It is obvious that when he said "certain magazines and tabloids", president Izetbegovic was referring to Sarajevo magazines Dani and Slobodna Bosna which in the few most recent issues had written extensively about abuses of secret police. The information published by these two periodicals has definitely shaken Bosnian public.
"A few months ago, I said that the president of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and member of the Bosnian presidency Alija Izetbegovic had a genius for banality. His latest statement, that "there are honest women and prostitutes" and "honest journalists and journalists-prostitutes" is the best confirmation for that. It is sad that a man who has turned seventy a long time ago reasons like that in public. Izetbegovic has recognized journalistic prostitutes among the editors and journalists of the two local magazines a while ago. They, therefore, prostitute themselves with foreigners. Those who do the same with the president of SDA are honest. They are patriots. To them, the president of SDA gives money (the case of Ljiljan's television, which received several millions of German Marks from Izetbegovic), so that they can be patriots instead of ordinary 'hookers'.
However, Izetbegovic is upset about something else. He finds it very unpleasant that 'hookers' from Slobodna Bosna (later others also summoned enough courage) have during the last month uncovered monstrous infrastructure which Izetbegovic stimulated and encouraged within the secret police. He finds in unpleasant that we more-or-less proved that his son Bakir (he especially hates when his son is mentioned) is involved in the whole affair up to his neck. He dislikes that we have shown to the people that the people whom Izetbegovic put in charge of safety of the citizens are monsters and murderers.
Then, instead of an explanation to the citizens (even dictator Tudman, once the stories about evil deeds of his secret services have spread through Croatia, ordered an investigation and promised to inform the public about its results) Izetbegovic, as a genius of banality, concluded that the problem is that 'journalistic prostitutes' are trying to sabotage the investigation of war crimes, which is meticulously and relentlessly conducted by AID [secret service controlled by Izetbegovic]. Please! Of course, Izetbegovic does not have personal courage to honestly and fully answer all the questions raised by Slobodna Bosna. He would have to explain what fascinated him so much about Bakir Alispahic that he kept him close to his side to the last moment. Journalists are guilty because they didn't want to prostitute themselves with Bakir Alispahic and similar personalities, the way Alija Izetbegovic did," stated editor-in-chief of Slobodna Bosna, Senad Avdic.
"However, a more important question regarding journalism in Bosnia-Hercegovina is who owns the brothel in which journalists-prostitutes work? I think that Mr. Izetbegovic knows the answer to this question," stated Zlatko Dizdarevic for Oslobodenje.
A columnist in out paper, Hamza Baksic, expects that Izetbegovic will publish the names of "honest journalists" and names of "journalists-prostitutes";Senad Demirovic, editor-in-chief of Vecerenje Novine emphasizes that every profession suffers from prostitution, but that it would be better for our country if the political leadership dealt with prostitution in politics.
"Prostitutes in politics are far more dangerous and deadly than prostitutes in journalism. Journalists-prostitutes bring down circulation, and prostitutes in politics claim lives. Prostitution in politics is much more profitable; I don't know of a single journalist who owns a villa, a luxury car, or hotels and factories. Let alone banks. Besides, journalists-prostitutes are made by politicians. Politicians are their spiritual and financial mentors. However, the readers can recognize both journalists-prostitutes and politicians who are their mentors," said Demirovic.
President of the Independent Union of Professional Journalists Mehmed Husic believes that president Izetbegovic's statement was a disproportionate reply to criticism in Sarajevo magazines, where one can find, said Husic, well documented statements by a man who knows AID well.
"Izetbegovic's statement was a mistake. He should have mentioned politicians standing and sitting around him during the press conference," concluded Husic for Oslobodenje.
Oslobodenje journalist Edina Kamenica responded to Izetbegovic's statement as follows:
"Our president is right, as always. That's why I would like to ask him to clarify a few points for me. How does an honest journalist and how does a journalist-prostitute write about the officially sanctioned sale of Sarajevo kindergartens which are sold for peanuts, for a dollar or two, to foreigners in state run brothels? What about the loan given by the Fund for Shehid [martyrs who died for Islam] Families to Bosnian businessman Cesko? He has not repaid it, but did spend the money! How many thousands of dollars was that? You are the head of that Fund; your honest subordinate, when I wrote about that robbery, responded that I was trying to finish off what Karadzic had started in the hills around Sarajevo. Because he was honest and too honest, that subordinate is today an ambassador!
"Therefore, will the honest journalist and his or her articles, if there are any, be outlived by the state brothel? Has it ever happened that an article managed to swallow the state brothel? Except, of course when the prostitutes there were left without work, when no one sober or powerful crossed their threshold, red lights went off, and only memories remained. Memories of crickets, that still chirp."
Translated on 11/15/98