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PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English	

September 29, 1998


* CROATIA

1. BUSY DAY FOR GRANIC AT UN
2. EXHUMATIONS CONTINUE IN BANOVINA AND UNA RIVER REGION
3. THERE IS A SOLUTION TO KRSKO
4. THREE POSSIBLE WITNESSES FROM BELGRADE TO TESTIFY IN SAKIC CASE
5. BRITISH VIEWS ON THE KRAJINA
6. INFLUENTIAL SUPPORTER OF CROATIAN INTERESTS
7. FIORENTINA IS FIRST IN ITALY, BUT HAJDUK DOESNT CARE!
8. CROATIA - OLYMPIAKOS: DO OR DIE!

* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

9. SILADZIC TAKING OVER FOR IZETBEGOVIC?
10. EU READY TO GIVE POPLASEN A CHANCE
11. RETURN IS FOR EVERYONE
12. DUTCH MINISTRY CLEARED ON SREBRENICA CHARGES

* YUGOSLAVIA

13. COHEN SAYS AIR STRIKES PREPARED, RUEHE FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
14. SERBIAN PREMIER DECLARES 'TERRORIST' THREAT DEFEATED, VIOLENCE CONTINUES
15. SESELJ THREATENS AMERICAN FIFTH COLONY
16. BALKAN DEFENCE MINISTERS AGREE TO FORM JOINT FORCE



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***


* CROATIA

1. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
BUSY DAY FOR GRANIC AT UN

NEW YORK - Foreign Affairs Minister Mate Granic addressed the United
Nations General Assembly yesterday. He also met with UN Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and US Presidential Envoy Richard Gelbard.

During his speech at the UN, Granic said the Republic of Croatia is doing
everything in its power to become part of the European and trans-Atlantic
integration, but the criteria for Croatia should be the same as other
post-communist countries. Granic also said that Croatia fully supports the
Dayton peace accords and a united Bosnia and Herzegovina, where all three
constitutive nations are equal. He added that Croatia is willing to
continue in its role as a leading power in providing peace and stability in
the region, and is working hard to better its relations with its eastern
and southern neighbours.

In his meeting with Gelbard, the Granic discussed a number of burning
questions, the hottest of which for Gelbard was the Prevlaka problem
between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He said he has a
mandate from State Secretary Madeleine Albright to personally assist the
negotiations. Gelbard said he, in co-operation with the Security Council,
European Union and Contact Group, will make sure the problem is soon resolved.

Concerning the elections in B-H, Granic and Gelbard agreed that they are a
step in the right direction in spite of Poplasens victory. Gelbard pointed
out that the newly elected officials will have their hands full trying to
combat crime and smuggling.

Gelbard also said he is looking forward to a special relations agreement
between Croatia and B-H being signed in the near future, as well as the
opening of more border crossings between the two countries. Granic told
Gelbard that working groups have already been chosen and will begin work as
soon as the visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia is over, and that Gelbard
is welcome to join the meetings when he is in Croatia.

Granic also met with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Granic told him
Croatia would like the UNMOP mission at Prevlaka to end on schedule
(January 15, 1999). He also gave Annan an invitation to visit Croatia by
President Franjo Tudjman. Finally, Granic presented a letter to Annan
stating Croatias readiness to partake in UN peacekeeping operations.

***

2. A.M., Nastavak skshumacija na Banovini i Pounju, Vjesnik, September
29, 1998, p. 5.
EXHUMATIONS CONTINUE IN BANOVINA AND UNA RIVER REGION

HRVATSKA KOSTAJNICA - Exhumations of mass graves at five locations at the
St. Rocco Cemetery in Hrvatska Kostajnica continued Monday. Present were
representatives of the Government Commission for Detained and Missing
Persons, the Defence Ministry, Sisak Moslavina Police, judicial
institutions and forensic medicine experts.

The exhumation of killed civilians and soldiers were also continued at the
St. Anne Cemetery, as well as the villages of Mecencani, Komogovina and
Babina Rijeka. The headquarters of Serbian paramilitary forces were in
these three villages during the occupation of Croatia. Civilians and
soldiers were brought there and executed.

