SFOR Continues Operation to
Arrest Karadzic
SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) -- The NATO-led
Stabilisation Force (SFOR) continues its operation aimed at arresting
wartime Republika Srpska (RS) leader Radovan Karadzic. SFOR spokeswoman
Angela Johnson announced Wednesday (13 March) that SFOR helicopters were
dropping thousands of leaflets in the eastern RS area of Foca, offering
a $5m reward for information that could lead to his arrest. Earlier this
month SFOR failed twice to arrest Karadzic in the Foca region, where he
was reportedly hiding. SFOR says it has seized stashes of munitions in
Kopaci near Foca. (Tanjug, BBC, AFP - 13/03/02)
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Interior Minister Says Macedonia Is
Open to Co-operation with Hague Tribunal
SKOPJE, Macedonia -- Macedonian police are willing to
co-operate with the UN war crimes tribunal, co-operation that extends to
the so-called Ljuboten case, says Interior Minister Ljube Boskoski. He
commented Wednesday (13 March) on reportedly strained relations between
Skopje and the international community amid rumours the latter is
investigating events in the village of Ljuboten without government
permission. At issue is whether Boskoski is responsible for the deaths
of ten ethnic Albanian civilians killed there last August, during fierce
clashes between rebels and government forces. He maintains Macedonian
police immediately requested an investigation but it was thwarted by
what he called "ethnic Albanian militant groups".
Also Wednesday, France urged that the EU assume
control of the NATO peace-monitoring mission in Macedonia. Paris says it
would add credibility to the EU's new defence structure. (Nova
Makedonija - 14/03/02; MIA, AFP - 13/03/02)
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NATO Urges Reconciliation in Bosnia
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- NATO officials meeting with the
members of Bosnia's tripartite presidency Wednesday (13 March) urged
them to speed up the process of reconciliation. NATO Secretary General
George Robertson told reporters that reducing Bosnia’s armed forces
and uniting them under a single command is "an absolute
prerequisite" for joining NATO's Partnership for Peace programme.
He called on the leadership to improve co-operation with the
international war crimes tribunal and to do more to end Bosnia's
dependence on international assistance. Robertson says the NATO
ambassadors also chided Bosnia for the "continuing problem with law
and order and stressed the need for strong central institutions to deal
with it". The EU, meanwhile, issued a statement Wednesday calling
on Bosnia’s leadership to implement a two-year-old court decision that
grants equal status to all minorities. (AFP, NATO press release, NTV
Hayat, FTV, Tanjug - 13/03/02)
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Journalists Condemn Verdict Against
Croatia's Feral Tribune Weekly
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) condemned Wednesday (13 March) a recent verdict of the
Croatian court against the local weekly Feral Tribune. The court fined
the publication about $24,000 for an article that criticised former
State Prosecutor Zeljko Olujic. The journalists' federation urged the
court to revise its decision, saying it would restrain the right of the
media to express independent opinion and endanger its financial
survival. IFJ argues the Croatian weekly was an example of independent
journalism during the 1991-1995 Serbian-Croatian war. The federation
represents about 500,000 journalists from more than 60 countries. (HINA,
HRT, Infopress - 13/03/02)
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US Envoy Holmes Confirms US Support
of Macedonian-Yugoslav Border
SKOPJE, Macedonia -- The US special envoy for the
Balkans, Ambassador James Holmes, has confirmed US support for
Macedonia's peace process and reiterated US respect for Macedonia's
border agreement with Yugoslavia. Holmes arrived Wednesday (13 March)
for an official visit aimed at familiarising himself with the latest
domestic developments, including implementation of the framework peace
agreement. After meeting with Foreign Minister Slobodan Casule, Holmes
declared that the United States, together with the EU, remains a primary
partner to Macedonia, as was proven during Tuesday’s donors conference
in Brussels. (A1 TV, MIA - 14/03/02)
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Croatian Parliamentarians Suggest
Voluntary Military Service
ZAGREB, Croatia -- Parliamentarians from the ruling
coalition and the Istrian Democratic Assembly have proposed amendments
to the draft defence law introducing voluntary military service.
Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados seems open to the idea, saying it
is in line with the government strategy but will require more time to
implement. Members of the ruling coalition demanded immediate
restructuring, similar to the model of EU members and said the changes
would reduce spending. The opposition Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ),
meanwhile, criticised the government for reducing the number of
conscripts by some 10,000, under pressure from the IMF. (Vecernji List -
14/03/02; HINA - 13/03/02)
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US Official: NATO Will Continue to
Back Military Reforms in Bulgaria, Romania
SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Gen Peter Pace, a vice chairman of
the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says NATO will continue to support military
reforms in Bulgaria and Romania even if the two countries are not
offered membership in the alliance at the November Prague summit. During
a brief visit to each country Wednesday (13 March), Pace gave high marks
to their participation in NATO peacekeeping operations in the Balkans
and Afghanistan, praising the professionalism of the troops. An
assessment team from NATO wraps up a visit to Bulgaria Thursday, where
it has been gauging preparations for accession.
Romania’s bid may have gotten a boost now that the
International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan has requested
that Bucharest send more troops. President Ion Iliescu asked parliament
Wednesday to approve the deployment of ten more officers.
In Sofia meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Miho Mihov
welcomed a delegation of Macedonian military officials Wednesday. They
discussed preparations for entering NATO structures and the progress of
military reforms, as well as implementation of Macedonia’s peace
accord. (Dnevnik, Sofia Independent - 14/03/02; Mediapool, BTA, Rompres,
MIA, Bulgarian National Radio - 13/03/02)
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Montenegrin Government Proposes
Draft on Abolishing Death Penalty
PODGORICA, Yugoslavia -- The Montenegrin government
has proposed a draft bill that replaces capital punishment with a
40-year prison sentence. The measure, introduced Wednesday (13 March),
is in line with European standards, according to the cabinet. The
government noted that nearly all European countries, including the
states from the former Yugoslavia, have already moved to abolish the
death penalty. A vote on the draft is expected soon. (FoNet - 14/03/02;
Montenegrin news agency Montena-fax, BBC - 13/03/02)
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Dispute Between Romania and Moldova
Leads to Expulsion of Diplomats
BUCHAREST, Romania -- Romania and Moldova have
expelled each other’s diplomats in a growing dispute over language.
The conflict stems from Moldova’s plan to make its Romanian-speaking
majority learn Russian in school. A series of protests prompted the
Moldovan government to shelve the idea at least temporarily. The
government put the plan on hold, but not before accusing Bucharest of
organising the demonstrations. It has given Romania’s military attaché
ten days to leave the country, promoting a tit-for-tat expulsion order
from Bucharest. (Reuters - 14/03/02)
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