDP) Zlatko Lagumdzija asked both
Bosnian and Federation Parliament to address the country’s security
issues.
Lagumdzija’s demands, however, failed to meet with approval among the
ruling nationalist parties, the SDA and the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ). Both parties accused Lagumdzija of using the incidents to create
an atmosphere of chaos and fear among the citizens and force early
elections.
Lagumdzija and other opposition politicians in the Federation also
demanded that the Federal government hold an urgent special session to
discuss the recent explosions. Their request was denied, with
Federation Prime Minister Ahmet Hadzipasic (SDA) asking: “Do they
really expect that we are going to hold a session after every explosion
in the Federation?”
Anes Alic is TOL’s correspondent in Sarajevo.