There will be exhumations in the areas of Gvozd, Glina, Petrinja, Sunja and
Dvor this week. It is believed that this will answer the questions about
the fate of a couple of dozen people who are still on the list of missing
persons.

***

3. V.Z., Krsko rjesivo, Vecernji list, September 29, 1998, Back Page.
THERE IS A SOLUTION TO KRSKO

LJUBLJANA - Slovene Foreign Minister Boris Frlec said after talks with his
Croatian colleague Mate Granic, he is convinced a solution to the Krsko
dispute can be found. He made the statement after returning from New York,
where he participated in the 53rd Session of the United Nations Security
Council. Frlec said the position of the Nuclear Power Plant Krsko can be
solved with an ownership - property agreement. He added the rest of the
questions should wait until the expiry of the three-month deadline and then
"it will be seen if there is a need for assistance from a third party."

***

4. A.F., Kraus: Iz Beograda su se javila tri moguca svjedoka, Vjesnik,
September 29, 1998, p. 5.
THREE POSSIBLE WITNESSES FROM BELGRADE TO TESTIFY IN SAKIC CASE

ZAGREB - The president of the Jewish community in Zagreb, Ognjen Kraus, was
questioned in the continuing investigative procedure against Dinko Sakic
yesterday.

We have unofficially found out that Kraus stated that the Jewish community
in Zagreb existed throughout WW II and sent packages to prison camps based
on postcards sent to them by prisoners. Those who stopped sending postcards
were presumed dead. Kraus claims this list called package workshop exists
and has been studied in detail. Kraus also stated the Jewish community in
Zagreb has a book on the holocaust based on the mandatory registration of
all Jews and their families in 1941, which was amended in 1945, by hand,
with deceased Jews. He added that a portion of the archive was relocated to
Belgrade and it is not known what it contains.

We have found out that Kraus sent two letters to the Jewish communities in
Sarajevo and Belgrade, looking for possible witnesses, or those who might
know something about prison camps in Croatia. Two or three people from
Belgrade have responded and their names will be forwarded to the State
Prosecutors Office as recommended witnesses. Kraus also mentioned that the
Croatian State Archive also has a list of all Jewish victims on the
territory of the Republic of Croatia.

***

5. Zeljko Toth, Britanske preporuke o Krajini, Vecernji list, September
29, 1998, Back Page.
BRITISH VIEWS ON THE KRAJINA

ZAGREB - "Visitors have to be careful in eastern Slavonia and Krajina,
where there is a possibility of continued tension," as recommended to
British citizens wanting to visit Croatia by the Foreign Office. In an
official announcement, updated last August 27, 1998, Krajina is still an
accepted concept, though this creation of the occupation has not existed
for three years and never had an international status.

The Croatian embassy in London has been waging a difficult battle over the
past few years to convince the Foreign Office that the reality in Croatia
has changed and official instructions should not contain out of date
warnings for tourists about the dangers of war. After numerous
interventions, the Foreign office became more selective and instead of
warning against dangers all over Croatia, they began only to warn their
citizens not to travel to southern and eastern regions, as well as along
the border with B&H. For British citizen, who are not all that good with
their geography, this was enough to keep them far away from Croatia as it
was a war zone.

It is a big step that the Foreign Office has noticed that "tourism in
Croatia is increasing." However, it continues to say "it is prudent to be
cautious in border areas with B&H and FRY, including the Prevlaka
Peninsula, where there could be limits to free movement. Dubrovnik and its
surrounding area are not (as much) influenced by these measures." It also
warns that "local notices should be looked out for in concern with
unexploded mines in areas where there was war," and that this warning does
not included the coast and islands.

We requested an official explanation from the Foreign Office as to why it
uses Krajina, an expression from the occupation. Foreign Office
spokesperson Robert Twynett told us the Foreign Office "is aware that the
expression Krajina could cause some worries to arise, but it is not
anybodys intention to hurt anyone, rather this expression is used as a
geographic concept, without any intention of expressing political
recognition."

Twynett added that advice for tourists to Croatia is composed with the
assistance of the Croatian embassy in London.

