Activists of the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), armed with machine-guns, carried out an attack last night on the print office owned by BRO Enterprise, publisher of Albanian/Macedonian-language daily newspaper Global.
   
Global daily claims the reason for last nights attack on the print office was the story run by this daily. The stories, headlined Leka, victim for elections postponement and Ljubco, you should tie down the Lions were released in Tuesdays edition of Global daily.
   
Fortunately, the attack left no casualties or injuries. Global daily says an anonymous phone call was made prior to attack, threatening to blow up the print office in Mala Recica as well as the distribution center of BRO Enterprise in Skopje. Threats were uttered against the Chief Editor and Distribution Manager.
   
Such attitude by activists of the ruling parties ahead of parliamentary elections is a political suicide and blatant violation of human rights, it is said in the communique signed by publisher Ljupco Palevski. Freedom of speech and press no longer exists in Macedonia.
   
The publishing process was brought to a halt in the wake of last nights attack. The attack will cause delay in next editions of Global daily.

 

 

By Ana Petruseva

 

SKOPJE, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Police funerals, a hostage drama, death threats, nationalist rhetoric and a village under siege clouded the run-up to this Sunday's general election in Macedonia.

 

The country overcame its latest crisis but remained on edge ahead of the September 15 test of last year's Western-brokered peace accord, which ended fighting between government troops and ethnic Albanian guerrillas and averted all-out war.

 

"Elections were part of the Framework agreement. They mark the end of the crisis period," special EU envoy Alain le Roy told Reuters.

 

Marathon rallies are being staged all over the country while political propaganda dominates television, with lavish promises of jobs, higher living standards and lasting peace.

 

Party rivals trade barbs, starting with how last year's crisis was handled and ranging to corruption and alleged plans to divide the country along ethnic lines.

 

News bulletins report numerous examples of intimidation and vote-buying operations.

 

But what separates Macedonia from its Balkan neighbours in their election season is the prospect of violence. Incidents in the past three weeks raised fears that the skin-deep peace which has held for a year might be ripped apart in a matter of hours.

 

Suspected ethnic Albanian gunmen killed two police officers on August 26, triggering the arrest of five Albanians, which in turn provoked the kidnapping of five Macedonian civilians and, in response, a massive deployment of police with armour.

 

Strong international pressure secured the release of the hostages without a shot fired, preventing fresh ethnic clashes. Albanians make up one-third of the country's two million people, mainly occupying the western third of the country.

 

NO EXCUSE FOR VIOLENCE.

 

Diplomats from the powers with a big stake in Macedonia's stability know how easy it would be to stoke a new round of ethnic violence that could wreck the entire election process.

 

"If anyone were to consider this course of action, they would no doubt realise that the whole international community, including NATO, would condemn those responsible," NATO ambassador Nicolaas Biegman told Reuters.

 

"They would harm Macedonia's integration into the rest of Europe and turn themselves into pariahs. So, apart from being immoral, this would be very unwise."

 

Aggression and intimidation are well known in Macedonia. All previous elections since the republic's independence from former communist Yugoslavia in 1991 were faulty and marred by violence.

 

In its largest observation mission yet the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will deploy 800 monitors for Sunday's vote in nearly 3,000 polling stations.

 

The main electoral struggle in the majority Macedonian community is between the two old rivals, the ruling nationalist party and the opposition moderates.

 

But analysts say the key to forming a new government is in the hands of the ethnic Albanian parties who are guaranteed a power-sharing coalition with the Macedonians.

 

The struggle within the Albanian community is between the Democratic Party of the Albanians, currently in power, and the new party of the former guerrilla army, headed by their leader Ali Ahmeti. One of his tests will be controlling hotheads.

 

The rebels moved into mainstream politics early this year under an amnesty law pardoning all conflict related crimes.

 

Recent polls show the opposition coalition and Ahmeti' party are frontrunners in the electoral race.

 

Regardless of the winner, analysts do not expect a significant shift in the country's general policy direction, which is dictated by its peace process and central goals of NATO and ultimately European Union membership.

 

 

Reality Macedonia
By Cristopher Deliso

 

The NATO bombing of Kosovo was an unmitigated disaster for Macedonia. The government thought, wrongly, that it would befriend the West by supporting the destruction of Serbia. A lot of cash was promised, and huge pressure was exerted on the country to take in hundreds of thousands of Albanian refugees- just as their ostensible Western liberators were refusing to do the same.

