|
|
|
Topic
|
Source
|
Title
|
Narrative
|
|
SFOR
|
Dnevni avaz
|
Operation Harvest in the settlement of Krupac in Serb Sarajevo
|
German SFOR Contingent members carried out Operation Harvest in
the settlement of Krupac in Serb Sarajevo on Monday. Only a small
quantity of ammunition and no weapons were collected during this
operation. (p. 12)
|
|
SFOR
|
Glas Srpske
|
RS Ombudsmen for Human Rights on detention of Zeljko Jankovic and
Dusan Tesic: SFOR violated law (Front page story)
|
Despite its wide range of authorities, SFOR is obliged to abide
by the law and it should not violate the human rights and freedoms
guaranteed by the Constitution and international conventions. This
is what the RS Ombudsmen for Human Rights, Branka Kolar-Mijatovic
and Franjo Crnjac, said yesterday reacting to complaints about the
behavior of SFOR members articulated by the lawyers of Zeljko Jankovic
Luna and Dusan Tesic Bato, Sretko Markovic and Goran Neskovic. To
recall, Markovic and Neskovic asked the RS Ombudsmen to protect
the human rights of their clients. The lawyers said that Jankovic
and Tesic had been illegally detained by SFOR members at an unknown
location and that they had not been allowed to contact their families
and lawyers. Markovic and Neskovic said that no criminal investigation
had been conducted against Jankovic and Tesic and that RS authorities
had not issued orders for their arrest or detention. Therefore,
the lawyers said that SFOR had violated the basic human right to
freedom and personal security guaranteed by the European Convention
on the Protection of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms and by the
BiH Constitution. According to the RS Ombudsmen, an order on arrest
or detention can be issued only by a competent court, and according
to ICTY Regulations, this order can be issued only by the ICTY.
"Having in mind the behavior of SFOR members in these two cases,
the case of retired General Bogdan Subotic, events in the village
of Ljeskovac near Prijedor and other similar events, it is obvious
that these were not isolated cases but a phenomenon which has to
be highlighted. The IC is present in BiH in order to teach us about
the rule of law and respect for human rights and freedoms. This
is why this behavior of SFOR members is worrying because it sends
a very negative message to the RS and BiH authorities and citizens.
As Jankovic, Tesic and Subotic were not handed over to the local
authorities or the ICTY after the arrest, it can be concluded that
orders on their arrest were not issued by a competent authority,"
said the RS Ombudsmen in their press release. They pointed out that
the manner in which Jankovic, Tesic and Subotic had been arrested
is irritating because it looked much more like some military operation
or commandos operation than the arrest of civilians. The RS Ombudsmen
hope that SFOR member will behave in a more appropriate manner while
conducting its mandate in the future. (Photo on page 1)
|
|
SFOR
|
Jutarnje Novine
|
Operation Harvest in Herzegovina-Neretva Canton
|
MNB (SE) will continue Operation Harvest in the Herzegovina-Neretva
Canton by making door-to-door visits from 29 March to 8 April. This
harvest campaign will be carried out by the French-Spanish Tactical
Group in Vinjani, Poklecani, Sutina, Posusje, Ljubuski, Grljevici,
Capljina and Stolac. (p. 56)
|
|
SFOR
|
Dnevni avaz
|
SFOR hands over control of Mostar Airport to Directorate for Civil
Aviation
|
The Directorate for Civil Aviation (DCA) assumed control of Mostar
Airport from SFOR on Monday by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
The DCA will officially take control of the airport on 1 April.
The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on behalf of the civil
authorities by Branko Dokic, BiH Minister of Transport and Communications,
Nedzad Brankovic, Federation Minister of Transport and Communications,
Hamdija Jahic, Mostar Mayor, and his deputy, Ljubo Beslic, and on
behalf of SFOR by COMSFOR Maj. Gen. Virgil Packett. (Photo on page
2) /The same in Oslobodjenje (p. 7), Dnevni List (p. 15), Nezavisne
Novine (p. 2), Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 5)/
|
|
AF IN BIH
|
Oslobodjenje
|
Defense Minister Nikolic: SDA wants illegal regulations in Federation
Ministry of Defense
|
The BiH Federation Minister, Miroslav Nikolic, has told Oslobodjenje
that the SDA was insisting that the regulations of the ministry
include a provision which stipulates that the Defense Minister runs
the ministry in co-operation with the Secretary of the Defense Ministry.
