"Baron" Djindjic

Those and similar stories could be heard, sometimes read, ever since the war in former Yugoslavia began. Similar "reliable" stories can be heard in Croatia as well only the planes were Serb and Russian.

That's OK, it's good for morale, the people like to hear them and the authorities don't mind. It's unusual when this type of rumor is joined directly by the leader of a serious and large opposition party which has a pronounced intellectual image.

"Is it true that general Mladic's forces downed six NATO aircraft over Bihac," a DUGA weekly reporter asked Zoran Djindjic recently. The Democratic Party leader replied: "It's true. Both sides had an interest in keeping it quiet. The Bosnian Serb Republic to prevent a reaction by American hawks and the Americans didn't want a public outcry."

Being an intellectual who can count, Djindjic knows that modern combat aircraft cost millions of dollars; that pilot school costs almost as much and that the loss of six aircraft could not be hidden. The pilots have family and friends who certainly won't keep quiet to prevent embarrassment for Clinton and NATO. Mladic hasn't shown any signs that he cares about not angering Bob Dole or Newt Gingrich. On the contrary, he threatened the destruction of west European cities with long range missiles not so long ago. During the fierce fighting in the Bihac area, Trebinje mayor Bozidar Vucurevic publicly offered a new Mercedes to anyone who downed an enemy plane. So far, no one has claimed the reward.

Pentagon and NATO sources laughed when Nasa Borba correspondents asked them to comment Djindjic's statement. Djindjic is also probably aware that he put his foot in his mouth but refused to elaborate his statement.

So, he has either gotten so passionate about his patriotism that he believed the impossible or, more logically, he couldn't resist the temptation to score points with the electorate. In the first case he is naive, in the second he showed that his increasing similarity to Seselj is not only ideological but tactical as well. The Socialists must be enjoying the story.