 

With Kosovo, Macedonia made a true sacrifice and lost. The county never did receive the promised funds- instead, it remains trapped in the international creditors cycle of debt and coercion. Not only that, it suffered the worst outcome possible- a war thrust upon it from outside. Now, even Albanian politicians freely admit that last years war was led from Kosovo, by the former KLA commanders who the West had trained to terrorize Serbia. To add insult to injury, the war- a failure and capitulation for Macedonia- only inspired more coercion and control from the Western allies that the Macedonian government had so earnestly tried to woo. The end result, the disastrous Ohrid treaty, further proved that the country is really run by the Albanians, who had so successfully and cynically convinced the West of their disenfranchisement.

 

Throughout Macedonias experience with the Kosovo refugees, the hardest workers who received the least credit were the doctors. Indeed, the Macedonia doctors were- and are- the countrys unsung heroes. Often they work twice as hard as Western doctors, but for less than half the pay. When I wrote about health care reform in April, I discovered how Macedonian doctors were treated by Western advisors, who sought to push their reforms: they think they are coming to some exotic land, to teach the savages, quipped one doctor.

 

Yet not only did the Macedonian medics receive an education, they also were instructed in free-market reform, when it came time for the new equipment to be ordered. Now, I know of at least one medical supplies factory in the country, but do you think a Macedonian company would be able to provide its own doctors with equipment under the reformed system? No, because there is no way a little Macedonian company could compete with the international giants- companies like Speidel & Keller, Roche, Welch Allyn, and Kirchner & Wilhelm. Once again, economic opportunity was siphoned out of the country. And this exemplifies the central problem of the last few years- Macedonian dependence on Western hand-outs, which invariably come at a steep price.

 

Its a fine racket. After inviting themselves into the country, with infinitely extendable mandates, the internationals try to reshape it in their own image, assured that Macedonia is just another poor and backwards ex-socialist country. Very rarely do they listen to what the Macedonians have to say. And even when Macedonian consultants are occasionally hired, they are paid much less than their Western counterparts. Their limitation, I guess, is knowing more about the country and its problems than their guests.

 

Also, in the media, foreign governments and agencies spend a lot of money to train journalists. They overlook that the problems with journalism here- occasional sensationalism, partisan reporting, arbitrariness- owe almost entirely to economic necessity. In order to write what they really think, independently, Macedonian journalists do not need training- they just need to make a decent salary!

 

Another overlooked difference is the fundamentally different mindset to sentence construction and expression. The Macedonian language is not the English language. If Macedonians writing in English occasionally sound silly, does this make them lesser writers? How many Western journalists try to write in Macedonian? I must confess, it would be years before I could do such a thing. But does anyone criticize me for this failure, or imply that my writing is inherently flawed? Of course not.

 

Still, the hard truth is that Macedonians do need to be fluent in English and Western-style public relations. This, of course, is not because Macedonians need to be more culturally enriched, or will become better people as a result. It is merely the logical outcome of the United States continued global hegemony. When foreign media builders come here, the underlying goal is not peace and harmony, but rather to push acquiescence to power on the poor and demoralized locals.

 

Indeed, the approach to journalists is the same as the approach to doctors: Macedonians, of course, are savages, but they can become enlightened savages- with the right training.

 

What the West fails to realize is that Macedonians already are Westerners. Except for the economic disparity, Macedonians are just as Western as the British, Germans, Swedes or whoever. Yet the continuing tendency to treat them like circus attractions reveals a much deeper ignorance on the Western side. After all, when have the colonizers once considered asking the Macedonians how something should be done, or what their view is? No, they come only to train, not to be trained; to talk, not to listen; and to take, not to give.

 

If someday Macedonia tires of this aid, it will begin to realize its serious potential for growth. But this will require courage, and a great deal of responsibility. Unity is a prerequisite; Macedonians have been far too divided, and too eager to allow foreign intervention to capitalize on their animosities and empower their attacks on enemies. Yet this is simply the old imperial trick of divide and conquer.

 

While leaders and public figures might think they are winning something over their enemies with the aid of influential foreigners, they are really only digging their own graves. For if this situation continues, the time will soon come when Macedonians give up all of their decision-making power to outsiders. Then, the country will truly be colonized.

 

There are some critics out there, Im sure, who will say that these opinions are anti-American. Yet this is a rather facile condemnation, if we consider that the true American values- freedom, liberty and justice for all- say nothing about colonization. Todays America has drifted very far from what its first statesmen envisioned for it. Nevertheless, its people still defend their right to be free. They would never allow themselves to be colonized; so why do it to others? Macedonians should know that the representatives of America in this country do not represent it very well at all. They represent the government, execute its policy, and lay the ground for big business ventures. In short, they do not represent the people of America- the vast majority of who have no interest in colonizing foreign countries.

