BosNet NEWS - Sept. 21/22 95 (Gen. Dudakovic: "... Connect THREE B's")

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

From: Nermin Zukic <n6zukic@sms.business.uwo.ca>


B o s N e t - Sept. 21, 1995
- Bosnian Army's Gen. Dudakovic: " We want to connect three "B": Bihac, Banja Luka, Bijeljina..." - UNHCR's Janowski: "It's a fresh wave of expulsions of Muslims from central Bosnia by the Bosnian Serb authorities." - B&H FM Sacirbey: "We demand the establishing of civilian authorities in Banja Luka instead of present military authorities responsible for ethnic cleansing." - ``It is not a relationship of love,'' a European ambassador of the Bosno Croat relationship - Bosno-Croat problems: Salakovac, Bihac Airport - Serb journalist about Karadzic: "They don't need to arrest him. He's irrelevant now." - Brian Atwood, USAID: ``We are at that point now where very serious planning has to begin...'' - UN about Bosnian Army's firings: ``The U.N. is no longer interested in lame excuses about rogue elements...'' - Fighting around Doboj... etc.
U.N. officials reported an increase of forced expulsions from the towns under nationalist Bosnian Serb control: Banja Luka, Doboj and Mrkonjic Grad.

"It's a fresh wave of expulsions of Muslims from central Bosnia by the Bosnian Serb authorities. The day before yesterday, 442 people were expelled from Mrkonjic Grad and yesterday another 432 were expelled from Doboj," said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokesman Kris Janowski in Sarajevo.

"These people were mostly Muslim, some Croats and some Serbs from mixed marriages, and some of these people alleged that three elderly people died while making the long, dark crossing through the woods... Essentially the Muslim population of Doboj was told on very short notice to pack up. They were brought to a football stadium where their belongings were looted, then in five buses were taken to the confrontation line south of the city," Janowski said.


GEN. DUDAKOVIC ON B-H ARMY ADVANCEMENT Split, September 22, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The B-H Army 5th Corps Commander Gen. Dudakovic in an interview for daily "Slobodna Dalmacija" commented on the situation on the battlefield: "Banja Luka is still far away, and there is still quite a long way to Prijedor.But the liberation of Banja Luka will change everything. Further on, the way is open toward Bijeljina. We want to connect three "B": Bihac, Banja Luka, Bijeljina. At the moment our troops surrounded Sanski Most.In the last three days heavy fighting take place there.They can bring the whole Serbia, but the 5th Corps will enter Sanski Most! (...) We will fight to the last for the B-H borders! At present, the heavy fighting take place on Cadjavica. That is the village on the direction Kljuc-Mrkonjic Grad, 19 km from Kljuc. We are supposed to connect with HVO units on that territory and I hope that will happen very soon without too much calculation from one or the other side, assuming that our joint defence is our goal in order to get rid of the Cethniks policy on the territories west of Drina, forever". (end) S.K.

NEWS: EVENING BULLETIN "WE DEMAND KARADJIC'S FORCES RETREAT FROM BANJA LUKA" London, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - "We demand the establishing of civilian authorities in Banja Luka instead of present military authorities responsible for ethnic cleansing. We hope that this change would eliminate the negative tendency of ethnic cleansing which lasted through out the whole war. This does not mean that we demand for our Army to enter Banja Luka but we demand that Radovan Karadjic's forces live the town", said the President of the B-H Presidency before leaving London. Washington - The B-H Foreign Minister Sacirbey sent the letter to the S.C. Chairman in which he in four points proposes the cessation of hostilities in B-H. Sacirbey proposes the lift of Sarajevo's siege, opening of the roads to Sarajevo and enable the distribution of gas, electricity and water. It is necessary to secure the safe road for Gorazde and end all military operations in the Banja Luka area along with demilitarization of the region and establishing of international forces which would offer security and separate military forces in accordance with the agreement on cessation of hostilities. (end) S.K.

