Vultures of Peace

by Zija DIZDAREVIC

Oslobodjenje, Sarajevo, Federation Bosnia-Hercegovina, B-H, January 27, 2001

A professor of the Yale University, Dr. Ivo Banac, very precisely qualified the relevancy of the article written by the American journalist Thomas Friedman about Bosnia-Hercegovina (BH), assessing that the column "which in several simplistic excerpts tries to provide legitimacy for the break up of the Bosnian-Hercegovinian state, would not deserve such a response if it weren't published in the very influential The New York times, and moreover, at the very beginning of the Bush Administration..." Friedman clearly proves that the dogma about most influential American printed media as a priori independent and highly professional is wrong. And Friedman is a double winner of the Pulitzer prize. To make the "merriment" even more complete, Friedman wrote another article, as if he hadn't even read the first one. The first Friedman's article roughly supports the threats from the headquarters of Bush Jr. administration and the new president personally about the abandonment of the "humanitarian" engagement of the USA in the Balkans. That article was put together from the position of the global American superiority and neo-imperialist arrogance that does permit to be irritated by "local" problems of some Balkan natives. And professionally, the article is so blatantly superficial with a series of half-truths and distortions. In the first column Friedman uses the following formulations: "the Bosnian war", "the Dayton Agreement forces Bosnian Serbs, Bosnian Croats and Bosnian Muslims to live together in an artificial state." The formulation "the Bosnian war" hides the primary fact that Serb-Montenegrin Nazis and Fascists, led by the former Yugoslav People's Army carried out an aggression against BH as an independent and internationally recognized state with a genocidal outcome, and that as a crucial factor in the key moment they were joined by Croatian greater nationalists. Friedman does not mention that during the tenure of Bush Senior the USA recognized the state of Bosnia-Hercegovina, only to prevent the possibility of activation of the mechanism of collective protection of BH in accordance with the UN Charter. Furthermore the administration in Washington initiated the ban on armament of "all sides" in BH, which was a direct support to the protagonists of the break up of the BH state and elimination of the Bosniak factor. The data about tens of thousands of dead, hundreds of thousands of maltreated, raped and in all possible ways traumatized individuals indicate the true character of the war. More than a half of citizens of BH left their homes during the war. BH was not an artificial creation, but a state with historical and legal continuity and international legal status. The local representatives of the peace mission also discuss the danger of separatism, ignoring the fact that those separatist attempts are the direct consequence of the Serb and Croatian hegemonism attempting to divide BH by annexing its parts. Only with aggression, persecution, and "humane population exchange" BH was artificially divided, and its civilizational essence destroyed. NATO does not force Serbs, Croats and Bosniaks to live together. It should, as the key part of the UN forces, defend the right of one member of the international community to survive and provide basic conditions for the achievement of basic human rights. Therefore, not to create, but to defend. Let us recall here Bush's attitude that the American military's job is not to create states in remote regions, but to wage wars and win in accordance with the vital interests of the USA. For the first time, NATO led by the USA showed up in BH in a peacekeeping mission. Bush obviously does not want NATO as an active peacetime element, but as a factor it used to be during the Cold war, and not as a static factor of a balance of power, but as an active force. If that is the case, then we got that decisive change of strategy in the White House. Regarding the division of BH, Friedman advocates a small Muslim state around Sarajevo, protected by NATO. Friedman and his mentors do not care that before the war Bosniaks lived in almost every part of BH, that they as all other sincere Bosnian and Hercegovinian patriots see BH as their homeland and state. Every separation would imply usurpation and theft of Bosniak property and land. But they must understand that Bosniaks, and not only them, cannot peacefully accept that something that is theirs be reduced. Bosniaks cannot accept a state in which it is not clear whether they are under protection or in a ghetto. Every option of division leads to the radicalization of Bosniaks on religious basis. Perhaps the goal is to discredit Bosniaks as fundamentalists and eliminate them. The BH patriots can resist the obsession with the division of BH on the political plan only by supporting the block such as the Democratic Alternative, followed with a wide-ranging action calling for the unification and activation of a BH patriotic front and animation of sincere friends abroad. A radical change in policy of return is a condition for the return of Bosnians and Hercegovinians to themselves and their own. That is how BH will survive in spite of the vultures of peace who have taken the place of the dogs of war, many of whom could be found among the journalists. Bosnia-Hercegovina is still not dead...

