Issue 195 - June 26, 1995

The first conclusion that can be drawn from the affair is that this is not a case of a "one for one" transaction, but "all for all". Although the Blue Helmets were systematically counted and despatched, in Serbia raids could last for months and not everybody is likely to get caught, though Karadzic can certainly count on getting ten men for each soldier that he freed, pretty soon

Mirko Drljaca, a 40 year old lumberjack originally from Virovitica, tried to escape the forced mobilization and got shot in the legs. Now he's in the hospital in Sremska Mitrovica. Doctors say he'll start walking in a year. If there are no complications

If they do manage to avoid forced mobilization in Serbia, refugees from the RSK and RS still won't have a chance to become FRY citizens. That is not possible under an interpretation of the third version of a law on citizenship adopted by the federal government recently. Federal parliament still has to adopt the law

The forming of the Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) makes UNPROFOR larger; whether it remained the same isn't clear yet but we'll see as soon as the main players, the US and Europe, agree on what they want in Bosnia

The combined operation around Sarajevo last week was neither the deciding battle some expected, nor the great defeat others proclaimed. The lines have moved, some hills have been taken but nothing important has been achieved apart from at least one more UN resolution not existing anymore. In the meantime, diplomatic offers have been made and both sides have opened up

The Americans are making a mistake in forcing Milosevic to recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina immediately. They should have made him do that in 1991. Now it's too late