MEETING OF MILITARY DELEGATIONS OF B-H AND CROATIA Novi Travnik, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - The military delegations of B-H and Croatia met in Novi Travnik.Commander in Chief of B-H Army Headquarters General Delic, Gen. Karavelic and Alagic and Gen. Gotovina and Blaskic were present at the meeting. They discussed about the implementation of military part of the agreement between Republic Croatia and R/F B-H. "Only together we can make progress. What we achieved in the last ten days confirms that only joint actions guarantee the success. Today we summoned what we achieved and we are satisfied. If we continue to move on, we will do it together", said general Delic. (end) S.K.

DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT "SALAKOVAC" Mostar, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - In order to secure the necessary flow of electricity for Mostar and the Neretva valley the EU Administration in Mostar proposed to Bosniak and Croatian side the "Agreement about the electricity for Mostar and Neretva valley" which included the joint renewal of 'Salakovac' and 'Mostar' power-plants. According to this agreement problem would be solved for the next five years. The EU administration planed to invest 12 mill. DEM in this project. Bosniak side rejected this agreement because, as it was said on today's press conference, EU Administration did not accept the proposals of B-H Agency for Electricity and included them in the text of the controversial Agreement. As our corespondent found out from unofficial sources, ownership of the power-plant 'Salakovac' has not yet been solved. Croatian side which tries to establish the independent electric-system fully accepted this agreement because it would enable it to use plant's potentials without previously accepting the consolidated, state electric-system. (end) S.K.

INTERSTATE COMMISSION ESTABLISHED Zagreb, September 21,1995 (Press TWRA) - By the decision of B-H and Croatian Government the Commission for temporary limit on the territory of Bihac airport was established. Its aim is to create the temporary border on the area of the airport and conditions for its temporary use. The Commission will be headed by Bosnia's ambassador in Croatia, Kasim Trnka, and Croatian deputy foreign minister Ivan Simonovic. Commission already decided that airport Zeljava-Bihac, located on the territory of both states, will also be used by both. The Commission will be in charge valid until the Joint diplomatic commission denotes the border along the whole line. The Commission's decisions will not prejudice the solution of the borders. It is expected that the members of the Commission soon will visit the airport in order to denote situation on the ground, says the B-H Embassy in Zagreb press release. (end) S.K.

FIGHTING ON OZREN CONTINUE Tuzla, September 21,1995 (Press TWRA) - Fierce fighting continues on the Mt. Ozren. As a retaliation because of the Bosnian Army's advancement in the last few days, Serbs from their strongholds on Ozren fire on civilian settlements. The B-H Army's 2nd and 3rd Corps continue to advance toward Doboj. (end) S.K.

EIGHT CHILDREN WOUNDED Sarajevo, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - Karajdic's Serbs last night fired on Maglaj from multi-rocket launcher, reported B-H Radio. Twenty civilians (eight children) were lightly and heavily wounded. This Serbian attack is retaliation for the defeats Serbs suffered in the battles with the B-H Army's 3rd Corps units on Ozren. In the last ten days 3rd Corps gradually liberated this area advancing toward Doboj destroying along the way Serbian strongholds on the right bank of river Bosnia. The B-H Army sources report that colons of vehicles and large number of Serbian civilians are heading from Doboj to Bijeljina. (end) S.K.


``It is not a relationship of love,'' said a European ambassador of the Bosno Croat relationship. ``Nonetheless, they will probably stick together, at least for the time being. The Croats cannot afford to offend the Muslim world and especially the United States by dropping out of the partnership. They owe the Americans too much.''

``The circumstances on the ground, although more still remains to be done, are infinitely more promising than those we've had for a very long time... I think it is safe to say that the door is swinging open for peace,'' British PM John Major said in London after meeting with the Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic.


White House spokesman Mike McCurry, in a written statement, said that the foreign ministers of Bosnia, Croatia, and Yugoslavia would meet on Thursday in NYC. The United States and the European Union would co-chair the session.

They are expected to discuss Bosnia's future constitution and the problems of Eastern Slavonia.


``The HV (Croatian Army) is continuing its withdrawal over the river and they're being welcomed out by artillery and small arms fire,'' U.N. spokeswoman Leah Melnick said. ``It's difficult to learn if the lull is a result of political pressure or military necessity, to resupply and stabilise the gains they've made... We are still facing restrictions on movement (of U.N. military observers),'' she said.