***

6. Ivana Rora, Utjecajan zagovornik hrvatskih interesa, Dom i Svijet,
September 7, 1998, p. 2.
INFLUENTIAL SUPPORTER OF CROATIAN INTERESTS

ZAGREB - "On behalf of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Franjo
Tudjman, it is a special honour and satisfaction to present the Order of
the Croatian Trefoil to Mr. Simon de Jong, a great friend of our homeland
and supporter of Croatian interests in Canada, where there exists a large
ethnic Croatian community," stated Croatian National Parliament member and
General Manager of the Croatian Heritage Foundation Ante Beljo.

Canadian citizen Simon de Jong was elected twice to the Canadian
parliament. He had already begun to deal with the Croatian question in
Canada and the international community when Croatia was still fighting for
its independence and international recognition. As an influential supporter
of Croatian interests, Simon de Jong initiated a debate on Croatia and its
fight for independence in the Canadian parliament in the early nineties,
which certainly resulted in the early recognition of the Republic of
Croatia by Canada. He had first hand information about Croatia, as he was
often invited by Croats living in Canada and was well acquainted with the
problems created by the break-up of the former Yugoslav regime. Mr. Simon
de Jong lead the Canadian delegation which monitored the first multiparty
elections in Croatia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, doing his best the whole
time to offer the  truth about the Croatian fight for establishing a free
and democratic country.

"Your country and people have touched my heart and I am very happy to have
had the chance to do my small part in assisting your fight for freedom. May
God bless you and help you build this young Croatian state," Stated an
obviously excited Simon de Jong, after receiving his decoration. He pointed
out that there are very few countries in the world which have so many
beautiful sights like Croatia.

***

7. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
FIORENTINA IS FIRST IN ITALY, BUT HAJDUK DOESNT CARE!

SPLIT - Tonight is the second leg of the first round of UEFA Cup play, with
Italys top team, Fiorentina, coming to the most beautiful stadium in
Croatia to play the masters of the sea - Hajduk. Two weeks ago Fiorentina
defeated Hajduk 2:1, only due to two terrible mistakes by the Hajduk
defensive line. "We have shown Fiorentina that they are nothing special and
that we can and will be better then them. The first game was played in
Italy, but not on their home turf. Tonight they will have to play against
our victory-hungry players and the best soccer fans in Croatia - Torcida.

The game kicks off at 18:00 (CET).

***

8. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
CROATIA - OLYMPIAKOS: DO OR DIE!

ATHENS - Croatia played its second-round UEFA Champions League game in
Athens against Olympiakos, which tied Porto 2:2. It was a spectacular
finish, as they were down 2:0 in the last 15 minutes of their first-round
game in Lisbon. It will not be easy for Croatia, as Olympiakos is one of
the top Greek teams ands will have between 70 and 80 thousand fans watching
the game. However, Croatias tradition is on its side, as Dinamo played
Olympiakos in the first round of UEFA Cup play in the 1977/78 season,
defeating them on aggregate 6:4 (3:1 in Athens and 5:1 in Zagreb). Croatia,
if it wants to stay in the running, needs a victory, as it is fairly likely
that there will be a victor in the Ajax - Porto game to be played in
Amsterdam. As a reminder, the scores of the first round of Group A play in
the UEFA Champions League were: Croatia - Ajax 0:0, Porto - Olympiakos 2:2.
This placed Croatia at the bottom of the standings, as they scored no goals
in their first game, while their Greek hosts are at the top because of
their 2 away goals in the first round.  The games will begin tomorrow night
at 20:45 (CET), which is the scheduled time for all Champions League action.

***


* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

9. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, September 29, 1998.
SILADZIC TAKING OVER FOR IZETBEGOVIC?

SARAJEVO - The re-elected Bosniak member of the B&H Presidency, Alija
Izetbegovic, may give up his place to Haris Silajdzic, Co-chairperson of
the Ministers Council, according to a news report in the Sarajevo newspaper
Oslobodjenje.

