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PRESS CUT - Croatian Press News in English	

October 14, 1998


� TOP STORY

1. RETURNS DUBROVNIK JEWISH TREASURE

* CROATIA

2. ANNAN CLAIMS UNMOP STILL NEEDED IN PREVLAKA
3. CROATIA NO LONGER NEEDS UNMOP MISSION
4. OSCE TAKING OVER POLICING IN CROATIAN DANUBE REGION
5. CROATIAN PUPILS IN VUKOVAR ARE UNPROTECTED MINORITY
6. EXHUMATIONS NEAR CELIJE BEGIN
7. WITNESS AGAINST SAKIC SAW MORE THAN THREE EXECUTIONS
8. AMERICAN SURGEONS OPERATING ON CROATIAN CHILDREN
9. NO LESS THAN VICTORY WILL SATISFY BLAZEVIC
10. HAJDUK PENALISED BY UEFA
11. NOT A GOOD NIGHT FOR CROATIAN BASKETBALL
12. EUROPEAN HANDBALL IS BACK IN CROATIA!

* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

13. ANNEX VII NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
14. WRITING ON THE WALL: HATE MESSAGES TOWARDS CROATS
15. FIRST SERBS RETURN TO CAPLJINA

* YUGOSLAVIA

16. MOSCOW CONTINUES TO GUARD LITTLE BROTHER IN BELGRADE
17. TWO 'VERIFICATION' AGREEMENTS TO BE SIGNED BY MILOSEVIC
18. NATO BOMBING POSTPONED - TIME TO ROLL UP THE SLEEVES
19. MILOSEVIC NAMES HIS BROTHER AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW



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***


* TOP STORY

1. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
U.S. RETURNS DUBROVNIK JEWISH TREASURE

NEW YORK, ZAGREB, DUBROVNIK - The treasure of the Jewish community in
Dubrovink has finally come home after almost three years of intensive
efforts and negotiations. The treasure arrived from New York, where it was
displayed in Yeshiva University, on Tuesday, on the occasion of the 500th
anniversary of Sephardic art in 1994.

Seven treasure chests arrived in Zagreb yesterday with the Czech airliner
CSA from New York via Prague. The lost treasure was greeted by
Assistant Minister of Culture Branka Sulc, General Manager of the
Restoration Institute Ferdinand Meder and the President of the Zagreb
Jewish community, Ognjen Kraus. Due to the difficulties surrounding the
return of this Croatian treasure, the Zagreb Jewish community and the
Croatian government hired the Pavelic and Levites Law Firm in New York and
had to go through the courts in the United States. The American courts
ruled the treasure has to be returned to its rightful owner, the Jewish
community in Dubrovnik.

The treasure itself was packed in New York under the supervision of Meder
and Bruno Horovic, President of the Dubrovnik Jewish community, following
all internationally recognised museum standards. The treasure includes 56
items. Among the items are three valuable Torahs from the 13th and 14th
centuries, 14 metal religious objects, and 37 textile items (mostly
connected to Torah customs). The textiles date from the 17th and 18th
centuries in the Baroque Period. There is also a very valuable prayer book
included in the treasure.

***


* CROATIA

2. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
ANNAN CLAIMS UNMOP STILL NEEDED IN PREVLAKA

NEW YORK - United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented his report
to the UN Security Council on the UN Military Observer Mission to Prevlaka
(UNMOP). "The beginning of bilateral talks aimed at finding a permanent
solution of the disputed question is an important and welcomed step
forward, however it is too soon to expect an agreement in the near future,"
said Annan. The secretary-general is of the opinion that the 28 members of
UNMOP should continue with their current mandate. The present UNMOP mandate
is due to end January 15, 1999.

***

3. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
CROATIA NO LONGER NEEDS UNMOP MISSION

NEW YORK - Croatian permanent representative at the United Nations Ivan
Simonovic, after listening to Annans report to the Security Council, said
that Croatia feels the UNMOP Mission will "end on January 15, no matter
what."

