Main News Summary
Friday, 2 April 2004

SFOR
Glas Srpske
Reactions to SFOR operation in Pale
Milan Radulovic, Serbian Minister for Religions, strongly protested against the SFOR operation in Pale. He described the operation to be an act of barbarism. "SFOR proves that it does not respect human dignity, the clergy or places of worship. Milivoje Gutalj, Serb Sarajevo Mayor, expressed his astonishment at the SFOR raid on the parochial home in Pale. Slavko Kujundzic, Head of the Pale Municipality, said that SFOR had used excessive force. Dusan Antelj, the Director of the RS Secretariat for Religions, said that the brutal and uncivilised act of SFOR troops could not be justified whatever its ultimate goal. He said that this was not the first SFOR attack on the Serb Orthodox Church, but it was the most brutal and without precedent. Ivan Sijakovic, a Sociology Professor, said that the latest SFOR operation in Pale was an attack on the integrity of the Serb people and their church. "This is a demonstration of a special power - the power of fear. Those who talk about democracy have violated all human rights and shown that nobody is safe," he said, adding that SFOR had shown its impatience and arrogance. He also said that such actions made RS citizens lose confidence in international organisations. "People link this to terrorism, and operations like this prevent the RS authorities from co-operating with the international community," he emphasised. Zahum-Herzegovina Episcope Grigorije said that the SFOR operation in Pale was "terrorism against unarmed innocent people who have been fighting for peace." "SFOR is treating the Serb people like Indians who are to be exterminated," he added. "Somebody has told SFOR that Serb priests are the spirit behind Serb dignity and they are now trying to kill them," said Episcope Grigorije. "We have to admit that we have been occupied and that our ruling and opposition parties have helped them," he said. Orthodox Metropolitan Nikolaj visited Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar yesterday. "SFOR has said everything with this operation," he said. The Alliance of Independent Social Democrats said that SFOR had exceeded its mandate. The party also said that SFOR had been misinformed because "no war crimes suspect was there." "Those who exceeded their authority should be held accountable for it," said the SNSD. (p.3)
SFOR
Dnevni avaz
Midnight airborne landing in Pale
Early on Thursday, members of an SFOR specialized unit carried out an airborne landing operation and searched for Radovan Karadzic in a church in Pale. During the raid, a clash occurred in which priest Jeremije Starovlah (p. 52) and his son Aleksandar (26) suffered serious injuries. They were both transported by SFOR helicopter to a hospital in Tuzla where they received medical assistance. SFOR spokesperson Dave Sullivan yesterday confirmed that the priest and his son had been seriously injured during the arrest operation, but that Radovan Karadzic had not been found and arrested. According to witnesses, the operation started at 1.15 a.m. and ended at 4.15 a.m. They also stated that more than 40 SFOR soldiers had come to Pale by helicopter, and that they had planted an explosive under the door of the parochial home door. Approximately 40 US and British SFOR soldiers and members of the MSU participated in the operation. "SFOR soldiers used minimum of force necessary for carrying out the search, and the priest and his son where injured while being inside the house," Sullivan told journalists in Sarajevo yesterday. He added that SFOR possessed videotapes showing that its soldiers behaved professionally during the operation. He also stated that the operation had been carried out in accordance with reliable information about the whereabouts of Karadzic. However, SFOR could not confirm whether or not the injured priest belonged to the network supporting war criminals. (Photo on front page and p. 2)The same in Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 72), Jutarnje Novine (p. 6), Dnevni List (p. 7), Glas Srpske (Front page story), Nezavisne Novine (p. 3), Oslobodjenje (p. 4)/
SFOR
Nezavisne Novine
Reactions to SFOR operation in Pale
