Pillarane for NATO-revolusjonen i Jugoslavia i fjor oktober har smuldra
vekk ein etter ein. Snart står DOS-ministrane igjen åleine som reine og
ranke revolusjonære. Nokre eksempel:
1. I fjor var streiken i Kolubara-gruvene DOS sitt viktigaste
arbeideralibi, men dei har tydeligvis ikkje fått den fleirdoblinga av løna
som dei vart lova og har i haust teke del i langt meir omfattande streikar.
Politisk streik, sutra Djindjic, og meinte det var fryktelig urettferdig.
Streikebølger har feia over Serbia gjennom heile oktober og til dels i
månadane før og etter.
2. Borgarmesteren i Cacak tok med seg bybefolkninga for å invadere Beograds
gater 5.oktober i år som i fjor. Borgarmester Ilic var som kjent hærføraren
for bulldozer-opptøyane i fjor, og fekk mykje heder og ære for si
organisering av "profesjonelle" til storminga av parlament, TV-stasjonar
osv. No angrar han bittert og beskriv Djindjic som “the greatest evil in
Serbia”. Han klagar over Djindics mafiaregime og seier han aldri ville ha
velta Milosevic om han visste at det ville føre Djindjic til makta.
Korleis han kunne unngå å sjå akkurat det, det er eit temmelig digert
mysterium.
3. CIA-yngelen i Otpor har også vore ute og demonstrert og bodskapen til
DOS har vore: You're much the same.
4. CIA-media-nettverket ANEM (B92 osv) vekslar mellom å hevde at
mediesituasjonen er verre no, eller berre like ille som under den store Satan.
5. Sist ut er Djindjics viktigaste maktbasis under kuppet. JSO/"red berets"
som den siste veka har spankulert rundtomkring i Beograd med heile sitt
arsenal, i protest mot at dei har blitt lurt av Djindjic til å utføre
ulovlige arrestasjonar. Arrestantane har grunnlovsstridig blitt deportert
til NATO-inkvisisjonen i Haag. Radarparet Djindjic og Kostunica konkurrerer
som vanlig med å dumpe skulda over på den andre.
Klipp frå dagens nyheter i b92, Blic og IWPR:
Asgeir Bjørkedal
****************************************************************************
*********************************************
http://www.b92.net/archive/e/index.phtml
State security tightened as police crisis escalates
15:46 BELGRADE, Friday Security has been tightened around key Serbian
state institutions in what
a government source told B92 were “precautionary measures,” after
mutinous special police forces
defied orders to move from the jurisdiction of the State Security Service.
"The state has decided to take precautionary measures as it has become
quite clear that the Special
Operations Unit is maintaining its provocations and political actions,"
the source said after a
hastily-convened meeting of state leaders last night.
The source said it was clear that all attempts to find a solution had
failed and accused those “behind
the Red Berets rebellion” of seeking to trigger “a political crisis in
the country and prevent Yugoslavia’s
reintegration into the international community.”
The crack Red Berets have mounted a week of protests alleging they were
tricked into arresting two
Bosnian Serb war crimes suspects who were then extradited to The Hague
in the absence of a law on
cooperation.
They had demanded the resignation of Serbia’s Interior Minister Dusan
Mihajlovic. He obliged, only for
Zoran Djindjic to refuse the offer and instead launch a probe into the
events of the past week.
Yesterday the unit defied a government decision moving them under the
jurisdiction of the Public
Security Division of the Interior Ministry, telling the prime minister
that they see their future as part of
the State Security Service. Premier Zoran Djindjic had warned they would
be disbanded if they refused
the order.
In a show of strength, the Red Berets, wearing balaclavas and carrying
automatic weapons, yesterday
blocked the road leading to their base in northern Serbia with armoured
combat vehicles.
Tanks were spotted in the base and armoured vehicles were standing by
with engines running.
The Federal interior minister said the state planned to take a “serious
approach” to the latest
developments and to “apply the law and rules of the service.”
“But, no spectacular actions should be expected,” said Zoran Zivkovic. (B92)
****************************************************************************
******************************************************
Members of Special Operations Unit request to remain within
State security
JSO does not want compromise with Government
Belgrade - Members of Special operations Unit /JSO/
requested from
Serbian Government yesterday that JSO would no longer
be used
outside legal frames. They further requested to remain
within State
Security and that Serbian Interior Minister submits
resignation. As they
themselves said they would not give up these requests.
