Bećirović: The West must counter the reincarnation of Milošević's politics

Director of the International Institute for Middle East and Balkans Studies (IFIMES) from Ljubljana, Dr. Zijad Bećirović, stated in an interview for the Patria News Agency that he did not see 'the need to reinvent the wheel and seek some special solutions after the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) took such a stance'.

- The High Representative should revoke all decisions of the RS government bodies related to the referendum; he should apply the Bonn Powers, as the PIC has obviously taken a stance that allows Valentin Inzko to do so. Neither the international community nor the High Representative should hide behind local institutions, whether it's the Constitutional Court or the Prosecutor's Office of BiH. It is clear now – these are anti-Dayton activities.

- Any attempt or activity to organize a referendum after the High Representative has banned it must be punished. If Milorad Dodik and Aleksandar Vučić continue with activities related to organizing the referendum after the High Representative's ban, it will become clear that Serbia is seeking a conflict with Western countries and NATO, Bećirović says.

He believes that this would give a right to those who think that Russia is behind such attempts, i.e., that this might be a similar scenario to that in Ukraine and other countries.

- It seems that Serbia has gotten involved in something that will be difficult to get out of. According to some international sources, files are being compiled as we speak that will reveal some serious violations of international humanitarian law. Vučić, as well as Dodik, are becoming a reincarnation of the 90s of the last century when Milošević was the 'boss' of all conflicts in the Balkans, Bećirović states.

He suggests closely examining the latest reports about conflicts within the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

- Those reports helped uncover Serbian intelligence operatives in BiH, including Srebrenica, during the attack on Vučić.  

- One should recall 1989 and 1990 when Serbian security officers were snooping around BiH and when the then BH government reacted. Today, there are joint police exercises of Serbia and RS in BiH, something akin to digging trenches and artillery positions around Sarajevo back then, when a message was sent to the BH public that 'they had nothing to worry about'.

Is Serbia doing today what Slobodan Milošević was doing back then?

The West must resist the reincarnation of Milošević's politics in the 21st century. Serbia sends diplomatic notes to BiH every time some video clip is posted with the Serbian flag on fire. Now that there is hard evidence about the number of Serbian spies in BiH, there is no reaction from BiH's foreign policy towards Serbia. Why is that? Probably because BiH Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak is still investigating who from his Ministry helped mark the anniversary of the genocide in Srebrenica, or could it be that the foreign policy is concerned about something else?, Bećirović wonders.  

He emphasized that the West had invested enormous efforts, funding, and time to stop the war in BiH, and at a time when Russia was on its knees.  

- The West must not allow the reliving of Milošević's scenario. It is hard to understand Bosniak politics which thinks – when there is no Milošević and no JNA, there is no threat to BiH. Milošević is no longer physically present, but there are some loyal followers in Serbia, as well as Putin and a somewhat stronger Russia, Bećirović explained.

The Belgrade meeting reveals Serbia's intentions

- Today's meeting in Belgrade between Nikolić and Vučić with Serb leaders from Republika Srpska speaks for itself and reveals the extent to which Serbia intends to involve itself in BiH affairs. That is also clear to the official Brussels and Washington. This will weaken Aleksandar Vučić's position in Serbia and the region in the future. I am afraid that he will annul all the good he has done, for which the international community gave him credit. In this case, Vučić and Serbia have the most to lose, Bećirović concluded.