Joint Croat-Bosnian forces captured over 4,000 sq km (1,500 sq miles) of territory. The attacking force appears to be halted in an arc curving from the west to the south some 35 km (20 miles) west of Banja Luka.

Bosnian Army's 5th Corps troops had halted some 10 km SW of Bosanski Novi and 12 km (7 miles) west of Sanski Most. ``Our line is now very long, and we will need reinforcements from other parts of Bosnia,'' he said.

The U.N. said on Thursday that several thousand Bosnian Croat troops and Bosnian government army troops were seen moving north from Novi Travnik in central Bosnia.

According to some reports, Croatian soldiers were on the verge of securing the key town of Bosanski Novi in western Bosnia, when they got orders to pull back. In Vienna on Thursday, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic repeated that his forces would not agree to a ceasefire until nationalist Serb military authorities in their stronghold city of Banja Luka gave up their weapons or withdrew.


MAJOR - IZETBEGOVIC London, Sep 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - During his yesterday's visit to London, Bosnian president Izetbegovic had more than an hour long talk with British prime minister Major. After the meeting the UK prime minister says: "The talk was very useful and constructive. The door is slightly but not fully open to peace. The events in Bosnia are significantly moved forward. The chances for cessation of fire have good prospects in whole B-H for integral political solution." Before the meeting with prime minister Major, Izetbegovic talked to defence minister of the UK Michael Portillo. During the talks Izetbegovic asked for and received the support in principle of Major to united Sarajevo within integral Bosnia-Herzegovina. British government tried in the talks with the president Izetbegovic to reach an agreement on the cessation of fire in B-H=20 and especially cessation of the offensive of Bosnian and Croatian forces in the Banjaluka region. President Izetbegovic did not want to promise but conditionally accepted, the fire cessation in Sarajevo and its surrounding, if the siege and power-humanitarian blockade is lifted. It means cessation of shelling and sniper fire, unimpeded supply of food, medicines and other necessities by permanent air bridge along with using different roads and supply of Sarajevo with enough quantities of electricity, gas, water, entire removal of Serb arms over 12.7 mm calibre from the exclusion zone 2O km around Sarajevo. /end/ A.S.

SERBS HAVE NOT WITHDRAWN ALL ARMS, NATO WILL NOT STRIKE Sarajevo, Sep 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - UN spokesmen Ch. Gunnes and Ch, Vernon announced that Serbs had withdrawn most of the heavy arms from around Sarajevo while immobile arms would be neutralized. "Our patrols, in agreement with Serbs, will clear Mt. Romanija and other areas and destroy all arms they tried to hide within the exclusion zone," said Vernon. B-H army sources allege that till 1O pm last night when NATO/UN ultimatum expired, Serbs had withdrawn only 25O of total of 38O tanks, guns, mortars and rocket launchers having been deployed around Sarajevo. In the statement for BBC, Bosnian foreign minister M. Sacirbey said that Serbs had maintained about 1OO pieces of heavy arms around Sarajevo being flagrant violation of the ultimatum. Sacirbey also announced that B-H army offensive would not continue on Banjaluka as it might cause suffering of civilians who, being under Serb propaganda concentrated in a small space. "We do not want to use the methods which had been used against us," said Sacirbey. General Janvier (UNPF) and Admiral Smith (NATO) decided at yesterday's meeting in Sarajevo not to launch, for the time being, wide-ranging air strikes on Serb military positions in B-H. NATO planes will attack only if UN safe havens are threatened or on precisely defined artillery nests around Sarajevo. /end/ A.S.


Nationalist Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic influence in politics seem marginalized every day. As a "president" of nationalist puppet-state, he has tried to explain to his people why he and fellow civilian leaders accepted peace proposals declared traitorous only a year ago. He even had to appear on TV three weeks ago to deny rumours that he had been arrested in a putsch. "Empty talk," commented one nationalist Bosnian Serb soldier.

As one Serb journalist said: "They don't need to arrest him. He's irrelevant now."

"Karadzic was elated. He thought he had bypassed Milosevic and expected peace talks in May," said one Serb official. "He appears less focused, less convinced by his own words..."