*****************************************************
President Kostunica about JSO, Kosovo and the Hague
Tribunal
I have not influenced JSO protest
Belgrade - 'Protest of members of Special Operations
Unit has not put
state security at risk. The reasons that led to that
protest could be said
to have put that security at risk. I am not expecting
the situation to
escalate because decisions made by Serbian Government
lead towards
easing of tension. However, the Government has to
explain why JSO
protested because JSO is under exclusive competence of
Serbian
Government. I support decision that lead towards easing
of tension, but
that decision cannot be end of the problem. Fundamental
reforms are
necessary', Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica said
at yesterday's
press conference. He added that he in no way influenced
JSO protest.
Journalists wanted to know whether Kostunica thought
JSO requests to
be justified. 'I shall quote Prime Minister Djindjic
and Minister
Mihajlovic. They said that JSO requests were
justified', Kostunica
replied.
Yugoslav President pointed out that Democratic Party of
Serbia would
submit to Serbian parliament proposal of law for
cooperation with the
Hague tribunal.
'Cooperation with that tribunal has to be defined by
law. Since we failed
to do that at federal level and since relations within
federation have not
been settled yet, it is necessary that we do that at
republican level.
Obviously cooperation with the Hague Tribunal defined
by law is
important not only from the aspect of state sovereignty
and the right of
an individual, but also from the aspect of internal
stability', Kostunica
said.
'Some say that the law is not to be passed at
republican level since that
is violation of authority of federation. That is not
true. Those that
participated in arrest and extradition of the Banovic
brother without any
legal grounds are republican bodies. That is why those
republican
bodies have to be subjected to legal frames', Yugoslav
President said.
Vojislav Kostunica appealed once again to Kosovo Serbs
to take part
in November elections in Kosovo and Metohija.
Speaking about request for making of the constitution
of Vojvodina,
Kostunica said that that issue had to be settled within
total constitutional
transformation of Serbia and 'not as those 14 political
parties have
imagined'.
*************************************
DOS leaders:
Federal level only for the Hague Tribunal
Belgrade - Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic said
that passing of
law on cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was under
authority of
federation. 'FR Yugoslavia is internationally
recognized entity. It is
necessary that such law be first passed at federal
level. Then the
competence of the law on cooperation could be
transferred onto the
republics by a separate law. Otherwise, we would
indirectly admit that
FR Yugoslavia does not function', Batic explained et
press conference
referring to intention of Democratic Party of Serbia to
submit proposal
for the low on cooperation to the Serbian Parliament.
Dragoljub Micunovic, Speaker in the House of Commons of
federal
Parliament shares Batic's opinion.
Leader of Vojvodina reformists for 'Blic' daily about
constitution
and referendum
****************************************************************************
**********************************
http://www.iwpr.net/index.pl?archive/bcr2/bcr2_20011113_1_eng.txt
SERBIA: RED BERET REVOLT
A rebellion by special forces this week threatened to overthrow the Serbian
government.
By Zeljko Cvijanovic in Belgrade
The arrest of two war crimes suspects in Belgrade has sparked an uprising by
over 100 members of the notorious "Red Beret" special forces. The elite
troops have refused to obey orders and yesterday, Monday, they descended on
Belgrade, raising fears of a coup d'etat.
As the rebellion enters its fifth day, many are speculating that Serbian
prime minister Zoran Djindjic could well end up paying a heavy price for not
cutting his links with the notorious police unit which may soon become the
target of The Hague tribunal.
Djindjic relied on the Red Berets, the special operations unit of the
Serbian state security apparatus, to help overthrow Slobodan Milosevic on
October 5, 2000. The unit had played an active role in the wars in Croatia,
Bosnia and Kosovo and is also suspected by some of having carried out
political assassinations for Slobodan Milosevic. Critics say that Djindjic
made a Faustian pact which is now threatening the future of his government.
The drama began last Thursday morning, with the arrest - by five Red Berets
- of Predrag and Nenad Banovic, 32-year-old twins accused of committing
atrocities at Keraterm camp in north-west Bosnia. The brothers were detained
at the market in the Belgrade suburb of Obrenovac, where they have sold
vegetables for the last five years.
The order for the arrest was issued verbally by secret police chief Goran
Petrovic, who did not disclose the identity of the suspects. The special
forces were furious when they realised they had been "duped" into conducting
the "unpatriotic" arrest of indicted war crimes suspects who were then
immediately extradited to The Hague. The next morning, Petrovic realised
that the Red Berets who normally guard his residence in the exclusive
Belgrade suburb of Dedinje had been removed. Guards also disappeared from
outside the Institute for Security in Banjica, near Belgrade. IWPR sources
say that Petrovic and his deputy Zoran Mijatovic then spent the morning
trying to contact the commander of the unit Dusan Marcic, known as "Gumara".
By the afternoon, it emerged that Marcic had gathered over 100 Red Berets
from bases around Serbia at the unit's headquarters in the outskirts of
Kula, Vojvodina. From there, they issued Petrovic and the Djindjic
government with a series of demands which all amount to the same thing: the
government must cease all cooperation with The Hague.
