Security
Bosnia: International official under fire over al-Qaeda statement
Sarajevo, 20 August (AKI) - The high representative of the international community in Bosnia (OHR)'s number two, Raffi Gregorian, has drawn sharp criticism from Muslim politicians and religious leaders for claiming that Bosnia is harbouring al-Qaeda linked individuals.
Gregorian told Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz that some foreigners from Muslim countries, who had been granted Bosnian citizenship, had links to al-Qaeda were helping to finance its operations and hiding its members.
“To be precise, I must say that I don’t know for sure of their direct ties, but some indications exist,” Gregorian said.
Gregorian said that some were giving help to al-Qaeda terrorists, providing them with financial help, false documents and facilitating their hiding. He said there were “more than ten, but less than 100 such persons” still in Bosnia who were supposed to have left the country after the war.
Bosnia Muslims’ religious leader Reiss-ul-Ulema Mustafa Ceric immediately reacted by saying that Gregorian’s statement was "very unpleasant, incorrect and malicious."
"It is immoral to link Bosnian Muslims to terrorist organisations. If there are al-Qaeda helpers in Bosnia, then we must know who they are, he said.
"On the other hand, if they don’t exist, then someone has to take responsibility for saying that they do,” Ceric added.
Gregorian said on Monday he may have been misinterpreted, specifying that he never stated that "all Bosnians were sympathisers and helpers of al-Qaeda.”
But he pointed out that 48 former mujahadeen had been ordered out of the country, however the authorities were dragging their feet in deporting the individuals.
After intelligence reports that mujahadeen had been carrying on illegal activities in Bosnia, the authorities ordered a review of some 1,500 citizenships granted during the war.
Up to 400 passports given to former 'mujahadeen' have so far been cancelled but security minister Tarik Sadovic has resisted deporting the individuals saying it is a "matter for the courts".
Prompted by Sadovic’s refusal, OHR chief Miroslav Lajcak, who has broad powers in Bosnia which include sacking senior officials, said recently that Sadovic would have to choose between the expulsion of the illegal immigrants and losing his job.
Sulejman Tihic, president of the biggest Muslim Party of Democratic Action, played down Gregorian’s accusations, saying: "Al-Qaeda has helpers in west European countries and the United States as well."
The Bosnian government has decided to extend by a further year the mandate of a special commission that has since mid-2006 reviewed the citizenship of around 1,500 former 'mujahadeen' who fought on the side of local Muslims during the 1992-1995 civil war and many married local women.
The special commission has stated that Bosnian embassies and consulates in many European and other countries had issued Bosnian passports to foreigners often without any documents or real connection to Bosnia.
Thousands of 'mujahadeen' came to fight in Bosnia during the civil war and many obtained Bosnian citizenship and remained in the country after the war, indoctrinating local youths and even operating terrorist training camps, according to intelligence reports.
Gregorian told Sarajevo daily Dnevni avaz that some foreigners from Muslim countries, who had been granted Bosnian citizenship, had links to al-Qaeda were helping to finance its operations and hiding its members.
“To be precise, I must say that I don’t know for sure of their direct ties, but some indications exist,” Gregorian said.
Gregorian said that some were giving help to al-Qaeda terrorists, providing them with financial help, false documents and facilitating their hiding. He said there were “more than ten, but less than 100 such persons” still in Bosnia who were supposed to have left the country after the war.
Bosnia Muslims’ religious leader Reiss-ul-Ulema Mustafa Ceric immediately reacted by saying that Gregorian’s statement was "very unpleasant, incorrect and malicious."
"It is immoral to link Bosnian Muslims to terrorist organisations. If there are al-Qaeda helpers in Bosnia, then we must know who they are, he said.
"On the other hand, if they don’t exist, then someone has to take responsibility for saying that they do,” Ceric added.
Gregorian said on Monday he may have been misinterpreted, specifying that he never stated that "all Bosnians were sympathisers and helpers of al-Qaeda.”
But he pointed out that 48 former mujahadeen had been ordered out of the country, however the authorities were dragging their feet in deporting the individuals.
After intelligence reports that mujahadeen had been carrying on illegal activities in Bosnia, the authorities ordered a review of some 1,500 citizenships granted during the war.
Up to 400 passports given to former 'mujahadeen' have so far been cancelled but security minister Tarik Sadovic has resisted deporting the individuals saying it is a "matter for the courts".
Prompted by Sadovic’s refusal, OHR chief Miroslav Lajcak, who has broad powers in Bosnia which include sacking senior officials, said recently that Sadovic would have to choose between the expulsion of the illegal immigrants and losing his job.
Sulejman Tihic, president of the biggest Muslim Party of Democratic Action, played down Gregorian’s accusations, saying: "Al-Qaeda has helpers in west European countries and the United States as well."
The Bosnian government has decided to extend by a further year the mandate of a special commission that has since mid-2006 reviewed the citizenship of around 1,500 former 'mujahadeen' who fought on the side of local Muslims during the 1992-1995 civil war and many married local women.
The special commission has stated that Bosnian embassies and consulates in many European and other countries had issued Bosnian passports to foreigners often without any documents or real connection to Bosnia.
Thousands of 'mujahadeen' came to fight in Bosnia during the civil war and many obtained Bosnian citizenship and remained in the country after the war, indoctrinating local youths and even operating terrorist training camps, according to intelligence reports.
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