Furthermore, there seem to be no rules of succession, should one of the
three Presidency members become unable to perform his/her duties for
whatever reason. As such, the Coalition for a Whole and Democratic B&H
(KCD) will ask High Representative Carlos Westendorp for instructions on
the matter. These instructions could enable Silajdzic to replace Izetbegovic.

Thus far, Silajdzic has attended presidential meetings when Izetbegovic has
been unable to do so himself, according to the report. The KCD would like
this practice to become formalised, where Izetbegovic would retain the
title, cabinet functions, and so on, while Silajdzic would work on his behalf.

***

10. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, September 29, 1998.
EU READY TO GIVE POPLASEN A CHANCE

SARAJEVO - Nikola Poplasen, RS President, will probably offer the position
of mandatary to someone in the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS), predicted
Graham Hand, British ambassador, yesterday. Who exactly is still up in the
air, but Hand believes the choice will be someone democratic and
interesting. Hand made his assessments after meeting Poplasen in Banja Luka.

Hand met with the media yesterday in Sarajevo along with Austrian
Ambassador Valentin Incko, whose country currently chairs the European
Union; German ambassador Haneke graf von Baswicz, whose country will next
chair the EU; and European Commission representative Jeremey Tunacliffe.

Asked whether Poplasen is a person with which the international community
can work, Hand said Poplasen is very amenable and intelligent.

"I think he understands that the RS needs the international communitys
help," said Hand, adding that help will only occur if Dayton is
implemented. This means allowing refugee return, multiethnic police forces
and property laws.

"I suggest my colleagues work with him and the government and I am
confident that a dialogue will be reached," said Hand.

Regarding elections, Incke said they have shown that Bosnia & Herzegovina
is on the way to democracy. He added that the EU supports the continuation
of SFOR and hopes the newly elected officials will co-operate with the
international community.

"The EU will watch the work of the new officials; encourage them to follow
a path of stability, ethnic reconciliation, democracy and reform that
benefits the people who elected them," said Incke.

Meanwhile, Basewicz said his government supports EU policies and is
impressed with the high voter turnout. He also said that Germany is aware
of the special bilateral problem between it and B&H, that is, refugees, but
is confident the matter can be solved in a fair way.

***

11. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, September 29, 1998.
RETURN IS FOR EVERYONE

MOSTAR - Dayton assures everyone the unconditional right to return, and
that includes Mostar, said Martin Garrod, head of the regional Office of
the High Representative. More importantly, whether or not to return is the
choice of those driven away from their homes and theirs alone.

Garrods words came during a special press conference called because of the
blockade Croatians put up Saturday to stop Serbian returnees. Croat
representatives said the return was not organised or properly approved.
However, Garrod said this was not true.

"A returnee representative, Slobodan Savic, informed West Municipal Mayor
Ljubo Golemac on September 21, in writing that some Serbs were planning on
returning to Rastane," explained Garrod. "The letter was received two days
later. As such the required 48- hour notice rule was followed."

Garrod also said that he understands war wounds are still fresh and painful
in Mostar, but Dayton was signed three years ago and B&H must go forward.

"Because of that, I dont understand the problem. Was it really necessary
to put up barricades because of elderly displaced people?" asked Garrod.

As for the Croatian return to east Mostar, Garrod emphasised that no one is
stopping them from doing so, but no Croats are registering to return.
Furthermore, the need to register is not only asked of Croats, but everyone
else as well.

"We have a fund to renew 137 homes in east Mostar which is just sitting
there, because the money is only given when return occurs. We have received
only 12 requests to return, but work on their homes has already begun,"
stated Sir Garrod.

He further emphasised that in the last six months he has continually called
on Croats to return. "However, I can not drive around west Mostar, pick
people up and take them back to east Mostar."

Tony Garcia, UNHCR regional director, told journalists that Croatian
leaders and Serbian returnee representatives have scheduled talks later
this week.

***

12. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
DUTCH MINISTRY CLEARED ON SREBRENICA CHARGES

AMSTERDAM -  Jos van Kemenade, who heads the independent commission
investigating accusations that the Dutch Defence Ministry covered up
evidence on the role of Dutch peacekeepers in the fall of Srebrenica, said
that the charges are unfounded. Speaking in Amsterdam, he added that "there
are no indications from this investigation that information was
deliberately withheld or disposed of by the Ministry of Defence or by
anyone else, in other words there is no question of a cover-up." He added,
however, that co-operation was poor between several government agencies in
response to public criticism of the Dutch role during and after the Serbian
attack on the eastern Bosnian town.