Dragan Cavic, RS President, described the latest SFOR operation in Pale as an excessive and brutal use of force. He expects the SFOR Command and other international organisations to explain the operation and establish the responsibility of SFOR soldiers involved in the operation. He also said that SFOR had exceeded its mandate and violated Article 6 of the DPA, which stipulates that all institutions in BiH must respect human rights. Paddy Ashdown said that the RS authorities were responsible for the incident in Pale during which priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar were injured. "If the authorities in BiH had arrested war crimes suspects, this would not have happened," he said. "SFOR has the right to use an appropriate level of force," he said. Nikola Spiric, the Chair of the BiH House of Representatives, said that it was tragic that he had known nothing about the operation in Pale. "I was informed by Pale citizens. Barisa Colak, the BiH Minister for Security, also knew nothing about the operation. This clearly shows how tragic the atmosphere in BiH is, where state institutions are not informed about what is going on," he said. He condemned SFOR troops' violence in this operation. Mladen Ivanic, BiH Foreign Minister, said that SFOR must have limits in its operations. "It is unacceptable that in hunting for war crimes suspects, SFOR carries out a brutal raid on a priest's house and injures priests," he said. The SDS said that "the serious wounding of the Orthodox priest and his son and the forcible entry into an Orthodox facility and its destruction, regardless of the ultimate goal, bears witness to a brutal, inhuman and uncivilised action of SFOR troops." Milanko Mihajlica, SRS President, said that SFOR was "injuring priests, damaging Serb Orthodox churches and beating up innocent RS citizens, while its true intentions remained known only to them." The Democratic People's Alliance and many non-governmental organisations in the RS condemned the operation. (Photo on page 2) /The same in Dnevni avaz (p.2), Glas Srpske (p.2)/
SFOR
Jutarnje Novine
Karadzic escapes again
According to Jutarnje Novine, SFOR carried out a search operation in Pale following information that Karadzic was supposed to meet with his daughter Sonja who lives in Pale. Eyewitnesses to the operation stated that approximately 40 SFOR soldiers were involved in the operation, and that they spoke Serbian fluently. After the operation ended, the RS MUP officers took over the guarding of the site of the operation. Also, members of the Pale Public Security Center guarded of the parochial home, the church and the cultural center in Pale. SFOR's fruitless search operation that resulted in two civilians being seriously injured caused protests of Pale residents, who started gathering at the site early in the morning. It is believed that by the time the Serb member of the BiH Presidency, Borislav Paravac, the Chair of the RS National Assembly, Dragan Kalinic, and the RS Premier, Dragan Mikerevic had arrived, several hundred inhabitants had gathered in front of the parochial home. Mr. Paravac told the crowd that he would notify the BiH Presidency about the events that had occurred in Pale, and that he would warn them that something similar might happen to them too. (p. 6)
SFOR
Jutarnje Novine
Strong detonation
The wife of the injured priest and mother of injured Aleksandar, Viktorija Starovlah, stated that she had been awakened by a loud blast on the night of the SFOR operation and by the ringing the phone. She said that SFOR members had kept her detained in a room while they shot her husband and son. "My husband was groaning and my son just fell down," she added. She said that everything happened just like in the worst possible movie, and added that the firing of weapons had not been provoked because they had all got up from their beds undressed. (p. 6)
SFOR
Nezavisne Novine
Several thousand people gather in Pale to protest against SFOR operation
