SARAJEVO, Nov 1 (Hina) - The illegal export of the military equipment from Bosnian Serb entity to Iraq has not been the only case of the suspicious trade in arms which implicates companies from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and by 15 November
first results should be known of an investigation which should show the real dimensions of the arms scandal with Iraq.
SARAJEVO, Nov 1 (Hina) - The illegal export of the military
equipment from Bosnian Serb entity to Iraq has not been the only
case of the suspicious trade in arms which implicates companies
from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and by 15 November first results should be
known of an investigation which should show the real dimensions of
the arms scandal with Iraq. #L#
Bosnia's Council of Ministers on Thursday said there were
indications that weapons and military equipment had been exported
to other countries which were under the United Nations' arms
embargo.
"We are aware of the gravity of situation and of damage caused to
Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as of risks which might ensue from the
"Orao" (military factory's) business operations as well as
indicators that there are other companies involved into the illicit
trade in arms and military equipment," said Bosnia's Foreign Trade
Minister Azra Hadziahmetovic.
She declined to name suspicious companies and countries with which
they traded, but added that the ongoing investigation would clarify
the matter.
Citing sources from the Bosnian ministerial council, that spoke on
condition of anonymity, the Sarajevo-based "Oslobodjenje" daily
said on Friday that weaponry and equipment had been sold to Libya
and Burma (Myanmar).
Myanmar was the destination of last week's visit of the defence
minister of the Bosnian Serb entity, Slobodan Bilic, and this
entity's army chief-of-staff, Novica Simic, who came at this post
as a retired officer of the Yugoslav Army.
Giving no explanation why they visited Myanmar, which is also under
the UN embargo, Bilic and Simic offered their resignation over the
scandal about the trade between the Bijeljina-based "Orao" and
Iraq. Their resignations were more a symbolic guest, given that the
term of office of the incumbent government of the Republic of Srpska
was expiring in the coming days.
Information about murky dealings with Myanmar and Libya has been
forwarded to Sarajevo from abroad. This is interpreted as the fact
that the two entities' authorities have full control over the
military industry in their areas, and do not inform the state
authorities about it at all.
The best example of the chaos in this field is a piece of information
about preparations of a large delegation of the Bosnian Serb
entity's government for the trip to Iraq in March 2001.
The Cabinet of the entity's Premier Mladen Ivanic asked, without
previous consultations with the state Foreign Ministry, a Serb
diplomat in Bosnia's mission to the United Nations to ensure
necessary permits and papers for the flight to Baghdad under the
pretext that Bosnian Serbs were going there to explore
possibilities offered by the "Oil For Food" programme.
The Banja Luka-based "Nezavisne Novine" daily published a copy of
the letter between Banja Luka and New York according to which 10
close aides of Ivanic should have flown to Iraq. An interesting
thing shows that this would-be delegation was to include two
managers of a certain company called "Estetika", registered in
Belgrade but whose major business was unknown.
This strange trip was prevented by the intervention of Bosnian
Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, but the only direct
consequence of the entire scandal was the suspension and transfer
to the other post of the Serb diplomat of the Bosnian mission, Milos
Prica.
Commenting on the scandals, the leader of the Party of Independent
Social Democrats (a major party in Serb entity), Milorad Dodik
asserted that Mladen Ivanic deftly shunned giving answers to some
questions. Two months ago, he was asked to launch a probe (into the
"Orao" scandal), but he said nothing should be expected of it. Later
when SFOR did find something, he replied that many were responsible
for it, Dodik explained.
The new Serb member of the Bosnian collective presidency, Mirko
Sarovic, beyond any doubt, also bears the greatest political
responsibility for the case, given that since 1999 he has been the
civil commander of the Bosnian Serb army (as this entity's
President).
The US Ambassador to Bosnia, Clifford Bond, has said the
international community has lost some time (before clarifying the
scandal), but the Republic of Srpska has lost much of its
credibility.
A deputy of the international community's High Representative to
Bosnia, US diplomat Donald Hays, who is co-ordinating the
investigation in the "Orao" case, has given a clear message that
replacements will ensue in the Bosnian Serb entity over the latest
scandal.
International diplomats also insist on criminal proceedings to be
instigated against other responsible persons in Banja Luka.
(hina) ms