 

Hopefully, Macedonians can be judicious in regards to the foreign presence, however. Hopefully, they will take the advice which is useful and constructive, and placidly ignore that which is not. And so remain unruffled by unfair criticisms designed to serve a political end. Not hiring a public relations firm last year was a mistake, but that was then and this is now. Pragmatism is in order, and only the future is real. While Macedonians can look around and find reasons- chiefly economic- to be depressed, none of these conditions will be improved by inactivity. If Macedonia remains as it is- paralyzed by the seductive but unrealized promise of aid from the West- it will fail to take responsibility for its own fate, and to exercise its right to be a successful, sovereign nation.

 

 

 

Addressing the present, Georgievski pointed out that considering the radio monitoring system Macedonia is among the most contemporary countries in Europe in the field of telecommunications and radio communications.

 

"With the opening of the Control - Measurement Center in the field of monitoring, Macedonia will have a leading position in South East Europe," Georgeivski said, adding that "the facility is a European one, far from the region called Balkan, built according to the world standards." He expressed an assurance that with this project of the Macedonian Government "the glow of Bitola as regional center will be spread not only over Macedonia but also in SEE."

 

Director of the Telecommunications Bureau Zoran Trajcevski emphasized that with the opening of the Control - Measurement Center in Bitola, besides the monitoring and the control it would also realize the main goal of the Bureau - to bring closer all telecommunication services to the users in Bitola and Pelagonija region and will reduce administrative problems.

 

The Telecommunications Bureau invested Euro 300,000 and has installed equipment from the German company "Rudischwar" amounting to Euro 1,5 million. The new center currently employs 21 persons.

 

Conditions for full monitoring over entire Macedonian territory have been established with the opening of the centers in Bitola, Stip and Skopje.

 

Today, Georgievski also opened the Center for Education of Flying Personnel and reconstructed airport "Logovardi" near Bitola.

 

The investment cost over Euro 1 million, while the first generation of pilots will begin with training next spring.

 

"The schooling of this personnel is of great significance for our country, especially having in mind the fact that the outflow of means for such an education will stop, but also due to the possibility for us to take over the role of an education centre of this type in the region too", Georgievski emphasized.

 

He reminded that, "in the course of last year's crisis, our experts educated a large number of volunteers in a short period of time, who became pilots of airplanes and helicopters".

 

"After the disintegration of former Yugoslavia, Macedonia did not have an education center, up until now", Georgievski stated.

 

According to him, the Civil Aviation Authority reconstructed the old Bitola airport Logovardi with its own means, which also includes the Department for Pilot Training.

 

The Macedonian Prime Minister informed that the reconstruction included a rehabilitation of the grass runway at 250,000m2, building of a new asphalt platform of 800m2, complete reconstruction of a dormitory object at 400m2 and building of a new control tower with additional facilities.

 

According to Georgievski, the Civil Aviation Authority also procured three schooling airplanes of type Zlin 242L, which are equipped with modern radio-navigation flying apparatus that will be shipped within the upcoming three months. The total amount of this investment is Euro 1 million.

 

He underlined that the opening of the two departments in Strumica and Bitola was the beginning of an establishment of an air school center that would enable the education of flying personnel of all profiles, for the needs of air companies, military aviation, Ministry of Interior, as well as the Search and Rescue Service.

 

As emphasized by Prime Minister Georgievski, the purpose of the opening of the Department for Training of Airplane Pilots was the development of air traffic through dispersion of education centers in other cities in the country.

 

 

 

"I cannot understand how some people from outside can come to your country and criticize it," Karalis said, adding that "no one does not know which are the hidden intentions of that group and who stands behind it."

 

"I believe that I have done everything that I have planned to do," Karalis said before his departure from the position of general manager of OKTA.

 

Referring to the work of the refinery in the past two years, he said that "before 1999 the refinery operated with major losses. The only thing that we could do back then was to buy the refinery under certain concessions from the government and with certain obligations from the investor," he said.

 

These concessions, as he said, refer to the five-year exclusivity in the oil import and concession for the beginning of the work of the Negotino electricity plant.

 

"However, the government believes that it is cheaper to import electricity from Bulgaria than to produce it," he said, adding that in that case the produced crude oil cannot be used and the refinery will have to stope operating.

 

Karalis rejected the claims of the International Crisis Group that only US $15 million were paid for the refinery, adding that "total of US $32 million were paid for OKTA, and these money were transferred to an account in Stopanska Banka bank."

 

So far, Karalis said, US $110 million were invested in the construction of the Thessaloniki-Skopje oil pipeline, additional $160 million were invested in procurement of new equipment. The electricity company Elektrostopanstvo and the ministries owe to the refinery $30 million, while due to the war this company had additional $15 million expenditures. The total profit that OKTA realized in the past two years amounts to $10 million.

 

Karalis accused the ICG that "it does not see what was invested in the refinery, but sees only the amount paid and the profit realized."

 

He reported that the construction of two other projects was launched, one of which is the oil pipeline to Kosovo, which should be completed in less than a year.

