CONFERENCE ON BOSNIAN ISLAMIC TRADITION BEGINS IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) – The Bosnian Islamic Community announced that a scientific conference on Ithe Bosnian Islamic tradition will begin today.The conference will take place on 14, 15 and 16 November in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. The main topic will be “Bosnian Islamic Tradition : Sources, Development and Perspectives”.The conference will be held at the Gazi Husrev-Beg’s Medressah in Sarajevo.

The conference on the Bosnian Islamic tradition has been organized on the occasion of 1.240 years of Abu Hanifa’s death and celebration of 470 years of Gazi Husrev-Beg’s Medressah in Sarajevo, 120 years of Mektebi-nuvaba and 30 years of Faculty of Islamic Sciences in Sarajevo.

Abu Hanifa, (699 — 767 CE / 80 — 148 AH) was the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence.

A grand ceremony was held in Sarajevo in January of this year marking the 470th anniversary of the establishment of the first Islamic School in the Southeastern Europe.

The first Islamic School in the Southeastern Europe was established in Bosnia in 1537 by Gazi Husrev-Beg (1480–1541),who was a Beg (Duke) in the Ottoman Empire during the first half of the 16th century.

He was born in Serres, Greece, to a Bosnian father and a Turkish mother, who was the daughter of the Sultan. Thus, Gazi Husrev-Beg was Sultan Beyazid II's grandson. A brilliant strategist and politician, in 1521 he became the governor of the Ottoman province of Bosnia.

Today it is difficult to imagine Sarajevo, or even Bosnia, as we know it, without the contributions of Gazi Husrev-Beg. He is remembered chiefly as the greatest donor and builder of Sarajevo, and as a Bosnian national hero. Thousands visit his tomb and give a prayer every year.

Head of the Bosnian Islamic Community Reisu-l-ulema Mustafa Ef. Ceric will make a speech at the conference.

LAJCAK TO ADDRESS UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON CURRENT SECURITY SITUATION IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) – The International Community's High Representative and the EU Special Representative in Bosnia Miroslav Lajcak will address the UN Security Council tomorrow in order to brief it on the current security situation in Bosnia, Mario Brkic, Spokesperson of the International Community's High Representative in Bosnia (OHR) told the press yesterday in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

”The High Representative will report to the Security Council on the security situation in Bosnia and its economic indicators. He will state that there are two political options for the country – either escalation of the political crisis which will lead the country to isolation or its settling down and continuation of the European road”, Brkic said.

“The High Representative and EU Special Representative will stress that economic progress and the recovery of Srebrenica as well as encouraging the process of confidence building and cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will always remain high on the priority list during his mandate”, Brkic said.

DECISION ALLOWING CROATIAN CITIZENS TO VOTE IN BOSNIA TO BE REVIEWED

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) – The Bosnian Presidency requested the Bosnian Council of Ministers and the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review their decision and approval allowing Croatian citizens to vote in Bosnia, to harmonise them with the Law and to respect the defined procedures, since the deadlines and procedures defined by the Law on conditions under which citizens of other countries can vote in Bosnia have not been respected, as Croatia delivered only on October 26 2007 the list of locations for which it seeks approval.

The Bosnian Presidency unanimously adopted this conclusion at a regular session in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

The Bosnian Presidency held a regular session under the chairmanship of the Bosnian President Zeljko Komsic.

The Bosnian Presidency also accepted the invitation for participation in the IV meeting of the Regional Economic Forum for the Southeastern Europe in Dubrovnik,Croatia, on November 22-23. It also gave approval for the appointment of the Cuban Ambassador to Bosnia Soraya Elena Alvarez Nunez and Romanian Ambassador to Bosnia Daniel Banu.

The Bosnian Presidency concluded to seek an opinion from the Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments concerning the report of UNESCO experts for world heritage on the area surrounding the Old Bridge and the Old Town in the southern Bosnian city of Mostar.

The Bosnian Presidency also accepted the financial report of the Bosnian Central Bank covering the period ending with September 30,2007.

The Bosnian Presidency also adopted Decisions on starting the procedure for conducting negotiations on reaching a series of international agreements.

BOSNIAN STATE BORDER POLICE TO CLOSE 52 ILLEGAL STATE BORDER CROSSINGS

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) - The Bosnian State Border Police will close 52 illegal state border crossings between Bosnia and Croatia. Those are mostly the forest routs and roads intersecting with the state broder. They are not planned to be a part of the Bosnian state border crossing traffic.

Head of the Bosnian State Border Police’s Western Field Office Velislav Kovac stated that members of his department will set up barricades in order to disable the illegal crossing of the Bosnian state border.