Several thousand people gathered yesterday in front of the parochial home in Pale to protest against the latest SFOR operation. Numerous senior RS officials addressed the crowed. Dragan Kalinic, the President of the RS National Assembly, said that the SFOR operation was the most brutal act of violence so far. "Somebody wrongly believes that Serbs are not ready to defend the RS, freedom and equality. Somebody wants to take us 12 years back in the past," said Kalinic. "I think that Sulejman Tihic as the president of all citizens of BiH should be here to tell us how he protects Serbs," he added. Borislav Paravac, a member of the BiH Presidency, said that he had requested that an extraordinary session of the BiH Presidency be held. "I do not expect spectacular conclusions to be reached at the session, but I will convey to Tihic and Covic the atmosphere from this gathering and the outrage and astonishment of citizens as regards SFOR's vandalism," he said. Dragan Mikerevic, RS Premier, said that Serb Orthodox Church priests, Pale and RS citizens had been insulted as human beings and Orthodox believers. He said that the RS government would make public its stance regarding the operation. (Photo on page 2) /The same in Oslobodjenje (p.4), Dnevni List (p.7), Jutarnje Novine (p.6), Glas Srpske (p.2)/
SFOR
Jutarnje Novine
Priest and his son still in critical condition
The priest that was injured during the SFOR operation, Jeremija Starovlah, and his son Aleksandar were still in critical condition, reported doctors of the medical center in Tuzla, where the two of them were transported by an SFOR helicopter around 3 a.m. Doctors said that both father and son suffered serious injuries, and that both of them underwent a series of operations. Jeremija Starovlah had fractures the head and massive hemorrhaging which made the patient's breathing difficult. Doctors from the center said that he was in a "semi-coma". Representatives of MNB (N) and the EUPM came to the center early in the morning and asked about the condition of these two patients. (p. 6)/The same in Oslobodjenje (p. 4)
SFOR
Dnevni avaz
Protesters call Kalinic "fascist"
At a protest gathering in front of the priest's house in Pale, almost 3,000 people yelled "fascist" to Dragan Kalinic. Almost 20 people wore Karadzic masks and a Serb flag were could be seen among the crowd. None of the RS or religious officials distanced themselves from those wearing Karadzic masks. (p.3)
SFOR
Slobodna Dalmacija
Priest Jeremija Starovlah: "It is the duty of every Serb priest to help Karadzic"
Orthodox Priest Jeremija Starovlah, injured during the SFOR operation in Pale, recently stated for a Podgorica newspaper that it was the duty of every Serb priest to help Radovan Karadzic. Speculation that the priest was the target of the SFOR assault because of that statement was denied by SFOR spokesperson Dave Sullivan who said that the target of the operation had not been the priest but Karadzic. (p. 2)
SFOR
Slobodna Dalmacija
SFOR contradicts itself
SFOR spokesperson Dave Sullivan has stated that no firearms were used during the recent operation in Pale, and that priest Jeremija Starovlah and his son Aleksandar had been injured in the explosion to open the door of the parochial home. However, MNB (N) representatives stated at a press conference in Tuzla that the priest and his son suffered several injuries caused by the use of firearms. The RS police has also issued a statement, saying that an on-site investigation was still being conducted, and that therefore they could not say whether or not firearms were used in the operation in Pale. (p. 2)/The same in Glas Srpske (p. 5)
SFOR
Dnevni avaz
Pale residents say that SFOR carried out an airborne landing operation (p. 3)
Approximately 50 Pale inhabitants told Dnevni avaz that the recent operation carried out by SFOR in Pale was a fierce and brutal attack against Orthodox priests living in the parochial home. They also said that SFOR had carried out a veritable airborne landing operation, but they could not say how many helicopters SFOR had used. According to certain information, SFOR had used four helicopters in the operation. Priest Slobodan Lubarda told Avaz that SFOR soldiers had used explosive to open the door of the parochial home. He also claimed that SFOR soldiers had fired their weapons as they entered, and that they had raided the apartment of the Starovlah family and fired two shots that wounded the priest and his son.
