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PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English	

October 2, 1998


* TOP STORY

1. OH HAPPY DAY!

* CROATIA

2. PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCE IN LIEU OF PAPAL VISIT
3. CROATIAN WORLD CONGRESS SHOCKED BY REACTION OF WIESENTHAL CENTRE
REGARDING CARDINAL STEPINAC
4. PUPIL SPAT ON CROATIAN COAT-OF-ARMS
5. OVER THE PAST WEEK 235 RETURNEES FROM FRY
6. VARTEKS IN SECOND ROUND OF CUP WINNERS CUP
7. BLAZEVIC ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES FOR CROATIAN SELECTS
8. EUROPEAN CHAMPION TOO MUCH FOR ZADAR

* ICTY

9. FURUNDZIJA CASE TO BE REOPENED NOVEMBER 9
10. ICTY VISITS MILOSEVIC

* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

11. DISQUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES STILL CONTINUING
12. IZETBEGOVIC TO REMAIN IN PRESIDENCY
13. SFOR TROOPS USE FORCE AGAINST CROAT WOMEN & CHILDREN
14. IZETBEGOVIC DECLARES WAR AGAINST THE MEDIA
15. PLAVSIC BLAMES INTERNATINAL COMMUNITY FOR LOSS
16. TRAVNIK A BETTER CHOICE THAN MOSTAR
17. B&H OWES 4.8 MILLION USD IN DUES

* YUGOSLAVIA

18. MORE REPORTS OF ATROCITIES IN KOSOVO
19. BRITAIN TIRED OF MILOSEVICS DEFIANCE



Todays Exchange Rates: http://www.hic.hr/turizam/tecaj/
Todays Weather Report: http://www.hic.hr/turizam/prognoza/
HELP BUILD THE CHURCH IN TIVAT! Visit: http://www.hic.hr/tivat
Everything you want to know
about Papal visit to Croatia: http://www.papa.hr (Croatian)
			      http://www.pope.hr (English)	

***


* TOP STORY

1. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
OH HAPPY DAY!

ZAGREB, SPLIT - Today is a historic day, preceding an even more historic
day tomorrow. At 17:30 (CET) Pope John Paul II will land on Croatian soil
for the second time in the short history of democratic Croatia. His visit
bears the motto "you will be my witnesses," as he will be beatifying
Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac.

The Pope will be greeted upon his arrival in Zagreb by the citys
Archbishop, Msg. Josip Bozanic, as prescribed in Papal protocol. The Holy
Father will then proceed to the Zagreb cathedral in the heart of the city,
where he will address the people at 19:00. Afterwards, he will pray at the
side of Cardinal Stepinacs grave.

Tomorrow will be a day marked with gold letters in the history of Croatia,
because Pope John Paul II will beatify Cardinal Stepinac, bringing him a
step closer to becoming a saint. The Pope will celebrate mass at 9:45 in
Marija Bistrica, where he was sorry he did not go during his 1994 visit. He
will beatify Stepinac during this mass. Later, the Pope will meet President
Franjo Tudjman at 17:45, and at 18:30 he will meet with cultural
representatives in Zagreb.

October 4 will be remembered as the day the Pope came finally after 13
centuries stepped on the seashore directly across from the Vatican. Pope
John Paul II will celebrate mass in Znjan (Split) at 10:45, after which he
will visit the St. Dujmo Cathedral in Split. The Pope will then meet with
theology teachers and representatives of church organisation in Solin at
17:30. One hour later, he will travel through Kastela to the airport in his
Popemobile and then return to Rome.

***


* CROATIA

2. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
PRESIDENTIAL PRESS CONFERENCE IN LIEU OF PAPAL VISIT

ZAGREB - President Franjo Tudjman called a press conference yesterday in
the Presidential Palace for local and foreign journalists, in view of the
second visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia. The following text includes
some of the major points of interest from this lengthy meeting with the media.