International mediators no longer drive up to self-proclaimed "capital of Pale to appeal for Karadzic's signature on new peace deals, and UN contacts only military leadreship. Pale Serbs find themselves increasingly shut out from events, tuning in to the American Cable News Network (CNN) to learn what is happening in their own "country".


"The Bosnian Serbs must understand quite clearly...that any attack on Sarajevo or any other 'safe-area,' or other non-compliance relating to the exclusion zone, freedom of movement or the functioning of the airport, will be subject to investigation and the resumption of airstrikes," said U.N. spokesman Chris Gunness.

"NATO, the U.N. and the Muslims have not complied with the conditions which were written down in the Belgrade agreement, in placing the Muslim artillery under the control of the U.N.," Momcilo Krajisnik, the leader of the self-proclaimed Bosnian Serb Parliament.

"We remind Mr. Krajisnik that this was a unilateral agreement signed only by the Bosnian Serbs," said U.N. spokesman Lt-Col. Chris Vernon. "The Belgrade framework document was not signed by the Bosnian government... However, we are working on getting the Bosnian government to refrain from opportunistic activity in and around Sarajevo..."


``Why can't the Europeans carry out these peacekeeping duties themselves?'' asked Sen. John S. McCain, R-Ariz., at a hearing of the Armed Services Committee. The Committee is assessing extending the tenure of Gen. John M. Shalikashvili as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

``Why is it that a United States presence is required when my view of our NATO allies' military capability indicates that they are more than capable of carrying out a peacekeeping role?'' asked McCain, one of his party's most prominent voices on military matters.

``We, as the leader of that alliance, cannot step away from the alliance when they are then asked to go and perform what I think will be a very challenging task,'' Shalikashvili said in response to McCain. ``We cannot come in and out of the alliance and choose to lead when it's to our benefit and let them take the lead when we don't wish to. This is an alliance that has been built around the core of American leadership.''

``It is very important that we not only look at the right size to get the job done, but size the force sufficiently large enough so when they have to go in, they are robust enough to take care of themselves,'' Shalikashvili said Thursday, adding that he wanted to ensure that the force was not ``pushed around'' the way U.N. troops had been.

Sen. William S. Cohen, R-Maine, asked about the ``consequences to NATO itself if U.S. forces are caught in a crossfire,'' and American opinion turns against the operation.

Shalikashvili said NATO-led forces would stay only long enough to make sure the Bosnian government forces were able to defend themselves, and ``under no circumstances'' beyond the end of 1996.


``There was a lot of activity around Doboj in the early hours this morning with more than 500 detonations recorded along with high levels of small arms and machine-gun fire,'' said Jim Landale, a U.N. spokesman in Sarajevo.

Doboj is a transportation and communications hub, and Bosnian Army's ultimate goal. U.N. officials said on Wednesday they were skeptical government troops would be strong enough to capture the city.


``We are at that point now where very serious planning has to begin,'' Brian Atwood, head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told reporters ``We are busy putting together our own reconstruction plans and want to join the European Union in our efforts,'' he said.

``The signing of a peace agreement ... will just be the beginning of a process that has to work... We haven't got specific, but we are talking about a very, very ambitious effort here. This is not going to be cheap... The amount of money we put on the table will not be insignificant, and we are sure that the amount the European Union puts on the table will be even more...'' The amount frequently mentioned is $4 billion.

Contact group has already opened negotiations with the Islamic nations and Japan to try to bring them into the reconstruction effort.


A U.N. sanctions committee will agree to a Bosnian government request to ask Hungary to resume the delivery of Russian natural gas, a committee source said. In a recent letter to the Security Council committee B&H's UN mission said the government had reached agreement with the Bosnian Serbs and Yugoslavia resuming natural gas supplies.

``We expect gas to be on in the city by this time next week,'' said John Fawcett, the U.N. official in charge of utilities in Sarajevo. ``Electricity will probably come 10 days to two weeks later, and water after that.''


Nationalist Bosnian Serb officials admitted being overwhelmed by an exodus of 130,000 people from areas in Western Bosnia, and appealed for help from international agencies.