"This request shows clearly that the SDA wants to keep parallelism
in this institution," said Nikolic. (p. 5)
|
|
AF IN BIH
|
Dnevni avaz
|
Enes Becirbasic: BiH to have 12 generals
|
The BiH Deputy Minister of Defense, Enes Becirbasic, has stated
that he expected 65% of the entire ministry personnel to be employed
by June only if the new organizational structure of the Ministry,
the Joint General Staff and Operational Command was adopted. He
added that in accordance with the plan the ministry would employ
160 persons. He also stated that the most important part of the
task would be the appointment of persons to the leading posts in
the Joint General Staff and Operational Command. He said that they
would stick to the provision of having 12 generals and military
forces numbering 12,000 soldiers. (p. 2)
|
|
AF IN BIH
|
Jutarnje Novine
|
Federation Defense Minister Nikolic: Discharge of soldiers at the
beginning of April
|
The BiH Federation Minister of Defense, Miroslav Nikolic, has stated
that the first group of soldiers would be discharged at the beginning
of April. He added that every soldier would receive 6,000 KM severance
pay. The adoption of the BiH Presidency decision on a new organizational
structure of the VF has made it possible for this part of the defense
reform that includes the downsizing of the VF through the discharge
of soldiers to be implemented. However, the BiH Federation Government
has not yet adopted a decision on more favorable conditions for
the retirement of a certain number of VF soldiers. (p. 5)
|
|
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
|
Dnevni avaz
|
BiH Council of Ministers adopts the BiH Draft Law on University
Education
|
At its session in Sarajevo yesterday, the BiH Council of Ministers
adopted the BiH Draft Law on University Education and forwarded
it to parliamentary procedure. However, the draft law was not unanimously
adopted because of certain objections from HDZ ministers. The BiH
Minister of Civil Affairs, Safet Halilovic, said that the Head of
the OSCE Mission to BiH, Robert Beecroft, had assisted considerably
in developing the final version of the law. (p. 4)/The same in Dnevni
List (p. 5), Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 64)/
|
|
FBIH - PARLIAMENT
|
Oslobodjenje
|
SDA and HDZ fail to reach an agreement
|
Yesterday, Sulejman Tihic and Barisa Colak, the presidents of the
SDA and HDZ respectively, failed to reach an agreement on partnership
relations between these two ruling parties. The HDZ insists on an
agreement, which would prevent further outvoting at sessions of
the FBIH Government. The SDA claims that, in accordance with the
law, there is no outvoting, and that the HDZ wants to introduce
the ethnic principle of voting. The talks are to resume today or
tomorrow. The FBiH Government held a session yesterday, but HDZ
ministers failed to attend it. (Photo on page 3)
|
|
ICTY
|
Dnevni avaz
|
Daniel Serwer, US Institute of Peace: Karadzic would be arrested
if Bush wanted this
|
Commenting on the fact that Radovan Karadzic has still not been
arrested even though SFOR has been closing in on him for nine years,
Daniel Serwer, the Director of the Balkans Initiative at the US
Institute of Peace, called this shameful. He pinned the blame for
the failure to arrest Karadzic on the RS in the first place, but
on SFOR and NATO as well. "It seems that the Bush Administration
is ambivalent about the Hague Tribunal, because they fear that the
activities of the Tribunal could 'push' the US into the International
Criminal Court. However, I believe that they would be glad to see
all war crimes suspects arrested," he said. He emphasised that US
troops, prior to their withdrawal, must arrest Karadzic and unite
the BiH armed forces. He also believes that the US should remain
in BiH, in the form of a small non-battle group within SFOR, among
other things. (Photo on page 5)
|
|
INCIDENTS
|
Oslobodjenje
|
Mosque in Orahova attacked
|
Yesterday, Zoran Glusac, RS Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson,
confirmed that two hand grenades had been thrown at a mosque in
the village of Orahova, near Bosanska Gradiska on Monday night.
The explosions damaged the mosque, five windows and a nearby tombstone.
Banja Luka mufti Edhem Camdzic condemned the attack. The local police
are conducting an investigation. The RS Secretariat for Religions
has also sharply condemned the incident. (p.5) /The same in Dnevni
avaz (p.3), Jutarnje Novine (p.3), Dnevni List (p. 4), Nezavisne
Novine (p.8), Blic (p.12)/
|
|
INCIDENTS
|
Oslobodjenje
|
In Mostar settlement of Balinovac: Window of mosque broken
|
On Saturday night, unknown perpetrators threw stones at a mosque
in the Mostar settlement of Balinovac and broke a window. The Mostar
Islamic Community emphasised that this was the third time in the
past 20 days that the windows of the mosque had been broken. The
Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted
an on-site investigation. The Islamic Community does not believe
that the perpetrators will be found. "This is the planned intimidation
of Bosniac believers. Fear is growing because of the silence of
the police and the international community," said the Islamic Community.
(Photo on page 5) /The same in Dnevni avaz (p.3)
|
|
NATO
|
Dnevni avaz
|
NATO will be the "main" actor in operations to arrest
PIFWICs
|
"The key task of EU troops in BiH will be to maintain a secure
environment, and NATO will be the 'main' actor when it comes to
the arrest of PIFWICs," said Peter Feith, the Envoy of the
EU HR for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, adding that the
EU and NATO would co-operate closely in carrying out their tasks
in BiH. Feith said that NATO would retain 230 personnel in its office
in Sarajevo, and that the EU would have approximately 7,000 members.