Vatican Radio was interested in the changes in Croatia since the last Papal
visit.

"Today Croatia is completely liberated and consumed with its own internal
economic and cultural development."

Of course, it was unavoidable to mention the current situation in the peace
process on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, especially Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Kosovo. Tudjman stressed that Croatia has been and will
remain a leading peacemaker, guaranteeing the security and stability in the
region.

Regarding B-H, Tudjman said that the conflict there is one of the most
mixed up conflicts in todays world, being that different civilisations
are at odds with each other there. Croatia wants to see the establishment
of a political system in B-H that guarantees peace and stability, as well
as vouching for the survival of the Croatian people in B-H. This is why the
president feels the Washington and Dayton Accords are important. However,
he added that we are faced with a kind of silent revision of these
accords in the hope of creating a unitary Bosnia. History has already shown
the impossibility of this. It is surprising that some members of the
international community are not aware of this historical experience. "I
feel the only possible solution is to implement the Washington and Dayton
Accords, to insure all three nations are constitutive; thereby creating the
conditions for living together."

Concerning Kosovo, Tudjman said this is a Balkan problem spanning a few
centuries, and that Croatia has freed itself from that Balkan environment.
The Croatian government and people are determined to never be a part of the
 Balkans or Southeast European integration again. "Of course, we would like
normal relations with that region, because we border that region via Bosnia
and have direct borders with present-day Yugoslavia. However, we only want
normal economic and traffic relations with those neighbours. We do not want
any political integration with them. The crisis and war today in Kosovo are
tragic, but we have concluded that the international community has left it
to the Serbian and Yugoslav governments to deal with the problem as an
internal affair," said Tudman.

Croatia would like the Kosovo crisis to end as soon as possible and for an
international alignment to be established. However, as a historian, Tudjman
said he is not optimistic and the policies currently being implemented
there will not achieve this.

The President made a lot of statements about the significance of this
second Papal visit to Croatia and the beatification of Cardinal Alojzije
Stepinac. Concerning Stepinac, Tudjman said he was a man who was a martyr
of the communist regime, and a dedicated opponent of fascism and nazism.

"He was one of the greatest people of the Church and Croatian nation in WW
II. He resolutely condemned pro-fascist actions and crimes of the Ustasha
regime, implementation of nazi racial laws, but he was also decisive
against communist methods seen during and after WW II. Cardinal Stepinacs
historic statement during his trial that he would be good-for-nothing if he
did not hear and understand the pulse of his people, who decided to have
their own country by way of election, became the guiding light and thought
of all rational Croatian people during WW II. It finally found its breath
in the democratic movement for the creation of an independent and
democratic Croatia."

President Tudjman said that the beatification of Gods servant Cardinal
Alojzije Stepinac is the answer to all unfounded accusations at the expense
of the Catholic Church in Croatia, which became historic judgements.

"The fact that the Holy Fathers visit and the beatification of Cardinal
Stepinac is in a period when this democratic Croatia, its people and the
Catholic church are again being pressured and, in a way, being equated to
WW II Croatia, is recognition for Cardinal Stepinac, the Catholic Church in
Croatia, and the Croatian people," said Tudjman. He added that the
democratic authorities and Church in Croatia condemned all the crimes
committed during WW II Croatia. War crimes were committed by individuals or
groups, and in no way welcomed by the Croatian people as a whole. Tudjman
also pointed out that the antifascist movement in Croatia was stronger than
in Yugoslavia or any other European country during WW II.

***

3. Letter sent to Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Paris by President of Croatian
World Congress, Simon Sito Coric, October 2, 1998.
CROATIAN WORLD CONGRESS SHOCKED BY REACTION OF WIESENTHAL CENTRE REGARDING
CARDINAL STEPINAC

"
 This great man of the Church has been sentenced as a nazi collaborator.
We Jews deny this. We know from his past, from 1934 and onwards, that he
has been a true friend of the Jews
 He was one of those rare people in
Europe who stood against nazi tyranny
 Throughout the entire period of the
nazi regime, this man, now a victim of a shameful trial, spoke out openly
and without fear against racial Nuremberg laws. His opposition to nazi
terror never subsided
"

Louis S. Breier, October 13, 1948.