 

Stockholders in the refinery are the employees who own 15% of the stocks, the Privatization Agency with 15% and the Fund for pension and invalid insurance with 5%.

 

 

In 1999 a monument to the victims of the Communist regime was inaugurated in Sofia. The names of 7,526 people, killed from September 9, 1944 on, were cut on it.

 

 

 

A carnival procession will block downtown Sofia next Tuesday. The masked ball is organized on the occasion of the Day of Sofia. Mayor Stephan Sofianski would miss the show because of commitments, sources from the Sofia municipality said yesterday. Actors from all Sofia theatres are to join the procession. The merry parade will end in front of the National Palace of Culture. The feasts on the occasion of the Day of Sofia will start on Saturday and will last for 5 days.

 

 

 

Some 200 spectators who gathered five or so kilometers away from the test range nearby the village of Zmeyevo were disappointed with the detonation of the first SS-23 warhead. Was that all, the sound was lower than a volley fired by those cherry-tree canons made in 19 c., people wondered. A mushroom of thick gray smoke with fiery tongues rose at 11.01 a.m. sharp. Some ten seconds later a rattle was heard, followed by several feeble detonations.

 

 

 

Foreign Minister Confers with Israeli Counterpart.

 

New York, September 11 (BTA) - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy met with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres on Wednesday, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

 

The two discussed Bulgarian-Israeli cooperation within the United Nations.

 

They exchanged opinions on the situation in the Middle East. Peres gave high assessment of Bulgaria's role in the Middle East peace process. Bilateral relations were also discussed.

 

Peres shared his excellent impressions from his recent visit to Bulgaria, the Foreign Ministry said.

 

 

 

President Georgi Purvanov Chairs Special Open Meeting of the UN Security Council.

 

New York, September 11 (BTA special correspondent Dimiter Anestev) - At a special open meeting, the UN Security Council chaired by Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov held a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.

 

The meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes, heard statements by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.

 

Purvanov read a declaration of the Security Council Chairman on the fight against international terrorism.

 

The Security Council calls on all states and regional organizations around the world to continue developing and strengthening cooperation with the UN anti-terrorist institutions, the declaration says.

 

Nearly 3,000 innocent victims, citizens of half of the countries in the world, were killed a year ago in the heinous and horrible acts of terror, the declaration says.

 

It pays homage to the innocent casualties of the September 11 attacks and expresses solidarity with their families.

 

The terrorist attacks on the US were attacks on the entire civilization. The world saw the terrorists use civilian aircraft for mass murder. They attacked the ideals enshrined in the UN Charter, the document says.

 

It recalls that after September 11, 2001, the UN General Assembly and the Security Council condemned the acts of terror as manifestations of international terrorism and a threat to peace and security in the world. The international community reacted to brutality with unswerving resolve through a broad coalition against the Taliban in Afghanistan, Al Qaeda and their supporters.

 

The Security Council called on all states and regional organizations in the world to continue developing and strengthening cooperation with the anti-terrorist institutions of the UN. The threat is real, the challenge is enormous and the fight against terrorism will be long, the declaration says. The UN Security Council will stand firm against this threat, which endangers all present and future achievements of the implementation of the UN principles and aims, the document read by Purvanov says.

 

The Bulgarian President is expected to talk later on Wednesday with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Presidents Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan.

 

 

 

Bulgaria Pays Homage to the Memory of the Victims of September 11, PM Saxe-Coburg-Gotha Says in Letter to US President Bush.

 

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha sent a letter to US President George Bush on the occasion of the anniversary of the terror acts of September 11, 2001, Tsvetelina Ouzounova, Head of the Government Information Directorate, told BTA.

 

"Expressing our deep respect for the memory of the victims of September 11 and the grief of their families, we cannot but also voice our great admiration of the selflessness and heroism of ordinary Americans who stood as one against the threats and devoted all their strength to repairing the damage," the letter says.

 

Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg-Gotha expresses sympathy with the grief of the friendly American people on behalf of the Bulgarian people, of the Bulgarian Government and on his own behalf.

 

The Bulgarian PM assures the US President of Bulgaria's categorical support of the US anti-terror campaign and its efforts to guarantee the world a peaceful future. "We will continue to cooperate with the international democratic community in all possible ways so as to prevent mankind from feeling the fear and pain of September 11 once again," Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg-Gotha says in his letter to US President Bush.

 

 

 

President Georgi Purvanov Arrives in New York to Open Special Security Council Meeting on Terrorism.

 

New York, September 11 (BTA corr. D. Anestev) - Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov arrived in New York where he will attend the official memorial ceremony at the UN to mark the anniversary of the terror attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, UN General Assembly President Jan Kavan and the US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte will address the meeting.