(Photo on page 2)
|
|
POLICE/SBS
|
Dnevni avaz
|
RS Vice President, Adil Osmanovic, asks that Djeric be punished
for new wave of attacks on Bosniacs in RS (Front page story)
|
Yesterday, RS Vice President, Adil Osmanovic, expressed his concern
about the increasing number of attacks on Bosniacs and mosques in
the RS. Osmanovic named those "responsible" for these attacks who
had not done anything to discover and punish the perpetrators and
ideologists of these attacks. "I hold Zoran Djeric, RS Minister
of Internal Affairs, directly responsible for the failure to discover
the perpetrators of these attacks. Instead of dealing with more
important things, police officers in the RS sometimes look like
utility workers who remove posters bearing the pictures of Karadzic
and Mladic," said Osmanovic. He said that he expected Radomir Njegus,
RS Police Director, to discover not only the perpetrators but also
the ideologists of these attacks, and the EUPM Commissioner, Kevin
Carty, to punish Djeric or Njegus because it was obvious that some
things were not functioning. At his meeting with Carty yesterday,
Osmanovic told him that he could not accept the fact that the Minister
of Internal Affairs, the Police Director and the Heads of Public
Security Centers had been elected from among the Serb people, and
that nobody from among the other two peoples had been elected to
these positions. He informed Carty that he would launch an initiative
for either a Bosniac or a Croat to be appointed RS Police Director.
(Photo on page 1, 2)
|
|
POLICE/SBS
|
Dnevni avaz
|
The police detain five persons and search several apartments in
Zenica
|
At about 11 a.m. on Monday, the members of the Zenica-Doboj Cantonal
Criminal Police and the Support Unit searched the apartments of
persons suspected of illegally producing and dealing in drugs in
Talica Brdo Street no. 10 and Gorazdanska Street in the settlement
of Lukovo Polje in Zenica. The police confirmed that five persons
had been arrested but did not want to reveal their names. "These
five persons have been detained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
A criminal investigation is currently under way, and information
is being collected. This operation is the result of an extensive
investigation aimed at more efficiently fighting drugs and processing
persons involved in criminal activities," said Admir Katica, spokesperson
for the Zenica-Doboj Cantonal Minister of Internal Affairs. (Photo
on page 29) /The same in Jutarnje Novine (p. 56), Nezavisne Novine
(p. 2)/
|
|
PROTEST
|
Oslobodjenje
|
Farmers protest in Sarajevo: Customs breaks as of 1 April or Terzic
must resign
|
On Monday, hundreds of farmers protested in front of the BiH Council
of Ministers building in Sarajevo. During the protest, they demanded
that farm production be protected and they be given a more favorable
position. The President of the BiH Farmers Association, Ranko Bakic,
said that farmers would request the removal of Adnan Terzic from
his post if new customs exemptions on raw materials were not introduced
by 1 April. "We are very dissatisfied because the BiH authorities
show no intention of stopping the excessive import of food products
and supporting domestic production," said Bakic. (p. 4)/The
same in Jutarnje Novine (p. 6), Dnevni avaz (p. 11), Dnevni List
(p. 3), Nezavisne Novine (p. 10), Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 19)/
|
|
PROTEST
|
Oslobodjenje
|
Opposition protest in Banja Luka
|
"The protest gathering arranged by the opposition in the RS
is not to be interpreted as a fight for power, but a fight for change,"
stated the SNSD leader, Milorad Dodik. He said he expected between
30,000 and 50,000 people, approximately 15,000 from Banja Luka alone,
to join the protest at the central square in Banja Luka. He added
that the aim of the protest would be to make the parties in power
realize the need to hold early elections. The protest is jointly
organized by the SNSD, Socialist Party of the RS, the Democratic
People's Union and the Democratic Pensioners' Union. (p. 6)/The
same in Jutarnje Novine (p. 14), Dnevni List (p. 11), Nezavisne
Novine (p. 4), Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 17)/
|
|
TERRORISM
|
Oslobodjenje
|
Italian media report: Spanish al-Qaida cell trained in Zenica (Front-page
story)
|
"According to information provided by the secret services, the
Spanish al-Qaida cell is composed of mujahedin trained in camps
near Zenica during the war in BiH," the Italian media reported on
Monday. According to these reports, the so-called sleepers were
trained in BiH and than deployed throughout the world. Spanish agents
claim that Italy is a logistics base for the so-called terrorist
sleepers. During the search of the Madrid apartment of Abu Dahdah,
believed to be the head of the Spanish al-Qaida cell, the Spanish
police found a "Balkan map," which clearly shows that Ancona (Italy),
was the main port for transferring mujahedin to Split and then to
BiH. The map is the main evidence of the existence of a training
camp for mujahedin in BiH. (Photo on the front page and page 3)
|
|
Back to Media Summary
Please Note
The portions of articles in this report are summaries from the originals.
They have been derived and translated from available open source,
newspapers, periodicals, TV and radio broadcasts. They reflect the
opinion of the particular media or the media's sources. The use
of articles and quotations does not necessarily reflect SFOR's official
opinions or policy, nor are they official endorsements of any kind.
Any offence is not intentional. The primary objective is to make
available a variety of regional media summaries.
Produced by: PEACE STABILISATION FORCE; PIO MEDIA
ANALYSIS, SARAJEVO
NOTE: Your feedback is always appreciated; please contact us at
cpic_analysis@sfor.nato.int
|
|