Honoured Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Croatian World Congress** and myself.
We are surprised and very dissatisfied with your reaction to the
beatification of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac. We were quite astounded that
you, who come from a millennium old tradition which holds the truth to be
sacred above all else and who understand, best of all in this world, the
painful dimensions of humiliation and human suffering, have raised a stern
voice against a man who suffered for fifteen years, "
 confined to his
small house, cut off from the world, physically at the very end, and who
grew before the eyes of the faithful to a martyrs aureole." (Le Monde,
December 2, 1960).

Would the American Congress, or Winston Churchill, or the leader of the
Jews during that period, Luis S. Brier, or other numerous important persons
throughout the world, have complained without reason, opposing the Yugoslav
Stalinist fury against Cardinal Stepinac? Even one of the top officials of
the authorities that sentenced him, Milovan Djilas, testified on behalf of
Stepinac: "He was truly just, but how many times throughout history have
just people been sentenced out of political necessity?" (Croatian Review,
1956, no. 202). Yesterdays public statement issued by the Co-ordination of
Jewish Municipalities in Croatia reads: "Jews in Croatia are grateful to
Cardinal Stepinac for his actions during the Ustashi Independent State of
Croatia (NDH), during which he stood in support of saving many Jews. He
personally saved from Ustashi and nazi terror the residents of the
Lavoslav Schwarz Retirement Home, a number of groups of Jewish children
and a few hundred converted Jews in mixed marriages
 " (Vjesnik, October 1,
1998).

The very moment one glances over the documentary material on Cardinal
Stepinac, it is clear that he bravely fought against nazism, fascism and
communism, the three greatest evils of the 20th century. He directly and
publicly protested against every evil before the faces of the highest
authorities: against the persecution of the innocent, concentration camps
and the yellow star. Cardinal Stepinac demanded laws be just, and that
rights and obligations be equal for all (e.g. his May 23, 1941, letter to
the Minister of the Interior, Andrija Artukovic, his public speech made on
February 23, 1942, and letter of protest to the head of state, A. Pavelic,
March 6, 1943).

Knowing all of this, I agreed with some of my friends who are respected
Jews. One of them commented that your statements against Stepinac "truly
overdid it with your zeal." They agreed with me that through this kind of
action against Cardinal Stepinac you are doing harm to the credibility of
your praise-worthy institution before numerous people; by forcing guilt
where there is none, as well as making us - who have been connected to the
Jews, throughout their millennium old tradition, in various ways of life
and love - unnecessarily bitter.

In the hope of future truthful words from all sides and lenient times for
all mankind and nations, with honour I greet you!


Prof. Dr. Simun Sito Coric,
President of the Croatian World Congress

** The Croatian World Congress is the largest organisation of Croats living
abroad and their friends and is active in all countries where Croats and
their descendants live in larger numbers. It is a non-government
organisation member of the United Nations.

***

4. S.K.C, Ucenik pljuvao na hrvatski grb, Vecernji list, October 2, 1998,
p. 4.
PUPIL SPAT ON CROATIAN COAT-OF-ARMS

VUKOVAR - A press meeting with city officials was called yesterday, because
of recent events that climaxed Tuesday when an ethnic Serbian elementary
school pupil in Borovo Naselje insulted Croatian pupils, spat on the
Croatian coat-of-arms and destroyed a picture of the Holy Father. Attending
the press conference were: Stipo Seremet, Vukovar Deputy Mayor; Petar
Mlinaric, Vice-president of the Vukovar City Council and president of the
Vukovar HDZ; and Antonija Kukuljica, Social Activities Department.,.

"This is just a part of the events about which Croatians in Vukovar have
kept silent," said Seremet. "It is time that something concrete is done;
that is to offer support and protection for returnee parents and children."

