Bosnian Serb Leader Shocks Victims’ Families

Sarajevo | 15 September 2009 | Srecko Latal

Milorad Dodik

Families of the victims, opposition parties and civil society groups have called for Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to be declared persona non grata after he claimed a war-time massacre in Tuzla was orchestrated by Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims).

More than 70 people were killed on May 25, 1995, when a single long-range artillery shell exploded in a square in downtown Tuzla. More than 120 civilians were wounded in the explosion. Most of those killed were children or teenagers.

In June 2009, the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina found Novak Djukic, who commanded the Bosnian Serb army’s tactical group stationed on Mt. Ozren near Tuzla at the time of the incident, guilty of the shelling and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

However, as with similar atrocities in Sarajevo in 1994 and 1995, the verdict and the course of events in the Tuzla incident has been challenged by Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik.

Dodik, who participated in commemorations for Bosnian Serb war victims over the weekend, told reporters that the Tuzla and Sarajevo massacres were staged by the Bosniak-dominated Bosnian Army to trigger an international reaction and provoke NATO military action against Bosnian Serbs.

Dodik also claimed that the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, has mostly investigated and prosecuted war crimes committed by Bosnian Serbs, while ignoring those committed by Bosniaks and Bosnian Croats against Serbs.

Dodik's accusations, which come amidst escalating political tensions, shocked and outraged victims’ families and opposition parties and civil society groups alike.

“This is yet another fascist statement from the premier of Republika Srpska, with which he is cunningly creating divisions among the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and perfidiously maintaining himself in the leadership,” Tuzla youth association Revolt alleged in a statement.

A number of NGOs, citizens' associations and political parties have asked the Tuzla City Council to declare Dodik persona non grata in the northern Bosnian town. Neither Tuzla officials nor Dodik have commented on this request.

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Comments:

Masacres
2009-09-15 12:08:02

It is widely accepted that the Kapija massacre in Tuzla in May 1995, and two massacres near the Markale market in Sarajevo in February 1994 and August 1995, were caused by artillery rounds fired from Bosnian Serb positions. In all three cases Bosnian Serbs accused Bosniaks of staging the incidents, but these claims were never backed up by serious sources. I would've thought that General Lewis MacKenzie and Michael Parenti are serious sources, especially the general. He openly states that Markale was done by the Bosnian Muslims. I have read it in his book "Peacekeeper, the road to Sarajevo". If anyone should know I would think it would be him. He was in the command of UN at the time in Sarajevo. Is he lying?

That foul-mouthed evil so-and-so
2009-09-15 12:48:09

Oh yeah? And then, all those who were murdered at Srebrenica committed suicide, right?

Not so strange at all.
2009-09-15 13:05:36

Curious. In the Karadzic case the prosecution and the judges have just dropped the charges for both Markale I and Markale II against Karadzic.

Dodik's comments
2009-09-15 16:16:30

Is it possible that people keep printing this type of defamation with no legitimate source and then think it's freedom of speech? If there is NO evidence for such pathetic declarations made by Dodik in an attempt to be pitied, then there is NO REASON to print the useless words that he manages to formulate. This is a slap in the face to the victims, their families, and to JUSTICE! FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS NOT FREEDOM TO DEFAME!

Dodik said!
2009-09-15 17:09:22

Widely accepted that Serbs were responsible for the markele market bombing ?,afraid not, the trajectory shows that the bomb exploded under the victims so was planted by your conniving government side. These are not my findings these are comments made by the UN and General Rose, but they were both overruled by the US Government who often knew what the so called Bosnian Presidency were doing to court world opinion. Moreover, most of the victims were elderly Serbs from Sarajevo on that day,fact. Please tell the truth for a change, it is clear that you are not an independent voice.

martin?
2009-09-15 17:43:16

It is accepted by ITCY that they were commited by the army of the r.s. Deny deny deny thats all u serbs do even to this day after 100,000 people have been killed. Dodick is not even worth quoting. He isnt worth of life himself actually. You should realise that he is doing all this for his political agenda because elections are coming up. If he cared so much about the bosnian-serbs why is he stealing money and giving his family interest free loans lol. Wake up its 2009 serbs,bosnjiaks,croats is not relevent if your in bosnia your bosnian point blank.