Simonovic said that Croatia will, if left no other choice, unilaterally put
an end to the "hospitality offered the UNMOP Mission." He added that
Belgrade is slowing down the bilateral talks on this last open security
question for Croatia, hence the UN should take the appropriate steps to
bring Belgrade to a quicker negotiating table. Croatia, is quite capable of
controlling all of its territory and intends to take the last of its
territory, Prevlaka, back under its control.

***

4. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
OSCE TAKING OVER POLICING IN CROATIAN DANUBE REGION

ZAGREB, VUKOVAR - The United Nations Police Support Group (UNPSG) completes
its nine-month mandate Thursday. Their mandate was to observe the work of
police in the Croatian Danube Region. The end of their mission also marks
the end of the UN presence in the region. The UNPSG will be replaced by a
new OSCE Mission.

"The international community will, through UN and OSCE activities, continue
to protect the results of the Return Program, as well as the renewal and
economic revival of Croatia," said Kirsten Haupt of the UNPSG.

The UN, said Haupt, remains in Croatia through the UNMOP Mission in
Prevlaka and the UNHCR. The new OSCE Mission will take on approximately
half of the UNPSG personnel from OSCE member countries (they will just
change uniforms). The OSCE police monitors will have the same rules of
engagement with the local police as the UNPSG had and will remain there as
long as the OSCE Mission to Croatia will continue to exist.

***

5. Ljiljana Pandza, Hrvatski ucenici u Vukovaru su manjina bez zastite,
Vjesnik, October 14, 1998, p. 7.
CROATIAN PUPILS IN VUKOVAR ARE UNPROTECTED MINORITY

VUKOVAR - How can future incidents in Vukovar schools be prevented? That is
the burning question of the moment worrying Croatian returnees, parents of
Croatian children, as well as many others who consider themselves to be
responsible for this problem. The first incident occurred ten days ago in
the Fifth Elementary School in Borovo Naselje. Ethnic Serb Grade 7 and 8
students insulted Croatian children, spitting on the Croatian coat-of-arms
on the school plaque. The second incident occurred October 10, when unknown
perpetrators in the First High School took down the Croatian coat-of-arms
from three classrooms, smashing one, trashing another and painting a cross
with four Cyrillic letter Ss (Serb symbol) on the third.

There are four primary and four secondary schools in Vukovar. Out of a
total 3,463 high school students, only 381 are ethnic Croatians (11%).
Among 147 teachers working in Vukovar primary schools, 41 are ethnic
Croatians, 91 are ethnic Serbs and 15 are of other ethnic backgrounds. In
secondary schools there are 119 Serbian professors, 29 Croatians and 7 of
other ethnic backgrounds. In accordance to the international agreement
signed by UNTAES, the Croatian Ministry of Education and the Joint Council
of Municipalities, schools will be registered for three years by number
instead of by name. This process is currently ongoing.

The head of the Office for Education and Culture of the Vukovar Srijem
County, Zdenka Buljan, said she hopes the incident will not slow down the
return of Croats to the Croatian Danube Region.

In spite of difficult conditions under which the schools are operating,
they have adequate personnel and the responsibility for all events has to
be borne by the educational staff and principals, as well as the parents
and children, whose unbecoming behaviour must not be tolerated.

"All incidents in the schools up to now have been connected exclusively to
Croatian national symbols, which is painful to us, but if someone would,
for example, hurt my or any other returnees child, I think the reaction
would be a toned down 1991," said Zvonimir B., a veteran and prisoner of
Serb concentration camps. He returned to Vukovar in March and his children
were the first returnee children in the Second Elementary School. Some
children we spoke to admitted they hide occasional punches, bloody noses
and abuse inflicted by Serbian children from their parents.

SDSS President Vojislav Stanimirovic condemned the incidents, saying that
the appropriate legal penal actions should be taken against the pupils and
their parents instead of turning this into a political problem. The
National Council for Establishing Trust has also tried to find a solution
to the safe functioning of all Vukovar schools. Council member Antonija
Kukuljica suggested separated classrooms, which has proven to be successful
in kindergarten.

At the moment all ethnic Croatian children who did not attend classes in
the Fifth Elementary School over the past few days because of the incidents
have returned. Of course, all Croatian coats-of-arms have also been
returned to their places.