Kukuljica said that Croatian children will not attend the Fifth Elementary
School indefinitely, where there are 681 ethnic Serbian pupils and 76
Croatian returnee children.

Mlinaric requested the removal of the schools principal, Radojka Serbic,
and her deputy, Jozo Galic, because they did not work hard enough to teach
the children how they are supposed to learn and work in the Republic of
Croatia.

"I also demand that all Croatian children go to one school - the Fifth
Elementary School - and that all ethnic Serbian children learning according
to the Serbian program go to the school formerly called Braca Djurdjevic
at Gudeljara."

***

5. Hina, U tjedan dana iz SRJ u Hrvatsku 235 povratnika, Vjesnik, October
2, 1998, Front Page.
OVER THE PAST WEEK 235 RETURNEES FROM FRY

VUKOVAR - From September 21 to 27, 235 people returned from FRY to Croatia.
Of that number, 138 returned with the assistance of the Croatian Office for
Displaced Persons and Refugees (ODPR) and UNHCR, while 97 came back through
their own arrangements, according to a joint report by UNHCR, OSCE and UNLO
published Thursday.

Since June 26, (the beginning of the implementation of the government
Return Plan) to September 27, 1116 people returned from FRY to Croatia
through the assistance of the ODPR and UNHCR, while another 797 came back
on their own. In that period the ODPR received 13,374 return requests,
while the UNHCR received only 4,257 return permits.

***

6. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
VARTEKS IN SECOND ROUND OF CUP WINNERS CUP

VARAZDIN - In the second leg of the UEFA Cup Winners Cup, Varteks defeated
Rudar from Velenje, Slovenia, 1:0, with a seventh-minute goal by
Kamberovic. This makes Varteks the most successful Croatian team in
European soccer action, as Osijek did not make the first round of the UEFA
Cup, Hajduk has been eliminated after the first round of play in that same
competition, while Croatia has only managed a single point in the UEFA
Champions League after drawing 0:0 with Ajax.

***

7. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
BLAZEVIC ANNOUNCES CANDIDATES FOR CROATIAN SELECTS

ZAGREB - The Croatian National Soccer Team will reconvene October 5, at
11:00 (CET) to start preparations for two qualification games next week for
the European Soccer Championship. Their first of two back to back
qualifiers is against the Maltese hopefuls in Malta on October 10, while
Macedonia will visit Zagreb October 14. Here are the candidates for the
Croatian Selects: Ladic, Mrmic, Pavlovic, Stimac, Soldo, Simic, Tudor,
Tokic, Saric, Boban, Asanovic, Maric, M. Cvitanovic, Suker, Vlaovic, Jarni,
Vucko, Vugrinec and Stanic.

***

8. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
EUROPEAN CHAMPION TOO MUCH FOR ZADAR

ZADAR - In the second round of Group C Euroleague basketball action, Zadar
was defeated at home by the reigning European champion Kinder 55:65
(28:33). Here are the standings for Group C:

CSKA Moskva		+13	4
Olympiakos		+7	4
Kinder			+5	3
Ulker			+1	3
ALBA Berlin		-11	2
Zadar			-17	2

***


* ICTY

9. Hina, Ponovni postupak Furundziji 9. Studenog, Vjesnik, October 2,
1998, p. 8.
FURUNDZIJA CASE TO BE REOPENED NOVEMBER 9

THE HAGUE - The case against Ante Furundzija will be reopened November 9,
as Court Council authorised for this case at the ICTY decided on Thursday.

Judges in July closed the case, because the prosecution committed a serious
procedural mistake when it did not disclose the nature of the physical
disabilities of one of their key witnesses. The defence had questioned the
legitimacy of the witnesss testimony earlier because she suffered from
post-traumatic stress and jumbled memory. Furundzija, allegedly, was
present during her rape and questioned her, while doing nothing to stop the
rape.