SFOR
Oslobodjenje
Dave Sullivan: "No firearms were used"
On Thursday, SFOR spokesperson Dave Sullivan stated at a press conference that no firearms, excessive force or hand grenades had been used during the recent SFOR operation in Pale. "SFOR soldiers used the minimum of force necessary for conducting the search for Karadzic," said Sullivan. He added that Priest Jeremije Starovlah and his son Aleksandar had been injured in the explosion to open the door of the parochial home. He also stated that SFOR could not confirm that the injured priest Starovlah was involved in the network supporting war criminals (p. 5)
AF IN BIH
Slobodna Bosna
With Tihic's agreement, war criminal Paravac "relieved the burden" of Atif Dudakovic from the future BiH Army
The first SDA candidate for a general's position in the future BiH Army is Brigadier Sifet Podzic, currently Commander of the VF Fifth Corps. Before the war, Podzic was based in the Viktor Bubanj barracks in Sarajevo, as the Commander of the Military Police in the Yugoslav People's Army. The candidacy of the Chief of Staff of the VF First Guard Corps Brigadier Slavko Puljic, also known as Kasa, is a different story. This wartime Chief of Staff for the area of Mostar and former officer of the Yugoslav People's Army joined Stanko Sopta Baja and his HVO Second Guard Brigade at the beginning of 1994, and was Sopta's loyal companion until the end of the war. During "liberation" operations in Glamoc and its neighborhood, Puljic was nicknamed Kasa (cash-box). From the Ministry of Defense, Puljic received a favorable loan, a plot of land and construction material to build a house in the center of Mostar. Brigadier Puljic was also active as a "self-ruler" and the right-hand man of the removed Commander of the First Guard Corps General Zlatan Mijo Jelic. Well-informed sources say that the careers of generals Atif Dudakovic and Ivica Zeko are over, and that generals Ramiz Drekovic and Zvonko Sesar could replace them because they enjoy the strong support of the SDA and HDZ political leaderships. However, according to the procedure, it would be wise to wait for SFOR's opinion. (Photo on page 23) /The same in Dani (p. 22)/
AF IN BIH
Dnevni List
Hadzipasic: I asked Nikolic to submit list of HVO retirees
On Wednesday, the Federation Premier, Ahmet Hadzipasic, signed a provision on more favorable conditions for the retirement of VF members. Hadzipasic said that the Federation Defense Minister, Miroslav Nikolic, had an obligation to provide him by mid-April with a list of all professional soldiers who had signed contracts since 1 January 1997 and a list of 506 HVO war veterans. Hadzipasic said that he had not signed this provision until Wednesday not because he was autocratic but because HDZ ministers in the FBiH Government had not respected the conclusion rendered by the FBiH Government. Hadzipasic said that this was the reason why this provision had not been signed before. (Photo on page 5)
BIH - CONSTITUTIONS
Dnevni avaz
Marko Tadic, President of the BiH Constitutional Court: "If the RS Assembly does not order the removal of the prefix 'Serb', we will"
Marko Tadic, President of the BiH Constitutional Court, said that, according to the Rules of Procedure, the BiH Constitutional Court could change any law that was contrary to the Constitution and would exercise this right if the RS Assembly did not order the removal of the prefix "Serb" from the names of towns in the RS. (Photo on page 5)
BIH - CONSTITUTIONS
Oslobodjenje
Serbs against names of streets and squares in FBiH
On Thursday, Nikola Spiric, Chair of the BiH House of Representatives, said that he had requested the BiH Constitutional Court review the constitutionality of the decision to change the names of streets and squares in Sarajevo municipalities and the names of some places and towns in the FBiH. According to Spiric, the names of 100 streets in Sarajevo have been changed, and these names are one of the reasons why more than 130,000 Serbs have not yet returned to Sarajevo. (Photo on page 3) /The same in Vecernji List (p. 5)/
BIH - PARLIAMENT
Nezavisne Novine
SDS and PDP will not support request for removal of Council of Ministers
"The SDS will not support the latest initiative of seven opposition parties in the BiH Parliament for the removal of the Council of Ministers so that Zlatko Lagumdzija or anybody else from the SDP would be appointed as the state prime minister," said Momcilo Novakovic, the Chairman of the SDS caucus in the BiH House of Representatives. He emphasised that the Council of Ministers would enjoy the support of the SDS only in matters supporting the RS and not matters supporting the unification of BiH. On Wednesday, seven opposition parties in the BiH Parliament led by the SDP and the SNSD launched an initiative for a vote of no-confidence in the Council of Ministers. Sinisa Djordjevic, Head of the PDP President's Office, said that this party would not ask for the removal of the current Council of Ministers, but it would review the participation of the party in the ruling authorities because of Sulejman Tihic's request for changing the name of the RS. (p.6)
BIH - PARTIES
Dnevni avaz
Dragan Kalinic warns RS deputies not to vote for changing the name of the RS
Dragan Kalinic, the President of the RS National Assembly, said that the deputies in the RS Assembly who vote in favor of changing the name of the RS would no longer be deputies. He criticised the two RS judges in the BiH Constitutional Court for not opposing the court's decision on changing the names of cities with the Serb prefix.