***

6. Hina, Pocela Ekshumacija kod Celija, Vjesnik, October 14, 1998, p. 6.
EXHUMATIONS NEAR CELIJE BEGIN

VUKOVAR - Teams from the governmental Commission for Detained and Missing
Persons began exhumations on Tuesday from a mass grave near the village of
Celije near Vukovar. According to the commission trustee, First Lieutenant
Marko Milos, 12 bodies of civilians and soldiers have been exhumed. All the
exhumed bodies have been taken to the Institute for Forensic Medicine in
Zagreb.

***

7. I.D., Sarac je vidio vise od trti likvidacije, Vjesnik, October 14,
1998, p. 5.
WITNESS AGAINST SAKIC SAW MORE THAN THREE EXECUTIONS

SPLIT - The investigation against the former commander of the WW II prison
camp at Jasenovac, Dinko Sakic, has moved from Zagreb to Split. On Tuesday
at the Split County Court, two out of five witnesses gave their
testimonies: Dervis Sarac (73) and Ivo Senjanovic (82). The other three -
Damir Petric, Nedjeljko Bartulovic and Abinum Jeska - for reasons of health
and expenses, will be questioned in their places of residents in Split on
Wednesday and Thursday.

During the year and a half he spent in Jasenovac, Sarac stated he saw more
than three "executions" when Sakic was its commander. Sarac said he
witnessed Dinko Sakic personally shoot Dr. Mile Boskovic with a pistol,
which accords with some of the other testimony given by the 40 witnesses
questioned up to now.

One of the many prison camps where Senjanovic was interned during WW II was
Jasenovac. "I was there only for one month. That is why I survived," stated
Senjanovic before entering the courtroom. He did not see Sakic during the
time he was there, nor did he hear his name mentioned. Nobody commented on
what Senjanovic stated behind closed doors.

Another six witnesses from FRY will be testifying during this investigative
procedure against Dinko Sakic.

***

8. A.S., Americki kirurzi operiraju hrvatske malisane, Jutarnji list,
October 14, 1998, p. 4.
AMERICAN SURGEONS OPERATING ON CROATIAN CHILDREN

ZAGREB - A team of six American surgeons, together with four doctors from
the Childrens Hospital, will operate on 15 Croatian youngsters in the
Clinic for Childrens Diseases.

The first operations were performed on Monday and another six patients were
operated on yesterday. "The surgeons, led by Dr. John Young, examined over
40 patients. Ailments include facial plastic surgeries, birth defects of
the fist and solutions to orthopaedic problems," said Dr. Antun Kljenak.

Because a number of the patients to be operated on will need a series of
surgeries, Dr. Kljenak hopes the co-operation with the American surgeons
will continue in the future.

***

9. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
NO LESS THAN VICTORY WILL SATISFY BLAZEVIC

ZAGREB - Croatia and Macedonia will kick-off their first official soccer
game as independent states tonight at 19:15 (CET). They will play a Group 8
qualifier for the 2000 European Championship, which will be played in
Holland and Belgium. Macedonia is coming to Zagreb full of optimism, as
they won their first game in this group 4:0 against the same Maltese team
that Croatia defeated 4:1. Coach Blazevic said that Macedonia is an
excellent team, but nothing short of a victory is expected from the
Croatian Selects.

Tonight will also be, according to recent announcements, Croatian goalie
Drazen Ladics last game. He has decided to no longer play for the national
team after a record 51 games in net for the best of Croatias best. Here
are the players expected to start tonights game: Ladic, Stimac, Tudor,
Simic, Soldo, Stanic, Jarni, Boban, Asanovic, Maric and Suker.

***

10. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
HAJDUK PENALISED BY UEFA

SPLIT - The UEFA disciplinary commission penalised Hajduk yesterday for the
bad behaviour of their fans during the last game they played in Split in
the UEFA Cup against Fiorentina. Hajduk fans threw objects into the field
towards the referee, giving one of the linesmen a bloody nose. In the next
official game of any of the European cup competitions, Hajduk will have to
play their first home game no less that 200 km away from Split.