Though a verdict was to be pronounced July 15, after a six day trial in
June, the judges decided on July 14 to reopen the case and to again hear
the testimony of the above mentioned witness, but take into account the
newly discovered facts about her health. According to defence attorney Luka
Misetic, testimony should not take more than five working days.

***

10. Frane Plancic, Haag kod Milosevica, Vecernji list, October 2, 1998,
p. 13.
ICTY VISITS MILOSEVIC

BELGRADE - ICTY investigators have arrived in Kosovo and are doing their
jobs in accordance to Hague Tribunal decisions and a UN Security Council
resolution according to yesterdays AP reports from Pristina. An ICTY
spokesperson confirmed investigators were in Kosovo, but refused to comment
their work.

It is interesting that the investigators have come to Kosovo (Serbia),
where they should not be without the official Serbian (Milosevics)
permission. Does this mean that Belgrade was forced to relent to this UN
Security Council resolution point, as well? If so, then Belgrade has
admitted that there is a war on the territory of Serbia, rather than a
conflict with terrorists and civilian disobedience.

This also means that the ICTY has deemed the situation in Serbia as war.
Namely, the Hague Tribunal is responsible for war crimes committed on the
territory of the former Yugoslavia and has nothing to do with human rights
violations and similar things.

Hence, Milosevic has indirectly admitted a war is being fought in Serbia,
and that his war campaigns thus far are returning to their starting point -
Serbia, It seems he is prepared to tolerate minor international
interventions like humanitarian aid or ICTY investigator presence in order
to stay in power. It is clear to everybody that this is a certain path to
losing Kosovo, as he has not had firm control there in a very long time.

We should welcome such behaviour from Milosevic, under the condition his
tactic is not going to lead Serbia into a bloody civil war. Croatia and
other neighbours of Serbia do not need this kind of unstable atmosphere.
This is especially true after the lessons learned from the Serbian wars
thus far, through which Milosevic postponed solving internal problems.

***


* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

11. Croatian Radio Herceg-Bosna, News at 21.00, October 1, 1998.
DISQUALIFICATION OF CANDIDATES STILL CONTINUING

SARAJEVO - The Election Appeals Subcommittee has brought down nine separate
decisions concerning the recently held elections, which are linked to
appeals on the counting of votes and discrepancies at the polling booths.
The discrepancies witnessed by one international monitor at a polling
station in Siroki Brijeg has resulted in the disqualification of a HDZ
candidate, Pero Kozul, from the party ticket for the West Herzegovina
County. Namely, the monitor claims that the members of the election
committee had deemed ballots on which HDZ was not marked to be invalid, and
the president of the Election committee approved of such behaviour. In the
appeal lodged by the League for Monitoring the Elections, allegations of
violations at polling booths in Mostar and Stolac were forwarded. They
claim that inappropriate assistance was lent to voters during marking of
ballots and that ballots marked for HDZ and NHI were constantly being mixed
during the ballot counting procedure. The Election Appeals Sub-committee
concluded after its investigation into the allegations that insufficient
proof of the alleged breaches exist to have a fateful influence on the
election process, and hence the appeal was rejected.

***

12. Croatian Radio Herceg-Bosna, News at 21.00, October 1, 1998.
IZETBEGOVIC TO REMAIN IN PRESIDENCY

SARAJEVO - The spokesperson for the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Ismet
Grbo, refuted media speculation today on Izetbegovics alleged withdrawal
from the position of B&H Presidency member. At a press conference in
Sarajevo today, Grbo said that such claims were unfounded and that there
are no indications that any B&H Presidency member would resign from his
position. Grbo also refuted accusations at the cost of Alija Izetbegovics
recent statement that "prostitute journalists" exist. Neither journalists,
nor members of any other profession are always right, nor are they immune
to making mistakes. However, the majority of journalists carry out their
duties in an honourable fashion, Grbo stressed. Regarding the revision of
the military bank books, Grbo said that problems have arisen due to the
contradictory data regarding the number of HVO soldiers and that both sides
are working jointly to solve this problem.