Arkan, the Belgrade-based leader of a paramilitary group called the ``Tigers'' which committed som fo the most vicious crimes at the beginning of the war appeared with tow busloads of men in the front-line town of Sanski Most. ``We will fight to the last man and will probabaly launch a counteroffensive,'' he claimed.

Many of the areas from which the Serbs are fleeing were ``ethnically cleansed'' of Muslims and Croats by nationalist Serb forces in the first months of the conflict.

``We have been betrayed... Our homes have been sold for Sarajevo,'' a 69-year old woman said.


Two U.S. Air Force Special Forces personnel were wounded by nationalist Bosnian-Serbs ground fire during a September 7 rescue attempt of two downed French pilots. The rescue attempt used super-quiet U.S. MH-53 "Pave-Low" helicopters assigned to an Air Force special forces unit, as they were transporting a group of French commando troops.

At least three NATO attempts to rescue the French pilots have failed to retrieve the pilots.


NEWS: EVENING BULLETIN

TRNKA ON BOSNIAN AND CROATIAN DELEGATIONS' MEETING Zagreb, September 21, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The B-H Ambassador in Croatia dr. Kasim Trnka told the Bosnian TV about the summit of Croatia and B-H: "Meeting of Presidents Izetbegovic, Tudjman and Zubak is the continuance of previously agreed intensive contacts on the highest level in order to coordinate the positions of two states in the peace process. The US envoys led by R. Holbrooke actively participated in the talks. At the meeting among other issues, were specified the modalities for military cooperation of B-H Army, HVO and HV and a special agreement dealing with this issue was signed. The crucial about this agreement is that Repub. and Federation of B-H must decide on time and place of military operations in their borders. This includes the right to refuse the military operations which violate the sovereignty of B-H". This and other principles in fact mean that the full cooperation of military formations of Croatia and B-H is underway but with the approval of B-H legal authorities and withdrawal of HV after military operations. On this occasion should be emphasized that the political solutions for liberated areas will be determined in the accordance with the Washington's agreement and Geneva's principals regardless the identity of liberating army. According to Split Agreement, and meeting in Jablanica, it was decided to speed up the activities on the issues of integration of R/F B-H functions. It was agreed that Kresimir Zubak, as soon as possible proposes the modalities for integration of this functions which will be discussed on the meeting of the highest R/F BH officials. On the meeting in Zagreb was emphasized that institutions which express the integrity, sovereignty and international position of B-H Republic must be preserved so the proposed solution to secure the efficiency of implementation of Constitutional functions of B-H Federation institutions foreseen by her Constitution". (end)


For the second day in a row, Bosnian Army fired mortars from positions inside Sarajevo.

``The U.N. is no longer interested in lame excuses about rogue elements getting out of control and demands that the Bosnian government once and for all insure that no further such incidents happen in the future,'' a United Nations spokesman, Alexander Ivanko, said.


NEWS: DAILY BULLETIN SECURITY COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION ON B-H New York, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - UN Security Council unanimously adopted the 1O16 Resolution which expresses deep concerns about the military situation in B-H and suffering of civilian population. Security Council demands that sides in conflict negotiate in the spirit of Geneva's principals emphasizing once more that B-H crisis can not be solved by military means. All sides are called upon to restrain from further military actions and immediately end the hostilities in the whole B-H. The sharper text of the draft resolution initiated by Russia, condemned the actions of Bosnian and Croatian side. "Such draft of the resolution was unacceptable for the majority of SC members so after few days long consultations the amended text was adopted", said one US high official adding that "the language which questioned the legitimacy of B-H Government's action on the territories where her people have been exposed to the most brutal "ethnic cleansing" in this war, was unacceptable. The text of the resolution was result of the compromise between Russia and the Contact group's members". The UN Security Council also decided to continue with the regime of sanctions against Bosnian Serbs. The SC Chairman Francesco Fulchi said that "all conditions for the change of this regime of sanctions which were enforced in September 1994, when Serbs rejected the peace plan, where not met" (end) S.K.

ELECTIONS IN CROATIA ON OCTOBER 29TH Zagreb, September 22,1995 (Press TWRA) - Croatian President Tudjman announced today the elections for the representatives in the Parliament's House of Representatives. The elections will be held on Sunday October 29, 1995. (end) S.K.


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