The rebels demanded the following: the resignation of police minister Dusan
Mihajlovic, whom they hold ultimately responsible for duping them; the
cessation of all "unconstitutional" arrests of war crimes suspects until the
Yugoslav parliament passes legislation formalising its cooperation with The
Hague; and an assurance that Red Berets will not be required to make future
"Hague arrests". Yesterday, Monday, the special forces drove the 100 km from
Kula to Belgrade in a convoy of 20 four-wheel drive Hummer vehicles,
politicians in the capital waited to see if they were about to mount a coup
d'etat, knowing that no military force in the city could resist them.
The Red Berets satisfied themselves with massing on the left bank of the
Sava, in full view of all the state institutions on the right bank. They
also blocked the Belgrade-Nis highway, south of the city, before turning
back to Vojvodina. A potent message had been delivered, if they wished the
special forces could take over the capital with lightning speed. The protest
leaves Zoran Djindjic with an unpleasant choice. He can suspend cooperation
with The Hague, thereby sacrificing foreign aid and jeopardizing the reform
process. Or he can refuse to compromise with the Red Berets, risking that
next time they might walk the extra km to his office.
The special forces are known to have many sympathisers within the police and
army and the situation will become more dangerous if they form an alliance
with the powerful anti-Hague lobby within the armed forces. Some have
accused the commander-in-chief Nebojsa Pavkovic of involvement, but this
seems unlikely since Pavkovic has always regarded the Red Berets rivals.
Some in Belgrade are saying that President Kostunica has a hand in the
uprising. Certainly, Kostunica and Djindjic's rivalry is well known, but
sources close to the Red Berets say that there are only three men who could
incite them to take such a radical step. The first is Jovica Stanisic,
Slobodan Milosevic's former secret police chief. The ex Yugoslav president
dismissed him in 1998 when he opposed his policy on Kosovo. Stanisic, whom
Djindjic courted after Milosevic's fall, is seriously ill and therefore
unlikely to be directly involved. The second is Franko Simatovic, the former
chief of the Red Berets. Milosevic dismissed him following the Dayton
Accords, but he still retains influence over the unit. He too has been
courted by Djindjic. The third is Milorad Ulemek, or "Legija". He was the
special forces chief on October 5, 2000, and ordered his men not to
intervene against the opposition.
The opposition had little choice but to rely on special forces to topple
Milosevic and afterwards Djindjic pledged he would protect the interests of
the Red Berets. Within a year, however, he gave in to public pressure to
replace Ulemek as chief. Meanwhile, on a visit to Belgrade last month Hague
chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte publicly announced that the tribunal is
investigating Stanisic and Simatovic.
Technically, the Red Berets are right to complain that the extradition of
the Banovics was unconstitutional. Yugoslavia has still not passed an
extradition law, despite the obligation as a UN member to transfer war
crimes suspects to The Hague. After much delay, legislation regulating
Yugoslavia's cooperation with international courts has been passing through
the federal parliament, but the law will only cover those courts recognised
by the federal constitution.
The Yugoslav constitutional court has already acknowledged that the
constitution does not recognise The Hague.
Serbia must extradite suspects to The Hague to receive foreign aid, a fact
which Zoran Djindjic acknowledged yet again last week during a visit to
Washington. He also agreed to open all military and police files to
investigators, which could open to way to yet more indictments. Meanwhile,
the lack of consensus over the extradition legislation has created a legal
vacuum in which no one is prepared to take the responsibility for the
transfer of war crime suspects to the tribunal.
On Saturday, Serbian justice minister Vladan Batic - who supports
cooperation with the tribunal - told Beta news agency that he had not been
informed of the Banovics' arrest, which was an "autonomous act by the
ministry of police". This would make the arrest illegal, as the police are
only meant to carry such out such actions on the orders of the ministry of
justice. In turn, police minister Mihajlovic refused to issue a written
order for the arrest, preferring to transfer responsibility to the Red
Berets.
As the stand-off with the Red Berets continues, critics argue that Djindjic
is paying the price for his own opportunism. Instead of demolishing
Milosevic's tools of repression, both he and Kostunica preferred to keep the
apparatus for their own use - Kostunica exercising influence over the army,
Djindjic over the police forces. Now the Red Berets have shown they have
lost confidence in the Serbian premier as a protector and are making
overtures to Kostunica's side.
A passive opponent of The Hague, Kostunica looks set to appear on the scene
over the next few days. He probably did nothing to provoke this incident,
but he may well offer himself as a mediator in order to score points over
Djindjic - if the Red Berets don't decide to take over key state
institutions in the meantime.
Zeljko Cvijanovic is a journalist with the Belgrade weekly Blic News
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