***

13. Croatian Radio Herceg-Bosna, News at 21.00, October 1, 1998.
SFOR TROOPS USE FORCE AGAINST CROAT WOMEN & CHILDREN

CAPLJINA - Members of the special SFOR forces in Bosnia & Herzegovina, the
Italian carabinieri troops, re-opened the main road Sarajevo - Ploce at
Tasovcici near Capljina in a brutal manner, which had been closed to
traffic for less than two hours today by women and children, displaced
persons from Central Bosnia, settled in this area. Namely, the
international police force and SFOR troops had brought approximately 50
Bosniaks to the village of Tasovcici this morning, where they wished to
enter their homes, which have been occupied by displaced Croats from
Central Bosnia for the past five years. Revolted by the return of Bosniaks,
who wish to expel them into the street and by the fact that nobody wishes
to help them return to their homes, the displaced women and children from
Central Bosnia took to the street at 14:30 (CET) and closed the main road
Sarajevo - Ploce to all traffic. There is still no official information on
casualties among Croat displaced women and children.

The spokesperson for SFOR in Mostar confirmed the use of force on behalf of
the Italian carabinieri troops, justifying these actions with the
unsuccessful two-hour long negotiations in which the Croat displaced women
did not wish to reopen the road to traffic and hence hampered freedom of
movement.

***

14. A.R., Croatian Information Centre - Mostar, October 2, 1998.
IZETBEGOVIC DECLARES WAR AGAINST THE MEDIA

SARAJEVO - According to an article in yesterdays Sarajevo issue of
Slobodna Bosna, the main topic of the day in Sarajevo, and most probably
in all of B&H is the SDA leaders, Alija Izetbegovics, statement made at a
Coalition press conference. He stated that "there are honourable women and
prostitutes. There are also honourable journalists and
journalists-prostitutes".

Without a doubt he was referring to the magazine Dani, and particularly
to the informative-political periodical Slobodna Bosna, which had
published the extensive confession of Edin Garaplija, a high official in
the secret Bosnian police (AID), who has been sentenced to 13 years in
prison for the abduction of Nedzad Herenda.

In his confession Garaplija speaks of the atrocious activities of AID
members and the terrorist group Seva, made up of former KOS
(counter-intelligence officers of former YNA) and hardened criminals, who
had, under the protection of the state, committed horrific crimes during
the war.

Izetbegovics statement had encouraged some journalists to make strong
public reactions. The editor-in-chief of Slobodna Bosna, Senad Avdic,
emphasised that he had defined Izetbegovic earlier on as being a genius of
triviality. "It is sad that a man who has stepped into the seventh decade
of his life quite some time ago, should think that way, let alone in
public. Those who have been prostituting themselves with the party
president for the last ten years are honourable".

Avdic then added, "Im embarrassed that the whores from Slobodna Bosna
had to be the ones to have uncovered, over the past month, the monstrous
infra-structure which Izetbegovic himself had simulated and encouraged
within the secret police. He is particularly galled that we have more or
less proved that his son, Bakir (and he is particularly ticked off that
his son is mentioned) is up to his neck in this. He is also on edge that we
have proven to the nation that those people who were trusted by Izetbegovic
with the security of citizens are monsters and murderers themselves".

The main and responsible editor for "Svijet", Zlatko Dizdarevic, wanted to
know who were the owners of the brothel in which journalists-prostitutes
work? Columnist, Hamza Baksic, asked that a list be published of
"honourable and prostitute journalists." The editor-in-chief of Vecernje
novine, Sead Demirovic, said "prostitutes in politics are much more
dangerous than prostitutes in journalism. Prostitution in politics in a
much more profitable profession - not a single journalist owns a villa, a
luxury car, hotel or factory under construction, Not to mention banks."