***


* YUGOSLAVIA

13. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
COHEN SAYS AIR STRIKES PREPARED, RUEHE FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION

ROME - U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen again warned Belgrade to pull
back Serbian security forces or face air strikes. While meeting with his
Italian counterpart in Rome, Begniamino Andreatta, Cohen stated that NATO
has finished its planning for the air strikes and that, "a very strong,
credible threat must be made," to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic so
that he will pull his forces back, allow humanitarian missions into the
area, and "sit down at the bargaining table to peacefully resolve" the
Kosovo crisis. Cohen and Andreatta emphasised that some 50,000 ethnic
Albanians risk either starving or freezing to death. German Foreign
Minister Volker Ruehe is for rapid action and disagrees with NATO plans to
give Milosevic a couple of weeks before issuing an ultimatum. He said if
NATO does not act soon, the world will have "the dead on its conscience."

***

14. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
SERBIAN PREMIER DECLARES 'TERRORIST' THREAT DEFEATED, VIOLENCE CONTINUES

BELGRADE - Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic told the Serbian parliament
that "armed terrorist groups have been defeated" and that security forces
could begin withdrawing to their barracks. Marjanovic pointed out that
Belgrade has shown there is "no compromise with those who want to create a
new state on Serbian territory through terror and the use of force." He did
not give a timetable for scaling down troops, but said the move was in
accordance with an agreement Milosevic had signed in Moscow with President
Boris Yeltsin in June. A withdrawal of troops is one of NATO's demands to
Belgrade for it to avoid air strikes.

On the other hand, a new Serbian offensive southwest of the Kosovo capital
of Pristina was launched on September 26, causing several more thousands of
ethnic Kosovo Albanians to flee their villages. The operation is reportedly
directed against members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) that have
regrouped after fleeing recent attacks by Serbian forces in northern and
central regions of Kosovo. Reports say 11 villages are being targeted in
the attack and that Serbian forces are backed by a large contingent of
tanks. U.S. envoy Christopher Hill stated in Skopje that his mediation in
the crisis has reached a critical stage and that continued attacks by
Serbian security forces are "intolerable."

***

15. Milovan Nedeljkov, Seselj prijeti Americkoj petoj koloniji, Vecernji
list, September 29, 1998, p. 12.
SESELJ THREATENS AMERICAN FIFTH COLONY

BELGRADE - The Serbian parliament formed a temporary government for Kosovo
and Metohija yesterday, with Serbian Sports Minister Zoran Andjelkovic as
the prime minister. The parliament concluded that Kosovo is an
"inalienable part of Serbia" and that the "main causes of the problems in
Kosovo are Albanian separatism and terrorism." Serbian Prime Minister,
Mirko Marjanovic, stated that there were 140 civilians, 94 police officers
and 32 Yugoslav soldiers killed in Kosovo this year.

Deputy Prime Minister Vojslav Seselj said Washington has a fifth colony in
Kosovo and traitors in Serbia.

"Perhaps we cannot shoot down every NATO plane, but we will sink our teeth
into any that come our way," said Seselj.

***

16. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, September 29, 1998.
BALKAN DEFENCE MINISTERS AGREE TO FORM JOINT FORCE

SKOPJE - The defence ministers from seven Balkan countries agreed to form a
joint peacekeeping force on Saturday in the capital of Macedonia. According
to AFP reports, the defence ministers from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece,
Italy, Macedonia, Romania, and Turkey signed the agreement. Slovenia is
considering joining the alliance, which is to number some 4,000 troops, at
a later date. The U.S. Defence Secretary, William Cohen, also attended the
meeting, stating that the establishment of the joint force is a step toward
bringing security and stability to the region. He said it is needed because
many people in the Balkans would rather "dig fresh graves than bury old
hatreds."




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