***

11. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
NOT A GOOD NIGHT FOR CROATIAN BASKETBALL

ZAGREB, SPLIT - Last night was not a good night for the Croatian teams
competing in the Raimond Saporte Basketball Cup, as they both lost. Split
was host to Turk Telekom from Turkey and lost 77:68 (40:32). The top scorer
for Split was Tvrdic with 22 points, just behind Turk Telekoms Wilson who
put 23 points into Splits basket. In the other Raimond Saporte Cup game,
AEK from Athens walked all over Zagreb, defeating them 79:62 (37:37).
Zagreb did its best to keep in stride with the Greeks, but they were just
too strong. The top scorer of the game was Arlaukas (AEK) with 20 points,
while Zagrebs best was Rimac with 17 hoops.

***

12. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
EUROPEAN HANDBALL IS BACK IN CROATIA!

ZAGREB - The European Handball Federation drew the pairs and groups to play
in this years mens and womens European handball competitions yesterday in
Vienna.

The womens Euroleague, Group A, will include Podravka Dolcela (Croatia),
Kometal (Macedonia), Krim Electra (Slovenia) and Besancon (France). The Cup
Winners Cup will see Kras play AVES Bugas (Bulgaria), while the Cities Cup
will have Kaltenberg playing Gudme (Denmark).

In mens competition, Zagrebs Badel 1862 was placed in Group A and will
have to play Fotex Veszprem (Hungary), Montpellier (France) and Prato
(Italy) in Euroleague competition. The EHF Cup will have Brodomerkur
playing Porto (Portugal), while Zamet ATR will be playing against Dunkerque
(France).

***


* BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

13. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 14, 1998.
ANNEX VII NEEDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

SARAJEVO - The president of the Federation of Refugees and Displaced
Persons, Mirhunisa Komarica, has asked that Washington immediately realise
Annex VII of the Dayton accords, according to a Federation press release.

Komarica is in Washington and yesterday presented the State Department with
a return program. During her presentation, she said that the situation
Bosnia and Herzegovina is critical, because of the German decision to
return all B&H refugees to their home country by the end of the year.
Refugees are indeed returning, but not to the places they lived before the
war, which doesnt alleviate problems inside B&H. Instead, the displaced
person problem is compounded. Adding to this problem said Komarica are the
daily arrivals of refugees from Kosovo.

She asked that war criminals be arrested, as many are still in governmental
offices and are obstructing the return of refugees and displaced persons.

***

14. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 14, 1998.
WRITING ON THE WALL: HATE MESSAGES TOWARDS CROATS

MAGLAJ - Vulgar and insulting graffiti was sprayed on the doors of the
Maglaj Catholic church late Sunday evening. The graffiti contains hate
messages towards Croats, and some is written in English.

SFOR inspected the site and established that it was not the work of
children, but adults.

***

15. J.C., Croatian Information Centre - Sarajevo, October 14, 1998.
FIRST SERBS RETURN TO CAPLJINA

MOSTAR - The first Serbian returnees came back to Capljina County
yesterday. Twenty-one Serbian families returned to their pre-war homes in
the Oplicici village, after living in parts of the Serbian entity Republika
Srpska.

Herzegovina Neretva County President Ramiz Leto said the return of the
remaining 12 families that have registered to return should happen soon.

The visit went by without any incidents.

***


* YUGOSLAVIA

16. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
MOSCOW CONTINUES TO GUARD LITTLE BROTHER IN BELGRADE

MOSCOW - Duma Chairman Gennadii Seleznev told reporters on Tuesday that the
Russian parliament will send a four-member delegation, which would include
Deputy Speaker Sergei Baburin, to Yugoslavia this week. Duma Foreign
Affairs Committee Chairman Vladimir Lukin called Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic's agreement to comply with the UN Security Council
resolution on Kosovo "a significant positive step on the road to a peaceful
settlement."

On Monday, the Russian Government summoned its permanent representatives to
NATO back to Moscow for consultations. Russian Defense Minister Igor
Sergeev told reporters that Russia is preparing several options in the case
of NATO air-strikes in Yugoslavia. According to NTV, if no strikes occur, a
"NATO liaison mission could open in Moscow next week." According to the
Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, several thousand Cossacks in the
Kuban area have signed up to serve in a volunteer battalion headed for
Serbia.