The prominent journalist, Edina Kamenica, questions "how do we report on
the million dollars donated by Gadafi to B&H children, in which honourable
Ganic participated and had his photo taken. The dollars, a total million,
nowhere to be found. Fluttered off into the sky". Some other journalists
(are they honourable or prostitutes?) debated given stances amongst
themselves. Mato Dakovic, the editor of OBN, considers the unfounded
attacks on the current state president to be uncultured, and not
democratic. He stressed that Izetbegovic has incompetent assistants as far
as the media is concerned, a point of view also supported by Nedzad Latic,
the editor of the national weekly Ljiljan. Consequently, Izetbegovic has
been forced to react alone, sometimes with a lot of bitterness and mostly
to his own detriment. He asks - are journalists supposed to control the
authorities and that nobody has the right to control journalists, accusing
them that they only care for sensationalism and that they do not keep track
of false accusations and slander, insulting religious sacred objects and
spreading blasphemy, mutually slandering and insulting each other. He added
also that some editors break peoples backs, snipe at entire cities and
when they are charged, they run from the court.

Senad Hadzifezjovic, the RTV B&H editor, stated that the war of nerves
between Izetbegovic and journalists continues and does not see how this
dispute will confirm or refute the write ups. An RTV B&H editor, Senad
Kamenica, believes that Izetbegovic, as opposed to journalists who have to
document their work with facts, has once again not offered any arguments in
favour of his tactless claims. Kamenica added that journalists try to help
locate a problem which should be of benefit to all.

The Helsinki committee also reacted, requesting of the government to,
regardless of the degree of truths or lies in the accusatory texts, to
offer satisfactory explanations to the shocked public and to those who have
been possessed by fear.

It seems that those journalists who search for the truth and facts are
prostitutes, but not those who voluntarily enter into the evident political
brothel.

***

15. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 2, 1998.
PLAVSIC BLAMES INTERNATINAL COMMUNITY FOR LOSS

BANJA LUKA - Out-going Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic blames
the international community for her loss to Nikola Poplasen. In an
interview with her political advisor Srdan Trifkovic, Plavsic said the
international community wanted her to work faster towards centralisation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Unfair pressure created the impression among our voters that my
co-operation with the international community was the slow death of our
republic," said Plavsic. "This, in turn, would have been a new war threat."

Meanwhile, right-wing leaders could hardly wait for such a statement, so
they could lash out at the politics Plavsic and the Serbian entitys Prime
Minister Milorad Dodik, over the last six months. The leader of the Serbian
Coalition, Predrag Lazarevic, called on the Serbian Nationalist and
Socialist parties to leave the Sloga Coalition, which was "forced upon
them" and "let the slaves of the West deal with their fate."

Lazarevic also said it was of the utmost importance that a Serbian majority
be formed in parliament and government according to the measures of Poplasen.

There is other post-election confusion in the RS. An elected representative
from Bijeljina, Svetozar Mihajlovic, has conceded that Bosniak
representatives may be able to participate in the new government. However,
Banja Lukas Ostoja Knezevic has categorically said "such a government will
never be accepted." While some may brush off Knezevics statement as a
one-time thing, it is important to remember the negative comments regarding
Croatian and Bosniak return and human rights.

***

16. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 2, 1998.
TRAVNIK A BETTER CHOICE THAN MOSTAR

SARAJEVO - Mostar has the necessary traditions, urban development and
potential to be the capital city of the B&H Federation entity, but not the
political leadership, announced the New Croat Initiative (NHI) yesterday.

NHI was responding to an initiative from the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ
B&H) that the entity seat be moved from Sarajevo to Mostar. The party
contends that Mostar must be looked at realistically.

"In this whole time, facilities for four Federation ministries have not
been found in Mostar and its city council is not even functioning. In fact,
Mostars whole environment goes against the idea," says an NHI release.

In the end, says the NHI, if the Federation capital must change, Travnik is
a better idea. Should the HDZ B&H continue with its initiative, NHI will
formally suggest Travnik as an alternative.