BIH - PARTIES
Dnevni avaz
Ajanovic requests that SDS be banned
Mirnes Ajanovic, the President of the Bosnian Party, has urged the Peace Implementation Council and the US Embassy to ban the political activities of the SDS, a genocidal-chauvinistic political structure that threatens to break up BiH. "The HR is responsible for the anti-state activities of SDS officials because he did not ban this party, nor did he ban the HDZ, SDA and the Party for BiH, which formed a coalition with the SDS and enable it to put BiH in jeopardy," he said. (p.9)
BIH - SCG
Dani
Why the new Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs is dangerous for BiH
Dragan Jocic, the newly-appointed Serbian Minister of Internal Affairs, is a member of Vojislav Kostunica's Serbian Democratic Party. Momcilo Mandic, a Serb businessman and former RS Minister of Justice, welcomed Jocic's appointment because Jocic is on his payroll. Jocic appointed some called Miletic as the Secretary of the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs, who was a senior intelligence officer during Slobodan Milosevic's era. During the Sword operation, Miletic was removed because he was suspected of being involved in planning the assassination of Zoran Djindjic. Jocic recently said that, as far as he knew, Ratko Mladic was not in Serbia. (Photo on page 8)
ICTY
Slobodna Bosna
BiH top authorities claim that indictments against Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic, Stojic and Coric never arrived in Sarajevo from The Hague
The following officials have denied that indictments against Prlic, Praljak, Petkovic, Stojic and Coric had arrived in BiH from The Hague: Adnan Terzic, Chair of the Council of Ministers, Slobodan Kovac, BiH Minister of Justice, Marinko Jurcevic, BiH State Prosecutor, and Sulejman Tihic and Dragan Covic, members of the BiH Presidency. However, after Petkovic, Praljak, Stojic and Prlic received indictments issued by the Hague Tribunal from the Croatian Government on 31 March, the list of passengers for the Monday flight to Amsterdam is more or less complete. It is speculated that the fifth ticket is reserved for Valentin Coric, whose indictment has not yet been confirmed, although it is said to be in Sarajevo because Coric did not declare his residence in Croatia. Slobodna Bosna reports that Tudjman and Susak ordered the removal of Branko Kvesic, former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Croat Republic "Herceg-Bosna", for mismanagement. (Photo on page 5)
ICTY
Oslobodjenje
Valentin Coric and Branko Kvesic to go to The Hague
Oslobodjenje has discovered from sources close to the BiH authorities that The Hague Tribunal has sent to Sarajevo indictments against Valentin Coric, former HVO Military Police Commander, and Branko Kvesic, former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Croat Republic "Herceg-Bosna". However, the BiH authorities did not want either to confirm or deny this information. On Thursday, Valentin Coric confirmed in Zagreb that he would go to The Hague on Monday. However, the paper's source said that the ICTY Office of the Prosecutor had completed its investigation in the Herzegovina case. Perhaps that is why Goran Mihaljevic, the Croatian Officer for Liaison with the Hague Tribunal, is coming to Sarajevo on Monday. Allegedly, he will escort the indictees to The Hague. According to Dnevni avaz, Coric received a sealed indictment issued by the Hague Tribunal against him from the Croatian Ministry of Justice in Zagreb yesterday. He said that he would enter a plea on Tuesday. "I believe that the Croatian Government will give me guarantees for my provisional release," said Coric, adding that Tomislav Janjic from Zagreb would be his lawyer. Dnevni avaz speculates that the sixth indictee could be either Coric's former associate, Berislav Pusic, or Bozo Rajic, former RBiH Defense Minister and HDZ President. Unconfirmed information appeared in Croatia yesterday that Pusic was on the run, but he denied this in the media, adding that he went to Ljubljana hospital for an operation and was released several days ago. He said that he would respond to the summons from the Hague Tribunal if there was one. Rajic was not available for comment. (Photo on page 7) /The same in Dnevni avaz (p. 4), Jutarnje Novine (p. 7), Dnevni List (p. 3), Nezavisne Novine (p. 5), Slobodna Dalmacija (p. 3)/
ICTY
Vecerni List
Croats in BiH outraged by Hague indictments
