BOSNIAN PRESIDENT AT WAR WITH JOURNALISTS

( Editorial: --> 4271 ) SARAJEVO, Oct 1 (Hina) - Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency and chairman of the Muslim, Party for Democratic Action (SDA)Alija Izetbegovic has once again embarked on a war campaign against journalists. Sarajevo journalists who are not in the least impressed by Izetbegovic's attitude have fiercely responded. The latest conflict between Izetbegovic and journalists began following the storm raised as a result of articles released by the Sarajevo weekly's "Slobodna Bosna" and "Dani". The magazines apparently came across authentic testimonies of a former member of the Agency for the Investigation of Documents (AID). Edin Garaplija claims that the section of Bosnia under Muslim control is rife with constant conflicts between the various Bosnian Muslim security structures. Speaking to journalists in jail where he was sentenced to a 13 year term of imprisonement, Garaplija claims that during the war in Bosnia, a special terrorist formation was used by the political heads in Bosnia. There was hardly any reaction to the articles published by the magazines until a recent press conference by Izetbegovic following his election victory, when he was asked to comment on the claims made in the article. "I think there is an open campaign against AID", said Izetbegovic in a rather angry tone. He described the secret agency as one of the main factors in the battle against war criminals and that the agency has to date sent over a thousand files to the Hague. "I cannot interpret this in any other way than an attempt to assist war criminals...and I consider this an extremely anti-patriotic act", said Izetbegovic. He added that only dishonorouble people could be involved in such attempts and could only be referred to as "journalistic prostitutes". Commenting on Izetbegovic's outburst,"Slobodna Bosna" editor-in- chief Senad Avdic wrote that it obviously "hurt" Izetbegovic that the public had been shown that "the people he (Izetbegovic) confided the nation's security to, are nothing more than monsters and murderers", said Avdic, adding that amongst them was Izetbegovic's son Bakir. The Sarajevo daily's "Oslobodenje" and its journalist Edina Kamenica queried Izetbegovic and his associates and the huge amount of money sent to assist Bosnian children during the war but which they never saw any trace of. Editor of the Sarajevo "Vecernjih novina" Sead Demirovic commented that it would be more worthwhile for politicians to worry about the prostitution in politics. The latest conflict with journalists once again highlights the issue of just how far journalists can go with their freedom of the press in Bosnia. However, the issue of whether there is truly a parallel authority in Bosnia outside the supervision of the law yet covered by the most responsible politicians in Bosnia is still unanswered and it appears that noone feels responsible to have to answer such charges. (Hina) sp 011059 MET oct 98