***

17. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 2, 1998.
B&H OWES 4.8 MILLION USD IN DUES

SARAJEVO - For more than a year now, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been
able to vote in the UN General Assembly because of unpaid dues. In fact,
B&H has unpaid dues in many international organisations which total 4.8
million USD or 8 million DM. B&H was warned of its 1.4 million USD debt to
the UN last December and was notified that its ability to vote has been
suspended until the debt is paid.

At first, this might not seem problematic, but according to the Foreign
Affairs Ministry it is. For example, if a country wishes acceptance into
the UN Security Council or some other UN body, it must be able to vote in
the Assembly. Assembly decisions are made by two-thirds majority of those
present during voting, therefore, single votes could make the difference.
Furthermore, countries must lobby for themselves to again admittance into
UN bodies, unpaid dues make lobbying harder.

B&H is the only successor state to Yugoslavia (not including FR Yugoslavia
which is not a UN member) that has not regularly paid its annual dues,
which is 500,000 USD.

Though its UN debt is its largest, B&H also has other debts. These include:
the International Labour Organisation ($328,000), Council of Europe
($83,500), OSCE ($38,300), Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons ($13,000), Interpol ($40,000), UNESCO ($304,280) and the World
Health Organisation ($580,000).

The B&H Presidential budget sets aside $1.98 million for various pay-outs
to international organisations. However, since the debt is more than twice
that, the Foreign Affairs Ministry has prioritised its obligations. Now it
is waiting for the new Presidency to begin functioning and make a decision.

Among the priorities are the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the
World Health Organisation and Interpol. The ministry says these are a
priority because they have significant dealings in B&H. Not paying their
dues, could affect those projects.

***


* YUGOSLAVIA

18. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
MORE REPORTS OF ATROCITIES IN KOSOVO

BELGRADE, PRISTINA - Foreign diplomats are investigating reports of a
recent massacre of Kosovo males at Golubovac, according to The New York
Times. The Guardian reported that Serbian police and Yugoslav armed
forces tricked refugees into returning to Vraniq on Tuesday, when they
killed some of the refugees, arrested some 300 males and looted and
destroyed the refugees' vehicles. The reports of atrocities emerged one day
after eye-witness accounts of the massacre of 18 Kosovo civilians at Obrinje.

Of course, in reference to the Obrinje slaughter a Serbian police spokesman
in Pristina stated that the massacres "could not have happened." He added
that this is because paramilitary police officials send him reports on
their activities and he has no record of such killings. In Belgrade, the
state - run Tanjug news agency called the Obrinje story a "foreign media
farce."

***

19. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 2, 1998.
BRITAIN TIRED OF MILOSEVICS DEFIANCE

LONDON - Foreign Secretary Robin Cook told the BBC that "Britain is ready
to act (militarily), as it beginning to look like the only language
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic will listen to is the threat of
force." The previous day, he described the Obrinje killings as "not an act
of war, rather plain cold murder. NATO is now ready to act. Milosevic would
be making a big mistake if he did not recognise the revulsion all over
Europe at this latest atrocity."

Cook telephoned his U.S. and EU counterparts on September 30 and announced
that the UN Security Council will meet on October 1 to discuss Kosovo. That
body is unlikely to take any firm steps for at least one week, however,
until Secretary - General Kofi Annan issues a report evaluating whether
Milosevic has met demands by the international community regarding the
Serbian offensive in Kosovo.

"The New York Times" suggested on  October 1 that France, as well as
Russia, may oppose any calls for NATO military intervention. In Moscow,
State Duma Speaker Gennadi Seleznev said that any NATO intervention could
lead to a "real war" between the alliance and Yugoslavia and to a crisis in
NATO - Russian relations.

NATO General Secretary Javier Solana requested NATO Alliance European
Commander Gen. Wesley Clark speeds up preparation for a NATO air strike, as
he feels it will soon be necessary to "show Milosevic what violence feels
like when you are the one under attack."





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