Ordinary Croats in BiH are outraged by the new Hague indictment against Bruno Stojic, Jadranko Prlic, Slobodan Praljak and Milivoj Petkovic. Although one could get the impression that the new Hague indictments against the four Croats in BiH were received calmly, these will affect future political events. This was confirmed by the member of the BiH Presidency, Dragan Covic, who said that this would only additionally complicate the situation in BiH which is complicated enough. The reason why there has been no reaction from the public is that the indictees have not been officially named. (Photo on page 5)
ICTY
Dnevni avaz
DPA has definitely succeeded in BiH
Richard Holbrooke, former US Ambassador to the UN and the creator of the Dayton Peace Accords, has given an analysis of the situation and the future of this region to Serbian Nedjeljni Telegraf. "The Balkans has covered two thirds of the road on its way to getting out of the tragedy of the past 85 years. Slovenia left the Balkans a long time ago, and is now entering the EU. Croatia has started to stabilize. The DPA has definitely succeeded in BiH because the war is over and 85% of western soldiers have already withdrawn. After Karadzic and Mladic are brought to justice, the remaining soldiers will be able to withdraw to a NATO base. That is what I would like to see in BiH," said Richard Holbrooke. (Photo on page 8)
ICTY
Oslobodjenje
Indictments against Delic, Mahmuljin and Ganic expected
Sources close to the BiH Government claim that Rasim Delic, wartime Commander of the Army of RBiH, Sakib Mahmuljin, the Commander of the Third Corps of the Army of RBiH, and Ejup Ganic, wartime member of the BiH Presidency, might go to The Hague. However, the paper's source could not say what Ganic and Delic were charged with by the Hague Tribunal. The ICTY did not want to comment on this information on Thursday. Asked whether he would surrender to the Hague Tribunal if there is an indictment against him, Delic said: "I will not comment on this, and I think that this is just speculation by journalists." The paper did not manage to reach Ejup Ganic. (Photo on page 3)
ICTY
Slobodna Bosna
Indictment against Sakib Mahmuljin arrives in Sarajevo from The Hague
According to information obtained from the BiH Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an indictment against Sakib Mahmuljin, retired general of the Army of BiH and the former FBiH Deputy Defense Minister, arrived in this ministry on 31 March. According to the same information, the ministry forwarded this indictment to Marinko Jurcevic, Chief Prosecutor of the BiH Prosecutor's Office. We did not manage to check this information before this issue went to press. (Photo on page 15)
INCIDENTS
Jutarnje Novine
Armed robbers steal 336,000KM from post office in Bukinje settlement near Tuzla
Yesterday morning, two masked and armed robbers stole 336,000KM from a post office located in the Bukinje settlement near Tuzla. The local police opened an investigation into the robbery. (p. 57)/The same in Dnevni avaz (p. 32)
OHR
Dnevni List
HR Ashdown: "Co-operation with The Hague is precondition for accession of BiH to PfP"
At a press conference yesterday, HR Paddy Ashdown revealed the results of a meeting with the Management Board of the Peace Implementation Council. He commended the progress achieved recently in BiH, especially the adoption of the Law on Indirect Taxation and the Law on Intelligence Service, and the establishment of the BiH Ministry of Defense, which includes the appointment of Nikola Radovanovic as the first Minister. He also said that there were certain reservations concerning the co-operation of BiH with The Hague, and that BiH could join the Partnership for Peace if it improved the co-operation. Otherwise, its request to join PfP could be turned down. He added that the Peace Implementation Council had also warned that BiH institutions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in particular, should enhance their co-operation with The Hague. He pointed out that BiH had not met its international obligations in terms of taking all the measures necessary to arrest all war crimes indictees. (p. 5)
PROTEST
Dnevni avaz
Farmers block border crossings
Protesting against the free trade agreement signed by BiH, Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro, the BiH Farmers Association blocked several border crossings in BiH yesterday. Traffic at the border crossings in Kamensko and Doljani was blocked for two hours, while there was no traffic blockade in Izacic and Maljevac. The farmers demanded that BiH institutions improve their situation and protect domestic farming in BiH. (Photo on page 10)