My view

They Want They Own Homeland - HDZ

by Senka KURTOVIC

Oslobodjenje, Sarajevo, Federation Bosnia-Hercegovina, B-H, March 2, 2001

It is the time of carnival. That is why the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), disguised as the Croatian People's Assembly (HNS), decided to organize the central carnival celebration on Saturday in Mostar. That is why the HNS (read the HDZ) invited Croats from everywhere in Bosnia-Hercegovina (BH) to come to Mostar and together celebrate the session of the Assembly, at which historical decisions were to be made. To celebrate, hey, the amazing idea initiated by the "protectors" of the Croatian dignity, constitutional rights, sovereignty... The Croatian People's Assembly, that is not a secret anymore, will at its session adopt a "historical" document. The document that will bring to life "Herceg-Bosna". Keep in mind that it is the time of carnival and everything is possible. If carnival processions can include characters from the ancient past, why shouldn't during these days of disguises "Herceg-Bosna" walk on the soil of this country, disguised in the Croatian autonomy. The "historical' document that will be offered on Saturday envisages that BH can survive as a federation of several federal units, each one with Bosniak, Serb or Croat majority. Those federal units would constitute national councils and through them communicate with each other. At the state level there would be the (supreme) inter-ethnic council, the presidency of the state and definitely the council of ministers. This "extra-cantonization", which is on the other hand a disguise for the division of Bosnia-Hercegovina, implies, what else, three version of everything that we, at least on paper, shared so far: police and defense forces, education and, naturally, finances. Jelavic's "favorite" legal experts, Josip Muselimovic, Ljubomir Zovko, Barisa Colak, and Zvonko Miljko rolled up their sleeves and produced the document establishing Croatian autonomy that would last for a year, until, according to the ideas of HDZBH, "the final reorganization of BH is implemented". In order not to lose time and waste a whole year, this party decided in the meantime to form its own state in municipalities and cantons. That would fulfill the dream of those Croats who haven't forgotten what sort of anarchy, crime, corruption, immorality, ruled during the years when never fully expired Herceg-Bosna was alive. Thus, beside the fulfillment of the "Croat dream", the dream of Martin Raguz would also be fulfilled. As we found out, he is supposed to be the Prime Minister of the Croat autonomy. As well as the dreams of Dragan Covic and Bozo Ljubic and a few senior officials who lost the chance to boast with titles of Minister of Prime Minister after the most recent elections and the formation of the Alliance. Nothing was left to chance and everything was done to ensure that everything will be as before. The "republic" (disguised in the Croatian autonomy) will have its own flag, official language, official alphabet... Its institutions have already been specified. Lest we guess, and to make sure that Jelavic's favorite legal experts to not have to work too hard, it was decided that we simply return to the past and renew the institutions of "Herceg-Bosna". Therefore, the legislative council, whose members are representatives of the HDZBH elected to the Federation Parliament, the Parliament of the Republic of Srpska, and the cantonal assemblies, and the presidential council whose members, besides the members of the Presidency of the Croatian People's Assembly will be the governors and deputy governors of the cantons. Of course, all from the HDZBH. There is no dilemma regarding the finances of the new "republic". It will finance itself as until now! From the revenues from the municipal and cantonal budgets, based on the collection of taxes and customs duties. That implies the blocking of the payment of customs duties and other taxes in the Federation budget. That also implies the paralysis of the government in the Federation and Bosnia-Hercegovina. But, who actually cares about the Federation. When she, as Jelavic said, has been dead for a while now. So that he returned her dead in Busovaca to Izetbegovic. Just as if it were his own property. And just as if Izetbegovic had lent it to him. And when Jelavic realized that there was no reason to keep "the Bosniak ethnic entity" he gave it back. Honest, isn't it!? Jelavic does not have an ideal solution regarding the return of peace to the disturbed lives of Croats in central Bosnia and Bosnian Sava valley region. His legal experts banged their heads together and decided that the Croats living outside the Croatian autonomy would have "envoys". Through these "envoys" they would resolve their troubles with the "motherland" in Mostar. And one they arrive to the "headquarters" in Mostar, these "envoys" will be happy to see the coat of arms, flag, and start speaking their own language and write everything they want in their own alphabet. Die has been cast and the HDZBH cannot step back anymore. It has gotten stuck too deep in the mud of its own illusions, too much passion has been inflamed among Croats, too many dilemmas posed to the international community, and it simply has not other choice. Apart from choosing its own isolation and the loss of this already lost battle. Facing likelihood of stiff punishment by international officials, the Croatian Democratic Union is getting ready for the worst.

Letter by Parent of a Student

They Educate Their Children in America!

by D.BEJDIC

Oslobodjenje, Sarajevo, Federation Bosnia-Hercegovina, B-H, February 10, 2001

Alma Alagic, a student from Bihac, after studying for three years at the Pharmacology department of the Sarajevo University, transferred to a similar institution in Austria, in Graz, where she cannot come to terms with the fact that students from the Federation Bosnia-Hercegovina (FBH) have to pay tuition (about $1,500 a year), while students from the Republic of Srpska, and even Kosovo, do not, as their universities have signed an agreement with the Austrian universities about the exchange of students. Informing her parents that she has found a part time job and a possibility to make some money, in order to reduce the impact on the family budget, Alma is astounded that "some are so stupid that they do not realize the advantages of education and have double standards and do not want to sign agreements that would allow a larger number of students to obtain education in Austria, while at the same time they educate their children at American universities". "Even if I return to Bosnia and lose a year at the University, I would at least make a bit of money here and return home. I am sorry that all of my friends in Sarajevo will have enrolled in the fourth year, and I would not be able to catch up with them. But whatever happens, I do not regret my decision," Alma explained to her parents in Bihac. Alma's father Sulejman reacted to this letter by sending a memo to the Federation minister of education in Sarajevo, inquiring regarding the situation with the education abroad. Sulejman pleaded and explained why this agreement hasn't been signed so far. "Is it better that we are self-sufficient and left behind by everyone else, even Kosovo, which used to be a synonym for backwardness?" asked Sulejman Alagic, an agricultural engineer. In the same memo he explained the reasons prompting his daughter to leave Sarajevo and go to Graz. "The accommodation in the student dorm is incomparably better in Graz. In Sarajevo, as an excellent student Alma could only get a first floor room as that was determined by some individuals who have been studying for many years. Additionally students from Sandzak [Bosniaks from Serbia and Montenegro] had the advantage in all aspects of the studies because of their powerful Sandzak lobby in Sarajevo. The other significant factor was the relatively short distance between Bihac and Graz, which is almost the same as the distance between Bihac and Sarajevo. However, the roads are much better, so that the trip from Bihac to Graz takes far less time than the trip from Bihac to Sarajevo," stated Sulejman in his memo to the Federation minister in Sarajevo. Although Alagic, as he wrote at the end of his letter, does not expect to get an answer, it can be expected that the Ministry nevertheless address the topic, as questions troubling Alagic also trouble many patents in Bihac who have sent about 50 students to study in Graz.

Translated on April 12, 2001