ZAGREB, Sept 15 (Hina) - The Office of Croatian President Stjepan Mesic on Sunday stated that the Croatian head of state had received information from credible sources on the possibilities of an assassination attempt on him during his
visit to Romania on 12-14 September.
ZAGREB, Sept 15 (Hina) - The Office of Croatian President Stjepan
Mesic on Sunday stated that the Croatian head of state had received
information from credible sources on the possibilities of an
assassination attempt on him during his visit to Romania on 12-14
September. #L#
In the past few days Croatian and Romanian media speculated about
plans for assassination of Mesic during his visit to Romania.
"President Mesic was informed from credible sources that there was
a possibility for threats to his personal safety during his visit to
Romania's area where the Croatian minority lives," reads a
statement which Mesic's Office issued in response to the media
speculations.
The office, which says that all the planned elements of the visit
were accomplished, added that despite the received information,
Mesic wanted to visit the Croatian minority as well, but at the
proposal of his Romanian hosts, that cited security reasons for the
cancellation of that part of his tour in Romania, he accepted to
meet ethnic Croatian representatives in Bucharest.
Bucharest proposed that Mesic's visit to ethnic Croats in western
Romania, scheduled for Saturday, should be cancelled out of
precaution, given that a few days before several pieces of
automatic weapons had been stolen from the military barracks near
Temishvar.
One Romanian yellow magazine connected this event with plans for an
assassination attempt on Mesic, and even claimed that the arms were
stolen by members of the former Serb nationalist paramilitary
troops established by the late notorious mobster Zeljko Raznatovic
Arkan.
However, other respectable Romanian dailies on Saturday said the
incident in the barracks was the result of quarrels between
Romanian soldiers, and that this had no connection with Mesic's
arrival. Those dailies said the yellow press had blown up the entire
story.
Mesic's Office said "it can in no way comment on the speculations
about the identity or on possible motives of potential attackers on
the Croatian President" which were spread in the Romanian and
Croatian media.
(hina) ms