On the other hand, the Russian media characterised possible NATO
air-strikes in Yugoslavia as part of a larger US strategy to transform NATO
into its own international police force. According to the Russian paper
Krasnaya zvezda, military intervention in Yugoslavia will mean that "NATO
can conduct operations outside of its own zone of responsibility
 without
clear foundation to the norms of international law." The Russian daily
Segodnya argued that intervention in Kosovo is essentially "an attempt to
reshape the current security system" and to "establish a new instrument of
international law." The newspaper Nezavisimaya gazeta claimed that the
U.S. is motivated not only by the desire "to punish the loathsome President
Milosevic" but also to "change the world order" established 50 years ago.
Krasnaya zvezda is the official newspaper of the Ministry of Defence.
Segodnya is owned by Vladimir Gusinski's Media-Most holding group,
while Nezavisimaya gazeta receives financial backing from Boris
Berezovskii's Logo VAZ group.

***

17. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
TWO 'VERIFICATION' AGREEMENTS TO BE SIGNED BY MILOSEVIC

BELGRADE, WASHINGTON - Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic agreed to sign
two Verification Agreements and also agreed to accept an "intrusive"
international "verification" presence to ensure that he complies, according
to diplomat Richard Holbrooke. One element of the project will be a
2,000-strong Verification Mission supplied by the OSCE, whose security and
freedom of movement the Yugoslav government will confirm "soon" in an
agreement with the OSCE. The mission will also supervise any future
elections in Kosovo, Holbrooke added.

Milosevic, confirmed Holbrookes words in a public announcement by adding
that an international monitoring mission for the upcoming Fall elections in
Kosovo are desired to prove the "high level of democracy in Yugoslavia."

The second element of the verification process is that NATO aircraft will
also monitor Milosevics compliance. This arrangement will be confirmed "in
the next few days" in an agreement signed by top NATO officials and
Yugoslav leaders in Belgrade. Holbrooke noted that NATO will "easily find
ways" to provide assistance to any international personnel in Kosovo,
should the need arise. It was announced that a Rapid Reaction Force will be
deployed near Kosovo to quickly come "to the rescue" of any unarmed
monitors in Kosovo, as well as armed aircraft to protect unarmed monitoring
planes which will be patrolling Yugoslav skies to make sure Milosevic is
"keeping his word." Holbrooke also said that some U.S. diplomats who
recently left Yugoslavia will be returning later on

US President Bill Clinton said that Milosevic "has made a series of
commitments
 But together with our NATO partners, we will determine whether
he follows his words with deeds. We will remain ready to take military
action if Mr. Milosevic fails to make good on his commitments this time."
Speaking in New York, Clinton added that "Balkan graveyards are filled with
President Milosevic's broken promises. In the days ahead we will focus not
only on what President Milosevic says but what we see he does."

***

18. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998
NATO BOMBING POSTPONED - TIME TO ROLL UP THE SLEEVES

VIENNA, PRISTINA - "The war of nerves continues," the Vienna daily Die
Presse wrote in an article on Tuesday, in reference to the forthcoming
talks needed to work out the details of Milosevic's compliance. Remaining
issues include ensuring that Serbian forces withdraw and displaced persons
and refugees return to their homes. Furthermore, Yugoslavia has to allow
representatives of the International War Crimes Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) to conduct investigations in Kosovo, as well as set up a
police force acceptable both to Belgrade and to ethnic Kosovo Albanians and
draft terms for an eventual political settlement.

Observers in Pristina note that any agreement that leaves Milosevic in
charge in Kosovo is bound to disappoint most Kosovo Albanians, who account
for 90% of the population.

***

19. T.P., Croatian Information Centre - Zagreb, October 14, 1998.
MILOSEVIC NAMES HIS BROTHER AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW

BELGRADE - A spokesperson for the Yugoslav embassy in Moscow said that the
Yugoslav Foreign Ministry has appointed Borislav Milosevic, the brother of
Slobodan, as the new ambassador to Russia. The spokesman did not say when
he will take up his post. International political commentators feel this
move shows two things: Milosevic can no longer trust all of his staff and
that he desires much closer ties with big brother in Moscow.






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