2009-09-15 18:29:42

"Widely accepted" does not mean it is the "truth", there is no unrevokable proof that Serb positions hit that target just as you say Dodik has no proof that it was staged. At least he has the courage to call BS when he hears it.

Evidence on Bosnian masacres
2009-09-15 19:39:25

Other comments have already brought up some evidence available to support Dodik. I ony wish to add as to the Markala tragedy that report of both French and Russian artillery experts after investigating independently asserted that it could be not possible to hit the market place from the Serbian positions. Also, there is an UN report attesting similarly. But people beleive what they wish.

dragsez@gmail.com
2009-09-16 00:07:00

the french and Russian military both examined the site and concluded that it couldnt have come from Serb positio.Unfortunetly they were told by american general not to disclose finding for the time being and that is how it was left. the hague also dropped charges against milosevic for racak inlieu of the overwhelming evidence by the finnish reporters and Serb military reports and also albanian witnesses caught in lies.Bless Dodik for having the courage to speak the unpopular truth."In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act"( George Orwell).

Census
2009-09-16 01:50:15

Its interesting Tuzla is ethnically clean as is Sarajevo. The bosnian and hague courts continuously only prosecute the Serbian people. Belgrade was found not guilty in the court case were it was accused of genocide, which means the Serbian armed forces engaged in combat against all people from the territories of Bosnia and Hercegovina. In 1991 Bosniaks formed the largest single group followed by the Serbs then Croats. Sarajevo and Tuzla were mixed cities with all religions and peoples, Sarajevo was known as the European Jerusalim at one stage(that name can longer stay because Sarajevo only has one religion and one people today) How? Why? Did the Serbs and Croats ethnically cleanse themselves? The amount of victims on all sides is large, but for the Serbian victims no one has answered or have either been freed of such atrocities. The Bosniaks in the government keep on refusing to allow the census to go ahead because it would show, not one, but many different stories that were told during the war. Infact nothing about so called ethnic cleansing could be used as a weapon in the media, because The Federation is today almost clean of Serbs, which would prove otherwise to the Media hype back in the 90's which is still going on today. The churches , Monasteries, Land , Lives all that was lost and taken away from the rightful Serbian owners must be put to rest and those who have either directly or indirectly been involved must answer to there crimes, the same as those Serbs who to this day answer for theres. Let the Census go ahead, let the Census itself begin the process of answering such questions, which will open up many more and then only then can we and will we know the remainder of the truth that has for so long being thrown under the carpet. Milorad Dodik, Thankyou for your good leadership and protection of Republika Srpska and all its people.

Massacre
2009-09-16 04:43:54

Serbs will belive ANYTHING that makes them feel better. It's amazing that they think practicly every massacre they're responsible for...we did to ourselves. That is the kind of chauvenism we're dealing with. Even after the whole world condemns the massacres and genoicde, after so many people suffer and so many admit to it, the serbs...just get more arrogant and defensive about it....it's incredible. its a world wide conrpiacy against poor little old serbs.