 

Later in the day the Bulgarian President will open a special meeting of the UN Security Council and will read a a coordinated statement of the President of the UN Security Council on the fight against terrorism. The session will be attended by other state leaders too. The US will be represented by State Secretary Colin Powell.

 

The Bulgarian head of state will have bilateral meetings at the UN with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

 

In the evening of September 11 President Purvanov will attend a memorial ceremony on the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center stood a year ago. The event is organized by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

 

 

 

National Assembly Chairman Gerdjikov: Bulgaria Established Itself as De-Facto US and NATO Ally in Wake of September 11 Terror Attacks.

 

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - With it actions in the wake of September 11 and its conduct in the Balkans Bulgaria established itself as a de-facto ally of the US and the other NATO member states, National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdjikov said, addressing Parliament Wednesday on the anniversary of the attacks.

 

Parliament stood a minute of silence in honour of the victims of the attacks in New York and Washington.

 

Modern mankind will never forget September 11, Gerdjikov said. "Today, a year after the dramatic events, we turn back to remember the thousands of victims and to see what we have done so far and what mankind still has to do so as not to allow a repetition of these barbaric crimes," Gerdjikov said.

 

According to him, the world has come to realize that international terrorism poses one of the greatest threats to the modern world.

 

Bulgaria joined the global anti-terror coalition promptly and without hesitation, supporting its activities not only in words but also in deeds, the National Assembly Chairman said. Its anti-terrorist policy is in full harmony with the activities of the EU and other regional organizations, he added.

 

The struggle against terrorism is one of Bulgaria's priorities during its two-year membership of the UN Security Council, Gerdjikov said. "We should also mention the considerable contribution of the National Assembly in Bulgaria's struggle against international terrorism," he added. The National Assembly devoted a series of legislative acts to the struggle against terrorism, he said..

 

The address of National Assembly Chairman Gerdjikov was aired live on Bulgarian National Television and Bulgarian National Radio.

 

 

 

US Ambassador: We Are Prepared for Sustained Struggle to Bring to Justice 9/11 Terrorists.

 

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - "We are prepared for a sustained and difficult struggle to bring to justice those who committed the September 11 attacks," US Ambassador in Sofia James Pardew said Wednesday. He addressed the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria on the occasion of the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the US. He thanked Bulgaria for its support for the fight against terrorism.

 

"This is a day for remembrance and reflection, but it is also a day to look forward and to re-dedicate ourselves to the triumph of those values that the extremists tried to destroy: freedom, tolerance and justice," Ambassador Pardew said.

 

"In the United States, September 11 is now one of those moments that define a generation of Americans," he said.

 

"The September 11 attacks were not just an attack on the United States. They were attacks on all of us. [. . .] Killed on that day were Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and others from virtually every major religious faith. The dead included citizens from over 90 nations around the globe.

 

"Bulgaria responded quickly to our military needs, providing overflight rights to our aircraft on their way to Afghanistan. Bulgaria also allowed the use of the airfield at Bourgas, so that our KC-135 tankers could refuel aircraft on the way to Afghanistan. The aircraft that were refuelled from Bourgas were carrying food and medicine to the Afghan people - people stricken as badly and as surely by al Qaida and the Taliban as any other victim of their hatred. [. . .]

 

"Bulgaria has provided troops to the international effort to rebuild Afghanistan into a stable, democratic country. [. . .] Bulgaria has also provided military equipment for the new Afghan Army to build security in a country that has seen only war in the past twenty years.

 

"Bulgaria, a responsible member of the UN Security Council since January, is now its president. In that role Bulgaria has participated actively in the formulation of the global response to September 11. [. . .]

 

"We will continue to cooperate with Bulgaria in many areas, such as freezing assets, cracking down on counterfeiting, and increasing border security. [. . .]

 

"The moral support from the Bulgarian people, heartfelt expressions of compassion of one people to another, genuinely inspired us. Even while we were stunned and silent, Bulgarians brought flowers, lit candles, wept, said prayers for those lost, helped us mourn and reminded us of our shared human dignity. Thank you for that," the US Ambassador said.

 

Also on Wednesday, over 25 officers of diplomatic missions in Bulgaria, government ministers and MPs gathered at Sofia's St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral for a memorial service led by Patriarch Maksim, Chairman of the Holy Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, in memory of the victims of the September 11 attacks.

 

The service was attended by the Ambassadors of Afghanistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey and Sweden, Culture Minister Bozhidar Abrashev, Environment Minister Dolores Arsenova and Deputy Foreign Minister Petko Draganov. National Assembly Chairman Ognyan Gerdjikov and his deputies Kamelia Kassabova and Asen Agov joined the ceremony later.

 

Memorial services were also held in other churches in this country.