He added that the Bosnian State Border Police members in the Una – Sana Canton will block 16 locations that are illegally used to cross the border between the two countries, from Donji Tiskovac to Trzacka Rastela.

According to the Agreement on State Border Traffic, the Bosnian citizens will be able to take over the documentation necessary at the Bosnian State Border Police offices on the following Bosnian state border crossings: Izacic, Strmica, Kamensko and Gorica.

BOSNIAN STATE PROSECUTOR REQUESTS CUSTODY EXTENSION FOR SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL GOJKO KLICKOVIC

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) - In order to be able to collect sufficient evidence and to file an adequate indictment, the Bosnian State Prosecutior has requested yesterday a one-month custody extension for Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic.

Former prime minister of the genocidal Serbian creature in Bosnia (RS),Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic,is suspected of having committed crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 Serbian aggression against Bosnia.

The Bosnian State Court shall render its decision at a later stage.

The Bosnian State Prosecutior considers that Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic participated in the mobilisation and organisation of the genocidal paramilitary forces of the serbians living in Bosnia (VRS) and also in the achievement of the Serbian aggresor's goals, such as road and bridge blockages, organisation of sniper activities and establishment of concentration camps.

Prosecutor David Schwendiman justified the custody extension request by saying that the suspect might try to influence accessories and witnesses. The Prosecutor did not provide further details on the actions covered by the investigation.

"I do not think that introduction of alternative measures would be appropriate. No other measures, except for custody, would ensure his presence," said Schwendiman.

Objecting to the proposal, attorney Dusko Tomic asked that prohibiting measures be introduced for his client instead. He reiterated that various investigations against Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic have been ongoing for 12 years already.

"If they have not been able to do anything in 12 years, what can they do in 30 days?" asked Tomic, adding that the potential custody extension would represent a "reprisal against Klickovic".

"He has nowhere to go, as he has Bosnian citizenship alone," said Tomic, adding that Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic could not influence the witnesses and accessories as he does not know who they are.

The Bosnian State Prosecutor noted that the suspect does not have a permanent place of residence in Bosnia. Tomic responded by saying that this could be solved "in an hour". He said that he would give make his family home available to the client, who could register it as his permanent place of residence.

Serbian war criminal Gojko Klickovic also addressed the Bosnian State Court by saying that he did not think of "crossing the Drina river" as he "spent his school and university time in Sarajevo".

At the request of the Bosnain State Court, the Serbia's police handed him over to the Bosnian authorities in June this year. He has been held in custody since then.

NEARLY ONE TONNE OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISAPPEARS FROM HOSPITAL IN BANJA LUKA

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia (November 14,2007) - Nearly one tonne of radioactive waste has disappeared from a hospital in Banja Luka over the last couple of days, . The radioactive material needed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes was stored in lead containers in the basement of the Banja Luka hospital, from where it was stolen.

Bosnian media however said yesterday the waste should not be dangerous to the population.

It was likely that the containers would be sold as the lead is very heavy and has a certain market value, reports said.

An investigation into the case will be opened to find out how it was possible for the radioactive lead containers to disappear from the hospital's storage, despite security measures.

BOSNIA TO DONATE D-DAY PLANE TO FRANCE

SARAJEVO, Bosnia (November 14,2007) - Bosnian officials announced yesterday that Bosnia will present a plane involved in the D-Day Normandy operation to the Merville Battery Association , a French D-Day Museum.

The aircraft is a Douglas C-47 named Dakota 43-15073, built in 1944 in Long Beach, California,USA, and was voted to be presented by the Bosnian State Presidency during its session on Monday.

The pronouncement shows strong ties between Bosnia, France and the United States, where the plane was built.

The historic plane was used to move troops to Normandy on D-Day.It was sold to the Czechoslovakian air fleet, when the World War II ended.

In 1960, the plane was then sold to the France, which in 1973 sold it to Yugoslavia.

Throughout the 1992-1995 Serbian,Montenegrin and Croatian aggressions against Bosnia the plane stayed at the Bosnian Airbase in Rajlovac,near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

A Douglas C-47 , seen in this September 2007 file picture, laid for 13 years in a parking bay at the Bosnian Airbase in Rajlovac near the Bosnian capital Sarajevo. The plane, under the U S Army Air Force, took part in the invasions of Normandy and of the Provence, the Arnhem operation and the siege of Bastogne, as well as the clearing of the river Rhine.The Merville Battery Association , a French D-Day museum, want to save it and transport it from Bosnia to France within few weeks.