peggy
2009-09-16 05:03:48

General Lewis MacKenzie was the one responisble for letting the serbas in and massacring 8,000 bosnjiaks. I was 7 years old when srebrenica completly fell to the serbs. He ofcourse will denounce bosnjiaks because he is pro serb let me quote him " Evidence given at The Hague war crimes tribunal casts serious doubt on the figure of "up to" 8,000 Bosnian Muslims massacred. That figure includes "up to" 5,000 who have been classified as missing. More than 2,000 bodies have been recovered in and around Srebrenica, and they include victims of the three years of intense fighting in the area. The math just doesn't support the scale of 8,000 killed.[1] " So his telling me that my grandparents,uncle,uncle's son from dads side, mom's brother, mom's other brother and 5 of my cousins simply dissapeared because they chose to? Not true 4 of them have been identified in mass grave yards where they were executed. Let me quote our hero mckenzie again "MacKenzie has received $15,000 from a Serb lobby group in USA for speeches in support of Serbian causes.[3] [4] [5] On other side, MacKenzie said that he customarily receives a minimum of $10,000 per appearance, and that he "wouldn't be surprised" if SerbNet (Serbian American National Information Network) paid that rate through his agent." You refuse to look at what really happend there because yet again u serbs make youre self out to be the victims even tho its all infront of your eyes. I lived through srebrenica i was just a little a kid and those events continue to haunt me every day of my life, I've seen unimaginable things commited towards people simply because of their religion/ethnicity and even to this day you still refuse to acknowledge it. I hope someday u take a deep look inside of your soul see where u get all this hate from, me? i dont have to, the world already knows.

Bosnjak - conspiracy
2009-09-17 03:29:41

You say that Serbs will believe anything that makes them feel better. Well, I put it to you that you will believe anything which demonises the Serbs be it the truth or not. So much has been debated on who did what and credible people have disputed the pupular myth about Serbs targeting Markale but you want it to be true so much, don't you? Could it be that this is exactly what took to get NATO involved? You have to keep believing in it for if you stop repeating this lie the world is likely to see the error? Let me tell you something. The world does not see it your way. The world is a big place, but if you count the US and their lackies the world then yes, the world sees it your way.

Yugoslav Guns
2009-09-17 05:03:21

People should remember that during Yugoslav Wars the only ones who had access to long-range missiles (under the auspices of Slobodan Miliosevicâ€™s Belgrade government) were the armed forces of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Republika Srpska Krajina in Croatia.

seriously...
2009-09-17 10:43:52

1. Russia and France reached those conclusions, because as we all know, they have historic ties with Serbia. so no wonder people! 2. Sarajevo and Tuzla are now ethnically clean of Serbs and Croats? People, are you all stupid? WHAT THE HECK IS THE RS THEN? AN ETHNICALLY MIXED ENTITY??? the serbs started this aggression to HAVE THEIR OWN ETHNICALLY CLEAN ENTITY and you're talking about the fact that there are no Serbs in Tuzla or Sarajevo? COME ON!

Dodik and Karadzic, what's the difference?
2009-09-17 18:53:42

Dodik and Karadzic, what's the difference?

Sarajevo Diversity
2009-09-17 20:11:24

Hmm i am somewhat surprised that someone would say that Sarajevo has become the city of Muslims only!! For all i know, Sarajevo is still the most diverse city in Bosnia and all religions are welcomed!!! Bosnian Serbs such as Dodik will never accept this fact simply because he cannot argue that Banja Luka doing the same thing!! Let's keep in mind that Republika Srpska is 95% Bosnian Serbs and before 1992, they were only close to 50%. Where are all the others? For this particular reason, people like Dodik will never get his independence!! Republika Srpska is in BOSNIA and he will always be "BOSNIAN" and he will die like that!! Bosnia stayed during the war, and it will stay in the future!!!

Who started the War?
2009-09-29 08:05:50

Of all the lies and propaganda it still is so simple to know who started the War in Jugoslavia. The people who started it, are the people who wanted to break-up a Multi-Cultural Jugoslavia. Who were they? Croatians,Bosniaks,Slovenians and Albanians. Who did the most ethnic cleansing? Croats,Bosniaks and Albanians. How is this so obvious? Serbia is still the only Multi-Cultural Society! As for Bosna, what have you Bosniaks achieved by the War? What you have is a mini Jugoslavia, now with hatred among its citizens.

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Sarajevo is not your city, Mr Karadzic, but mine

Bosnian Serb Leader Shocks Victims’ Families