 

Vidin residents paid tribute to the 9/11 victims by observing a minute of silence and throwing flowers into the Danube River, and expressed solidarity with the efforts of the international community to avert such tragedies in future.

 

Muslims in Shoumen in Northeastern Bulgaria will pay tribute to the 9/11 victims on Friday, which is a special day for that community, Regional Mufti Osman Ismail told BTA. Some 300 Muslims gather at the local Tombul Mosque every Friday, he said. "This coming Friday we will express sympathy with the relatives of those who were killed in that cruel act of violence.

 

According to the Koran, innocent victims receive the highest blessing and go to Paradise," Ismail said.

 

He described the terrorist attacks perpetrated a year ago as "an act of violence aimed to destroy the relationships among ethnic and religious communities."

 

"True Islam is the most peaceful religion in the world and can by no means be linked to such atrocities," the Mufti said.

 

 

 

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - On the eve of President Bush's much-anticipated U.N. speech on Iraq, the United States on Wednesday picked up the support of European nations Portugal and Bulgaria for a hard line toward Baghdad.

 

"I do believe that we can reach, if not a consensus, at least a big majority in the U.N. Security Council on a resolution on Iraq" if the United States should ask for one, said Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Passy.

 

Bulgaria holds the rotating council presidency for September.

 

"I think the United States has already been quite convincing, and they were convincing for many of their European allies," Passy said when asked what it would take for Bush to convince Bulgaria to back him on Iraq.

 

Portuguese Foreign Minister Antonio Martins da Cruz said, "We believe it is a mistake some allies are doing -- blaming the United States. We need to blame Iraq. Iraq is not respecting U.N. resolutions."

 

Bush is expected to tell the U.N. General Assembly on Thursday why he is seeking international support for a tough line, possibly military action, against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's alleged attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction.

 

Nearly every country in the world, with the exception of Britain, has expressed grave misgivings about a pre-emptive attack on Iraq, and many nations are calling for prior approval by the 15-nation U.N. Security Council of any military action.

 

But it remains unclear whether appeals for a U.N. resolution are a way to dissuade the United States from military action or to gain political cover for eventually backing a U.S. war.

 

Martins da Cruz said it was time for the international community to put diplomatic pressure on Baghdad to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors, who were pulled out of Iraq in 1998 ahead of U.S.-British airstrikes intended to punish Iraq for an alleged failure to cooperate with the arms experts.

 

During this period, "we believe that we cannot close the door to other options. ... For Portugal, it is very clear that all the options must be open," he said, presumably including the military option.

 

Previous U.N. Security Council resolutions ordered Baghdad to destroy any chemical, biological and nuclear weapons it may possess, under the watchful eye of U.N. arms inspectors.

 

Eliminating the weapons is key to the eventual suspension of U.N. sanctions imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait.

 

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov told reporters the council under Bulgaria's presidency was "determined to commit itself" to actions putting more pressure on Saddam to comply with council resolutions.

 

"But, of course, I cannot predict the degree of firmness the Security Council will exercise. That will depend on the judgement of each individual country," said Parvanov after chairing a special Security Council session marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States.

 

 

Nevena Mircheva

 

Businessmen advised N. Vassilev to promote particular projects, rather than talking big.

 

The vice-premier should offer to investors particular projects to do business in Bulgaria instead of just saying: "Come and invest in Bulgaria,' entrepreneurs from the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum recommended yesterday to N. Vassilev. This country should be more open to attract capitals and provide investors with preferences, businessmen pointed out. The Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum will propose to President Georgi Parvanov to extend an invitation to Prince Charles to pay a visit to Bulgaria in September next year. Businessmen are to meet President Parvanov in September.

 

 

 

Bureau of Financial Intelligence Agency Probes into 150 Money Laundering Tip-offs, Director Says.

 

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - The Bureau of Financial Intelligence Agency (BFIA) is probing into almost 150 money laundering tip-offs, its Director, Vassil Kirov, said in an interview for BTA. Almost half were received over the past six months.

 

The tendency of most money laundering tip-offs coming from banks remains, Kirov said. "I do not think this will change soon because banks are the main financial intermediaries," Kirov said.

 

There are two principal money flows in money laundering. The first involves export of funds from Bulgaria to off-shore companies and their subsequent return in the form of credits which are invested and thus legalized. The other involves the use of Bulgarian companies as post office boxes - the money arrives from the EU to the account of a Bulgarian company and is then ordered to the bank account of another company in a EU member state covering up any links to the crime by which it was acquired, Kirov added.

 

Most fraud attempts involve promises by foreign companies to provide credits to Bulgarian companies in exchange for payment of certain sums to cover expenditures in servicing these credits. "Quite a few Bulgarian companies are willing to cover such expenditures in the hope of receiving credits," Kirov said.

 

According to him, such fraud patterns are resorted to not only by companies registered in off-shore zones but also by companies registered in Western countries, including the UK.

 

On one such occasion a Bulgarian sole trader paid 5,000 euros in credit servicing expenditures in the hope of receiving a 5 million US dollar credit from a US company. A check made by the BFIA showed that the company featured in the respective US registers as founded by a Bulgarian national and that it was incorporated with 2 dollars.

 

Most of the shady operations are conducted towards the end of the week when it is presumed that the banks and the BFIA are less vigilant and slower to respond, Kirov said. "But it is then that we manage to catch them," he added.

 

There is a positive change in the relations between the BFIA and the prosecuting magistracy, Kirov said. By way of illustration he pointed to the decision approved about a month ago to appoint a special Interior Ministry officer in charge of contacts with the BFIA.

 

Amendments are being drafted to the Criminal Code to assist the fight against money laundering. "The problem is that it is extremely difficult to prove the crime. It is necessary to carefully trace down the link between the initial crime and the act of money laundering itself," Kirov said. And this is very difficult, especially when it involves activities on international scale, as is the case in 90 per cent of the instances of money laundering, Kirov said.

 

Most of the money-laundering tip-offs received in Bulgaria come from the EU-member states, Kirov said. This is so because the intelligence services there are working at a high level and receive much more information related to money laundering than the other countries, Kirov explained.

 

 

 

Parliament Decides to Set Up Standing Committee on Fight against Corruption.

 

Sofia, September 11 (BTA) - After a two-hour debate, Parliament decided 113-34, with 57 abstentions, to set up a standing committee on the fight against corruption. A draft decision to this effect was introduced by representatives of the Oborishte Movement, who are MPs of the ruling Simeon II National Movement (SNM).

 

The MPs rejected 107-91, with 19 abstentions, a motion by Vladimir Donchev, SNM deputy floor leader, and Borislav Ralchev (SNM) to oblige the Parliamentary Committee on Internal Security and Public Order to set up a subcommittee on the fight against corruption within ten days.

 

At the end of each session, the standing committee will give an account of its activity to Parliament. The MPs will discuss its composition next week. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), the SNM coalition partner, said each of its MPs sits on two standing committees, the maximum number allowed by the National Assembly's rules of procedure, which should therefore be amended. Otherwise the MRF will not be able to participate in the new committee, deputy floor leader Lyutvi Mestan said.

 

Vladimir Donchev said in the corridor that the parliamentary forces shared the view that a body fighting corruption must be set up. This decision has set up such a body and the SNM parliamentary group supports all moves in this direction.

 

The SNM, along with the MRF parliamentary group, has suggested that as early as Thursday the parliamentary forces should hold consultations on the committee's remit, conditions for membership and composition, Donchev said.

 

The SNM will take all necessary steps to ensure the committee's effective work.

 

Early in the debate, Oborishte Movement leader Tosho Peikov (SNM) said only a standing committee could inspire respect in corrupt people, while an ad hoc committee would have a limited scope.

 

The participation of all parliamentary forces in a subcommittee to the Committee on Internal Security and Public Order will follow the principle of parity, which rules out a political umbrella, Donchev said at the plenary sitting.

 

A standing committee can start work next year at the earliest because no funds have been appropriated for it, he said.

 

Borislav Kitov from the right-wing opposition United Democratic Forces said a subcommittee was not entitled to take decisions on its own. They would have to be debated by the committee, which is not based on the principle of parity.

 

Parliament's standing committees do not have investigative functions.

 

Commissions can do a better job in this direction, Roumyana Georgieva (SNM) said. She called on MPs of the the SNM not to participate in the standing committee. Let the opposition show if it can find the strength to seek and admit its mistakes, she said.

 

Tatyana Doncheva of the left-wing opposition Coalition for Bulgaria asked the SNM not to make the opposition support the majority. She called for a unanimous vote.

 

All parliamentary forces should participate equally in the newly set up committee on the fight against corruption so that there would not be a political umbrella over its actions. The leaders of the SNM and MRF parliamentary groups rallied round this principle of the committee's work, Vladimir Donchev said later on Wednesday.

 

 

 

Edirne, September 11 (BTA) - The Edirne Regional Court set its next hearing of a case against 29 Bulgarians charged with smuggling large amounts of cigarettes and alcohol for November 6. Wednesday's court hearing lasted only a few minutes. The case was instituted after the Bulgarians were detained for 24 hours in a routine operation by the Turkish authorities in May.

 

The new judge in the case, Mehmet Turan Saigi, scheduled the next hearing for November 6 so as to study the case record, the Bulgarian Consul in Istanbul, Georgi Dimov, told BTA. Saigi was appointed in place of a judge who was sent to Istanbul.

 

The judge ordered that customs valuations of the excisable goods - alcohol and cigarettes, be made and presented for each of the 29 defendants by November 6. The investigative record states the amounts but a customs valuation has not been made.

 

Lawyer Nevzi Ozer represents 23 of the 29 defendants, including 11 car owners. Two defendants are represented by another lawyer. Four are not represented and two of them were in the courtroom on Wednesday.

 

The indictment, reiterated by the prosecutor, contains charges of illegal trade, which carries a fine and one to five years' imprisonment on conviction under Turkish law. When the crime was committed by two or more persons who conspired in advance, the prison terms range from eight to 12 years.

 

Two out of 14 cars arrested in May were released after the previous court hearing of July 31, the Bulgarian consul said. The owners paid bond.

 

 

By ANTHONY DEUTSCH, Associated Press Writer

 

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - The first stage of Slobodan Milosevic's landmark war crimes trial came to a close at the Yugoslav tribunal Wednesday, seven months after prosecutors began calling witnesses to link him to widespread murder of Albanian civilians by Serb forces in Kosovo.

 

Milosevic finished cross-examining the last prosecution witness dealing with Kosovo on Wednesday and hearings were adjourned until Sept. 26.

 

After a two week break, the second stage of the two-part trial will begin with opening statements on the 61 counts of war crimes, including genocide, that Milosevic faces for the wars in Croatia and Bosnia.

 

In Kosovo, prosecutors claim Milosevic ordered his forces to wipe out the majority ethnic Albanian population and create a "greater" Serbian state.

 

Also Wednesday, Milosevic complained about a newspaper article in which one of three lawyers appointed to defend his interests had made "unacceptable" commented about the court proceedings.

 

Michail Wladimiroff, one of the so-called "friends of the court," apparently told the Haagse Courant daily that prosecutors have already presented enough evidence to convict Milosevic.

 

"If his trial was only on Kosovo, and you weighed the evidence now, Milosevic would certainly be convicted," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

 

"There is a clear link between the police and the army, the massacres in Kosovo, and Milosevic."

 

Wladimiroff said in court Wednesday he had not authorized the article and didn't recall saying much of its contents.

 

The quotes were "a misrepresentation of what I have said ... I have certainly not said there is sufficient evidence to convict the accused."

 

Milosevic said the comments were grounds enough to hold Wladimiroff in contempt. The judges gave the attorney a week to submit a written explanation.

 

As the first 96 days of hearings wrapped up, prosecutors dismissed criticism of having failed, until now, to present a smoking gun.

 

"It may not have looked spectacular, but when the mosaic is put together, we are confident we have done what we set out to do," said prosecution spokeswoman Florence Hartmann.

 

Milosevic will present his own defense when prosecutors finish their cases for all three Balkan wars, probably in the spring of 2003. So far, he has taken up more time than the prosecution, as he extensively cross-examined 124 witnesses and quarreled with the judges.

 

The landmark proceedings, considered to be the most important since Nazi leaders went on trial after World War II, have been marked with firsthand tales of massacre survivors and politicians who warned Milosevic he would face justice.

 

Prosecutors have called military experts to show that the killing and plundering was so effective that it had to have been planned and ordered by Milosevic's government.

 

But one of Milosevic's legal advisers, Zdenko Tomanovic, said prosecutors "are not up to the standard of the case" and have offered no proof of a criminal plan or purpose.

 

They also failed to substantiate claims "that Milosevic ordered or knew about war crimes," he said.

 

Milosevic's Kosovo indictment blames him for hundreds of murders of ethnic Albanians and the forced expulsion of 800,000 others. As president, he was responsible for preventing or punishing perpetrators of war crimes and failed to do so, the charge says.

 

Judith Armatta, a lawyer with the not-for-profit Coalition for International Justice, follows the trial daily out of her cramped office in the court's lobby.

 

Prosecutors may not have called the high-powered witnesses from Milosevic's inner power circle, but Armatta believes they built a strong enough case to win a conviction.

 

"The prosecution have shown that Milosevic was in charge and they have established that massacres of civilians occurred across Kosovo," Armatta said.

 

"So many incidents of deportation and killing occurred at the same time across a wide sweep of Kosovo and that can't happen, as some of the experts have said, without planning," Armatta said.

 

Although prosecutors have presented their case for Kosovo, Hartmann said they will be permitted to give additional evidence during the next stage of proceedings.

 

Prosecutors will then be able to call high-level witnesses who failed to show up during the first round on Kosovo, such as the former U.S. envoy to Yugoslavia, Richard Holbrooke, and Milosevic's predecessor as president of Yugoslavia, Zoran Lilic.